Before the dawn heals us

Classic music TV still leads a zombie-like existence at best, but the music video lives on on the big screen. FILMFEST DRESDEN has been bringing the best short films from all over the world to Dresden every year for six festival days since 1989, attracting up to 20,000 visitors. The festival, which is one of the largest and most important short film festivals in Germany, celebrates short film in all its facets; the art form of the music video also regularly finds its place in special programs and competitions. For more than 20 years, the most interesting competition entry in terms of music and sound has also been honored as part of the festival.

2024, the FILMFEST DRESDEN curators have put together a selection of outstanding new videos exclusively for BANDSTAND in HELLERAU that combine music with cinematic art in an extraordinary way. This program marks the countdown to the 36th FILMFEST DRESDEN, which will take place between 16 and 21 April 2024. The themes of the films are just as diverse as their visual form of expression. For example, we meet an animated Thomas Gottschalk who eternally hosts “Wetten, dass…?” and maintains the last remnants of the old Federal Republic, a deep-fake Elon Musk, the real Elvis Presley and a rock star who transforms into a monster. The videos are realized as computer animations, real films, stop-motion films or found footage compilations. Time and again, they also cross the border into narrative feature films.

The new cooperation with FILMFEST DRESDEN is another important building block in the focus on music and film art at BANDSTAND, alongside the likewise new cooperations with WIR GESTALTEN DRESDEN and RAVIR Film: as an opportunity for future collaborations, impulses and perspectives for the film and music industry in Saxony.

filmfest-dresden.de

Program (ca. 70 Minuten):

• Trying to forget you (Aérea Negrot); Director: Simon(e) Jaikiriuma Paetau, Aérea Negrot; Germany 2019
• 1000 Thomas (Rolf Blumig); Director: Mare Hakamushi, Rolf Blumig; Germany 2021
• Elvis: Strung Out; Director: Mark Oliver, Canada 2019
• Copyshop (Romano); Director: Jakob Grunert, Germany 2018
• Hideous (Oliver Sim); Director: Yann Gonzalez, France 2022

Curator, manager and contact FFD: Sven Pötting