| This year again saw German Films organising a German focus for Europe's largest international series festival, SERIES MANIA, which was held in Lille from 18 - 25 March, 2022. The talents Sara Fazilat, Jerry Hoffmann and Matthias Luthardt of this year's FACE TO FACE WITH GERMAN FILMS - THE FILMMAKERS campaign as well as screenwriter Jana Burbach (Face to Face 2020) spoke at the FACE TO FACE WITH GERMAN FILMMAKERS: SERIOUS ABOUT SERIES panel about trends and developments in the German market for series as well as about their own experiences and current projects. "I had to return and use my voice. That's why my [production] company is called Third Culture Kids. That's what I am and what many people around the world are," says German-Persian actress and author Sara Fazilat, who is currently developing the series UNDERDOGS about people who turn their supposed weaknesses into superpowers. The German series industry is obviously undergoing changes since new creative and diversified dynamics are being discussed, as actor Jerry Hoffmann, who recently shot the Netflix series A SUBMARINE STORY in Turkey, notes: "Normally, when you have one German character in an international production, he is always white, tall, with blue eyes. But now, they cast me. [...] For years, I felt like an outsider trying to get in. Now, I have suddenly become the new norm." Nevertheless, certain topics such as women in the writers' room and diversity in the cast still need to be explored in detail, says Jana Burbach, who is a co-screenwriter of such series as BAD BANKS, JUST PUSH ABUBA and TRIBES OF EUROPE: "Hey, we have this project, everything is finished, and now we need one woman in the team." There is movement in the German series business - not only among the creatives, but also among decision-makers and financiers - is something observed by the director Matthias Luthardt, who is currently working on his feature film THE FOX and GOLD TRAIN: "The ones who are coming up grew up with Netflix and Amazon, they also grew up with public television. I feel that JERKS, for example, is a product of public TV, but it's completely different from what you usually see on a Sunday evening." While the enormous diversity and constant competition creates chaos and imbalance in many places, it also creates new possibilities and opportunities that must be balanced and tested with the changing times.
The FACE TO FACE WITH GERMAN FILMS campaign shines a spotlight each year on young, emerging and influential names in the German film industry. In 2022, FACE TO FACE WITH GERMAN FILMS - THE FILMMAKERS is focusing again on a wide range of film talents from different ethnic backgrounds and disciplines in what is now the seventh edition. | |
| This is the second year in a row that Filmfest Dresden (5 to 10 April, 2022) has provided the perfect setting for the grand opening of the new NEXT GENERATION SHORT TIGER programme. Directors and crew members of the nine selected short films could be there in person and use the festival with its numerous industry events and international guests to network. One of the highlights was the gala awards ceremony at the Lingnerschloss for the FFA Short Tiger which went to three very different shorts which had a maximum running time of five minutes and were particularly suitable for programming as supporting films in cinemas. The complete NEXT GENERATION SHORT TIGER programme had its premiere a day later. The enthusiastic audience at the sold-out Schauburg cinema saw such big issues as closeness and distance, transgressions, questions of guilt, lifestyles or the simple desire for weightlessness being presented in a short form and employing a variety of cinematic and animation techniques.
The next big highlight for the filmmakers and their films is the traditional screening at the Festival de Cannes on Tuesday, 24 May, 2022. The programme will then go on tour around the globe at German Films’ Festivals of German Films. The films were selected by the jury members Katrin Küchler (MDR/unicato), Matthias Luthardt (director) and Dr. Christian Bräuer (managing director Yorck-Kinos).
More information about the films and directors of this year's NEXT GENERATION SHORT TIGER programme can be found here. Industry professionals can either screen the films on the Festivalscope Pro and T-Port platforms if they are registered there, or they can request a screening link from nextgeneration@german-films.de. The three Short Tiger winners can be booked by German cinemas as supporting films through the Kurzfilmagentur Hamburg.
| |
| The second edition of the Festival del Cinema Tedesco was held in cooperation with the Goethe-Institut and the German Embassy in Rome. This year's venue was the new Cinema Quattro Fontane in the centre of Rome after the festival had been held in 2020 as an open-air event. The Italian film fans were able to see and enjoy new German films here from 24 to 27 March, 2022. The opening film TOUBAB kicked off the festival with its director Florian Dietrich and lead actor Farba Dieng in attendance. They both enjoyed the screening and the discussion afterwards in the capacity auditorium as well as a packed school screening with a never-ending Q&A the next day. In addition, Katharina M. Schubert presented her directorial debut THE GIRL WITH THE GOLDEN HANDS followed by a film talk moderated by Miriam Mauti. The absolute highlight was provided on Sunday by DEAR THOMAS, with producer Till Derenbach in attendance, and the fascinating documentary ITALO DISCO - THE SPARKLING SOUND OF THE 80s.
List of films at the FESTIVAL OF THE GERMAN FILMS in Rome:
TOUBAB by Florian Dietrich (opening film).
