The Oldenburg International Film Festival has covered the international movie scene in all aspects since 1994. It is situated in Oldenburg, Germany. Its open-minded approach leads to a mixture of movie premieres and original independent productions. Innovation and contrarian ideas are some features of the festival. Among the guests of honor were

Alex Cox Alexander B. H. Cox (born 15 December 1954) is an English film director, screenwriter, actor, non-fiction author and broadcaster. Cox experienced success early in his career with '' Repo Man'' and '' Sid and Nancy'', but since the release and c ...

Frank Oz Frank Oz (born Frank Richard Oznowicz; May 25, 1944) is an American actor, puppeteer, and filmmaker. He began his career as a puppeteer, performing the Muppet characters of Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Animal, and Sam Eagle in ''The Muppet Show ...

James B. Harris James B. Harris (born August 3, 1928) is an American film screenwriter, producer, and director. Born in New York City, he attended the Juilliard School before entering the film industry. He worked with film director Stanley Kubrick as a produc ...

, Tim Hunter, Belgian cult director Harry Kümel,

Jim McBride Jim or JIM may refer to: * Jim (given name), a given name * Jim, a diminutive form of the given name James * Jim, a short form of the given name Jimmy * OPCW-UN Joint Investigative Mechanism * ''Jim'' (comics), a series by Jim Woodring * ''Jim' ...

Philippe de Broca Philippe de Broca (; 15 March 1933 – 26 November 2004) was a French movie director. He directed 30 full-length feature films, including the highly successful '' That Man from Rio (''L'Homme de Rio'')'', '' The Man from Acapulco (Le Magnifique) ...

Andrzej Żuławski Andrzej Żuławski (; 22 November 1940 – 17 February 2016) was a Polish film director and writer. Żuławski often went against mainstream commercialism in his films, and enjoyed success mostly with European art-house audiences. In the late 1 ...

Ken Russell Henry Kenneth Alfred Russell (3 July 1927 – 27 November 2011) was a British film director, known for his pioneering work in television and film and for his flamboyant and controversial style. His films in the main were liberal adaptation ...

, Jerry Schatzberg and Ovidio G. Assonitis who have all attended the festival for the retrospectives of their work.

Icíar Bollaín Icíar Bollaín Pérez-Mínguez (born 12 June 1967) is a Spanish filmmaker and actress. Early life and education Icíar Bollaín Pérez-Mínguez was born in Madrid on 12 June 1967. She was one of twin girls to a father who was an aeronautical ...

Seymour Cassel Seymour Joseph Cassel (January 22, 1935 – April 7, 2019) was an American actor who appeared in over 200 movies and television shows, and had a career that spanned over 50 years. Cassel first came to prominence in the 1960s in the pioneering in ...

Asia Argento Asia Argento (; born Aria Maria Vittoria Rossa Argento; 20 September 1975) is an Italian actress and filmmaker. The daughter of filmmaker Dario Argento, she has had roles in several of her father's features and achieved mainstream success with ...

, Stacy Cochran, Richard Stanley,

Ben Gazzara Biagio Anthony Gazzara (August 28, 1930 – February 3, 2012) was an American actor and director of film, stage, and television. He received numerous accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award and a Drama Desk Award, in addition to nominatio ...

Larry Clark Lawrence Donald Clark (born January 19, 1943) is an American film director, photographer, writer and film producer who is best known for his controversial teen film ''Kids'' (1995) and his photography book ''Tulsa'' (1971). His work focuses prim ...

Tim Blake Nelson Timothy Blake Nelson (born May 11, 1964) is an American actor and playwright. Described as a "modern character actor", his roles include Delmar O'Donnell in '' O Brother, Where Art Thou?'' (2000), Gideon in '' Minority Report'' (2002), Dr. Pend ...

as well as Luke and Andrew Wilson have attended the festival for tributes in their honor. Internationally acclaimed films, such as

Park Chan-wook Park Chan-wook ( ; born 23 August 1963) is a South Korean film director, screenwriter, producer, and former film critic. He is considered as one of the most prominent filmmakers of South Korean cinema as well as world cinema in 21st century. ...

