The premiere of Peter Schamoni's "Majestät brauchen Sonne - Kaiser Wilhelm II" is the subject of controversial discussion at the opening in the Leipzig Gewandhaus. The submitted film material is indicative of a new trend: more and more films are being sent in video format and no longer as 16 and 35mm film. 10 years after the Monday demonstrations, the subject matter of the films also appears to have altered significantly; the focus is now more on private events, less on those of global significance, as could be seen in preceding years.
The retrospective "Children's films - Trying to draw the line" deals with 90 years of documentary films by and about children.
This year the struggles of the festival leadership are primarily of a financial nature. First the State of Saxony reduces the financial assistance by 50,000 Marks, then the Federal Foreign Office provides 5,000 Marks less. Sponsors are sought to cover the costs of cinema rental et cetera. In 1999 the list of these and other sources of assistance already bears 40 names.
Golden Doves
SO EINE GESCHICHTE (Poland, Pawel Lozinski)
ALLEIN (Russia, Dmitry Kabakov)
WHEN THE DAY BREAKS (Animated Film, Canada, Wendy Tilby and Amanda Forbis)
Silver Doves
LADOMÍSKE MORYTÁTY A LEGENDY (MORITÄTEN UND LEGENDEN AUS LADOMÍROV, Slovakia, Peter Kerekes)
ALGÉRIE, LA VIE QUAND MÊME (ALGERIEN, DAS LEBEN GEHT WEITER, France, Djamila Sahraoui)
MORT À VIGNOLE (TOD IN VIGNOLE, Belgium, Oliver Smolders)
PORGANDITE ÖÖ (NIGHT OF THE CARROTTS, Animated Film, Estonia, Priit Pärn)
PINOCCHIO (Animated Film, Italy/France, Gianluigi Toccafondo)
MDR-Film-Preis
BENEK BLUES (Poland, Kataryna Maciejko-Kowalczyk)
Prize by Sparkasse Leipzig for an Animated Film
OUTER SPACE (Austria, Peter Tscherkassy)