LIFEGUARD OFF DUTY by Marcus H. Rosenmüller
THE GIRL WITH THE GOLDEN HANDS by Katharina Maria Schubert
I AM, I WAS, I WILL BE by İlker Çatak
ITALO DISCO. THE SPARKLING SOUND OF THE 80s by Alessandro Melazzini
DEAR THOMAS by Andreas Kleinert
RELATIVITY by Mariko Minoguchi
NGST - NEXT GENERATION SHORT TIGER 2021 by various directors | |
| German Films gave German sales companies another opportunity to take part in the 2022 edition of INDUSTRY SCREENINGS IN ASIA. The Goethe Institut in Tokyo made it possible for Japanese buyers to have physical screenings in Japan on 23 March, 2022, and German Films’ regional representative Anke Redl was instrumental in organising screenings for Chinese buyers in China on 8 April, 2022. A total of 50 buyers were welcomed to the events. List of films at the INDUSTRY SCREENINGS in Asia:
AEIOU - A QUICK ALPHABET OF LOVE by Nicolette Krebitz
AXIOM by Jöns Jönsson
LOVE THING by Anika Decker
THE FORGER by Maggie Peren
RABIYE KURNAZ VS. GEORGE W. BUSH by Andreas Dresen
THE PATH by Tobias Wiemann
THE CONFERENCE by Matti Geschonneck
TALKING ABOUT THE WEATHER by Annika Pinske
HOSPITALITY by Nick Chakwin, David Guglielmo
FRITZ BAUER'S LEGACY by Sabine Lamby, Cornelia Partmann, Isabel Gathof
In the run-up to this event, German Films had supported nine German sales agents wishing to participate in European Film Promotion’s umbrella stand at Hong Kong’s FILMART. This market had to be held digitally again from 14 - 17 March, 2022 due to the high incidence rate of COVID-19 in Hong Kong and the associated entry restrictions. | |
| The German Film Office’s team travelled to Austin, Texas to attend SXSW which was held from 10 - 20 March, 2022. We had a booth in the Creative Industries Expo for four days during the festival to inform visitors about new German films on the market. Festival-goers from all over the world came by to chat with us and find out about our work as a New York-based initiative of the Goethe-Institut and German Films. When we were not at our booth, you could find us watching as many films as possible, peeking into start-up pitches, mingling at networking events, and eating never enough tacos. We look forward to returning next year!
More about the German Film Office: https://www.germanfilmoffice.us. | |
| The first impression counts, virtual encounters with international business partners and the digital pitch of a project are becoming increasingly important. Animation Germany has therefore teamed up with the Animation Production Days, which are being held in a hybrid format from 4 - 7 May, 2022, to offer selected German producers tailor-made expert coaching in English on "How to pitch your project online". Animation expert and executive media trainer Barbara Slade has been presenting expert coaching in three modules from 19 - 29 April. In the first module, the animation producers were taught the prerequisites, basics, techniques and special features of storytelling in an online pitch. Special attention was given to the individual pitch deck and presentation in English in module two during individual coaching sessions with each team, while module three saw the animation producer teams receiving feedback during a rehearsal in front of experts Karen Mitrega, Tania Reichert-Facilides, and Christoph Erbès. The teams will then present pitches of their animation series or feature films at the one-to-one meetings during the Animation Production Days in Stuttgart in May.
The role of Animation Germany at German Films is to increase the international visibility of the German animation and the VFX industry. The aim is to support the initiation of business partnerships in terms of financing, development of co-productions or other forms of cooperation on projects.
The project partners for the expert coaching are the Animation Production Days (APDs) and the animation section of the German Producers Alliance. The APDs are an event for professionals working in the field of animation. Participants are producers who present their new ideas for animated feature films, TV series, games or transmedia projects to studios, representatives of broadcasters, SVOD platforms, sales companies, publishers and investors, and funding institutions for film, television and media.
About the experts for the coaching programme:
Barbara Slade is an award-winning TV writer, creator and executive producer. Based in London, England, she travels extensively, creating, developing and heading up shows for the international market. Barbara has worked as an expert on writing and developing series for Nickelodeon, Disney, ABC, Fox and many other networks worldwide. She has scripted features for Working Title and Disney and received numerous awards, including a ‘Humanitas’ for one of her episodes of ‘Rugrats’. Among many others, Barbara developed and served as Head Writer for ANGELINA BALLERINA and ROTTEN RALPH.
Karen Mitrega works as a creative producer (development and production) for animated and live-action series and movies. She consults platforms on content for children and strategy for their kid profile. Until 2014, she was the Head of Children’s Content at Super RTL. She was responsible for the development, co-production and acquisition of series and magazines as well as for the website www.toggo.de. Karen has been working as a production manager on several international feature films and graduated in Film and TV Producing from the Filmakademie in Ludwigsburg, Germany. She has been working in the industry for more than 20 years. Karen also serves as a curator for the Animation Production Days and mentors film students.
Christophe Erbés has worked successively in France, Germany, Spain and UK as Programming Director for Canal+ / Premiere, S-RTL/Disney, Nickelodeon and Managing Director for Fox Kids / Jetix Europe and Germany. He has published books in more than 10 languages under the pseudonym of Théo de Marcousin. Since 2006, Christophe has been an international consultant for children’s media and IP development as well as a scriptwriter and creative producer, and co-founder of France’s GODO FILMS. He also hosts various international conferences and is regularly a member on juries.