’s '' The Handmaiden'',

Takeshi Kitano is a Japanese comedian, television presenter, actor, filmmaker, and author. While he is known primarily as a comedian and TV host in his native Japan, he is better known abroad for his work as a filmmaker and actor as well as TV host. With th ...

’s '' Kids Return'',

David Cronenberg David Paul Cronenberg (born March 15, 1943) is a Canadian film director, screenwriter, and actor. He is one of the principal originators of what is commonly known as the body horror genre, with his films exploring visceral bodily transformation ...

’s ''

Spider Spiders (order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species ...

'',

Kevin Spacey Kevin Spacey Fowler (born July 26, 1959) is an American actor. He began his career as a stage actor during the 1980s, obtaining supporting roles before gaining a leading man status in film and television. Spacey has received various accolade ...

’s ''

Albino Alligator ''Albino Alligator'' is a 1996 American crime thriller film. The directorial debut of Kevin Spacey as well as the screenwriting debut of Christian Forte, it stars Matt Dillon, Faye Dunaway, and Gary Sinise. It tells the story of three small-time c ...

'',

Steven Soderbergh Steven Andrew Soderbergh (; born January 14, 1963) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, cinematographer and editor. A pioneer of modern independent cinema, Soderbergh is an acclaimed and prolific filmmaker. Soderbergh's direct ...

’s ''

Out of Sight ''Out of Sight'' is a 1998 American crime comedy film directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Scott Frank, adapted from Elmore Leonard's 1996 novel of the same name. The first of several collaborations between Soderbergh and actor Georg ...

'',

’s '' Ken Park'', Luke and Andrew Wilson’s ''

The Wendell Baker Story ''The Wendell Baker Story'' is a 2005 American comedy film directed by Luke Wilson and Andrew Wilson and starring Luke Wilson, Eva Mendes, Owen Wilson, Eddie Griffin, Kris Kristofferson, Harry Dean Stanton, Seymour Cassel, and Will Ferrell. It pr ...

'', and '' The Fountain'' by

Darren Aronofsky Darren Aronofsky (born February 12, 1969) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. His films are noted for their surrealistic, melodramatic, and sometimes disturbing elements, often in the form of psychological fiction. Arono ...

or indie hits like Larry Fessenden’s ''

Habit A habit (or wont as a humorous and formal term) is a routine of behavior that is repeated regularly and tends to occur subconsciously.

'',

Cory McAbee Cory McAbee (born August 29, 1961, Santa Venetia, California, US) is an American writer, director, singer and songwriter. Biography Cory McAbee was born in Northern California as the youngest of three children. His father was an auto mechanic and ...

’s ''

The American Astronaut ''The American Astronaut'' is a 2001 space Western musical film directed by and starring Cory McAbee. The film is set in a fictitious past, in which space travel is pioneered by roughnecks. The film was released on DVD in the spring of 2005. ...

'',

Michael Polish Mark Polish and Michael Polish (born October 30, 1970), known informally as the Polish brothers, are American twin screenwriters and film producers. Michael usually directs their films, and Mark often has an acting role. Life The Polish brothe ...

’s ''

Northfork ''Northfork'' is a 2003 film directed by Michael Polish and written by Michael and Mark Polish. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 21, 2003 and later received a limited release in the United States on July 11, 2003. The film s ...

'',

Paul Provenza Paul Provenza (born July 31, 1957) is a television presenter, actor, radio panelist, stand-up comedian, filmmaker, and skeptic based in Los Angeles. He has appeared on several podcasts and in recent years has interviewed other stand-up comedians. ...

’s ''

The Aristocrats "The Aristocrats" is a taboo-defying off-color joke that has been told by numerous stand-up comedians since the vaudeville era . It relates the story of a family trying to get an agent to book their stage act, which is revealed to be remarkabl ...

