Oldenburg’s Top Ten Discoveries

Between Us (2012)

Before being accepted by Oldenburg, Dan Mirvish’s dark couples-comedy had a hard time landing a festival appearance, which is why it was shown there as a world-premiere. But with the stamp of the ‘German Sundance,’ Between Us made a run for it, scoring more than 20 other festivals as well as a limited theatrical release in the U.S.

Dr. Ketel (2011)

International sales company Reel Suspects discovered Linus de Paoli’s thriller in Oldenburg. The dark tale of a Robin-Hood-like physician fighting the medical establishment in a futuristic Berlin went on to China as well as Moscow, where it won the Russian Film Clubs Federation Award.

Happy New Year (2011)

K. Lorrel Manning’s drama about a battle-shaken marine returning home and fighting his demons left Oldenburg with an Audience Award and lots of good press, especially for its leading actor Michael Coumo. Both Manning and Cuomo, who jointly wrote the screenplay, would later be named Best Actor and Best Director at the Rhode Island International Film Festival.

Hardcore (2004)

Five years before director Dennis Iliadis remade Wes Craven’s 70s sicko-classic The Last House on the Left, he showed his true colors in Oldenburg with his feature-debut Hardcore -- the story of two girls bonding in an Athens brothel and deciding to exact revenge on their tormentors. A year later, the film was shown in Karlovy Vary in its Top Ten Films series.

Northfork (2003)

After premiering at Sundance, Mark and Michael Polish took their rural 50s drama to Oldenburg, where it won the German Independence Award. Compared by Roger Ebert to Days of Heaven and Wings of Desire, the film played festivals all across the world and sold in most major markets -- reason enough for the Polish brothers to keep coming back to Oldenburg.

Oh Boy (2012)

Even though Oh Boy had been shown in Karlovy Vary and Munich, Jan Ole Gerster’s black-and-white comedy did not gain much traction internationally before nabbing Best Film, Best Actor and the Audience Award in Oldenburg. Numerous other prizes were to follow, including the German Film Award, the Bavarian Film Award and multiple international honors.

The Insurgents (2006)

The year before it hit festivals in the U.S. and Canada, Scott Dacko’s thriller about four Americans deciding to become homegrown terrorists won Oldenburg’s German Independence Award, to be followed by Best Screenplay at the Palm Beach International Film Festival and Best Film at the Long Island International Film Expo.

The Stranger in Me (2008)

Emily Atef’s drama about a young mother’s inability to relate to and care for her child was seen as somewhat too depressing for public consumption, but after three awards in Oldenburg (including one given out by the audience), a theatrical release in Germany followed, as well as festival-appearances at the São Paulo International Film Festival in Brazil and the Mar del Plata Film Festival in Argentina.

Gods and Monsters (1998)

One day after its European premiere at Deauville, Bill Condon’s Gods and Monsters moved to Oldenburg as the festival’s closing-night film. Numerous other festival appearances and honors were to follow, including an Academy Award for Best Screenplay, with Condon going on to direct Kinsey, Dreamgirls and The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn 1&2.

My Mother (2001)

Buket Alakus’ multi-cultural drama about a traditional Turkish woman who is determined to save her drug-addicted son did not seem like typical festival fare at the time, but won the German Independence Award and the Audience Award just the same. A nomination for the Grand Prix in Tokyo came on its heels, with a German theatrical release six months later.