News ↓ 2023
December 7, 2024
We are grateful, touched and proud to have been awarded the German Human Rights Film Award | Deutscher Menschenrechts Filmpreis 2024 with our film Cell 5 – A Reconstruction. We thank the jury for the trust in the relevance of the project and to be among so many inspiring other films and its makers. The award Ceremony took place on December 7, 2024 in Nürnberg. More infos here. You can watch an interview with Mario Pfeifer here.
October 1, 2024
We are very happy and grateful to receive production funds from MOIN Filmförderung for our cinema doc DESERTED. We thank the jury for the trust in the project’s pontential. Principal Shooting is planned for November 2024.
June 13, 2024
We are very happy and grateful to receive production funds from Hessen Film & Medien for our cinema doc DESERTED. We thank the jury for the trust of the relevance of the project.
May 14, 2024
We are thrilled to receive MDM - development funds for our BioPic DANGOBI, an original screenplay by Mario Pfeifer. We thank the jury and look forward to the development.
May 04, 2024
Blurring the boundaries: a look into the IDFA on Stage program. Mario Pfeifer’s Again – Live (2019) is featured in this recap of past projects of IDFA on stage, in between film and live performance. We look back with tremendous pride to this stellar festival participation. Read more here.
April 4, 2024
Cell 5 – A Reconstruction will have its Hessian Premiere at the 17. Lichter Film Festival Frankfurt International taking place from April 16 - 121, 2024. More infos here.
April 4, 2024
Cell 5 – A Reconstruction will screen at the Rencontres Internationales in Berlin , taking place from April 9 - 14, 2024 at HKW Haus der Kulturen der Welt. More infos here.
MArch 28, 2024
We are happy to receive production funds from SLM for our cinema documentary DESERTED. We thank the jury to trust this marvellous and challenging project.
February 26, 2024
Mario Pfeifer speaks at the conference Western Sahara at Goethe University’s ehtnography department.
February 18, 2024
Expanding Reality – On the Filmmaker Mario Pfeifer. Claudia Euen writes an all-encompassing portrait about the producer and director Mario Pfeifer on shortfilm.de. You can read it here in English or German. Enjoy!
November 16, 2023
We are extremely grateful to receive production funds from MDM – Mittdeldeutsche Medienförderung for our cinema doc DESERTED. We thank the jury for the trust of the relevance of the project. Principal Shooting is planned for mid 2024.
November 10, 2023
Cell 5 – A Reconstruction receives the label “highly recommended” by the German Board of Film Recommendation. The jury states, that the film “is an important and highly relevant film that works against forgetting and can help to let the facts speak for themselves. So that there can ultimately be justice for the victims.” We are thankful to the the jury for the recognition and acknowledgement. Read the full statement here.
Oktober 20, 2023
Cell 5 – A Reconstruction wins Hessischer Filmpreis 2023. We thank the jury, feel grateful for the moving laudatio by actress Patrycia Ziolkowska and congratulate all winners and nominees. From the jury statement: "In a world where the shadows of injustice still loom large, CELL 5 challenges us to become agents of change." You can read the full jury statement here.
Oktober 6, 2023
Cell 5 – A Reconstruction will have it’s French Premiere at the Rencontres Internationales in Paris , taking place from Oct 31 - Nov 5, 2023. Read more about the program and screening times here.
September 7, 2023
Cell 5 – A Reconstruction is nominated for Hessischer Filmpreis 2023. We are grateful to the jury for the selection, our funders for the support and our cast and crew for the oustanding contributions. See you in Frankfurt am Main on Oct. 20, 2023 for the award ceremony at Alte Oper. Read the jury statement here. And fingers crossed …
July 30, 2023
Our creative documentary project DESERTED has been succesfully developped with the support of MDM Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung over the past three years. We are greatful for the support and exited about the development. Stay tuned.
