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April 2021

GERMAN FILM OFFENSIVE AT DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVALS


COURAGE by Aliaksei Paluyan and A BLACK JESUS by Luca Lucchesi will be screened at all three festivals. The latter will be screened at Hot Docs in the program The Changing Face of Europe, a section that addresses such topical subjects as immigration, right-wing populist movements or economic fears in cooperation with the European Film Promotion (EFP).

Valerie Bäuerlein's film THE LUNAR COURSE OF MY LIFE celebrated its world premiere in Nyon. The film revolves around the struggle of the so-called "Hikkikomori" in Japan for social participation. Also shown for the first time was the visually powerful dystopian vision THE GREAT VOID by Sebastian Mez, which received a Special Mention.

At CPH:DOX in Copenhagen, Daniel Sager's BEHIND THE HEADLINES, which deals with investigative journalism, was shown as a world premiere. The film will subsequently be shown as a Special Presentation and North American premiere in Toronto.

Two more world premieres will follow at Hot DocsVIRAL by Udi Nir and Sagi Bornstein and ZUHUR’S DAUGHTERS by Laurentia Genske and Robin Humboldt deal with influencers during the pandemic and a pair of transgender twins who have fled Syria with their family.

A total of 13 German films and co-productions were shown at Visions du Réel this year 14 in Toronto, and 25 at CPH:DOX  (including immersive and performative works). Like Nyon, the festival in Copenhagen is planned as a hybrid event. Hot Docs will take place in 2021 as an online-only format.

A list of all German films and co-productions in Nyon, Copenhagen and Toronto will be available here soon.

ANIMATION GERMANY: PITCH WORKSHOPS FOR PRODUCERS


The first module saw animation producers being taught the prerequisites, basics, techniques and characteristics of storytelling for online pitches. Particular attention was given during individual coaching sessions in the second module to the individual pitch deck and the presentation in English. In module three, the teams of animation producers received feedback during the dress rehearsal from the experts Karen Mitrega and Christoph Erbès. The teams will then present their pitches of the animation projects at the one-to-one meetings during the Animation Production Days.

The experts at a glance:

Coaching & moderation: Johannes Büchs (moderator, author, media trainer, keynote coach)

From the animation industry:

Karen Mitrega (creative producer, with a focus on children's content, curator of the APD, study mentor).
Christophe Erbès (international consultant, with a focus on children's media, author and screenwriter)

You can find more information about Animation Germany under the auspices of German Films and the Animation Production Days here:
https://www.animationgermany.de/
https://www.animationproductiondays.de/

INTRODUCING KINO! FILM SALON


The first meeting will focus on the film AND TOMORROW THE ENTIRE WORLD by Julia von Heinz (Germany’s submission to the 2021 Academy Awards), which will be available on NETFLIX as of May 6, 2021.   

Date and Time:  Sunday, May 16, 2021 at 11am – 12pm PDT, 2pm – 3pm EDT, 8pm – 9pm CET

Hosted by Sydney Levine

To receive the Zoom link, please RSVP to info@telescopefilm.com

Sydney Levine consults, interviews and writes about filmmakers and the film industry. She has taught international film business at universities including UCLA, Chapman, The New School of Social Research, and the University of Television and Film Munich, as well as at festivals including the Cannes Producers Workshop, and Berlinale Talents. She created FilmFinders, the film industry’s first database, which was acquired by IMDb. She currently lives in Berlin and Los Angeles.

KINO! Film Salon is a production of Telescope Film, in partnership with the German Film Office.
 

GERMAN FILM FESTIVAL IN AUSTRALIA


The program will be shown in the following cities:

•    Sydney: 25 May - 13 June
•    Canberra: 26 May - 13 June
•    Melbourne: 27 May - 13 June
•    Brisbane: 1 - 20 June
•    Adelaide: 2 - 20 June
•    Perth: 3 - 20 June
•    Byron Bay: 4 - 20 June

Screenings will include FABIAN: GOING TO THE DOGSELECTRIC GIRLTHE AUDITIONNIGHTLIFE and HOW I TAUGHT MYSELF TO BE A CHILD. More films to follow.

More information is available on the German Films Website and at https://germanfilmfestival.com.au/.

DISTRIBUTION SUPPORT


COPILOT in France (Distributor: Haut et Court Distribution, World Sales: The Match Factory, Loan: 25,000 €)
CURVEBALL in USA (Distributor: TriCoast Worldwide, World Sales: ARRI Media International, Grant: 8,000 €)
GERMAN LESSON in France (Distributor: Wild Bunch Distribution, World Sales: ARRI Media International, Grant: 10,000 €)
HELLO AGAIN in Spain (Distributor: Alfa Pictures, World Sales: Beta Cinema, Grant: 10,000 €)
MAYA THE BEE 3: THE GOLDEN ORB in UK + Ireland (Distributor: Kaleidoscope Home Entertainment, World Sales: Studio 100 Media, Loan: 20,000 €)
ONE OF THESE DAYS in Belarus (Distributor: ART Corporation, World Sales: The Match Factory, Grant: 6,000 €)
ONE OF THESE DAYS in Russia (Distributor: Silver Box, World Sales: The Match Factory, Grant: 7,500 €)
THE HIDDEN LIFE OF TREES in Spain (Distributor: Surtsey Films, World Sales: Global Screen, Loan: 22,500 €)
THE OGGLIES – WELCOME TO SMELLIVILLE in Hungary (Distributor: ADS Service, World Sales: ARRI Media International, Grant: 7,200 €)
VEINS OF THE WORLD in Norway (Distributor: Storytelling Media, World Sales: Global Screen, Grant: 8,000 €)
WHO WE WERE in Switzerland (Distributor: Filmcoopi Zürich, World Sales: X Verleih, Grant: 8,000 €)

Applications for the next sitting of the awards committee meeting can be submitted up until 10 June 2021.

