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Exclusive: Studio Zentral, the German production company behind Mascha Shilinski’s Cannes competition feature Sound Of Falling, is developing neo-Nazi tale The Aughts penned by Richard Kropf, the writer behind by hit series such as TNT’s 4Blocks and Netflix’s Kleo and Marc Rothemund’s feature Weekend Rebels.

It is one of a number of new projects being readied by the fast growing Berlin and Munich-based Studio Zentral, which is backed by German broadcaster Zdf’s Studios Group.

The Aughts is adapted from the book Nullerjahre by Hendrik Bolz. It is a memoir about a post-reunification adolescence among Neo-Nazis,...

San Sebastian has unveiled the four titles set to pitch at this year’s Wip Europe sidebar, which will run Sept. 23-25.

Previous participants at Wip Europe include Maria Trenor’s eventual Annecy competition player “Rock Bottom,” as well as a pair of Berlinale Panorama players in Tonia Noyabrova’s “Do You Love Me?” and Michael Fetter Nathansky’s “Every You Every Me,” which will return to San Sebastian in this year’s Zabaltegi-Tabakalera section.

This year’s films will be competing for the Wip Europe Industry Award, which includes post-production services, English subtitles, and Spanish distribution for the winning film. The Wip Europe Award is also on the line, a €10,000 cash prize granted to the majority producer of the selected title.

Below, we look at the four titles set for this year’s Wip Europe lineup.

“In a Grove,” Nino Akhvlediani (Georgia)

The third feature from Georgian director Akhvlediani,...

German drama film “Every You Every Me” (aka “Alle Die Du Bist”) was Saturday named best film winner at the 7th edition of the Malaysia International Film Festival (MIFFest). The festival’s prizes are known as the Golden Global Awards.

Directed by Michael Fetter Nathansky, the film about a woman trying to reconnect with her partner in a failing relationship, had its world premiere in February at the Berlinale. At Miffest, the film additionally earned the best actress award for Aenne Schwarz and saw Nathansky also pick up the best screenplay award.

The film, “boldly confronts the real-life challenges faced by the working class, particularly the struggles associated with monetary deficits [and] skillfully transforms these harsh realities into cinematic excellence,” said a jury statement.

Every You Every Me

Best director honors went to the duo of Alireza Ghasemi and Raha Amirfazli for their film “In the Land of Brothers.” About three...

Michael Fetter Nathansky’s Every You Every Me scooped three prizes including best film at the 7th Malaysia International Film Festival (Miffest) while Japanese auteur Hirokazu Kore-eda and renowned Indonesian actress Christine Hakim received lifetime achievement awards.

German director Nathansky came on stage to receive the awards for best film and best screenplay and his leading lady Aenne Schwarz was in attendance to collect the best actress award. The romantic social drama, which premiered in the Panorama section of this year’s Berlinale, follows a single mother and factory worker as she falls in and out of love.

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Projects from Albert Serra and Iciar Bollain are among the 12 Spanish features selected for the 2024 San Sebastian International Film Festival (Ssiff), taking place from September 20-28.

Serra will compete for the first time in San Sebastian’s official section with bullfighting documentary Tardes De Soledad. His previous films include Locarno winner The Story Of My Death and 2022 Cannes premiere Pacifiction.

Competing in the main section for the fifth time is Iciar Bollain with I’m Nevenka, about a town councillor who reports abuse by the major. Mireia Oriol and Urko Olazabal star.

Also selected are Pedro Martín-Calero’s directorial debut The Wailing,...

Malaysia Festival Selections

The Malaysia International Film Festival (Miffest), which runs July 21-28, will open with horror film “Indera” by local director Woo Ming Jin and starring Shaheizy Sam and Azira Shafinaz. The festival will conclude with the double feature of “Love Lies” by Ho Miu Ki and “Peg O’ My Heart” by Nick Cheung.

