ABSTRACT
In the case of Thomas Stellmach and Maja Oschmann’s filmic tribute to Louis Spohr’s Virtuos Virtuell, a level of visual sophistication was required, not to give it a superficial glossiness, but to treat its subject with respect and fully immerse the audience into its illusory world. With over 25 streams of financial support in total, Thomas could determine in hindsight that approximately half of the film’s budget had been covered. Thus began a snowball effect that saw the film being selected for a number of high-profile festivals, such as Annecy. In contemplation of the film being awarded right out of the gate, the question has at times played on Aidan McAteer’s mind whether things would have ever been able to pan out the same way but in a different order. Depending on animator’s territory, there may also be short film distributors and sales agents that actively solicit precisely the type of independent short they have made.
