Jenni Zylka, the former director of the Berlinale’s discontinued Perspektive Deutsches Kino section, has taken on a new role to discover films by up -and- coming German filmmakers, working closely with the country’s film schools.
The €5,000 Heiner Carow Prize, sponsored by Germany’s Defa Foundation will now be awarded to a first or second German feature screening throughout the festival, either Competition, Berlinale Special, Encounters, Panorama, Generation, Forum or Forum Expanded.
The prize had been awarded to a German film screening in the Panorama until 2019. Since then (excluding the online year of 2021) the winners have been selected from...
The €5,000 Heiner Carow Prize, sponsored by Germany’s Defa Foundation will now be awarded to a first or second German feature screening throughout the festival, either Competition, Berlinale Special, Encounters, Panorama, Generation, Forum or Forum Expanded.
The prize had been awarded to a German film screening in the Panorama until 2019. Since then (excluding the online year of 2021) the winners have been selected from...
- 10/6/2023
- by Martin Blaney
- ScreenDaily
The Perspektive Deutsches Kino sidebar screens films from rising German filmmakers.
The Berlinale has come under fire from the 160 members of the German Association of Municipal and Cultural Cinemas (Bundesverband kommunale Filmarbeit/BkF) for its decision to discontinue the sidebar Perspektive Deutsches Kino which had been showcasing up-and-coming local filmmaking talents at the festival since 2002.
The BkF - whose members includes the German Film Museum in Frankfurt, Berlin’s Arsenal Kino, Cottbus’ Obenkino, Saarbrücken’s Kino Achteinhalb, Cologne’s Filmforum and Leipzig’s Cinémathéque - issued. a statement this week that said dropping this section would “not only be a...
The Berlinale has come under fire from the 160 members of the German Association of Municipal and Cultural Cinemas (Bundesverband kommunale Filmarbeit/BkF) for its decision to discontinue the sidebar Perspektive Deutsches Kino which had been showcasing up-and-coming local filmmaking talents at the festival since 2002.
The BkF - whose members includes the German Film Museum in Frankfurt, Berlin’s Arsenal Kino, Cottbus’ Obenkino, Saarbrücken’s Kino Achteinhalb, Cologne’s Filmforum and Leipzig’s Cinémathéque - issued. a statement this week that said dropping this section would “not only be a...
- 7/28/2023
- by Martin Blaney
- ScreenDaily
As Paramount+ prepares for its splashy, star-studded U.K. and Ireland launch in London on Monday, Paramount’s president and CEO of streaming Tom Ryan spoke to Variety about the rebranded company’s global streaming biz expansion that, besides being powered by original content, stands out in the field for its diversified model.
This model involves a mix of platforms and partnerships, combining direct-to-consumer and a la carte offerings with a market-by-market approach. The two main prongs that distinguish Paramount’s streaming offer are the combination of the fast-growing Paramount+ premium offer and its free, ad-supported streaming service Pluto TV, which Ryan founded.
The global rollout will see Paramount+ launch in 2023 in India in partnership with Viacom18, which recently scored streaming rights to the Indian Premier League cricket tournament previously held by Disney+. In its first Asia launch, Paramount+ debuted last week in South Korea as a free-of-charge addition to the Cj Enm-controlled TVing platform.
This model involves a mix of platforms and partnerships, combining direct-to-consumer and a la carte offerings with a market-by-market approach. The two main prongs that distinguish Paramount’s streaming offer are the combination of the fast-growing Paramount+ premium offer and its free, ad-supported streaming service Pluto TV, which Ryan founded.
The global rollout will see Paramount+ launch in 2023 in India in partnership with Viacom18, which recently scored streaming rights to the Indian Premier League cricket tournament previously held by Disney+. In its first Asia launch, Paramount+ debuted last week in South Korea as a free-of-charge addition to the Cj Enm-controlled TVing platform.
- 6/20/2022
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
The annual budget for German Motion Picture Fund is set to rise from €50m to €75m.
The boom in series production in Germany has prompted a 50% hike in the annual budget for the German Motion Picture Fund (Gmpf) which supports the production of high-end TV and VoD series and films, to €75m.
Claudia Roth, the new state minister for culture and media under nely-elected federal chancellor Olaf Scholz, announced the Gmpf’s annual budget is set to rise from €50m to €75m as part of a proposed overall 10% increase in the federal government’s budget for arts and media for...
The boom in series production in Germany has prompted a 50% hike in the annual budget for the German Motion Picture Fund (Gmpf) which supports the production of high-end TV and VoD series and films, to €75m.
Claudia Roth, the new state minister for culture and media under nely-elected federal chancellor Olaf Scholz, announced the Gmpf’s annual budget is set to rise from €50m to €75m as part of a proposed overall 10% increase in the federal government’s budget for arts and media for...
- 3/18/2022
- by Martin Blaney
- ScreenDaily
The annual budget for German Motion Picture Fund is set to rise from €50m to €75m.
The current boom in series production in Germany has prompted a 50% hike in the annual budget for the German Motion Picture Fund (Gmpf) which supports the production of high-end TV and VoD series and films.
Claudia Roth, the new State Minister for Culture and Media under Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz, announced that the Gmpf’s annual budget is set to rise from €50m to €75m as part of a proposed overall 10% increase in the federal government’s budget for arts and media for 2022.
Notification...
The current boom in series production in Germany has prompted a 50% hike in the annual budget for the German Motion Picture Fund (Gmpf) which supports the production of high-end TV and VoD series and films.
Claudia Roth, the new State Minister for Culture and Media under Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz, announced that the Gmpf’s annual budget is set to rise from €50m to €75m as part of a proposed overall 10% increase in the federal government’s budget for arts and media for 2022.
Notification...
- 3/18/2022
- by Martin Blaney
- ScreenDaily
The Berlin ceremony brought together the German industry for the first time in 18 months.
Maria Schrader’s I’m Your Man was the big winner at the Lolas, the German Film Awards in Berlin on October 1, winning best film, best director, best screenwriter for Schrader and Jan Schomberg and best actress for Maren Eggert.
I’m Your Man is produced by Lisa Blumenberg’s Hamburg-based Letterbox Filmproduktion. It is Germany’s entry to the best international film category at the Oscars. I’m Your Man had its world premiere in competition at the Berlinale in March where Eggert also won the Berlinale’s Silver Bear for her performance.
Maria Schrader’s I’m Your Man was the big winner at the Lolas, the German Film Awards in Berlin on October 1, winning best film, best director, best screenwriter for Schrader and Jan Schomberg and best actress for Maren Eggert.
I’m Your Man is produced by Lisa Blumenberg’s Hamburg-based Letterbox Filmproduktion. It is Germany’s entry to the best international film category at the Oscars. I’m Your Man had its world premiere in competition at the Berlinale in March where Eggert also won the Berlinale’s Silver Bear for her performance.
- 10/4/2021
- by Martin Blaney
- ScreenDaily
Arri Media Intl. has signed a deal with Faktura Film to handle the international sales for the Marxist vampire comedy “Bloodsuckers.” The film has been selected to world premiere in the Berlin Film Festival’s Encounters section, which aims to “foster aesthetically and structurally daring works from independent, innovative filmmakers.” Variety has been given exclusive access to the trailer.
Arri Media Intl. will present the film, which was written and directed by Julian Radlmaier, to buyers at the European Film Market, which runs March 1-5.
“Bloodsuckers,” which is set in 1928, centers on a penniless Soviet refugee, who falls in love with an eccentric young vampiress, played by Lilith Stangenberg (“Wild”), spending the summer at the seaside with her awkward servant. The script won the Golden Lola for Best Unfilmed Screenplay during the 2019 Berlinale, and was praised by the jury for being “extravagant, bizarre, and hilarious.”
In the film, the Soviet...
Arri Media Intl. will present the film, which was written and directed by Julian Radlmaier, to buyers at the European Film Market, which runs March 1-5.
“Bloodsuckers,” which is set in 1928, centers on a penniless Soviet refugee, who falls in love with an eccentric young vampiress, played by Lilith Stangenberg (“Wild”), spending the summer at the seaside with her awkward servant. The script won the Golden Lola for Best Unfilmed Screenplay during the 2019 Berlinale, and was praised by the jury for being “extravagant, bizarre, and hilarious.”
In the film, the Soviet...
- 2/10/2021
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Munich-based sales agency Arri Media Intl.’s has signed a North American distribution deal with Rock Salt Releasing for “Curveball – A True Story. Unfortunately.,” which had its world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival in the Berlinale Special Gala section this year.
The film, co-written and directed by Johannes Naber, is released in German cinemas on Nov. 26, and will be released in North America by Rock Salt in the first quarter of next year.
The film tells the true story of how the Iraq war, with the involvement of the German government and secret service, was started based on faulty intelligence.
Bioweapons expert Dr. Arndt Wolf of the German Federal Intelligence Service (Bnd) is obsessed with the idea that, despite Un inspections, anthrax is still being produced in Iraq. Back home in Germany, Wolf’s superior Schatz assigns him as case officer for the Iraqi asylum seeker Rafid Alwan because...
The film, co-written and directed by Johannes Naber, is released in German cinemas on Nov. 26, and will be released in North America by Rock Salt in the first quarter of next year.
The film tells the true story of how the Iraq war, with the involvement of the German government and secret service, was started based on faulty intelligence.
Bioweapons expert Dr. Arndt Wolf of the German Federal Intelligence Service (Bnd) is obsessed with the idea that, despite Un inspections, anthrax is still being produced in Iraq. Back home in Germany, Wolf’s superior Schatz assigns him as case officer for the Iraqi asylum seeker Rafid Alwan because...
- 10/21/2020
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
German Films has released a list of ten films that were submitted by German producers for consideration to become the country’s International Feature Oscar contender.
Among the front-runners for selection are likely to be Julia Von Heinz’s And Tomorrow The Entire World, Caroline Link’s When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit, Burhan Qurbani’s Berlin Alexanderplatz and Christian Petzold’s Undine.
The ten films:
• When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit – Caroline Link (Sommerhaus Filmproduktion)
• Berlin Alexanderplatz – Burhan Qurbani (Sommerhaus Filmproduktion)
• Crescendo #Makemusicnotwar – Dror Zahavi (Ccc-Filmkunst)
• Curveball – Johannes Naber (Bon Voyage Films)
• A Wet Dog – Damir Lukacevic (Carte Blanche International)
• Enfant Terrible – Oskar Roehler (Bavaria Filmproduktion)
• Fritzi – A Revolutionary Tale – Ralf Kukula, Matthias Brun (Balance Film)
• I’Ve Never Been To New York – Philipp Stölzl (Ziegler Film/UFA Fiction)
• Undine – Christian Petzold (Schramm Film Koerner + Weber)
• And Tomorrow The Entire World – Julia von Heinz (Seven Elephant Pictures)
An independent jury will select the German contender,...
Among the front-runners for selection are likely to be Julia Von Heinz’s And Tomorrow The Entire World, Caroline Link’s When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit, Burhan Qurbani’s Berlin Alexanderplatz and Christian Petzold’s Undine.
