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June 2021

GERMAN SHORT FILMS AND CO-PRODUCTIONS IN CANNES


The animated short film SAINT ANDROID by Lukas von Berg, who won the SHORT TIGER in 2018 for L'ARIA DEL MOSCERINO, is set in the future and centres on an old man who wants to say goodbye to his dying wife. He gets unexpected support to do this from a robot priest. Aleksandra Odic was also part of the NEXT GENERATION SHORT TIGER programme in 2019 with THE BOY IN THE CHEQUERED SHIRT, and her new film FRIDA tells the story of an encounter between a nurse (Vicky Krieps) and her patient (Aenne Schwarz), who is the same age, on the borderline between professional distance and the desire for closeness.

This year, German Films is collaborating with the Marché du Film to organise Coaching Group Sessions for four young up-and-coming producers. Leopold Pape (MY VIETNAM), Tamara Erbe (BABY BITCHKA), Lisa Marie Wischer (LOVE. DUTY & HOPE) and Linda Hartogs (GIVE ME A SMILE) will be travelling to France to receive top-notch advice about project development from leading industry experts as part of a tailor-made programme.

There will be a joint presence of German Films and Focus Germany, the umbrella organisation of the eight largest German regional film funds, at the Marché du Film again this year. The German Pavilion is offering German filmmakers the opportunity to meet industry colleagues on site in a scaled-down form and subject to strict hygiene conditions. Appointments must be booked in advance since the pavilion's capacity is very limited.

A list of all of the German co-productions in Cannes can be found here.

THE FESTIVAL OF GERMAN FILMS BRINGS THE CINEMA BACK TO MADRID


Director Alison Kuhn presented her film to the Spanish audience in person. Director Christian Lerch also travelled to Madrid to present his film DEAR MR. FÜHRER to the audience and the press. The film was so well received by the audience that the Second World War drama about a family torn between Nazi ideology and humanity was voted the audience's favourite - closely followed by Moritz Bleibtreu's directorial debut CORTEX.  

Anne-Zohra Berrached's film COPILOT, which tells the story of a great love as well as fatal decisions, also aroused great interest. Berrached, who had already shown in 24 WEEKS that she is a master of exploring social areas of tension in a main character's personal conflict, continues this approach in COPILOT. The audience had an opportunity after the screening to talk with the director about her film in a virtual live Q&A.

More information about the films and guests in Madrid can be found here, photos of the event here.
 

EUROPEAN SHOOTING STARS AT THE SUMMER BERLINALE: AWARD FOR ALBRECHT SCHUCH


After the virtual kick-off show in February with industry meetings, networking sessions with casting directors, agents and producers, numerous interviews and panels, the Berlinale event in June gave the young talents an opportunity to meet and exchange ideas and experiences in person. The awards ceremony was held before the screening of Maria Schrader's award-winning film I'M YOUR MAN. Lead actress Maren Eggert, who received this year's Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance, was the patron of the event and presented the awards.

The outstanding German actor Albrecht Schuch was also present and expressed his delight at being given the award. Schuch has had a veritable dream career in recent years: SYSTEM CRASHER and BAD BANKS were followed by further roles in BERLIN ALEXANDERPLATZ and FABIAN – GOING TO THE DOGS - all of them flagships of contemporary German film and TV series production. His next big project is DEAR THOMAS by Andreas Kleinert, which has Schuch playing the lead role of the writer Thomas Brasch. The film will open in German cinemas on 4 November.

Apart from Albrecht Schuch, the other EUROPEAN SHOOTING STARS 2021 are: Seidi Haarla (Finland), Nicolas Maury (France), Natasa Stork (Hungary), Fionn O'Shea (Ireland), Žygimantė Elena Jakštaitė (Lithuania), Martijn Lakemeier (The Netherlands), Sara Klimoska (North Macedonia) Alba Baptista (Portugal) and Gustav Lindh (Sweden).

SUCCESS FOR GERMAN FILMS IN ANNECY


German Films was represented by Animation Germany and AG Kurzfilm in an online pavilion at the MIFA where it presented the German festival line-up, the Animation Germany's new trailer "Features, VFX, Series, Shorts", and a new compilation of animated shorts as one of the MIFA's Partner Screenings. Professionals can now access these shorts on the "Online Preview" viewing platform.

