How digital is my festival

The 'Digital' film genre which is capturing the world's attention currently has finally caught up with the IFFI organisers too. Which explains the German Contemporary Digital Shorts this time.

Keeping in mind the specifics of the 'Digital' film genre which is capturing the world's attention at the moment for various reasons, the International Festival of India too has caught up with the idea of the same. Which explains the 14 film package of German contemporary short films which are being included this time.

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While it is the accepted norm now to include digital cinema as part of International festivals, Indian organisers at DFF had been holding out for some odd reason. But the mood is changing as are the trends. Says Festival director Neelam Kapur, "We're trying to redefine ourselves in terms of global cinema. Until now we've been inward looking but now we have to look outward."

In addition to Cinema of the World entries, most of which are festival participants or awarded, this package of German shorts has been included because "it is indicative of the important trends that are happening worldwide," says Kapur.

Accompanying the festival is the well-known filmmaker Tom Zenker who directed Business as Usual. He likes to keep his introduction short: "I learned carpentary to escape from making music. I studied sculpturing in Munich and direction for stage at Ernst-Busch School in Berlin to escape from carpentering. And then I studied directing film at DFFB, Berlin to escape from nothing more and bring it all together. Today I make my money as an Film editor and AD man."

The films which will be included in the package are:

Fremdkorper by Katja Pratschke (2002)
Flaschendreh by Tomasz Emil Rudzik (2002)
Heavy Pregnant by Piotr J. Lewandowski (2003)
Der Tierfreund by Jens Junker (2002)
It's a small world and things like this by Franziska Stunkel (2002)
Einfach so Bleiben by Sven Taddicken (2002)
Gregors Grobte Erfindung by Johannes Keifer (2001)
Always Crashing in the Same Car by Marcus WEiler (2001)
Freunde by Jan Kruger (2001)
Entinen Mies by Lale Nalpantoglu (2001)
Schnecken-Traum by Ivan Sainz-Pardo (2001)
Fetisch by Richard Lehun (2002)
Business as Usual by Tom Zenker (2003)
Das Verraterische Herz by March Malze (2003)