"Schlingel" Honors the Best Short and Animated Films

The short film “Moon Unit,” about a teenager growing up in Dresden with her bipolar mother, has won an award at the “Schlingel” International Film Festival. According to the laudatory speech, Marlene Tanczik’s 20-minute coming-of-age film paints a raw yet tender portrait of young Moonie in the 2000s in Dresden’s Neustadt district. 

Torn between caring for her mother and the chance to spend a year abroad in Scotland, the young girl must choose between freedom and responsibility. “The camera doesn’t just let us watch; it puts us right in the middle of it. We endure the situation alongside the characters.” The film “Moon Unit” prevailed in the “National Feature Film” category among the short films.

81 short films in competition

The Norwegian entry “Drahtzieher” by Torfinn Iversen won the international short film competition. According to the description, it shows how a boy must balance his life between an absent father and an exhausted mother while navigating a complicated relationship with his friend. The jury described it as a moving drama set against the icy backdrop of Norway.

A total of 194 films from 60 countries are being screened at the film festival for children and young audiences. In the competition, 58 feature-length and 81 short films are vying for various awards.

Another awards ceremony will take place this weekend

The animated films “At Least” from Germany and “A Dog’s Life” from the Netherlands also received awards. The Children’s Film Festival runs through Saturday. The best feature-length films will be honored at the closing ceremony.