Every year, drone filmmakers and photographers from all over the world are invited to submit their works in various categories at the Siena Drone Photo Awards. In 2020 there was for the first time – and hopefully only once – the category “Living under Covid-19”. Among the submissions from metropolitan Poland such as New York, Sydney, Cape Town, Moscow, Lima, Rome and many more, 13 works from almost 350 entries in this category received international awards.

The Frankfurt drone filmmaker and photographer Thomas Gessner received an award from an international jury for his Frankfurt film “SILENCE” – his works can be viewed at www.thomasgessner.net.

Thomas Gessner’s photos were taken in April 2020 and illustrate the deserted hotspots of the European metropolis during the lock down. Equipped with special permits from the Frankfurt Police and the Darmstadt Regional Council, Thomas Gessner drove across the city to launch his drone at locations such as the trade fair, the main train station and the city center.

The film unfolds its effect through an unconventional soundtrack and text overlays, which make the entire work appear melancholy and fascinating. A unique contemporary document of our city, which will hopefully remain unique.

The worldwide selection of the 13 award-winning videos in the category can be found here:
https://droneawards.photo/gallery/2020/video/1

The submission by Thomas Gessner can be found here:
www.thomasgessner.net/post/raumfluege-durch-die-stille

Thomas Gessner is a cooperation partner and editor here at SKYLINE ATLAS. His recordings are shared here on the websites and on social media. He works as a drone filmmaker & photographer for architects, project developers and institutions.

Inquiries about this or about drone recordings in Frankfurt or the Rhine-Main region can be sent to media.services@skylineatlas.de.