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THIS WAS DANGER ZONE FESTIVAL 2025:
The Winners of The 1st UFO Awards Are:
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PROGRAM - Block 1
11:00 - 12:15
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Stage Fright deluxe
What would be more fitting than starting our first festival with a film about Stage Fright. The beautifully animated short film “STAGE FRIGHT DELUXE” by Milena Biesel follows the protagonist on her way to a presentation. As her stress level continues to rise, she feels as if strangers are watching her.
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Luzie
A very friendly but also anxious medical student has her first night shift at the museum on the evening before her exam. A good opportunity to go through the material again in peace - only unfortunately, she has no peace. Not at all.
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Humans in Ghost Costumes
Deborah is haunted by the ghosts of her female ancestors and the question if she is bound to repeat their choices. An imaginative experimental horror short film that stays in your head.
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Enten füttern
A "duck" is a false report in the newspaper, on the radio or television. A "duck" is a story that is not true, that has been told incorrectly. Joel's (Viktor Nilsson) story and those of many others are the news stories of our society. Out of fear, we close our eyes and feed them. The Hamburg filmmaker Clara Buceta Hager's short film debut shows in melancholic images what it means to be homeless.
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Radio Taxi 1991
1991: Year one after reunification. Kohl as all-German federal chancellor and a West Berlin taxi driver as a stranger in his own city – which suddenly doubled in size! With today’s options and a contemporary interpretation, filmmaker Steffen Holzkamp edited his material to an intriguing mix of road movie, historic document and making-of. Locations, which no longer exist, bizarre passengers, unexpected encounters and lots of time waiting at godforsaken taxi ranks. A jump back to the turbulent Berlin shortly after the Wall came down. And a likable-cranky taxi driver on a quest - not only for his next tour.
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PROGRAM - Block 2
12:30 - 13:45
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Sweet Plastic
The island of Breuh is located in the northwest of Sumatra and is a rather forgotten region. During the ongoing monsoon season with its strong easterly winds, a lot of plastic waste washes up on the island's beaches, both international and national waste - a huge problem for all residents. The community art film project SWEET PLASTIK wants to bring a very relevant topic to the attention of a broader public: it shows that plastic and sweets are two things that cannot be separated from each other.
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Black Sanga:
The prototype 
Black Sanga and her companion the talking sword Sphinx, travel through a misty forest and encounter some friendly and not so friendly creatures along the way. BLACK SANGA THE PROTOTYPE is an animated fantasy short film set in the magical world of Gaea, brought to life by Spanish illustrator and animator Carlos Berenguer Carrión.
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Shepards Club
An aspiring artist and her wealthy girlfriend create a non-profit for an octopus who was saved from an oil spill. A satire as crazy as its synopsis by Henri Frank Jones, 22-year-old visual artist and storyteller from Detroit, Michigan.
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The Beast
On vacation with his family in the countryside, a young city boy is forced to participate in wild boar hunts in the cornfields. Naive and fearful, he lives in constant terror of a mysterious beast that adults say would live in the countryside. Director Joris Laquittant is a thriving supporter for the creation of a genre cinema on French soil, summoning as much the codes of American cinema of the 80s/90s as well as the reappropriation of the French rural landscape as a theatre of a fantastic, disturbing strangeness.
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Tunnel Vision
There is more plasticine animated films from the UK than just Wallace & Gromit: TUNNEL VISION is a stop-motion short film that shows the horrors of late stage capitalism in modeling clay. A worker, TM 109, is literally trapped by the daily grind. He sleeps, he eats, he works. When a mysterious tunnel one day opens up in his room, he decides that it's time to look within. Dark, funny and unique work by animator Callum Scott-Dyson.
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Block 3: program
14:00 - 15:15
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Sweet Salt
Pasta with tomato sauce - the goal seems clear to the experienced chef. What she did not foresee, however, is the determination of her moody ingredients. A spicy short film that's all about food by hamburg-based director Dorothea Künzig.
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Fresh or frozen
Plum (Anna Lucie Schollerova) finds an unconscious man in the woods and fights to keep him alive. Do they know each other? Director Nora K is currently working on variety of different projects in the US and likes to explore topics like protection of privacy, mystery, and humanities.
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While some must sleep
Depression, isolation and loneliness are wrecking lives. Medical technology tries to defeat these problems, but at what price? Elliot (Jamie Horan) decides to erase all memory of Liz, his ex, using an AI-based memory reconfiguration service. He discovers too late that Tom, his Personal Counselor AI and best friend, has to be erased for the process to complete. Imaginative science fiction from Canada that is closer to reality than it seems at first glance.
