DIAGONALE 2007,
the Festival of Austrian Film
Every year towards the end of March, observers of the Austrian film
business notice a movement of Austrian filmmakers - sort of a migration
- to the south of the country. As in past years, the DIAGONALE, the
festival of Austrian Film, again attempted in Graz an annual meeting
of the Austrian film landscape.
From March 19 th to 25 th , already for the tenth time, the Diagonale 07, took place in the small and pleasant town of Graz , where a review of Austrian films, which were produced during the last year, were presented and some of them awarded.
Again two awards have been endowed by the Austrian Association of Cinematographers AAC: Best cinematography feature film and Best cinematography documentary .
Nominated were all feature length Austrian films or documentaries, which have been presented in the programme of the Diagonale 07. The juries of the Diagonale Award (feature film) and the Main Diagonale Award (documentary) also selected the recipients for the best camerawork.
This year the jury of the Diagonale Award (feature film) consisted of Florian Flicker (director, AUT), Florian Koerner (Producer, GER) and Linda Soeffker (curator Berlinale, GER): "The Award Best Cinematography Feature Film 2006/07 goes to Bernhard Keller and the film FALLEN from Barbara Albert. Excitingly etched images and lighting that fits the mood. The camera is close enough but at the right distance."
Martina Kudlácek (filmmaker, AUT), Micha Schiwow (Swiss Films, CH) and Gudrun Sommer (Duisburger Filmwoche, GER) were in the jury of the Main Diagonale Award (documentary), which gave the prize to Jo Molitoris for IT HAPPENED JUST BEFORE from Anja Salomonowitz : " We want to award the camerawork, which visualizes a subtile filmic concept. Because of a consequent framing and placement of colours, an alienation of the documentary image is achieved."
We wish for the success for the future of the Diagonale Awards and festival that the importance of the camerawork stays in focus.
Astrid Heubrandtner AAC