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FREERIDE FILM FESTIVAL 2020 | 07.-29.11 in AT, DE, CH and IT

18/09/2020

Runar Petur in FjördLines Iceland

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The 11th Freeride Filmfestival is dedicated to the beautiful on your own doorstep - in more countries than ever before: "shred@home & film@home", but not only because everyone was forced to do so in spring 2020!

2020 is a very special year for the Freeride Filmfestival (FFF) - and this concerns several aspects at once. Firstly, the film selection is more international than ever before and at the same time locally anchored. Secondly, this is exactly in the sustainable sense of the festival. Thirdly, the tour will take us to Italy for the first time alongside Austria, Germany and Switzerland. Fourthly, not only the FFF visitors* have become accustomed to dealing with the corona virus, but also the organizers are aware of the great responsibility. Fifth, this year for the first time the full potential of the new cooperation with ABS/PYUA will be used.

It's been a challenging and somewhat strange year. The two Master Minds of the Freeride Filmfestival (FFF) agree on that. But Volker Hölzl and Harry Putz have never doubted that there will be the Tour 2020. "We were always aware that we had to adapt to the constantly changing conditions and remain flexible", explains Hölzl. "Of course, we will adhere exactly to the official COVID 19 guidelines, but we want to focus firmly on the joy, enthusiasm and shared experience of sport, filming and watching. That's why we are particularly pleased that this year we have more international productions in our programme than ever before, all of which were shot in our own backyards.

Harry Putz is also enthusiastic about the mixture and theme of the chosen films. "The productions are not only united by the slogan 'shred@home & film@home', but they also show a wide range of cinematic and creative implementations: from stylish ambience and atmosphere films to the psychological hardcore strain in the mountains at the beginning of the Corona Lockdown to slapstick and a complete solo project. What Putz is also very proud of: "The fact that we are thus furthering our 'Freeride for Future' initiative, which we launched last year. In this way we want to promote a change in awareness and a responsible approach to natural habitats."

First POW Film Award, first time Italy

The premiere of the POW Film Award, which was presented in cooperation with Protect our Winters Europe verliehen wird. Der mit 1.000€ vom FFF ausgeschriebene Preis richtet sich an Freeride-Filme, die einen ausdrücklichen Beweis für aktives klima-bewusstes Handeln erbringen, ohne mit dem Finger auf andere zu zeigen. Ein weiteres wichtiges Kriterium ist, dass völlig auf maschinengetriebene Aufstiegshilfen verzichtet wird. Neben dem Preisgeld wird die siegreiche Produktion mit einer von einem Künstler angefertigten Trophäe und dem „FFF+POW Film Award Laurel“ ausgezeichnet.

New partners, new destinations

Behind the scenes of the Freeride Film Festival there has also been a change. With ABS and PYUA, Volker Hölzl and Harry Putz have brought two of the leading brands in the freeride industry into the company as investors. The strategy is clear: Together they are working on the constant expansion and increasing internationalisation of the tour.

Therefore the fans can expect an innovation at the tour stops this year. In addition to Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the FFF 2020 will be making its first guest appearance in Italy. The exact dates for all destinations and the respective cinemas can be found at the end of this document.

At the first tour stops in Andermatt, Zurich, Wolfurt, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Munich, Vienna and Innsbruck, the FFF team will be on the road as usual with the big tour bus, including athletes and filmmakers. At all further stops a presenter and sometimes one or more of the actors will be on site to guide the audience through the film selection.

Swiss love and Corona change of heart

The headliner of the FFF 2020 is the production "From Switzerland with Love“. The main actor is Laurent De Martin, an internationally renowned freeskier from French-speaking Switzerland. He has travelled the world a lot and now he invites athletes from near and far to his home in Valais to enjoy the different terrains and types of games. Laurent's home is the "Dents du Midi" ("The Teeth of the South"), seven three thousand meter peaks in the French speaking part of Switzerland. The result is a freeskiing potpourri from street to backcountry, with a fat guest appearance by FFF-tested Mathieu Schaer. Presented in an absolutely harmonious, familiar atmosphere and with a soundtrack that gets under your skin. A film with so much "freestyle" has not been seen at FFF for a long time!