The ten films:
• When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit – Caroline Link (Sommerhaus Filmproduktion)
• Berlin Alexanderplatz – Burhan Qurbani (Sommerhaus Filmproduktion)
• Crescendo #Makemusicnotwar – Dror Zahavi (Ccc-Filmkunst)
• Curveball – Johannes Naber (Bon Voyage Films)
• A Wet Dog – Damir Lukacevic (Carte Blanche International)
• Enfant Terrible – Oskar Roehler (Bavaria Filmproduktion)
• Fritzi – A Revolutionary Tale – Ralf Kukula, Matthias Brun (Balance Film)
• I’Ve Never Been To New York – Philipp Stölzl (Ziegler Film/UFA Fiction)
• Undine – Christian Petzold (Schramm Film Koerner + Weber)
• And Tomorrow The Entire World – Julia von Heinz (Seven Elephant Pictures)
An independent jury will select the German contender,...
- 10/16/2020
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Film fund chief Helge Albers reflects on an eventful 12 months in the job.
“It’s definitely not been boring for me here at the film fund over the past 12 months,” reflects Helge Albers, CEO of the local regional film fund Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein (Ffhsh).
“We made changes to the structure and composition of the funding committees, reduced the red tape by streamlining the procedure for funding applications and have now given the jury the opportunity to invite applicants to present their projects via video conferencing during the actual funding session.”
In addition, he says, the fund hopes to “open up...
“It’s definitely not been boring for me here at the film fund over the past 12 months,” reflects Helge Albers, CEO of the local regional film fund Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein (Ffhsh).
“We made changes to the structure and composition of the funding committees, reduced the red tape by streamlining the procedure for funding applications and have now given the jury the opportunity to invite applicants to present their projects via video conferencing during the actual funding session.”
In addition, he says, the fund hopes to “open up...
- 9/30/2020
- by Martin Blaney
- ScreenDaily
Farce is not a genre we commonly associate with the Germans, but then, as “Curveball” reminds us at the outset, this wildly atypical Teutonic satire — which plays like a cross between “Wag the Dog” and “Dr. Strangelove” in its portrayal of incompetence at the highest levels — is “A true story. Unfortunately.” More mea culpa than comedy, assuming/assigning responsibility for the role Germany played in helping George W. Bush settle a score with Saddam Hussein, director Johannes Naber’s nutso sendup of the unreliable intelligence source whose testimony served as the justification for the U.S. to invade Iraq in 2003 has no trouble being outrageous. The challenge comes down to being funny in the process.
A few years back, Matthias Bittner made a very good documentary about Rafid Alwan, code name “Curveball,” called “War of Lies,” and that film takes a grim, serious-minded look at what motivated this former Iraqi...
A few years back, Matthias Bittner made a very good documentary about Rafid Alwan, code name “Curveball,” called “War of Lies,” and that film takes a grim, serious-minded look at what motivated this former Iraqi...
- 4/1/2020
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
Variety has been given exclusive access to the first clip from Berlinale Special Gala film “Curveball,” which is inspired by the true story of how the work of the German secret service led to the Iraq War.
“Curveball,” which will have its world premiere at the Berlinale, was directed by Johannes Naber, and written by Naber and Oliver Keidel. Arri Media Intl. will handle international sales on the film, which it will sell at the European Film Market.
The film centers on Wolf, a bioweapons expert working for the German Federal Intelligence Service (Bnd). He is obsessed with the idea that, despite Un inspections, anthrax is still being produced in Iraq. Wolf is assigned as the case officer for the Iraqi asylum seeker Rafid Alwan, who claims to have worked as an engineer for Saddam Hussein’s secret bioweapons program.
What is missing, though, is proof, but as Alwan’s...
“Curveball,” which will have its world premiere at the Berlinale, was directed by Johannes Naber, and written by Naber and Oliver Keidel. Arri Media Intl. will handle international sales on the film, which it will sell at the European Film Market.
The film centers on Wolf, a bioweapons expert working for the German Federal Intelligence Service (Bnd). He is obsessed with the idea that, despite Un inspections, anthrax is still being produced in Iraq. Wolf is assigned as the case officer for the Iraqi asylum seeker Rafid Alwan, who claims to have worked as an engineer for Saddam Hussein’s secret bioweapons program.
What is missing, though, is proof, but as Alwan’s...
- 2/5/2020
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
The Berlinale lineup already includes films from Jia Zhangke, Matías Piñeiro, and more, but now the competition slate has arrived and it’s an incredibly promising selection. Headed by Carlo Chatrian, it includes many of our most-anticipated films of the year with Christian Petzold’s Undine, Hong Sang-soo’s The Woman Who Ran, Tsai Ming-Liang’s Days, Philippe Garrel’s The Salt of Tears, Abel Ferrara’s Siberia, and Caetano Gotardo & Marco Dutra’s All the Dead Ones, plus recent festival favorites: Kelly Reichardt’s First Cow and Eliza Hittman’s Never Rarely Sometimes Always.
Check out the lineup below and return for our coverage.
Competition
Berlin Alexanderplatz
Germany / Netherlands
by Burhan Qurbani
with Welket Bungué, Jella Haase, Albrecht Schuch, Joachim Król, Annabelle Mandeng, Nils Verkooijen, Richard Fouofié Djimeli
World premiere
Dau. Natasha
Germany / Ukraine / United Kingdom / Russian Federation
by Ilya Khrzhanovskiy, Jekaterina Oertel
with Natalia Berezhnaya, Olga Shkabarnya, Vladimir Azhippo,...
Check out the lineup below and return for our coverage.
Competition
Berlin Alexanderplatz
Germany / Netherlands
by Burhan Qurbani
with Welket Bungué, Jella Haase, Albrecht Schuch, Joachim Król, Annabelle Mandeng, Nils Verkooijen, Richard Fouofié Djimeli
World premiere
Dau. Natasha
Germany / Ukraine / United Kingdom / Russian Federation
by Ilya Khrzhanovskiy, Jekaterina Oertel
with Natalia Berezhnaya, Olga Shkabarnya, Vladimir Azhippo,...
- 1/29/2020
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
The Berlin International Film Festival on Wednesday morning revealed the main competition lineup and gala selections for festival’s 70th edition.
The festival, which begins February 20, will screen 18 films in competition, including movies from Sally Potter, Kelly Reichardt, and Eliza Hittman. Six are from female directors.
Among the gala presentations is Pixar’s” Onward.” The Dan Scanlon-helmed urban fantasy includes the voices of Tom Holland, Chris Pratt, Julia-Louis Dreyfus, Octavia Spencer, Mel Rodriguez, Kyle Bornheimer, Lena Waithe, and Ali Wong.
Here is the complete list:
Competition
“Berlin Alexanderplatz” (Germany/Netherlands)
Director: Burhan Qurbani
Cast: Welket Bungué, Jella Haase, Albrecht Schuch, Joachim Król, Annabelle Mandeng, Nils Verkooijen, and Richard Fouofié Djimeli
“Dau. Natasha” (Germany/Ukraine/United Kingdom/Russia)
Directors: Ilya Khrzhanovskiy and Jekaterina Oertel
Cast: Natalia Berezhnaya, Olga Shkabarnya, Vladimir Azhippo, Alexei Blinov, and Luc Bigé
“Domangchin yeoja” (“The Woman Who Ran”) (South Korea)
Director: Hong Sangsoo
Cast: Kim Minhee,...
The festival, which begins February 20, will screen 18 films in competition, including movies from Sally Potter, Kelly Reichardt, and Eliza Hittman. Six are from female directors.
Among the gala presentations is Pixar’s” Onward.” The Dan Scanlon-helmed urban fantasy includes the voices of Tom Holland, Chris Pratt, Julia-Louis Dreyfus, Octavia Spencer, Mel Rodriguez, Kyle Bornheimer, Lena Waithe, and Ali Wong.
Here is the complete list:
Competition
“Berlin Alexanderplatz” (Germany/Netherlands)
Director: Burhan Qurbani
Cast: Welket Bungué, Jella Haase, Albrecht Schuch, Joachim Król, Annabelle Mandeng, Nils Verkooijen, and Richard Fouofié Djimeli
“Dau. Natasha” (Germany/Ukraine/United Kingdom/Russia)
Directors: Ilya Khrzhanovskiy and Jekaterina Oertel
Cast: Natalia Berezhnaya, Olga Shkabarnya, Vladimir Azhippo, Alexei Blinov, and Luc Bigé
“Domangchin yeoja” (“The Woman Who Ran”) (South Korea)
Director: Hong Sangsoo
Cast: Kim Minhee,...
- 1/29/2020
- by Chris Lindahl
- Indiewire
18-strong Competition strand includes films by Sally Potter, Hong Sangsoo, Tsai Ming-Liang, Christian Petzold, Rithy Panh and Philippe Garrel.
The 18-strong competition line-up for the 70th Berlin International Film Festival (Feb 20-Mar 1) has been unveiled by the festival’s new executive director Mariette Rissenbeek and artistic director Carlo Chatrian.
Among the titles selected are new work by Sally Potter, Kelly Reichardt, Hong Sangsoo, Philippe Garrel, Rithy Panh, Tsai Ming-Liang and Silver Bear winner Christian Petzold.
Other intriguing projects include Burhan Qurbani’s Berlin Alexanderplatz and Ilya Khrzhanovskiy and Jekaterina Oertel’s long-gestating project Dau. Natasha.
Six of the 18 films selected...
The 18-strong competition line-up for the 70th Berlin International Film Festival (Feb 20-Mar 1) has been unveiled by the festival’s new executive director Mariette Rissenbeek and artistic director Carlo Chatrian.
Among the titles selected are new work by Sally Potter, Kelly Reichardt, Hong Sangsoo, Philippe Garrel, Rithy Panh, Tsai Ming-Liang and Silver Bear winner Christian Petzold.
Other intriguing projects include Burhan Qurbani’s Berlin Alexanderplatz and Ilya Khrzhanovskiy and Jekaterina Oertel’s long-gestating project Dau. Natasha.
Six of the 18 films selected...
- 1/29/2020
- by 1101184¦Orlando Parfitt¦38¦
- ScreenDaily
The Berlin International Film Festival has unveiled its 2020 line-up, with 18 films playing in competition from directors such as Abel Ferrara, Sally Potter, Christian Petzold, Hong Sangsoo, Kelly Reichardt and Eliza Hittman.
Abel Ferrara’s Willem Dafoe starrer “Siberia” is a world premiere in competition, as is Sally Potter’s “The Roads Not Taken.”
Among the U.S. films at the Berlinale, Reichardt’s “First Cow” is an international premiere, and so too is Hittman’s “Never Rarely Sometimes Always.”
Pixar’s latest animation, “Onward”, also has its international premiere out of competition in the Special Galas section.
Previous Berlin Silver Bear winner Christian Petzold’s latest, “Undine”, world premieres, while Iranian director Mohammed Rasoulof, who is not allowed to travel outside his home country, world premieres his latest, “There is No Evil.”
