Main RiverFilmFest shorts 2024

14 - 24 March 2024

2nd Main RiverFilmFest shorts in March 2024
To bring attention to the sometimes dramatic changes in river landscapes and to inspire enthusiasm for lively rivers, a RiverFilmFest will take place for the second time in 2024 along the Main River. Not only in one city but in multiple cinemas from Bayreuth to Marktheidenfeld. This illustrates that the Main River, spanning over 500 km, connects people and is our shared responsibility. Because water means life, and rivers like the Main, with their rich natural and cultural landscapes, are important habitats for humans, animals, and plants.

The 2nd Main RiverFilmFest in 2024, supported by the European Open Rivers Program, continues with short films and river film discussions for its second edition. We are looking forward to the opening as part of the Water Month in Bayreuth (Thursday, 14 March at 16:30) on the International Day of Free-Flowing Rivers. The closing event is scheduled for Sunday, 24 March in Marktheidenfeld. An international selection of environmental and outdoor short films will be shown.

In several cinemas, there will be moderated discussions aimed at giving a regional context to the themes depicted in the films, such as dam removal, microplastics, water retention, drought, river restoration, and climate change.

The discussion participants vary at each event: For example, in Würzburg, Stefanie Schliche (LPV Rhön-Grabfeld) will talk about dam removals on the Brenz and Streu rivers. For the opening on 14 March 2024, at 16:30 in Bayreuth, we are particularly pleased to welcome director Jan Kerckhoff, as well as Professor Christian Laforsch, Professor Stefan Peiffer, and Dr. Brigit Thies from the University of Bayreuth. Sigrun Lange (WWF) will shed light on dam removal on the Pegnitz river with local stakeholders in Bayreuth and will also participate in the River-Film-Discussion in Bamberg alongside Michael Bender (Living Rivers Foundation).

Film Program

At the RiverFilmFest, we showcase a selection of excellent short films on water conservation and the environment, engaging in discussions with experts and river enthusiasts.

ONTO MICROPLASTIC - THE HUNTERS OF THESE INVISIBLE PARTICLES (2022, 33 min.) Microplastics are in the air, in the soil, in the water. Where does it come from, and more importantly, how dangerous is it for us and our environment? What solutions are there? Directors Karsten Schwanke and Peter Prestel accompany the team from the Microplastics Collaborative Research Center with Professors Christian Laforsch and Seema Agarwal in their research. (ARTE/WDR) Exclusively shown on Thursday, 14 March at franz & gloria in Bayreuth.

BAVARIAN STREAMS ARE SUFFOCATING (2022, 29 min.) Streams and forest springs are losing water, becoming silted and sand-filled. In many places, streams are essentially suffocating because the water is becoming increasingly depleted of oxygen. A team of scientists from the universities of Bayreuth and Erlangen-Nürnberg, as well as the Technical University of Munich, is sounding the alarm. (BR) Shown at all Riverfilmfest cinemas. Director Jan Kerckhoff will join the River Film Discussion in Bayreuth on 14 March.

RIVER by Jennifer Peedom (2021, 75 min.) is a musical and cinematic experience. It takes the viewer on a journey through space and time. The film spans six continents, utilizing extraordinary contemporary cinematography, including satellite imagery, and showcases rivers on a scale and from perspectives never seen before. Exclusively shown on Sunday, 17 March at Odeon/Lichtspiel in Bamberg.

ADVENTURELAND (2023, 87 min.) Christo Foerster embarks on an equally unconventional and sustainable journey through his homeland, from the Zugspitze to Sylt, by board and on foot. After a strenuous descent from the Zugspitze, he discovers during the day how beautiful Germany is with its diverse river landscapes, while at night he sleeps in a hammock under the open sky. Exclusively shown on Sunday, 24 March at Movie im Luitpoldhaus in Marktheidenfeld.

DAM REMOVAL: MORE SPACE FOR AUSTRIA'S RIVERS (2023, 12 min.) The film by Marc Graf and Christine Sonvilla impressively illustrates from an unusual perspective what makes rivers alive and how dam removal can help our rivers become lifelines once again. (WWF Austria) Shown at all Riverfilmfest cinemas.

