Diane Kruger is re-teaming with her In the Fade director Fatih Akin on the new German period drama Amrum, which began principal photography in Hamburg today.
The film follows a family living in a small village on Amrum Island in rural northern Germany in early 1945, in the final days of World War II. The story is based on the childhood memories of Akin’s In the Fade co-screenwriter, German author and director Hark Bohm. Bohm had initially planned to direct the film himself before handing the reins over to Akin, who co-wrote the Amrum screenplay.
The movie is a coming-of-age story of Nanning, a 12-year-old boy (played by Jasper Billerbeck) and his best friend Hermann (Kian Köppke). Laura Tonke (When Will It Be Again Like It Never Was Before) plays Nanning’s mother, Hille Hagener. Kruger plays Tessa Bendixen, a farmer’s wife. Matthias Schweighöfer (Oppenheimer), Detlev Buck (Same Same...
The film follows a family living in a small village on Amrum Island in rural northern Germany in early 1945, in the final days of World War II. The story is based on the childhood memories of Akin’s In the Fade co-screenwriter, German author and director Hark Bohm. Bohm had initially planned to direct the film himself before handing the reins over to Akin, who co-wrote the Amrum screenplay.
The movie is a coming-of-age story of Nanning, a 12-year-old boy (played by Jasper Billerbeck) and his best friend Hermann (Kian Köppke). Laura Tonke (When Will It Be Again Like It Never Was Before) plays Nanning’s mother, Hille Hagener. Kruger plays Tessa Bendixen, a farmer’s wife. Matthias Schweighöfer (Oppenheimer), Detlev Buck (Same Same...
- 4/22/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Fatih Akin’s WWII coming-of-age tale Amrum has begun shooting in Hamburg with newcomer Jasper Billerbeck joining German stars Laura Tonke and Diane Kruger in the cast.
The feature, which was first announced in 2022, is set on Germany’s North Sea island of Amrum in the spring of 1945, in the final days of World War Two.
It revolves around a 12-year-old boy called Nanning who goes seal hunting, fishing at night and toils in the fields to help his mother feed the family. When peace is declared, completely new conflicts arise, and Nanning must learn to find his own way.
The screenplay is based on the childhood memories of German director and screenwriter Hark Bohm, a long-standing friend of Akin.
The pair previously collaborated on the screenplay of Turkish-German director Akin’s award-winning 2017 feature In The Fade.
“What began as a Hark Bohm film now becomes my twelfth feature film...
The feature, which was first announced in 2022, is set on Germany’s North Sea island of Amrum in the spring of 1945, in the final days of World War Two.
It revolves around a 12-year-old boy called Nanning who goes seal hunting, fishing at night and toils in the fields to help his mother feed the family. When peace is declared, completely new conflicts arise, and Nanning must learn to find his own way.
The screenplay is based on the childhood memories of German director and screenwriter Hark Bohm, a long-standing friend of Akin.
The pair previously collaborated on the screenplay of Turkish-German director Akin’s award-winning 2017 feature In The Fade.
“What began as a Hark Bohm film now becomes my twelfth feature film...
- 4/22/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Production is underway today in Hamburg on Fatih Akin’s Second World War drama Amrum, with Jasper Billerbeck, Laura Tonke and Diane Kruger leading the cast.
Beta Cinema has boarded the film and will launch international sales in Cannes next month. The film is produced by Akin’s own company bombero international with Warner Bros Film Productions Germany, in co-production with Rialto Film.
Warner Bros Pictures will release the film in Germany in September 2025.
Written by Akin and his In The Fade co-writer Hark Bohm, Amrum is set on the eponymous German island in spring 1945, as a 12-year-old boy helps...
Beta Cinema has boarded the film and will launch international sales in Cannes next month. The film is produced by Akin’s own company bombero international with Warner Bros Film Productions Germany, in co-production with Rialto Film.
Warner Bros Pictures will release the film in Germany in September 2025.
Written by Akin and his In The Fade co-writer Hark Bohm, Amrum is set on the eponymous German island in spring 1945, as a 12-year-old boy helps...
- 4/22/2024
- ScreenDaily
Beta Cinema is launching international sales in Cannes for director Fatih Akin’s upcoming film “Amrum,” which starts shooting in Hamburg Monday. The film stars Jasper Billerbeck, Laura Tonke and Diane Kruger.
“Amrum” will be released in German theaters in September 2025, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.
It is set on the island of Amrum in spring 1945. Seal hunting, fishing at night, toiling in the fields – nothing is too dangerous or too arduous for 12-year-old Nanning to help his mother feed the family in the final days of World War II. With the longed-for peace, however, completely new conflicts arise, and Nanning must learn to find his own way.
The story is based on the childhood memories of German director and screenwriter Hark Bohm. Akin said: “What began as a Hark Bohm film now becomes my 12th feature film and an extraordinary mission: ‘Amrum’ is the journey of young Nanning, who...
“Amrum” will be released in German theaters in September 2025, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.
It is set on the island of Amrum in spring 1945. Seal hunting, fishing at night, toiling in the fields – nothing is too dangerous or too arduous for 12-year-old Nanning to help his mother feed the family in the final days of World War II. With the longed-for peace, however, completely new conflicts arise, and Nanning must learn to find his own way.
The story is based on the childhood memories of German director and screenwriter Hark Bohm. Akin said: “What began as a Hark Bohm film now becomes my 12th feature film and an extraordinary mission: ‘Amrum’ is the journey of young Nanning, who...
- 4/22/2024
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Sebastian Stan, whose “A Different Man” screens in the Berlin Film Festival, Christoph Waltz and Tom Wlaschiha, the “Faceless Man” in “Game of Thrones,” were among the guests at Studio Babelsberg Night, the historic Berlin film studios’ party at Soho House Berlin held to celebrate the 74th edition of the festival. The event was supported by Mexican tequila brand Don Julio, the Motion Picture Assn. and Little Moons. Variety was the media partner.
Among the leading filmmakers welcomed by Babelsberg were Fatih Akin, who won Berlin’s Golden Bear in 2004, Julia von Heinz, whose film “Treasure,” starring Lena Dunham, plays at the Berlinale, and Tom Tykwer, who shot series “Babylon Berlin” at Babelsberg and recently shot feature film “The Light” there.
Christoph Waltz
Other directors and writers at the party included “Dark” creators Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese, who shot Netflix’s “1899” at Babelsberg, Lars Kraume, Detlev Buck and David Wnendt.
Among the leading filmmakers welcomed by Babelsberg were Fatih Akin, who won Berlin’s Golden Bear in 2004, Julia von Heinz, whose film “Treasure,” starring Lena Dunham, plays at the Berlinale, and Tom Tykwer, who shot series “Babylon Berlin” at Babelsberg and recently shot feature film “The Light” there.
Christoph Waltz
Other directors and writers at the party included “Dark” creators Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese, who shot Netflix’s “1899” at Babelsberg, Lars Kraume, Detlev Buck and David Wnendt.
- 2/22/2024
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Wim Wenders’ German film production company Road Movies and Berlin-based distributor-producer Dcm have launched a partnership sees Dcm take a stake in Road Movies and co-founder and partner Marc Schmidheiny become managing director of Road Movies.
Dcm released Wenders’ two most recent films Anselm - The Rush of Time and the Oscar-nonimated Perfect Days in German-speaking cinemas.
The first joint project will be the documentary The Secret Of Places (working title), Wenders’ long-term observation of the Swiss architect Peter Zumthor.
Dcm was founded in 2010 by Dario Suter, Christoph Daniel and Marc Schmidheiny, later joined by Joel Brandeis. It has established...
Dcm released Wenders’ two most recent films Anselm - The Rush of Time and the Oscar-nonimated Perfect Days in German-speaking cinemas.
The first joint project will be the documentary The Secret Of Places (working title), Wenders’ long-term observation of the Swiss architect Peter Zumthor.
Dcm was founded in 2010 by Dario Suter, Christoph Daniel and Marc Schmidheiny, later joined by Joel Brandeis. It has established...
- 2/17/2024
- ScreenDaily
The 73rd Berlin International Film Festival kicked off with a four-hour celebration of cinema – one that got increasingly political as the hours ticked by.
The German festival has always mixed politics with art, and that intersection could not be avoided in 2023 as Russia’s war on Ukraine rages on and the citizens of Iran are imprisoned and executed by an extremist government over human rights. In between, veteran indie director Rebecca Miller offered up her latest, the marital dramedy ‘She Came to Me’, reports Variety.
Berlin jury president Kristen Stewart spoke of the inherent political nature of film early on, addressing the crowd at the Berlinale Palast theatre at Thursday’s opening ceremony.
“There are a lot of oppressions against our physical selves. I’m a girl, but I’m probably the least marginal version of a woman I can be,” Stewart said.
Golshifteh Farahani, another juror, noted some women are not as fortunate.
The German festival has always mixed politics with art, and that intersection could not be avoided in 2023 as Russia’s war on Ukraine rages on and the citizens of Iran are imprisoned and executed by an extremist government over human rights. In between, veteran indie director Rebecca Miller offered up her latest, the marital dramedy ‘She Came to Me’, reports Variety.
Berlin jury president Kristen Stewart spoke of the inherent political nature of film early on, addressing the crowd at the Berlinale Palast theatre at Thursday’s opening ceremony.
“There are a lot of oppressions against our physical selves. I’m a girl, but I’m probably the least marginal version of a woman I can be,” Stewart said.
Golshifteh Farahani, another juror, noted some women are not as fortunate.
- 2/17/2023
- by News Bureau
- GlamSham
While Anne Hathaway and Kristen Stewart delivered a dose of major red carpet glamour as the Berlin Film Festival returned to a full-scale, in-person operation for the first time since 2020, the event’s role as a political platform was also revived as Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the star of Sean Penn’s Berlin-premiering documentary “Superpower,” stole the show.
Hollywood stars were greeted on Thursday by packed crowds outside the Berlinale Palast and by festival co-heads Mariette Rissenbeek and Carlo Chatrian. In addition to unseasonably mild weather, the onlookers were treated to glimpses of the cast and crew of Rebecca Miller’s opening night film “She Came to Me,” including stars Peter Dinklage, Marisa Tomei, Joanna Kulig and Evan Ellison. Hathaway, sporting a see-through tangle of a dress and arm-length gloves, is the film’s producer and star.
Stewart, who was decked out in Chanel, is this year’s international jury president and,...
Hollywood stars were greeted on Thursday by packed crowds outside the Berlinale Palast and by festival co-heads Mariette Rissenbeek and Carlo Chatrian. In addition to unseasonably mild weather, the onlookers were treated to glimpses of the cast and crew of Rebecca Miller’s opening night film “She Came to Me,” including stars Peter Dinklage, Marisa Tomei, Joanna Kulig and Evan Ellison. Hathaway, sporting a see-through tangle of a dress and arm-length gloves, is the film’s producer and star.
Stewart, who was decked out in Chanel, is this year’s international jury president and,...
- 2/16/2023
- by Patrick Frater and Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
Monday’s Up Next: Germany session at this year’s European Film Market (EFM) in Berlin put the spotlight on a slew of upcoming series, spanning Hamburg’s Red Light district, Germany’s first female undercover cop and the Munich Olympic massacre.
Invited to the Berlinale studio, with some participants taking part online, several of Germany’s top creatives made the play date to talk with Julia Fidel, head of the Berlinale Series. Hanno Hackfort (“4 Blocks”), Jella Haase (“Lollipop Minster”), Lisa Kreimeyer (Netflix), Viviane Andereggen (“Tatort”), Christian Beetz (“Make Love”), Georg Tschurtschenthaler (“Viral Dreams”), and actor Detlev Buck were amongst those that took part.
The idea of the panel was to present new material straight from the editing room with many of the series still six months away from being seen. The session provided a first look at a number of projects nearing completion, including the comedy “Greenlight – German Genius,...