The "Distribution Support" funding program was launched in 2005 and supports the theatrical release of German films abroad. Subsidies are awarded for additional measures over and above the release campaign which had already been planned by the foreign distributors. The support up to a maximum of 50,000 Euros is allocated in the form of a conditionally repayable loan. Funding of up to 10,000 Euros can also be allocated as a grant.

The guidelines and the application form for "Distribution Support" can be downloaded here.

NEW EPISODE - SHORT TAKE: THE GERMAN FILMS PODCAST


We all know and love them: those great American series like THE WIRESTRANGER THINGSTRUE BLOODORANGE IS THE NEW BLACKTHIS IS US or WESTWORLD. Uta Briesewitz was involved in all of these and many other crowd-pleasers as either a cinematographer or director and she has lots of exciting insider knowledge on tap. At the moment, she is working on the Amazon production THE WHEEL OF TIME. Among other things, she reveals in the latest episode of SHORT TAKE which TV genre has a special place in her heart and how this preference helped her get a job.

Four young women Jazz, Fanta, Hajra and Rasaq hit the streets of Berlin in the new series PARA – WE ARE KING on TNT Serie since 22 April.They have big dreams and little money - but sometimes the path to happiness also ends in them turning a blind eye to the letter of the law. Hanno Hackfort (4 BLOCKS), who was a guest on SHORT TAKE earlier this year, was one of the screenwriters.

SHORT TAKE: THE GERMAN FILMS PODCAST has already reached over 8,000 listeners from various countries since the format's launch – and this figure is set to increase in the future.
 
You can find all the episodes on our website and wherever podcasts are available.

Follow SHORT TAKE on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shorttake/

NEWS BITES


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 AngelesVilla 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).

FESTIVALS


German films and co-productions at AnnecyNew Directors/New FilmsRaindance, in San FranciscoNijmegenAtlantaBolzano and Tribeca.

AWARDS


Awards for German films and co-productions at Ann ArborNijmegenSan FranciscoSeattle and Bolzano.

INTERNATIONAL RELEASES IN MAY


THE AUDITION in Italy (Distributor: PFA Films, World Sales: Les Films du Losange, Theatrical Release: 06 May 2021)
KOKON in Czech Republic (Distributor: Mezipatra, World Sales: m-appeal, Theatrical Release: 06 May 2021)
UNDINE in the Netherlands (Distributor: Cherry Pickers, World Sales: The Match Factory, Theatrical Release: 06 May 2021)
THE MAGIC KIDS in Poland (Distributor: Vivarto, World Sales: ARRI Media, Theatrical Release: 07 May 2021)
THE ELFKINS – BAKING A DIFFERENCE in Turkey (Distributor: Yeni Bir Film, World Sales: Sola Media, Theatrical Release: 07 May 2021)
AS HITLER STOLE PINK RABBIT in Denmark (Distributor: Angel Distribution, World Sales: Beta Cinema, Theatrical Release: 12 May 2021)
THE ELFKINS – BAKING A DIFFERENCE in Belgium + Luxembourg (Distributor: Santa Fé Productions, World Sales: Sola Media, Theatrical Release: 12 May 2021)
UNDINE in Hong Kong + Macau (Distributor: Golden Scene, World Sales: The Match Factory, Theatrical Release: 13 May 2021)
THE OGGLIES – WELCOME TO SMELLIVILLE in Hungary (Distributor: ADS Service, World Sales: ARRI Media, Theatrical Release: 20 May 2021)
AS HITLER STOLE PINK RABBIT in Taiwan (Distributor: MovieCloud, World Sales: Beta Cinema, Theatrical Release: 21 May 2021)
MAYA THE BEE III – THE GOLDEN ORB in Finland (Distributor: Cinemanse, World Sales: Studio 100 Media, Theatrical Release: 21 May 21)
MAYA THE BEE III – THE GOLDEN ORB in UK + Ireland (Distributor: Kaleidoscope Home Entertainment, World Sales: Studio 100 Media, Theatrical Release: 21 May 2021)
MAYA THE BEE III – THE GOLDEN ORB in Spain (Distributor: Media Solutions Partners, World Sales: Studio 100 Media, Theatrical Release: 28 May 2021)
THE ELFKINS – BAKING A DIFFERENCE in Poland (Distributor: Vivarto, World Sales: Sola Media, Theatrical Release: 28 May 2021)

Status: Newsletter publication date. Please be aware that all release dates are subject to change.


 



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