Director Marcus H. Rosenmüller was invited to the feature film competition on the shores of the Lac d'Annecy along with his producers Josef Aichholzer (Aichholzer Filmproduktion) and Ernst Geyer (Filmbüro Münchner Freiheit) for the world premiere of SNOTTY BOY (AT/DE, co-directed by Santiago López Jover, international sales: Picture Tree International). There were also the first public presentations of the feature films CHICKEN OF THE MOUND by Xi Chen (DE/CN, Ding Film Produktion) in the Contrechamp Competition and COPPELIA by Jeff Tudor, Steven de Beul and Ben Tesseur (NL/DE/BE, MotionWorks) as a Screening Event. The Balance Film co-production THE CROSSING by Florence Mialhe (FR/DE/CZ) received a Jury Distinction.

A total of 11 German animated shorts were selected for the other competitions. Producer Andreas Hartmann (Ossa Film) picked up the Cristal for the "Best VR Work" for REPLACEMENTS (JP/DE/ID) by Jonathan Hagard at the award ceremony. PEOPLE IN MOTION by Christoph and Wolfgang Lauenstein received the Junior Jury Award, POSTPARTUM by Henriette Rietz the YouTube Award.

DISTRIBUTION SUPPORT


The committee decided to support the following films:

A PURE PLACE in Russia (Distributor: Rocket Releasing, World Sales: The Playmaker, Theatrical Release: 29 July 2021, Grant: 7,500 €)
ADVENTURES OF A MATHEMATICIAN in Italy (Distributor: Invisible Carpet, World Sales: Indie Sales Company, Theatrical Release: 31 October 2021, Grant: 7,000 €)
ADVENTURES OF A MATHEMATICIAN in Russia (Distributor: Rocket Releasing, World Sales: Indie Sales Company, Theatrical Release: 22 July 2021, Grant: 7,000 €)
BERLIN ALEXANDERPLATZ in France (Distributor: Le Pacte, World Sales: Beta Cinema, Theatrical Release: 18 August 2021, Loan: 40,000 €)
CONNI AND THE CAT in UK + Ireland (Distributor: Munro Film Services, World Sales: Wild Bunch, Theatrical Release: 27 August 2021, Grant: 7,000 €)
COURAGE in Austria (Distributor: Stadtkino Filmverleih, World Sales: Rise and Shine World Sales, Theatrical Release: 24 June 2021, Grant: 2,568.50 €)
DEAR FUTURE CHILDREN in Canada (Distributor: Pacific Northwest Pictures, World Sales: Magnetfilm, Theatrical Release: 15 October 2021, Grant: 7,000 €)
DEAR MR. FÜHRER in Spain (Distributor: Distribución de películas Barlovento, World Sales: The Playmaker, Theatrical Release: 24 September 2021, Loan: 15,000 €)
FREAKSCENE - THE STORY OF DINOSAUR JR.  in UK + Ireland (Distributor: Munro Film Services, World Sales: Rapid Eye Movies, Theatrical Release: 09 September 2021, Grant: 4,000 €)
FRITZI: A REVOLUTIONARY TALE in Poland (Distributor: New Horizons Association, World Sales: Global Screen, Theatrical Release: 02 July 2021, Grant: 8,000 €)
HELLO AGAIN in Hungary (Distributor: ADS Service, World Sales: Beta Cinema, Theatrical Release: 12 August 2021, Grant: 6,000 €)
HELLO AGAIN in Poland (Distributor: Dystrybucja Mowi Serwis, World Sales: Beta Cinema, Theatrical Release: 13 August 2021, Grant: 7,500 €)
HELMUT NEWTON: THE BAD AND THE BEAUTIFUL in France (Distributor: KMBO, World Sales: Mk2 Films, Theatrical Release: 14 July 2021, Loan: 17,500 €)
I’M YOUR MAN in Norway (Distributor: Arthaus, World Sales: Beta Cinema, Theatrical Release: 08 October 2021, Grant: 9,000 €)
I’M YOUR MAN in Switzerland (Distributor: Filmcoopi Zürich, World Sales: Beta Cinema, Theatrical Release: 01 July 2021, Grant: 10,000 €)
I’M YOUR MAN in Turkey (Distributor: Filmarti Film, World Sales: Beta Cinema, Theatrical Release: 27 August 2021, Grant: 8,000 €)