The festival’s nine films in competition include: “Abang Adik” by Jin Ong; “Betania” by Marcelo Botta; “Every You Every Me” by Michael Fetter Nathansky, a critical exploration of personal identity and a highlight of German cinema; Afghan refugee tale “In the Land of Brothers” by Alireza Ghasemi and Raha Amirfazli; “Rapture” by Dominic Sangma, set in a mystically charged village and exploring oppressive themes through a child’s perspective; “Sujo” by Astrid Rondero and Fernanda Valadez, a gritty tale of youth amidst cartel violence; “The Editorial Office” by Roman Bondarchuk, a satirical take on...

Malaysian director Woo Ming Jin’s local horror Indera will open the Malaysia International Film Festival (Miffest), which will be closed by two Hong Kong features, Ho Miu Ki’s Love Lies and Nick Cheung’s Peg O’ My Heart.

The 7th edition of Miffest will take place in Malaysia’s capital of Kuala Lumpur from July 21-28. It will pay tribute to Japanese auteur Hirokazu Kore-eda and celebrated Indonesian actress Christine Hakim with lifetime achievement awards, as well as honour Hong Kong actor-director Cheung with an award for excellent achievement in film.

In a press conference held yesterday (June...

Cinema Icons Hirokazu Kore-eda and Christine Hakim to be Honoured with Lifetime Achievement Awards

Kuala Lumpur, 24 June — The Malaysia International Film Festival (MIFFest) has announced its programme lineup for the much-anticipated 7th edition, set to transform Kuala Lumpur into a cinematic paradise from 21-28 July 2024. With an exceptional array of films, MIFFest continues to celebrate the spirit of both Malaysian and international cinema.

Opening and Closing Nights

This year's festival will kick off with the spine-tingling Malaysian horror film “Indera” by acclaimed director Woo Ming Jin, featuring the talented Shaheizy Sam and Azira Shafinaz. The festival will conclude on a high note with the double feature of “Love Lies” by Ho Miu Ki and “Peg O' My Heart” by Nick Cheung.

Honouring Cinema Masters Hirokazu Kore-eda and Christine Hakim

At the pinnacle of this year's festival, MIFFest proudly confers its esteemed Lifetime Achievement Awards upon two cinematic titans: Hirokazu Kore-eda...

It may not match last year’s sheer quantity in competition strands, but Spain still boasts a high quality presence at the Berlinale. Following, highlights the festival and EFM:

“Every You Every Me,” (Michael Fetter Nathansky)

A factory worker strives to reconnect with her distant husband, exploring the rediscovery of love within the complexities of relationships. From Contando Films, Studio Zentral, Network Movie and Nephilim, a German-Spanish production.

“Cura Sana,” (Lucía G. Romero)

Produced by Escac Films, this Generation 14plus premiere delves into sisters’ lives shaped by ancestral violence, exploring deep familial bonds and lasting impact of abuse.

“Deprisa, Deprisa,” (Carlos Saura)

A classic: Set to a memorable flamenco-pop score, four young Madrid delinquents pull robberies, snort heroin, steal cars the film capturing the raw energy youth and their vague, but visceral sense of ‘liberty.’ A restoration of a seminal work.

“The Human Hibernation,” (Anna Cornudella)

A sci-fi exploration of siblings undergoing hibernation,...

A new film industry superclass is emerging in Spain: movies powered or co-backed by its streaming giants.

Perhaps the biggest example, Netflix Spain’s Andes flight disaster “Society of the Snow,” scored two Academy Award nominations last month.

Now, in the run-up to Berlin, London-based Film Constellation has acquired most world sales rights to “The Captive,” from Oscar winner Alejandro Amenábar (“The Sea Inside”) and Mod Producciones, a $15 million period adventure epic on the literary makings of “Quixote”author Miguel de Cervantes, held to ransom in a Moorish corsair jail.

Film Factory Ent. will take to market Iciar Bollain’s “I Am Nevenka,” about a feminist pioneer in Spain, and an untitled project from “Prison 77’s” Alberto Rodriguez, two fruit of the first movie slate from Movistar Plus+, the biggest Spanish pay TV/SVOD player, announced in January.

