Berlinale 2019: Film- und Medienstiftung NRW with 34 funded productions
Strong showing! Film- und Medienstiftung NRW with 34 funded productions and the fifth „Drama Series Days“ at the 2019 Berlinale
- Competition – Out of Competition: „The Operative“ with Diane Kruger and Martin Freeman
- Berlinale Shorts: „Umbra“
- Panorama: „All My Loving“, „The Miracle of the Sargasso Sea“, „Monos“, „O Beautiful Night“ and „Searching Eva“
- Special: „Brecht“, „You Only Live Once – Die Toten Hosen on Tour“ and „It Could Have Been Worse – Mario Adorf“
- Perspektive Deutsches Kino: Opening film „easy love“, „Oray“
- Generation Kplus: Opening Film „Cleo“, „Armed Lullaby“, Generation 14plus: „Ringside“
- Forum: „Progress In The Valley Of People Who Don’t Know“
- Classics: „The Invincibles“ – Director’s Cut, Homage for Charlotte Rampling: „The Look“
- Lola@Berlinale with 15 Filmstiftung-backed films
- Filmstiftung and EFM jointly organise the „Drama Series Days“ for the fifth time
- 69th Berlin International Film Festival from 7 – 17 February
The Film- und Medienstiftung NRW is represented in all of the important festival sections with a total of 34 funded productions at the 69th Berlin International Film Festival (07 – 17.02.2019). Moreover, this will now be the fifth year that it is the Main Partner of the „Drama Series Days“ industry platform as part of the European Film Market (EFM). The Filmstiftung NRW will have a presence in the EFM at the „Focus Germany“ stand and is hosting the NRW Reception with the Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia on the festival’s first Sunday.
„34 funded productions – that’s the biggest number of films that the Filmstiftung has ever taken to the Berlinale – we are delighted! The film region of NRW shows what it’s able to achieve: nationally and internationally, whether fiction, documentary or docu-documentary, and with old masters and newcomers. The Filmstiftung-backed ‚Drama Series Days‘ are a great success, international panels discuss the topical issues affecting series, and the showcases will also be showing three NRW-backed series for the first time“, says Petra Müller, CEO of the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW. „This will be a special Berlinale – the last under Dieter Kosslick whom we would like to thank for all that he accomplished. Switch on the projector and farewell from NRW, dear Dieter!“
Filmstiftung-backed productions in all of the important sections
„The Operative“ by Yuval Adler with Diane Kruger and Martin Freeman can be seen in Competition – Out of Competition at the Berlinale Palast. Johannes Krell and Florian Fischer will be hoping to win a Golden Bear in the Berlinale Shorts. Six Filmstiftung-backed films are being shown in the Panorama line-up: the dramas „All My Loving“ by Edward Berger, „The Miracle of the Sargasso Sea“ by Syllas Tzoumerkas, „Monos“ by Alejandro Landes and „O Beautiful Night“ by Xaver Böhm“, the documentaries „Searching Eva“ by Pia Hellenthal and „Talking about Trees“ by Suhaib Gasmelbari Mustafa. Three strong Specials are being lined up this year: the docu-drama „Brecht“ by Heinrich Breloer, the documentary about the Düsseldorf cult band „You Only Live Once – Die Toten Hosen On Tour“ by Cordula Kablitz-Post and Paul Dugdale as well as the documentary „It Could Have Been Worse – Mario Adorf“ by Dominik Wessely. The documentary „Progress In The Valley Of People Who Don’t Know“ by Florian Kunert, a graduate from the Academy for Media Arts in Cologne (KHM), can be seen in the Forum. The documental fiction film „easy love“ by Tamer Jandali will be opening the Perspektive Deutsches Kino sidebar which will also present the drama „Oray“ by the KHM graduate Mehmet Akif Büyükatalay. Erik Schmitt was invited to open Generation Kplus with his debut feature „Cleo“, and the sidebar will also show the animated short „Armed Lullaby“ by the KHM graduate Yana Ugrekhelidze. The documentary „Ringside“ by André Hörmann will be screening in Generation 14plus. The Director’s Cut of Dominik Graf’s „The Invincibles“ is being shown in the Berlinale Classics, and the Homage for Charlotte Rampling will include the Filmstiftung-backed film „Charlotte Rampling – The Look“ by Angelina Maccarone.
„Drama Series Days“ at the Zoo Palast
The Film- und Medienstiftung NRW is also serving as the Official Main Partner for the fifth edition of the „Drama Series Days“ at the European Film Market (EFM) during the 69th Berlinale. The „Drama Series Days“ are a joint initiative of the EFM, the Berlinale Co-Production Market and Berlinale Talents and will be held with an expanded programme at the Zoo Palast from 11 – 13 February. This will also be the fifth year that premieres of international series are being held at the same time in the Berlinale Series sidebar. The official opening by the EFM director Matthijs Wouter Knol and Petra Müller on Monday, 11 February, will be followed by the panel on „Facing New Challenges and Opportunities: Streaming Services and TV“ where David Kessler (General Director, Orange Studio), Sabine de Mardt (President , Gaumont), Nathalie Biancolli (SVP Acquisitions & Coproduction, France TV), Brian Pearson (Director, EMEA Co-Productions and Acquisitions, Netflix) will discuss new strategies and future challenges in the production of series. Other roundtables and showcases will follow. Three Filmstiftung-backed series will be shown in the German Showcase: „Die neue Zeit“ (production company: zero one film in co-production with Constantin Television and Nadcon Film in association with the broadcasters ZDF/ARTE), „Das Wichtigste im Leben“ (production company: Bantry Bay Productions/ZDF Enterprises) and „Andere Eltern“ (production company: eitelsonnenschein Filmproduktion in association with TNT Comedy.
12th Reception of the Film Schools at the NRW Permanent Representation
Students of the ifs international film school cologne and the Academy for Media Arts in Cologne (KHM), will be in the spotlight at the Reception of the German Film Schools on Tuesday, 12 February, in the Permanent Representation of North Rhine-Westphalia. This will now be 12th time that students from the seven major German film schools will be introducing themselves. The film students give a glimpse of current projects through screenings and pitches of feature films, documentaries and series.
IFFF Dortmund | Köln and WIFT Germany: „Gender, Genre and Big Budget“
This year’s Berlinale will again see numerous events being organised on the subject of diversity. The International Women’s Film Festival IFFF Dortmund | Köln and Women in Film and Television Germany (WIFT Germany) are joining forces to host „Gender, Genre and Big Budget“ with presentations, discussions and panels on Saturday, 9 February. The event as well as the festival is supported by the Filmstiftung NRW.
Focus stand and NRW Reception
Staff from the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW will be providing information about funding opportunities in NRW at the European Film Market in the Gropius Bau during the festival. The Filmstiftung will have a presence at the stand of Focus Germany, the umbrella of the eight leading German film funders. In addition, the NRW Reception of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia and the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW will be held in Berlin’s Permanent Representation during the festival.
Extensive reports and interviews about the NRW films in the official Berlinale sections will be presented in the forthcoming edition of „Film und Medien NRW – Das Magazin“, which will appear for the film festival. It can be downloaded from the website of the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW from 5 February.