| From a German perspective, there was not just one, but two very good reasons to celebrate the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (Pimedate Ööde filmifestival, PÖFF) this year. Firstly, an extraordinary number of over 60 German productions and co-productions were represented in the program. The other highlight was the selection of Germany as the Focus Country and the many wonderful extra events associated with that. German cinema was fêted with all its diversity. German productions were represented both in the Official Selection and in various competition categories. Numerous films celebrated their premieres. Eight films were shown in the German Focus category, which has attracted attention at various festivals throughout the year. Another 27 German productions were screened in the two sub-festivals Just Film and PÖFF Shorts, which also showcase the broad spectrum of shorts and children's films. As Germany was this year's Focus Country, the German film industry was also represented in a special way at the Industry@Tallinn & Baltic event. There were many different panels, presentations and discussion rounds, such as a panel entitled “Meeting of Minds” that dealt with survival strategies and techniques for European producers and other players in the audiovisual sector. There was also the panel “The Edge Of Democracy” addressing the urgent question of how filmmakers can continue their work in a world marked by war, displacement, (de)colonization, and censorship. “Germany in Focus: Exploring Federal and Regional Film Funding for Co-Productions” was the title of the panel organized in cooperation with the FFA and the regional funds Film- und Medienstiftung NRW, Hessen Film & Medien, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, MDM and MOIN. In the discussion, these organizations explained how they support film productions and international collaborations in Germany. Of course, there was also a reception where filmmakers mix and mingle. Around 400 guests were invited to the Kinomaja Cinema by German Films and the Goethe Institute Tallinn. There was a nice finale at the end of the festival, when German productions received awards at the Tallinn Film Festival, the Youth And Children Film Festival Just Film and Industry@Tallin & Baltic Event.
Find an overview of all the winners here. | |
| This was a very special Rendez-Vous! The French-German Film Meeting took place in Berlin on November 20 and 21 this year. Traditionally organized by German Films and Unifrance in collaboration with the board of the French-German Film Academy, the event served as a vital platform for industry dialogue.
This year, the almost 200 participants immersed themselves in passionate discussions centered on various co-production issues, including economic viability, environmental sustainability, and social progress within the film industry. On the first day, the panels discussed exciting topics, such as the Film Funding Act in Germany or German-French co-productions.
A special highlight was the awarding of the Medaille de Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres to Fabian Gasmia from Seven Elephants and President of the French-German film Academy. In the evening, MBB Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg invited all participants to a joint dinner. In a packed room at the Alte Münze in Berlin, there were interesting and important topics of discussion on the agenda on the second day, too. For example, there were panels on AI, creative integrity in brand partnerships, Cinema Attendance Rethought: International Strategies for Attracting Audiences and a tribute to Margaret Menegoz. For the third consecutive year and in partnership with OFAJ-DFJW, the PREMIERE program has enabled a delegation of German and French students to participate in the entire Rendez-Vous program. The students in the delegation had the opportunity to meet individually with producers from both countries. | |
| In November, FACE TO FACE WITH GERMAN FILMS talent, actor Jan Bülow went on a round-trip to Asia to attend KINOFest 2024 in Bangkok, Thailand and KINOFest 2024 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam! Both Festivals of German Films were organized by the local offices of the Goethe Institute. After the screening of the film THE UNIVERSAL THEORY in Bangkok, Jan was introduced by Goethe Institute director Johannes Hossfeld in a Q&A, continued by questions from the audience. The visitors were interested and asked a lot of questions, which Jan answered in great detail, so that the conversation with the audience was quite exciting and long-lasting. The opening event was well attended with around 150 participants. THE UNIVERSAL THEORY was also part of the Vietnamese KinoFest 2024 in Ho Chi Minh City at the Cinema Hai Ba Trung. On location, Jan first met film students and the Vietnamese director Nguyễn Thị Thắm at the local film academy and took a lot of time to answer the the numerous student questions. He also attended the opening of the festival with the opening film THE TEACHERS’ LOUNGE. His first THE UNIVERSAL THEORY film screening and Q&A took place at the University of Theater and Film. The exchange focused primarily on the differences between film and theater in Germany as well as tips and advice on collaboration between actors and directors. In the evening, there was a second round of discussions at the Cinestar as part of the KinoFest, moderated by the Vietnamese film critic Lê Na. The hall was almost sold out and most people stayed seated after the film to learn more about Jan's work in the theater and film business. There was keen interest in Jan's assessment of the film and interpretation of the plot, which was analyzed intensively by some participants. Jan certainly won many hearts among the Vietnamese audience with the very pleasant and honest exchange after the film screening! | |
| Full house and many interested viewers at German Films! From November 15 to 24, 2024, German Films and the Goethe Institute China, in cooperation with Broadway Cinemas and the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Beijing, presented 15 German films in Beijing. Director Behrooz Karamizade came to Beijing for the opening and presented his film EMPTY NETS at the Broadway Cinematheque Beijing (MOMA). He was welcomed by Dr. Patricia Flor, the German Ambassador to China, among others. On the following two days, Behrooz Karamizade visited the Goethe Institute for Q&A sessions and panels.