'', Susan Buice and Arin Crumley’s '' Four Eyed Monsters'' or ''

The Guatemalan Handshake ''The Guatemalan Handshake'' is a 2006 comedy-drama film, written and directed by Todd Rohal. It is Rohal's feature film debut. The film premiered at the 2006 Slamdance Film Festival and won the Special Jury Prize. Story In the confusion followi ...

'' by

Todd Rohal Todd Rohal is an American independent filmmaker. Career Rohal attended filmmaking classes at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. Between 1997 and 2001 he directed four short films: ''Single Spaced'' (1997), ''Slug 660'' (1998), ''Knuckleface Jone ...

, received their German premiere in Oldenburg.

Tributes and Retrospectives

;Tributes (by year) *1994: Nancy Savoca *1995:

Katt Shea Kathleen Ann Shea (born October 9, 1959) is an American actress, film director, and acting teacher. She is best known for directing the erotic thriller '' Poison Ivy'', which was nominated for the 1992 Sundance Grand Jury Prize. Early life Shea ...

*1996: (none) *1997:

*1989:

*1999:

*2000: Stacy Cochran *2001:

, Richard Stanley *2002: Édouard Niermans *2003:

*2004:

*2005:

Luke Wilson Luke Cunningham Wilson (born September 21, 1971) is an American actor known for his roles in films such as ''Bottle Rocket'' (1996), '' Rushmore'' (1998), ''My Dog Skip'' (2000), '' Legally Blonde'' (2001), ''The Royal Tenenbaums'' (2001), ''Id ...

and Andrew Wilson *2006: Peter Fleischmann *2007:

Stacy Keach Walter Stacy Keach Jr. (born June 2, 1941) is an American actor and narrator. He has played mainly dramatic roles throughout his career, often in law enforcement or as a private detective. His most prominent role was as Mickey Spillane's fiction ...

*2008:

Marius Müller-Westernhagen Marius Müller-Westernhagen (born 6 December 1948) is a German musician and actor. He has been a feature in German rock music since the mid-1970s. Müller-Westernhagen is known for his energetic public concerts, and his fans know his anthem-like ...

Michael Wadleigh Michael Wadleigh, (born September 24, 1942, in Akron, Ohio), is an American film director and cinematographer renowned for his groundbreaking documentary of the 1969 Woodstock Festival, ''Woodstock''. Biography A native of Akron, Ohio, Wadlei ...

*2009:

Scott McGehee Scott McGehee (born April 20, 1962) is an American filmmaker. He is a Columbia University graduate and did graduate work in the Rhetoric department at UC Berkeley. He was born in California, and currently resides in New York City. McGehee ...

, David Siegel *2010:

Timothy Bottoms Timothy James Bottoms (born August 30, 1951) is an American actor and film producer. He is best known for playing the lead in ''Johnny Got His Gun'' (1971); Sonny Crawford in ''The Last Picture Show'' (1971), where he and his fellow co-stars, Cy ...

*2011:

Roger Fritz Roger Fritz (22 September 1936 – 26 November 2021) was a German actor, director, producer and photographer, perhaps best known for ''Cross of Iron'', and his work with Rainer Werner Fassbinder in '' Querelle'', ''Lili Marleen'' and ''Berlin Ale ...

*2012: (none) *2013: Bobcat Goldthwait *2014: (none) *2015: Joanna Cassidy *2016:

Nicolas Cage Nicolas Kim Coppola (born January 7, 1964), known professionally as Nicolas Cage, is an American actor and film producer. Born into the Coppola family, he is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Screen Actors Gui ...

, Amanda Plummer *2017:

Lou Diamond Phillips Louis Diamond Phillips ( born Upchurch; February 17, 1962) is a Filipino-American actor and film director. His breakthrough came when he starred as Ritchie Valens in the biographical drama film '' La Bamba'' (1987). For ''Stand and Deliver'' (19 ...

*2018: Keith Carradine *2019:

* 2020: (none) * 2021: Mattie Do ;Retrospectives *1994:

*1995:

*1996:

*1997: Tim Hunter *1998:

Roberto Faenza Roberto Faenza (born 21 February 1943) is an Italian film director. Born in Turin in 1943, Faenza received a degree in Political Science and a diploma at the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia. Career Faenza made his directing debut in 1968 ...

