In order to establish a continuous stocktaking of developments in the field of new media the backup_festival was founded by students of the Baushaus University in 1999. The main purpose was to forge links between the traditional medium film and the digital new media. Finally, students, university lecturers and professors gathered to establish a platform for young committed creative people, film makers and media designers and to found the backup_festival.
After 10th anniversary of the festival and under the direction of Juliane Fuchs, backup looks back on a moving, eventful history of its own.

1999

Within the scope of Netzwerk Film e. V. a few students of the faculties of media and design of the Bauhaus Universität are founding the backup_festival. These are Marc Olff, Daniel Wagner, Michael Falk, Ralf Chille, Karina Dathe, Susanne Kern, Iris-Katrin Schulz and Juliane Fuchs.
The outcome is a short film festival for cinematic works and video productions which especially evolve from the use of new media and from the context of everyday and club culture. The agenda is to take stock of the most recent developments in media, yearly. Adequately, one decides not to hold on to a rigid programme but only to a rather loose and flexible agenda.
Finally, the decision is made to call the event “backup_festival. neue medien im film” (“backup_festival. new media in film”). On the one hand, the name backup represents a powerfull appearance from the background. On the other hand, backup is meant literally as a support and patronage of the upcoming generation of film makers.
In its first year, already more than 200 entries from diverse countries are submitted. Backup.award, backup.closeup and backup.forum are becoming long-term subjects of the festival programme.
After being tightly tied to the Bauhaus University during the first years, the festival is becoming more independent in time only loosely collaborating with the university.

2000

The backup.lounge|lab is becoming one essential item of the programme. It concerns an exhibition for medial works that cannot be presented on canvas or on screen but only within space. Here, the aim is also should encourage exchange between artists and the public.

2001

Again, there’s a new item on the programme. In cooperation with the festival team, Richard Anjou introduces the »backup.clipaward«, a contest for the best experimental music video. The whole thing is hosted by Simon Gosejohann, formerly employed at the German TV station Viva.

2002

The organizers of the festival realize that the so called „new media“ are not new anymore and that it has been replaced by other media, meanwhile. Apart from this realization, the topics globalization, the unification of the European Communities and their effects on the media scene stimulate new discussions and and change the frame of the festival.
Another innovation of that year is a cooperation of the media faculty with the the faculties of architecture and design of the Bauhaus University whose students are decorating the interior and outside design of the festival area. In the fields of marketing, production and PR there is a cooperation with students from the conservatory Franz Liszt. Furthermore, there is a change of the location of the festival from the Mon Ami and Neu Deli at Goetheplatz to the old streetcar warehouse (altes Straßenbahndepot) of Weimar at the Kirschberg.
Meanwhile, the number of entries tripled up to 700 entries from 42 nations.

2003

The backup_festival is becoming a member of various national and international associations: European Coordination of Filmfestivals, the German Short Film Association AG Kurzfilm, the Regional Working Committee for Socio Culture of Thuringia and the Pressure Group for Film Communication of Thuringia. The festival is awarded with the „Zukunftspreis Jugendkultur“ by the PWC foundation.
Furthermore, the year is marked by international cooperation. Partnerships with festivals in Brasil, Sofia/ Bulgaria, Gdansk/ Polen, St. Petersburg/ Russia und London/ UK start to develope. The backup records 1100 entries from 44 countries.

2004

Marc Olff, longstanding head and programme supervisor of the backup_festival is leaving the board. For the first time, there is a preselecting committee which only consists of students from the Bauhaus University.
That year, backup broadens its frame by organizing events out of festival time. Themed „backup präsentiert…”, other film festivals and film projects are presented. Again, a new contest, the "1st International Videoreproting Award” is introduced. It deals with documentary short films and televised reports by singly working authors. It is important that corresponding to the job profile of video reporters all steps of production from research till cutting are done by one’s own account. Finally, in coorporation with the initiatives from Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia backup is starting a patronage to support the upcoming generation of central german filmmakers.

