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+++ History +++

When, in 1968, a handful of filmmakers, disenchanted by the Short Film Festival in Oberhausen, moved their screenings to the “Regina” theatre in Hof, Upper Franconia, nobody would have guessed that this event would still be alive and kicking more than three decades later.

It all started with the “New Jazz Group” surrounding Werner Weinelt, “Galeriehaus” pub owner and double-bass player. Uwe Brander, saxophonist, and Heinz Badewitz, drummer, both felt the urge to leave their hometown in northern Bavaria. Brandner went to university in Munich and began making films. Heinz Badewitz, past and present festival director: “I moved to Munich in 1963 wanting to make films. At first, things went rather well, but then it turned out to be quite difficult to rent a cinema and screen our first shorts in Munich. Back in Hof I knew a local cinema owner and told my colleagues we could show our films there. We presented a great 2 hours’ programme.

And just to give the event a name, we called it the ‘First Hof Short Film Festival’ – comprising just one screening. Nobody seriously thought there’d ever be another one.” That was in 1967.

The following year, Badewitz’ second short was accepted for Oberhausen in the category “German Competition”. Badewitz: “Werner Herzog was there, Rudolf Thieme, Geißendörfer – you name them. When I arrived, an éclat about Hellmuth Costard’s ‘Besonders Wertvoll’ was in full swing, and the filmmakers decided to withdraw their films from the festival. And then someone said: ‘Didn’t you arrange screenings of films in Hof? So why don’t we go there again?’ And all of a sudden everybody was saying: ‘Let’s go to Hof!’ So the Second Hof Film Festival took place.”

Badewitz continues: “The feeling at the event was great. Occasionally I went up on stage and said: ‘Another filmmaker’s just arrived with a reel under his arm. Do we want to see the film?’ ‘Yes’, everyone said, ‘we’d love to.’ So much for the beginnings of this lively festival – it was created by filmmakers, not by a company or a city, but by the directors themselves. And that feeling’s still very much alive. Sure, the festival’s earnt more and more recognition and has become increasingly international, but German films have always remained the focal point.”

Hof changes each year, depending on the films that are screened. But one thing hasn’t changed: not a single festival has passed without the traditional football match between the FC Hofer Filmtage - the directors' team - and the so-called Hofer Selection. By the way, the honour of being the most successful goal scorer still lies with film director Werner Herzog, followed by Jimi Vogler and Sönke Wortmann.

Hof today: Every year, the relaxed atmosphere and Hof IFF’s reputation attract more and more German and international filmmakers. The festival has grown continually and organically. Now, five days see roughly 130 screenings in eight theatres. Heinz Badewitz: “The programme creates its own maelstrom. The audience rushes from cinema to cinema. We don’t want to become a ‘normal’ festival - we want to remain the home base for German films, but we also want filmmakers from all over the world to feel at home here.”

For the filmmakers as well as for the other guests – cinema goers, actors, critics, producers and distributors – once a year Hof IFF offers them a chance to get an insight into filmmaking in Germany. Or, to quote critic Rainer Gansera: “The great autumn collection of the German film industry, generally presented by Heinz Badewitz himself on the catwalk of Hof International Film Festival.”