Competition
International Competition
The festival centrepiece, where approximately 80 films compete for Short Awards, given by an international jury in the categories of Best Film, Best Animation and Best Live-action.
IC 01 Weird Worlds - Animated 1
Whether it is silhouette cuttings, sand animation, oil painting or watercolour, extremely detailed drawings or computer animations with breathtaking special effects, this programme has it all and gives an overview on the varied techniques and aesthetics on all levels artistically and humorously. But it is not only the technical perfection which will amaze the audience: Seemingly everyday subjects turn up in the most unexpected places and glow along surreal experiences.
IC 02 Daydreams - Animated 2
If one could order daydreams, this programme would make the best catalogue. Wire, paper and toys come to live, detergent and post-its become animation backgrounds, notebooks become laptops, a man builts himself his own sex object and a pigeon causes the worst-case scenario. There is no limit to fantasies. Along with dark tales there is also plenty of room for laughter.
IC 03 Love and Disaster
Who hasn´t already been involved in drama, happiness, curios and fiddly situations because of love, thinking to know everything about it? The films in this program combine the unexpected with the incredible, the entertaining with the tragic. They take us on a journey of different emotions and dreams and remarkable relationships.
IC 04 Encounters
Encounters of a special kind give this programme its special touch. And not just people meet here: drama, comedies and magic animations take their time and space to let worlds collide. A policeman meets a suicide bomber, an astronaut, a monster, in India two women from different surroundings, a man fights against burglars, and a mouse meets some Aliens.
IC 05 With Different Eyes
The view of the world depends on the perspective. For children and young people often see them with different eyes and have dreams their parents won´t even guess. That their image of the adult society and their reactions on it, are only sometimes innocent, will be shown in this programme.
IC 06 Incidents and Accidents
In wild confusions, adventurous declarations, unexpected encounters, struggles with oneself and against others - with bankruptcies, bad luck and accidents of the most colorful species, fate and chance seem to fight a duel, while their victims must juggle with the results.
IC 07 Family Affairs
When kids take over the tasks of their overburdened parents, replace their careers, or curse annoying grandparents, the world seems to be wrong. But even if it seems too hard: the family members can not be subdued.
IC 08 Surrealistics
The surreal world of these films will surprise their audience. Torn bodies, newly approved colors, an opera singer with a crocodile wife or erotic encounters with cartoon characters. If eating and being eaten, floating or everything is just backwards - twisted life and sudden gravity are only a small taste of the curiosities Waiting in this programme.
Confrontations
The causes and effects of war, terrorism, violence and discrimination are generally themes that most people like to avoid, especially in the cinema. However, the films selected to run in this programme ought not be ignored. The Best Film against Violence and Intolerance will be decided on by a jury drawn from the fields of film, journalism and politics.
IC CON 01 Broken Confidence
The family - a place of refuge and security. But unfortunately not all of us can count on this security. Five gripping movies show overburdened parents and selfless children, helplessness ending in violence and creative possibilities of escape, looking away and moral courage - enthralling stories without penetrating moral, in which mainly the weakest are the real heroes.
IC CON 02 Blindfolded
We do not always manage to overcome our well-known stereotypes and prejudices against strangers. Eight short films of various cultures show the wonderful stories being missed by bias. About a homeless in a shop, a writer in the hands of the airport police, alleged perpetrators and a young man who doesn´t want to accept his given life, the program abducts into worlds of dubious suspicions - sometimes very tragic, at times very funny.
IC CON 03 Restless
War and bounds as a continuation of seemingly irreconcilable political or religious interests of power - more people suffer from their consequences and dream of overcoming them. From the trauma of a war survivor, incredible scenes of daily life in border areas and refugee camps, the effects of a burgeoning blogosphere in Iran, up to the cultural narrow-mindedness of individuals.
Documentary Competition
Not only do documentaries open our eyes to other worlds, they also make us aware of the extraordinary in our everyday surroundings. A specialist jury will select the Best Documentary.
IC DOC 01 Women on the Edge
Unequal power relations are found in almost all areas of life. Depending on the regional origins, cultural traditions, political system and social class, but also depending on the individual life situation, it´s often the women who are particularly disadvantaged. While many of them have little chance to independent living, some succeed to free themselves by strength of will, humor or pragmatism, of their more or less visible shackles.
