| The feature film THE SEED OF THE SACRED FIG by Mohammad Rasoulof (Run Way Pictures) will represent Germany at the 97th Academy Awards® in the category "Best International Feature Film". This decision was taken by an independent jury of experts appointed by German Films. A total of 13 films were submitted for consideration. After viewing all the films submitted on in Munich August 21 and 22, the nine-member jury with jury spokesperson Ulrich Matthes (Deutsche Filmakademie e.V.) selected the drama THE SEED OF THE SACRED FIG as the German Oscar candidate. The jury's motivation reads as follows:
"THE SEED OF THE SACRED FIG is a psychological portrait of Iran's theocracy which is built on violence and paranoia. Mohammad Rasoulof subtly tells of the cracks within a family that are representative of those within Iranian society itself. A masterfully directed and movingly acted film that finds scenes that stay with you. The two rebellious daughters symbolise the courageous women of Iran and their self-sacrificing struggle against the patriarchs of their families and their state. It is an outstanding work by one of the great directors of world cinema and someone who has found refuge in Germany from state despotism in Iran. We are very happy to know that Rasoulof is safe in our country. And we are delighted that he will be representing Germany at the Oscars® in 2025." Director Mohammad Rasoulof and the producers Mani Tilgner, Rozita Hendijanian and Amin Sadraei on the decision:
We are deeply honoured that THE SEED OF THE SACRED FIG has been selected as the German entry for the Oscars. This film, which tells the story of oppression, but also of hope and resistance, is the result of a unique collaboration between people with very different realities of life and migration histories. It shows how powerful intercultural exchange can exist in a free and open society. We are delighted to be part of the international competition for the Oscars®. The road to the Oscars®:
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will publish a list of all the titles submitted in the "Best International Feature Film" category at the beginning of November. Last year, 88 countries submitted films. The shortlist of 15 titles for this category will be announced on December 17, 2024.
The five nominated films will be selected from this shortlist and announced on January 17, 2025.
The Oscar® ceremony will take place on March 2, 2025. | |
| In most cases, the selection of the national submissions for the competition for the OSCAR® in the category International Feature Film is organized by the respective national film institutions. In Germany, German Films is responsible for the preparation, organization and implementation of the selection procedures. In this function, German Films' responsibilities are strictly organizational in nature. German Films itself is not represented on the selection committee. Fot 2025, the following thirteen movies were submitted to German Films by German producers in the 97th OSCAR® category BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM: The German selection committee for the 2025 OSCAR® consisted of the following participants: - Produzent*innenverband e.V.: Ingo Fliess (if... Productions)
- Allianz Deutscher Produzenten - Film & Fernsehen e.V. / Sektion Kino: Prof. Uli Putz (Claussen+Putz Filmproduktion)
- Verband Deutscher Filmexporteure e.V.: Isabel Schneider (Sola Media)
- AG Verleih – Verband Unabhängiger Filmverleiher: Katharina Günther (Plaion Pictures)
- HDF KINO e.V.: Ulrich Jacobi (Domstadt Kino Merseburg)
- Verband der Deutschen Filmkritik e.V.: Thomas Abeltshauser
- Bundesverband Regie e.V.: Matthias Greving
- Deutsche Filmakademie e.V.: Ulrich Matthes
- Deutsche Filmakademie e.V.: Constantin Lieb