Invited to the Berlinale studio, with some participants taking part online, several of Germany’s top creatives made the play date to talk with Julia Fidel, head of the Berlinale Series. Hanno Hackfort (“4 Blocks”), Jella Haase (“Lollipop Minster”), Lisa Kreimeyer (Netflix), Viviane Andereggen (“Tatort”), Christian Beetz (“Make Love”), Georg Tschurtschenthaler (“Viral Dreams”), and actor Detlev Buck were amongst those that took part.
The idea of the panel was to present new material straight from the editing room with many of the series still six months away from being seen. The session provided a first look at a number of projects nearing completion, including the comedy “Greenlight – German Genius,...
- 2/16/2022
- by Liza Foreman
- Variety Film + TV
WarnerMedia Germany has confirmed that Ricky Gervais is among the cast of its comedy series Greenlight – German Genius, which is now shooting in Berlin.
The eight-part TV satire stars Kida Khodr Ramadan (4 Blocks) as himself. It recounts a dramatized version of events after Ramadan’s real-life Twitter exchange with Gervais in 2018, in which the British comedian praised Ramadan’s performance in 4 Blocks.
In Greenlight, Ramadan convinces Gervais to give him the rights for a German adaptation of Extras. However, as he attempts to progress the show to production, he comes up against the fact that the Germans aren’t particularly known for their humor, and that there are not many international stars in the country.
Also in the cast are a host of known German actors, musicians, and comedians, including: Detlev Buck, Frederick Lau, Tom Schilling, Veysel Gelin, Olli Schulz, Heike Makatsch, Maria Furtwängler, Sascha Geršak, Katrin Bauerfeind, Britta Hammelstein,...
The eight-part TV satire stars Kida Khodr Ramadan (4 Blocks) as himself. It recounts a dramatized version of events after Ramadan’s real-life Twitter exchange with Gervais in 2018, in which the British comedian praised Ramadan’s performance in 4 Blocks.
In Greenlight, Ramadan convinces Gervais to give him the rights for a German adaptation of Extras. However, as he attempts to progress the show to production, he comes up against the fact that the Germans aren’t particularly known for their humor, and that there are not many international stars in the country.
Also in the cast are a host of known German actors, musicians, and comedians, including: Detlev Buck, Frederick Lau, Tom Schilling, Veysel Gelin, Olli Schulz, Heike Makatsch, Maria Furtwängler, Sascha Geršak, Katrin Bauerfeind, Britta Hammelstein,...
- 11/25/2021
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
Ricky Gervais has boarded “Greenlight – German Genius” a new series from WarnerMedia Germany inspired by one of his tweets from 2019.
The 8-episode series, which has started shooting in Berlin, satirises the German television industry.
Two years ago the “After Life” writer and actor sent a public message via Twitter to German actor Kida Ramadan praising his portrayal of character Toni Hamady in series “4 Blocks.”
“Congratulations,” wrote Gervais. “Another masterpiece.”
In a case of art imitating life, Ramadan and Gervais will now appear as fictional versions of themselves in “Greenlight – German Genius,” in which Ramadan convincing Gervais to let him make a German adaptation of his hit series “Extras” after the comedian sends Ramadan a tweet praising his performance in “4 Blocks.”
However, Ramadan hits a stumbling block when he realizes there aren’t any international celebrities in Germany to cameo in the adaptation all while trying to navigate the...
The 8-episode series, which has started shooting in Berlin, satirises the German television industry.
Two years ago the “After Life” writer and actor sent a public message via Twitter to German actor Kida Ramadan praising his portrayal of character Toni Hamady in series “4 Blocks.”
“Congratulations,” wrote Gervais. “Another masterpiece.”
In a case of art imitating life, Ramadan and Gervais will now appear as fictional versions of themselves in “Greenlight – German Genius,” in which Ramadan convincing Gervais to let him make a German adaptation of his hit series “Extras” after the comedian sends Ramadan a tweet praising his performance in “4 Blocks.”
However, Ramadan hits a stumbling block when he realizes there aren’t any international celebrities in Germany to cameo in the adaptation all while trying to navigate the...
- 11/25/2021
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
The film will star Jannis Niewöhner, Liv Lisa Fries and David Kross. Filmmaker Detlev Buck, best known to German audiences for having directed the Bibi & Tina series of children’s films, is currently readying an adaptation of Thomas Mann’s unfinished 1954 novella Confessions of Felix Krull. With a screenplay adapted by Daniel Kehlmann, the upcoming feature will centre on a young man of modest origins who doesn’t hesitate to leave his old life behind when he gets the opportunity to work as a liftboy in a luxury Parisian hotel. Taking advantage of the circumstances, he quickly gets promoted to the position of head waiter. When Felix meets the infatuated Marquis de Venosta, he soon agrees to swap identities with him, so as to enable the latter to be with the prostitute Zaza. Felix thus gives up his great love, prioritising his ambition. His skill in charming people and deceiving them.
- 10/27/2020
- Cineuropa - The Best of European Cinema
German cinema looks set for an exciting year with forthcoming works that include a high-profile Cannes selection celebrating one of Germany’s most iconic filmmakers, an expressionistic thriller set in 1920s Vienna, a tale of Nazi seduction and a new Thomas Mann adaptation.
The Covid-19 pandemic dashed the excitement of a splashy Cannes premiere for Oskar Roehler’s “Enfant Terrible,” part of the festival’s Official Selection, but the film is nevertheless certain to generate buzz with its portrayal of legendary filmmaker Rainer Werner Fassbinder, and his turbulent film career that spanned 1969 to 1982.
In making the film, Roehler found inspiration in Fassbinder’s own work.
“We didn’t want to do your standard biopic,” says producer Markus Zimmer, managing director of Bavaria Filmproduktion. “I think we did come very close to what Fassbinder would have made out of his own life. We tried to be in line with the artistic...
The Covid-19 pandemic dashed the excitement of a splashy Cannes premiere for Oskar Roehler’s “Enfant Terrible,” part of the festival’s Official Selection, but the film is nevertheless certain to generate buzz with its portrayal of legendary filmmaker Rainer Werner Fassbinder, and his turbulent film career that spanned 1969 to 1982.
In making the film, Roehler found inspiration in Fassbinder’s own work.
“We didn’t want to do your standard biopic,” says producer Markus Zimmer, managing director of Bavaria Filmproduktion. “I think we did come very close to what Fassbinder would have made out of his own life. We tried to be in line with the artistic...
- 6/24/2020
- by Shalini Dore
- Variety Film + TV
Bavaria Filmproduktion, whose latest film, Oskar Roehler’s “Enfant Terrible,” is part of Cannes’ Official Selection this year, is next producing projects from acclaimed filmmaker Hans Steinbichler (“The Diary of Anne Frank”) and writer-director duo Felix Fuchssteiner and Katharina Schöde, makers of the hugely popular “Ruby Red” fantasy-adventure trilogy.
Steinbichler is directing an adaptation of writer-actor Robert Seethaler’s bestseller “A Whole Life,” which spans a solitary man’s life in a remote Alpine valley. Bavaria Filmproduktion, the feature film unit of German entertainment giant Bavaria Film, is partnering on the project with Vienna-based Epo-Film, co-producer of Sky Deutschland’s murder-mystery series “Pagan Peak.”
“A Whole Life” reunites Steinbichler and Seethaler, who wrote the screenplay for the filmmaker’s 2008 drama “My Mother, My Bride and I.”
Seethaler’s works also include “The Tobacconist,” which served as the basis of Nikolaus Leytner’s 2018 release starring the late Bruno Ganz.
Bavaria Filmproduktion...
Steinbichler is directing an adaptation of writer-actor Robert Seethaler’s bestseller “A Whole Life,” which spans a solitary man’s life in a remote Alpine valley. Bavaria Filmproduktion, the feature film unit of German entertainment giant Bavaria Film, is partnering on the project with Vienna-based Epo-Film, co-producer of Sky Deutschland’s murder-mystery series “Pagan Peak.”
“A Whole Life” reunites Steinbichler and Seethaler, who wrote the screenplay for the filmmaker’s 2008 drama “My Mother, My Bride and I.”
Seethaler’s works also include “The Tobacconist,” which served as the basis of Nikolaus Leytner’s 2018 release starring the late Bruno Ganz.
Bavaria Filmproduktion...
- 6/19/2020
- by Ed Meza
- Variety Film + TV
Dieter Berner’s directs the ambitious new period drama.
Picture Tree International has confirmed the financing and casting on Dieter Berner’s ambitious new period drama, Alma & Oskar, which will begin shooting in June.
The film, set in pre-First World War Vienna and which explores the turbulent relationship between the Viennese society Grand Dame Alma Mahler and the expressionist artist and enfant terrible Oskar Kokoschka. has been put together as an Austrian (Fillm Ag), German (Wüste Film), Swiss (Turnus Film) and Czech (Dawson Films) coproduction.
In advance of shooting, various distributors are also already aboard the production: Alamode for Germany,...
Picture Tree International has confirmed the financing and casting on Dieter Berner’s ambitious new period drama, Alma & Oskar, which will begin shooting in June.
The film, set in pre-First World War Vienna and which explores the turbulent relationship between the Viennese society Grand Dame Alma Mahler and the expressionist artist and enfant terrible Oskar Kokoschka. has been put together as an Austrian (Fillm Ag), German (Wüste Film), Swiss (Turnus Film) and Czech (Dawson Films) coproduction.
In advance of shooting, various distributors are also already aboard the production: Alamode for Germany,...
- 2/21/2020
- by 57¦Geoffrey Macnab¦41¦
- ScreenDaily
Berlin-based Picture Tree International (Pti) has acquired global sales rights to Leander Haussmann’s highly anticipated East German laffer “A Stasi Comedy.”
Set in the early 1980s, the film centers on East Germany’s infamous state security service, the Staatssicherheitsdienst or Stasi, and young agent Ludger, played by David Kross, who is sent to infiltrate the counterculture scene in East Berlin’s Prenzlauer Berg district, home to artists, bohemians and free-thinking radicals. Decades later, Ludger is confronted with the possibility of his secret Stasi past coming to light.
Written and directed by Haussmann, “A Stasi Comedy” is the third installment in the celebrated filmmaker’s East German-themed comedy trilogy that began with “Sonnenallee” (“Sun Alley”) in 2000 and followed with “Nva” in 2004.
“After 30 years, it should be finally allowed to laugh about the Stasi,” Haussmann said.
“A Stasi Comedy” is produced by Ufa Fiction in co-production with Constantin Film, which is...
Set in the early 1980s, the film centers on East Germany’s infamous state security service, the Staatssicherheitsdienst or Stasi, and young agent Ludger, played by David Kross, who is sent to infiltrate the counterculture scene in East Berlin’s Prenzlauer Berg district, home to artists, bohemians and free-thinking radicals. Decades later, Ludger is confronted with the possibility of his secret Stasi past coming to light.
Written and directed by Haussmann, “A Stasi Comedy” is the third installment in the celebrated filmmaker’s East German-themed comedy trilogy that began with “Sonnenallee” (“Sun Alley”) in 2000 and followed with “Nva” in 2004.
“After 30 years, it should be finally allowed to laugh about the Stasi,” Haussmann said.
“A Stasi Comedy” is produced by Ufa Fiction in co-production with Constantin Film, which is...
- 2/17/2020
- by Ed Meza
- Variety Film + TV
Netflix has wrapped filming on its first German Original film, Concrete Gold, starring David Kross (The Reader), Frederick Lau (Victoria) and Janina Uhse.
The Ufa-produced drama-thriller charts the rise and fall of three corrupt real estate agents who accumulate absurd wealth in no time but fall into a vortex of fraud, greed and drugs.
Cüneyt Kaya (Blockbustaz) wrote and directed the feature which is produced by Ufa Fiction’s Sebastian Werninger and Johannes Kunkel. Also among cast are Peri Baumeister, Detlev Buck, Samuel Finzi, Sophia Thomalla and Johanna Ingelfinger.
Kai Finke, Director of Content Acquisitions & Co-Productions at Netflix, said, “Working with Cüneyt Kaya and Ufa Fiction on Concrete Gold has been a joy. Cüneyt and our great cast have bough boundless energy to this fast-paced film and we thank the team of Ufa Fiction for creating such a high quality movie for Netflix. We are...
