Info / Festival
20min|max is a short film festival, that is organised by Ingolstadt Theatre and the design agency xhoch4 since 2006. The name says it all: movies of several genres that do not exceed a length of 20 minutes, will be shown and awarded from May 15th to May 20th 2010.
The device: tensional wealth of diversity
The absence of any limit with regard to genres makes the Ingolstadt festival a panorama of the current short film scene. The diversity of the category "short film" is manifested by a direct sequence of movies, the (in this way emerging) contrast and the possibility of comparison. All this underlines, that a short film is on the one hand much more than the supporting film of a regular movie and that selection and dramaturgical array on the other hand are of prime importance in times of mass video production. Having a theatre (Ingolstadt Theatre) and a design agency (xhoch4) as hosts, emphasizes this approach. Aesthetic standards of evaluation are applied by designers; directors and dramatic advisors know how to judge narrative suspense. And along the way, the partly articifially evoked separation between theatre and movie is disproved, the invisible parting line between design and art is disrupted.
The result of this process is an independent, manifold, unusual but very coherent program choice, that sometimes questions, sometimes teaches, amuses or underlines the viewer´s habits of perception.
The origin: festival history
In October 2005, Peter Rein, artistic director of Ingolstadt Theatre, and Michael Klarner (until the end of 2008 managing director of the Ingolstadt TV channel INTV), had the idea of establishing a film festival for Ingolstadt. One evening, short movies by film makers from Ingolstadt should be shown at the Theatre, should get a plattform for their work. That is how Ingolstadt got its own film festival on May 12th 2006: 20min|max. The name said it all and still is decisive. "20min|max" means, that movies may derive from any genre, but may not have a running time that exceeds 20 minutes. In this way, the festival program turns out to become a fascinating, also suspenseful mix of documentaries, feature film, music clips and video art.
The first festival issue in 2006 was a one-day edition at Ingolstadt Theatre and was celebrated as "Long Night of the Short Movies". Yet, the following issue in 2007 was broadened to a second day and a further venue - the Audi Repertory Cinema. As success was remarkable and as 20min|max attracted interest not only across Germany but Europe-wide, one dared to extend the festival to four days in 2008 (after one festival-free year, when Ingolstadt was host of the 26th Bavarian Theatredays): three days at Audi Repertory Cinema and the final festival day including award ceremony at Ingolstadt Theatre. As this third 20min|max-issue in 2009 was sold out aswell, 20min|max will take place as a five-day festival in 2010.
The venues: established duality
The duality of having the festival take place at two venues proved its worth. The Audi Repertory Cinema disposes of very modern projection equipment, offers typical cinema atmosphere at 75 seats. At the foyer of Ingolstadt Theatre the nonchalant aspect of the festival is cultivated by having "audience transit traffic" as something wanted, by celebrating an informal mood and making the Long Night of the Short Movies end in a party (attendance 2009: ca. 700).
As the gathering crowd of visitors 2009 disrupted the foyer´s capacity and as a good screening quality shall still be warranted , 20min|max will take place in the "Großes Haus" in 2010. For the first time, the final festival day will not only be presented by actors but may also be technically be put on.
The competition: flexible creation of categories
All movies shown at 20min|max automatically enter the festival-contest; the award categories are defined by the jury year over year after the deadline of the submissions. In this way, the festival can not only be responsive to trends and tendencies but also remunerate eligible drifts.
In 2009, more than fourty short movies were shown at the four festival days. Awards, endowed with 1.000 Euros each were handed over to the best documentary film, the best feature film and the best artistic film. Moreover, a prize for the most promising regional offspring was sponsored.
The impulse: success follows Ingolstadt
It became clear with the first issue of 20min|max in 2006, that a submission-confinement (only films from Ingolstadt) would not be practicable as movies were handed in from Germany, Austria and Switzerland. More and more, movie makers from Europe and abroad discover 20min|max. The regional aspect still is of paramount importance: the scene of film makers of the so called "Region 10" are encouraged and linked with the specially offered award for the most promising regional offspring.
It is a in particular enjoyable fact, that film makers that were rewarded at 20min|max could celebrate great successes at subsequent festivals. "Fliegenpflicht für Quadratköpfe" (Stephan-Flint Müller, Public´s Choice Award, Ingolstadt 2006) won the Offspring Award at the "KunstFilmBiennale" Cologne, endowed with 25.000 Euros. After its showing at 20min|max, »Teddybär« (Pedram Zolgadri) was presented at »Espaniol International Filmfestival« (Valencia), at the »India International Filmfestival« (Kalkutta), at the »Para Festival Chileno International del Cortometraje« (Santiago de Chile) and at the »Teheran Iranian Young Cinema« (Teheran). Aron Lehmann´s movie "Liebe Gemeinde" (Best Feature Film 20min|max 2009) was awarded as "Best Short Movie" at "Grenzland Filmtage Selb"...
The appearance: a movie of its own
The appearance of 20min|max, posters, programme and festival trailer are designed by xhoch4 and themed with a certain artistic motto. It is this coneptual approach, that appeals for art, graphic, experiment and an individual expression. In 2009 for instance, four trailers were produced that were inspired by absurd TV-spots of the Austrian shoe factory HUMANIC from the 1960ies–1980ies with concrete poetry and art. Such a motto then crosses the whole festival until the award ceremony, where the actors of 2009-trailers appeared live.
Brevity is the soul of wit.
With other words: it is the focus on the essentials that offers up the cinematic concern of a short movie with a pointed remark. It is the short movie, that knows how to capture central aspects of a story on film, capture it in a direct, nebulous, amusing, exciting or artistic way. And that is what 20min|max stands for.