Six out of the 18 films in competition are helmed by female directors.
The 70th edition of the festival...
Abel Ferrara’s Willem Dafoe starrer “Siberia” is a world premiere in competition, as is Sally Potter’s “The Roads Not Taken.”
Among the U.S. films at the Berlinale, Reichardt’s “First Cow” is an international premiere, and so too is Hittman’s “Never Rarely Sometimes Always.”
Pixar’s latest animation, “Onward”, also has its international premiere out of competition in the Special Galas section.
Previous Berlin Silver Bear winner Christian Petzold’s latest, “Undine”, world premieres, while Iranian director Mohammed Rasoulof, who is not allowed to travel outside his home country, world premieres his latest, “There is No Evil.”
Six out of the 18 films in competition are helmed by female directors.
The 70th edition of the festival...
- 1/29/2020
- by Tim Dams
- Variety Film + TV
Arri Media International has acquired international distribution rights to Andrei Konchalovsky’s Michelangelo biopic “Il Peccato” (“Sin”), which will have its world premiere as a Special Closing Event at the 14th Rome Film Festival (Oct. 17-27).
Written by Konchalovsky and Elena Kiseleva, the film is set in Florence in the 16th century and follows Michelangelo through “the agonies and ecstasy of his own creative genius, as two rival noble factions compete for his loyalty,” according to Arri.
Although widely considered a genius by his contemporaries, Michelangelo, played by Alberto Testone (“Suburra”), is reduced to poverty and depleted by his struggle to finish the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. When his commissioner and head of the Della Rovere nobility Pope Julius II dies, Michelangelo becomes obsessed with sourcing the finest marble to complete his tomb.
The artist’s loyalty is tested when Leo X of the rival Medici family ascends to...
Written by Konchalovsky and Elena Kiseleva, the film is set in Florence in the 16th century and follows Michelangelo through “the agonies and ecstasy of his own creative genius, as two rival noble factions compete for his loyalty,” according to Arri.
Although widely considered a genius by his contemporaries, Michelangelo, played by Alberto Testone (“Suburra”), is reduced to poverty and depleted by his struggle to finish the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. When his commissioner and head of the Della Rovere nobility Pope Julius II dies, Michelangelo becomes obsessed with sourcing the finest marble to complete his tomb.
The artist’s loyalty is tested when Leo X of the rival Medici family ascends to...
- 10/8/2019
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
German Films, a body that promotes Teutonic talent and content, staged a panel discussion on “breaking boundaries” during the Berlin Film Festival, as part of the fest’s Drama Series Days section. Taking part were three of the participants of German Films’ 2019 Face to Face program – Fahri Yardim, Luise Heyer, and Maria Dragus. For all three breakthrough roles in independent films led to parts in major TV series, which have given them an international platform for their talent.
Dragus’ big break came early, when she appeared as a child actor in Michael Haneke’s film “The White Ribbon.” This took her to Cannes, where the film won the Palme d’Or, and the Oscars, where it was nominated for best foreign-language film. Dragus also won best supporting actress at the German Film Awards.
That success launched her acting career, which has included a recent role in a Hollywood movie, “Mary Queen of Scots,...
Dragus’ big break came early, when she appeared as a child actor in Michael Haneke’s film “The White Ribbon.” This took her to Cannes, where the film won the Palme d’Or, and the Oscars, where it was nominated for best foreign-language film. Dragus also won best supporting actress at the German Film Awards.
That success launched her acting career, which has included a recent role in a Hollywood movie, “Mary Queen of Scots,...
- 2/14/2019
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Alen Drljevic’s film received the award for best Balkan film.
Kosovo’s Prishtina International Film Festival (PriFest) celebrated its 10th edition last week (July 17-22), with Men Don’t Cry, the feature debut of Bosnian director Alen Drljevic’s receiving the award for best Balkan film.
The drama about the bloody conflict in the former Yugoslavia takes place in an empty Serbian hotel. It premiered at Karlovy Vary last year, and has subsequently screened at festivals including Sarajevo, Hamburg and Chicago.
It screened in Prishtina in the ‘Honey and Blood’ programme of Balkan films. The ‘Honey and Blood’ jury...
Kosovo’s Prishtina International Film Festival (PriFest) celebrated its 10th edition last week (July 17-22), with Men Don’t Cry, the feature debut of Bosnian director Alen Drljevic’s receiving the award for best Balkan film.
The drama about the bloody conflict in the former Yugoslavia takes place in an empty Serbian hotel. It premiered at Karlovy Vary last year, and has subsequently screened at festivals including Sarajevo, Hamburg and Chicago.
It screened in Prishtina in the ‘Honey and Blood’ programme of Balkan films. The ‘Honey and Blood’ jury...
- 7/25/2018
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Maren Ade named best director as female filmmakers flourish.
Toni Erdmann continued its triumphant run at the German Film Awards on Friday night, taking home six coveted Lola statuettes in an evening dominated by strong women filmmakers.
Maren Ade’s tragicomedy received the Golden Lola for Best Feature Film as well as double honours for Ade (pictured at left) herself as director and screenwriter, plus statuettes for her lead actors Sandra Hueller (pictured at right) and Peter Simonischek, and a Lola for the film’s editor Heike Parplies.
Handled internationally by The Match Factory, Toni Erdmann began winning the hearts of critics and audiences around the globe following its premiere in Cannes’ Official Competition last year.
It picked up five European Film Awards in Poland’s Wroclaw last December – in the same categories as the Lolas except for editing – as well as Golden Globe and Oscar nominations.
Hours before Friday night’s ceremony in Berlin, the film’s...
Toni Erdmann continued its triumphant run at the German Film Awards on Friday night, taking home six coveted Lola statuettes in an evening dominated by strong women filmmakers.
Maren Ade’s tragicomedy received the Golden Lola for Best Feature Film as well as double honours for Ade (pictured at left) herself as director and screenwriter, plus statuettes for her lead actors Sandra Hueller (pictured at right) and Peter Simonischek, and a Lola for the film’s editor Heike Parplies.
Handled internationally by The Match Factory, Toni Erdmann began winning the hearts of critics and audiences around the globe following its premiere in Cannes’ Official Competition last year.
It picked up five European Film Awards in Poland’s Wroclaw last December – in the same categories as the Lolas except for editing – as well as Golden Globe and Oscar nominations.
Hours before Friday night’s ceremony in Berlin, the film’s...
- 4/28/2017
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Tangerines director’s second feature is being presented as a work-in-progress at Warsaw Film Festival.
Berlin-based sales agent Picture Tree International has taken international rights to Monk, Zaza Urushadze’s second film as a director.
Georgian film-maker Urushadze’s debut feature was Tangerines in 2015, which was nominated for a foreign language Oscar and also a Golden Globe.
Monk, which is being presented as a work-in-progress tomorrow (Oct 14) at the Warsaw Film Festival (Oct 7-16) where buyers will be able to view a first-look promo, tells the story of a film director-turned-priest whose life in a small mountain village begins to unravel when he meets a local music teacher who is hiding a dark secret.
The feature, which is expected to be delivered early 2017, is being produced by Ivo Felt of Estonia-based Allfilm and Zaza Urushadzes company Cinema24, with the support of Estonian Film Institute and Georgian Film Center. Filming took place in Kakheti, Georgia in July...
Berlin-based sales agent Picture Tree International has taken international rights to Monk, Zaza Urushadze’s second film as a director.
Georgian film-maker Urushadze’s debut feature was Tangerines in 2015, which was nominated for a foreign language Oscar and also a Golden Globe.
Monk, which is being presented as a work-in-progress tomorrow (Oct 14) at the Warsaw Film Festival (Oct 7-16) where buyers will be able to view a first-look promo, tells the story of a film director-turned-priest whose life in a small mountain village begins to unravel when he meets a local music teacher who is hiding a dark secret.
The feature, which is expected to be delivered early 2017, is being produced by Ivo Felt of Estonia-based Allfilm and Zaza Urushadzes company Cinema24, with the support of Estonian Film Institute and Georgian Film Center. Filming took place in Kakheti, Georgia in July...
- 10/13/2016
- by tom.grater@screendaily.com (Tom Grater)
- ScreenDaily
Now in its 9th year German Currents Festival of German Film is a fixture on the cultural calendar of Hollywood. Over the past years, thousands of audience members enjoyed Oscar-nominated German cinema, engaged in Q&As with top German talent, tasted German cuisine during the opening night gala and experienced contemporary German culture in the historical setting of the Egyptian Theater.
This year, German Currents will go beyond its regular film screenings, adding a pre-event on Oct. 5th with a screening of Sundance TV’s “Deutschland 83” followed by a Q&A with director Edward Berger and Golden Globe nominated composer Reinhold Heil. In addition, the festival will include a Tribute to Roland Emmerich and a Q&A with the filmmaker himself, added afternoon matinees throughout the weekend, the exhibit “Brilliant Dilletantes – Subculture in Germany in the 1980s” and a concert of the German Techno DJ, Westbam.
German Currents will also have its opening night red carpet event, followed by the film “We are Young, We are Free” (L.A. Premiere), plus Q&A’s with top German filmmakers, nightly screenings, including the Us Premiere of “B-Movie: Lust & Sound in West Berlin 1979 - 1989” and a free children’s morning screening of “The Pasta Detectives,” as well as a filmmaker brunch.
The festival takes place at: Egyptian Theatre, 6712 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA – 90028
Tickets can be purchased Here.
Monday, Oct 5, 7:00 pm
“Deutschland 83” Screening and Panel Discussion German Currents Pre-Event Goethe-Institut Los Angeles, 5750 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 100, Los Angeles, CA 90036 Free Admission | RSVP required rsvp@losangeles.goethe.org
Pilot episode screening of the Sundance TV original series “Deutschland 83." A gripping coming-of-age story and spy thriller set in Germany in the 80’s. Divided Germany in 1983: during a peak period for Cold War tensions between East and West. Marting Rauch, a wide-eyed 24-year-old East German soldier plucked from obscurity, goes undercover as a West German soldier for the East German Secret Service. With Jonas Nay, Alexander Nay, Maria Schrader, Sonja Gerhardt. Following the screening will be a Q&A with director and Grimme Awardee Edward Berger and Golden Globe nominated composer Reinhold Heil, moderated by Thomas Mikusz.
Saturday, Oct 17, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
German Currents Pre-Event Reception and introduction to the Exhibition: “Brilliant Dilletantes- Subculture in Germany in the 1980’s”. 18th Street Art Center, 1639 18th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90404 Admission is free with RSVP Here
Presented with the support of Dublab, DJ Michael Stock will provide an evening of music from the era.
