27. OpenEyes Filmfest Marburg

The OpenEyes Filmfest is an international open-air short film festival in Marburg and will take place for the 27th time this year.
On five festival days we present an interesting, challenging, entertaining and diverse competition programme to more than 2000 visitors and give them the opportunity to vote and award prizes. The programme is selected from more than 1000 submissions of brand-new short film productions from over 70 countries every year, which often screen with us as German or world premieres. Under normal circumstances, we show feature, documentary, animation and music or experimental films at four different venues in a socio-cultural centre in an old, stylish gasworks. On the one hand, we provide a cosy, summery open-air atmosphere with our special flair, but on the other hand we also want to make films visible that deal with sensitive or controversial topics. In addition, the popular Garage Cinema offers an Open Screen for all those who want to present their own productions without prior submission.
The organisational team consists mainly of volunteers as well as a project seminar from the Philipps-Universität Marburg and a large circle of volunteers. With our work, we ensure that we act in a sustainable manner not only in terms of ecological sustainability but also in terms of young people's work. Many students who took part in the project seminar have gone on to work in the cultural sector after their studies.
b]Professionalism and relaxed togetherness are not only found in the cooperation and form another trademark of the entire festival.
The open-air festival with its outstanding film programme, the creative supporting programme and the special atmosphere in an extraordinary location has developed into a cultural instance in over two decades and guarantees an incomparable festival experience. To do justice to our festival focus on 'invisibility', we would like to help the already very underrepresented short films to become visible and will make our programme accessible online under all circumstances with your help. In addition, we will do our utmost to make the programme a physical event with the OpenAir-Festival-Flair typical of the OpenEyes Filmfest. For the 27th edition it needs your help.

Our aim is to draw the attention of a film-interested public to (independent) short film and to offer filmmakers a forum for exchange and getting to know each other.b]OpenEyes Filmfest is therefore aimed at all film enthusiasts, film geeks, film nerds and cineastes, and especially at those who have a taste for short film. We are very proud that many of the films that have been part of our programme in the past years have subsequently achieved international fame. Furthermore, we want to make filmmakers accessible and approachable with our festival, for example with a filmmakers' breakfast, open Q&A sessions and panel discussions. With your support you help us to maintain and expand the established work of the festival.

The short film often gets lost as a cultural asset!next to the tried and tested feature-length film. Since its inception, the OpenEyes Filmfest has made it its mission to change this and to offer the short film, which rarely finds a way into commercial cinemas, a public. In addition, the pandemic has led to the fact that - like many other cultural fields - the already almost 'invisible' short film has disappeared into complete obscurity. Many filmmakers, who often work as freelance artists, are particularly hard hit by this pandemic. In addition to the appreciation you show the team by funding them, you are also supporting them,

• to be able to continue to run the festival in a professional framework
• to give the short film format a broader public.
offer filmmakers who have been particularly affected by the pandemic a platform for exchange and getting to know each other.

• to provide the audience with an unforgettable festival.
• to continue to exist as independently as possible from larger sponsors in the festival design and film selection.

As a non-profit event, the OpenEyes Filmfest makes an important contribution to film culture by placing the underrepresented short film at the centre of its festivities. Through the development of the past years, the festival has attained an enormous size and thus established certain (quality) standards in its implementation in order to meet the issued objective. Since the approved public funding is not sufficient this year to maintain these structures, we are dependent on your support.

Every cent goes to the organisation and realisation of the OpenEyes Filmfest. Costs that have to be covered are, for example, the rental of screening equipment, various services that have to be used, marketing measures or personnel costs for external staff. In order to give the works of the filmmakers a publicity during these special times as well, part of the money will go towards paying the corresponding streaming platform.
If there should be an unexpected remainder of the collected sum, we would use it for future events as well as for costs incurred within the framework of the association's management.