Filmmaker and tutor Claas Danielsen is appointed new Festival Director. A new motto - "the heART of documentary" - is introduced, along with the programme section "German documentary film competition". Record numbers of visitors are registered once again: Over 24,000 visitors attend the festival.
The Media Foundation of Sparkasse Leipzig awards a prize (Talent Dove), endowed with 10,000 Euros, to the best young talent film in the documentary film genre (the prize goes to "Jerusalem Min Elskede" by Jeppe Rønde, Denmark). This sees the total amount of prize money increased to 47,500 Euros.
Fred Gehler receives the Golden Dove for his lifetime work.
further Golden Doves
TOUCH THE SOUND (Germany/GB, Thomas Riedelsheimer)
ÜBER DIE GRENZE - FÜNF ANSICHTEN VON NACHBARN (Austria, Paweł Łozinski, Jan Gogola, Peter Kerekes, Robert Lakatos and Biljana Čakič-Veselič)
RYAN (Animated Film, Canada, Chris Landreth)
Silver Doves
AM SEIDENEN FADEN (FRG, Katarina Peters)
AND THEREAFTER (USA/Republic of Corea, Hosup Lee)
MIRNAJA SHISN (LEBEN IN FRIEDEN, Russia/Switzerland, Pawel Kostomarow and Antoine Cattin)
SON OF SATAN (Animated Film, SATANS SOHN, USA, JJ Villard)
Talent-Dove by the Media Foundation of Sparkasse Leipzig
JERUSALEM MIN ELSKEDE (JERUSALEM MEINE LIEBE, Denmark, Jeppe Ronde)
Discovery Channel Filmprize
BERLIN BEIRUT (FRG, Myrna Maakaron)
European DocuZone Award
INVISIBLE – ILLEGAL IN EUROPA (FRG, Andreas Voigt)
MDR-Film-Prize
ÜBER DIE GRENZE – FÜNF ANSICHTEN VON NACHBARN (Austria, Pawel Lozin´ski, Jan Gogola, Peter Kerekes, Robert Lakatos, Biljana Cˇakicˇ -Veselicˇ)
Golden Dove for lifetime work
Fred Gehler