The Ufa-produced drama-thriller charts the rise and fall of three corrupt real estate agents who accumulate absurd wealth in no time but fall into a vortex of fraud, greed and drugs.
Cüneyt Kaya (Blockbustaz) wrote and directed the feature which is produced by Ufa Fiction’s Sebastian Werninger and Johannes Kunkel. Also among cast are Peri Baumeister, Detlev Buck, Samuel Finzi, Sophia Thomalla and Johanna Ingelfinger.
Kai Finke, Director of Content Acquisitions & Co-Productions at Netflix, said, “Working with Cüneyt Kaya and Ufa Fiction on Concrete Gold has been a joy. Cüneyt and our great cast have bough boundless energy to this fast-paced film and we thank the team of Ufa Fiction for creating such a high quality movie for Netflix. We are...
- 6/20/2019
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Aside from their Berlinale Panel on the Perspectives of Young Filmmakers, Dffb had one of the most fun parties of the festival as the school’s director Ben Gibson and the staff mingled with film students and young filmmakers from around the world.
Berlinale Panel on the perspectives of young filmmakers covered such issues as:
What are the possibilities for up-and-coming producers to establish themselves independently on the market beyond the first and second films? What are the biggest obstacles? What do the young people’s promotion strategies of the different actors do? Which changes are necessary? And last but not least: How important is the offspring for the future of the German film industry and for German film?
The panel engaged in dialogue about the current status quo and exchanged perspectives, and also developed ideas that could give young talent the opportunities to shape the industry in the future creatively.
Berlinale Panel on the perspectives of young filmmakers covered such issues as:
What are the possibilities for up-and-coming producers to establish themselves independently on the market beyond the first and second films? What are the biggest obstacles? What do the young people’s promotion strategies of the different actors do? Which changes are necessary? And last but not least: How important is the offspring for the future of the German film industry and for German film?
The panel engaged in dialogue about the current status quo and exchanged perspectives, and also developed ideas that could give young talent the opportunities to shape the industry in the future creatively.
- 2/18/2019
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
A visibly moved Dieter Kosslick received a standing ovation at the opening of the Berlin Film Festival on Thursday as he took to the stage to welcome international stars, filmmakers, and cinephiles for the final time as festival director.
The 69th Berlinale opened with a 1920s-style serenade dedicated to Kosslick by popular German singer Max Raabe and entertainer Anke Engelke, who also hosted the ceremony.
Monika Grütters, Germany’s culture and media commissioner, praised Kosslick for his 18 years at the head of one of the world’s largest film festivals.
Kosslick succeeded in sharpening the festival’s political profile, attracting international stars and filmmakers and ensuring the glamour factor, Grütters said.
“Our Berliner Bear in gold and silver, our beautiful trophy, is our most famous ambassador of film, but only one person can compete with him. That’s you, dear Dieter. And at the opening of your 18th and our 69th Berlinale,...
The 69th Berlinale opened with a 1920s-style serenade dedicated to Kosslick by popular German singer Max Raabe and entertainer Anke Engelke, who also hosted the ceremony.
Monika Grütters, Germany’s culture and media commissioner, praised Kosslick for his 18 years at the head of one of the world’s largest film festivals.
Kosslick succeeded in sharpening the festival’s political profile, attracting international stars and filmmakers and ensuring the glamour factor, Grütters said.
“Our Berliner Bear in gold and silver, our beautiful trophy, is our most famous ambassador of film, but only one person can compete with him. That’s you, dear Dieter. And at the opening of your 18th and our 69th Berlinale,...
- 2/7/2019
- by Ed Meza
- Variety Film + TV
German films have continued to perform strongly at the box office this year despite record high temperatures over the summer, usually a death knell for local cinemas, and not to mention World Cup soccer, which kept many potential moviegoers at home or in sports bars across the country.
Local pics have benefitted from a strong mix of comedy, children’s fare and drama. German productions accounted for some 11.3 million admissions in the first half of the year, compared with 10.6 million in the first six months of 2017, resulting in a 22.4% market share, up from 18.2%.
“German films have been able to increase both their revenue and market share in a difficult market environment, which is already a special achievement,” Peter Dinges, CEO of the German Federal Film Board (Ffa), tells Variety. “And with some high-profile movie launches in the second half of the year, I am extremely confident that this trend will...
Local pics have benefitted from a strong mix of comedy, children’s fare and drama. German productions accounted for some 11.3 million admissions in the first half of the year, compared with 10.6 million in the first six months of 2017, resulting in a 22.4% market share, up from 18.2%.
“German films have been able to increase both their revenue and market share in a difficult market environment, which is already a special achievement,” Peter Dinges, CEO of the German Federal Film Board (Ffa), tells Variety. “And with some high-profile movie launches in the second half of the year, I am extremely confident that this trend will...
- 11/2/2018
- by Ed Meza
- Variety Film + TV
Amazon Prime has greenlit the first season of a live action series based on the hit German kids franchise Bibi & Tina.
German director Detlev Buck, who has helmed four hit feature films based on the Biba & Tina stories, is on board for the Amazon adaptation as creator and director. He will be joined by his Bibi & Tina screenwriter, Bettina Borgerding, and Peter Plate and Ulf Leo Sommer, who composed the soundtracks for all four films.
Bibi & Tina will be the streamer's sixth original German-language series and will start production next year.
The Bibi & Tina stories follow the adventures ...
German director Detlev Buck, who has helmed four hit feature films based on the Biba & Tina stories, is on board for the Amazon adaptation as creator and director. He will be joined by his Bibi & Tina screenwriter, Bettina Borgerding, and Peter Plate and Ulf Leo Sommer, who composed the soundtracks for all four films.
Bibi & Tina will be the streamer's sixth original German-language series and will start production next year.
The Bibi & Tina stories follow the adventures ...
- 10/2/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Amazon Prime Video has greenlit a first season of “Bibi & Tina,” a live-action series adaptation of the popular German franchise, which already boasts a number of films and an animated show.
The live-action family entertainment series, which will mark Amazon’s sixth German original series, follows the adventures of Bibi, a teenage witch, and her best friend, Tina. The show will reflect “the existing franchise’s central themes of the value of friendship, family, trust, tolerance, ecology and sustainability,” Amazon said in a statement.
The series was announced at a show-and-tell in London on Tuesday. “Bibi & Tina” will roll out exclusively on Prime Video in more than 200 countries and territories.
Dcm Pictures and Kiddinx Studios are producing the Prime Original series with Amazon Studios. Detlev Buck, the creative mind and director of the four “Bibi & Tina” movies, is on board to direct the series. Gabriele Salomon is executive producing.
The live-action family entertainment series, which will mark Amazon’s sixth German original series, follows the adventures of Bibi, a teenage witch, and her best friend, Tina. The show will reflect “the existing franchise’s central themes of the value of friendship, family, trust, tolerance, ecology and sustainability,” Amazon said in a statement.
The series was announced at a show-and-tell in London on Tuesday. “Bibi & Tina” will roll out exclusively on Prime Video in more than 200 countries and territories.
Dcm Pictures and Kiddinx Studios are producing the Prime Original series with Amazon Studios. Detlev Buck, the creative mind and director of the four “Bibi & Tina” movies, is on board to direct the series. Gabriele Salomon is executive producing.
- 10/2/2018
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
"They all float down here, Georgie!" Pennywise and the kids of The Losers Club from the 1990 miniseries adaptation of Stephen King's It are featured in hours of content in the new documentary Pennywise: The Story of It. Also: Mystery Science Theater 3000 collectibles and apparel, 43rd annual Saturn Awards Special Achievement Award Winners, a look at a new clip from Mountain Monsters, and Wichita release details.
Pennywise: The Story of It Documentary Indiegogo Details: "Indiegogo Campaign: "From the makers of 'You're so cool, Brewster! The Story of Fright Night' and 'RoboDoc: The Creation of RoboCop' and the director of 'Unearthed & Untold: The Path to Pet Path to Pet Sematary' comes this brand-new documentary celebrating the legacy of 'Stephen King's It' and the legend Tim Curry. With over 30 interviews and hours of behind the scenes footage, this is Your opportunity to support this independent project and make it a reality.
Pennywise: The Story of It Documentary Indiegogo Details: "Indiegogo Campaign: "From the makers of 'You're so cool, Brewster! The Story of Fright Night' and 'RoboDoc: The Creation of RoboCop' and the director of 'Unearthed & Untold: The Path to Pet Path to Pet Sematary' comes this brand-new documentary celebrating the legacy of 'Stephen King's It' and the legend Tim Curry. With over 30 interviews and hours of behind the scenes footage, this is Your opportunity to support this independent project and make it a reality.
- 5/24/2017
- by Tamika Jones
- DailyDead
Author: Zehra Phelan
John Hughes is pretty much a legend to those who grew up through the 80s. He was the man responsible for coming-of-age classics such as Pretty in Pink, Sixteen Candles, Ferris Bueller’s Day off and many more including one of which is getting a remake, The Great Outdoors which originally starred Dan Aykroyd and John Candy.
Almost twenty years after the Howard Deutch directed original was released, it has now been confirmed that a remake is in the works with the pint-sized force of silly comedy nature, Kevin Hart well and truly attached to star. In what capacity of character, we don’t know as yet, but we dread to think which character he could possible ruin.
Related: Kevin Hart news and interviews
Hughes penned the original but Randall Green has been brought on board to give the script a 21st century make-over, the synopsis for...
John Hughes is pretty much a legend to those who grew up through the 80s. He was the man responsible for coming-of-age classics such as Pretty in Pink, Sixteen Candles, Ferris Bueller’s Day off and many more including one of which is getting a remake, The Great Outdoors which originally starred Dan Aykroyd and John Candy.
Almost twenty years after the Howard Deutch directed original was released, it has now been confirmed that a remake is in the works with the pint-sized force of silly comedy nature, Kevin Hart well and truly attached to star. In what capacity of character, we don’t know as yet, but we dread to think which character he could possible ruin.
Related: Kevin Hart news and interviews
Hughes penned the original but Randall Green has been brought on board to give the script a 21st century make-over, the synopsis for...
- 5/3/2017
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Ben Gibson, former director of the London Film School (Lfs), is set to become the first non-German director of Berlin’s German Film & Television Academy (dffb).
Gibson was selected by the appointments committee over rival applications by filmmakers Bela Tarr and Romuald Karmakar, producer Dagmar Jacobsen and Pavel Jech, currently Dean of Prague’s Famu, as the successor to the previous director Jan Schütte.
Gibson left the Lfs last year after 13 years as director to become director of degree programmes at the Australian Film, Television & Radio School (Aftrs) in Sydney.
Gibson is no stranger to the dffb having recruited the Berlin academy as one of the European partners in the Making Waves distribution and marketing workshop with Paris’ La Fémis, Barcelona’s Ecac, and Romania’s Unatc.
During his time at Lfs, Gibson collaborated with the dffb on the Serial Eyes postgraduate high-level TV series writing and producing programme, launched in January 2013.
Funded by the EU’s Creative...
Gibson was selected by the appointments committee over rival applications by filmmakers Bela Tarr and Romuald Karmakar, producer Dagmar Jacobsen and Pavel Jech, currently Dean of Prague’s Famu, as the successor to the previous director Jan Schütte.
Gibson left the Lfs last year after 13 years as director to become director of degree programmes at the Australian Film, Television & Radio School (Aftrs) in Sydney.
Gibson is no stranger to the dffb having recruited the Berlin academy as one of the European partners in the Making Waves distribution and marketing workshop with Paris’ La Fémis, Barcelona’s Ecac, and Romania’s Unatc.
During his time at Lfs, Gibson collaborated with the dffb on the Serial Eyes postgraduate high-level TV series writing and producing programme, launched in January 2013.
Funded by the EU’s Creative...
- 10/19/2015
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Films by Petri Kotwica and Jan Prusinovský are among four new titles acquired by Media Luna New Films ahead of next week’s Cannes Marché.
