Poke the truth - Montag 16.5.2011

WE LOVE THE FILMFEST MANNHEIM-HEIDELBERG

What? Which festival?

And (like many enjoying the Riviera sun) as we’ve yet to attend, how can we claim to LOVE it?

As mere teens (we’re just turning 18), we respect our elders (Mannheim-Heidelberg is turning 60). And of course we love moxie [and it takes a LOT of ’moxie’ to have an official unapologetic policy list that specifically isolates only 3 Festivals in the world (outside of Germany) to render filmmakers entries as ‘ineligible’].

But ONLY blacklisting the eligibility of films screened at Venice, Locarno and Cannes… in all sincerity, how did the REST of the world’s film festivals avoid ‘making their list’?

We understand each festival’s right to an autonomous ‘policy of eligibility’. And we are fully supportive of Mannheim-Heidelberg’s commitment to “specializing in the discovery of newcomer international directors”.

However, as we, too [like Cannes, Venice, and Locarno…and our fellow German Film Festival friends on their ‘blacklist’ (including Berlin)] ALSO support new voices and visions of world cinema, we’re bewildered to discover that any director’s voice is automatically silenced by MH merely because of their seemingly ‘random’ and quixotic eligibility policy, whereby the filmmaker is ‘punished’ if any one of 4 of the top 5 international film festivals in the world ALSO supports their film by screening it.

Does Mannheim Heidelberg (with its arbitrary ‘eligibility’ policy) claim the exclusive right to discover and support new filmmakers, before they can become famous and acclaimed? If so, should all festivals from MH’s ‘blacklist’ roll up their carpets so that they won’t stand in the way of the brilliant career of any new voice in filmmaking? And importantly, do we blacklisted festivals really LOVE FILMS if we effectively (and officially) stand in their way of being discovered by Mannheim-Heidelberg?

“Tell me what company you keep and I’ll tell you who you are”. Cervantes.

So for the mere fact that we are included in what we believe to be quite an exquisite (black) list of ‘padres’ who ALSO offer independent films a platform to be seen, discovered, and loved …

WE LOVE FESTIVAL MANNHEIM-HEIDELBERG!