KAISERSCHARRNDRAMA in Switzerland (Distributor: Praesens Film, World Sales: Constantin Film Verleih, Theatrical Release: 04 August 2021, Grant: 3,000 €)
LASSIE COME HOME in Finland (Distributor: OY Future Film, World Sales: Global Screen, Theatrical Release: 23 July 2021, Grant: 7,000 €)
MOONBOUND in Norway (Distributor: Storytelling Media, World Sales: Sola Media, Theatrical Release: 13 August 2021, Grant: 8,000 €)
MR. BACHMANN AND HIS CLASS in Italy (Distributor: Just Wanted, World Sales: Films Boutique, Theatrical Release: 09 September 2021, Grant: 8,000 €)
MR. BACHMANN AND HIS CLASS in Hungary (Distributor: Cirko Film, World Sales: Films Boutique, Theatrical Release: 07 October 2021, Grant: 2,000 €)
NEXT DOOR in France (Distributor: Eurozoom, World Sales: Beta Cinema, Theatrical Release: 06 October 2021, Grant: 10,000 €)
NEXT DOOR in Hungary (Distributor: Cirko Film, World Sales: Beta Cinema, Theatrical Release: 11 November 2021, Grant: 5,000 €)
THE COLLINI CASE in UK (Distributor: Peccadillo Pictures, World Sales: Global Screen, Theatrical Release: 27 August 2021, Grant: 8,000 €)
THE ELFKINS – BAKING A DIFFERENCE in Hungary (Distributor: ADS Service, World Sales: Sola Media, Theatrical Release: 19 August 2021, Grant: 6,700 €)
THE HIDDEN LIFE OF TREES in Belgium + Luxembourg (Distributor: Paradiso, World Sales: Global Screen, Theatrical Release: 14 July 2021, Grant: 10,000 €)
THE HIDDEN LIFE OF TREES in USA (Distributor: MPI Media Group, World Sales: Global Screen, Theatrical Release: 16 July 2021, Grant: 10,000 €)
THE OGGLIES – WELCOME TO SMELLIVILLE in Denmark (Distributor: Another World Entertainment, World Sales: The Playmaker, Theatrical Release: 14 October 2021, Grant: 10,000 €)
THE OGGLIES – WELCOME TO SMELLIVILLE in Russia (Distributor: Pioner Film Distribution, World Sales: The Playmaker, Theatrical Release: 01 July 2021, Grant: 10,000 €)
WINDSTORM: THE GREAT HURRICANE in Netherlands (Distributor: In The Air, World Sales: Attraction International Distribution, Theatrical Release: 11 August 2021, Grant: 8,000 €)

Please be aware that all release dates are subject to change.

Applications for the next sitting of the awards committee meeting can be submitted up until 02 September 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.

SHORT TAKE: THE GERMAN FILMS PODCAST: NEW EPISODE AND ANNIVERSARY


We celebrated the first anniversary of our podcast on 25 June after 18 episodes, over 3 hours of interviews and more than 10,000 people listening in. Prominent support and birthday wishes came from DEUTSCHLAND 83-89 star Jonas Nay, who not only composed the music for SHORT TAKE, but was also the show's first guest. Animation film all-rounder Reza Memari (RICHARD THE STORK) and screenwriter Jana Burbach (TRIBES OF EUROPA) also sent their congratulations in the form of video messages. All three videos are available on the SHORT TAKE Instagram channel.

In SHORT TAKE, we ask established and emerging talents of the German film industry 19 personal questions and also take a look 'behind the scenes' in the process: the focus is on the various personalities behind the latest German films and series. If you want to know what makes directors, producers, actors, writers etc. tick, then SHORT TAKE is for you. The numerous entertaining moments, creative answers and anecdotes from our interview guests during the past year can be listened to at any time in our 10-minute best-of compilation. The anniversary special of SHORT TAKE is available on all of the popular platforms such as Spotify or iTunes.

