jamesA quirky Canadian comedy about a stolen bicycle won the German Independent Award for best film at this year’s Oldenburg Film Festival.
Director Max Train’s black-and-white film, which our reviewer compared to “an early Jim Jarmusch effort,” follows a hapless protagonist (played by Dylan Beach) , who found a bicycle frame in a trash can and built a race car, changing his life in the process. When James’ bike is stolen, he stops at nothing to recover it and delve deeper into Vancouver’s underworld.
jamesThe film had its world premiere at the Oldenburg Film Festival, winning over the competition jury who awarded it the festival’s top prize on Sunday night.
Tim Blake Nelson won the Oldenburg Best Actor Award for his starring role in the film “Seymour Cassell Award.” Bangbangin which he plays a retired boxer looking to exorcise the demons of his past. Aki Kigoshi won the Best Actress Award for her role as a sex worker in Zhang Suming’s drama A whole night wasted.
Tim Blake Nelson at Bangbang.
Courtesy of the Oldenburg Film Festival
A history of love and war“Oldenburg Spirit of Film”, an absurdist comedy about Mexico’s colonial history from director Santiago Mohar, won the Oldenburg Spirit of Film Award, while the awards for originality, audacity and daring went to The award went to the film’s director, Martina Schöne-Radunski, and its star, Lana Cooper. Flying very steeplyA German drama about a female neo-Nazi rock singer.
Michael J. Long baby brotherThis portrait of generational trauma set in Liverpool, England, won the Oldenburg Award for Best Debut. Our review praised Lang’s “stylistic audacity rare in a first-time filmmaker” and noted that “there’s no denying the raw power of this harrowing film.” baby brother The world premiere took place in Oldenburg.
The nostalgia of a (still) living heart Director Diego Gaxiola won the Oldenburg Award for Best Short Film.
The 31st Oldenburg Film Festival concluded on Sunday evening. This year’s event saw a surge in attendance, with more than 12,000 visitors, an increase of approximately 20% over last year. “This development is another sign that audiences are hungry for authentic cultural and original films that transcend the mainstream, and that film festivals can hold their own on easily accessible streaming platforms,” Oldenburg said in a statement.