Curated by Mathilde Weh, (Visual Arts, Goethe-Institut, Munich), this extensive multi-media exhibition includes a diverse selection of photos, posters, albums and cassettes, as well videos and interactive sound stations. Highlighting the work of the bands Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft/D.A.F. (Düsseldorf), Der Plan (Düsseldorf), Die Tödliche Doris (Berlin), Einstürzende Neubauten (Berlin), Freiwillig Selbstkontrolle/ F.S.K. (Munich), Ornament und Verbrechen (East Berlin), and Palais Schaumburg (Hamburg) as well as various artists, filmmakers and designers from West and East Germany, this exhibition presents the most comprehensive survey to date of this extraordinarily innovative subculture. The exhibition runs Oct 5th – Oct 23rd
Thursday, Oct 22nd, 7:00 pm (Gala Opening Night)
“We Are Young. We Are Strong” (“Wir sind jung. Wir sind stark”) Los Angeles Premiere Directed by Burhan Qurbani Germany (2014), 116 min, German with English subtitles
International Sales: Beta. No. America is available.
August of 1992. Three years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, anti-immigrant attacks targeting a refugee shelter on the outskirts of the former East German city of Rostock culminate in the notorious “Night of the Fire.” Following three days of violence, nearly 3,000 rioters, neo-Nazis and bystanders set fire to the shelter, trapping Vietnamese refugees and a group of journalists inside. Qurbani’s controversial film recounts the hours leading up the evening’s startling events as experienced by three very different characters: Lien, a young Vietnamese immigrant, caught in a struggle for survival; Stefan, an insecure youth, who, along with his friends participates in the night’s riots; and Stefan’s father Martin, an ambitious local politician torn between advancing his career by remaining silent, and standing up for his ideals, taking action to stop the riots. Qurbani meticulously recreates the look and feel of the era, when many East German cities struggled with unemployment and feelings of isolation from the West, exposing the complex issue of xenophobia in a country thought to have been healed by German reunification.With Devid Striesow, Jonas Nay, Trang Le Hong.
Director Burhan Qurbani is confirmed to attend.
Friday, Oct 23rd, 10:00am (Private screening for schools)
“The Pasta Detectives” (“Rico, Oskar und die Tieferschatten”) Los Angeles Premiere | Winner Best Children Film German Film Awards Directed by Neele Leana Vollmar Germany (2014), 96 min, German with English subtitles
20th Century Fox Germany Production. Watch for "The Pasta Detectives 2"
International Sales: Beta No. America is available.
At the heart of this adaptation of German author Andreas Steinhöfel’s wildly popular children’s book is ten-year-old Rico, the only child of a working-class single mother in Berlin. Although quick to describe himself as a “Lowly gifted child” who can’t tell his left from his right and whose thoughts often “rattle around in his head like balls in a bingo cage,” Rico is compassionate, observant, and makes the best of his short-comings. Often left on his own, Rico spends most of his time close to home or visiting the quirky tenants in his apartment building. One day Rico meets Oskar, a “highly gifted” younger boy who is obsessed with safety statistics and prone to wearing a helmet. Despite their differences, the two boys complement each other and become fast friends. When Oskar suddenly goes missing, Rico suspects a notorious local kidnapper “Mr. 2000” and sets out to find and rescue his new friend. With an emphasis on teamwork and friendship, Vollmar’s film is a fresh and endearing take on the classic “buddy-film” suitable for the whole family. With Anton Petzold, Juri Winkler, Katharina Thalbach.
Friday, Oct 23rd, 7:30 pm – Double Feature
“Jack” Los Angeles Premiere | Best Film: Silver German Film Awards Directed by Edward Berger Germany (2014), 103 min, German with English subtitles
Tiff 2015.
International Sales: PIcture Tree. No. America is available.
Ten year old Jack (Ivo Pietzcker) is frequently left alone by his loving, but hopelessly incompetent young mother (Luise Heyer). Forced to care for himself and his six-year-old half-brother, Manuel (Georg Arms) for extended periods of time, Jack selflessly acts as the head of the household. When Manuel is accidentally injured, Jack is blamed and is placed in a long-term foster care facility, leaving Manuel with their mother. Lonely, homesick and bullied by other children, Jack decides to escape and head home to Berlin, only to find that what little order he had established has crumbled. Once again abandoned by their mother, the boys take to the streets on a desperate odyssey to find not only their mother, but a sense of stability. Co-written by Nele Mueller-Stöfen, Berger’s screenplay and precise direction coax refreshingly unaffected performances from the two child actors. Cinematographer Jens Harant’s camera provides essential gritty realism, capturing the city from the unique vantage point of the lonely boys. With: Ivo Pietzker, Luise Heyer, Georg Arms. Director Edward Berger is confirmed to attend.
Friday, Oct 23rd, 9:30 pm (approximately) – Double Feature
“Schmitke” Los Angeles Premiere Directed by Stepán Altrichter Germany (2014), 90 min, German and Czech with English subtitles
Like his once state-of-the-art “C 174” wind turbine, 57 year-old German engineer Julius Schmitke (Peter Kurth) is past his prime. No longer models of efficiency both creak and groan under the strain of their daily duties. A man of few words, Schmitke leads a banal, solitary life, but, intrigued by reports of a hermit, known as “Bear-Man” found living alone in the woods; Schmitke begins to dream of deep, dark forests. When a model C 174 breaks down outside a small Czech town on the German border, Schmitke and his slacker subordinate Gruber are sent to repair it. Here, the engineers encounter an odd assortment of townspeople, and the undeniable allure and danger of the impenetrable Ore Mountain forest. The next day, Gruber mysteriously vanishes and Schmitke is drawn to the woods. Katharina Grischkowski’s extraordinary sound design, contrasts the creaking of the C 174 with the eerie stillness of the forest, heightening the surreal atmosphere provided by Christian Pirjol’s haunting cinematography. Altrichter, who also co-wrote the screenplay, deftly balances the bizarre and the beautiful in this desolate, deadpan, comic mystery. With Peter Kurth, Johann Jürgens, Petr Vrsek.
Saturday, Oct 24th, 10:00am
“A Tribute to Roland Emmerich – from "The Noah’s Ark Principle" to "Independence Day" and "Stonewall” Goethe-Institut Los Angeles, 5750 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 100, Los Angeles, CA 90036 Free Admission | RSVP by Oct. 19th required: rsvp@losangeles.goethe.org This event is produced by Gaba – the German American Business Association
Roland Emmerich (Director/Writer/Producer) is one of the world’s most talented and sought-after directors. His career began in his native Germany. He studied film at the University of Television and Film Munich where his student film “The Noah’s Ark Principle“ went on to open the 1984 Berlin Film Festival. His body of work includes movies such as “Independence Day”, “Stargate”, “10,000Bc” and “White House Down”, to name just a few.
Emmerich recently wrapped “Independence Day: Resurgence”, the next epic chapter in the “Independence Day “universe. The original 1996 film redefined the event movie genre by shattering opening weekend and total box office records to become the first movie in history to gross over $500m internationally. The new film mixes a cast of new and familiar faces -- Liam Hemsworth, Jeff Goldblum, Jessie User, Bill Pullman, Maika Monroe, Sela Ward, and Judd Hirsh -- flashing forward 20 years when the nations of Earth must unite to protect the planet against the aliens' return and only a few brave men and women can bring the world back from the brink of extinction. Emmerich’s latest film, “Stonewall”, is a drama about the Stonewall Riots in 1969 New York, which sparked the Lgbt civil rights movement. The film stars Jeremy Irvine and Jonathan Rhys Meyers.
In addition, to his work in film and television, Emmerich has made considerable contributions to many charities, including but not limited to the Cambodian Children’s Fund and the Los Angeles Lgbt Center. The Q&A will be moderated by journalist Dierk Sindermann.
Following the panel:
“Filmmaker Brunch” Following the “Tribute to Roland Emmerich” will be a filmmaker brunch at the Goethe Institute. Meet filmmakers and talent attending the festival while enjoying a continental breakfast by Downtown La’s Bier Beisl Imbiss This brunch is sponsored by German Consulate Los Angeles and Bier Beisl Imbiss
Saturday, Oct 24th, 5:30pm (Matinee)
“Who am I- No system is safe” (“Who am I- Kein System ist sicher”) Los Angeles Premiere | Bavarian Film Prize for Best Direction. Tiff 2014. Directed by Baran bo Odar Germany (2014), 110 min, German with English subtitles
International Sales: Trust Nordisk. No. America is available.
Young Berlin computer whiz-turned hacker Ben (Tom Schilling) feels more at home in the virtual world than he does in the real one. When the charismatic and revolutionary hacker Max (Elyas M’Barek) asks Ben to put his skills to use and “hack the world,” they form the collective “Clay” (Clowns Laughing At You). Instead of lofty political goals, the group shocks the world with humor and guerilla-like pranks. As the team’s popularity drives them to take bigger, bolder risks, they soon attract the attention of the German Secret Service. Just as Ben begins to feel like he finally belongs somewhere, he’s forced to figure out how to escape not only from his law enforcement pursuers, but his dangerous new friends. This stylish, surprising, and exceptionally timely fast-paced cyber thriller moves seamlessly between the real and the virtual, leaving the audience guessing long after the film is over. With Tom Schilling, Hannah Herzsprung, Elyas M’Barak.
Saturday, Oct 24th, 8:30pm
“B-Movie: Lust and Sound in West Berlin” Us Premiere. Berlin Ff 2015 Directed by Jörg A. Hoppe, Klaus Maeck, Heiko Lange Germany (2015), 92 min, German with English subtitles
International Sales: Edel
An Essay-Film narrated by producer and musician Mark Reeder, B-Movie is a fast-paced collage of unreleased film and TV footage, photos, and original interviews compiled by Hoppe, Maeck, and Lange and dramatized scenes that illustrate Reeder’s account of the music, art and chaos in West Berlin of the 1980s. The walled-in city, which became a cultural inter-zone and creative melting pot for avant-garde sub- and pop- culture unlike anywhere else in Europe, attracted “brilliant dilettantes,” squatters, artists, musicians, and world famous celebrities alike. Reeder left Manchester, England for Berlin in 1979 and soon found himself at the center of this dynamic cultural hub, meeting and often working with legendary bands and artists. Including interviews and archival footage from Joy Division, Blixa Bargeld (Einstürzende Neubauten), Die Toten Hosen, Nick Cave, Gudrun Gut, Die Aerzte, Nena, Christiane F. and Westbam, B-movie offers an intimate portrait of the constantly changing cultural constellations of the city, from the Geniale Dilletanten, to the Love Parade, and ending with the fall of the Berlin Wall. Director Klaus Maeck and German DJ Westbam are confirmed to attend.
Saturday, Oct 24th, 11:00pm
DJ Westbam: Free Concert in the Egyptian Theater Courtyard
Hardly any DJ can look back on such a long and exciting career as Westbam, who since 1983 has provided the right music for the night for more than 15 million fans worldwide. A pioneer of DJ culture in Germany and Europe alike, Westbam was the first DJ in Germany to mix his own tracks rather than just play record after record, the first German DJ invited to play the big stages in the heyday of acid house in the UK, the first German DJ to sell over 2 million records, the founder of the first big rave event in Germany, the legendary “Mayday”, and the only DJ to have DJed at every “Loveparade,” producing every “Loveparade anthem” since. Featured in Jörg A.Hoppe, Klaus Maeck & Heiko Lange’s film "B-Movie: Lust & Sound in West-Berlin 1979-1989," Westbam will perform live at the Egyptian Theatre following the film’s screening at the German Currents Film Festival. Please note: Ticket holders for the screening of “B-movie” receive priority admission to the concert. A Standby line for “concert only” begins after the box office closes for the screening at the Egyptian Theatre.