May 2, 2023
Bundeskunsthalle Bonn presents Cell 5 – A Reconstruction in the exhibition WHO WE ARE – REFLECTING A COUNTRY OF IMMIGRATION from May 26 - Oct 8, 2023.
January 3, 2023
AGAIN | NOCH EINMAL is available on arte’s mediatheque until February 18, 2023.
Watch he film here.
November 20, 2022
KOW includes Mario Pfeifer’s early video Untitled Two Guys (2008) in their group exhibition ‘Das Auto Rosi Aber’. The exhibition runs from November 26, 2022 – January 14, 2023. More infos here.
October 1, 2022
Pylon Lab screens Mario Pfeifer’s Black/White/Grey (2020) in their virtual cinema from October 24 – November 4, 2022. More infos here.
September 1, 2022
KOW presents Mario Pfeifer’s solo exhibition Proof of the Unthinkable from Sept 15 - Nov 12, 2022.
May 15, 2022
Principal shooting for Cell 5 has been finalised. We thank you amazing talent and crew for the hard work and inspiring production. Montage and post-production are under way … stay tuned.
November 26, 2021
Mario Pfeifer was interviewed by DW’s Kate Laycock for Inside Europe on the ongoing production of Cell 5. Listen in here.
August 20, 2021
AGAIN | NOCH EINMAL is part of the Rencontres Internationales Berlin / Paris – New Cinema and Contemporary Art taking place at Haus der Kulturen der Welt in Berlin from August 25-29, 2021. The film will be presented in the program “Fact Checking” on August 27, 2021 at 4pm. More infos here.
June 4, 2021
After a wonderful festival run on four continents we are happy to announce the TV-Premiere of AGAIN | NOCH EINMAL. The broadcast is scheduled for June 14, 2021 at 23:30 CET. Followed by the film director Mario Pfeifer will be in conversation with ARTE’s Andrea Friese to discuss the societal role of art, film and television. Both film and interview will be available in the ARTE Mediathek until September 15, 2021.
February 15, 2021
AGAIN | NOCH EINMAL is part of the Rencontres Internationales Berlin / Paris – New Cinema and Contemporary Art taking place at La Louvre in Paris from February 23-28, 2021. Join us in Paris or online.
January 2, 2021
We are happy to announce a new monograph on Mario Pfeifer's work in film and video. This bilingual (DE/EN) and internationally distributed publication follows Pfeifer‘s first comprehensive solo exhibition in Canada / North America which took place from June 22 to September 2, 2019 at The Power Plant, Toronto. The exhibition was curated by Director Gaëtane Verna with the assistance of Nabila Abdel Nabi.
The publication includes essays by Georg Imdahl on the artist's socio-political investigations and Nomaduma Rosa Masilela on Pfeifer's first live performance work. A conversation between Pfeifer and the multiple award winning filmmaking Canadian artist Stan Douglas weaves through the historical and contemporary issues of image production, music, pop culture and politics of the now. The film's script of Again – Noch einmal (2018) is published alongside an index of produced works and publications 2008 – 2020 to complete the publication as Pfeifer's most extensive monograph to date. More infos here.
December 7, 2020
CORPO FECHADO screens in FIF Belo Horizonte (Brazil) from Dec 7 – 12, 2020. More infos here.
October 6, 2020
CORPO FECHADO screens in Salvador de Bahia @ Festival Hibrido (Oct 6-9, 2020) organised by the Goethe-Institut Salvador-Bahia.
September 30, 2020
We are thrilled to participate in the 2020 virtual edition of ACT Human Rights Film Festival in Fort Collins, Colorado, USA with a screening of AGAIN followed by a Q&A with Mario Pfeifer and programming director Scott Diffrient. The film and Q&A will be available in the US from October 1 -10, 2020. More infos here.
September 1, 2020
Hessen Film funds our new production Zelle 5 – 800° Celsius , in co-production with papermoon films. We are exited, thank the jury and congratulate all other funded projects. More infos here.
