Media News from Berlin-Brandenburg
Nine Million Euros for "Speed Racer"
The Wachowski brothers' latest project, the live-action adaption of Tatsuo Yoshida's animated series "Speed Racer", will receive nine million euros (FONT color=#333333>Nine Million Euros for "Speed Racer"
The Wachowski brothers' latest project, the live-action adaption of Tatsuo Yoshida's animated series "Speed Racer", will receive nine million euros ($12.2 million) in funding from the new German Federal Film Fund. The film is set to start shooting in June at Babelsberg outside Berlin, starring Oscar-winning-actress Susan Sarandon, John Goodmann, Christina Ricci, Matthew Fox and Emile Hirsch. For further information, go to www.studiobabelsberg.de.
Mads Mikkelsen stars in "Flame & Citron" in Berlin-Babelsberg
James Bond villain Mads Mikkelsen and Thure Lindhardt ("Love in Thoughts") will be in Babelsberg appearing in front of the camera for director Ole Christian Madsen’s "Flame & Citron" until May 18th. The German-Danish joint production about two Danish heroes who stand up to Nazi aggression is also shot on location in Prague and Copenhagen. For further information, go to www.wuestefilm.de.
Oscar-winning director, Jaco van Dormael, with "Mr. Nobody" in Berlin
This September, work starts on the French-Belgian-German co-production "Mr. Nobody" in Berlin, Potsdam and Babelsberg. Director Jaco van Dormael’s picture ("Toto the Hero") will feature stars such as Jared Leto and Sarah Polley. For further information, go to www.lagofilm.de.
Til Schweiger shoots "Keinohrhasen" in Berlin
Until May 23rd, Til Schweiger ("The Red Baron") will be shooting his romantic comedy "Keinohrhasen" with Nora Tschirner, Matthias Schweighöfer, Barbara Rudnik, Armin Rohde, Jürgen Vogel and a number of others. The shoot’s locations include Unter den Linden and the Renaissance Theater. For further information go to www.barefootfilms.de.
Festival de Cannes: Berlin-Brandenburg on the Croisette
(May 16th-27th, 2007, Cannes, France)
Three Berlin-Brandenburg productions have made it to the Cannes Film Festival. The Hungarian-French-German co-production, "The Man from London" by Béla Tarr, is showing in competition at this year's festival. Volker Schlöndorff’s international co-production "Ulzhan" will be presented as part of the Special Screenings program. Likewise, Robert Thalheim’s "And Along Come Tourists" premieres in the Un Certain Regard section of the festival. For further information, go to www.festival-cannes.fr.
Festival de Cannes: CRC co-production conference
(May 21th-23th, 2007, Cannes, France)
For the fifth time, filmmakers belonging to Capital Regions for Cinema (C.R.C.), an organization for European networking, will meet at the Cannes Film Festival. These co-production gatherings provide an opportunity for producers, distributors and investors to sit down face-to-face with European partners. For further information www.medienboard.de.
Festival de Cannes: MEDIA 2007 and European Day
(May 23th and May 26th, 2007, Cannes, France)
The success of MEDIA’s Information Day at the Berlinale 2007 has inspired a follow-up MEDIA 2007 Information Day to be held at Cannes, complete with new guidelines. Three days later, MEDIA's European Day will focus on "the relationship between films, film sales, and new means of distribution". For further information, go to www.festival-cannes.fr.
German Film Awards: LOLAS for "Four Minutes"
Chris Kraus' internationally successful indie production "Four Minutes" won the golden LOLA for Best Picture as well as the award for Best Leading Actress (Monica Bleibtreu). Distribution rights to the prison drama have already been sold to forty countries including the US, Japan, Australia and Argentina. For a complete list of award winners, go to www.deutscher-filmpreis.de.
The First Online Mobile Film Festival
(May 4th-24th, 2007, Volksbühne, Berlin)
Get ready for the debut of the first Mobile Film Festival, at which 50 films will officially compete online at www.mobilefilmfestival.com. The festival, which has its origins in France, provides a platform for minute-long shorts made with mobile phones, and hopes to establish itself as a forum throughout Europe.
Film Polska Festival in Berlin
(May 5th-13th, 2007, Berlin and Potsdam)
Since the 5th of May, 5,000 visitors and 20 filmmakers from Poland have been attending the largest Polish film festival in Germany, subtitled "looking at the future". Its more than 100 films spotlight everything from new trends in the Polish cinema to rare classics of the silent screen. The program is supplemented by a director’s workshop as well as a cinema-focused language course entitled “Polish for beginners”. Click here for more information.
Jewish film festival in Berlin
(June 17th-30th, 2007, Berlin and Potsdam)
The 13th Jewish Film Festival focuses on Israel and will take place at the Arsenal Cinema in Berlin as well the Filmmuseum Potsdam. A total of 20 films will be shown from nine countries including Israel, the USA, France, Great Britain, Ireland, Norway, Germany, Mexico and Argentina. For further information, go to www.jffb.de.
UNESCO City of Design Berlin welcomes 5th Designmai
(May 12th-20th, 2007, Berlin)
For nine days, Berlin’s creative talent stands in the spotlight at the Designmai. This international design festival is: a platform for the Berlin design scene; a place for international exchange; and a means of gauging current trends in the world of design. For the fifth time, there will be numerous exhibitions, discussion sessions and a wide-array of presentations from places such as the Czech Republic, Poland, Scandinavia, Greece, Italy Venezuela and Korea. For further information, go to www.designmai.de.
I love Berlin! "Berlin Day" in New York
(May 17th, 2007, MoMa, New York)
On May 17th, the sales exhibition "Destination: Berlin" will open at New York's world-famous Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), where over 80 products created by more than 20 Berlin designers will be available for purchase. May 17th is also "Berlin Day", for which around 30 creative ambassadors from Berlin will be in New York promoting the German capital’s international reputation as a hub of business and creativity. 'Berlin Day' is a joint initiative of CREATE BERLIN and various Berlin Partner. For further information, go to www.create-berlin.de and www.iloveberlin.tv.
"Berlin Games Forum": New Platform for Growing Games Community
The "Berlin Games Forum" initiative strengthens Berlin-Brandenburg as an economic center for computer games. The forum is an industry-wide platform for communication that provides the opportunity to make contacts in the computer games industry as well as in related industries such as film, music, as well as mobile and internet technology. Side-by-side, these industries are able to develop new ideas and business models. For further information, go to www.berlingamesforum.com.
