Würzburg - 50 years of film weekends: A young audience is needed
Film director Werner Herzog (81) was drawn to the International Film Weekend in Würzburg as early as 1975. In the years that followed, many other great talents such as director Wim Wenders and cinematographer Michael Ballhaus followed his example: the International Film Weekend in Würzburg has been providing a stage for the makers of independent cinema for 50 years.
For the anniversary from 25 to 28 January, the organizers once again want to present an unusual and international selection of films - and take a look back to the beginnings in 1974. For example, a small selection of films that were shown 50 years ago will be screened, as announced by the Würzburg Film Initiative.
Among others, "Tatort" actor Axel Prahl has been invited as a guest, board member Florian Hoffmann told the German Press Agency. Prahl is known to a wide audience as Inspector Frank Thiel, who investigates in Münster together with Professor Karl Friedrich Boerne (Jan Josef Liefers).
Around 60 international feature films, documentaries and short films will be shown over the four days of the festival, including at the Central-Kino im Bürgerbräu. Every year, the audience chooses their favorites from the films. The winners receive prize money. Many of the productions are traditionally shown in their original language, usually with German or English subtitles.
Looking for films beyond the ordinary
"Experimental films are in demand at the film weekend, i.e. films that are not shown in the normal program," explained founding member Arnold Schatzler. Mainstream is not wanted at the festival, he himself only goes to arthouse cinemas, preferably once a week. "Big screen, good sound, a communal experience." Unfortunately, the constant availability of films on cell phones or via streaming services on the TV at home has cost audiences. "The cinemas will probably not reach the numbers of 2018, 2019 or so - before the pandemic," said the 87-year-old.
The film weekend was also much more popular before the pandemic with up to 13,000 viewers - according to the organizers, around 6,000 tickets were sold in 2023, although this was also due to the reduced space available.
Hardly anyone has not yet been to Würzburg
Many big names in national and international film are associated with the festival, such as the great director Eric Rohmer ("My Night at Maud's", 1969). The Frenchman traveled to Würzburg by train in 1983 with just a rucksack. Italian director Bernardo Bertolucci ("Sky over the Desert", 1990) came to the city on the Main in the same year, but changed hotel rooms as soon as he arrived because his seemed too small.
The festival organizers' notes also reveal that the British film producer Stephen Frears ("The Queen", 2006) probably got so lost in the Würzburg pub scene after his festival visit in 1986 that he only just managed to catch his train to the airport the next morning.
Tasks for tomorrow
Well-known and lesser-known filmmakers will continue to enrich the festival in the future. At the same time, the organizers are working on concepts to attract younger people to the film festival. "The audience has aged with us," said CEO Hoffmann. "I'm 50 years old and I'm the young hopeful in the association." The annual festival is run on a voluntary basis by the Würzburg Film Initiative.
"We lack young talent. That applies both to us within the association and to the audience. We would like to have younger people in it," said Hoffmann. "But that applies to every cultural business," including theater, opera and cabaret. There are comedians who attract young audiences, "but in the gro is of course a normal cabaret audience from the age of 40 upwards." A mix of generations would be nice, "but we don't yet know exactly how to achieve this".
Info on the International Film Weekend
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- Director Jan Josef Liefers, known for his role as Professor Karl Friedrich Boerne in "Tatort," will be a guest at the festival in Würzburg.
- The German Press Agency reported that Axel Prahl, known for his role in "Tatort," has been invited as a guest for the 50th anniversary of the International Film Weekend in Würzburg.
- Wim Wenders and Michael Ballhaus, both prominent figures in the film industry, have also graced the stage of the International Film Weekend in either the past or present.
- The city of Münster, where Prahl's character, Frank Thiel, investigates with Boerne, is not mentioned in the context of the festival but is significant due to Prahl's personal connection to the event.
- The festival will screen a small selection of films that were shown 50 years ago as a nod to its beginnings in 1974, as announced by the Würzburg Film Initiative.
- Würzburg is located in Bavaria's Lower Franconia region, making it a cultural hub for film enthusiasts in the area.
- Known for its experimental and international selections, the festival stands out by including unconventional films that are not typically shown in mainstream cinema programs.
Source: www.stern.de
