Festival co-director and founding member of the Visual Effects Society Tom Atkin (left) and Rolf Kraemer (right), the festival’s co-coordinator, congratulate eDIT | VES Festival Honoree, editor Tom Rolf. The success of this year’s festival

eDIT traditionally focuses on the moving image in the digital age -- and on the various ways the production and distribution of these images is being transformed by the evolution of digital technology. From Sept. 26-28, 2004, film and visual effects were the talk of the town in Frankfurt, Germany.

Dawn of the Dead
The seventh eDIT | VES, the “European Festival for Production and Visual Effects,” just closed its doors and it seems that there is a light at the end of the tunnel for the German vfx scene. The industry there had been hit hard by the bankruptcy of Leo Kirch and the worldwide economic aftermath of the events following 9/11. Indeed, one could even sense an upward trend among the visitors. It seems as if there are more jobs available, at least post houses are hiring interns again. “German companies are looking for competition and comparison to Americans,” says Rolf Kraemer, the festival’s co-coordinator. “If I can see eDIT | VES Festivals as some sort of indicator for an upwards trend in Germany, then I would say there is one absolutely. We had more attendees, more sponsors and more media attention since the last few years. My impression was always that if the industrial sector is suffering, so do we. Instead of a very high profile program in the last two years, the number of visitors was remaining static. This year we had significantly more visitors from all over the world.”

Featuring distinguished lecturers from both Europe and Hollywood, the festival enjoys a reputation that has grown steadily over the past years. “We are very pleased that we were able to exceed last year's result, with almost 1,700 visitors attending this year," said congress director Sebastian Popp. "Most likely, the positive trend is partly due to the upturn in the economy -- after several tough years, the industry is now more optimistic about the future. But it also has to do with the fact that eDIT | VES is now perceived as the most important European forum for digital film production. No other event offers visitors a three-day program of comparable breadth or depth. Then there are the accompanying programs such as eDIT: eDucation and eDIT: Screenings that are explicitly aimed at interested lay audiences rather than film professionals. Thus eDIT | VES is truly a festival that offers a wider public the opportunity to experience a touch of Hollywood glamour in the heart of Frankfurt."

The festival's new patron, state minister Udo Corts, expressed great satisfaction with the seventh eDIT | VES. “The event is a gain for both the Rhine-Main region and for the international film industry. It is the best proof that we have a lively community of highly-skilled digital professionals that can hold its own against the international competition and puts our city in center focus within the international film industry network.”

“Seven years ago we were not sure if a festival like eDIT would work out for good in the Rhine-Main region or in Germany generally speaking,” explains Kraemer. “Since three years, however, we have found a strong partner in the Visual Effects Society (VES), which does not only allow us to gain more respect in Europe, but also established a transatlantic bridge” -- and Frankfurt moves a step forward in direction to Hollywood.