The first new addition to Media Luna’s sales line-up is Petri Kotwica’s Finnish-Irish drama Absolution, starring Laura Birn (A Walk Among The Tombstones), Mari Rantasila and Eero Aho.
Also new to the slate is Dutch filmmaker Joost van Ginkel’s Amsterdam-set drama The Paradise Suite, with Magnus Krepper (The Girl Who Played With Fire), and Slovenian Blaz Zavrsnik’s comedy Juliet And Alfa Romeo.
The final new addition is Czech director Jan Prusinovský’s local box-office hit The Snake Brothers with Kryštof Hádek and Matěj Hádek.
Ida Martins’ Cologne-based outfit is also handling international sales for veteran director Stijn Coninx’s feelgood drama Marina, based on the childhood memories of the Italian-Belgian singer Rocco Granata, which has been selected for the Cannes Écrans Juniors competition this year.
Global Screen...
The first new addition to Media Luna’s sales line-up is Petri Kotwica’s Finnish-Irish drama Absolution, starring Laura Birn (A Walk Among The Tombstones), Mari Rantasila and Eero Aho.
Also new to the slate is Dutch filmmaker Joost van Ginkel’s Amsterdam-set drama The Paradise Suite, with Magnus Krepper (The Girl Who Played With Fire), and Slovenian Blaz Zavrsnik’s comedy Juliet And Alfa Romeo.
The final new addition is Czech director Jan Prusinovský’s local box-office hit The Snake Brothers with Kryštof Hádek and Matěj Hádek.
Ida Martins’ Cologne-based outfit is also handling international sales for veteran director Stijn Coninx’s feelgood drama Marina, based on the childhood memories of the Italian-Belgian singer Rocco Granata, which has been selected for the Cannes Écrans Juniors competition this year.
Global Screen...
- 5/8/2015
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
Beta wins My Special Prize for the Best Berlin Lineup of all the International Sales Agents
From the producer of 2013 Golden Bear winner “Child’s Pose” comes “Aferim!” playing in Berlinale Competition. Policeman Costandin, a charismatic mixture of a funny Stalin and a somewhat more pragmatic Don Quixote, and his shy and introverted son ride through the rural countryside In search of a fugitive Gypsy slave. Meeting hundreds of characters, delivering a surprise in every scene, this is an ingenious Western in a very wild East of 19th century Romania directed by Radu Jude (“Everybody in our Family”) and produced by HiFilm’s Ada Solomon, Klas, Endorfilm and Mulberry Development, and stars Teodor Corban (“Child’s Pose”, “Beyond the Hills”), Mihai Comãnoiu and Cuzin Toma.
Forum entry “Zurich," Oliver Hirschbiegel’s "13 Minutes" (Competition - Out of Competition) plus this year’s Sundance Audience Award winner “Umrika” and the new Sky Italia series “1992" kicking off the Berlinale Special Series section make this a banner Berlin for Beta Cinema.
In official selection/out of competition bows Nazi resistance drama "13 Minutes" about failed Hitler assassin Georg Elser. Oliver Hirschbiegel, whose Academy Award nominated “Downfall” is one of the most successful Beta Cinema titles ever with 145 sold territories, presents a stunning, emotional portrait of the resistance fighter and his attack on the Munich Bürgerbräukeller on November 8th 1939. Georg Elser was a man who could have changed world history and saved millions of human lives, but his bomb, built to tear Adolf Hitler apart, exploded 13 minutes late. Produced by Lucky Bird’s Oliver Schündler and Boris Ausserer, who just recently won the Bavarian Film Award for "13 Minutes", and written by Fred Breinersdorfer (“Sophie Scholl”), the feature stars Christian Friedel (“The White Ribbon”), Katharina Schüttler (“Generation of War” ) and Burghart Klaussner (“The White Ribbon”).
Dutch filmmaker Sacha Polak, who received the prestigious Fipresci-award at the 2012 Berlinale for Hemel, presents with "Zurich" her second feature film, a road movie starring famous Dutch singer and performance artist Wende Snijders. "Zurich" (Viking Film/Rohfilm/Private View/Nrt/Zdf/arte) revolves around Nina, who is wandering along Europe’s motorways in a desperate attempt to leave the past behind. Slowly it becomes clear that Nina’s drive to hang around in the truckers’ scene is a result of the pain caused by the ultimate betrayal that has befallen her. Sacha Polak developed the script by author Helena van der Meulen during last year’s Berlinale Residency program.
Kicking off the Berlinale Special Series, designated to promote outstanding international TV-series, is the political thriller "1992" from Sky Italia ("Gomorrah"), La 7 and Wildside. Over 20 years ago, on February 17th 1992, the first arrest within the so-called Mani Pulite (Clean Hands) maxi-investigation was made in Italy. It was the symbolic start of a revolution. "1992" revolves around six ordinary people whose lives are intertwined with the country's political, civil and social earthquake. The 10xone hour series stars Stefano Accorsi (idea), Guido Caprino and Miriam Leone; director is Giuseppe Gagliardi.
Celebrating its Berlin Market Premiere is Prashant Nair’s Indian drama "Umrika," which just recently received the Audience Award at Sundance, starring world-renowned, up-and-coming young actors Suraj Sharma ("Life of Pi") and Tony Revolori ("The Grand Budapest Hotel," "Dope"). "Umrika" (Hindi for America) is about a small village in India that is invigorated when one of their own travels to America, sharing his adventures and inspiring hope through letters home. But when the letters mysteriously stop coming, his brother sets out on a journey to find him.
Also premiering at the market is the fourth adventure of "The Famous Five" (Sam Film/Constantin), in which Enid Blyton’s teenager gang venture thousands of miles and thousands of years back in time to solve yet another nail-biting mystery. Prolific maverick filmmaker Detlev Buck ("Hands off Mississippi") presents as international market premiere "Bibi & Tina 2," an inventive live-action adaptation of the teen-adventure and romance in the beloved “Bibi & Tina” universe.
Amongst the upcoming titles, "Colonia" is heading the slate, starring Emma Watson in her first lead role since "Harry Potter" alongside Daniel Brühl ("Rush") as her abducted boyfriend and opposite a very sinister Mikael Nykvist ("The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"). The $15 million production wrapped shooting mid-January and is being presold at the European Film Market.
"Ghosthunters: On Icy Trails" marks another English-language presales highlight for the Efm. This witty and charming Family Entertainment movie sees Milo Parker ("Robot Overlords") team up with the animated Asg, the “Averagely Spooky Ghost” Hugo, to save the world from the “Ancient Ice Ghost”. A promo will be made available for buyers.
From the producer of 2013 Golden Bear winner “Child’s Pose” comes “Aferim!” playing in Berlinale Competition. Policeman Costandin, a charismatic mixture of a funny Stalin and a somewhat more pragmatic Don Quixote, and his shy and introverted son ride through the rural countryside In search of a fugitive Gypsy slave. Meeting hundreds of characters, delivering a surprise in every scene, this is an ingenious Western in a very wild East of 19th century Romania directed by Radu Jude (“Everybody in our Family”) and produced by HiFilm’s Ada Solomon, Klas, Endorfilm and Mulberry Development, and stars Teodor Corban (“Child’s Pose”, “Beyond the Hills”), Mihai Comãnoiu and Cuzin Toma.
Forum entry “Zurich," Oliver Hirschbiegel’s "13 Minutes" (Competition - Out of Competition) plus this year’s Sundance Audience Award winner “Umrika” and the new Sky Italia series “1992" kicking off the Berlinale Special Series section make this a banner Berlin for Beta Cinema.
In official selection/out of competition bows Nazi resistance drama "13 Minutes" about failed Hitler assassin Georg Elser. Oliver Hirschbiegel, whose Academy Award nominated “Downfall” is one of the most successful Beta Cinema titles ever with 145 sold territories, presents a stunning, emotional portrait of the resistance fighter and his attack on the Munich Bürgerbräukeller on November 8th 1939. Georg Elser was a man who could have changed world history and saved millions of human lives, but his bomb, built to tear Adolf Hitler apart, exploded 13 minutes late. Produced by Lucky Bird’s Oliver Schündler and Boris Ausserer, who just recently won the Bavarian Film Award for "13 Minutes", and written by Fred Breinersdorfer (“Sophie Scholl”), the feature stars Christian Friedel (“The White Ribbon”), Katharina Schüttler (“Generation of War” ) and Burghart Klaussner (“The White Ribbon”).
Dutch filmmaker Sacha Polak, who received the prestigious Fipresci-award at the 2012 Berlinale for Hemel, presents with "Zurich" her second feature film, a road movie starring famous Dutch singer and performance artist Wende Snijders. "Zurich" (Viking Film/Rohfilm/Private View/Nrt/Zdf/arte) revolves around Nina, who is wandering along Europe’s motorways in a desperate attempt to leave the past behind. Slowly it becomes clear that Nina’s drive to hang around in the truckers’ scene is a result of the pain caused by the ultimate betrayal that has befallen her. Sacha Polak developed the script by author Helena van der Meulen during last year’s Berlinale Residency program.
Kicking off the Berlinale Special Series, designated to promote outstanding international TV-series, is the political thriller "1992" from Sky Italia ("Gomorrah"), La 7 and Wildside. Over 20 years ago, on February 17th 1992, the first arrest within the so-called Mani Pulite (Clean Hands) maxi-investigation was made in Italy. It was the symbolic start of a revolution. "1992" revolves around six ordinary people whose lives are intertwined with the country's political, civil and social earthquake. The 10xone hour series stars Stefano Accorsi (idea), Guido Caprino and Miriam Leone; director is Giuseppe Gagliardi.
Celebrating its Berlin Market Premiere is Prashant Nair’s Indian drama "Umrika," which just recently received the Audience Award at Sundance, starring world-renowned, up-and-coming young actors Suraj Sharma ("Life of Pi") and Tony Revolori ("The Grand Budapest Hotel," "Dope"). "Umrika" (Hindi for America) is about a small village in India that is invigorated when one of their own travels to America, sharing his adventures and inspiring hope through letters home. But when the letters mysteriously stop coming, his brother sets out on a journey to find him.
Also premiering at the market is the fourth adventure of "The Famous Five" (Sam Film/Constantin), in which Enid Blyton’s teenager gang venture thousands of miles and thousands of years back in time to solve yet another nail-biting mystery. Prolific maverick filmmaker Detlev Buck ("Hands off Mississippi") presents as international market premiere "Bibi & Tina 2," an inventive live-action adaptation of the teen-adventure and romance in the beloved “Bibi & Tina” universe.
Amongst the upcoming titles, "Colonia" is heading the slate, starring Emma Watson in her first lead role since "Harry Potter" alongside Daniel Brühl ("Rush") as her abducted boyfriend and opposite a very sinister Mikael Nykvist ("The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"). The $15 million production wrapped shooting mid-January and is being presold at the European Film Market.
"Ghosthunters: On Icy Trails" marks another English-language presales highlight for the Efm. This witty and charming Family Entertainment movie sees Milo Parker ("Robot Overlords") team up with the animated Asg, the “Averagely Spooky Ghost” Hugo, to save the world from the “Ancient Ice Ghost”. A promo will be made available for buyers.
- 2/8/2015
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Television executives want to party like it's 1989.
On the heels of the news that NBC is considering a TV sequel to "Say Anything" comes a report from Variety that ABC wants to turn John Candy's 1989 comedy "Uncle Buck" into a series. If it goes through, it would actually the second time "Uncle Buck" was adapted for television; CBS tried in 1990, but the sitcom quickly fizzled.
In the original movie, Candy played a gambling, ne'er-do-well bachelor who has to watch his brother's three rowdy kids. In the CBS series, Buck gained custody of the kids after his brother and sister-in-law died in a car accident.
"Uncle Buck" Is just the latest '80s-era film to be unearthed from the vault for a spin on TV. As we mentioned, NBC wanted to do that with "Say Anything," though it looks like the project will be quashed over objections from director Cameron Crowe and star John Cusack.