PEGNITZ BECOMES A "RIVER FREER" COMMUNITY (2023, 2.30 min.) Near the town of Pegnitz, at Hainbronn, the Pegnitz River must pass through an unused, dilapidated weir. This dam is an obstacle for local fish species such as grayling, brown trout, and chub. Therefore, the weir is now planned to be dismantled. However, the city does not have to bear the full cost of this measure. The nature conservation organization WWF is supporting the project with 30,000 €. (TV Upper Franconia) Shown at all Riverfilmfest cinemas.

WATER LOST AND RETURNED (Czech Republic, 2023, 35 min.) The film tells the story, with fantastic landscape shots, of the return of water landscapes in the Šumava National Park. It narrates the efforts of many people and demonstrates how crucial water is for landscapes, nature, and the diversity of life. (Ekofilm) Shown at all Riverfilmfest cinemas.

The events will take place on:

Let's celebrate free rivers, clean water and freshwater life!

 

 Main-Flussfilmfest 2023

14 - 26 March 2023

1st Main River film fest in March 2023


In 2023, a river film festival is to take place on the Main for the very first time. And not just in one city, but in several cinemas along the course of the river from its source to its mouth. In this way, it will become clear that the Main River connects people over 500 km and is our common responsibility.

 

The 1st Main FlussFilmFest will be organised in March 2023 by Flussparadies Franken e.V. and Netzwerk Main in cooperation with the Living Rivers Foundation and other partners. It is sponsored by the Bavarian State Ministry of Finance and Home Affairs. The opening will take place on 14 March, the International Day of Action against Dams and for Rivers, Water and Life (World Dam Day) in Bayreuth. The final event will be a matinee in Frankfurt am Main on 26 March. An international selection of environmental and outdoor short films will be shown.



The events will take place on:

  • Tuesday, 14 March at franz & gloria– Bayreuth

  • Wednesday, 15 March at Neuen Filmbühne– Lichtenfels

  • Friday, 17 March at Odeon/Lichtspiel– Bamberg

  • Friday, 17 March at Roxy– Kitzingen

  • Saturday, 18 March at Central im Bürgerbräu– Würzburg

  • Saturday, 18 March at Film-Photo-Ton Museum Huttenschloss - Gemünden a.Main

  • Sunday, 19 March at Capitol Kino– Zeil a. Main

  • Sunday, 19 March at KuK – Kino & Kneipe– Schweinfurt

  • Sunday, 19 March at Burg-Lichtspiele - Karlstadt

  • Monday, 20 March at Capitol Kino– Zeil a. Main

  • Thursday, 23 March at Movie im Luitpoldhaus– Marktheidenfeld

  • Thursday, 23 March at Filmklubb– Offenbach

  • Thursday, 23 March at Schloß-Theater - Miltenberg

  • Saturday, 25 March at Casino Filmtheater– Aschaffenburg

  • Sunday, 26 March at Harmonie– Frankfurt a. Main 



Let's celebrate free rivers, clean water and freshwater life! More on the programs and locations coming soon at :
https://www.riverfilmfest.eu and www.netzwerkmain.de

The press release of the Main Flussfilmfest is available here (in German): Press Release - World Water Day

The press release (in German): Successful first Main Flussfilmfest



Video-clip Competition for amateurs and movie students

“ I LOVE MY MAIN”

15.11.2022 - 31.01.2023

(c) Marco Depner Löchla in Wonfurt

As part of the Main Flussfilmfest 2023, which will take place in 12 cities along the Main River from 14 to 26 March 2023, we are hosting a short video competition on the impact the Main River has on your life.

Discover more about Main Flussfilmfest 2023 here: https://www.netzwerkmain.de/mainflussfilmfest

 

The aim of this competition is to highlight the necessary role of rivers in our lives as well as the role of refuge they play for biodiversity, especially in urban areas.

As activists, we want to promote the restoration of rivers so that they can once again flow freely and play their primary role as freshwater ecosystems.

As a reminder, the Water Framework Directive requires that European waters achieve good ecological status by 2027. This means bringing the environment as close as possible to its natural conditions. In other words, it consists of clean and sufficiently abundant water and habitats for native species of aquatic and peripheral terrestrial plants and animals.