In the Austrian-German film "Metanoia" the COVID 19 pandemic is suddenly coming very close. A few days before the lockdown on Friday, March 13, 2020, the Mountain Tribe Crew sets off for the Ötztal Alps. Their destination is an old border hut on Timmelsjoch. There, the group wants to explore the limits of friendship and society in addition to ski tours and big lines. But the venture becomes a border crossing of a different kind. Instead of funny evenings there are tough discussions. In addition, intensive contact with the police and the families at home. Metanoia stands for an increasing change of mind, which in the course of the film spreads to the athletes and the film team. The camera is always on. At the beginning the film starts with jokes and Corona Blues on the guitar, but in the course of the days bitter seriousness joins the crew.

In the far north and the Tyrolean shoals

Two FFF 2020 productions take us far up into the north of Europe. In "Fjörd Lines" snowboarder Runar Petur takes us to his favourite areas in Iceland. As the name suggests, it's about the unique fjord landscapes of Iceland. These are spectacular shots that filmmaker Víðir Björnsson shows us. At the same time, they radiate a calm and magical connectedness that almost tempts us into melancholy. This is mainly due to Runar Petur's individual style when he becomes one with his lines.

At least as individual is the film "Billøs/Carless" by the Norwegian Andreas Køhn. Billøs means in German carefree, and carless (autoless) is Andreas, because a repair for his car is too expensive for him. Therefore he completely renounces this luxury, changes to the bicycle and has been touring with it for two years in the Bodø, Lyngen and Lofoten areas. Andreas Køhn is a loner and a bit of a loner as well. He admits that quite openly. This also includes his urge to reduce emissions. This film is "simple & basic at its best". Almost everything was filmed by himself and apart from a ferry trip to the Lofoten there is only muscle power. Andreas doesn't let rain or icy surfaces stop him and always looks with a lot of self-irony into a better future: "Next month will be great. Next month."

Finally, something highly satirical. At "The Tyrolean and his Piefke - Part 2" filmmaker Michael Bernshausen presents an eternal classic from the Tyrolean Alps. A local, in this case Roman Rohrmoser from the Zillertal, and a German, Felix Wiemers from Hesse, have all kinds of communication problems. What unites the two: Skiing at the highest level. The basis for this ski film persiflage is the successful TV series "The Piefke Saga" from the early 1990s.
Bernshausen has oriented itself on this classic and is now adding the sequel after part 1 of "Der Tiroler und sein Piefke". Once again he draws a portrait of the eternal love-hate relationship between Austrians and Germans with a strong touch of black humour. How seriously the linguistic and cultural misunderstandings are meant, the audience should decide for itself.

Tour dates 2020

Switzerland

07.11. Andermatt, concert hall
08.11. Zurich, Kosmos cinema
17.11. Lausanne, Pathé Les Galeries
18.11. Engelberg, Kursaal
19.11. Basel, Pathé Küchlin
20.11. Bern, Cine Bubenberg

Austria

09.11. Wolfurt, Cubus
12.11. Vienna, horticultural cinema
13.11. Innsbruck, Leokino
22.11. Salzburg, The cinema
23.11. Catfish, art house cinema
24.11. Graz, KIZ Royalkino
25.11. Villach, city cinema
29.11. Schruns, cultural stage

Germany

10.11. Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Congress
11.11. Munich, Alte Kongresshalle
15.11. Landshut, Kinopolis
16.11. Erlangen, Cinestar
17.11. Frankfurt, Metropolis
18.11. Berlin, cinema in the Kulturbrauerei
21.11. Düsseldorf, Cinestar
22.11. Cologne, Cinenova
23.11. Stuttgart, Gloria
24.11. Tegernsee, Seeforum
25.11. Augsburg, Liliom
26.11. Neu-Ulm, Dietrich Theater