KINO! 2017 AUDIENCE AWARD
GOES TO ORIGINAL BLISS
It’s a wrap! The audience of the fourth edition of KINO! Festival of German Films in New York City (31 March – 6 April 2017) has spoken: ORIGINAL BLISS by Sven Taddicken, which was highlighted in the festival by an ARTIST TALK with star actress Martina Gedeck, was voted the favorite film of the festival. This year’s festival partner Fandor provided complimentary one-year subscriptions for the five viewers who were the most enthusiastic voters.
Organized by German Films, KINO! presented twelve feature-length films in the Sunshine Cinema (Landmark Theatres) in the East Village, and four guests from the fields of directing, acting and producing attended the screenings. Box-office hits were Christian Schwochow’s PAULA which opened the festival in a full house in the presence of producer Ingelore König, the audience award winner ORIGINAL BLISS by Sven Taddicken, and the special event THE VERDICT by Lars Kraume, where audience members were invited to cast their own verdict in this ambiguous case. This interactive experiment went really well, also thanks to the serious discussion after the film with actress Martina Gedeck. Also in town to present their films at the festival were producer Ulrich Limmer for the North American premiere of FOG IN AUGUST by Kai Wessel, and director/screenwriter Nicolette Krebitz for WILD. Both screenings were followed by long controversial discussions.
The newly restored silent movie classic DESTINY by Fritz Lang, which was screened as the centerpiece with Raphael Marionneau, one of the most well-known European DJs, in collaboration with Bertelsmann, was almost sold out with hundreds of enthusiastic supporters.
Another highlight during the festival included a panel discussion on PAULA with producer Ingelore König at the Deutsches Haus at New York University.