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Squashed
On a usual day in Istanbul, as Yağmur waits at the bus stop to meet her friends, she witnesses something entirely unusual and extraordinary—a colossal seagull swoops down, snatching up a young woman beside her and vanishing behind the towering skyscrapers. With her short film QUASHED turkish director Hazal Beril Cam sets out to explore how horrifying events like femicides, in the swirling chaos of Istanbul, Turkey, are so quickly 'normalized' in everyday lives. Through the tragicomic reactions people display when faced with such tragedies, she seeks to uncover the absurd and ironic within the ordinary.
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La reproduction
Marc-Antoine one day sees a new neighbor in the building opposite his flat. He begins to observe him and soon it becomes a dangerous obsession. A funny and thought provoking short by french director and cinema teacher Jean-Marie Villeneuve.
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Block 4: program
15:30 - 17:45
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Circle of life
Gerda (Friedrike Becker) and Hagen (Ulrich Faßnacht) are a couple, but something is itching under their skin and in their teeth. They just want to be free, live as they want. Perhaps a child is missing for their happiness? An experimental black and white short film by Actor and Director Ulrich Faßnacht, reminiscent of the early work of David Lynch.
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Pidgeonman & Cockroachboy
Two friends (Christian Wincierz, Lukas Reinsch) want to create a comic book, but the more they are working on their story, the more they became their own creation. You can feel Director Simon Begemann and his team had a lot of love for handmade effects. Somewhere between Drama, Comedy and Body-Horror, "Pigeonman & Cockroachboy" is one of the weirdest and most unique films of the festival.
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Weekend at grandma's
Filmmaker Christian Witte dedicates himself to his family's tradition of keeping a journal, and over the course of a weekend unravels his grandmothers’ life story. The Second World War, survival in the GDR and the fall of communism are being retold as the first “carefree” generation of grandchildren listens. What forces made it possible for this family tree to cheat death so many times? Shot on VHS-C!
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Block 5: program
18:00 - 19:45
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R52.9 Pain, Unspecified
World premier! Flensburg film students Lili Henrike Knickenberg, Amélie Charlotte Gentsch and Christin Gutwasser chose an unusual idea for their very first short film: A brief demonstration of a versatile pain. As every woman can imagine this experimental film is a challenging experience to watch, so be trigger-warned!
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I am rain
Could life be worse than going to hell? Enn (Thomas Mill) is waiting nervously at a busstop. His loneliness is suddenly interrupted by an uncanny young woman by the name of Baal (Lydia Jetter aka Cyana). As they delve into a conversation Baal tries to persuade Enn to go to hell voluntarily.
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Tender is the knight
Life can be very lonely as a knight, so Angus starts looking for love on the dating app "Tender". Will he find love in the Middle Ages or just his downfall? Filmmakers Daniela Pardiñas from Slovakia and Martine Samdal from Norway are both passionate about 2D hand-drawn animation and share an incredible eye for detail as they take us into a world of fantasy and dating.
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One dances, the other doesn't
Between reality and fiction, “ONE DANCES, THE OTHER DOESN'T" accompanies two young migrant women who are confronted with the issue of motherhood: one, Tirza (Tirza Ben Zvi), faces an unwanted pregnancy and the resulting desire to abort; the other, Daniela (Daniela Castillo Toro), pursues her dream to start a multi-parent family with her partner Reta. Director Emilie Girardin tells a story that reports on the current situation of reproductive rights in Germany and shows ways for a future of solidarity without discrimination based on the fate of two friends.
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Block 6: program
20:00 - 21:45
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Seek and you will find
Unfortunately there is far too little science fiction from Germany, which makes us extra happy to screen „SEEK AND YOU WILL FIND“: Two soldiers make their way through a dystopian underground world to stop a ritual before it's too late. Shot on a tight budget, the visual world of the short film seems like straight out of a familiar science fiction franchise like Alien.
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Heartificial
„HEARTIFICIAL“ is a german science fiction film directed by Paul Weiss and initiated by musician, DJ, and actor Stimulus, who also plays the main role. After collapsing while working two jobs in a grim future, Sulu Mits is told that he‘s fatally ill. Desperate, he agrees to what sounds like a clinical trial— only to be held captive and becoming part of a gruesome, life-altering science experiment. Having organs extracted, touches a deep trauma in Stimulus , having to relive receiving a kidney implant a couple of years back. The film is accompanied by 3 music videos which inspired the film and were shot at the same locations.
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Vexier
Smothered by a paralyzing feeling of unease and cut off from friends and family, Lea (Marie Scherzer) finds herself in a violent relationship with Sven (Merlin Leonhardt). In such a relationship - whether as a partner or a friend - a mixture of glossed-over thoughts, positive memories, manipulations, habits and dependencies is constructed. Be warned: “Vexier" is dark and threatening. Director Matthias Wissmann intended to convey oppression, tension and forlornness and bringing the feeling of emotional constriction to the screen.