On the heels of the news that NBC is considering a TV sequel to "Say Anything" comes a report from Variety that ABC wants to turn John Candy's 1989 comedy "Uncle Buck" into a series. If it goes through, it would actually the second time "Uncle Buck" was adapted for television; CBS tried in 1990, but the sitcom quickly fizzled.
In the original movie, Candy played a gambling, ne'er-do-well bachelor who has to watch his brother's three rowdy kids. In the CBS series, Buck gained custody of the kids after his brother and sister-in-law died in a car accident.
"Uncle Buck" Is just the latest '80s-era film to be unearthed from the vault for a spin on TV. As we mentioned, NBC wanted to do that with "Say Anything," though it looks like the project will be quashed over objections from director Cameron Crowe and star John Cusack.
- 10/8/2014
- by Kelly Woo
- Moviefone
John Candy stars in John Hughes' big-hearted comedy as the eponymous oaf who has to babysit his brother's kids: difficult teenager Tia (Jean Louisa Kelly), cute little Maizy (Gaby Hoffman), and the perpetually inquisitive Miles (a pre-Home Alone Macaulay Culkin). Candy's trademark grown-up-who-never-grew-up act provides the perfect launch pad for domestic chaos and some cracking banter, topped by Miles' quickfire interrogation about Buck's personal life.
- 9/8/2014
- Sky Movies
On Aug. 16, one of cinema's best babysitting adventures, Uncle Buck, will celebrate its 25th anniversary.
The John Hughes comedy tells the story of the Russell family; mom and dad need someone to look after their three kids Asap. Short on options, Uncle Buck – a sloppy and crass city dweller – is recruited at the last minute. Expertly played by the late John Candy, Buck tackles giant pancakes, power drills and a game of endless questions with Macaulay Culkin, proving crazy uncles have some serious skills.
A quarter of a century later, Uncle Buck still brings the laughs and warm, fuzzy feelings.
The John Hughes comedy tells the story of the Russell family; mom and dad need someone to look after their three kids Asap. Short on options, Uncle Buck – a sloppy and crass city dweller – is recruited at the last minute. Expertly played by the late John Candy, Buck tackles giant pancakes, power drills and a game of endless questions with Macaulay Culkin, proving crazy uncles have some serious skills.
A quarter of a century later, Uncle Buck still brings the laughs and warm, fuzzy feelings.
- 8/13/2014
- by Kelli Bender, @kbendernyc
- People.com - TV Watch
Exclusive: Munich based Beta Cinema has arrived in Cannes with new pick-ups that could provoke heated debate.
Beta is launching We Are Young, We Are Strong by young Afghan-German director Burhan Qurbani in the Cannes Marché. The film explores the driving forces of xenophobia during the violent riots of 1992 in freshly reunited Germany
Based on historical facts and currently in post-production, it recounts the violent xenophobic riots in Rostock in 1992 from the perspectives of three different characters: a Vietnamese woman settled in Germany, a young hooligan involved in the night’s riots and his father, a local politician, trapped in the dilemma of advancing his career or standing up for his ideals.
Devid Striesow, Jonas Nay and European Shooting Star Saskia Rosendahl headline the cast of the film, which is a Ufa Fiction production in co-production with cine plus, Zdf and Arte.
It marks the follow up to Qurbani’s Berlinale competition title, Shahada.
Also...
Beta is launching We Are Young, We Are Strong by young Afghan-German director Burhan Qurbani in the Cannes Marché. The film explores the driving forces of xenophobia during the violent riots of 1992 in freshly reunited Germany
Based on historical facts and currently in post-production, it recounts the violent xenophobic riots in Rostock in 1992 from the perspectives of three different characters: a Vietnamese woman settled in Germany, a young hooligan involved in the night’s riots and his father, a local politician, trapped in the dilemma of advancing his career or standing up for his ideals.
Devid Striesow, Jonas Nay and European Shooting Star Saskia Rosendahl headline the cast of the film, which is a Ufa Fiction production in co-production with cine plus, Zdf and Arte.
It marks the follow up to Qurbani’s Berlinale competition title, Shahada.
Also...
- 5/14/2014
- by geoffrey@macnab.demon.co.uk (Geoffrey Macnab)
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Beta Cinema will handle international sales on German director Isabelle Stevers’ grotesque drama Cooking Cats, which began shooting in Cologne last week.
UK actor Jim Broadbent has been cast as a British ambassador in the drama set in the world of international aid schemes with Maria Furtwängler as an Un aid worker caught between the contradictions of a jetsetting life and tackling Third World poverty.
Other cast members include former European Shooting Star Dorka Gryllus and newcomer Mehmer Sözer.
Stever’s previous films include the feature films Erste Ehe and Gisela and an episode of the omnibus film Deutschland ‘09.
The co-production between Sutor Kolonko Filmproduktion, cine plus Filmproduktion and broadcasters Wdr, Br and Ndr will be released theatrically in Germany by Movienet.
Shooting will continue at the Hürth-based Medienparks Nrw studio, in Düsseldorf and Jordan’s Amman until the beginning of June.
Schipper thriller and love story
Another addition to Beta’s slate is actor-director [link=nm...
UK actor Jim Broadbent has been cast as a British ambassador in the drama set in the world of international aid schemes with Maria Furtwängler as an Un aid worker caught between the contradictions of a jetsetting life and tackling Third World poverty.
Other cast members include former European Shooting Star Dorka Gryllus and newcomer Mehmer Sözer.
Stever’s previous films include the feature films Erste Ehe and Gisela and an episode of the omnibus film Deutschland ‘09.
The co-production between Sutor Kolonko Filmproduktion, cine plus Filmproduktion and broadcasters Wdr, Br and Ndr will be released theatrically in Germany by Movienet.
Shooting will continue at the Hürth-based Medienparks Nrw studio, in Düsseldorf and Jordan’s Amman until the beginning of June.
Schipper thriller and love story
Another addition to Beta’s slate is actor-director [link=nm...
- 5/9/2014
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
Hosted at one of Hollywood's most iconic venues, The Egyptian Theater, the German Currents Film Festivals brings to Los Angeles an outstanding selection of new cinematic works screening here for the first time. Now in its 7th edition this annual celebration of German-Language is co-presented by the Goethe Institut Los Angeles and the American Cinematheque, in cooperation with Austrian Consulate General and the Consulate General of Switzerland; with support of German Films, Deutsche Welle (Dw), The Friends of Goethe and Elma.
The festival includes narrative feature, documentaries, shorts, and family-friendly films that form part of the 4 day celebration from October 4th-7th. One of the highlights of the program is More Than Honey, which was recently chosen as the Swiss entry for the Foreign Language Academy Award, read more Here, which will be closing the festival on Monday night.
To discuss the film and interact with La audiences some of the filmmakers will also be in attendance:
Rayna Campbell - lead actress, Layla Fourie (North American Premiere)
Matt Sweetwood - director, Beerland (La Premiere)
Jan Ole Gerster - director, Oh Boy
Ennis Rotthoff - composer, Measuring The World (Us Premiere)
For more information click Here
For tickets and information about the Egyptian Theater click Here
Gala Opening Night - Us Premiere
Friday, October 4, At 7:30 Pm Egyptian Theatre
Measuring The World (Die Vermessung Der Welt)
Directed by Detlev Buck
Two of the greatest minds of the 19th century, mathematician Carl Friederich Gauss (Florian David Fritz) and scientist Alexander von Humboldt (Albrecht Abraham Schuch), dedicate their studies to measuring and comprehending the world they live in. Based on Daniel Kehlmann's best-selling novel of the same name, this visually stunning epic is a playful re-imagining of the great men’s lives. Humboldt, a man with a passion for global exploration, is contrasted with Gauss, a man who experiences his world through mathematical theories and figures. Humboldt, aided by his colleague, Aimé Bonpland, travels the globe physically engaging the world he wishes to understand, applying modern, scientific thinking to comparatively unknown regions. Though he remains in the same destitute community for much of his life, Gauss’ interior journey of mathematical discovery proves to be just as rich and visually stunning as Humboldt’s adventures in remote areas of the world. Fact and fiction are mixed, often to humorous effect, to chronicle the findings of two very different men who nevertheless sought the same answers. Measuring The World was nominated for two German Film Awards in 2013, and the film has won Best Costume Design and Best Make-up Design awards at the 2013 Austrian Film Awards.
In Person: Composer Enis Rotthoff
Germany / Austria (2012), 123 min. In German, French, Spanish with English Subtitles
Saturday, October 5, At 7:30 Pm Egyptian Theatre
Double Feature
Oh Boy
Directed by Jan Ole Gerster
Jan Ole Gerster's wry and vibrant feature debut Oh Boy, which swept the 2013 German Film Awards, paints a day in the life of Niko, a twenty-something college dropout going nowhere fast. Niko lives for the moment as he drifts through the streets of Berlin, curiously observing everyone around him and oblivious to his growing status as an outsider. Then on one fateful day, through a series of absurdly amusing encounters, everything changes: his girlfriend rebuffs him, his father cuts off his allowance, and a strange psychiatrist dubiously confirms his 'emotional imbalance'. Meanwhile, a former classmate insists she bears no hard feelings toward him for his grade-school taunts when she was “Roly Poly Julia,” but it becomes increasingly apparent that she has unfinished business with him. Unable to ignore the consequences of his passivity any longer, Niko finally concludes that he has to engage with life. Shot in timeless black and white and enriched with a snappy jazz soundtrack, this slacker dramedy is a love letter to Berlin and the Generation Y experience.
In Person: Director Jan Ole Gerster
Germany (2012), 85 min. In German with English subtitles
Us Distributor: Music Box Films
Saturday, October 5 At 9:30 Pm Egyptian Theatre
Double Feature - L.A. Premiere
Beerland
Directed by Matt Sweetwood
Matt Sweetwood hails from the Midwest. Though he has lived in Germany for over ten years, the people and their culture remain a mystery to him. He undertakes a last-ditch attempt to figure the place out: by exploring the heart of German culture, their beer. If he delves into their rites and rituals, explores all the contradictions and stereotypes, will that make him, finally, a part of them? The infinite variety of beers, breweries and beer fests, the age-old history of beer, is more overwhelming than the American ever imagined. The trail of his research leads him to places far off the beaten tourist path, light-years away from the Oktoberfest. He encounters people whose dialect he barely understands. Amazingly, he finds that a country as small a Germany is subdivided into a thousand different tongues and customs, with beer as the common thread. He discovers a land full of oddities and contradictions. The Germans are deathly serious and silly at the same time, tradition-bound and weirdly visionary. Ultimately, he forms a real bond with them, finding friends where he least expected them.
In Person: Director Matt Sweetwood
Germany (2012), 85 min. In German and English with English Subtitles
Kindermatinee
Sunday, October 6 - 2:00 Pm Egyptian Theatre
The Adventures of Huck Finn (Die Abenteuer Des Huck Finn)
Directed by Hermine Huntgeburth
A lively German language adaptation of Mark Twain’s classic satire. Huck Finn, having found treasure with his best friend Tom Sawyer, is now chafing in the shoes and starched shirts that come with his new wealthy lifestyle. He’d like nothing more than to kick off his shoes and run wild along the river. He gets his chance when his drunken father (August Diehl) arrives and demands a share of Huck’s money. Huck decides to escape downriver and he brings along Jim, the house slave who has recently discovered that he will be handed over to a slave trader. The two travel the Mississippi River on a makeshift raft, hoping to outrun Huck’s violent father and find a place where Jim can be accepted as a free man. Twain’s timeless adventure is exuberantly brought to the screen in a film that can be enjoyed by the whole family.