Further screenings followed by Q&As were also held with the films ANOTHER GERMAN TANK STORY by Jannis Alexander Kiefer and THE UNIVERSAL THEORY by Timm Kröger. To mark the 70th anniversary of German cinema, a special program was held at the Goethe Institute China in addition to the regular festival program. Three masterpieces of German film history were shown: WINGS OF DESIRE by Wim Wenders, TONI ERDMANN by Maren Ade and GOOD BYE, LENIN by Wolfgang Becker. In addition to screenings in Beijing, a selection of the films is also being shown in Chengdu (November 22-30), Shenzhen (November 29 - December 8) and Guangdong (November 29 - December 1). | |
| In the fall of 2024, the 18th edition of Das Filmfest took place in cinemas in Prague, Brno and Olomouc. We can look back on another very successful edition: There were a total of 86 screenings of German-language films in the three cities, including 46 screenings especially for students. The first highlight of the festival was the sold-out opening screening of THE GLORY OF LIFE. The film was followed by a deaf-friendly Q&A with the film's director, Georg Maas. Thanks to great films and 28 international guests and filmmakers visiting Prague and Olomouc, many other highlights followed.
Part of these highlights were clearly the activities conceived and carried out by the Industry Program team. They took a look at female filmmakers and sustainable film production in Germany and the Czech Republic. During discussions and presentations, visitors were able to listen and participate. So far, around 9,000 visitors have seen films at Das Filmfest, 4,500 of whom were students. They were also able to take part in discussions with directors or actors, for example. | |
| GER/SYR 2017
OF FATHERS AND SONS Talal Derki’s documentary caused quite a stir after its premiere at the festival in Amsterdam and at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2018. "Variety" and "The Hollywood Reporter" were filled with enthusiasm, festivals around the world were queuing up, juries were thrilled: OF FATHERS AND SONS shows an inside perspective that has perhaps never been seen before and tells a story with an intensity that lingers. Berlin-based director Talal Derki returned to his home country of Syria between 2014 and 2016 in order to, as he puts it, "delve deeper into the emotions and psychology of war" there and to find answers to his desperate questions about the state of his homeland. Derki succeeded in posing as a war reporter and Salafist supporter and thus gaining the trust of the radical Islamist family of a rebel leader. Above all, Derki’s focus with director of photography Kahtan Hassoun on the strictly patriarchal family system and the targeted upbringing of th rebel leader's sons to become fearless holy warriors leads to emotional and stirring insights, which are woven into a memorable narrative by editor Anne Fabini. Numerous awards around the globe, including an Oscar nomination for Best Documentary Feature in 2019, are testament to how much the film touched people – and still does. (Oliver Baumgarten) Director: Talal Derki Screenplay: Talal Derki DoP: Kahtan Hassoun Editor: Anne Fabini Composer: Karim Sebastian Elias Production: Ansgar Frerich, Eva Kemme, Tobias N. Siebert, Hans Robert Eisenhauer for Basis Berlin Filmproduktion, Ventana Film und Fernsehproduktion, Cinema Group Production, RBB, SWR, Arte Runtime: 125 Min. Premiere: November 2017 in Amsterdam. Rights: Autlook Filmsales, Vienna (German distributor: Port au Prince Pictures) | |
| The focus of the next session for the English-language KINO! FILM SALON online film club on December 15th will be lker Çatak’s drama THE TEACHERS’ LOUNGE. The film started its international career at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2023, won numerous awardsworld wide and was one of the best selling German feature films in 2023. In 2024 the film received an Oscar® nomination in the category Best International Feature Film. Lead actress Leonie Benesch became an international star; her latest drama thriller is SEPTEMBER 5, directed by Tim Fehlbaum. Our curator Jim Kolmars‘ personal comment: "In Ilker Çatak’s 2023 THE TEACHERS’ LOUNGE, Leonie Benesch (THE WHITE RIBBON) plays a teacher drawn into a potential scandal when a student is accused of theft. From this deceptively simple premise a series of ethical, psychological and emotional conundrums emerge, grounded in Benesch’s fearless, bravura performance. This riveting, multi-award winning film (including a FIPRESCI award for Benesch) seduces like a thriller, while offering the nuanced moral complexities of a modern fable. It’s a deeply rewarding contemporary classic that trusts its audiences with grey areas and uncertainties. THE TEACHERS’ LOUNGE is a thrilling, intelligent film that deserves to be discussed and considered long after viewing." RSVP: https://bit.ly/kinofilmsalonteacherslounge Date and time: Sunday, December 15th at 11:00am – 12:00pm PT, 2:00pm – 3:00pm ET, 8:00pm – 9:00pm CET.
Hosted by Jim Kolmar More films with Leonie Benesch are available here. KINO! FILM SALON is a production of Telescope Film, in collaboration with the German Film Office | |
| Episode 70 - December 12, 2024: Acting chameleon and creative powerhouse Christian Friedel talked to us about his love of rollercoasters, ice cream and music as well as his delight in the power of transformation when acting. And let’s not forget “Schichtkohl”! Christian named some great talents to watch out for. We had a blast with him in our latest ShortTake episode. You can find all episodes on our website, and wherever podcasts are available.