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Danger Zone Independent Film Festival Hamburg 2025
We are a festival for independent and underground films in Hamburg, Germany.
All selected films will be shown in screenings open to the public on February 1st, 2025 at the B-Movie Cinema, a local community theatre. The cinema is centrally located and easy to reach, close to many bars, restaurants and clubs.
DANGER ZONE is open to all genres, we are looking for filmmakers with strong voices and films, as unusual as possible: Films that surprise us, that make us laugh or cry. Underground and experimental films that challenge and disturb us. Films that you just have to talk about afterwards. Anything but ordinary!
A jury from the city will view the films with the audience during the screenings and then make their decision. There are prizes for the best feature film and the best short film.
Of course, a festival doesn't just live from its films; we want to invite filmmakers to take part in the festival, to network and to present their films to the audience and jury. For each selected film, we will provide 2 festival passes for the whole day. As a small festival, we unfortunately cannot cover travel costs.
We are particularly looking forward to getting to know and welcoming filmmakers from the neighborhood. Therefore, submission is free of charge for filmmakers from the Hamburg region.
We stand for diversity and want to make the festival a safe space for guests from all over the world. Racism, sexism and anti-LGBTQ content as well as exclusions of any kind have no place at DANGER ZONE Festival.
With this festival we want to create what we are currently missing in Hamburg: a small indie filmfest as a meeting place for independent filmmakers. We are looking forward to celebrating a successful first edition of the festival with you.
Awards & Prizes
There will be at least two awards: Best feature film and best short film.
A jury will view the films with the audience during the screenings and then make their decision. There are prizes for the best feature film and the best short film. The awards are purely symbolic and do not come with a cash prize.
We are a festival for independent and underground films in Hamburg, Germany.
All selected films will be shown in screenings open to the public on February 1st, 2025 at the B-Movie Cinema, a local community theatre. The cinema is centrally located and easy to reach, close to many bars, restaurants and clubs.
DANGER ZONE is open to all genres, we are looking for filmmakers with strong voices and films, as unusual as possible: Films that surprise us, that make us laugh or cry. Underground and experimental films that challenge and disturb us. Films that you just have to talk about afterwards. Anything but ordinary!
A jury from the city will view the films with the audience during the screenings and then make their decision. There are prizes for the best feature film and the best short film.
Of course, a festival doesn't just live from its films; we want to invite filmmakers to take part in the festival, to network and to present their films to the audience and jury. For each selected film, we will provide 2 festival passes for the whole day. As a small festival, we unfortunately cannot cover travel costs.
We are particularly looking forward to getting to know and welcoming filmmakers from the neighborhood. Therefore, submission is free of charge for filmmakers from the Hamburg region.
We stand for diversity and want to make the festival a safe space for guests from all over the world. Racism, sexism and anti-LGBTQ content as well as exclusions of any kind have no place at DANGER ZONE Festival.
With this festival we want to create what we are currently missing in Hamburg: a small indie filmfest as a meeting place for independent filmmakers. We are looking forward to celebrating a successful first edition of the festival with you.
Awards & Prizes
There will be at least two awards: Best feature film and best short film.
A jury will view the films with the audience during the screenings and then make their decision. There are prizes for the best feature film and the best short film. The awards are purely symbolic and do not come with a cash prize.
german version below
Danger Zone Independent Film Festival Hamburg 2025
DANGER ZONE ist ein Festival für Independent- und Underground Filme in Hamburg.
Alle ausgewählten Filme werden am 1. Februar 2025 im Kino B-Movie in öffentlichen Vorführungen gezeigt. Zentral gelegen inmitten der „nachtaktiven“ Stadtteile St. Pauli und Schanzenviertel, ist das Kino in einer lebendigen Nachbarschaft mit zahlreichen Bars, Restaurants und Clubs ansässig.
DANGER ZONE ist offen für alle Längen und Genres. Wir suchen möglichst ungewöhnliche Filme: Filmen mit starken Stimmen. Filme, die uns überraschen, zum lachen oder weinen bringen. Underground- und Experimentalfilme, die uns fordern und verstören. Filme, über die man danach einfach reden muss! Alles, Hauptsache nicht gewöhnlich.
Eine Stadtteiljury sichtet alle Filme während dem Festival mit dem Publikum und vergibt am Ende des Festivals den Preis für den jeweils besten Spielfilm und den besten Kurzfilm.