*1999: Harry Kümel *2000:

William Wellman Jr. William Wellman Jr. (born January 20, 1937) is an American former actor. In a career spanning 65 years, he appeared in about 77 films and television series. Life and career Wellman was born in Los Angeles, California, and is the son of actress ...

*2001:

*2002: Bernard Rose *2003:

*2004:

*2005:

*2006: Jerry Schatzberg *2007: Abel Ferrara *2008: James Toback *2009:

Bruno Barreto Bruno Villela Barreto Borges (born 16 March 1955) is a Brazilian film director. Biography Born in Rio de Janeiro, Barreto has been making feature-length films ever since he was 17 years old and remains one of Brazil's most accomplished and pop ...

*2010: Radley Metzger *2011:

Ted Kotcheff William Theodore Kotcheff (born April 7, 1931) is a Bulgarian-Canadian film and television director, writer and producer, known primarily for his work on British and American television productions such as '' Armchair Theatre'' and '' Law & Or ...

*2012:

Phedon Papamichael Phedon Papamichael, ASC ( el, Φαίδων Παπαμιχαήλ, ''Faidon Papamihail''; born 10 February 1962) is a Greek cinematographer and film director, known for his collaborations with directors James Mangold, Alexander Payne and Wim Wende ...

*2013:

Mania Akbari Mania Akbari ( fa, مانيا اکبری, born 22 September 1974Philippe Mora Philippe Mora (born 1949) is a French Australian film director. Early life and career Philippe Mora was born in Paris, France in 1949, and grew up at the centre of the Australian arts scene of the 1950s and began making films with an 8mm camera ...

*2015: George Armitage *2016:

Christophe Honoré Christophe Honoré (born 10 April 1970) is a French writer and film and theatre director. Career Honoré was born in Carhaix, Finistère. After moving to Paris in 1995, he wrote articles in '' Les Cahiers du Cinéma''. He started writing soon af ...

*2017:

Edward R. Pressman Edward Rambach Pressman (April 11, 1943 – January 17, 2023) was an American film producer and founder of the production company Edward R. Pressman Film Corporation. Pressman was born to a Jewish family in New York City, the son of Lynn and J ...

*2018: Bruce Robinson *2019:

Burkhard Driest Burkhard Driest (; 28 April 1939 – 27 February 2020) was a German actor, writer and director, known for his acting work in Sam Peckinpah's '' Cross of Iron'' and Rainer Werner Fassbinder's ''Querelle''. He also wrote novels and screenplays. L ...

* 2020:

William Friedkin William "Billy" Friedkin (born August 29, 1935)Biskind, p. 200. is an American film and television director, producer and screenwriter closely identified with the " New Hollywood" movement of the 1970s. Beginning his career in documentaries in ...

* 2021: Ovidio G. Assonitis

Awards

German Independence Award: Audience Award

* 1998: Richard Schenkman — Went to Coney Island on a Mission from God... Be Back by Five — USA, 1998 * 1999: Noah Stern — The Invisibles — USA, 1999 * 2001: Buket Alakuş — Anam — Germany, 2001 * 2002: Scott Thomas — Anacardium (Deranged) — USA, 2001 * 2003:

—

— USA, 2003 * 2004: Dennis Iliadis — Hardcore — Greece, 2003 * 2005: Marcos Siega — Pretty Persuasion — USA, 2005 * 2006:

Scott Dacko Scott Dacko is the screenwriter and director of The Insurgents, starring Mary Stuart Masterson, John Shea, Henry Simmons, Juliette Marquis and Michael Mosley. Winner of the German Independence Audience Award for Best Picture for The Insurgents a ...

