Lübeck, Oct. 2, 2020. The Nordische Filmtage Lübeck has one of the longest traditions of any film festival worldwide and is both an audience festival and an important meeting place for the film industry in Germany and Northern Europe. The festival, first presented by the Lübeck Film Club in 1956 and taken over by the Hanseatic City of Lübeck in 1971, is the only festival in Europe, which is entirely devoted to the presentation of films from the North and Northeast of Europe.
Following the upcoming retirement of artistic director, Linde Fröhlich, by the end of the year a new director of the Nordische Filmtage Lübeck has been searched from the end of June and an intensive recruitment process with two calls for applications was conducted. The procedure was carried out by a recruitment committee of Mayor Jan Lindenau, Senator for Culture Kathrin Weiher and the Chairman of the Kulturausschuss, Detlev Stolzenberg, and, in an advisory vote, Christine Berg, the Chairman of the Board of the German Film Theater Association.
The recruitment committee voted for Thomas Hailer as the new artistic director of the Nordische Filmtage Lübeck. A total of 6 applications have been received. The decision will now be executed contractually in short notice.
Over the last 12 years as curator of the Berlin International Film Festival, the "Berlinale", and advisor to the festival director, Thomas Hailer has been responsible for the programmatic direction and film selection of the most important German film festival. Previously, Hailer worked for many years as director of the Berlinale section Generation (formerly Kinderfilmfest) with a focus on films for young audiences.
"We have found the optimal cast for the artistic direction with Thomas Hailer. His extensive experience, knowledge and contacts from years of working for the Berlinale are an excellent enrichment for the Nordische Filmtage Lübeck. He is very well connected and will be able to give the Film Days important new impulses", says Mayor Jan Lindenau.
"The Nordische Filmtage Lübeck has had a strong place in my heart for many years. The festival enjoys an undisputed reputation in the film industry and with its unique focus on the nordic region, which is unmatched in Europe, is attracting more and more professionals to Lübeck. But I am especially looking forward to the Lübeck audience, from whose midst the festival was born 62 years ago. The enthusiasm for cinema that has been lived through all generations makes the Nordische Filmtage Lübeck an unmistakable event with a beautiful radiance," says Thomas Hailer about his new challenge.
The management of the Nordische Filmtage Lübeck is now complete again. On April 1, 2020 Florian Vollmers was already followed by Susanne Kasimir as new managing director of the Nordische Filmtage Lübeck.
"With the new management team, the Nordische Filmtage Lübeck is well prepared for the future. I am pleased that with these decisions we now have stable structures and the festival can continue to develop positively", Mayor Jan Lindenau concluded.
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