BERND LÜTZELER
(*1967, Düsseldorf) studied Fine Arts and Media Art at the University of the Arts Berlin, where he completed Maria Vedder's master class in 2003. He lives and works as an artist and filmmaker between Berlin and Mumbai. His films have been shown at venues and festivals worldwide, including Centre Pompidou, Berlinale International Film Festival, Rotterdam, Ann Arbor Film Festival, Views from the Avant-Garde, Kurzfilmtage Oberhausen and many more. Bernd is an active member of the artist-run analogue filmlab LaborBerlin.
about my work
In my films, installations and expanded cinema works I often explore the techniques of moving image production and presentation in interrelation with their form and perception. Therefore, loops, found footage and the disclosure of DIY- (Jugaad) and analogue technologies have become an integral part of my work. I am an active member of the artist-run filmlab LaborBerlin e.V., a space where filmmakers can process, edit and copy their own films on 8 and 16mm celluloid film. Another strong influence in my work are the aesthetics of popular Indian culture. Over the last sixteen years I have spent a significant amount of time in Mumbai where some of my projects were produced. What fascinates me, is seeing universal global themes like urban angst, mass media or migration gaining an emphasis against the backdrop of a contemporary urban India.
portfolio
download current portfolio
works
tba Strugglers – experimental documentary, DCP (in development)
tba Revue! – found footage film, Super-8, 6 min (in production)
tba the Resurrection of God – film collage, 35mm (in production)
tba Analogue Natives – experimental documentary, 35mm & DCP (in post-production)
2023 House of Mist (WT) – film installation - 8 projectors & a fog machine (in progress)
2023 Vintage Wisdom From The Ether – experimental film, 16mm & DCP
2022 How to Build a House out of Wreckage and Rags – found footage film, Super-8, 8 min
2018 Digital Rituals in the Analogue Cloud – film performance with fog & live music, 15 Min
2018 Fultu Faltu Filim – experimental film, 35mm, 2 min
2018 _galore – experimental film, DCP
2017 Camera Threat – experimental film, double projection 35mm & DCP, 30 min
2017 A Soundfilm – found footage film, Super-8, 6 min
2016 Batagur Baska (by Guido Möbius) – music clip, Super-8, 8 min
2014 Nola’s saloN – room installation with 3 Super-8 loops and sound
2014 Traveling with Maxim Gorkiy – found footage film, Super-8, 11 min
2011 K⁰ Act 2 – multimedia theatre performance, 30 min
2011 the Voice of God – experimental film, 35mm, 10 min
2005 Rapid Eye Love – experimental film, Super-8, 4 min
2003 True Love is just Filmi – experimental video, 15 min
1998 The Suspect Usual – experimental video, 18 min
1998 Eternal Showdown – film loop for Loop-o-Rama, Super-8
1996 Schallmann – radio play, 6 min
1995-00 Loop-o-Rama – film installation, various Super-8 loops
1994 Walls Projection Project – slide installation with sound, 20 min
1993 Rauschlitanei – experimental video, 1 min loop
1992 Zeit im Bild – painted film animation, Super-8, 2 min
films in distribution
Light Cone distribution, Paris
Arsenal Distribution, Berlin
education
2001-03 Experimental Media, University of the Arts Berlin, Maria Vedder’s master class
1997 Time Based Media, University of West England, Bower Ashton College, Bristol, UK
1991-98 Experimental Media, University of the Arts Berlin, classes of Maria Vedder & Rotraut Pape
1989-91 Fine Arts, University of the Arts Berlin, class of Frank Badur
1988 Fine Arts, European Academy of Fine Arts Trier, classes of Christian Sery & Martin Assig
1987 Litho & Offset Printing at Vignold GmbH Essen, Germany
grants, residencies & commissions
2023 Spectral Residency at S.P.A.C.E. for work-in-progress film performance House of Mist
2023 Vintage Wisdom from the Ether commissioned by IULMIA for A Century of 16mm
2022 Special Grants Program from Stiftung Kulturfonds – part of Neustart Kultur for Revue!
2021 Initial – Special Grants Program from Akademie der Künste Berlin for Analogue Natives
2020 Special Grants Program from Berlin Senate Department for Culture and Europe
2017 Crossing Borders – research grant from Robert Bosch Stiftung for Strugglers
2017 Research Stipend from the Federal State of Berlin for Strugglers
2017 bangaloREsidency at Goethe-Institut Bangalore in collaboration with Experimenta & Srishti