In June, we also had the pleasure of welcoming this year's German participant of the Producers on the Move programme into the studio: animation film producer Maite Woköck (PETRONELLA APPLEWITCH) from Telescope Animation talked about such things as her favourite part-time job during her studies and her handy motto when things go haywire during a film's production.

You can find all of the episodes on our website and wherever podcasts are available.

Information about new episodes and guests can be found in the SHORT TAKE Instagram channel: https://www.instagram.com/shorttake/

NEWS BITES


FREE COUNTRY OPENED FESTIVAL OF GERMAN FILMS IN ROME
On 26 June, Christian Alvart's thriller FREE COUNTRY opened the four-day Festival del Cinema Tedesco in the Italian capital as an open-air event. Felix Kramer, one of the main actors, travelled to Rome and spoke to the audience about the film before the sold-out screening began. The director Johannes Naber was also there as a guest and presented his film CURVEBALL, A TRUE STORY - UNFORTUNATELY to the audience. A detailed report about the festival will follow in the next Newsletter.

More information about the Festival of German Films in Rome can be found here.

KINO! FILM SALON LIVE FROM CANNES
The next meeting of the English-language online film club will be focusing on Maren Ade's film TONI ERDMANN – rather fitting given the location for the next event: the Festival de Cannes! TONI ERDMANN was shown in the renowned festival's official competition in 2016 and has been thrilling film fans and critics around the globe ever since. This time round, there'll be a surprise guest in attendance. If you want to know who it is, just register here for the next KINO! Film Salon:

RSVP: http://bit.ly/kinosalontoni

Date and time: Sunday, July 11, 2021 at 11am - 12pm PDT, 2pm - 3pm EDT, 8pm - 9pm CET.

Hosted by Sydney Levine

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

GERMAN FILMS SUPPORTS LE BALLON ROUGE IN CANNES
The Marché du Film and Parenting at Film Festivals are offering a childcare service at the Le Ballon Rouge daycare centre from 7 to 14 July for film professionals attending the Festival de Cannes so that they can maintain a harmonious work-life balance. Market Badge holders will have priority access to this service, but visitors with press and festival accreditation are also eligible. The day care centre is available for children aged 6 months to 12 years from 10am to 6pm and for a maximum of 6 hours per child.

German Films is supporting the project financially. Please contact parentingatfilmfests@gmail.com if you have any questions or wish to register childcare on-site.

RUSSIAN-LANGUAGE PODCAST POCALIGARIM: EVERYTHING ABOUT FILM EDUCATION IN GERMANY
The first online live conversation between the founders of the Russian-language podcast POCALIGARIM and four former film students in Germany was held on 15 June, 2021.

How do you get to be a student at a German film school? What do you have to do to get your film shown at the film festival in Cannes? How are film projects funded? And how can you become the producer, for example, of Angela Schanelec's films? Listeners will get to learn all about this and much more during the online live conversation between the podcast hosts - Ksenia Reutova, Ira Posrednikova and Maria Buneva - and their invited guests.

The featured guests are Dmitry Mamuliya, Kiril Krasovski, Anastasia Gorokhova and Dmitry Vachedin.

Dmitry Mamuliya (film director, screenwriter, artistic director of the Moscow School of New Cinema) has taught at the DFFB.

Kirill Krasovski (producer of the films SELF-CRITICISM OF A BOURGEOIS DOG and BLOODSUCKERS by Julian Radlmaier) studied at the DFFB.

Anastasia Gorokhova (journalist and screenwriter) graduated as a screenwriter from the DFFB.

Dmitry Vachedin (writer, screenwriter, journalist) graduated as a screenwriter from the Film University Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF.

The recording of the conversation (in Russian) is available at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmMGCF_OPNY

FRITZI WINS IN PORTUGAL
The German animated film FRITZI – A REVOLUTIONARY TALE by Ralf Kukula and Matthias Bruhn won the Audience Award at the IndieJúnior Allianz children's and youth film festival in Oporto. The film is a detailed and lovingly animated story about the fall of the Berlin Wall and the peaceful revolution of 1989 seen from a child's perspective.