SHORT TAKE on Instagram! | |
| CEE Animation Forum 2024 AWARDS
The 12th CEE Animation Forum, the leading pitching and networking event in Central and Eastern Europe, took place in Pilsen on November 12 and 13. Following two days of intensive pitches and 1:1 meetings, the event successfully concluded with the announcement of the winners. 31 projects, divided into four categories – 9 features, 7 TV series, 9 short films, and 6 student shorts – were included in the Pitching Competition. Congratulations to German director Jonathan Schwenk, whose animated short ANT won in 4 of 13 categories: Winner of Short Films Category, Ciclic Residency,Travelling – distribution award and Animarkt Stop Motion Forum – direct access. German films at The Academy Museum in Los Angeles
The Academy Museum’s second celebration of newly preserved and restored films presents work from the Academy Film Archive as well as other archives, studios, distributors, foundations, and independent filmmakers from around the globe. Each restoration will be celebrating its Los Angeles, West Coast, United States, North American, or World Premiere, with many of the filmmakers, subjects, archivists, and preservationists appearing in person to discuss their work. With the support of the German Film Office, three restored German films will be presented in this series "Present Past: A Celebration of Film Preservation": JESUS - DER FILM by Michael Brynntrup, AIN'T NOTHING WITHOUT YOU (NICHTS NICHTS OHNE DICH) by Pia Frankenberg and THE GERMANS AND THEIR MEN (DIE DEUTSCHEN UND IHRE MÄNNER - BERICHT AUS BONN) by Helke Sander. Pia Frankenberg, Michael Brynntrup and curator Annika Haupts (Curator Deutsche Kinemathek) will be attending the presentation. | |
| German productions and co-productions at Tallinn, Hanoi, Torun, Leuven, Ljubljana, Palm Springs and Bogotá. | |
| Awards for German productions and co-productions at Tallinn, Torun and Gijón. | |
| International releases of German films in December 2024 supported by the German Films Distribution Support program: ANSELM in Spain (Distributor: A Contracorriente Films, World Sales: Hanway Films, Theatrical Release: December 13, 2024, Grant: 13.000 €)
DER SPITZNAME in Switzerland (Distributor: Praesens-Film, World Sales: Constantin Films, Theatrical Release: December 19, 2024, Grant: 7.000 €)
DYING in Brazil (Distributor: Imovision - Tag Cultural, World Sales: The Match Factory, Theatrical Release: December 5, 2024, Grant: 7.500 €)
EMPTY NETS in Slovenia (Distributor: Cinemania Group, World Sales: Pluto Film, Theatrical Release: December 13, 2024, Grant: 3.000 €)
FÜHRER AND SEDUCER in Spain (Distributor: A Contracorriente Films, World Sales: Beta Film, Theatrical Release: December 5, 2024, Grant: 12.000 €)
GREETINGS FROM MARS in Poland (Distributor: Vivarto Film, World Sales: One Gate Media, Theatrical Release: December 27, 2024, Grant: 10.000 €)
TEACHES OF PEACHES in Mexico (Distributor: Bestiario Film, World Sales: Magnetfilm, Theatrical Release: December 26, 2024, Grant: 4.500 €)
TEACHES OF PEACHES in the Netherlands (Distributor: Pink Moon, World Sales: Magnetfilm, Theatrical Release: December 5, 2024, Grant: 3.500 €)
THE SUPERELFKINS in Hungary (Distributor: Prorom Entertainment, World Sales: Sola Media, Theatrical Release: December 26, 2024, Grant: 11.000 €)
THE UNIVERSAL THEORY in Romania (Distributor: Contactory Studio / Cay Films, World Sales: Charades, Theatrical Release: December 6, 2024, Grant: 3.000 €)
THE UNIVERSAL THEORY in the UK and Ireland (Distributor: Picturehouse Entertainment, World Sales: Charades, Theatrical Release: December 13, 2024, Grant: 14.000 €)
TWO TO ONE in Estonia (Distributor: Estinfilm, World Sales: The Playmaker Munich, Theatrical Release: December 27, 2024, Grant: 3.000 €)
WINNERS in North Macedonia (Distributor: Cutaway Dooel, World Sales: Pluto Film, Theatrical Release: December 12, 2024, Grant: 3.500 €)
WOODWALKERS in Hungary (Distributor: Prorom Entertainment, World Sales: Studiocanal, Theatrical Release: December 26, 2024, Grant: 13.000 €)
WOODWALKERS in the Ukraine (Distributor: Green Light Films, World Sales: Studiocanal, Theatrical Release: December 5, 2024, Grant: 8.550 €)
WOW! MESSAGE FROM OUTER SPACE in Poland (Distributor: Vivarto, World Sales: Playmaker Munich, Theatrical Release: December 13, 2024, Grant: 8.000 €) Please note: Correct at time of going to press. Changes may occur at any time. | |
| Contact:
Angela Sonntag (Head of Press & Public Relations) | |
| German Films Service + Marketing GmbH
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Fax +49-89-59 97 87-30 | |
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