July 24, 2020
Künstlerhaus Halle für Kunst & Medien in Graz will feature AGAIN in the exhibition Image Wars – The Power of Images. Curated by Jana Franke, the show also features installations by Kader Attia, Cana Bilir-Meier, Melvin Moti, Rabih Mroué and Marlies Pösch. July 3 – October 10, 2020. More infos here.
July 23, 2020
In a thirteen-week online program, the series KINO SIEMENSSTADT engages with the question of how the themes of space and architecture are reflected in artists’ films and video art today. How does contemporary art succeed in translating urban history and stories into moving images and to what extent can it further the current discourse on (historical) architecture, even and particularly when its intentions reach beyond the purely documentary? Mario Pfeifer’s Untitled [Two Guys] screens on July 31, 2020 at 6pm. More infos here.
June 20, 2020
For the occasion of the World Refugee Day 2020, the UNHCR Germany commissioned us under the direction of Mario Pfeifer to produce a short film based on Jenifer Toksvig’s poem What They Took With Them. The conceptual short features Iris Berben, Florence Kasumba, Mai Duong Kieu, Katja Riemann, Lea van Acken Dennenesch Zoudé, Volker Bruch, Bjarne Mädel, Kida Khodr Ramadan, Hans Sigl and Anatole Taubman. More infos here.
June 15, 2020
Berlinische Galerie – Museum of Modern Art will show Corpo Fechado in the IBB Video Lounge. The exhibition, curated by Nuno de Britta Rocha, opens July 1 and will be on view until August 3, 2020. More infos here.
May 07, 2020
Museum Folkwangs opens its premises again and presents our latest production Black/White/Grey starring Sandra Borgmann. The exhibition, which also features AGAIN, will be on view until May 24, 2020. More infos here.
May 06, 2020
MDM – Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung funds the project development for our feature length creative documentary DESERTED. We are thrilled to continue the journey to the Western Sahara and many more places with our protagonists, co-producers and supporters. More infos here.
April 14, 2020
BKM funds our new production Zelle 5 – 800° Celsius , in co-production with papermoon films. We are exited, thank the jury and congratulate all other funded projects. More infos here.
March 16, 2020
The planned group exhibition Family, Me curated by acclaimed Francesco Bonami at MUDAM Luxembourg – Museum of Contemporary Art scheduled for May – September 2020 has been postponed due to COVID-19. We will inform about the new dates asap. More infos here.
March 15, 2020
The planned solo exhibition at Berlinische Galerie – Museum of Contemporary Art scheduled for May / June 2020 has been postponed due to COVID-19. We will inform about the new dates asap.
March 14, 2020
German Cinema Now – Northwest Filmforum Seattle, USA – Film program curated by Jasmin Krakenberg. April 22, 2020 [postponed due to COVID-19]. More infos here.
March 13, 2020
ACT – Human Rights Film Festival Fort Collins, Colorado, USA – Screening of AGAIN followed by an Q&A April 8, 2020 [postponed due to COVID-19]. More Infos here.
March 12, 2020
We are happy to to announce our new production Black/White/Grey premiering at the prestigious Museum Folkwang in Essen / Germany. The exhibition, which also features AGAIN, will be on view from March 13 to May 24, 2020. More infos here. [Cancelled due to COVID-19]
March 07, 2020
Exited to participate in the 2020 edition of Innsbruck International – Biennale of the Arts from March 7 - 22, 2020 showing AGAIN in great company with works by Steve McQueen, Basir Mamood, Etal Adnan et. al.
More infos here. [Partially cancelled due to covid-19]
October 10, 2019
We are thrilled to invite to our first Live Experience commissioned for the 32. IDFA on stage section: AGAIN – LIVE will celebrate it’s world premiere in November 22, 2019 at Pakhuis de Zwijger in Amsterdam. More infos and tickets can be orderer here.
