Cologne Conference
Encyclopedia
The Cologne Conference is an international Film and Television Festival that takes place annually in Cologne
, Germany. With about 5000 visitors, the Cologne Conference is considered as the best attended festival of its kind worldwide. Screenings of independent films as well as debates on media politics and media aesthetic complement the event.
while he was the head of the Adolf-Grimme-Institut. In addition to the Grimme-Preis, a national award, an international television festival was originated.
The TV festival was part of German media convention mediaforum nrw; but it soon developed a momentum of its own and an international reputation. In 1993, the competitive festival section "TopTen" was established, which was, in 2001, divided into two sections, one section for fictional TV and one for documentary TV. In 2007, these two categories were recombined to one category, the "TopTen" section. In the same year, the second competitive festival section "Look", which presents visually extraordinary film and television productions, was created. In 2009, the competitive festival section "Kino" has also become a part of the Cologne Conference. The "Kino" section offers the most interesting aspects concerning film. The presentations and discussions within the Cologne Conference "Lectures" examine the relevant developments on the media market. Beyond that, a workshop discussion with the winner of the "Cologne Film Award" has become an inherent part of the "Lectures" since 2007. Furthermore, there are retrospectives and revivals of legendary television programmes, such as The Monkees
or The Prisoner
’s mystery series Twin Peaks
. Later almost all groundbreaking US TV series had their German premiere at the Cologne Conference, e.g. Emergency Room, Sex and the City
or 24
. Also British television always enjoyed strong presence, for instance with Cracker, The Office
or Prime Suspect.
Besides German film and television stars, international celebrities such as Academy Award winners Paul Haggis
, Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
and Michael Radford
, Anton Corbijn
, Nicholas Roeg, D.A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus, Mika Kaurismäki
and Ole Bornedal
presented themselves in Cologne.
Since 1997, the Cologne Conference awards prizes in different categories. The TV Spielfilm Award, donated by the identically named TV program magazine, is given to the best contribution of the three festival sections. Furthermore, the German Casting Award goes to the best German casting agent and the Hollywood Reporter Award, sponsored by The Nielsen Company, goes to young and aspiring individuals in the media sector.
Until 2007, the award for the best screenplay, sponsored by Network Movie, was also bestowed. Amongst others, it was given to Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
in 2006, who won the Oscar for The Lives of Others
in 2007.
In 2007, the main award of the Cologne Conference, the "Cologne Film Award", was originated. This award honors outstanding creativity in film and TV and is worth EUR 25.000. It is bestowed to those individuals, who best contribute “to the further development of the language of film and media”. The award is presented by the Cologne Conference, along with the City of Cologne and States Film Subsidy Body “Filmstiftung NRW.” The first laureate of the "Cologne Film Award" in 2007 was Canadian film director and writer Paul Haggis
(LA Crash, Casino Royale
) and in 2008, the award was given to the brothers Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne (L'Enfant, Lorna's Silence). In 2009, the award was bestowed to Roman Polanski
(Chinatown, The Pianist
) but the Polish/French movie director was not able to receive the prize on October 3 in Cologne as he was arrested on September 26 during his journey to the Zurich Film Festival, which caused a worldwide sensation.
In 2007, the Cologne Conference was chaired by festival founder Lutz Hachmeister, along with Maybritt Illner, Stefan Aust
, Marc Conrad, Michael Schmid-Ospach and Dieter Gorny.
In 2008, the Cologne Conference was chaired by Lutz Hachmeister, along with, Stefan Aust, Marc Conrad, Michael Schmid-Ospach and Dieter Gorny.
In 2009, the Cologne Conference was chaired by festival founder Lutz Hachmeister
, along with Stefan Aust, Marc Conrad, Michael Schmid-Ospach and Dieter Gorny.
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
, Germany. With about 5000 visitors, the Cologne Conference is considered as the best attended festival of its kind worldwide. Screenings of independent films as well as debates on media politics and media aesthetic complement the event.
History
The Cologne Conference was founded in 1991 by journalist and media researcher Lutz HachmeisterLutz Hachmeister
Lutz Hachmeister is a German media historian, award-winning filmmaker and journalist. He particularly gained international attention for directing the 2005 BBC-co-produced film “The Goebbels Experiment” featuring Kenneth Branagh as the narrator for the Goebbels Diaries...
while he was the head of the Adolf-Grimme-Institut. In addition to the Grimme-Preis, a national award, an international television festival was originated.