Sunday, Oct 25th, 4:00 pm (Matinee)
“Age of Cannibals” (“Zeit der Kannibalen”) Los Angeles Premiere | Prix Europe for Most Innovative Television Fiction Script. Berlin Ff 2014. Directed by Johannes Naber Germany (2013), 93 min, German and English with English subtitles
Cut-throat business consultants Öllers and Niederländer travel the world without ever really seeing it. In advising companies on how to ruthlessly maximize profits, the two have managed to insulate themselves from the dangerous locations where they conduct business by never leaving their various 5-star hotels. Models of ruthless efficiency, both hope to secure partnerships at their nameless company. When Bianca, a newly hired younger female colleague, is sent to assist in the negotiations, her constant critique of her colleagues’ unscrupulous behavior with clients and hotel staff alike is unsettling to the executives, who pride themselves on their ability to remain emotionally disconnected. Confined within the walls of their hotel, the protagonists reach grotesque extremes, accentuating the feel of a chamber play within Stefan Weigl’s screenplay. The perfectly directed darkly comedic performances offer critique of contemporary global economics. When the dangers of the outside world (experienced only through the occasional sounds of distant explosions or gunfire) find their way inside, the three models turn out to be incompetent. With Sebastian Blomberg, Devied Striesow, Katharina Schüttler.
Sunday, Oct 25th, 6:30 pm – Double Feature
“Dora or The Sexual Neuroses of our Parents” (“Dora oder die sexuellen Neurosen unserer Eltern”) Us Premiere. Berlin Ff 2015 Directed by Stina Werenfels Switzerland/ Germany (2013-2015), 90 min, German with English subtitles
International Sales: Wide
Mentally disabled Dora (Victoria Schulz) has spent much of her 18 years under psychotropic sedatives. When her mother, Kristin (Jenny Schily), decides to stop the medication, Dora’s world begins to open. Determined to experience the world, love, and sex, Dora enters into a relationship with an unscrupulous perfume salesman (Lars Eidinger) who is eager to take advantage of her newfound lust for life. Though Dora’s parents are horrified by her relationship and her eventual pregnancy, they must determine how to both protect their daughter as well as allow her to make her own choices as an adult. Lukas Strebel’s award winning innovative camerawork capture’s not only Dora’s transformation, but also her perspective through p.o.v. In adapting Lukas Bärfuss’ challenging play, director Stina Werenfels and co-writer Boris Treyer emphasize the perspectives and parallel struggles of both mother and daughter, examining broader issues of female sexuality, agency, and motherhood. With Victoria Schulz, Jenny Schily, Lars Eidinger. Director Stina Werenfels is confirmed to attend.
Sunday, Oct 25th, 8:30 pm (approximately) – Double Feature
“Gruber is Leaving” (“Gruber Geht”) Los Angeles Premiere | Beijing Iff: Best Music Directed by Marie Kreutzer Austria (2015), 104 min, German with English subtitles
John Gruber (Manuel Rubey) is the epitome of arrogance. In his mid-thirties, and living in his own world, he has it all; the right job, car, designer apartment in Vienna. In between business trips, nightclubs, and countless one-night stands, the dry-witted cynic has little left for anyone else, and this is just how he likes it. When he meets Berlin-based DJ Sarah (Bernadette Heerwagen), his self-styled world is turned on its head. For it is Sarah, who after their night together, reads him the diagnosis explaining that a tumor is to blame for his recent stomach problems. Gruber‘s superman facade quickly crumbles, sending him on a binge of drugs, alcohol and bar fights in an attempt to cope. With a new regimen of chemotherapy and a growing infatuation with Sarah, Gruber slowly begins to drop his guard. But will he really change? Kreutzer’s faithful adaptation of Doris Knecht’s best-selling novel is strengthened by Cinematographer Leena Koppe’s ability to capture Gruber’s darkly comical transition from cold and distant loner, to a man on a journey to find himself. With Manuel Rubey, Doris Schretzmayer, Ulrike Beimpold.
This year, German Currents will go beyond its regular film screenings, adding a pre-event on Oct. 5th with a screening of Sundance TV’s “Deutschland 83” followed by a Q&A with director Edward Berger and Golden Globe nominated composer Reinhold Heil. In addition, the festival will include a Tribute to Roland Emmerich and a Q&A with the filmmaker himself, added afternoon matinees throughout the weekend, the exhibit “Brilliant Dilletantes – Subculture in Germany in the 1980s” and a concert of the German Techno DJ, Westbam.
German Currents will also have its opening night red carpet event, followed by the film “We are Young, We are Free” (L.A. Premiere), plus Q&A’s with top German filmmakers, nightly screenings, including the Us Premiere of “B-Movie: Lust & Sound in West Berlin 1979 - 1989” and a free children’s morning screening of “The Pasta Detectives,” as well as a filmmaker brunch.
The festival takes place at: Egyptian Theatre, 6712 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA – 90028
Tickets can be purchased Here.
Monday, Oct 5, 7:00 pm
“Deutschland 83” Screening and Panel Discussion German Currents Pre-Event Goethe-Institut Los Angeles, 5750 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 100, Los Angeles, CA 90036 Free Admission | RSVP required rsvp@losangeles.goethe.org
Pilot episode screening of the Sundance TV original series “Deutschland 83." A gripping coming-of-age story and spy thriller set in Germany in the 80’s. Divided Germany in 1983: during a peak period for Cold War tensions between East and West. Marting Rauch, a wide-eyed 24-year-old East German soldier plucked from obscurity, goes undercover as a West German soldier for the East German Secret Service. With Jonas Nay, Alexander Nay, Maria Schrader, Sonja Gerhardt. Following the screening will be a Q&A with director and Grimme Awardee Edward Berger and Golden Globe nominated composer Reinhold Heil, moderated by Thomas Mikusz.
Saturday, Oct 17, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
German Currents Pre-Event Reception and introduction to the Exhibition: “Brilliant Dilletantes- Subculture in Germany in the 1980’s”. 18th Street Art Center, 1639 18th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90404 Admission is free with RSVP Here
Presented with the support of Dublab, DJ Michael Stock will provide an evening of music from the era.
Curated by Mathilde Weh, (Visual Arts, Goethe-Institut, Munich), this extensive multi-media exhibition includes a diverse selection of photos, posters, albums and cassettes, as well videos and interactive sound stations. Highlighting the work of the bands Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft/D.A.F. (Düsseldorf), Der Plan (Düsseldorf), Die Tödliche Doris (Berlin), Einstürzende Neubauten (Berlin), Freiwillig Selbstkontrolle/ F.S.K. (Munich), Ornament und Verbrechen (East Berlin), and Palais Schaumburg (Hamburg) as well as various artists, filmmakers and designers from West and East Germany, this exhibition presents the most comprehensive survey to date of this extraordinarily innovative subculture. The exhibition runs Oct 5th – Oct 23rd
Thursday, Oct 22nd, 7:00 pm (Gala Opening Night)
“We Are Young. We Are Strong” (“Wir sind jung. Wir sind stark”) Los Angeles Premiere Directed by Burhan Qurbani Germany (2014), 116 min, German with English subtitles
International Sales: Beta. No. America is available.
August of 1992. Three years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, anti-immigrant attacks targeting a refugee shelter on the outskirts of the former East German city of Rostock culminate in the notorious “Night of the Fire.” Following three days of violence, nearly 3,000 rioters, neo-Nazis and bystanders set fire to the shelter, trapping Vietnamese refugees and a group of journalists inside. Qurbani’s controversial film recounts the hours leading up the evening’s startling events as experienced by three very different characters: Lien, a young Vietnamese immigrant, caught in a struggle for survival; Stefan, an insecure youth, who, along with his friends participates in the night’s riots; and Stefan’s father Martin, an ambitious local politician torn between advancing his career by remaining silent, and standing up for his ideals, taking action to stop the riots. Qurbani meticulously recreates the look and feel of the era, when many East German cities struggled with unemployment and feelings of isolation from the West, exposing the complex issue of xenophobia in a country thought to have been healed by German reunification.With Devid Striesow, Jonas Nay, Trang Le Hong.
Director Burhan Qurbani is confirmed to attend.
Friday, Oct 23rd, 10:00am (Private screening for schools)
“The Pasta Detectives” (“Rico, Oskar und die Tieferschatten”) Los Angeles Premiere | Winner Best Children Film German Film Awards Directed by Neele Leana Vollmar Germany (2014), 96 min, German with English subtitles
20th Century Fox Germany Production. Watch for "The Pasta Detectives 2"
International Sales: Beta No. America is available.
At the heart of this adaptation of German author Andreas Steinhöfel’s wildly popular children’s book is ten-year-old Rico, the only child of a working-class single mother in Berlin. Although quick to describe himself as a “Lowly gifted child” who can’t tell his left from his right and whose thoughts often “rattle around in his head like balls in a bingo cage,” Rico is compassionate, observant, and makes the best of his short-comings. Often left on his own, Rico spends most of his time close to home or visiting the quirky tenants in his apartment building. One day Rico meets Oskar, a “highly gifted” younger boy who is obsessed with safety statistics and prone to wearing a helmet. Despite their differences, the two boys complement each other and become fast friends. When Oskar suddenly goes missing, Rico suspects a notorious local kidnapper “Mr. 2000” and sets out to find and rescue his new friend. With an emphasis on teamwork and friendship, Vollmar’s film is a fresh and endearing take on the classic “buddy-film” suitable for the whole family. With Anton Petzold, Juri Winkler, Katharina Thalbach.
Friday, Oct 23rd, 7:30 pm – Double Feature
“Jack” Los Angeles Premiere | Best Film: Silver German Film Awards Directed by Edward Berger Germany (2014), 103 min, German with English subtitles
Tiff 2015.
International Sales: PIcture Tree. No. America is available.
Ten year old Jack (Ivo Pietzcker) is frequently left alone by his loving, but hopelessly incompetent young mother (Luise Heyer). Forced to care for himself and his six-year-old half-brother, Manuel (Georg Arms) for extended periods of time, Jack selflessly acts as the head of the household. When Manuel is accidentally injured, Jack is blamed and is placed in a long-term foster care facility, leaving Manuel with their mother. Lonely, homesick and bullied by other children, Jack decides to escape and head home to Berlin, only to find that what little order he had established has crumbled. Once again abandoned by their mother, the boys take to the streets on a desperate odyssey to find not only their mother, but a sense of stability. Co-written by Nele Mueller-Stöfen, Berger’s screenplay and precise direction coax refreshingly unaffected performances from the two child actors. Cinematographer Jens Harant’s camera provides essential gritty realism, capturing the city from the unique vantage point of the lonely boys. With: Ivo Pietzker, Luise Heyer, Georg Arms. Director Edward Berger is confirmed to attend.
