2013 Filmfest Hamburg recap

Founded in 1992, Filmfest Hamburg is one of Germany's leading film festivals, with audience numbers reaching 40,000 each year. Around 140 local and international feature films and documentaries are screened in world, European, or German premieres at the event spread across a dozen festival sections. Supported by German distributors, this festival offers a testing ground for films to be screened to the public prior to their commercial release. This is a non-competitive event, although it includes the presentation of the Hamburg Critics' Prize and several other informal awards. The Douglas Sirk Award, named after the Hamburg-born director, honors a film artist for his or her outstanding contribution to cinematic culture. This year's recipient was the actress Tilda Swinton.

The festival was held in the Cinemax multiplex located in the city center. Around ten theaters with between 100 and 400 seats showcased the films selected by the event's artistic director Albert Wiederspiel.

The following films were particularly well-received at this year's festival, presented by the distributors Weltkino, Prokino, and Salzgeber:

* Young & Beautiful by François Ozon/WELTKINO

* Venus in Fur by Roman Polanski/PROKINO

* Tenderness by Marion Hansel/SALZGEBER

12 French feature films were included in the Official Selection:

• 2 Autumns 3 Winters by Sébastien Betbeder
• On the Edge of the World by Claus Drexel
• Age of Panic by Justine Triet
• Tenderness by Marion Hansel/SALZGEBER
• Young & Beautiful by François Ozon/WELTKINO
• Venus in Fur by Roman Polanski/PROKINO
• Opium by Arielle Dombasle
• My Sweet Pepper Land by Hiner Saleem
• Tinghir - Jerusalem, les échos du Mellah by Kamal Hachkar
• Ma maman est en Amérique, elle a rencontré Buffalo Bill by Thibaut Chatel
• Vers Madrid by Sylvain Georges
• Scandale Paradjanov by Serge Avedikian

The French delegation included Emmanuelle Seigner, Hiner Saleem, Kamal Hachkar, Sylvain Georges, Serge Avedikian, Justine Triet, and Marilyne Canto.