Germany (2012), 101 min. In German with English Subtitles
Film Workshops
Sunday, October 6 - 1:00 - 1:50 Pm & 4:00 - 4:50 Pm
Join the Echo Park Film Center for an afternoon of cinematic exploration and education with the Epfc "Filmcicle" in the courtyard of the Egyptian Theatre. The "Filmcicle" is a bicycle powered cinema and school on 3 wheels. Using traditional analog motion picture film we encourage audience members - young and old - to spend some time with us creating cinematic wonder.
www.echoparkfilmcenter.org
Sunday, October 6 At 5:00 Pm Egyptian Theatre
Double Feature - Us Premiere
Gold
Directed by Thomas Arslan; starring Nina Hoss
Official selection (competition) at the 2013 Berlin International Film Festival, Gold is a Western about seven German immigrants who set out in search of gold in the backwoods of British Columbia during the Klondike Gold Rush in 1898. Each have their motives: an older couple seeking security, a father (Lars Rudolph) hoping to help his impoverished family, an unpleasant newspaperman (Uwe Bohm) chronicling the journey, and a mysterious packer (Marko Mandic) with a past to outrun. The last to join is Emily Mayer (Nina Hoss), a metropolitan woman whose delicate demeanor masks a steely determination to survive. Assembled by a deceptively confident businessman of questionable motives, the settlers must travel through a relatively uncharted stretch of Canadian wilderness to reach their goal, the gold fields of Dawson. As the path grows more treacherous, betrayals come to light and desperate choices are made. Following in the footsteps of McCabe and Mrs. Miller and Meek’s Cutoff, Gold is an epic that offers an unconventional take on the well-worn Western genre.
Germany (2013), 101 min. In German with English Subtitles
Sunday, October 6, At 7:00 Pm Egyptian Theatre
Double Feature - North American Premiere
Layla Fourie
Directed by Pia Marais
Winner of the Jury Special Mention at the 2013 Berlin International Film Festival, Layla Frourie is a film about Layla, who is a single mother living with her son in Johannesburg and getting by with casual work. After training as a polygraph operator she manages to secure a job with a company specialising in lie detectors and security. On her way to her new workplace she is involved in an accident which will fundamentally change her life. Layla becomes entangled in a web of lies and deceit. The truth could lead to the loss of her son. For her third feature film Pia Marais - who has lived in Berlin for many years - returned to South Africa where she grew up to make this classic thriller. She uses the genre to take a look at a country which still bears the scars of apartheid. In this way, everyday life in South Africa enhances the tension in the screenplay which she co-wrote with Horst Markgraf. Almost casually, Layla Fourie develops into a political thriller which takes the audience into the paranoia, fear and mistrust of a society that is still profoundly affected by racial conflict.
Germany (2013), 108 min. In English
In Person: lead actress Rayna Campbell
Monday, October 7 At 7:30 Pm Egyptian Theatre
Double Feature - L.A. Premiere
The Shine of the Day (Der Glanz Des Tages)
Directed by Tizza Covi & Rainer Frimmel
Philip (Philip Hochmair) is is a young and successful actor working for the most important theatres in Vienna and Hamburg with a committed and single-minded approach to his craft. During a season in which he is busy with a production of Buchner’s Woyzeck, Philip is visited by the elderly Walter (Walter Saabel), who introduces himself as the uncle he’s never met. Walter is a former circus artist and the two men soon bond over stories of their careers. These two entertainers, both at different stages in their lives, learn from each other’s experiences. As his conversations with Walter grow more philosophical, Philip slowly emerges from his once isolated lifestyle. He is even inspired to enlist Walter’s assistance in helping a Moldavian neighbor with an immigration issue. The actors, though not related, essentially play themselves and the largely improvised script was developed around their personal experiences. The result is a rare onscreen friendship that feels warm and sincere. Co-directors Tizza Covi and Rainer Frimmel draw on their documentary filmmaking background to create a naturalistic atmosphere in which these performances can flourish.
Austria (2012), 101 min. In German with English Subtitles
Monday, October 7 At 9:15 Pm Egyptian Theatre
Double Feature
More Than Honey
Directed by Markus Imhoof
Winner of multiple awards, including 2013 German Film Award (Lola) for Best Documentary film, More Than Honey, directed by Oscar-nominated director Markus Imhoof (The Boat Is Full) tackles the vexing issue of why bees, worldwide, are facing extinction. With the tenacity of a man out to solve a world-class mystery, he investigates this global phenomenon, from California to Switzerland, China and Australia. Exquisite macro-photography of the bees (reminiscent of Microcosmos) in flight and in their hives reveals a fascinating, complex world in crisis. Writes Eric Kohn in Indiewire: "Imhoof captures the breeding of queen bees in minute detail, ventures to a laboratory to witness a bee brainscan, and discovers the dangerous prospects of a hive facing the infection of mites. In this latter case, the camera's magnifying power renders the infection in sci-fi terms, as if we've stumbled into a discarded scene from David Cronenberg's The Fly." This is a strange and strangely moving film that raises questions of species survival in cosmic as well as apiary terms.
Switzerland/Germany/Austria (2012), 90 min. In English and German w/English subtitles
Us Distributor: Kino Lorber...
The festival includes narrative feature, documentaries, shorts, and family-friendly films that form part of the 4 day celebration from October 4th-7th. One of the highlights of the program is More Than Honey, which was recently chosen as the Swiss entry for the Foreign Language Academy Award, read more Here, which will be closing the festival on Monday night.
To discuss the film and interact with La audiences some of the filmmakers will also be in attendance:
Rayna Campbell - lead actress, Layla Fourie (North American Premiere)
Matt Sweetwood - director, Beerland (La Premiere)
Jan Ole Gerster - director, Oh Boy
Ennis Rotthoff - composer, Measuring The World (Us Premiere)
For more information click Here
For tickets and information about the Egyptian Theater click Here
Gala Opening Night - Us Premiere
Friday, October 4, At 7:30 Pm Egyptian Theatre
Measuring The World (Die Vermessung Der Welt)
Directed by Detlev Buck
Two of the greatest minds of the 19th century, mathematician Carl Friederich Gauss (Florian David Fritz) and scientist Alexander von Humboldt (Albrecht Abraham Schuch), dedicate their studies to measuring and comprehending the world they live in. Based on Daniel Kehlmann's best-selling novel of the same name, this visually stunning epic is a playful re-imagining of the great men’s lives. Humboldt, a man with a passion for global exploration, is contrasted with Gauss, a man who experiences his world through mathematical theories and figures. Humboldt, aided by his colleague, Aimé Bonpland, travels the globe physically engaging the world he wishes to understand, applying modern, scientific thinking to comparatively unknown regions. Though he remains in the same destitute community for much of his life, Gauss’ interior journey of mathematical discovery proves to be just as rich and visually stunning as Humboldt’s adventures in remote areas of the world. Fact and fiction are mixed, often to humorous effect, to chronicle the findings of two very different men who nevertheless sought the same answers. Measuring The World was nominated for two German Film Awards in 2013, and the film has won Best Costume Design and Best Make-up Design awards at the 2013 Austrian Film Awards.
In Person: Composer Enis Rotthoff
Germany / Austria (2012), 123 min. In German, French, Spanish with English Subtitles
Saturday, October 5, At 7:30 Pm Egyptian Theatre
Double Feature
Oh Boy
Directed by Jan Ole Gerster
Jan Ole Gerster's wry and vibrant feature debut Oh Boy, which swept the 2013 German Film Awards, paints a day in the life of Niko, a twenty-something college dropout going nowhere fast. Niko lives for the moment as he drifts through the streets of Berlin, curiously observing everyone around him and oblivious to his growing status as an outsider. Then on one fateful day, through a series of absurdly amusing encounters, everything changes: his girlfriend rebuffs him, his father cuts off his allowance, and a strange psychiatrist dubiously confirms his 'emotional imbalance'. Meanwhile, a former classmate insists she bears no hard feelings toward him for his grade-school taunts when she was “Roly Poly Julia,” but it becomes increasingly apparent that she has unfinished business with him. Unable to ignore the consequences of his passivity any longer, Niko finally concludes that he has to engage with life. Shot in timeless black and white and enriched with a snappy jazz soundtrack, this slacker dramedy is a love letter to Berlin and the Generation Y experience.
In Person: Director Jan Ole Gerster
Germany (2012), 85 min. In German with English subtitles
Us Distributor: Music Box Films
Saturday, October 5 At 9:30 Pm Egyptian Theatre
Double Feature - L.A. Premiere
Beerland
Directed by Matt Sweetwood
Matt Sweetwood hails from the Midwest. Though he has lived in Germany for over ten years, the people and their culture remain a mystery to him. He undertakes a last-ditch attempt to figure the place out: by exploring the heart of German culture, their beer. If he delves into their rites and rituals, explores all the contradictions and stereotypes, will that make him, finally, a part of them? The infinite variety of beers, breweries and beer fests, the age-old history of beer, is more overwhelming than the American ever imagined. The trail of his research leads him to places far off the beaten tourist path, light-years away from the Oktoberfest. He encounters people whose dialect he barely understands. Amazingly, he finds that a country as small a Germany is subdivided into a thousand different tongues and customs, with beer as the common thread. He discovers a land full of oddities and contradictions. The Germans are deathly serious and silly at the same time, tradition-bound and weirdly visionary. Ultimately, he forms a real bond with them, finding friends where he least expected them.
In Person: Director Matt Sweetwood
Germany (2012), 85 min. In German and English with English Subtitles
Kindermatinee
Sunday, October 6 - 2:00 Pm Egyptian Theatre
The Adventures of Huck Finn (Die Abenteuer Des Huck Finn)
Directed by Hermine Huntgeburth
A lively German language adaptation of Mark Twain’s classic satire. Huck Finn, having found treasure with his best friend Tom Sawyer, is now chafing in the shoes and starched shirts that come with his new wealthy lifestyle. He’d like nothing more than to kick off his shoes and run wild along the river. He gets his chance when his drunken father (August Diehl) arrives and demands a share of Huck’s money. Huck decides to escape downriver and he brings along Jim, the house slave who has recently discovered that he will be handed over to a slave trader. The two travel the Mississippi River on a makeshift raft, hoping to outrun Huck’s violent father and find a place where Jim can be accepted as a free man. Twain’s timeless adventure is exuberantly brought to the screen in a film that can be enjoyed by the whole family.
Germany (2012), 101 min. In German with English Subtitles
Film Workshops
Sunday, October 6 - 1:00 - 1:50 Pm & 4:00 - 4:50 Pm
Join the Echo Park Film Center for an afternoon of cinematic exploration and education with the Epfc "Filmcicle" in the courtyard of the Egyptian Theatre. The "Filmcicle" is a bicycle powered cinema and school on 3 wheels. Using traditional analog motion picture film we encourage audience members - young and old - to spend some time with us creating cinematic wonder.
www.echoparkfilmcenter.org
Sunday, October 6 At 5:00 Pm Egyptian Theatre
Double Feature - Us Premiere
Gold
Directed by Thomas Arslan; starring Nina Hoss
Official selection (competition) at the 2013 Berlin International Film Festival, Gold is a Western about seven German immigrants who set out in search of gold in the backwoods of British Columbia during the Klondike Gold Rush in 1898. Each have their motives: an older couple seeking security, a father (Lars Rudolph) hoping to help his impoverished family, an unpleasant newspaperman (Uwe Bohm) chronicling the journey, and a mysterious packer (Marko Mandic) with a past to outrun. The last to join is Emily Mayer (Nina Hoss), a metropolitan woman whose delicate demeanor masks a steely determination to survive. Assembled by a deceptively confident businessman of questionable motives, the settlers must travel through a relatively uncharted stretch of Canadian wilderness to reach their goal, the gold fields of Dawson. As the path grows more treacherous, betrayals come to light and desperate choices are made. Following in the footsteps of McCabe and Mrs. Miller and Meek’s Cutoff, Gold is an epic that offers an unconventional take on the well-worn Western genre.
Germany (2013), 101 min. In German with English Subtitles
Sunday, October 6, At 7:00 Pm Egyptian Theatre
Double Feature - North American Premiere
Layla Fourie
Directed by Pia Marais
Winner of the Jury Special Mention at the 2013 Berlin International Film Festival, Layla Frourie is a film about Layla, who is a single mother living with her son in Johannesburg and getting by with casual work. After training as a polygraph operator she manages to secure a job with a company specialising in lie detectors and security. On her way to her new workplace she is involved in an accident which will fundamentally change her life. Layla becomes entangled in a web of lies and deceit. The truth could lead to the loss of her son. For her third feature film Pia Marais - who has lived in Berlin for many years - returned to South Africa where she grew up to make this classic thriller. She uses the genre to take a look at a country which still bears the scars of apartheid. In this way, everyday life in South Africa enhances the tension in the screenplay which she co-wrote with Horst Markgraf. Almost casually, Layla Fourie develops into a political thriller which takes the audience into the paranoia, fear and mistrust of a society that is still profoundly affected by racial conflict.
