Filmfest Dresden
Filmfest Dresden is an international short film festival since 1989 based in Dresden, Germany. The focus of the competition is on short feature films and animated films.
When the Dresden Film Festival was held for the first time before the fall of the Berlin Wall, it was used to present films that were previously banned or rarely shown in the GDR to the public. After the German reunification, the focus of the festival had to change. Since DEFA's animation studios were located in Dresden, the decision was made to use the concept of a short and animation festival.
The international competition of the festival has existed since 1992 and 1998, followed by the establishment of its own national competition, in which the €20,000 promotional prize of the Saxon State Minister for Science and Art has been awarded since 2004. With a total of about €66,000 in prize money, the Dresden Film Festival is one of the most valuable short film festivals in Europe. The award for the best animated and feature films in the competitions is the Golden Horseman based on the equestrian statue of the same name. There are also audience awards, such as the Golden Horseman for film sound and the ARTE short film award.