The TV festival was part of German media convention mediaforum nrw; but it soon developed a momentum of its own and an international reputation. In 1993, the competitive festival section "TopTen" was established, which was, in 2001, divided into two sections, one section for fictional TV and one for documentary TV. In 2007, these two categories were recombined to one category, the "TopTen" section. In the same year, the second competitive festival section "Look", which presents visually extraordinary film and television productions, was created. In 2009, the competitive festival section "Kino" has also become a part of the Cologne Conference. The "Kino" section offers the most interesting aspects concerning film. The presentations and discussions within the Cologne Conference "Lectures" examine the relevant developments on the media market. Beyond that, a workshop discussion with the winner of the "Cologne Film Award" has become an inherent part of the "Lectures" since 2007. Furthermore, there are retrospectives and revivals of legendary television programmes, such as The Monkees
The Monkees (TV series)
The Monkees is an American situation comedy that aired on NBC from September 1966 to March 1968. The series follows the adventures of four young men trying to make a name for themselves as rock 'n roll singers. The show introduced a number of innovative new-wave film techniques to series...
or The Prisoner
The Prisoner
The Prisoner is a 17-episode British television series first broadcast in the UK from 29 September 1967 to 1 February 1968. Starring and co-created by Patrick McGoohan, it combined spy fiction with elements of science fiction, allegory and psychological drama.The series follows a British former...
Programme and Guests
One of the first TV productions presented at the Cologne Conference was David LynchDavid Lynch
David Keith Lynch is an American filmmaker, television director, visual artist, musician and occasional actor. Known for his surrealist films, he has developed his own unique cinematic style, which has been dubbed "Lynchian", and which is characterized by its dream imagery and meticulous sound...
’s mystery series Twin Peaks
Twin Peaks
Twin Peaks is an American television serial drama created by David Lynch and Mark Frost. The series follows the investigation headed by FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper , of the murder of a popular teenager and homecoming queen, Laura Palmer...
. Later almost all groundbreaking US TV series had their German premiere at the Cologne Conference, e.g. Emergency Room, Sex and the City
Sex and the City
Sex and the City is an American television comedy-drama series created by Darren Star and produced by HBO. Broadcast from 1998 until 2004, the original run of the show had a total of ninety-four episodes...
or 24
24 (TV series)
24 is an American television series produced for the Fox Network and syndicated worldwide, starring Kiefer Sutherland as Counter Terrorist Unit agent Jack Bauer. Each 24-episode season covers 24 hours in the life of Bauer, using the real time method of narration...
. Also British television always enjoyed strong presence, for instance with Cracker, The Office
The Office (UK TV series)
The Office is a British sitcom television series that was first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on 9 July 2001. Created, written, and directed by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, the programme is about the day-to-day lives of office employees in the Slough branch of the fictitious...
or Prime Suspect.
Besides German film and television stars, international celebrities such as Academy Award winners Paul Haggis
Paul Haggis
Paul Edward Haggis is a Canadian screenwriter, producer, and director. He spent his early career producing and directing various American and Canadian television network series.-Early life and education:...
, Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
Florian Maria Georg Christian, Graf Henckel von Donnersmarck is a German film director, best known for writing and directing the 2007 Oscar-winning film The Lives of Others and the 2010 film The Tourist.-Personal life and family:...
and Michael Radford
Michael Radford
Michael Radford is an English film director and screenwriter.-Early life and career:Radford was born on 24 February 1946, in New Delhi, India, to a British father and an Austrian Jewish mother. He was educated at Bedford School before attending Worcester College, Oxford...
, Anton Corbijn
Anton Corbijn
Anton Corbijn is a Dutch photographer, music video and film director. He is the creative director behind the visual output of Depeche Mode and U2, having handled the principal promotion and sleeve photography for both for more than a decade...
, Nicholas Roeg, D.A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus, Mika Kaurismäki
Mika Kaurismäki
Mika Juhani Kaurismäki is a Finnish film director.He is the elder brother of Aki Kaurismäki, and the father of Maria Kaurismäki who graduated from Tampere School of Art and Media in 2008 with her movie Sideline.Mika Kaurismäki has lived in Brazil since approximately 1992 and has made several...
and Ole Bornedal
Ole Bornedal
Ole Bornedal is a Danish film director, actor and producer.He wrote and directed Nattevagten , a thriller about a law student who works in a morgue as a night-watchman, and becomes implicated in a series of murders of prostitutes...
presented themselves in Cologne.
Competition and Awards
From roughly 800 international submissions, a jury selects the programmes for the festival sections "TopTen", "Look" and "Kino".Since 1997, the Cologne Conference awards prizes in different categories. The TV Spielfilm Award, donated by the identically named TV program magazine, is given to the best contribution of the three festival sections. Furthermore, the German Casting Award goes to the best German casting agent and the Hollywood Reporter Award, sponsored by The Nielsen Company, goes to young and aspiring individuals in the media sector.
