Festival Max Ophüls Prize

The Festival in Saarbrücken is an important Home for German-language Film

Initially there was "only" the Hof International Film Festival, but in 1980 another festival for German film was added: the "Max Ophüls Preis" film festival in Saarbrücken, founded by Albrecht Stuby for young filmmakers from Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Soon it became the most important forum for German film next to Hof, and today it is one of the most important film events in Germany. In Saarbrücken the whole stylistic and content spectrum of young German-language film is presented, and at the same time the festival is a meeting point between the industry and young talents. It was named after the German-French director Max Ophüls, who was born in Saarbrücken in 1902 and emigrated to France and later to the USA in 1933 because of his Jewish origins. With Ophüls as a great role model, the festival demonstrated his interest in social and political issues from the very beginning. Barbara Albert, Detlev Buck, Andreas Dresen, Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, Sandra Nettelbeck and Christian Petzold are just a few of the prominent representatives of German film who began on the Saar.

In Saarbrücken the whole stylistic and content spectrum of young German-language film is presented, and at the same time the festival is a meeting point between the industry and young talents.

It was named after the German-French director Max Ophüls, who was born in Saarbrücken in 1902 and emigrated to France and later to the USA in 1933 because of his Jewish origins. With Ophüls as a great role model, the festival demonstrated his interest in social and political issues from the very beginning. Barbara Albert, Detlev Buck, Andreas Dresen, Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, Sandra Nettelbeck and Christian Petzold are just a few of the prominent representatives of German film who began on the Saar.

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