 

Natural freshwater ecosystems play a key role in the fight against global warming. They act as carbon sinks, allow fish to migrate and help regulate the negative impacts of droughts and floods. Humans have interfered heavily with these ecosystems in the course of industrialisation, destroying them in many places. Promoting the renaturation of rivers means restoring a natural and clean water cycle.




Without water there is no life.

The video:

The video can be shot with a smartphone or any amateur camera and must not last longer than 1 minute and 30 seconds. You can make these mini films alone or with others. It does not have to be shot from scratch, you can also use existing material. Important: You must have the rights to the material.

 

The main topic is the Main River and its biodiversity.

Possible topics :

·      Waterways, plastic and industrial pollution, outdoor activities, fragmentation of the river by dams and obstacles of all kinds (locks, weirs, etc.), ...

·      Anything related to biodiversity and nature conservation, whether related to human activities or not

The format can vary. It can be an interview with you or your loved ones (with a special connection to the river), an anecdote or story that happened in the river or its surroundings, an artistic video showing the great diversity of the river (fauna, flora, etc.) or the major degradations you have observed there.

Then send your finished video to athenais.georges@grueneliga-berlin.de by the deadline.

 

The process:

The audience votes online on the Vimeo platform for the 15 favourite videos. It is therefore necessary that you give your consent for publication as well as use and screening at the Main FlussFilmFest if you are among the winners.

 

5 videos will be selected from the 15 videos chosen by the audience and submitted to a jury of experts (filmmakers and film-makers, biologists, etc.) for voting.

The 5 winners will receive great prizes (cinema vouchers, etc.) and their videos will be screened in front of the audience on the big cinema screen! (subject to change)

 Rules:

- Only for amateurs and film students, under 27 years old

- Signed permission from parent or guardian is required for all minors.

- any plagiarism will lead to immediate disqualification of the video

- if music is used, the participant must ensure that it is free of third party rights

- Application deadline: 31.01.2023

- Duration of the video: max. 1,5min

Data and quality requirements:

- Format of the video: MP4, MOV, AVI, MKV

- Resolution: FullHD if possible, bit rate at highest quality level.

- Film in landscape format!

 

What must your application contain?

- Name and personal data (they will not be distributed, we need them only to inform you for the results) +title of the video

- A short introduction of you

- The video with the names, date and place (either at the beginning or at the end)

- The completed and signed copyright holder release document (in German)

 

Get out your phones and cameras! We look forward to discovering your works and your relationship with this beautiful river!

Good luck!

 For questions or requests for more information and to send us your video, please contact: athenais.georges@grueneliga-berlin.de




You can find the entire regulation document with the copyright holder release form here: Regulation Document of the "I Love My Main" Competition




Das Regelungsdokument auf Deutsch finden Sie hier: Regelungsdokument des "I Love My Main" - Wettbewerbs







Become a river rescuer!
WWF barrier removal competition

Our rivers are sick! They are dyked, canalised, dammed and diverted - and thus can no longer fulfil their ecological functions.

The alarming condition of our rivers is caused, among other things, by countless barriers that block the natural downstream transport of sediment and woody debris, and block the migration of fish and many other aquatic organisms, interrupting their life cycle. Barriers in rivers have caused a dramatic decline of aquatic populations and loss of native species. Many of these barriers are decades old and obsolete, having lost their purpose long ago. Together with you, we at WWF want to remove unnecessary barriers and allow rivers to flow freely again.


Win up to 30.000 Euro for your barrier removal!
”Just blow up the dam, Sam!”

With funds from the German Postcode Lottery, WWF Germany is supporting three barrier removals (i.e. dismantling of obsolete transversal structures in rivers or streams) in Germany as part of the "Living Rivers" project in 2023 and 2024. WWF will provide up to 30,000 euros for each restoration.

How can you access these funds? It's very simple!

All information can be found here: www.wwf.de/themen-projekte/projektregionen/fluesse-bayern/dam-removal/werden-sie-flussbefreier

You can watch the trailer of the competition here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfpAe2LHSKw