Friday, Oct 23rd, 9:30 pm (approximately) – Double Feature
“Schmitke” Los Angeles Premiere Directed by Stepán Altrichter Germany (2014), 90 min, German and Czech with English subtitles
Like his once state-of-the-art “C 174” wind turbine, 57 year-old German engineer Julius Schmitke (Peter Kurth) is past his prime. No longer models of efficiency both creak and groan under the strain of their daily duties. A man of few words, Schmitke leads a banal, solitary life, but, intrigued by reports of a hermit, known as “Bear-Man” found living alone in the woods; Schmitke begins to dream of deep, dark forests. When a model C 174 breaks down outside a small Czech town on the German border, Schmitke and his slacker subordinate Gruber are sent to repair it. Here, the engineers encounter an odd assortment of townspeople, and the undeniable allure and danger of the impenetrable Ore Mountain forest. The next day, Gruber mysteriously vanishes and Schmitke is drawn to the woods. Katharina Grischkowski’s extraordinary sound design, contrasts the creaking of the C 174 with the eerie stillness of the forest, heightening the surreal atmosphere provided by Christian Pirjol’s haunting cinematography. Altrichter, who also co-wrote the screenplay, deftly balances the bizarre and the beautiful in this desolate, deadpan, comic mystery. With Peter Kurth, Johann Jürgens, Petr Vrsek.
Saturday, Oct 24th, 10:00am
“A Tribute to Roland Emmerich – from "The Noah’s Ark Principle" to "Independence Day" and "Stonewall” Goethe-Institut Los Angeles, 5750 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 100, Los Angeles, CA 90036 Free Admission | RSVP by Oct. 19th required: rsvp@losangeles.goethe.org This event is produced by Gaba – the German American Business Association
Roland Emmerich (Director/Writer/Producer) is one of the world’s most talented and sought-after directors. His career began in his native Germany. He studied film at the University of Television and Film Munich where his student film “The Noah’s Ark Principle“ went on to open the 1984 Berlin Film Festival. His body of work includes movies such as “Independence Day”, “Stargate”, “10,000Bc” and “White House Down”, to name just a few.
Emmerich recently wrapped “Independence Day: Resurgence”, the next epic chapter in the “Independence Day “universe. The original 1996 film redefined the event movie genre by shattering opening weekend and total box office records to become the first movie in history to gross over $500m internationally. The new film mixes a cast of new and familiar faces -- Liam Hemsworth, Jeff Goldblum, Jessie User, Bill Pullman, Maika Monroe, Sela Ward, and Judd Hirsh -- flashing forward 20 years when the nations of Earth must unite to protect the planet against the aliens' return and only a few brave men and women can bring the world back from the brink of extinction. Emmerich’s latest film, “Stonewall”, is a drama about the Stonewall Riots in 1969 New York, which sparked the Lgbt civil rights movement. The film stars Jeremy Irvine and Jonathan Rhys Meyers.
In addition, to his work in film and television, Emmerich has made considerable contributions to many charities, including but not limited to the Cambodian Children’s Fund and the Los Angeles Lgbt Center. The Q&A will be moderated by journalist Dierk Sindermann.
Following the panel:
“Filmmaker Brunch” Following the “Tribute to Roland Emmerich” will be a filmmaker brunch at the Goethe Institute. Meet filmmakers and talent attending the festival while enjoying a continental breakfast by Downtown La’s Bier Beisl Imbiss This brunch is sponsored by German Consulate Los Angeles and Bier Beisl Imbiss
Saturday, Oct 24th, 5:30pm (Matinee)
“Who am I- No system is safe” (“Who am I- Kein System ist sicher”) Los Angeles Premiere | Bavarian Film Prize for Best Direction. Tiff 2014. Directed by Baran bo Odar Germany (2014), 110 min, German with English subtitles
International Sales: Trust Nordisk. No. America is available.
Young Berlin computer whiz-turned hacker Ben (Tom Schilling) feels more at home in the virtual world than he does in the real one. When the charismatic and revolutionary hacker Max (Elyas M’Barek) asks Ben to put his skills to use and “hack the world,” they form the collective “Clay” (Clowns Laughing At You). Instead of lofty political goals, the group shocks the world with humor and guerilla-like pranks. As the team’s popularity drives them to take bigger, bolder risks, they soon attract the attention of the German Secret Service. Just as Ben begins to feel like he finally belongs somewhere, he’s forced to figure out how to escape not only from his law enforcement pursuers, but his dangerous new friends. This stylish, surprising, and exceptionally timely fast-paced cyber thriller moves seamlessly between the real and the virtual, leaving the audience guessing long after the film is over. With Tom Schilling, Hannah Herzsprung, Elyas M’Barak.
Saturday, Oct 24th, 8:30pm
“B-Movie: Lust and Sound in West Berlin” Us Premiere. Berlin Ff 2015 Directed by Jörg A. Hoppe, Klaus Maeck, Heiko Lange Germany (2015), 92 min, German with English subtitles
International Sales: Edel
An Essay-Film narrated by producer and musician Mark Reeder, B-Movie is a fast-paced collage of unreleased film and TV footage, photos, and original interviews compiled by Hoppe, Maeck, and Lange and dramatized scenes that illustrate Reeder’s account of the music, art and chaos in West Berlin of the 1980s. The walled-in city, which became a cultural inter-zone and creative melting pot for avant-garde sub- and pop- culture unlike anywhere else in Europe, attracted “brilliant dilettantes,” squatters, artists, musicians, and world famous celebrities alike. Reeder left Manchester, England for Berlin in 1979 and soon found himself at the center of this dynamic cultural hub, meeting and often working with legendary bands and artists. Including interviews and archival footage from Joy Division, Blixa Bargeld (Einstürzende Neubauten), Die Toten Hosen, Nick Cave, Gudrun Gut, Die Aerzte, Nena, Christiane F. and Westbam, B-movie offers an intimate portrait of the constantly changing cultural constellations of the city, from the Geniale Dilletanten, to the Love Parade, and ending with the fall of the Berlin Wall. Director Klaus Maeck and German DJ Westbam are confirmed to attend.
Saturday, Oct 24th, 11:00pm
DJ Westbam: Free Concert in the Egyptian Theater Courtyard
Hardly any DJ can look back on such a long and exciting career as Westbam, who since 1983 has provided the right music for the night for more than 15 million fans worldwide. A pioneer of DJ culture in Germany and Europe alike, Westbam was the first DJ in Germany to mix his own tracks rather than just play record after record, the first German DJ invited to play the big stages in the heyday of acid house in the UK, the first German DJ to sell over 2 million records, the founder of the first big rave event in Germany, the legendary “Mayday”, and the only DJ to have DJed at every “Loveparade,” producing every “Loveparade anthem” since. Featured in Jörg A.Hoppe, Klaus Maeck & Heiko Lange’s film "B-Movie: Lust & Sound in West-Berlin 1979-1989," Westbam will perform live at the Egyptian Theatre following the film’s screening at the German Currents Film Festival. Please note: Ticket holders for the screening of “B-movie” receive priority admission to the concert. A Standby line for “concert only” begins after the box office closes for the screening at the Egyptian Theatre.
Sunday, Oct 25th, 4:00 pm (Matinee)
“Age of Cannibals” (“Zeit der Kannibalen”) Los Angeles Premiere | Prix Europe for Most Innovative Television Fiction Script. Berlin Ff 2014. Directed by Johannes Naber Germany (2013), 93 min, German and English with English subtitles
Cut-throat business consultants Öllers and Niederländer travel the world without ever really seeing it. In advising companies on how to ruthlessly maximize profits, the two have managed to insulate themselves from the dangerous locations where they conduct business by never leaving their various 5-star hotels. Models of ruthless efficiency, both hope to secure partnerships at their nameless company. When Bianca, a newly hired younger female colleague, is sent to assist in the negotiations, her constant critique of her colleagues’ unscrupulous behavior with clients and hotel staff alike is unsettling to the executives, who pride themselves on their ability to remain emotionally disconnected. Confined within the walls of their hotel, the protagonists reach grotesque extremes, accentuating the feel of a chamber play within Stefan Weigl’s screenplay. The perfectly directed darkly comedic performances offer critique of contemporary global economics. When the dangers of the outside world (experienced only through the occasional sounds of distant explosions or gunfire) find their way inside, the three models turn out to be incompetent. With Sebastian Blomberg, Devied Striesow, Katharina Schüttler.
Sunday, Oct 25th, 6:30 pm – Double Feature
“Dora or The Sexual Neuroses of our Parents” (“Dora oder die sexuellen Neurosen unserer Eltern”) Us Premiere. Berlin Ff 2015 Directed by Stina Werenfels Switzerland/ Germany (2013-2015), 90 min, German with English subtitles
International Sales: Wide
Mentally disabled Dora (Victoria Schulz) has spent much of her 18 years under psychotropic sedatives. When her mother, Kristin (Jenny Schily), decides to stop the medication, Dora’s world begins to open. Determined to experience the world, love, and sex, Dora enters into a relationship with an unscrupulous perfume salesman (Lars Eidinger) who is eager to take advantage of her newfound lust for life. Though Dora’s parents are horrified by her relationship and her eventual pregnancy, they must determine how to both protect their daughter as well as allow her to make her own choices as an adult. Lukas Strebel’s award winning innovative camerawork capture’s not only Dora’s transformation, but also her perspective through p.o.v. In adapting Lukas Bärfuss’ challenging play, director Stina Werenfels and co-writer Boris Treyer emphasize the perspectives and parallel struggles of both mother and daughter, examining broader issues of female sexuality, agency, and motherhood. With Victoria Schulz, Jenny Schily, Lars Eidinger. Director Stina Werenfels is confirmed to attend.
Sunday, Oct 25th, 8:30 pm (approximately) – Double Feature
“Gruber is Leaving” (“Gruber Geht”) Los Angeles Premiere | Beijing Iff: Best Music Directed by Marie Kreutzer Austria (2015), 104 min, German with English subtitles
John Gruber (Manuel Rubey) is the epitome of arrogance. In his mid-thirties, and living in his own world, he has it all; the right job, car, designer apartment in Vienna. In between business trips, nightclubs, and countless one-night stands, the dry-witted cynic has little left for anyone else, and this is just how he likes it. When he meets Berlin-based DJ Sarah (Bernadette Heerwagen), his self-styled world is turned on its head. For it is Sarah, who after their night together, reads him the diagnosis explaining that a tumor is to blame for his recent stomach problems. Gruber‘s superman facade quickly crumbles, sending him on a binge of drugs, alcohol and bar fights in an attempt to cope. With a new regimen of chemotherapy and a growing infatuation with Sarah, Gruber slowly begins to drop his guard. But will he really change? Kreutzer’s faithful adaptation of Doris Knecht’s best-selling novel is strengthened by Cinematographer Leena Koppe’s ability to capture Gruber’s darkly comical transition from cold and distant loner, to a man on a journey to find himself. With Manuel Rubey, Doris Schretzmayer, Ulrike Beimpold.
