GERMAN FILMS INDUSTRY SCREENINGS IN ASIA
In March and April, German Films organised Industry Screenings for film buyers and other industry professionals in Tokyo (23 March) and Beijing (20 April). The event in Japan was organised locally in cooperation with the Goethe-Institut in Tokyo. 15 guests attended in person and were shown six selected German films. The screenings in Beijing attracted 30 people. Five German films as well as festival highlights were screened there. The program for the two Screenings included such titles as RIVAL by Marcus Lenz, WHO WE WERE by Marc Bauder, MOONBOUND by Ali Samadi Ahadi and THE OGGLIES – WELCOME TO SMELLIVILLE! by Toby Genkel and Jens Møller. The events gave people an opportunity at long last to have a personal exchange again and were well received by the participants.
VILLA AURORA ONLINE EVENT: FEMALE FILMMAKERS IN HOLLYWOOD
In collaboration with German Films and the Consulate General of Germany in Los Angeles, Villa Aurora hosted a virtual panel discussion on 24 April entitled "Times Up? - Female Filmmakers in Hollywood". Taking stock of the situation of women in the film business, the three German filmmakers Anja Marquardt (THE GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE), Nora Fingscheidt (SYSTEM CRASHER) and Julia von Heinz (AND TOMORROW THE ENTIRE WORLD) spoke about their experiences in the European and American film business. The event was moderated by Sydney Levine, International Consultant and Director of the Women in Cinema Conference of the Dhaka International Film Festival.
A video of the talk is available on the Villa Aurora YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KayCOnstz0o
BERLIN ALEXANDERPLATZ OPENS IN THE USA
Burhan Qurbani's award-winning reinterpretation of Alfred Döblin's eponymous novel, BERLIN ALEXANDERPLATZ, opens in American cinemas on 30 April. Welket Bungué (Francis) shines in the leading role with European Shooting Star 2021 Albrecht Schuch (Reinhold) and Jella Haase (Mieze) in the supporting roles. Kino Lorber is releasing the epic drama on the big screen across the nation in both physical and virtual screenings as part of KINO! Germany NOW!, a program of the German Film Office in New York.
More about KINO! Germany NOW! can be found here.
KINO! Germany NOW!: ALSO IN THE UK FROM MAY
German Films will be launching its social media activities in the UK and Ireland from May as a way of giving more visibility to German filmmaking. Following its successful introduction in the USA, the KINO! Germany NOW! label will now have a UK version providing information about German cinema and German talent on the Facebook and Instagram channels - with a focus on German film content at festivals, theatrical releases as well as films airing on TV and streaming platforms, and much more. Stay Tuned!
More information in the social media:
https://www.facebook.com/kinogermanynowuk
https://www.instagram.com/kinogermanynowuk
ATELIER LUDWIGSBURG-PARIS: TRAINING PROGRAM FOR BUDDING PRODUCERS
The one-year training program Atelier Ludwigsburg-Paris for European film producers and distributors at the beginning of their career conveys practical and theoretical knowledge about financing, film funding, script development, calculating a budget, distribution, sales and marketing as well as drawing up a shooting schedule and shooting a film.
The Atelier Ludwigsburg-Paris is open for applications of non-European candidates in order to support young non-European professionals who intend to work mainly in Europe. In 2021/2022, applications by only English-speaking candidates will be accepted.
The application deadline is 31 May 2021. More information on how to apply is available here.
SPACE DOGS WINS PRIZE IN BOLZANO
Elsa Kremser and Levin Peter's film SPACE DOGS was awarded the Prize for Best Documentary at the 34th Bolzano Film Festival. The story about two street dogs in Moscow was produced by Raumzeitfilm as a co-production with It Works!, the company of Face to Face with German Films talent Annekatrin Hendel.
AWARD FOR GERMAN CO-PRODUCTION AT THE ANNIE AWARDS
The German co-production THE SNAIL AND THE WHALE by Max Lang and Daniel Snaddon won the prize in the "Best Special Production" category at the 48th Annie Awards in Los Angeles. The animated film is based on a children's book by the British author Julia Donaldson about a snail and a whale's adventures togeher.
More information about German animated films can be found at https://www.animationgermany.de/.
QUO VADIS, AIDA? WINS INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARD
The German co-production QUO VADIS, AIDA? was awarded the prize for Best International Film at the Independent Spirit Awards on 22 April. Jasmila Žbanić's film won against competition from Brazil (BACURAU), India (THE DISCIPLE), Ivory Coast (NIGHT OF THE KINGS), and Hungary (PREPARATIONS TO BE TOGETHER FOR AN UNKNOWN PERIOD OF TIME).