Until 2007, the award for the best screenplay, sponsored by Network Movie, was also bestowed. Amongst others, it was given to Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
Florian Maria Georg Christian, Graf Henckel von Donnersmarck is a German film director, best known for writing and directing the 2007 Oscar-winning film The Lives of Others and the 2010 film The Tourist.-Personal life and family:...
in 2006, who won the Oscar for The Lives of Others
The Lives of Others
The Lives of Others is a 2006 German drama film, marking the feature film debut of filmmaker Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck. The film involves the monitoring of the cultural scene of East Berlin by agents of the Stasi, the GDR's secret police...
in 2007.
In 2007, the main award of the Cologne Conference, the "Cologne Film Award", was originated. This award honors outstanding creativity in film and TV and is worth EUR 25.000. It is bestowed to those individuals, who best contribute “to the further development of the language of film and media”. The award is presented by the Cologne Conference, along with the City of Cologne and States Film Subsidy Body “Filmstiftung NRW.” The first laureate of the "Cologne Film Award" in 2007 was Canadian film director and writer Paul Haggis
Paul Haggis
Paul Edward Haggis is a Canadian screenwriter, producer, and director. He spent his early career producing and directing various American and Canadian television network series.-Early life and education:...
(LA Crash, Casino Royale
Casino Royale (2006 film)
Casino Royale is the twenty-first film in the James Bond film series and the first to star Daniel Craig as fictional MI6 agent James Bond...
) and in 2008, the award was given to the brothers Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne (L'Enfant, Lorna's Silence). In 2009, the award was bestowed to Roman Polanski
Roman Polanski
Roman Polanski is a French-Polish film director, producer, writer and actor. Having made films in Poland, Britain, France and the USA, he is considered one of the few "truly international filmmakers."...
(Chinatown, The Pianist
The Pianist (2002 film)
The Pianist is a 2002 biographical war film directed by Roman Polanski, starring Adrien Brody. It is an adaptation of the autobiography of the same name by Jewish-Polish musician Władysław Szpilman...
) but the Polish/French movie director was not able to receive the prize on October 3 in Cologne as he was arrested on September 26 during his journey to the Zurich Film Festival, which caused a worldwide sensation.
Laureates 2004
- Casting Award: Rita Kes
- Producer Award: Stefan Schubert and Ralph Schwingel
- Writer's Award: Michael Gutmann
- TV Spielfilm Award: David YatesDavid YatesDavid Yates is an English filmmaker who rose to mainstream prominence directing the final four films in the Harry Potter film series. He helmed the series' fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth installments, all of which became an instant blockbuster success and made him the most commercially...
for State of Play - Phoenix Award: One Shot Productions Ltd.
Laureates 2007
- Cologne Film Award: Paul HaggisPaul HaggisPaul Edward Haggis is a Canadian screenwriter, producer, and director. He spent his early career producing and directing various American and Canadian television network series.-Early life and education:...
- TV Spielfilm Award: Anton CorbijnAnton CorbijnAnton Corbijn is a Dutch photographer, music video and film director. He is the creative director behind the visual output of Depeche Mode and U2, having handled the principal promotion and sleeve photography for both for more than a decade...
for the movie Control - Writer's Award: Hannah Hollinger for her lifework
- The Hollywood Reporter Award: Das perfekte Dinner
In 2007, the Cologne Conference was chaired by festival founder Lutz Hachmeister, along with Maybritt Illner, Stefan Aust
Stefan Aust
Stefan Aust is a German journalist and was the editor-in-chief of the weekly news magazine Der Spiegel from 1994 to February 2008...
, Marc Conrad, Michael Schmid-Ospach and Dieter Gorny.
Laureates 2008
- Cologne Film Award: Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne
- TV Spielfilm Award: Abi MorganAbi MorganAbi Morgan is a British playwright and screenwriter known for her works for television, such as Sex Traffic and The Hour, and the film Brick Lane...
and Hettie Macdonald for the BBC-movie White GirlWhite GirlWhite Girl is a 2008, BAFTA Award-winning BBC film produced by Abi Morgan, made as part of the BBC's White Season and portrays a white family who move from an area of Leeds that has predominantly White British inhabitants to an area of Bradford composed of inhabitants of South Asian heritage.The... - German Casting Award: Franziska Aigner-Kuhn for the movie Die Welle
- The Hollywood Reporter Award: Christian Becker, Rat Pack film production
- Future TV Award: Sex and Zaziki by Sascha Jenschewski and Alexander Perschel
In 2008, the Cologne Conference was chaired by Lutz Hachmeister, along with, Stefan Aust, Marc Conrad, Michael Schmid-Ospach and Dieter Gorny.