Spanish movies overperform on Netflix and Movistar Plus+. As of Feb.

A Different Man.The Berlinale have begun to announce the first few titles selected for the 74th edition of their festival, set to take place from February 15 through 21, 2024. This page will be updated as further sections are announced.COMPETITIONAnother End (Piero Messina)Architecton (Victor Kossakovsky)Black Tea (Abderrahmane Sissako)La Cocina (Alonso Ruiz Palacios) Dahomey (Mati Diop)A Different Man (Aaron Schimberg)The Empire (Bruno Dumont)Gloria! (Margherita Vicario)Suspended Time (Olivier Assayas)From Hilde, With Love (Andreas Dresen)My Favourite CakeLangue Etrangère (Claire Berger)Small Things Like These (Tim Mielants)Who Do I Belong To (Meryam Joobeur)Pepe (Nelson Carlos De Los Santos Arias)Shambhala (Min Bahadur Bham)Sterben (Matthias Glasner)Small Things Like These (Tim Mielants)A Traveler’s Needs (Hong Sang-soo)Sleep With Your Eyes Open. ENCOUNTERSArcadia (Yorgos Zois)Cidade; Campo (Juliana Rojas)Demba (Mamadou Dia)Direct ActionSleep With Your Eyes Open (Nele Wohlatz)The Fable (Raam Reddy...

Berlinale co-directors Carlo Chatrian and Mariette Rissenbeek are going out with a bang in their final year, with a lineup unveiled today featuring the latest works by Olivier Assayas, Bruno Dumont, Mati Diop, Hong Sang-soo, Abderrahmane Sissako, Jane Schoenbrun, Alonso Ruizpalacios, Matias Pineiro, Travis Wilkerson, Kazik Radwanski, Annie Baker, and more.

When the co-directors were asked by Screen Daily about their departure, Chatrian said, “It’s quite simple. Mariette and I had a mandate of five years. It is true that at the beginning I said that I was willing to go on because there was a shared will with the [German] Ministry [of Culture] to go on. But then the people who have the responsibility to see the future of the Berlinale thought this structure of two leaders was not the right one and I don’t consider myself able to run the festival alone. And that was the decision of the Ministry.

The Berlin Film Festival is staying true to its political roots.

The 74th Berlinale on Wednesday unveiled its Panorama, Generation and Forum sidebars, and the selection is packed with features and documentaries with a strong political bent, as is to be expected from a fest that prides itself on the social relevance of its official lineup.

Gender roles and gender politics are in focus in several of the Panorama titles, including the section’s opening film Crossing from director Levan Akin (And Then We Danced), in which an unlikely duo travels to Istanbul in search of a young trans woman; the Norwegian feature Sex from Dag Johan Haugerud, about two chimney sweeps living in monogamous, heterosexual marriages whose experiences change their views on sexuality; Bruce Labruce’s The Visitor, a provocative remake of Pier Paolo Pasolini’s 1968 classic Teorema; and Anthony Schatteman’s debut feature Young Hearts, a Generation Kplus title,...

The Berlinale has announced the full line-ups of its Panorama, Forum and Generation sidebars for the 74th edition running from February 15 to 24. (scroll down for full list)

Panorama will showcase 31 titles including one series and 25 world premieres.

Highlights include Swedish-Georgian director Levan Akin’s Crossing, his first feature since 2019 Cannes breakout And Then We Danced, which opens the selection.

The drama revolves around a retired teacher whose search for her long-lost niece Tekla takes her to Istanbul where she becomes acquainted with a trans rights lawyer.

Other buzzy titles set for a world premiere include André Téchiné’s My New Friends, starring Isabelle Huppert as a solitary police officer, and and Myriam El Hajj’s documentary Diaries From Lebanon, following three people as they navigate their country on the brink of revolution.

A number of Sundance titles will also be making a Panorama splash including Nathan Silver’s Between The Temples,...