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| Locarno has often been a very special festival for German films - and this year is no exception. From a German perspective, eleven productions and co-productions were represented in the competition sections, which began on 7 August and continued until Saturday, 17 August. As part of the ‘Match Me!’ programme, German Films has once again cooperated with Locarno Pro this year. The programme is based on a simple idea: What, if not the professional network, can enrich the work of producers? With this in mind, together with German Films, producers Felix Schreiber (Sommerhaus Film), Maritza Grass (Carousel Film) and Ali Hakim (Hakim + König Film) had the opportunity to build relationships with potential business partners in Locarno (see photo: from left to right: Sylva Häutle, Head of Festival Relations & Producers Liaison German Films, Felix Schreiber, Ali Hakim, Simone Baumann, Managing Director German Films, Maritza Grass). German Films also hosted the Locarno Meet & Greet on the first weekend of the film festival. The 400 or so guests included the German film teams whose films are being shown in the Locarno programme, as well as numerous industry professionals who met on Friday evening to exchange ideas and network. Three of the participating German films received awards in Locarno: PARDI DI DOMANI: CONCORSO INTERNAZIONALE
Pardino d’argento SRG SSR for the International Competition
GIMN CHUME (HYMN OF THE PLAGUE) by Ataka51 (DE/RU, eversince) PARDO VERDE
Special Mention
DER FLECK by Willy Hans (DE/CH, Fünferfilm) LOCARNO PRO
Alphapanda Market Breakout Award
BOURGEOIS PARANOIA by Lukas Nathrath (Klinkerfilm) | |
| The Festival de Cine Alemán in Buenos Aires once again invites the public to the Cinepolis Recoleta fot its 24th edition. From September 19 to 25, 2024, film fans of all ages can discover new German feature, documentary and short film highlights. In cooperation with the Goethe-Institute and Argentinean distributors, German Films will be presenting a varied programme of films from Germany to the local audience: Among them are films by Thomas Arslan and Eva Trobisch, who will personally present her new feature IVO to the local audience and press, as well as short films by young filmmakers from the Next Generation Short Tiger programme. As part of the 70th anniversary of German films, this year's programme will also include a retrospective with film classics such as THE WHITE RIBBON. As part of a cooperation with the Goethe Institute, the screening of Wim Wenders’s ANSELM in 3D will be another highlight of the programme. The festival will open on September 19, 2024 with the film BLACK BOX by Asli Özge. As in the previous editions, there will also be screenings for local schools. The festival is supported by MUBI and Cinepolis. More information about the Festival of German Films in Buenos Aires HERE. | |
| From January to June 2024, 393 German films in 61 countries generated a total box office of 56.5 million Euros and were seen by more than 7.7 million cinema-goers around the globe. The numbers are slightly below half of the total annual figures from last year and therefore developing similarly to the trend of 2023.
Detailed analysis of German films abroad in the first half will soon be available on our website.
For further information, please contact Andrea Schiefer. | |
| On August 14, 2024, the European Film Academy announced this year’s Feature Film Selection – Part 1. The European Film Academy Board – having consulted a diverse range of invited European experts – chose 29 productions as the first part of the Academy’s Feature Film Selection 2024. The Feature Film Selection includes films that the Board of the Academy recommends to all Academy members for a nomination for the European Film Awards 2024. Among the 29 projects are two German productions: DYING by Matthias Glasner and THE SEED OF THE SACRED FIG by Mohammad Rasoulof which is also the German entry for the 97th Oscars® in the “Best International Feature Film“ category. Further titles will be announced in September. On August 21, 2024, 12 strong feature-length documentary films were chosen for the upcoming European Film Awards 2024. The selection includes the German productions DIRECT ACTION by Guillaume Cailleau and Ben Russel as well as MY STOLEN PLANET by Farahnaz Sharifi. In the coming weeks, the 5,000 members of the European Film Academy will start to watch the selected films and after the final announcement of all the chosen films, they will vote on the nominations in the different categories. Based on the votes of all members, the nominations will be made public on 5 November 2024. Taking place in Lucerne, Switzerland, on December 7, the European Film Awards 2024 honour the greatest achievements in European cinema. | |
