10.5.2017

Premiere Anticipation

The Fünf Seen Filmfestival awaits you from 27th July to 5th August 2017 with an opulent program and invites you to an outstanding festival of films between Munich and the Alps with prominent guests for the 11th time.

Summer, water, filmmaking! Lakes and cinema, lightning storms and sunsets, famous film-making and young guns, enjoyment and exchange - all this has been the program at the Fünf Seen Filmfestival (FSFF) since 2007. About 130 films in more than 300 performances can be seen, with numerous premieres, German premieres and Southern German premieres, with monographic shows, discussions and conversations. Special attention will be paid to feature, documentary and short films from all over the world while focusing on the DACHS countries Germany, Austria, Switzerland and South Tyrol.

About 80 directors, producers and actors showed their most recent creations to the last 20,000 visitors, all around Starnberger See and Ammersee in one of the most beautiful regions of Germany. Prominent filmmakers and exciting newcomer directors have continually been coming and going during the last few years, including Wim Wenders, Doris Dörrie, Sebastian Schipper, Nicolette Krebitz and many more.

This year's host country Hungary has not just begun putting forward highly exciting productions since the Golden Bear 2017. The partner countries are, as in previous years, India and Taiwan. "The festival program's excellent quality of content and its diversity have been the essence of our planning process for eleven years," says Matthias Helwig, the festival director.

Warm Atmosphere, High-class Guests

The Fünf Seen Filmfestival takes place on 16 screens in Starnberg, Herrsching, Schloss Seefeld, Weßling, Wörthsee, Landsberg and for the first time in Gauting, both in cinemas as well as open-air areas. The elite associated with arthouse cinema in Germany-speaking regions is regularly present - whether it’s Wim Wenders or Tom Tykwer, Hans Steinbichler or Edgar Reitz, Ulrich Tukur or Hannelore Elsner - they all appreciate the festival because of its cordial, personal manner and the outstanding program. Many film makers from Germany and the European countries, as well as from Russia, Turkey and India, present their latest productions every year. Later on, we will announce which prominent film makers will be our guests this year.

The Competition Films

28 films within the four main competitions are at the heart of the festival and celebrate their premieres with us. Various top-class juries consisting of members of the film and media industry will award the prizes totalling 20,000 euros to the best feature film, the best newcomer film, the best documentary film and the best film out of the Horizonte human rights section.

Guest Country Hungary, Partner Countries India and Taiwan

This year's host country is Hungary whose film "Testről és lélekről" by Ildikó Enyedi caused a sensation in the media this year with the Golden Bear prize of the Berlinale.
Matthias Helwig said, "I would like to offer our guests the opportunity to get to know more about this country whose image has been subject to stereotypes in recent times. There are numerous excellent, highly interesting films from Hungary, which are well worth watching“, the festival director said. In all FSFF sections Hungarian films will be shown with the film makers as guests. New and exciting productions by the partner countries India and Taiwan will also be screened.

Audience Favorites: Short Films and the Steamboat Trip

The popular section "Short Films" with more than 400 submissions will be expanded this year. For the first time, a short film evening will take place not only in Starnberg, Herrsching and Weßling, but also in the brand-new cinema Breitwandkino Gauting. As usual, the four best films will be shown on the festival ship trip and the winner will be chosen by the audience. The largest excursion ship of the Bayerischen Seenschiffahrt "MS Starnberg" sets sail on Tuesday, August 1, 2017 for the legendary festival ship tour with many film makers and festival guests.

Focus Screenplay with Screenplay Prizes, Film Discussion by the Lake

The prize for the best screenplay – the DACHS screenplay prize, donated by Mixtvision Mediengesellschaft – will be awarded for the first time during the screenplay authors' reception on July 30, 2017 as part of "Fokus Drehbuch", which is translated as Focus Screenplay. The widely-respected panel discussions and events concerning screenplay as well as the "Film discussion by the lake" in cooperation with the Academy for Political Education Tutzing are also exciting industry and audience events. "Fokus Drehbuch" is a cooperation with the Association of German Screenplay Writers (VDD) and is supported by the Filmförderungsanstalt (FFA).

The success speaks for itself: the Fünfseen Filmfestival is popular with the film industry as well as the public and continues to grow to become one of the biggest film festivals in Southern Germany.

Regular updates and recent information concerning the 11th Fünf Seen Filmfestival 2017 can be found at www.fsff.de and www.facebook.com/fuenf.seen.filmfestival

SCHEDULE PREVIEW:
Press conferences: Thursday, July 13, 2017 (Starnberg) and Friday, July 14, 2017 (Munich)
Program available online: Monday, July 10, 2017
Festival period: Thursday, July 27 to Saturday, August 5, 2017

PRESS IMAGES:
http://fsff.de/home/cm/fff-current-list/presse/downloads.html

PRESS COMMENTS:
http://fsff.de/home/cm/fff-current/presse/pressestimmen.html

Fünfseen Filmfestival: an attraction for the 20,000 visitors during the last year and a trademark for excellent film selection and prominent guests far beyond the region. Since 2006, the Fünfseen Filmfestival has been taking place in one of the most beautiful regions of Germany in the Fünfseenland (five seas' region) of Munich at the end of July / beginning of August. Special attention will be paid to feature, documentary and short films from all over the world while focusing on the DACHS countries Germany, Austria, Switzerland and South Tyrol, the promotion of film-makers and the anchoring of contemporary films in film history (retrospective) and society (Horizonte). Within a short period of time, the FSFF has developed into one of the largest and most prestigious film festivals in Southern Germany and takes place on 17 screens in the venues Starnberg, Gauting, Herrsching, Schloss Seefeld, Weßling, Wörthsee and Landsberg. In 2016, more than 330 performances attracted 20,000 visitors. The FSFF owes its great popularity to the excellent film selection, the personal atmosphere, the beautiful landscape and the extensive media coverage.

Information: www.fsff.de

KEY PARTNERS:
Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Bildung und Kultus, Wissenschaft und Kunst, FilmFersehFonds Bayern, Stadt Starnberg, Bezirk Oberbayern, Landkreis Starnberg, Kreissparkasse München Starnberg Ebersberg

MAIN MEDIA PARTNERS:
Bayern 2, Süddeutsche Zeitung

MEDIA PARTNERS:
Münchner Fenster, Münchner Feuilleton, Kreisbote, Blickpunkt:Film, artechock.de