Germany (2013), 108 min. In English
In Person: lead actress Rayna Campbell
Monday, October 7 At 7:30 Pm Egyptian Theatre
Double Feature - L.A. Premiere
The Shine of the Day (Der Glanz Des Tages)
Directed by Tizza Covi & Rainer Frimmel
Philip (Philip Hochmair) is is a young and successful actor working for the most important theatres in Vienna and Hamburg with a committed and single-minded approach to his craft. During a season in which he is busy with a production of Buchner’s Woyzeck, Philip is visited by the elderly Walter (Walter Saabel), who introduces himself as the uncle he’s never met. Walter is a former circus artist and the two men soon bond over stories of their careers. These two entertainers, both at different stages in their lives, learn from each other’s experiences. As his conversations with Walter grow more philosophical, Philip slowly emerges from his once isolated lifestyle. He is even inspired to enlist Walter’s assistance in helping a Moldavian neighbor with an immigration issue. The actors, though not related, essentially play themselves and the largely improvised script was developed around their personal experiences. The result is a rare onscreen friendship that feels warm and sincere. Co-directors Tizza Covi and Rainer Frimmel draw on their documentary filmmaking background to create a naturalistic atmosphere in which these performances can flourish.
Austria (2012), 101 min. In German with English Subtitles
Monday, October 7 At 9:15 Pm Egyptian Theatre
Double Feature
More Than Honey
Directed by Markus Imhoof
Winner of multiple awards, including 2013 German Film Award (Lola) for Best Documentary film, More Than Honey, directed by Oscar-nominated director Markus Imhoof (The Boat Is Full) tackles the vexing issue of why bees, worldwide, are facing extinction. With the tenacity of a man out to solve a world-class mystery, he investigates this global phenomenon, from California to Switzerland, China and Australia. Exquisite macro-photography of the bees (reminiscent of Microcosmos) in flight and in their hives reveals a fascinating, complex world in crisis. Writes Eric Kohn in Indiewire: "Imhoof captures the breeding of queen bees in minute detail, ventures to a laboratory to witness a bee brainscan, and discovers the dangerous prospects of a hive facing the infection of mites. In this latter case, the camera's magnifying power renders the infection in sci-fi terms, as if we've stumbled into a discarded scene from David Cronenberg's The Fly." This is a strange and strangely moving film that raises questions of species survival in cosmic as well as apiary terms.
Switzerland/Germany/Austria (2012), 90 min. In English and German w/English subtitles
Us Distributor: Kino Lorber...
- 10/4/2013
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
The Goethe-Institut of Los Angeles has announced its lineup for the seventh annual German Currents: Festival Of German Film.
The festival will begin on October 4 at the Egyptian Theatre with the Us premiere of Detlev Buck’s Measuring The World (Die Vermessung Der Welt), which was nominated for two German Film Awards this year and won best costume design and best make-up design at 2013’s Austrian Film Awards.
The four-day long event runs until October 7 at the Egyptian Theatre and will include a selection of features, documentaries, shorts and family films from across German cinema.
The festival will begin on October 4 at the Egyptian Theatre with the Us premiere of Detlev Buck’s Measuring The World (Die Vermessung Der Welt), which was nominated for two German Film Awards this year and won best costume design and best make-up design at 2013’s Austrian Film Awards.
The four-day long event runs until October 7 at the Egyptian Theatre and will include a selection of features, documentaries, shorts and family films from across German cinema.
- 9/7/2013
- ScreenDaily
New Horizons Studio’s Best Pitch prize has been awarded to Aleksandra Terpinska for documentary comedy project Czech Swan.
Terpinska is a student of directing at the University of Silesia in Katowice. A special mention was made by the jury of La Femis graduate Sylvain Coisne for his feature debut Cockfest.
Terpinska and Coisne were among the participants of the fourth edition of the Wroclaw’s training programme, which included workshops on pitching, production, distribution and promotion.
It comprised 18 young Polish film-makers and nine from countries including Portugal, Romania, Switzerland and France.
Studio line-up
This year’s Studio line-up included Romania’s Iulia Rugina, whose debut feature - the low budget Love Building - premiered at the Transilvania International Film Festival last month and will open in Romanian cinemas on September 13.
Also included was Polish producer Maria Golos ,who is now in final preparations for Michal Rogalski’s Summer Solstice (Sommerwende), structured as a Polish-German co-production with Berlin...
Terpinska is a student of directing at the University of Silesia in Katowice. A special mention was made by the jury of La Femis graduate Sylvain Coisne for his feature debut Cockfest.
Terpinska and Coisne were among the participants of the fourth edition of the Wroclaw’s training programme, which included workshops on pitching, production, distribution and promotion.
It comprised 18 young Polish film-makers and nine from countries including Portugal, Romania, Switzerland and France.
Studio line-up
This year’s Studio line-up included Romania’s Iulia Rugina, whose debut feature - the low budget Love Building - premiered at the Transilvania International Film Festival last month and will open in Romanian cinemas on September 13.
Also included was Polish producer Maria Golos ,who is now in final preparations for Michal Rogalski’s Summer Solstice (Sommerwende), structured as a Polish-German co-production with Berlin...
- 7/25/2013
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
In the first story, an abandoned briefcase is found at the Stock Exchange. A robot is sent to check if it's a possible bomb and the X-ray shows traces of nitrates. There are 60 seconds in which to obtain prints from the case and then to disarm it. The briefcase is blown up in a controlled explosion. Mac (Gary Sinise) finds a message inside the case: "Incase something happens to me." Mac gets Danny (Carmine Giovinazzo) to run a DNA sample. He checks on Codis and looks into the financial data. Adding he can work around a spreadsheet. He doesn't get a hit on Afis, but gets a hit from the New York Mercantile Stock Exchange. The print matched Luke Sutton (Steven Flynn) but he's missing. His apartment is trashed inside. Aiden (Vanessa Ferlito) thinks he could have been kidnapped. Mac: "Something happened and it wasn't good." Well that's obvious. Mac...
- 10/13/2011
- by mhasan@corp.popstar.com (Mila Hasan)
- PopStar
Universal Pictures International has climbed on board Detlev Buck's upcoming project called "Rubbeldikatz" starring Matthias Schweighoefer ("Friendship"). Based on a screenplay by Anika Decker ("Rabbit Without Ears"), the comedy (also known as "Woman in Love") follows an unsuccessful actor whose life takes a dramatic turn after he is mistakenly cast as a woman in a big Hollywood flick. Alexandra Maria Lara ("Farewell") co-stars in the Film 1, Boje Buck and Universal co-production. Also starring is Buck as well as Max von Thun, Maximilian Brueckner and Denis Moschitto. Variety reports that Christian Grass, Universal's president of international production and acquisitions co-produces with Henning Ferber and Marcus Welke of Film 1...
- 12/14/2010
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Universal Pictures International has climbed on board Detlev Buck's upcoming project called "Rubbeldikatz" starring Matthias Schweighoefer ("Friendship"). Based on a screenplay by Anika Decker ("Rabbit Without Ears"), the comedy (also known as "Woman in Love") follows an unsuccessful actor whose life takes a dramatic turn after he is mistakenly cast as a woman in a big Hollywood flick. Alexandra Maria Lara ("Farewell") co-stars in the Film 1, Boje Buck and Universal co-production. Also starring is Buck as well as Max von Thun, Maximilian Brueckner and Denis Moschitto. Variety reports that Christian Grass, Universal's president of international production and acquisitions co-produces with Henning Ferber and Marcus Welke of Film 1...
- 12/14/2010
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Another week in October, another bounty crop of horror DVDs and Blu-rays. This week we have home entertainment from recent theatrical releases of nightmares of the mind as well as re-releases of classic and campy horror, all with boatloads of extras.
Then there are other horror titles that are being re-released on Blu-ray or in packs for double dipping. On top of that, horror offerings from Asia, past seasons of TV shows, manga, novels, and even video games are all vying for our pocketbooks. And we still have four more weeks of October to go.
Next year October needs to begin in August.
Human Centipede: First Sequence
Directed by Tom Six
Human Centipede: First Sequence (review) was a sensation ever since its first mention. Stephen Colbert even talked about it at the 2010 Emmys Awards broadcast! The premise cannot be simpler. Two pretty American girls are on a road trip through Europe.
Then there are other horror titles that are being re-released on Blu-ray or in packs for double dipping. On top of that, horror offerings from Asia, past seasons of TV shows, manga, novels, and even video games are all vying for our pocketbooks. And we still have four more weeks of October to go.
Next year October needs to begin in August.
Human Centipede: First Sequence
Directed by Tom Six
Human Centipede: First Sequence (review) was a sensation ever since its first mention. Stephen Colbert even talked about it at the 2010 Emmys Awards broadcast! The premise cannot be simpler. Two pretty American girls are on a road trip through Europe.
- 10/5/2010
- by kwlow
- DreadCentral.com
Cologne, Germany – Germany has kicked off its campaign for best Foreign Language Oscar with a nine-film shortlist.
The contenders to be Germany's official 2011 Oscar candidate include, not surprisingly, three Nazi-era dramas: Ludi Boekens "Saviors in the Night," "Habermann" from director Juraj Herz and Oskar Roehler's controversial Nazi melodrama "Jew Suss – Rise and Fall."
The other titles picked by local promotion body German Films Service + Marketing include Matti Geschonneck's "Boxhagener Platz," a period drama set in East Berlin in 1968; Feo Aladag's honor killing drama "When We Leave;" Jo Baier's historic epic "Henry of Navarre;" The family drama "The Coming Days" from Lars Kraume and cross-cultural romance "Same Same But Different" from director Detlev Buck.
A nine-member jury of German industry professionals will pick the official nominee on Sept. 17. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will announce the shortlist for Best Foreign Language Film on Jan.
The contenders to be Germany's official 2011 Oscar candidate include, not surprisingly, three Nazi-era dramas: Ludi Boekens "Saviors in the Night," "Habermann" from director Juraj Herz and Oskar Roehler's controversial Nazi melodrama "Jew Suss – Rise and Fall."
The other titles picked by local promotion body German Films Service + Marketing include Matti Geschonneck's "Boxhagener Platz," a period drama set in East Berlin in 1968; Feo Aladag's honor killing drama "When We Leave;" Jo Baier's historic epic "Henry of Navarre;" The family drama "The Coming Days" from Lars Kraume and cross-cultural romance "Same Same But Different" from director Detlev Buck.
A nine-member jury of German industry professionals will pick the official nominee on Sept. 17. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will announce the shortlist for Best Foreign Language Film on Jan.
- 9/8/2010
- by By Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Scheduled presenters at the 2009 European Film Awards, to be held later this evening in Bochum, Germany, are: Actresses Victoria Abril (Spain), Caterina Murino (Italy), Johanna ter Steege (the Netherlands), María Valverde (Spain), and actors Detlev Buck (Germany), Jesper Christensen (Denmark), Ben Kingsley (UK), Maciej Stuhr (Poland), and Anatole Taubman (Switzerland). Also, documentary director Nino Kirtadzé (France/Georgia), actor/director Aksel Hennie (Norway), and director/actor Branko Djuric (Bosnia & Herzegovina). And finally, Gottfried Langenstein, President of Arte, Viviane Reding, EU Commissioner for Information, Society and Media, and Efa President Wim Wenders. Among the expected guests are actresses Hannelore Elsner (Germany), Krystyna Janda (Poland), and Julia Jentsch (Germany), and directors Roland Emmerich and Sönke Wortmann. Plus award winners Peter Liechti (Efa [...]...