The Berlinale has completed the lineup for its Panorama, Generation, Forum and Forum expanded sections, with new films from Levan Akin and Andre Techine, plus the debut feature of US playwright Annie Baker.

Swedish filmmaker Akin, who scored an international hit in 2019 with And Then We Danced, will open the Panorama strand with Crossing, about two people travelling from Georgia to Istanbul in search of a young transgender woman.

Scroll down for the full list of Panorama, Generation and Forum features

Also among the 31 films in Panorama are My New Friends from French filmmaker Techine, starring Isabelle Hupert, Hafsia Herzi...

Be For Films, an independent film sales company based in Brussels, has acquired international rights to German filmmaker Michael Fetter Nathansky’s “Every You Every Me,” which has been selected in the Panorama section of the Berlinale.

“Every You Every Me” won two Work-in-Progress Awards, under its previous title “Mannequins,” at the San Sebastian Film Festival.

The romantic social drama looks at the painful process of falling out of love and the initial magic of falling in love. It poses the question: What if the person you love the most suddenly becomes a stranger in your eyes? Nadine, a dedicated factory worker, tries to revive her relationship by reconnecting with her deepest emotions. But who did she once see in him that she can no longer find?

In a statement, the directors asks: “Do you know the feeling when you look at a strange man and find it bizarre how...

The San Sebastian Film Festival awarded O Corno (The Rye Horn) with the Golden Shell for Best Film. San Sebastián native Jaione Camborda took the top prize of the night for the feature she directed.

Additionally, the jury gave the Silver Shell for Best Director to Tzu-Hui Peng and Ping-Wen Wang for Chun xing / A Journey in Spring (Taiwan), while the Best Screenplay Award went to María Alché and Benjamín Naishtat for Puan (Argentina-Italy-Germany-France-Brazil).

The Silver Shell for Best Leading Performance fell ex aequo upon Marcelo Subiotto and Tatsuya Fuji for their respective roles in Puan, by Alché and Naishtat, and Great Absence (Japan), by Kei Chika-ura, while the Silver Shell for Best Supporting Performance went to Hovik Keuchkerian for his character in Un amor (Spain) by Isabel Coixet.

Check out the full list of winners below.

San Sebastian 2023 Award Winners List Golden Shell For Best Film

O Corno (The Rye Horn...

Winners included ’Mannequins’, ’Most People Die On Sundays’ and ’These Were All Fields’.

The key industry awards at the San Sebastian International Film Festival (Ssiff) went to Michael Fetter Nathansky’s Mannequins, Iar Said’s Most People Die On Sundays and Daniela Abad Lombana’ These Were All Fields. The awards were announced at a ceremony on Wednesday 27.

Mannequins (working title) took both the Wip Europa Industry Award and the Wip Europa Award. Germany’s Contando Films and Studio Central/Network Movie are producing Nathansky’s second feature, which is a romantic social drama set in Europe’s largest coal mining area.

“A Hunt for Hedgehogs,” the new film by Hungarian director Mihály Schwechtje and “Rock Bottom,” the feature debut of Spaniard María Trénor mark two potential highlights of San Sebastian’s pix-in-post sidebar Wip Europa, that runs Sept 25-27.

In 2020, the San Sebastian Film Festival, the highest-profile film event in the Spanish-speaking world, launched two new pix-in-post showcases, Wip Latam and Wip Europa, replacing respectively Films in Progress and Glocal in Progress sidebars.

The five candidates productions that will vie for the Wip Europa Award are from Germany, Hungary, Spain and Turkey. Among them is “A Hunt for Hedgehogs,” the second feature from Schwechtje who debuted with “I Hope You’ll Die Next Time:-),” winner of best film in the youth strand at Tallinn Black Nights in 2018. He has also directed several episodes of the popular HBO Hungary series “In Treatment.”

“Rock Bottom,” an animated feature using a rotoscoped 2D style,...

Five productions from Germany, Hungary, Spain and Turkey will make up the Wip Europa selection, the San Sebastián Festival initiative running from 25-27 September for films at the post-production stage with a majority of European production.

