Steinerei

Steinerei is an annual German-language brickfilming festival and competition. It was started by Mathias Mertens who ran it from 2005 to 2010, and has since been run by a different volunteer each year.

History
The creation of Steinerei was inspired by a thread posted to BrickBoard by Maximilian "Brickfilmer_Mario" Rajczyk on August 30, 2004. He asked if there were any German brickfilming competitions or festivals, which there were not at the time, and this question soon inspired Mathias Mertens. Although he had only been brickfilming for three weeks at his initial time of responding, Mertens had eight years experience organising cultural events and was also well connected in the media. He began making plans for a real-life brickfilming festival to occur in Germany, and by the beginning of 2005 announced that this event would be taking place within the year.

Mertens formally announced "The First German Brickfilm-Festival" on January 10, 2005, and was using the name Steinerei by February. The first Steinerei occurred in May 2005, and Mertens would continue to run the festival annually until 2010.

(Mert stepping down info)

Steinerei 2005
Steinerei 2005, the first Steinerei, was held on the 28th of May in Giessen. Films were grouped into those running less than 4 minutes and those running over 4 minutes. They were judged by a jury and by the audience in the categories of Best Film and Most Promising Director. The jury consisted of Michael Althen, Karin Wehn and Sven Stillich. Films did not have to be made especially for the festival. 13 were submitted.

Results
Best Film:
 * Jury Choice: The Job by Cornelius Koch and Theodor Becker
 * Audience Choice: Totentanz by Steffen Troeger and Andreas Mooslechner

Most Promising Director:
 * Jury Choice: Dirk Boettcher (for Teahouse Trouble)
 * Audience Choice: Stefan Prisack (for Paradise)

List of all films entered:

Steinerei 2006
Steinerei 2006 took place on May 13 in Hannover. It was the first Steinerei to incorporate a theme, Literaturverfilmung ("Literary Adaptation"). 14 films were submitted to the festival. The awards were simplified from Steinerei 2005, being reduced to one award for Jury Choice and Audience Choice. The jury consisted of Hansi Jochmann, Christian Stoecker and Tobias O. Meißner.

Results
Jury Choice:
 * The Fisherman and his Wife by Mirko Horstmann

Audience Choice:
 * The Fisherman and his Wife by Mirko Horstmann

List of all entries:

Steinerei 2007
Steinerei 2007 was again held in Hannover on May 19. The theme was Geflügelte Worte (literally "Winged Words", similar to "Words of Wisdom"). This was inspired by the Words of Wisdom Contest held on Brickfilms.com, and several films made for this contest were used as examples of the theme. The jury consisted of Christoph Drösser, Stefan Niggemeier and Volker Wortmann. 19 films were submitted to the festival.

Results
Jury Choice:
 * 1) The Artist by Mirko Horstmann
 * 2) Haschisch Kakalake by Nichtgedreht
 * 3) Stone-Time by Mario Baumgartner
 * Special Mention: Das Wort by Manuel Wolff

Audience Choice:
 * 1) Haschisch Kakalake by Nichtgedreht
 * 2) Stone-Time by Mario Baumgartner
 * 3) Tied:
 * What If...? by Holger Imig
 * Schatzsuche in Mormala by students of the Youth Culture Workshop Xanten

List of all entries: Films marked with * were only in the Audience Prize competition.

Steinerei 2008
Steinerei 2008 was held on the 12th of July in Hildesheim. The theme was Remake, and a variety of different interpretations of this theme were permitted. The jury consisted of Christina Schindler, Michael Stepper and Florian Plag. 15 films were submitted.

Results
Jury Choice:
 * Remake by Mirko Horstmann

Audience Choice:
 * Weltraffer by Nichtgedreht

Brickfilmer Choice:
 * Weltraffer by Nichtgedreht

List of all entries: Films marked with * were only in the Audience Prize competition.

Results
Jury Choice:
 * 1) Der Fünfte - Michael Wolling and Max Zachner
 * 2) 5 Wochen Schnee - Mario Baumgartner
 * 3) Der Sündenhamster und die Fünf Kontinente - Nichtgedreht and Cornelius Koch

Audience Choice:
 * Der Fünfte - Michael Wolling and Max Zachner

Brickfilmer Choice:
 * 1) Alles ist die Noppe - Nichtgedreht
 * 2) Der Fünfte - Michael Wolling and Max Zachner
 * 3) Mimus - Steffen Troeger and Sandra Abele

Additionally, the once-off "Prize for Lifetime Achievement" was created to be awarded to Austrian brickfilmer Oliver Berger, after he travelled more than 750 kilometres to attend the festival.

List of all entries: Films marked with * were only in the Audience Prize competition.

Results
Jury Choice:
 * 1) Alpenglow - Dirk Boettcher
 * 2) Was Siehst Du? - Michael Wolling and Max Zachner
 * 3) Objektivation - Cornelius Koch, Sebastian Ladwig, Julian Mitz and Jan-Felix Wuttig

Audience Choice:
 * 1) Was Siehst Du? - Michael Wolling and Max Zachner
 * 2) Herr Schmitzke und das Glück - Nichtgedreht
 * 3) Alpenglow - Dirk Boettcher

Brickfilmer Choice:
 * 1) Zombie Bank - Steffen Troeger and Nichtgedreht
 * 2) Was Siehst Du? - Michael Wolling and Max Zachner
 * 3) Tied:
 * Trautes Heim, Glück Allein - Anna Benz
 * Auf der Suche nach Glück - Mario Baumgartner

List of all entries:

Results
Jury Choice:
 * 1) The Librarian - "Legoander"
 * 2) The Chameleon - Michael Wolling and Max Zachner
 * 3) Brickcity Bright Lights - Dirk Boettcher