Before becoming managing director of Studio Hamburg Enterprises, one of German public broadcaster ARD’s rights distribution companies, Tania Reichert-Facilides had gained expertise in marketing and management by working for two big international groups, Bertelsmann and L'Oréal. During her time at Bertelsmann’s Universum Film, she transformed the video distribution company into the leading player in Germany’s independent home entertainment segment and expanded its operations into theatrical and digital distribution as well as co-production. From 2013 to 2019, she managed her own company, Freebird Pictures, and was involved in the production of animated content as well as promotional and political activities for the industry. She is an active board member of the German Producers Alliance (Animation) as well as being a judge and panelist at various industry events.
Please contact Ina Sommer for further information. | |
| It’s one important documentary film festival after the other between March and May: the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival (10-20.03.2022) kicked things off, followed by CPH:DOX in Copenhagen (23.03.-03.04.2022) and Visions du Reél in Nyon (07.04.-17.04.2022). The great big finale came at Hot Docs in Toronto between 28 April - 8 May, 2022. German films proved to be crowd-pullers worthy of recognition and generated a positive response from both the professionals and the media. In Thessaloniki, THE DEVIL'S DRIVERS by Daniel Carsenty and Mohammed Abugeth won the Special Jury Award in the Newcomers Competition. The jury explained its decision as follows: "An important film with significant access to the world of the ‘devil's drivers’. A film sheds light on matters of great urgency and gives a voice to an oppressed and marginalised group of people whose story had been left largely untold".
Two German majority-produced films won in Copenhagen. Lena Karbe's BLACK MAMBAS had its world premiere in the Fa:ct Award section; the jury, which gave her film this section’s Main Prize, wrote: "A seemingly simple story that quietly reveals its complex layers, BLACK MAMBAS touches upon a multitude of themes, acknowledging but also defying stereotypes. In an ideologically charged landscape we get to experience the struggles and empowerment of young women against the persisting power structures, within the frame of race, family dynamics and the tight grip of colonialism that refuses to let go. With brilliant cinematography and an intimate eye for nuance we get to experience what sacrifices it takes for a woman to feed a family - we partake in the dream of becoming a decolonized body." KASH KASH: WITHOUT FEATHERS WE CAN'T LIVE is set above the rooftops of Beirut. Lea Najjar took home the Next:Wave Award for her first feature-length documentary. Here is what the jury had to say: "From a tiny anecdote this film expands its cinematic universe and unveils the disillusionment of an entire city - an entire country. From the opening scene’s claustrophobic setting to the final wide eye of an artificial pigeon, witnessing the place it took flight from. We, the jury, wish to give this year's Next:Wave Award to a piece of delicate, yet vigorous cinema."
TARA by Volker Sattel and Francesca Bertin had its world premiere in the International Competition at Visions du Reél in Nyon: an Italian river represents desire and imagination for the inhabitants of the nearby town, but this is divorced from reality since its calmly flowing waters are far from having any healing powers. The Burning Lights Competition features EUROPE by Philipp Scheffner, a festival regular: In this film, the director follows a young woman in France as she disappears into illegality - an experiment from fact to fiction.
In 2022, European Film Promotion (EFP) is collaborating with Hot Docs for the fifth time to present The Changing Face of Europe, showing European documentaries with topical themes such as immigration, right-wing populist movements or economic fears. EFP members submit proposals for the section, with Director of Programming Shane Smith responsible for the selection. NASIM by Ole Jacobs and Arne Büttner was selected from Germany: Nasim is a woman on the run, temporarily stranded in Moria. She is juggling many roles at the same time and often despairs at how she will be able to cope as a mother, daughter, sister, and wife. Meanwhile, Erec Brehmer's intimate work of mourning with its enchanting declaration of love for life, WHO WE WILL HAVE BEEN, has its international premiere in Hot Docs’ International Competition. | |
| German productions and co-productions in Bolzano, Nijmegen, Cleveland, Annecy, Istanbul, Seattle, Brussels and Cannes. | |
| Prizes for German productions and co-productions in Ann Arbor and Cleveland. | |
| International releases of German films in May 2022 supported by the German Films Distribution Support program. THE CONFERENCE in Israel (Distributor: Red Cape Distribution, World Sales: Global Screen, Theatrical Release: 12 May, 2022).
FABIAN: GOING TO THE DOGS in The Netherlands (Distributor: Cinemien, World Sales: Les Films du Losange, Theatrical Release: 12 May, 2022)
THE CONFERENCE in Belgium (Distributor: Arti Film, World Sales: Global Screen: Theatrical Release: 25 May, 2022)
Please note: Correct at time of going to press. Changes may occur at any time. | |
| German Films Service + Marketing GmbH
Herzog-Wilhelm-Straße 16
80331 München/Deutschland Tel +49-89-59 97 87-0
Fax +49-89-59 97 87-30 | |
| |
|
