A new sponsor at the Michel- Kinder und JugendFilmfest Hamburg
The Zieglerfilm Köln GmbH funds and hands out the Michel Award this year at the
8th Michel Kinder- und JugendFilmfest of Filmfest Hamburg 2010. The award includes prize money of 5000 euros. About eight productions for children and teenagers from six to sixteen are screened on nine days. The best film is selected by a children's jury and receives an award.

“Children are not only tomorrow's audience, but also today's and we want to offer them high-quality films,” states Elke Ried, manager of Zieglerfilm Köln. “Therefore our involvement perfectly fits the small but mighty Kinder- und JugendFilmfest in Hamburg.”

Elke Ried knows this field very well. During the 90s she was, among other professions, manager of the trust “Goldener Spatz“ in Gera and TV-advisor for UNICEF. As a trustee Elke Ried also advises the Förderverein Deutscher Kinderfilm.

Zieglerfilm Köln made their mark on this industry not only with series and feature films but also with family films and fairy tale films. The production “Puss in Boots” was nominated for the Grimme Award in 2010. The next fairy tale film “The Master Thief” was shot this year.

© André Poling

The patronage for this year's Michel Kinder und JugendFilmfest is shared: award-winning actor Kai Wiesinger along with his wife and colleague Chantal de Freitas. "Social commitment for children and teenagers such as Dunkelziffer e.V. is only natural for me," Kai Wiesinger says. "Thus I am delighted all the more that as actors we can support the Michel Kinder- & JugendFilmfest together."

His wife who he has been married to since 1989 and with whom he has two children - agrees with him: "To develop their imagination, children do not only need good books but good movies as well. That's exactly what is provided by the Michel Kinder- und JugendFilmfest in Hamburg."

Kai Wiesinger is among the actors that prove themselves in a wide variety of genres. In his role as the action hero in the RTL production "Die Jagd der heiligen Lanze" he is as convincing as he is playing the king in "Puss in Boots" (Zieglerfilm Köln). Chantal de Freitas is very versatile as well. For the 25th anniversary of the children's book series Bibi Blocksberg she wrote and sang the song "Hexerei". And her first solo album with the title "Independence" has just been released.

The 8th Michel Kinder- und JugendFilmfest takes place from the 1st until the 9th of October in the CinemaxX Dammtor.