22nd Schlingel Film Festival
 Timm Thaler wins the Youth and Children’s Film Award

Timm Thaler wins a horseracing bet.
Timm Thaler wins a horseracing bet. | Photo: Constantin Film/Gordon Muehle

This year’s Goethe-Institut Youth and Children’s Film Award went to Timm Thaler oder das verkaufte Lachen (The Legend of Timm Thaler or The Boy Who Sold His Laughter) by Andreas Dresen. The award ceremony took place on 30 September at the Schlingel Film Festival in Chemnitz. Dresen’s film tells the story of Timm, who makes a pact with the devil and trades his laughter for luck in betting.

Convincing first children’s film by Andreas Dresen

According to the jury statement, “It is actually a fairy tale, yet almost like in real life, Timm Thaler oder das verkaufte Lachen underscores that success and wealth alone do not bring happiness. People – and children in particular – need friendship, family and joy in life. The film demonstrates how children deal with difficult everyday situations and how their parents can support them. It conveys all of this with humour, imagination and a twinkle. It sets itself a very high bar, but offers the audience a world of magic and fantasy, from the street to the cinema.”
  • The jury announces the winner of the Youth and Children’s Film Award. Photo: Film Festival SCHLINGEL
    The jury announces the winner of the Youth and Children’s Film Award.
  • The Schlingel Film Festival took place for the 22nd time; last year, over 20,000 people attended the festival. Photo: Film Festival SCHLINGEL
    The Schlingel Film Festival took place for the 22nd time; last year, over 20,000 people attended the festival.
  • The young people await the start of the next film with anticipation. Photo: Film Festival SCHLINGEL
    The young people await the start of the next film with anticipation.
  • Timm inside the baron’s huge, magical model train. Photo: Constantint Film/Gordon Muehle
    Timm inside the baron’s huge, magical model train.
  • Timm runs away from home and gets a job as the liftboy in the city’s Grand Hotel. Photo: Constantin Film/Gordon Muehle
    Timm runs away from home and gets a job as the liftboy in the city’s Grand Hotel.
  • Andreas Dresen, director of the film Timm Thaler, sends a video message. Photo: Marija Piroshki
    Andreas Dresen, director of the film Timm Thaler, sends a video message.
 

Worldwide promotion of films for children and young people

Following the annual award ceremony of the Youth and Children’s Film Award in Chemnitz, the Goethe-Institut acquires the international license for each year’s winning film and sends it to all of the 159 institutes in 98 countries. To advance German films for children and young people and cultural dialogue, Timm Thaler will now also be subtitled in up to eight languages and made available to a worldwide audience.

The jury

The selection and awarding of the Youth and Children’s Film Award takes place every year as part of the Schlingel International Film Festival for Children and Young Audiences in Chemnitz. This year, the jury consisted of Dr Shyryngul Suchai (Goethe-Institut Almaty), Sunčica Šido (Goethe-Institut Belgrade), Marc Guschal (Film, Television, Radio Division) and Sabine Söhner (DEFA Foundation). The jury also awarded the 4,000-euro DEFA Foundation grant to director Helene Hegemann and her film Axolotl Overkill.