- 9/26/2015
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Sebastian Schipper’s Victoria was the big winner at this year’s German Film Awards, taking home six statuettes from its seven nominations including the Golden Lolas for Best Film, Best Director, and Best Lead Actor.
Schipper’s one-shot thriller set during a breathless night on the streets of Berlin also picked up Lolas for the Spanish actress Laia Costa, the title character, and the Danish cinematographer Sturla Brandth Grøvlen.
Victoria premiered in the Berlinale’s main competition last February where Grøvlen received a Silver Bear, was released in German cinemas on 11 June and is being handled internationally by The Match Factory.
The Silver Lola for Best Film was awarded by the members of the German Film Academy to Edward Berger’s social-realist drama Jack, with the Bronze Lola going to Johannes Naber’s black comedy Age Of Cannibals which deservedly also received the Lola for Best Screenplay for the searing dialogues by the author Stefan Weigl.
Both...
Schipper’s one-shot thriller set during a breathless night on the streets of Berlin also picked up Lolas for the Spanish actress Laia Costa, the title character, and the Danish cinematographer Sturla Brandth Grøvlen.
Victoria premiered in the Berlinale’s main competition last February where Grøvlen received a Silver Bear, was released in German cinemas on 11 June and is being handled internationally by The Match Factory.
The Silver Lola for Best Film was awarded by the members of the German Film Academy to Edward Berger’s social-realist drama Jack, with the Bronze Lola going to Johannes Naber’s black comedy Age Of Cannibals which deservedly also received the Lola for Best Screenplay for the searing dialogues by the author Stefan Weigl.
Both...
- 6/22/2015
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
Berlinale director discusses ticket sales, VOD platforms and the spirit of ‘Baumi’.
The 65th Berlinale (Feb 5-15) will be remembered in many respects as a Berlinale in the spirit of ‘Baumi’“, according to festival director Dieter Kosslick with reference to the late producer-distributor Karl ‘Baumi’ Baumgartner.
Speaking to Screen as the festival enters its final days, Kosslick recalled that “many of the films shown this year reflect his philosophy: ‘Baumi’ was the pioneer of those so-called ‘little’ films which make a really big impression, and he was a great inspiration for so many film-makers through his co-productions.“
Indeed, as just one example, Malgorzata Szumowska, whose latest feature Body is showing in the Berlinale’s competition this year, said during the goEast Film Festival that Baumgartner – who died at the age of 65 in March 2014 - had been the guiding inspiration for her career as a film-maker.
It is therefore fitting that this year’s Berlinale edition provided the setting...
The 65th Berlinale (Feb 5-15) will be remembered in many respects as a Berlinale in the spirit of ‘Baumi’“, according to festival director Dieter Kosslick with reference to the late producer-distributor Karl ‘Baumi’ Baumgartner.
Speaking to Screen as the festival enters its final days, Kosslick recalled that “many of the films shown this year reflect his philosophy: ‘Baumi’ was the pioneer of those so-called ‘little’ films which make a really big impression, and he was a great inspiration for so many film-makers through his co-productions.“
Indeed, as just one example, Malgorzata Szumowska, whose latest feature Body is showing in the Berlinale’s competition this year, said during the goEast Film Festival that Baumgartner – who died at the age of 65 in March 2014 - had been the guiding inspiration for her career as a film-maker.
It is therefore fitting that this year’s Berlinale edition provided the setting...
- 2/12/2015
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
Citizenfour, The Cut and Quatsch to screen at Berlinale; Critics’ Week Berlin to be launched
The German Film Critics Association (Vdfk) has joined forces with the Heinrich Böll Foundation to launch a Critics’ Week Berlin as “a hub for everyone who connects intellectual reflection with the sensual pleasure of watching films”.
Inspired by the examples of Cannes, Venice and Locarno, the first edition’s selection of 10 features is based on two concepts: “stirring, daring, surprising cinema and a potential for cultural and critical discussion.”
The initiative is not part of the Berlinale, although members of the Vdfk board had spoken with festival director Dieter Kosslick about the idea of a critics’ week in the past.
Two titles already confirmed are the world premiere of Bernard Émond’s Le Journal d’un vieil homme (The Diary of an Old Man), adapted from the Chekhov novella A Dreary Story, and Johnnie To’s romantic comedy Don’t Go Breaking...
The German Film Critics Association (Vdfk) has joined forces with the Heinrich Böll Foundation to launch a Critics’ Week Berlin as “a hub for everyone who connects intellectual reflection with the sensual pleasure of watching films”.
Inspired by the examples of Cannes, Venice and Locarno, the first edition’s selection of 10 features is based on two concepts: “stirring, daring, surprising cinema and a potential for cultural and critical discussion.”
The initiative is not part of the Berlinale, although members of the Vdfk board had spoken with festival director Dieter Kosslick about the idea of a critics’ week in the past.
Two titles already confirmed are the world premiere of Bernard Émond’s Le Journal d’un vieil homme (The Diary of an Old Man), adapted from the Chekhov novella A Dreary Story, and Johnnie To’s romantic comedy Don’t Go Breaking...
- 1/13/2015
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
Titles include Shawn Christensen’s Before I Disappear and Suha Arraf’s Villa Touma [pictured]; guests include Mike Leigh and Ruben Ostlund.
The Reykjavik International Film Festival (Sept 25 - Oct 5) has unveiled the 12 features in competition for the Golden Puffin award, reserved for first or second time directors.
They include Us drama Before I Disappear, from director Shawn Christensen, which picked up the audience audience at SXSW, where it received its world premiere.
Also in the running is family drama Villa Touma, from Palestinian/Israeli director Suha Arraf, which played at Venice and Toronto; and Grzegorz Jaroszuk’s Kebab and Horoscope, which debuted at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival.
The competition line-up includes:
Villa Touma,Suha ArrafThe Lack, Masbedo (It)Age of Cannibals, Johannes Naber (Ger)Before I Disappear, Shawn Christensen (Us-uk)Bonobo, Matthew Hammett Knott (UK)Heimurinn, Iris Elezi, Thomas LogorrheicThe Council of Birds, Timm Kröger (Ger)I Can Quit Whenever I Want,Sydney Sibilia (It)Kebab...
The Reykjavik International Film Festival (Sept 25 - Oct 5) has unveiled the 12 features in competition for the Golden Puffin award, reserved for first or second time directors.
They include Us drama Before I Disappear, from director Shawn Christensen, which picked up the audience audience at SXSW, where it received its world premiere.
Also in the running is family drama Villa Touma, from Palestinian/Israeli director Suha Arraf, which played at Venice and Toronto; and Grzegorz Jaroszuk’s Kebab and Horoscope, which debuted at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival.
The competition line-up includes:
Villa Touma,Suha ArrafThe Lack, Masbedo (It)Age of Cannibals, Johannes Naber (Ger)Before I Disappear, Shawn Christensen (Us-uk)Bonobo, Matthew Hammett Knott (UK)Heimurinn, Iris Elezi, Thomas LogorrheicThe Council of Birds, Timm Kröger (Ger)I Can Quit Whenever I Want,Sydney Sibilia (It)Kebab...
- 9/18/2014
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
A total of 15 films have been submitted for consideration.
German producers have submitted 15 films for consideration to German Films as the country’s entry for the 87th Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film category.
An independent expert jury will decide on Aug 27 which film is to be sent into the race for Germany.
The following titles were submitted:
Home From Home – Chronicle Of A Vision
Edgar Reitz (De/Fr, Erf Edgar Reitz Filmproduktion)
Beloved Sisters
Dominik Graf (Bavaria Filmverleih- und Produktion)
Finsterworld
Frauke Finsterwalder (Walker + Worm Film)
Hanna’s Journey
Julia von Heinz (De/Il, 2 Pilots Filmproduction)
Im Weissen Rössl – Wehe Du Singst
Christian Theede (Ziegler Film)
Stations Of The Cross
Dietrich Brüggemann (Ufa Fiction)
Run Boy Run
Pepe Danquart (De/Fr, bittersuess pictures, A Company Filmproduktion, B.A. Produktion, Quinte Film)
The Last Mentsch
Pierre-Henri Salfati (Elsani Film)
Stereo
Maximilian Erlenwein (Frisbeefilms, Kaissar Film, Wild Bunch Germany)
West
Christian Schwochow (zero one film, Terz...
German producers have submitted 15 films for consideration to German Films as the country’s entry for the 87th Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film category.
An independent expert jury will decide on Aug 27 which film is to be sent into the race for Germany.
The following titles were submitted:
Home From Home – Chronicle Of A Vision
Edgar Reitz (De/Fr, Erf Edgar Reitz Filmproduktion)
Beloved Sisters
Dominik Graf (Bavaria Filmverleih- und Produktion)
Finsterworld
Frauke Finsterwalder (Walker + Worm Film)
Hanna’s Journey
Julia von Heinz (De/Il, 2 Pilots Filmproduction)
Im Weissen Rössl – Wehe Du Singst
Christian Theede (Ziegler Film)
Stations Of The Cross
Dietrich Brüggemann (Ufa Fiction)
Run Boy Run
Pepe Danquart (De/Fr, bittersuess pictures, A Company Filmproduktion, B.A. Produktion, Quinte Film)
The Last Mentsch
Pierre-Henri Salfati (Elsani Film)
Stereo
Maximilian Erlenwein (Frisbeefilms, Kaissar Film, Wild Bunch Germany)
West
Christian Schwochow (zero one film, Terz...
- 8/6/2014
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
A total of 15 films have been submitted for consideration.
German producers have submitted 15 films for consideration to German Films as the country’s entry for the 87th Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film category.
An independent expert jury will decide on Aug 27 which film is to be sent into the race for Germany.
The following titles were submitted:
Home From Home – Chronicle Of A Vision
Edgar Reitz (De/Fr, Erf Edgar Reitz Filmproduktion)
Beloved Sisters
Dominik Graf (Bavaria Filmverleih- und Produktion)
Finsterworld
Frauke Finsterwalder (Walker + Worm Film)
Hanna’s Journey
Julia von Heinz (De/Il, 2 Pilots Filmproduction)
Im Weissen Rössl – Wehe Du Singst
Christian Theede (Ziegler Film)
Stations Of The Cross
Dietrich Brüggemann (Ufa Fiction)
Run Boy Run
Pepe Danquart (De/Fr, bittersuess pictures, A Company Filmproduktion, B.A. Produktion, Quinte Film)
The Last Mentsch
Pierre-Henri Salfati (Elsani Film)
Stereo
Maximilian Erlenwein (Frisbeefilms, Kaissar Film, Wild Bunch Germany)
West
Christian Schwochow (zero one film, Terz...
German producers have submitted 15 films for consideration to German Films as the country’s entry for the 87th Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film category.
An independent expert jury will decide on Aug 27 which film is to be sent into the race for Germany.