| The German Film Festival in Mexico City, supported by German Films, will take place from September 24 to October 6, 2024. One of the most exciting aspects of the evolution from a German Film Week into a festival is the introduction of a competition section. This year only feature films that are the first or second in the filmography of German directors will compete, paired with Mexican short films that share a thematic or stylistic connection. The Mexican shorts will also compete. A jury of three esteemed Mexican film critics will select the winners. In this edition, two awards will be presented: Best German Feature Film in Competition and Best Mexican Short Film in Competition. By doing this, the festival aims to emphasize the Goethe-Institute Mexico's commitment to fostering professional and creative exchange between German and Mexican cinema. List of the German films: DOCUMENTARY - FRANK MEYER by Leonhard Hofmann, Riccardo Dejan Jurkovic
- SEVEN WINTERS IN TEHRAN by Steffi Niederzoll
- TEACHES OF PEACHES by Philipp Fussenegger, Judy Landkammer
FICTION - EVERY YOU EVERY ME by Michael Fetter Nathansky
- FRANKY FIVE STAR by Birgit Möller
- IVO by Eva Trobisch
- WINNERS by Soleen Yusef
- THE UNIVERSAL THEORY by Timm Kröger
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| On August 15, 2024, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the 28 finalists in four categories of this year’s 51st edition of the Student Academy Awards®, selected from a total of 2,683 submissions. The German short film CRUST, directed and written by Jens Kevin Georg, made it to the final round and can hope for one of the three awards in the “Narrative” category. The short is a production of the Film University Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF and ZDF/3sat (producers: Fritzie Benesch and Charlotte Jülide Hansen). In CRUST, 12-year-old Fabi has to finally prove himself as part of the family - by getting his first scar. CRUST has already been awarded as Best Student Short at the Dallas International Film Festival 2024, won the Young Jury Award at Mecal Barcelona and most recently the Narrative Grand Prize at the Indy Shorts International Short Film Festival Indianapolis. The winners of the three awards in the category will be published end of September. The awards ceremony will take place in Los Angeles on October 29, 2024. More info here. | |
| GER/CH 1996
BEYOND SILENCE
(OT: JENSEITS DER STILLE) In the mid-1990s, there was a great awakening in German cinema: a young generation of filmmakers led by Detlev Buck, Dani Levy, Sönke Wortmann, Tom Tykwer, Hans-Christian Schmid and Wolfgang Becker entertainingly recaptured a cinema audience that German film had lost over the previous ten years. In doing so, they broke new ground – and one example was Caroline Link, who released her feature film debut BEYOND SILENCE in 1996. Her film tells the story of a girl with deaf parents who pursues her dream of studying the clarinet at a conservatory. The film is one of the first in Germany to focus so consistently on the perspective of deaf parents and to show the challenges that – what we would now call – CODA (Children of Deaf Adults) can be faced with. With Howie Seago and Emmanuelle Laborit, Caroline Link cast deaf actors and found very engaging cinematic realizations of these special perspectives on the levels of both sound and visuals. Despite subtitles and sign language, 1.8 million viewers found their way to cinemas to watch the feature film. The film also received international acclaim and awards. In the USA, for example, not only the National Board of Review recognized it as a Top Foreign Film – BEYOND SILENCE was also nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 1998. Caroline Link was unable to win with her first feature film, but finally succeded in 2003: after Marleen Gorris, Caroline Link became the second female director to be awarded the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film for NOWHERE IN AFRICA.