We are also happy that AGAIN will have it’s Dutch premiere in IDFA’s Best of Fests section. More infos and tickets here.
October 1, 2019
We are thrilled by the nominating jury decision to nominate AGAIN for the 2019 edition of the prestigious PRIX EUROPA – Changing Europe / The Power of Dialogue in the category TV Documentary. The festival takes place from October 6 - 12, 2019 in Potsdam. We thank our commissioning editors for the submission and our partners and funders for the support. More information on the nominated films can be found here.
September 30, 2019
Finally Again celebrates its German Premiere at the 53rd International Film Festival Hof . The Festival takes place October 20 - 27, 2019. We hope you join us in Hof. More infos here.
Screening Times
October 24, 3pm at Cinema Regina – in presence of the producer / director Mario Pfeifer
October 25, 8:15pm at Cinema Regina
October 27, 11:30pm at Cinema Scala
September 16, 2019
We are happy to participate in the 62nd INTERNATIONAL LEIPZIG FESTIVAL FOR DOCUMENTARY AND ANIMATED FILM DOK LEIPZIG taking place October 28 – Nov 3, 2019. In the scope of seven programming blocks, the overarching question Who Owns the Truth? will be explored from diverse angles in a variety of formats. Again will be part of numerous outstanding political films. Producer / Director Mario Pfeifer will be in conversation following the film’s screening on Nov 1st 12:30pm. More infos can be found here.
September 15, 2019
Again celebrates its Korean Premiere at the 11° DMZ Documentary Film Festival taking place September 20 - 27, 2019. The film is programmed in the World Vision section. More infos here.
Screening Times: September 21, 2019 3.00pm + 7.30pm
JUne 23, 2019
We are happy to receive a SPECIAL MENTION for AGAIN at the 37th Asolo Art Film Festival (IT).
Jury Statement for Special Mention: Again
For courageously investigating a famous case, deconstructing it, and highlighting the contemporary blurring between civil courage and self-justice.
Thank you to the festival and jury and everybody involved who supported us in the making of the film, our funders, cast and crew, co-producers and sponsors.
JUne 21, 2019
The Power Plant Toronto dedicates a solo exhibition of Mario Pfeifer’s films #blacktivist (2015), Approximation (2014) and Again (2018). Mario will be in conversation with renowned Canadian visual artist Stan Douglas on June 22 at 1pm. On June 23, 2019 Mario will be holding a Masterclass at The Power Plant.
More information can be accessed here.
JUne 04, 2019
We are happy to receive a SPECIAL MENTION for AGAIN at the 14th DocEdge International Documentary Film Festival in Auckland (NZ).
Jury Statement for Special Mention: Again
We would recommend Again/Noch Einmal receive a Special Mention. The film was sophisticated in its structure and ambitious in its realisation. Again was also challenging, taking on a fraught issue preoccupying many communities and countries worldwide, one that is not black and white. In setting up its audiences as active spectators, it eschews simple empathy, rather forcing us to engage with our own ethical and political viewpoints.
Thank you to the festival and jury and everybody involved who supported us in the making of the film, our funders, cast and crew, co-producers and sponsors.
May 30, 2019
We look forward to the Italian Premiere of AGAIN in the International Competitions at the Asolo Art Film Festival in 2019. More infos here.
Screening Times
20.06.2019 – 15:30 – Sala della Ragione
22.06.2019 – 19:00 – Sala della Ragione
May 15 , 2019
Mario Pfeifer’ s new film project Zelle 5 [in development] has been awarded with the prestigious Edith-Russ-Haus Media Grant by the international jury composed of Nav Haq, Edit Molnár, Marcel Schwierin and Monika Szewczyk. The Jury states that “in Zelle 5 the death by fire of Sierra Leonean refugee Oury Jalloh presents new challenges due to the destruction of evidence. Pfeifer activates his audience as a jury while also emphasising the decisive role of media and mediation in shaping societal opinion.” We look forward to the production in early 2020.