Audience Choice:
 * 1) The Chameleon - Michael Wolling and Max Zachner
 * 2) Brickcity Bright Lights - Dirk Boettcher
 * 3) Eiskalt - Markus Engel

Brickfilmer Choice:
 * 1) The Chameleon - Michael Wolling and Max Zachner
 * 2) Brickcity Bright Lights - Dirk Boettcher
 * 3) The Librarian - "Legoander"

Results
Jury Choice:
 * 1) A Future for All - "Legoander"
 * 2) Perfect? - Alexander and Thomas Leitner & Andreas and Michael Bitzan
 * 3) Calculated Risk - Markus Engel

Audience Choice:
 * 1) Perfect? - Alexander and Thomas Leitner & Andreas and Michael Bitzan
 * 2) Wer Lenkt Dich? - "ZweiStein"
 * 3) A Future for All - "Legoander"

Brickfilmer Choice:
 * 1) A Future for All - "Legoander"
 * 2) Calculated Risk - Markus Engel
 * 3) Wer Lenkt Dich? - "ZweiStein"

Results
Jury Choice:
 * 1) Day of the Sun - Nichtgedreht
 * 2) Realität? - "ZweiStein"
 * 3) Meier - Mario Baumgartner and Steffen Troeger

Audience Choice:
 * 1) (K)night Times - Alexander and Thomas Leitner & Andreas and Michael Bitzan
 * 2) Day of the Sun - Nichtgedreht
 * 3) Der Knusperverstärker - Dirk Boettcher

Brickfilmer Choice:
 * 1) (K)night Times - Alexander and Thomas Leitner & Andreas and Michael Bitzan
 * 2) Gewissenskauf - Markus Engel
 * 3) Der Knusperverstärker - Dirk Boettcher

Steinerei 2014
Stenerei 2014 was held on the 31st of May in Dortmund. It was run by Nichtgedreht. The theme was Zeit ("Time").

Results
Jury Choice:
 * 1) Time for $ale - Alexander and Thomas Leitner & Andreas and Michael Bitzan
 * 2) Immortal - Markus Engel and Dominik G.
 * 3) Infinite - Steffen Troeger

Audience Choice:
 * 1) Time for $ale - Alexander and Thomas Leitner & Andreas and Michael Bitzan
 * 2) Infinite - Steffen Troeger
 * 3) Immortal - Markus Engel and Dominik G.

Brickfilmer Choice:
 * 1) Immortal - Markus Engel and Dominik G.
 * 2) Time for $ale - Alexander and Thomas Leitner & Andreas and Michael Bitzan
 * 3) Infinite - Steffen Troeger

Steinerei 2015
Steinerei 2015 was held on May 24 in Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, Austria, by Alexander Leitner and Thomas Leitner and Andreas Bitzan and Michael Bitzan. This marked the first time a Steinerei had been held outside Germany. The theme was Licht und Schatten ("Light and Shadow").

Results
Jury Choice:
 * 1) A Sunny Job - Dirk Boettcher
 * 2) Ich bin ein Wrapper - Stefan Müller
 * 3) Paragraph - Steffen Troeger and Nichtgedreht

Audience Choice:
 * 1) A Sunny Job - Dirk Boettcher
 * 2) Paragraph - Steffen Troeger and Nichtgedreht
 * 3) Ich bin ein Wrapper - Stefan Müller

Brickfilmer Choice:
 * 1) Beyond - Markus Engel and Dominik G.
 * 2) Die Wand - "Twenty-one"
 * 3) A Sunny Job - Dirk Boettcher

Steinerei 2016
Steinerei 2016 was hosted by Steffen Troeger in Stuttgart, Germany on the 4th of June. The theme was Absurd.

Results
Major Categories:

Jury Prize:
 * 1) Die Story meines Lebens - Dirk Boettcher
 * 2) ''Deine Mudder - "Die Vetternwirtschaft"
 * 3) Seleukia – Stop-Motion AG Edith-Stein-Schule Erfurt

Brickfilmer Prize:
 * 1) Endangered - Alexander Leitner and Thomas Leitner and Andreas Bitzan and Michael Bitzan
 * 2) Reformationstag - Piet Wenzel
 * 3) Die Story meines Lebens - Dirk Boettcher

Audience Prize:
 * 1) Endangered - Alexander Leitner and Thomas Leitner and Andreas Bitzan and Michael Bitzan
 * 2) Reunion - Markus Engel and Dominik G.
 * 3) Guten Abend - "Paradise Bricks"

Minor Categories:

Best Set Design:
 * Nachtschicht - Stefan Müller
 * Reformationstag - Piet Wenzel
 * Reunion - Markus Engel and Dominik G.

Best "Synchro":
 * Die Story meines Lebens - Dirk Boettcher
 * FÄT - nichtgedreht and Cornelius Koch
 * Reunion - Markus Engel and Dominik G.

Best Animation:
 * Endangered - Alexander Leitner and Thomas Leitner and Andreas Bitzan and Michael Bitzan
 * Dr A.B. Surd - "LordBricky"
 * FÄT - nichtgedreht and Cornelius Koch

Best Screenplay: ​ Best Implementation of the 5-Minute Rule:
 * Reunion - Markus Engel and Dominik G.
 * Die Story meines Lebens - Dirk Boettcher
 * Endangered - Alexander Leitner and Thomas Leitner and Andreas Bitzan and Michael Bitzan
 * ''Deine Mudder - "Die Vetternwirtschaft"
 * Endangered - Alexander Leitner and Thomas Leitner and Andreas Bitzan and Michael Bitzan
 * Reformationstag - Piet Wenzel

Steinerei 2017
Steinerei 2017 will be hosted by Stefan Müller in Kaiserslautern on May 27. The theme will be Es war einmal... ("Once upon a time...").