Hans W. Geissendoerfer's Snowland(Schneeland) receives its world premiere today as the opening film of thisyear's Max Ophuels Prize Film festival in Saarbruecken (January 17-23) ahead ofthe drama's German theatrical release by Kinowelt on January 20 and theinternational premiere at the Sundance Film Festival.

The dramatic love story,which stars Maria Schrader (Rosenstrasse), Julia Jentsch (TheEdukators), Thomas Kretschmann (The Pianist) and Ulrich Muehe (FunnyGames), will be presented 'out of competition'.

The festival's competitiveshowcase of 15 up-and-coming German-speaking filmmakers will feature elevenfilms from Germany, one from Switzerland, one from Austria, and twoGerman-Austrian co-productions, including world premieres of new productions byBuket Alakus (Eine Andere Liga), Esther Gronenborn (Adil Geht),Robert Thalheim (Netto), Michael Grimm (Kuess Mich Prinzessin)and Till Endemann (Das Laecheln der Tiefseefische).