Laureates 2009
- Cologne Film Award: Roman PolanskiRoman PolanskiRoman Polanski is a French-Polish film director, producer, writer and actor. Having made films in Poland, Britain, France and the USA, he is considered one of the few "truly international filmmakers."...
- TV Spielfilm Award: Lynda La PlanteLynda La PlanteLynda La Plante, CBE is an English author, screenwriter and former actress, best known for writing the Prime Suspect television crime series....
("Above Suspicion", ITVITVITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
) - The Hollywood Reporter Award: Max Wiedemann and Quirin Berg, Wiedemann & Berg Filmproduktion
- Casting Award: Nina Haun
In 2009, the Cologne Conference was chaired by festival founder Lutz Hachmeister
Lutz Hachmeister
Lutz Hachmeister is a German media historian, award-winning filmmaker and journalist. He particularly gained international attention for directing the 2005 BBC-co-produced film “The Goebbels Experiment” featuring Kenneth Branagh as the narrator for the Goebbels Diaries...
, along with Stefan Aust, Marc Conrad, Michael Schmid-Ospach and Dieter Gorny.
Laureates 2010
- Cologne Film Award: David LynchDavid LynchDavid Keith Lynch is an American filmmaker, television director, visual artist, musician and occasional actor. Known for his surrealist films, he has developed his own unique cinematic style, which has been dubbed "Lynchian", and which is characterized by its dream imagery and meticulous sound...
- TV Spielfilm Award: David SimonDavid SimonDavid Simon is an American author, journalist, and a writer/producer of television series. He worked for the Baltimore Sun City Desk for twelve years. He wrote Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets and co-wrote The Corner: A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighborhood with Ed Burns...
for the HBO-series TremeTreme (TV series)Treme is an American television drama series created by David Simon and Eric Overmyer that premiered on April 11, 2010 on HBO. It takes its name from Tremé, a neighborhood of New Orleans... - The Hollywood Reporter Award: Jon Hamm and Elisabeth MossElisabeth MossElisabeth Singleton Moss is an American actor. Her notable roles include that of Zoey Bartlet, the third and youngest daughter of President Jed Bartlet, on the NBC television series The West Wing , and secretary turned copywriter Peggy Olson on the AMC original series Mad Men .-Early life and...
for the AMC-series Mad MenMad MenMad Men is an American dramatic television series created and produced by Matthew Weiner. The series premiered on Sunday evenings on the American cable network AMC and are produced by Lionsgate Television. It premiered on July 19, 2007, and completed its fourth season on October 17, 2010. Each... - Casting Award: Ulrike Müller for her casting work in the feature films "When We LeaveWhen We LeaveWhen We Leave is a 2010 German drama film, produced, written and directed by Feo Aladag, which highlights the problem of honour killings by depicting the drama of a Turkish family living in Germany.-Cast:* Sibel Kekilli - Umay* Nizam Schiller - Cem...
", "Im Schatten" and "The City BelowThe City BelowThe City Below is a 2010 German film directed by Christoph Hochhäusler. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* Robert Hunger-Bühler - Roland Cordes* Nicolette Krebitz - Svenja Steve...
"
Laureates 2011
- Cologne Film Award: Tarsem SinghTarsem SinghTarsem Dhandwar Singh , known professionally as Tarsem, is an Indian director who has worked on films, music videos, and commercials.- Life and career :...
- TV Spielfilm Award: Todd HaynesTodd HaynesTodd Haynes is an American independent film director and screenwriter. He is best known for his feature films Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story, Poison, Velvet Goldmine, Safe, and the Academy Award-nominated Far from Heaven and I'm Not There.- Style and themes :The writes that "Haynes is...
for the HBO- series „Mildred Pierce“. - The Hollywood Reporter Award: Paul AbbottPaul AbbottPaul Abbott is a BAFTA award-winning English television screenwriter and producer. Abbott has become one of the most critically and commercially successful television writers working in Britain today, following his work on many popular series, including Coronation Street, Cracker and Shameless,...
for the series "ShamelessShamelessShameless is a British television drama series set in Manchester on the fictional Chatsworth council estate. Produced by Company Pictures for Channel 4, the first seven-episode series aired weekly on Tuesday nights at 10pm from 13 January 2004...
" and "ExileExileExile means to be away from one's home , while either being explicitly refused permission to return and/or being threatened with imprisonment or death upon return...
". - Casting Award: Sophie Molitoris for her casting work in the TV- film "Neue Vahr Süd".