(Oliver Baumgarten) Director: Caroline Link Screenplay: Caroline Link, Beth Serlin DoP: Gernot Roll Editor: Patricia Rommel Composer: Niki Reiser Production: Jakob Claussen/Thomas Wöbke for Claussen+Wöbke Filmproduktion, Luggi Waldleitner für Roxy Film, BR, SDR, Arte, SF DRS Runtime: 112 min. Premiere: July 4, 1996 Cast: Sylvie Testud, Tatjana Trieb, Howie Seago, Emmanuelle Laborit, Sibylle Canonica, Matthias Habich et al. Rights: Claussen+Putz Filmproduktion, München | |
| The focus of the next session for the English-language KINO! FILM SALON online film club on September 8th will be Ali Samadi Ahadi’s animated documentary feature film THE GREEN WAVE which celebrated its world premiere in the World Documentary Competition of Sundance Film Festival in 2010. We’ll be hosting this event live from the Toronto International Film Festival and have a special guest: director Ali Samadi Ahadi, who is in Toronto to present his new fiction feature film SEVEN DAYS as a world premiere in the Centrepiece section. Our curator Jim Kolmar comments: "Released in 2010, Ali Samadi Ahadi’s thrillingly inventive THE GREEN WAVE uses innovative creative strategies and a fearlessly unfettered approach to documentary that still feels ahead of the curve in 2024. The film’s depiction of the revolutionary movement that emerged in the wake of Iran’s contentious 2009 presidential election feels especially vital today, both in terms of artistry and political context. Featuring vivid animated sequences, a rich trove of clandestine footage, and powerful interview footage, THE GREEN WAVE is a dizzyingly immersive experience and arguably one of the finest expressions of the energy of revolutionary fervour in recent film history." RSVP: https://bit.ly/kinofilmsalongreenwave Date and time: Sunday, September 8th at 11:30am – 12:30pm PT, 2:30pm – 3:30pm ET, 9:30pm – 10:30pm CET.
Hosted by Jim Kolmar KINO! FILM SALON is a production by Telescope Film, in collaboration with the German Film Office | |
| Episode 66 - September 9, 2024: Besides his deep love and passion for movies we talked with writer-director-producer Mehmet Akif Büyükatalay about fast food vs. favorite food, the iconic series THE SIMPSONS, his job as a wedding MC for Turkish weddings and a re-imagining of Klaus Mann’s Mephisto. Enjoy our fun conversation with the talented 2024 Face to Face ambassador! You can find all episodes on our website, and wherever podcasts are available.
SHORT TAKE on Instagram! | |
| Episode 1 - September 17, 2024:
We’re starting the 5th season with writer and director Caroline Link who is known for quite a number of iconic and important films which are part of the German and international film oeuvre like BEYOND SILENCE, NOWWHERE IN AFRICA or WHEN HITLER STOLE PINK RABBIT. In this episode Caroline talks about how you became a director, about her writing process and what plans she has for the future. You can find all of the episodes on our website and wherever podcasts are available. DEEP DIVE GENRE on Instagram! | |
| Calls for submissions - Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event - Works in Progress: In 2024, Works in Progress @ Tallinn has three showcases: Just Film (children and youth film projects) Works in Progress, Baltic Event Works in Progress (Baltic and Finnish projects) and International Works in Progress. Deadline is September 16, 2024. Projects will be presented from November 21 to 22, 2024 in Tallinn. More information and submission here.
- Berlinale Co-Production Market 2025 - Feature Film & Drama Series Projects: Experienced producers from around the world can now submit their feature film (deadline: September 18) and drama series projects (deadline: October 1). The application for the Talent Project Market (via Berlinale Talents) is also still open till September 4. Online submission and more details here.
German short film candidates for the Academy Awards® 2025
German Films is planning to publish a list of all German short films submitted to the 97th Academy Awards® and asks all producers to inform us about their submission and film by October 1, 2024 by contacting Martin Scheuring (scheuring@german-films.de). The final deadline to submit live action, animated and documentary films with running times of up to 40 minutes that have qualified through an award or a theatrical run between June 1 and September 30, 2024 is on Thursday, October 10, 2024. Two German Producers selected for the ACE Series Special in Madrid
Eighteen international producers will join ACE for the sixth edition of the ACE Series Special, taking place in Madrid, Spain this coming November. The selcetion includes German producers Harry Flöter (2Pilots Filmproduction) and Roman Paul (Razor Film). The week-long workshop offers producers the opportunity to expand their understanding of the series production landscape and internationalise their network within the industry. | |
| Awards for German productions and co-productions at Kristiansand, Seoul, Malaysia and Locarno. | |
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