IC DOC 02 Odd Places
Upon a closer look, nameless places of everyday life turn into scenes of spectacles, staging and rituals. An abandoned American town turns into a Bavarian costume event, a Polish registry into the interface of human destiny, an Indian-Pakistani border into a big event of every evening and a psychiatric prison in Brazil into the ground between arbitrariness and will to survive.
IC DOC 03 Work, Lies and Captivity
Eight documentary films show short excerpts from completely different fields of human life. From the change by fall, seemingly choreographed work processes, captivity and war, the relationship of a hundred-year-old with his dead wife and the wise thoughts of a cleaning woman during her night shift. Each film offers a piece of reality and composed reflection at the same time.
German Competition
Take a diverse and revealing trip through German culture in images and words. The two Best German Short films will each receive a prize.
GC 01 Crashlanding
Sometimes a wrong decision changes an entire life. Small, seemingly insignificant moments suddenly become all-decisive moments of destiny. These films and stories are about things getting out of control.
GC 02 Taciturn & Breathless
What are we looking for? What or who are we chasing after? And what do we run away from? There are moments that leave us without words, sometimes even breath. Intense moments of love, separation, of death or conflict, in which the time seems to flash by or stand still - until we breathe deeply and slowly come back to your senses ...
GC 03 Against the Rules
Sometimes it is indispensable to swim against the tide. Whether gravity or fixed notions of space and time, nothing is irrefutable. The thoughts are free, can blow up imaginary boundaries and make people forget the laws of physics. They need to know only - the remedies and methods, to distort the stabilized content of consciousness ...
Viral Video Award
We did it again! After the astounding success of the first competition last year, the virals are back! Viral internet films with an advertising, political or simply original message are judged by both a specialist jury and online audience.
AC 02 Viral Video Award & Youtube Karaoke
This year's Viral Video Award received more than 500 viral internet film entries from 33 countries. In cooperation with the PR agency Zucker.Kommunikation we selected the best 24 films to run in competition. For one month, until 5 November 2009, they can be seen and rated at www.viralvideoaward.com. All varieties of the genre are represented including anonymously launched clips from giant software corporations to boldly produced videos from associations and small businesses right up to inventive appeals from non-governmental organisations. The films address themes including job applications, brands and new products, non-smokers and residential improvements, global communication, urban activism and the nightlife in areas of conflict, as well as - in quite a few of the pieces - world politics, ecology and surveillance. In addition to the audience award (determined by online voting), a jury prize will also be given. Both prizes of €500 are sponsored by Flip Video. The prominent expert jury comprises Harald Martenstein (DIE ZEIT, Tagesspiegel), Alain Bieber (art - Das Kunstmagazin / Rebelart.net) and actor Florian Lukas.
Eject XII
The Long Night of Odd Films has become a cult event in its own right! For the twelfth time, the weirdest and most wonderful film festival entries compete for the audience’s favour, on the night when the audience gets to play jury. After the surreal live-show at the Maxim Gorki Theatre, die-hard eject! fans are invited to keep on partying in the foyer.
AC 01 eject - The Long Night of Odd Films
An awful lot can be squeezed into 100 minutes of film; diverse battles, a lover's tiff, social criticism, art criticism, sport, suspense, good advice, ponies, plastic dolls, trunked animals, bleeding hearts, human cannonballs and last wishes. Too much for one film you might say - and you'd be right! We're showing more than 20 at this 12th presentation of eject - the Long Night of Odd Films, arguably the weirdest and most wonderful event at the International Short Film Festival Berlin! As always, the audience will be equipped with party blowers and balloons to vote for their favourite among films that are meaningful, senseless, absurd, perpetually true and full of flabbergasting surprise. May the weirdest film win! Will it be the one about the Waltz King and his love of Alban Berg, or the king of giant crabs on a tour of destruction? The love-struck octopus in a ménage à trois, the smarter opponent in a basketball duel or one of 2,000 masterpieces? Well, it's all up to the audience to decide on the night. Eject Master of Ceremonies will once again be the legendary Humpert Schnakenberger and Sir Henry will be back to lead the audience sing-along. All eject survivors are invited to wind down and wind themselves up again at the aftershow party with DJ Alan Always and dance, dance, dance. Please note! Eject will be held at the Maxim Gorki Theatre this year. Book early and join in the eject revelry!