AWARD FOR GERMAN PRODUCTION AT SUNNY SIDE OF THE DOC
Isa Willinger's film NO MERCY - THE FEMALE GAZE, produced by Tondowski Films, won the East Doc Market Award at Sunny Side of the Doc 2021. The jury gave the director's creative and original approach to gender issues as the reason for its decision.

MAIN AWARD FOR AWARE IN SEDONA
Another German documentary was able to hold its own in the festival circuit: AWARE – GLIMPSES OF CONSCIOUSNESS by Frauke Sandig and Eric Black not only opened the ILLUMINATE Film Festival in Sedona (22 - 26 May, 2021), but also received the Feature Competition Jury Prize! The Umbrella Films production opens in cinemas in Germany on 2 September and is set to be released in the USA on 24 September. AWARE will also be screened at the following festivals: Melbourne Documentary Film FestivalMillennium Docs Against Gravity, and the Five Lakes Film Festival.

FESTIVALS


German films and co-productions at HuescaPalm SpringsTokyoCannesAnnecy and Los Angeles.

AWARDS


Awards for German films and co-productions at ViennaAnnecyPalm Springs and Tel Aviv.

INTERNATIONAL RELEASES IN JULY


THE OGGLIES – WELCOME TO SMELLIVILLE in Hungary (Distributor: ADS Service, World Sales: The Playmaker Munich, Theatrical Release: 01 July 2021)
THE OGGLIES – WELCOME TO SMELLIVILLE in Russia (Distributor: Pioner Film Distribution, World Sales: The Playmaker Munich, Theatrical Release: 01 July 2021)
I’M YOUR MAN in Switzerland (Distributor: Filmcoopi Zürich, World Sales: Beta Cinema, Theatrical Release: 01 July 2021)
THE HIDDEN LIFE OF TREES in Spain (Distributor: Surtsey Films, World Sales: Global Screen, Theatrical Release: 02 July 2021)
FRITZI: A REVOLUTIONARY TALE in Poland (Distributor: New Horizons Association, World Sales: Global Screen, Theatrical Release: 02 July 2021)
SCHLINGENSIEF – A VOICE THAT SHOOK THE SILENCE in Austria (Distributor: Stadtkino, World Sales: Weltkino, Theatrical Release: 02 July 2021)
UNDINE in Turkey (Distributor: Yenir Bir Film, World Sales: The Match Factory, Theatrical Release: 02 July 2021)
GOD, YOU’RE SUCH A PRICK in Hungary (Distributor: ADS Service, World Sales: Picture Tree International, Theatrical Release: 08 July 2021)
THE ELFKINS: BAKING A DIFFERENCE in Poland (Distributor: Vivarto, World Sales: Sola Media, Theatrical Release: 09 July 2021)
HELMUT NEWTON: THE BAD AND THE BEAUTIFUL in France (Distributor: KMBO, World Sales: mk2 Films, Theatrical Release: 14 July 2021)
THE HIDDEN LIFE OF TREES in Belgium + Luxembourg (Distributor: Paradiso, World Sales: Global Screen, Theatrical Release: 14 July 2021)
THE HIDDEN LIFE OF TREES in USA (Distributor: MPI Media Group, World Sales: Global Screen, Theatrical Release: 16 July 2021)
WHO WE WERE in Switzerland (Distributor: Filmcoopi Zürich, World Sales: X Verleih, Theatrical Release: 22 July 2021)
MAYA THE BEE III: THE GOLDEN ORB in Sweden (Distributor: Noble Entertainment, World Sales: Studio 100 Media, Theatrical Release: 23 July 2021)
THE MAGIC KIDS: THREE UNLIKELY HEROES in Poland (Distributor: Vivarto, World Sales: The Playmaker Munich, Theatrical Release: 23 July 2021)
LASSIE COME HOME in Finland (Distributor: OY Future Film, World Sales: Global Screen, Theatrical Release: 23 July 2021)
FOUR ENCHANTED SISTERS in Poland (Distributor: Vivarto, World Sales: The Playmaker Munich, Theatrical Release: 23 July 2021)
A PURE PLACE in Russia (Distributor: Rocket Releasing, World Sales: The Playmaker Munich, Theatrical Release: 29 July 2021)

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



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