April 30, 2019
We cordially invite you the ASIA-PACIFIC PREMIERE of AGAIN / NOCH EINMAL at the 14th edition of DOC EDGE International Film Festival in the International Medium Length Competition taking place from May 30 to June 6, 2019 in Auckland (NZ) and June 13 – 23, 2019 in Wellington (NZ). Festival infos here.
Screening Times
Saturday 1 June, 12:00 PM | Auckland | Auckland Art Gallery Auditorium
Sunday 9 June, 2:45 PM | Auckland | Loft, Q Theatre
Saturday 15 June, 4:15 PM | Wellington | The Roxy 2
Sunday 23 June, 10:30 AM | Wellington | The Roxy 2
April 23, 2019
We are happy to announce our participation at the 2019 Short Film Corner at the 72. Festival de Cannes from May 13-25, 2019. More information can be found here.
April 10, 2019
Pylon hub presents Rural Technology, a solo exhibition by Mario Pfeifer featuring the 3-channel-installation Approximation and the 2-channel installation #blacktivist. Both soundtracks were published on Vinyl and will be exhibited alongside the films. The exhibition runs from April 25 – May 18,2019. More information here.
march 11, 2019
We cordially invite you the WORLD PREMIERE of AGAIN / NOCH EINMAL at the 50th edition of Visions du Réel International Film Festival in the International Medium Length Competition the taking place from April 5 to 13, 2019 in Nyon (CH). Festival infos here.
Screening Times: April 8, 2019 – Salle Colombière – 20:45 / directly followed by an Q&A with the director. Additional Screening: April 9, 2019 – Capitole Fellini – 14:15 Uhr
We are present during the festival so get in touch if you visiting this stellar program and film market. This year’s Maître du Réel is Werner Herzog by the way. We are looking forward to his films and presence.
February 20, 2019
SCHIRN KUNSTHALLE presents DOUBLE FEATURE with Mario Pfeifer: Corpo Fechado will screen with a Q&A to follow. Selected by Mario Pfeifer and curator Johanna Laub Oscar-nominatedThe Embrace of a Serpant (D: Ciro Guerra, 2015) will be screened to complete the evening. More details here.
December 27, 2018
We are thrilled to share that the editors of artnews have selected our co-production AGAIN as one of “The Absolute Best Works of Art Around the World in 2018”. Read more here.
December 14-16, 2018
#blacktivist will be showcased the 100th anniversary edition of VideoArt at Midnight at Babylon Berlin.
November 22, 2018
Mario Pfeifer in conversation with filmmaker Thomas Heise as part of the public program of the exhibition
AGAIN – NOCH EINMAL at Kunstsammlungen Chemnitz.
October 27 – November 3, 2018
#blacktivist will be showcased at the Mumbai International Filmfestival of the Mumbai Academy of Moving Images MAMI 2018 in the program THE NEW MEDIUM III curated by Shaina Anand.
October 3 – Janurary 6, 2018
AGAIN – NOCH EINMAL is currently on view at Kunstsammlungen Chemnitz. Curated by the General Director Frédéric Bußmann the exhibition features also Pfeifer’s 9 hour long documentary About Education and Fear.
September 6, 2018
Mario Pfeifer will speak at the international conference V Seminário Internacional ARTE!Brasileiros in São Paulo / Brazil on the recently produced film Again / Noch Einmal (2018) in the framework of this year's theme "Art beyond Art".
September 4, 2018
Mario Pfeifer will present recent films at Museo de Arte in Rio de Janeiro followed by a Q&A.
More infos here.
August 2, 2018
Artist and filmmaker Mario Pfeifer talks with a number of collaborators, who have informed the research and production process of his film Again / Noch einmal (2018) within the 10th Berlin Biennale.