German director Michael Fetter Nathansky will show his second film, Mannequins (working title), a romantic drama set against a social backdrop about the magic of falling in love and the painful process of falling out in one of Europe’s biggest mining areas. The film participated in its project stage in the Cutting Edge Talent Camp of Mannheim-Heidelberg Festival.

Sima’s Song is also the second film from the Afghan moviemaker Roya Sadat, known for her activism in favour of women’s rights. This Spanish coproduction with The Netherlands and France set in Afghanistan prior to the breakout of civil war narrates the confrontation between two close friends on different sides of the political fence.

Five productions from Germany, Hungary, Spain and Turkey will make up the Wip Europa selection, the San Sebastián Festival initiative running from 25-27 September for films at the post-production stage with a majority of European production.

German director Michael Fetter Nathansky will show his second film, Mannequins (working title), a romantic drama set against a social backdrop about the magic of falling in love and the painful process of falling out in one of Europe’s biggest mining areas. The film participated in its project stage in the Cutting Edge Talent Camp of Mannheim-Heidelberg Festival.

Sima’s Song is also the second film from the Afghan moviemaker Roya Sadat, known for her activism in favour of women’s rights. This Spanish coproduction with The Netherlands and France set in Afghanistan prior to the breakout of civil war narrates the confrontation between two close friends on different sides of the political fence.

Five projects from Germany, Spain, Hungry and Turkey will participate in this year’s initiative for films in post-production.

Five projects from Germany, Spain, Hungry and Turkey will participate in San Sebastian’s Wip Europa initiative for films in post-production with majority European backing.

The programme will run September 25-27 during which the projects will be screened to producers, distributors, sales agents and programmers. A €10,000 Wip Europa prize is up for grabs to assist with post-production services.

Among the selection is Rima’s Song from Afghan filmmaker Roya Sadat whose debut feature A Letter To The President was the country...

Do you ever think about the narrative that governs your everyday life? You certainly will after watching the idiosyncratic German tragicomedy “The Ordinaries,” which fizzes with remake potential. For her debut feature, premiering in the main competition at Karlovy Vary, German director-writer Sophie Linnenbaum and her co-scripter Michael Fetter Nathansky create a high-concept, meta-cinema world that uses the process of filmmaking to deconstruct the power of the narratives and how they determine our thoughts and actions.

The basic idea for this world came early on to Linnenbaum, with the short “[Out of Fra]me” (2016), made while she attended Film University Babelsberg Konrad Wolf. She wondered what it must feel like to be outside the frame and not be seen, and that turned into the story of a lonely young man who finally finds the connections with a group of people with film defects such as “jumpcutters” or “wrongly cast.” She says, “These characters...

Leading arthouse sales company The Match Factory has acquired Sophie Linnenbaum’s graduation feature “The Ordinaries,” which will have its international premiere in Karlovy Vary Film Festival’s Crystal Globe Competition, following its world premiere at Munich Film Festival.

In her first foray into feature-length fiction filmmaking, Linnenbaum “playfully explores the process of identity construction within rigid power structures in a filmic meta-world,” The Match Factory said. The film follows her acclaimed documentary “Stories of Dads,” which won the Fff Talent Award at Dokfest Munich last year, and was nominated for the German Documentary Award.

“The Ordinaries” depicts a repressive three class-society in which Paula, a simple Supporting Character, is about to face the most important test of her life: she has to prove she deserves to be a Lead. She is at the top of her class at the Main Character School – but so far has failed in generating great emotional music.

Cinema numbers are shrinking again as Covid-19 cases rise across Europe.

France, opening Wednesday October 14

It has been a complicated few days for French distributors and exhibitors following the introduction of a night-time curfew from Saturday night in Paris and eight other major cities, as part of measures to slow the spread of Covid-19.

The measure, which obliges people to return home by 9pm, effectively wipes out key evening screening slots although exhibitors are lobbying the government for a special dispensation for cinemagoers. A final decision was expected late Friday or over the weekend, but if the answer is ‘no...