NRW at the 2015 Berlinale: Drama Series Days, Baumi Award, Audience Awards
- Filmstiftung NRW – partner of the 1st Drama Series Days at the EFM
- Large response and worldwide media echo for new platform for TV series
- Heiner Carow Prize for „B-Movie: Lust & Sound in West-Berlin“
- Panorama Audience Awards for documentaries „Tough Love“ („Härte“) and „Iraqi Odyssey“
- Honorary Bear winner announces the starting shot for the 2nd Wim Wenders Grant
- Industry Debate on new German quality series
Great cinema with 29 NRW-funded films in all the important Berlinale sections as well as the successful launch of the Drama Series Days as a new platform for quality series at the European Film Market: the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW had a strong presence at the 65th Berlinale as a partner of the Drama Series Days with a highly popular industry debate on the future of TV series, glamorous film premieres in the Berlinale Palast and screenings of special arthouse films in the various sidebars, from the NRW reception through to the presentation of NRW as a film hub at the „Focus Germany“ stand in the EFM. The Honorary Bear and the homage for the Düsseldorf-born film-maker Wim Wenders rounded off this year’s Berlinale programme.
„We are looking back on a particularly exciting Berlinale: the NRW films in the Competition through to the Forum have shown the diversity and high quality of the region’s film-making, and the reaction to the Baumi Script Development Award was enormous. I would like to congratulate the film-makers and producers of those award-winning NRW films at the festival and, in particular, Wim Wenders, the winner of the Honorary Bear“, says Petra Müller, CEO of the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW. „The first edition of the Drama Series Days, which we organised together with the European Film Market , was also a complete success. The idea of opening up the market and festival for quality series functioned very well and attracted attention around the globe. Thanks to everyone involved for the wonderful collaboration. We are already looking forward to the next edition in the coming year.“
Enormous response for the new Drama Series Days by EFM and Filmstiftung
The beginning of the Berlinale’s second week saw Filmstiftung CEO Petra Müller joining Berlinale director Dieter Kosslick and EFM director Matthijs Wouter-Knol in opening the Drama Series Days, the new platform for quality series at the European Film Market. The Film- und Medienstiftung NRW is a partner of the event which included project presentations, market screenings as well as pitchings, case studies and so-called industry debates. Scott Roxborough (The Hollywood Reporter) hosted a panel discussion entitled „Ready to Take Off? High-end Drama Series Made in Germany“ with Heike Hempel (ZDF), Matthias Glasner (author and director, „Blochin“), Stefan Arndt (X Filme), Oliver Berben (Moovie), Jan Mojto (Beta Film) and Hannes Heyelmann (TNT).
At the same time, the festival showed new international series in its Berlinale Special section at the Haus des Berliner Festspiele. The new sidebar was immediately a hit with the audience and generated international media coverage. The initiative also met with an outstanding response from representatives of such companies as Netflix, HBO, BBC, Studiocanal, Danish Broadcasting Corporation, RAI Cinema, Freemantle and Sky, who travelled to the festival specifically for the Drama Series Days.
Heiner Carow Prize for „B-Movie: Lust & Sound in West-Berlin“
The NRW-funded film “B-Movie: Lust & Sound in West-Berlin“ by Jörg A. Hoppe, Klaus Maeck and Heiko Lange received the Heiner Carow Prize on Thursday evening. A three-member jury presents the award for the promotion of German cinematic art to a documentary, fiction film or essay film which is screening in Panorama. The prize is sponsored by the DEFA Foundation and is endowed with 5,000 Euros. The award goes to films which address social and political issues from the past and present with extraordinary aesthetic means.
„B-Movie: Lust & Sound in West-Berlin “ is a documentary about music, arts and chaos in the wild West-Berlin of the 1980s: a creative melting pot for the sub and pop culture, „Geniale Dilettanten“ and world stars. B-Movie looks back at the last decade of the divided city, from punk to the Love Parade, with authentic film footage and original interviews. (production companies: DEF Media and Interzone Pictures; broadcasters: ZDF and Arte)
Two NRW-funded films are among the winners of this year’s Panorama Audience Awards at the Berlinale. „Tough Love“ („Härte“) by Rosa von Praunheim took third place in the Fiction Film category, while „Iraqi Odyssey“ by Samir was also third in the Documentary category.
„Tough Love“ by Rosa von Praunheim tells the story of Andreas Marquardt, who was maltreated as a child by his mother and experiences the abuse as a trauma. He becomes a pimp, is sentenced for procuring and then processes his trauma in prison with the help of a psychologist. Nowadays, he is involved in charity work with children. The docudrama is a production by the Rosa von Praunheim Filmproduktion and had its world premiere during the Berlinale. The film will be released theatrically by missingFilms on April 9, 2015.
„Iraqi Odyssey“ by Samir shows the major changes Iraq has experienced over the last decades. Today, they are images of war, angry bearded men, women with veils, destroyed cities. However, the 50s and 60s were a time of new beginnings.How could it come to this? (German-Swiss co-production by Dschoint Ventschr and COIN FILM with the participation of WDR and SRF, sales: Autlook Filmsales).
Baumi Script Development Award in memory of Karl Baumgartner
Together with Reinhard Brundig and Martina Baumgartner, Filmstiftung CEO Petra Müller announced the creation of the „Baumi Script Development Award“ during the NRW Press Lunch at the Berlinale. The Award has been jointly launched by Martina and Sandra Baumgartner, Pandora Film and the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW. The 20,000 Euro award is in memory of the producer-distributor Karl „Baumi“ Baumgartner and will be presented in future at the Berlinale.
Ready, steady, go for the 2nd Wim Wenders Grant from the Filmstiftung NRW
The NRW reception saw Wim Wenders firing the starting shot for the second call for applications for the Filmstiftung NRW’s Wim Wenders Grant for innovative film-making. The Filmstiftung launched the Grant for the first time in 2014 in cooperation with the Wim Wenders Foundation. The Grant supports projects by young film-makers who want to tell stories with new means. Two of the current grant-holders – Fabian Driehorst und Frédéric Schuld – produced the NRW-funded short „Däwit“, which had its premiere during the festival in the Berlinale Shorts.
The multi-Oscar-nominated director, who was honoured at this year’s Berlinale with an Homage and the Golden Honorary Bear, and his wife Donata Wenders established the Wim Wenders Foundation in Dusseldorf in 2012 with support from the Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia, the City of Düsseldorf, the Film- und Medienstiftung and private donors. In addition to preserving the director’s artistic life’s work, the Foundation also intends to serve as a platform for exchange and research in the areas of film, art and media and, with the help of the Grant, to support innovative narrative art by young film-makers and video artists.
NRW reception with more than 1,000 guests
More than 1,000 guests from the worlds of cinema, media and politics came to the NRW reception on February 8 at the permanent representation. Prime-minister Hannelore Kraft and Filmstiftung CEO Petra Müller welcomed numerous film teams and stars of the 29 NRW-funded films. The appearance of Wim Wenders was one of the evening’s highlights.
Filmbüro Breakfast
On Wednesday, the Filmbüro NW hosted its traditional breakfast at the Haus der Kulturen der Welt. The new chairman Erik Winker welcomed around 200 guests of the NRW film scene and introduced the newly elected board.
Reception of the film schools
The reception of the film schools was held for eighth time on Tuesday, the day-long event at NRW’s permanent representation providing students and the film industry with the chance to have intensive discussions about ideas and projects of the up-and-coming generation and to plan joint projects .