June 13, 2018
"Mr. Pfeifer bracingly stages an all-strings-attached re-enactment — his fictional version fuses Brechtian alienation techniques with the showmanship of trashy German talk shows — to pick at both the alleged crime and the holes in its media representation." – Jason Farago on AGAIN - NOCH EINMAL, New York Times
June 8, 2018
AGAIN – NOCH EINMAL opens at the 10th Berlin Biennale at Akademie der Künste. The 2-channel-installation will be on view in looped screenings until September 9th and can be daily visited during the regular opening hours of the institution. During the opening weekend more than 10.000 visitors were counted.
May 2018
Our current co-production AGAIN – NOCH EINMAL has been successfully shot in Berlin. Picture Lock is only a few days away while editing, compositing, scoring and color grading are under way. We look forward to a first presentation in June 2018 at the 10th Berlin Biennale. A European Broadcast Premiere is scheduled for 2019.
April 2018
Mario Pfeifer serves for the Jury of the Experimental Film Competition at the film festival Kurzsuechtig 2018 in Leipzig, Germany (April 10 -15, 2018)
November 2017
In November we set out to our first on-site research trip for our VR project: to the Altai Mountains in Western Mongolia. Stunning landscapes and a charismatic protagonist made this trip a wonderful experience in the remote territories with chilly -20°C during daytime. More news to follow soon ...
November 2017
Medienboard Berlin Brandenburg supports co-production AGAIN – NOCH EINMAL with production funds. Directed by Mario Pfeifer and co-produced by papermoon films, KOW and blackboardfilms the film is set to premiere in June 2018.
November 30 – December 20, 2017
About Education and Fear, … (2016) features at the B3 Biennial of the Moving Image – "Desire and aspiration, are two concepts that have always played a major role in fueling the history of human development. They have consistently contributed to change, both for the good as well as evil. Neither drama nor comedy, art nor culture and especially not politics nor economy—in fact not even society in general—would be imaginable without protagonists who are motivated by their aspiration, driven and even seduced by their desire.
October 2 – 4, 2017
Successful meetings at Paris' Cross Video Days – 8th edition in the Content Market. We have spend great days to pitch our project-in-development Empathy Machine to numerous broadcasters, investors, distributors and financiers. Looking forward to collaborate in the near future. Thank you Cross Video Days for the organization and facilitiation of such a fruitful market.
August 1, 2017
MDM – Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung funds the content development of our feature length interactive VR documentary Empathy Machine [WT]. We are happy to collaborate with a strong and innovative funder in our home region.
July 15, 2017
RWE – Innogy Foundation for Energy and Society awards Mario Pfeifer's project Transforming Energy – Transforming the Global Society? with the VISIT award. Pre-Production is on it's way, and shooting starts in 2018 in China, Germany and the USA.
July 10, 2017
We will present our project-in-development Empathy Machine at the 2017 edition of Paris Cross Video Days in the Content Market section. We hope to meet you in Paris! More details can be found here.
April 20,2017
Blacktivist is part of the 30th European Media Arts Festival Osnabrück. The exhibition "Push – Living in the hyper information age" is curated by Hermann Noering and Franz Reimer. April 26 - May 21, 2017. More information here.
Push messages, status and news updates, social bots and hate comments – smartphones and screens are permanently blinking and flashing. Public spaces have always been permeated by announcements, warnings and spectacles. Today, we are experiencing an increase in input pressure – after all, every one of us is a recipient, producer and sender, all rolled into one. Public opinion is characterised by constant information and disinformation. The result: differences between public and private spaces disappear, positions that were thought to be secure vanish, and populists find their way into government.
March 30, 2017
Blacktivist at GegenKINO - Festival Leipzig. The exhibition "True Politics" is curated by Sebastian Gegeler and runs April 07 – 09 , 2017. On 08 April at 7:30 pm Mario Pfeifer joins a panel discussion with Selma Doborac, Lars Koch and Angelika Bartl where they will debate about the possibilities of documentary film and art, and the responsibilities of artists with regards to information production. More information here.