2005

The whole teamwork and design is done by students again. That year, low-tech and low-budget solutions were at stake. The question was, how to deal creatively with cinematic material only by the use of simple methods and devices.
There are two new spezial contests only taking place that year: on the one hand, backup.plaintext, a competition for film-theoretical essays concerning the present-day avent-garde. On the other hand, backup.retro concerning a selection of films by the early avant-garde of the 1920s and 1930s.
Another highlight in the history of the festival is the bestowal of the Werkleitz Award to the amount of 2 000 €. Every year, this award is confered by the Werkleitz Society in cooperation with varying film festivals. Furthermore, there is the bestowal of the “2nd International Video Reporting Award”. In this field, there is a close cooperation with the Kassler Dokumentar- und Videofest. There are 800 entries from 35 different countries.

2006

Again, the focus of the festival is on ideas for creative low budget solutions and the motto “back to the roots”. For the first time, planning and organizing the festival is on offer as a university course under the direction of Juliane Fuchs, co-founder of the festival. On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the media faculty of the Bauhaus University, backup presents a film selection themed best of Bauhaus from 10 years history of Weimar short films. That year, backup.lounge|lab is taking place for the seventh and also the last time. In the frame of backup.forum not only films from Barsil, Eastern Europe and France are presented but also for the first time films from China. With more than 1100 entries from 38 different countries the festival again could pick up the thread of former year’s successes. Meanwhile, the number of visitors has risen up to 3500.

2007

The year 2007 is marked by an essential refocusing and restructuring. The motto “new media in film” is considered to be outdated and antiquated, finally. Instead, the festival puts its focus on establishing ports between the most different media and techniques.
The point is to accomplish diverse formats and to define these in terms of hybrids, crossbreeds, medleys and potpourris.
The backup.(non)commercial. Award is a new item in the festival programme. From an artistic perspective, it deals with commercials which in this context are regarded as an independent cinematic format. Another two special items of the year’s programme are backup.market, initiiating a platform for professionals and the public to meet and backup.transcript – writing the city. The latter one dealing with the concept of the Cinematic City which with its plethora of pictures not only defines the physical but also the social constitution of a city.

2008

The backup_festival is taking place on a new date: the early summer in Weimar offers the opportunity to celebrate the festival as an exciting and big open air event.
On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the festival backup is looking back on its history, letting apprecialbe moments and memorable highlights pass by. Fifteen selected cinematic works that represent the festival in a special way are presented under the motto best of backup. Simultaneously, various items should help lending variety to the festival and making it more interesting.
In dependence on the style of backup.market the item backup.salon is taking place for the first time. Akin to backup.market it tries to create a port between experts from the media and the audience.
Within the framework of backup.at.home the festival is partially shifted to a rather private context of flat sharing communities and student’s accomodations where artists and guests of former years found shelter for the time of the festival. As a result, visitors of the festival should get the opportunity to acquiant the city Weimar and to get a closer view to the more intimate side of the festival.
Especially that year backup.open-screening is taking place. Here, students of the Bauhaus University Weimar have the possibility to submit their cinematic works at the last minute whereof a selection is presented at the festival. In a second round of the open-screening former winners, participants and members of the jury may present their work (again) in the frame of the festival. Finally, the number of that year’s entries amounts to 700.

2009

After its 10th anniversary the backup_festival 2009 faces new challenges.
One innovation is the festivals affiliation to the Bauhaus Institute of Film (BFI). The BFI focuses on artistic, scientific and economic problems in both practical and theoretical approaches to filmmaking, so that the backup_festival can raise its profile and be aligned more clearly.
With the announcement of the backup.premiere.award, backup 2009 firstly opens up for international debut films running up to 60 minutes. Through this competition and the directed expansion of our partnerships with broadcasters, the 11th backup_festival takes an important step towards sustainable support of young talents.
This year, the centre of backup.salon are interactive formats. Watching and creating television via the Internet are an important part of the future prospects of TV consumption.
Easy handling and affordable technology open up a growing audience for IP TV and interactive television; in the production new design concepts are given more space. backup.salon 2009 brings together creators of unique programme concepts, the heads behind successful business ideas and visionary thinkers who devise new possibilities of this growing field, and lets them have a say.