- 12/12/2009
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
242 feature length pics which 95 world premiers.. Wow, I wish I was going, but our lucky Toronto correspondent Rick McGrath will be there instead. (Very lucky Toronto correspondent) Among the standouts are:
Some serious Greek weirdness I'm dying to see in Dogtooth.
Lars Von Triers insanity leaks out in Antichrist. (review)
The long awaited scifi awesomeness starring Jared Leto, Mr. Nobody.
And Locarno winner from the hip UK firm Warp X, She, A Chinese.
List of remaining flicks after the break.
Special Presentations
Mr. Nobody Jaco Van Dormael, France/Germany/Canada/Belgium
North American Premiere
Mr. Nobody tells the story of Nemo (Jared Leto), the world's oldest man. In 2092, Mars has become a trendy vacation destination and humans have achieved immortality, thanks to advances in genetics. At the age of 120 years, Nemo is the last mortal left on Earth. His death is drawing near, and media from all over the world...
Some serious Greek weirdness I'm dying to see in Dogtooth.
Lars Von Triers insanity leaks out in Antichrist. (review)
The long awaited scifi awesomeness starring Jared Leto, Mr. Nobody.
And Locarno winner from the hip UK firm Warp X, She, A Chinese.
List of remaining flicks after the break.
Special Presentations
Mr. Nobody Jaco Van Dormael, France/Germany/Canada/Belgium
North American Premiere
Mr. Nobody tells the story of Nemo (Jared Leto), the world's oldest man. In 2092, Mars has become a trendy vacation destination and humans have achieved immortality, thanks to advances in genetics. At the age of 120 years, Nemo is the last mortal left on Earth. His death is drawing near, and media from all over the world...
- 8/20/2009
- QuietEarth.us
Toronto -- The Toronto International Film Festival on Thursday (August 20) unveiled its final selections, including international premieres for South Korean director Lee Hey-jun's "Castaway on the Moon" and Mike Sandejas' "If I Knew What You Said," from the Philippines.
And the Masters sidebar added the latest work by veteran auteurs Lars von Trier, Amos Gitai, Francois Ozon, Michael Haneke and Margarethe von Trotta.
Hey-jun's offbeat romantic drama will unspool as part of the Contemporary World Cinema sidebar, which added 34 titles as Toronto finalized a September slate that comprises 335 films from 64 Countries.
The Cwc program also booked international premieres for two Australian films, Rachel Perkins' "Bran Nue Dae" and Robert Conolly's "Balibo," Cesc Gay's "V.O.S.," from Spain, Italian director Giuseppe Capotondi's "The Double Hour" and Henrique Goldman's "Jean Charles," a British/Brazilian co-pro.
North American premieres fill out the rest of the Cwc sidebar, which includes a...
And the Masters sidebar added the latest work by veteran auteurs Lars von Trier, Amos Gitai, Francois Ozon, Michael Haneke and Margarethe von Trotta.
Hey-jun's offbeat romantic drama will unspool as part of the Contemporary World Cinema sidebar, which added 34 titles as Toronto finalized a September slate that comprises 335 films from 64 Countries.
The Cwc program also booked international premieres for two Australian films, Rachel Perkins' "Bran Nue Dae" and Robert Conolly's "Balibo," Cesc Gay's "V.O.S.," from Spain, Italian director Giuseppe Capotondi's "The Double Hour" and Henrique Goldman's "Jean Charles," a British/Brazilian co-pro.
North American premieres fill out the rest of the Cwc sidebar, which includes a...
- 8/20/2009
- by By Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
One of the foremost comedy writer/directors of the last 25 years has died. John Hughes, creator of such teen comedies as Pretty in Pink, Sixteen Candles, and his opus, the terrific The Breakfast Club died of a heart attack at the age of 59. He almost single-handedly defined the concept of "teen comedy" as we know it today. He wrote and directed with an ear towards teenage dialogue like no one else. Despite the cheesiness of such fare as Weird Science (I still like it despite, perhaps because of that), many of his films hold up as comedy classics. Ferris Bueller's Day Off is a comedy masterpiece that launched the career of Matthew Broderick, and remains a staple of 1980's comedy. Planes, Trains, and Automobiles ranks as some of the best work John Candy and Steve Martin ever did on the big screen. There was a sensitivity to Candy's performance...
- 8/7/2009
- by Drew Williamson
- SoundOnSight
Brad Pitt greeted his adoring fans with a wave as he headed to the premiere of Inglourious Basterds in Berlin. Earlier today Brad went casual at a photo call with the cast, but he was all polished and looking hot in his gray suit for the red carpet. Diane Kruger dazzled as usual in her nude dress and hot red lips. The movie doesn't hit theaters until August 21, so we're hoping to see a lot more of the gorgeous costars as they show Quentin's new film to the world over the next few weeks. View 35 Photos › More photos of Brad, Diane, and the cast if you . View 35 Photos › Images include: Brad Pitt, Detlev Buck, Diane Kruger, Quentin Tarantino, Til Schweiger, Tom Schilling, Melanie Laurent...
- 7/28/2009
- by PopSugar
- Popsugar.com
Locarno, a Swiss fest dedicated to indie arthouse fair, especially with an arthouse lilt, has unveiled its lineup and it includes 10 world premiers. Locarno premiers serious weirdness (and awesomeness) like David Manuli's Beket (review here) which bowed last year.
I have yet to go through everything, so I'm just posting this as of now.
Check the full lineup after the break.
The Locarno Film Festival
Piazza Grande
"500 Days of Summer," Marc Webb, U.S. (opener)
"Blue Sofa" (short), Giuseppe Baresi, Pippo Delbono, Lara Fremder, Italy
"The Two Horses of Genghis Khan" (closer), Byambasuren Davaa, Germany
"Giulias Verschwinden," Christoph Schaub, Switzerland
"La Guerre des fils de la lumiere contre les fils des tenebres," Amos Gitai, France
"The Valley," Mihaly Gyorik, Switzerland-Italy-Hungary
"Les Derniers jours du monde," Arnaud Larrieu and Jean-Marie Larrieu, France-Spain-Taiwan
"Les Yeux de Simone" (short), Jean-Louis Porchet, Switzerland-France
"My Sister's Keeper," Nick Cassavetes, U.S.
"Petit Indi," Marc Recha,...
I have yet to go through everything, so I'm just posting this as of now.
Check the full lineup after the break.
The Locarno Film Festival
Piazza Grande
"500 Days of Summer," Marc Webb, U.S. (opener)
"Blue Sofa" (short), Giuseppe Baresi, Pippo Delbono, Lara Fremder, Italy
"The Two Horses of Genghis Khan" (closer), Byambasuren Davaa, Germany
"Giulias Verschwinden," Christoph Schaub, Switzerland
"La Guerre des fils de la lumiere contre les fils des tenebres," Amos Gitai, France
"The Valley," Mihaly Gyorik, Switzerland-Italy-Hungary
"Les Derniers jours du monde," Arnaud Larrieu and Jean-Marie Larrieu, France-Spain-Taiwan
"Les Yeux de Simone" (short), Jean-Louis Porchet, Switzerland-France
"My Sister's Keeper," Nick Cassavetes, U.S.
"Petit Indi," Marc Recha,...
- 7/15/2009
- QuietEarth.us
Berlin -- Regional German funding body Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg has announced 1.8 million euros ($2.7 million) in subsidies for a total of 15 projects, with Rainer Matsutani's "Rox!" and Detlev Buck's "Wohin Du auch gehst" getting 300,000 euros ($440,000) and 200,000 euros ($293,000), respectively.
"Rox!," to be produced by Munich's Sam Film, is a teenage gang drama set in Berlin, but takes a different approach than previous German efforts to portray youth violence, taking a path "more like 'The Outsiders,' " according to its director. The film marks Matsutani's return to cinematic features after several high-profile television movies.
"Wohin Du auch gehst" tells the supposedly true story of a young German who falls in love with an HIV-infected Cambodian bar girl. David Kross, who plays the lead in the upcoming "The Reader" opposite Kate Winslet, will star.
"Rox!," to be produced by Munich's Sam Film, is a teenage gang drama set in Berlin, but takes a different approach than previous German efforts to portray youth violence, taking a path "more like 'The Outsiders,' " according to its director. The film marks Matsutani's return to cinematic features after several high-profile television movies.
"Wohin Du auch gehst" tells the supposedly true story of a young German who falls in love with an HIV-infected Cambodian bar girl. David Kross, who plays the lead in the upcoming "The Reader" opposite Kate Winslet, will star.
- 9/22/2008
- by By Karsten Kastelan
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Berlin -- The German Federal Film Board (Ffa) today earmarked 400,000 euros ($623,660) for Constantin Films' "Pandorum," a sci-fi/horror hybrid to be directed by Christian Alvert ("Antibodies").
The co-production with Impact Pictures was shopped around at last year's American Film Market and will reportedly star Dennis Quaid and Ben Foster.
Another 350,000 euros ($545,700) will go to Berlin-based Herbstfilm Produktion for the omnibus film "Deutschland 09," a collection of stories focused on the current political and social situation in Germany to be directed by a who-is-who of Germany's young directing elite. Participating helmers include Fatih Akin, Wolfgang Becker, Dominik Graf, Dany Levy, Hans Steinbichler and Tom Tykwer.
Altogether, the Ffa provided 2,925,000 euros ($4,560,500) in this funding round for 10 projects, which also included works by filmmakers Rainer Matsutani, Matti Geschonnek and Detlev Buck.
The co-production with Impact Pictures was shopped around at last year's American Film Market and will reportedly star Dennis Quaid and Ben Foster.
Another 350,000 euros ($545,700) will go to Berlin-based Herbstfilm Produktion for the omnibus film "Deutschland 09," a collection of stories focused on the current political and social situation in Germany to be directed by a who-is-who of Germany's young directing elite. Participating helmers include Fatih Akin, Wolfgang Becker, Dominik Graf, Dany Levy, Hans Steinbichler and Tom Tykwer.
Altogether, the Ffa provided 2,925,000 euros ($4,560,500) in this funding round for 10 projects, which also included works by filmmakers Rainer Matsutani, Matti Geschonnek and Detlev Buck.
- 7/30/2008
- by By Karsten Kastelan
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
- Last year The Lives of Others cleaned up the "German Oscars", with eight nominations apiece, this year we find a tight race between Tom Tykwer's take on the Patrick Suskind novel a prison drama by helmer Chris Kraus. Perfume - The Story of a Murderer got a theatrical release stateside in late December. The Golden and Silver Lolas will be presented in a gala ceremony in Berlin on May 4. Here are the noms:Best Feature Film Emma's Bliss (dir: Sven Taddicken)The Counterfeiters (dir: Stefan Ruzowitzky)Perfume - The Story Of A Murderer (dir: Tom Tykwer)Four Minutes (dir: Chris Kraus)Grave Decisions (dir: Marcus H. Rosenmueller)Winter Journey (dir: Hans Steinbichler)Best Documentary The Short Life of Jose Antonio Gutierrez (dir: Heidi Specogna)Working Man's Death (dir: Michael Glawogger)Best Children's and Youth Film Hände Weg Vom Mississippi (dir: Detlev Buck)The Cloud (dir: Gregor Schnitzler)Best Direction
- 3/19/2007
- IONCINEMA.com
COLOGNE, Germany -- Christoph Schlingensief, quirky director and enfant terrible of the German art world, is taking on another holy cow with his new film: a look at the final hours in the life of Princess Diana. While Schlingensief's crude style and politically incorrect humor is certain to make the film controversial, media attention in Germany is focusing on his choice to play the lead role: German celebrity blonde Jenny Elvers. Elvers is more famous for her partners and party life than her acting ability, though she received some critical praise for her recent performance as a sexy single mother in Detlev Buck's social drama "Tough Enough". "Jenny is my Princess Diana, because, like Diana, she is a screen on which people project their longings and aspirations," Schlingensief told the German tabloid Bild. "Both seem close enough to grasp but they never are." For her part, Elvers says Lady Di has always held an "incredible fascination" for her.
- 8/31/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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