After the Teddy Award, Stefan Haupts Film “Der Kreis” also wins the Panorama Audience Award at the 64th Berlin International Film Festival
Double victory for a Swiss film production: “Der Kreis” by Stefan Haupt, produced by Contrast Film in Zurich, won the 16th Panorama Audience Award at the 64th Berlin International Film Festival
17.02.2014
“Der Kreis” portrays the gay rights movement in Zurich during the post-war era. It is based on the true story of Röbi Rapp (Sven Schelker) and Ernst Ostertag (Matthias Hungerbühler), who meet and fall in love while working for the trilingual gay magazine "Der Kreis - Le Cercle - The Circle."
"We are extremely delighted - especially in view of the current situation - that a film with this theme is so well received by the audience. On behalf of the entire film crew we would like to sincerely thank the Berlinale audience," said the film’s director Stefan Haupt and producer Ivan Madeo when accepting the award.
Over the course of ten days, Berlinale visitors were able to select from a total of 52 feature-length film productions screened in the Panorama section, 16 of which were presented in the Panorama Documentary, and submit their vote in the cinema and on the Internet. The films were ranked on a scale of "outstanding" to "annoying.” More than 31,000 viewers participated this year, thereby constituting the largest independent jury at the Berlinale.
The official award ceremony takes place on Sunday, on Berlinale Audience Day, at 5 p.m. in CinemaxX 7 on Potsdamer Platz.
Following the award ceremony, “Der Kreis” will be screened again in CinemaxX 7 at 8 p.m.
Just one day prior to this, “Der Kreis” was honoured with the TEDDY AWARD in the category "Best Documentary/Essay Film" at a gala event at the Berlinale. The film’s director Stefan Haupt, the producers Ivan Madeo und Urs Frey, both of whom are contemporary witnesses of Ernst Ostertag and Röbi Rapp, together with the two leading actors of the film, Matthias Hungerbühler and Sven Schelker, accepted the award personally from Mitra Farahani, a member of the International Jury of the 64th Berlinale.
“Der Kreis” will be released to cinemas in Germany and Switzerland in autumn. The distribution rights for the USA, Canada and Poland were sold at the European Film Market held in conjunction with the Berlinale, with tremendous interest reported from France, the UK and Italy.
Berlin, February 15, 2014