Hesse supports young film talents with 20,000 euros for The Fever!

Hesse supports young film talents with 20,000 euros for The Fever!

Hessen Film & Medien promotes creativity and innovation in the Hessian film and media landscape and recently supported the young talent project “The Fever” with a grant of 20,000 euros. The director Thanh-Giang Nguyen, who studies film and moving images at the Kassel Art University with Prof. Jan Peters, has created a surreal story with this 19-minute short film. This tells the story of a man who returns to his homeland Vietnam after many years abroad and is confronted with a feeling of alienation. During his return, a fever secretly spreads through the city, which adds tension to the plot. The film's themes highlight the urbanization process in Vietnam as well as personal experiences and cultural migration. The main role is played by Pham Thanh Hai, known from the film “Viet & Nam”, which will premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in 2024.

Nguyen plans to complete “The Fever” project later this year. This is part of a broader initiative by Hessen Film & Medien that aims to promote the artistic and commercial quality of film productions in the state. Around 2.8 million euros are available in current funding rounds for film and series projects, with 90 percent of Hessen Film & Medien GmbH owned by the state of Hesse and 10 percent owned by Hessischer Rundfunk.

Diversity of projects in Hesse

If you look back at the most recent funding, you can see an extensive range of projects. Among the applicants are well-known production companies such as Pandora Film Production from Frankfurt am Main. She will receive 50,000 euros for the project “At the Age of Ellen” directed by Pia Marais. The Wiesbaden company Avanti-Film also received funding: Christoph Schuch received 25,000 euros for the film “Falterwelten”. Another funded project is “The Daughter – a clan saga from the Khasi matriarchy” by Uschi Madeisky, which raised 18,000 euros.

• Antragsteller: Pandora Film Produktion, Frankfurt a. M. – Fördersumme: 50.000 Euro für „Im Alter von Ellen“
• Antragsteller: Avanti-Film, Wiesbaden – Fördersumme: 25.000 Euro für „Falterwelten“
• Antragsteller: tomult – Film & Multimedia, Frankfurt a. M. – Fördersumme: 18.000 Euro für „Die Tochter – eine Klansaga aus dem Matriarchat der Khasi“
• Antragsteller: Walter Krieg, Berlin – Fördersumme: 10.000 Euro für „Rodeoboxer“
• Antragsteller: Anja Czioska, Frankfurt a. M. – Fördersumme: 10.000 Euro für „The Rise of the Underground“ (Experimentalfilm)

This funding also includes contributions to production preparation and post-production for various projects. Hesse's film funding aims to retain talent in the state and strengthen the film industry by offering young producers and directors opportunities to implement their ideas and reach viewers with new and exciting stories.

Hesse as an attractive film country

HessenFilm consciously focuses on promoting young talent and documentary films. The aim of this strategy is to position Hesse as an attractive film region and to win back filmmakers from other regions. Under the motto “Experience culture”, the support of cinema films and extensive documentary formats is seen as central to presenting complex topics in an understandable and entertaining way. It remains to be seen what effect the recently approved projects will have on the Hessian film industry.

Overall, the film funding from Hessen Film & Medien represents a decisive step in advancing the artistic and commercial development of film projects in the region and promoting cultural exchange within the industry. Hessian filmmakers can look forward to the upcoming productions and their possible successes at national and international film festivals.