The following titles were submitted:
Home From Home – Chronicle Of A Vision
Edgar Reitz (De/Fr, Erf Edgar Reitz Filmproduktion)
Beloved Sisters
Dominik Graf (Bavaria Filmverleih- und Produktion)
Finsterworld
Frauke Finsterwalder (Walker + Worm Film)
Hanna’s Journey
Julia von Heinz (De/Il, 2 Pilots Filmproduction)
Im Weissen Rössl – Wehe Du Singst
Christian Theede (Ziegler Film)
Stations Of The Cross
Dietrich Brüggemann (Ufa Fiction)
Run Boy Run
Pepe Danquart (De/Fr, bittersuess pictures, A Company Filmproduktion, B.A. Produktion, Quinte Film)
The Last Mentsch
Pierre-Henri Salfati (Elsani Film)
Stereo
Maximilian Erlenwein (Frisbeefilms, Kaissar Film, Wild Bunch Germany)
West
Christian Schwochow (zero one film, Terz...
- 8/6/2014
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
The Berlinale has completed the selection for its Perspektive Deutsches Kino strand.
The lineup comprises 14 films: nine full-length fiction features and five medium-long fiction titles and documentaries.
The programme will open with feature Hüter meines Bruders by director Maximilian Leo.
This year’s Perspektive Deutsches Kino list:
Amma & Appa by Franziska Schönenberger (documentary)
Anderswo (Anywhere Else) by Ester Amrami
Bosteri unterm Rad (Bosteri Beneath the Wheel) by Levin Hübner (documentary)
El carro azul (The Blue Car) by Valerie Heine
Flowers of Freedom by Mirjam Leuze (documentary)
Hüter meines Bruders (My Brother’s Keeper) by Maximilian Leo
Lamento by Jöns Jönsson
Nebel (Fog) by Nicole Vögele (documentary)
Raumfahrer (Spacemen) by Georg Nonnenmacher (documentary)
Der Samurai by Till Kleinert
Szenario (Scenario) by Philip Widmann and Karsten Krause
Tape_13 by Axel Stein
Die Unschuldigen (The Innocents) by Oskar Sulowski
Zeit der Kannibalen (Age of Cannibals) by Johannes Naber...
The lineup comprises 14 films: nine full-length fiction features and five medium-long fiction titles and documentaries.
The programme will open with feature Hüter meines Bruders by director Maximilian Leo.
This year’s Perspektive Deutsches Kino list:
Amma & Appa by Franziska Schönenberger (documentary)
Anderswo (Anywhere Else) by Ester Amrami
Bosteri unterm Rad (Bosteri Beneath the Wheel) by Levin Hübner (documentary)
El carro azul (The Blue Car) by Valerie Heine
Flowers of Freedom by Mirjam Leuze (documentary)
Hüter meines Bruders (My Brother’s Keeper) by Maximilian Leo
Lamento by Jöns Jönsson
Nebel (Fog) by Nicole Vögele (documentary)
Raumfahrer (Spacemen) by Georg Nonnenmacher (documentary)
Der Samurai by Till Kleinert
Szenario (Scenario) by Philip Widmann and Karsten Krause
Tape_13 by Axel Stein
Die Unschuldigen (The Innocents) by Oskar Sulowski
Zeit der Kannibalen (Age of Cannibals) by Johannes Naber...
- 1/8/2014
- by andreas.wiseman@screendaily.com (Andreas Wiseman)
- ScreenDaily
The first six films for the 2014 Perspektive Deutsches Kino programme of the Berlinale include four feature films and two documentaries.
Till Kleinert’s Der Samurai is described as “a nightmarish thriller” while Johannes Naber’s new film Zeit der Kannibalen is called “an exciting and scathing cinematic feat that paints a picture of global economy in its worst human perversions.”
Lamento, produced by Jost Hering and Maxim Juretzka (BuntFilm), is an Hff Konrad Wolf graduation film by Jöns Jönsson.
Amma & Appa is a personal documentary that focuses on the wedding plans of director Franziska Schönenberger and her fiancé and co-director Jayakrishnan Subramanian. The doc spotlights the clash of Bavarian and Indian value systems
In the 40-minute documentary Raumfahrer, the observation slit in a prison transport bus gives texture to the thoughts of its passengers.
The 36-minute fiction graduation film Die Unschuldigen by Oskar Sulowski (Film Academy Baden-Württemberg), which premiered in early December at the Grand Off Independent...
Till Kleinert’s Der Samurai is described as “a nightmarish thriller” while Johannes Naber’s new film Zeit der Kannibalen is called “an exciting and scathing cinematic feat that paints a picture of global economy in its worst human perversions.”
Lamento, produced by Jost Hering and Maxim Juretzka (BuntFilm), is an Hff Konrad Wolf graduation film by Jöns Jönsson.
Amma & Appa is a personal documentary that focuses on the wedding plans of director Franziska Schönenberger and her fiancé and co-director Jayakrishnan Subramanian. The doc spotlights the clash of Bavarian and Indian value systems
In the 40-minute documentary Raumfahrer, the observation slit in a prison transport bus gives texture to the thoughts of its passengers.
The 36-minute fiction graduation film Die Unschuldigen by Oskar Sulowski (Film Academy Baden-Württemberg), which premiered in early December at the Grand Off Independent...
- 12/18/2013
- by andreas.wiseman@screendaily.com (Andreas Wiseman)
- ScreenDaily
The first six films for the 2014 Perspektive Deutsches Kino programme of the Berlinale include four feature films and two documentaries.
Till Kleinert’s Der Samurai [pictured]is described as “a nightmarish thriller” while Johannes Naber’s new film Zeit der Kannibalen is called “an exciting and scathing cinematic feat that paints a picture of global economy in its worst human perversions.”
Lamento, produced by Jost Hering and Maxim Juretzka (BuntFilm), is an Hff Konrad Wolf graduation film by Jöns Jönsson.
Amma & Appa is a personal documentary that focuses on the wedding plans of director Franziska Schönenberger and her fiancé and co-director Jayakrishnan Subramanian. The doc spotlights the clash of Bavarian and Indian value systems
In the 40-minute documentary Raumfahrer, the observation slit in a prison transport bus gives texture to the thoughts of its passengers.
The 36-minute fiction graduation film Die Unschuldigen by Oskar Sulowski (Film Academy Baden-Württemberg), which premiered in early December at the Grand Off Independent...
Till Kleinert’s Der Samurai [pictured]is described as “a nightmarish thriller” while Johannes Naber’s new film Zeit der Kannibalen is called “an exciting and scathing cinematic feat that paints a picture of global economy in its worst human perversions.”
Lamento, produced by Jost Hering and Maxim Juretzka (BuntFilm), is an Hff Konrad Wolf graduation film by Jöns Jönsson.
Amma & Appa is a personal documentary that focuses on the wedding plans of director Franziska Schönenberger and her fiancé and co-director Jayakrishnan Subramanian. The doc spotlights the clash of Bavarian and Indian value systems
In the 40-minute documentary Raumfahrer, the observation slit in a prison transport bus gives texture to the thoughts of its passengers.
The 36-minute fiction graduation film Die Unschuldigen by Oskar Sulowski (Film Academy Baden-Württemberg), which premiered in early December at the Grand Off Independent...
- 12/18/2013
- by andreas.wiseman@screendaily.com (Andreas Wiseman)
- ScreenDaily
Moscow -- Director Marcel Rasquin's Venezuelan soccer player drama "Hermano" ("Brother") won the Moscow International Film Festival's top prize, the Golden George, as the fest's 32nd edition came to a close Saturday.
The festival's special prize, the Silver George, went to "Der Albaner" ("The Albanian"), a story of an Albanian immigrant living in Germany. The Albanian-German co-production was directed by Johannes Naber and also earned best actor honors for Nik Xhelilaj.
French director and producer Luc Besson presided over the festival jury.
Poland's Jan Kidawa-Blonski collected the Silver George for best director for "Rozyczka" ("Little Rose"), a drama set in Socialist Poland in the late 1960s. Czech actress Vilma Cibulkova was named best actress for her role in "Zemsky raj to na pohled" ("An Earthy Paradise for the Eyes").
Borys Lankosz's "Rewers" ("Reverse") topped the Perspective competition program as best film.
French director Claude Lelouch, whose "What Love...
The festival's special prize, the Silver George, went to "Der Albaner" ("The Albanian"), a story of an Albanian immigrant living in Germany. The Albanian-German co-production was directed by Johannes Naber and also earned best actor honors for Nik Xhelilaj.
French director and producer Luc Besson presided over the festival jury.
Poland's Jan Kidawa-Blonski collected the Silver George for best director for "Rozyczka" ("Little Rose"), a drama set in Socialist Poland in the late 1960s. Czech actress Vilma Cibulkova was named best actress for her role in "Zemsky raj to na pohled" ("An Earthy Paradise for the Eyes").
Borys Lankosz's "Rewers" ("Reverse") topped the Perspective competition program as best film.
French director Claude Lelouch, whose "What Love...
- 6/26/2010
- by By Vladimir Kozlov
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Directed by Philipp Stölzl from a screenplay by Stölzl, Christoph Silber, Johannes Naber, and Rupert Henning, the stunningly shot mountain-climbing drama North Face is currently playing in the Los Angeles area at Encino’s Town Center 5, West La’s Royal Theatre, and Pasadena’s Playhouse 7, in addition to Irvine’s University Town Center. The adventure drama stars Benno Fürmann, Johanna Wokalek, Florian Lukas, Simon Schwarz, Georg Friedrich, and Ulrich Tukur (one of the leads in The White Ribbon). A tale entwining melodrama, Nazis, Aryan superiority ideology, mind-blowing vistas, and some pretty awesome stunts, North Face won the best screenplay and best cinematography (Kolja Brandt) awards from the German Film Critics Association, and best cinematography and sound awards from the German Film Academy. The [...]...
- 2/16/2010
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
The best produced narrative fiction climbing film of all time. A legendary story coupled with simple but extremely effective camera work and heroism where one least expects it Writer Director Philipp Stölzl took home the 2009 German Film Critics Award for Best Screenplay along with co-writers Christoph Silber, Rupert Henning and Johannes Naber for this riveting adventure thriller. The setting is the deadly north face of the Eiger, still unconquered at the story.s setting in 1936. Nazi propaganda urges young climbers to take on the nearly vertical ice covered rock massif in the name of the Aryan warrior spirit. Other Aryans watch from telescopes from the deck of the nearby hotel as the naïve gladiators battle the face and end...
- 1/29/2010
- by Ron Wilkinson
- Monsters and Critics
Taking your vacation at the beach is Ok for tourists, if you can tolerate the sand and the dampness, but visiting the mountains is for travelers. The mountains can offer the kinds of demands that the ocean rarely does, and we.re not talking about the challenge of meeting fellow singles at the Concord in New York.s Catskills ranges. We.re talking extreme sport: climbing the heights, which can be something else if your most exhausting task has been to ascend the endless stairs on the F line in New York.s 63rd Street station. Nor do we refer to using a walking stick to amble up a sierra that points up from the ground at a thirty-degree angle. Philipp Stölz shows the way in his documentary-style drama based on an actual event that finds pairs of athletes who defy death (or do not as the specific case may...
- 1/13/2010
- Arizona Reporter
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