— The Insurgents — USA, 2006 * 2007: Jan Hinrik Drevs — Underdogs — Germany, 2006/2007 * 2008: Emily Atef — The Stranger in Me (Das Fremde in mir) — Germany, 2008 * 2009: Judi Krant — Made in China — USA, 2009 * 2010: Paul Gordon — The Happy Poet — USA 2010 * 2011: K. Lorrel Manning — Happy New Year — USA, 2011 * 2012: Jan-Ole Gerster — Oh Boy — Germany, 2012 * 2013: David Perrault — Our Heroes Died Tonight (Nos heros sont morts ce soir) — France, 2013 * 2014: Michal Samir — Hany — Czech Republic, 2014 * 2015: Tom Sommerlatte — Summers Downstairs (Im Sommer wohnt er unten) — Germany/France, 2015 * 2016: Emre Konuk — The Apprentice (Çirak) — Turkey, 2016 * 2017: Kubilay Sarikaya and Sedat Kirtan — Familiye — Germany, 2017 * 2018: Mikhal Raskhodnikov — Vremennye trudnosti — Russia, 2018 * 2019: Adam VillaSenor and Reza Ghassemi —

In Full Bloom ''In Full Bloom'' is the second album released by American funk band Rose Royce on the Whitfield label in July 1977. It was produced by Norman Whitfield. The album was remastered and reissued with bonus tracks in 2016 by Big Break Records. ...

— USA/JAPAN, 2020 * 2020: Miles Hargrove - Miracle Fishing - USA

German Independence Award: Best German Film

The ''Best German Film'' award is juried by an international panel of five—filmmakers, actors, artists, writers, producers—of which at least three members come from other countries than Germany. The films are shown in original version with English subtitles. Jury members have been, e.g., in 2011: Matteo Lovadina, Radley Metzger, Ildi Toth Davy, Soopum Sohn, and Matthew Modine. The 2012 festival saw an all-woman jury, consisting of

Tamar Simon Hoffs Tamar Simon Hoffs (née Tamar Ruth Simon; October 23, 1934) is an American filmmaker, best known for directing the indie films '' Red Roses and Petrol'' (2003) and ''Pound of Flesh'' (2009), both starring Malcolm McDowell. Life and career Hoffs ...

Gabrielle Miller Gabrielle Sunshine Miller (born November 9, 1973) is a Canadian actress who, since the start of her career in 1993, has appeared in many television films and series episodes, including leading roles in two of Canada's most popular concurrently-r ...

, Lana Morgan,

Debbie Rochon Debbie Ann Rochon (born November 3, 1968) is a Canadian actress and former stage performer, best known for her work in independent horror films and counterculture films. Early life When Rochon was ten years old, her parents were deemed unfit ...

, and

Mira Sorvino Mira Katherine Sorvino (; born September 28, 1967) is an American actress. She won the Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Woody Allen's '' Mighty Aphrodite'' (1995). She also starred in the films ...

. * 2004: Andreas Struck — Sugar Orange — Germany, 2004 * 2005: Catharina Deus — About a Girl (Die Boxerin) — Germany, 2005 * 2006: Birgit Grosskopf — Princess (Prinzessin) — Germany, 2006 * 2007: Jakob Moritz Erwa — All the Invisible Things (Heile Welt) — Austria, 2006 * 2008: Emily Atef — The Stranger in Me (Das Fremde in mir) — Germany, 2008 * 2009: Thomas Sieben — Distance — Germany, 2009 * 2010: Philip Koch — Picco — Germany, 2010 * 2011: Linus de Paoli — Dr. Ketel — Germany, 2010 * 2012: Jan-Ole Gerster — Oh Boy — Germany, 2012 * 2013: Tom Lass — Kaptn Oskar — Germany, 2013 * not awarded since 2014 because of budget cuts