2015 Film Grant from Federal Government Commissioner for Culture & Media for Camera Threat
2011 Grant Program for the 50th Anniversary of Max Mueller Bhavan in India for K⁰
awards
2022 Best German Film – Himachal Short Film Festival, Manali, India for How to Build a House ...
2022 Best Experimental – Screener Short Films, London for How to Build a House ...
2018 Best Int. Short Documentary – FIC Monterrey International Film Festival, Mexico for _galore
2018 First Prize – Horn Festival for Experimental Films, Jerusalem, Israel for Camera Threat
2018 Kodak Cinematic Vision Award – Ann Arbor Film Festival, USA for Camera Threat
2018 Honorable Mention – Big Muddy Film Festival, USA for Camera Threat
2017 Honourable Mention – Indian Film Festival Stuttgart, Germany for Camera Threat
2016 Second Prize – Swedenborg Film Festival London, UK for Batagur Baska
2016 Nominated at NeMaf Festival Seoul, Korea with Traveling with Maxim Gorkiy
2016 Silver Award for Best Foreign Promo Clip – PromaxBDA London, UK for Tarantino-Trailer
2015 Best Documentary – Landshut Shortfilm Festival, Germany for Traveling with Maxim Gorkiy
2014 Special Mention – Filmzeit Kaufbeuren, Germany for the Voice of God
2013 Third Prize – 20minmax Filmfestival Ingolstadt, Germany for the Voice of God
2013 Special Mention – Skepto International Film Festival, Italy for the Voice of God
2013 Special Mention – Rencontres Cinématographiques de Cerbère, France for the Voice of God
2012 Gold Remi Award – WorldFest Houston, USA forthe Voice of God
2012 First Prize – Black Maria Film & Video Festival, USA for the Voice of God
2008 International Eyes & Ears Trailer Festival Munich, Germany for FilmFilm Trailer
2003 Hans-W.-Geissendoerfer-Newcomer-Award Germany for True Love is just Filmi
1993 Second Prize – Contest Youth & Video Potsdam, Germany for Rauschlitanei
selected press
2020 Günther Michels about the group exhibition Auslöser on Vagabundler
2017 Matt Turner about Camera Threat on MUBI Notebook
2017 Priyanka Sacheti about _galore on sbcltr
2017 Tanul Thakur about Camera Threat on TheWire
2016 Philip Widmann about the Voice of God for Image Forum Festival, Japan
2016 Alejandro Bachmann über Unterwegs mit Maxim Gorkiy bei aufsmaulsuppe
2015 Philip Widmann about Traveling with Maxim Gorkiy for Arkipel Festival Jakarta, Indonesia
2012 Arnaud Hée about the Voice of God on Critikat
2011 Divashri Sinha about K⁰ in Mumbai Mirror
2011 Domitila Radharane about the Voice of God on Janela Crítica
2011 Jury-Begründung der FBW für the Voice of God
teaching
Video Introduction at Faculty Art Therapy / Berlin Weissensee School of Art 2021
16mm Camera & Hand Processing at LaborBerlin e.V. 2019
From Shoot To Finish - Advanced 16mm Filmmaking Workshop at Harkat Studios Mumbai, India 2018
Experimental 16mm Lab at Srishti Institute of Art, Design & Technology, Bangalore, India 2017
commissioned works
in the fields editing, photography, projection & production for artists, musicians & filmmakers & institutions: Jeanno Gaussi, Ashim Ahluwalia, Klaus Lutz, Corinna Schnitt, Alla Kovgan, Guido Möbius, Distruktur, Experimenta India, Shumona Goel, Asteris Kutulas, Kolja Kunt, Susanne Gupta, Zarah Ziadi, Amirali Navaee, Sujatro Ghosh, Susanna Brenner, Angela Lamprianidou, Sadashivam Rao, Clara Bausch, Philip Widmann, Sharmistha Saha, Juliane Zelwies, Douglas Wolfsperger, Sophie-Therese Trenka-Dalton, Melina Pafundi, Lenard Giller, Claudio Caldini
curator
Out of Focus LaborBerlin – Center of the Universe, film talk at Sinema Transtopia, Berlin 2020
NoMasala - Traveling Indian Short Films, short film program with screenings in many German & European cities 2004-11 (also founder): Stuttgart, Frankfurt, Berlin, Leipzig, Jena, Hamburg, Würzburg, Munich, Cologne, Prague, Berne & Paris
freelance editor, photographer, projectionist & producer
for SAT.1, ProSiebenSat.1 Produktion, Finecut Media, Bavaria Film, Deutsche Fernsehwerke, 27 Films, Gebrueder Beetz Filmproduktion, Monomango, die Paten, Diesel & Dünger, Sense Music & Media, the Screeners, K.C. Mahindra Education Trust, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Future East Film, TWT Berlin, Viacom, Volksbühne Berlin, UFA Serial Drama, achtung panda!, Verein Berliner Künstler, Fracto Experimental Film Encounter, Experimenta India, Breuerfilm Berlin, ZDFneo & others
festival jury
Bengaluru International Short Film Festival, India 2017
Indian Filmfestival Stuttgart, Germany 2017