Unser Festival lebt nicht nur von seinen Filmen, sondern von der Begegnung zwischen Filmemacher*innen und seinem Publikum. Wir laden alle Filmemacher*innen ganz herzlich dazu ein, an unserem Festival teilzunehmen, sich mit anderen Filmemacher*innen auszutauschen und ihre Projekte in Filmgesprächen dem Publikum und der Jury vorzustellen. Für jeder ausgewählten Film stellen wir 2 Festivalpässe für den ganzen Tag zur Verfügung. Als kleines Festival können wir im leider keine Reisekosten übernehmen.
Wir freuen uns ganz besonders darauf, Filmemacher*innen aus der Nachbarschaft kennenzulernen und willkommen zu heißen. Für Filmemacher*innen aus der Region Hamburg ist die Einreichung deshalb kostenlos möglich.
Wir stehen für Vielfalt und möchten das Festival zu einem sicheren Ort für Gäste aus aller Welt machen.
Rassismus, Frauen- und LGBTQ-feindliche Inhalte sowie Ausgrenzungen jeglicher Art haben bei uns bei uns keinen Platz!
Mit DANGER ZONE wollen wir in Hamburg einen Treffpunkt für Indepentendfilmemacher*innen schaffen: Ein kleines, unabhängiges Festival, bei dem sich freie Filmemacher*innen begegnen und austauschen können. Wir freuen uns darauf, die erste Edition des Festivals mit Euch zu feiern!
Auszeichnungen & Preise
Es werden mindestens zwei Auszeichnungen vergeben: Bester Spielfilm und Bester Kurzfilm. Eine Jury wird sich die Filme während der Vorführungen mit dem Publikum ansehen und dann ihre Entscheidung treffen. Die Auszeichnungen haben rein symbolischen Charakter und sind nicht mit einem Geldpreis verbunden.
DANGER ZONE ist ein Festival für Independent- und Underground Filme in Hamburg.
Alle ausgewählten Filme werden am 1. Februar 2025 im Kino B-Movie in öffentlichen Vorführungen gezeigt. Zentral gelegen inmitten der „nachtaktiven“ Stadtteile St. Pauli und Schanzenviertel, ist das Kino in einer lebendigen Nachbarschaft mit zahlreichen Bars, Restaurants und Clubs ansässig.
DANGER ZONE ist offen für alle Längen und Genres. Wir suchen möglichst ungewöhnliche Filme: Filmen mit starken Stimmen. Filme, die uns überraschen, zum lachen oder weinen bringen. Underground- und Experimentalfilme, die uns fordern und verstören. Filme, über die man danach einfach reden muss! Alles, Hauptsache nicht gewöhnlich.
Eine Stadtteiljury sichtet alle Filme während dem Festival mit dem Publikum und vergibt am Ende des Festivals den Preis für den jeweils besten Spielfilm und den besten Kurzfilm.
Unser Festival lebt nicht nur von seinen Filmen, sondern von der Begegnung zwischen Filmemacher*innen und seinem Publikum. Wir laden alle Filmemacher*innen ganz herzlich dazu ein, an unserem Festival teilzunehmen, sich mit anderen Filmemacher*innen auszutauschen und ihre Projekte in Filmgesprächen dem Publikum und der Jury vorzustellen. Für jeder ausgewählten Film stellen wir 2 Festivalpässe für den ganzen Tag zur Verfügung. Als kleines Festival können wir im leider keine Reisekosten übernehmen.
Wir freuen uns ganz besonders darauf, Filmemacher*innen aus der Nachbarschaft kennenzulernen und willkommen zu heißen. Für Filmemacher*innen aus der Region Hamburg ist die Einreichung deshalb kostenlos möglich.
Wir stehen für Vielfalt und möchten das Festival zu einem sicheren Ort für Gäste aus aller Welt machen.
Rassismus, Frauen- und LGBTQ-feindliche Inhalte sowie Ausgrenzungen jeglicher Art haben bei uns bei uns keinen Platz!
Mit DANGER ZONE wollen wir in Hamburg einen Treffpunkt für Indepentendfilmemacher*innen schaffen: Ein kleines, unabhängiges Festival, bei dem sich freie Filmemacher*innen begegnen und austauschen können. Wir freuen uns darauf, die erste Edition des Festivals mit Euch zu feiern!
Auszeichnungen & Preise
Es werden mindestens zwei Auszeichnungen vergeben: Bester Spielfilm und Bester Kurzfilm. Eine Jury wird sich die Filme während der Vorführungen mit dem Publikum ansehen und dann ihre Entscheidung treffen. Die Auszeichnungen haben rein symbolischen Charakter und sind nicht mit einem Geldpreis verbunden.