German Independence Award: Best Short Film

* 2007: Marcos Valin, David Alonso — Atención al cliente (Customer Service) — Spain, 2007 * 2008: Liz Adams — Side Effect — USA, 2008 * 2009: Hassan Said — Mute — USA, 2009 (Best foreign-language short film) * 2009: Tom Bewilogua — SCISSU — Germany, 2009 (Best German-language short film) * 2010: Jeremy Bradley, Reuben Sack — Salvation Insurance — USA, 2010 * 2011: Markus Engel — Der letzte Gast (The Last Guest) — Austria, 2011 * 2012: Meghna Gupta, Gigi Berardi — Unravel — United Kingdom / India, 2012 * 2013: Patrick Baumeister — Preis — Germany, 2013 * 2014: Kevin Meul — Cadet — Belgium, 2014 * 2015: Martijn de Jong — Free — Netherlands, 2014 * 2016: Ruken Tekes — The Circle (Hevêrk) — Turkey, 2016 * 2017: Thierry Bessling, Loïc Tanson — Sur le fil — Luxembourg, 2017 * 2018: Jeremy Comte — Fauve — Canada, 2018 * 2019: Kahina Le Querrec - Blue Hour - France, 2019 * 2020: Igor Nevedrov - The Coat - Russia, 2020

German Independence Honorary Award

* 2013:

Mania Akbari Mania Akbari ( fa, مانيا اکبری, born 22 September 1974Bobcat Goldthwait * 2014:

Philippe Mora Philippe Mora (born 1949) is a French Australian film director. Early life and career Philippe Mora was born in Paris, France in 1949, and grew up at the centre of the Australian arts scene of the 1950s and began making films with an 8mm camera ...

* 2015: George Armitage, Joanna Cassidy * 2016:

, Amanda Plummer * 2017:

* 2018: Bruce Robinson, Keith Carradine * 2019:

* 2020:

* 2021: Ovidio G. Assonitis, Mattie Do

Otto Sprenger Award

* 2007: Ben Reding, Dominik Reding — For The Unknown Dog (Für den unbekannten Hund) — Germany, 2005 * 2008: Emily Atef — The Stranger in Me (Das Fremde in mir) — Germany, 2008

Seymour Cassel Award: Outstanding Performance

This actor’s prize is awarded for performances in films nominated for the ''Best German Film'' award. * 2012:

Tom Schilling Tom Schilling (born 10 February 1982) is a German film and television actor. Life and acting career Schilling grew up in the formerly East German borough of Berlin Mitte. He was discovered at the age of 12 by stage director Thomas Heise, and ...

for his role as ''Niko Fischer'' in Oh Boy — Germany, 2012 * 2013: Martina Schöne-Radunski for her role as ''Alex'' in Kaptn Oskar — Germany, 2013 * 2014: Victoria Schulz for her role as ''Ruby'' in Von jetzt an kein zurück — Germany, 2014 * 2015:

Sarah Silverman Sarah Kate Silverman (born December 1, 1970) is an American comedian, actress, and writer. Silverman was a writer and performer on ''Saturday Night Live'', and she starred in and produced '' The Sarah Silverman Program'', which ran from 2007 to ...

for her role as ''Laney'' in

I Smile Back ''I Smile Back'' is a 2015 American drama film directed by Adam Salky and based on the 2008 novel of the same name by Amy Koppelman, who wrote the screenplay with Paige Dylan. The film stars Sarah Silverman as an upper-middle-class wife and mot ...

— USA, 2015 * 2015: Nikola Rakočević for his role as ''Slav'' in Travelator — Serbia, 2014 * 2016:

Noémie Merlant Noémie Merlant (; born 27 November 1988) is a French actress and director. She has been nominated for her performances twice at the César Awards, including a nomination for her breakout role in '' Portrait of a Lady on Fire''. Career Merlant ...

for her role as ''Claire'' in Twisting Fate (À tous les vents du ciel) — France, 2016 * 2016: André M. Hennicke for his role as ''Udo'' in Strawberry Bubblegums — Germany, 2016 * 2017: Gregory Kasyan for his role as ''Mills'' in Quest — USA, 2017 * 2018: Victoria Carmen Sonne for her role as ''Sascha'' in Holiday — Denmark, 2018 and Gabriela Ramos for her role as ''Lili'' in Is that you? — UK, 2018 * 2019: Patrycja Planik for her performance in ''Lillian'' (Austria) and to Zachary Ray Sherman in '' Cuck'' by Rob Lambert (USA).

References

{{reflist

External links

Official web site

2012 festival catalog (German + English text)
Film festivals in Germany