German Films logo

NEW EPISODE WITH ALICIA VON RITTBERG - SHORT TAKE: THE GERMAN FILMS PODCAST


Behold the Queen! After a short break, SHORT TAKE – THE GERMAN FILMS PODCAST is back with a special treat for you: the latest episode features the award-winning actress Alicia von Rittberg. You can see her currently in BECOMING ELIZABETH on Starzplay. Find out what fascinates Alicia about her work, making jewelry and what THE SIXTH SENSE has to do with her having trouble getting to sleep.

SHORT TAKE – THE GERMAN FILMS PODCAST has already reached over 8,000 listeners from various countries since the format was launched - and the number is growing.

All the episodes are available on our website and wherever there are podcasts.

SHORT TAKE is also on Instagram!

 

LATEST NEWS FROM OUR FACES 2022


This February saw us presenting the talents of our FACE TO FACE WITH GERMAN FILMS - THE FILMMAKERS campaign. The screenwriter-actress-producer Sara Faziliat travelled with Ali Abbasi’s HOLY SPIDER to Cannes for the film’s premiere at the 75th edition and had numerous interviews and meetings during the festival, but some of our other Faces also have exciting projects and events lined up in the coming months.

The writer-director Sarah Noa Bozenhardt is currently working hard on the film project DREH'S UM, which will be having a big final event for this year's intake in Berlin on 9 July, 2022. This is where young people with a German-Vietnamese migrant background came together in workshops to gain insights into the creative processes of filmmaking and make their own shorts with the support of mentors and access to professional equipment. The project’s aim is to strengthen intercultural understanding and the self-confidence of the young participants and contribute to greater visibility of German-Vietnamese life stories. The goal of the one-year workshop is for the German-Vietnamese community to take the portrayal of their stories into their own hands and to provide sustainable support to young filmmakers in Berlin, thus ensuring that there is greater diversity at the film schools and in the industry in the long term. More information here.

The actress Anne Zander could be seen at the Filmfest München in Barbara Ott’s FÜR JOJO in the section on New German Television Production. The drama centres on a highly emotional test of endurance for a female friendship: Jojo and Paula have been inseparable best friends since childhood. In Berlin they enjoy their lives as young single women. But a world comes crashing down for Paula when Jojo falls in love with a young man from her home town. She now does everything possible to stop Jojo from making what she thinks would be the biggest mistake of her life: getting married.
The film can be seen on Netflix around the globe from 11 July, 2022.

The Stiftung Historisches Museum is hosting a showcase of the work of the director and actor Jerry Hoffmann entitled "Close Up: Jerry Hoffmann" at the Altona Museum on 18 July, 2022 at 7:30 pm. His last three shorts MALL90% and I AM will be shown. More information and tickets can be found here.

The short film THE TRUTH by the writer-director Matthias Luthardt will be screened at the open-air night of shorts which is being organised by MDR short film magazine programme Unicato in Jena on 16 August, 2022. Matthias Luthardt will be there to take part in the panel discussion with Markus Kavka following the screening.

Film editor Julia Kovalenko's project DIE STILLEN TRABANTEN will be released in cinemas at the end of this year, director and cinematographer Zamarin Wahdat is in Canada until the end of July for the shoot of FINSTERWALD - DESIRE OF THE PREY, and Sara Fazilat is currently in postproduction on the films ASCHE and LOST IN HELSINKI while she can be seen as an actress in ALLE FÜR ELLA and 1000 ZEILEN in cinemas from September.

24th GERMAN FILMS PREVIEWS 2022


The 24th edition of the annual German Films Previews were held from 20 to 23 June, 2022, with 57 international film buyers watching new German films in the ASTOR Film Lounge at Munich’s ARRI Kino over the course of three days. Sales companies and producers also presented numerous works that are still in production along with the screenings of completed films.

The whole range of German filmmaking was covered here: a wide variety of genres was represented in the programme - from documentaries and dramas through comedies to children's and animated films. A total of 12 completed films were shown, eight titles were presented as "Upcoming Films from Germany" by six of the 10 German sales companies in attendance, and six new productions were presented in the "Producers Present" section by 10 German producers. 11 brand new projects from the animation sector were also screened in the "Animation Trailer".

The participants made use of the networking opportunities on offer to talk with colleagues about the film industry and the latest business trends. This year saw the German Films Previews once again providing a platform for productive exchange and a space for open collaboration.

The goal of the German Films Previews, which have been held in various German cities since 2001, is to offer international guests a focused opportunity to screen productions from Germany with international potential for buyers.

Photos from the event can be found on Instagram under the hashtag #germanfilmspreviews.

KINO! FILM SALON: ROSENSTRASSE by Margarethe von Trotta


The focus of the next session for the English-language KINO! FILM SALON online film club on July 17th will be on Margarethe von Trotta's drama ROSENSTRASSE as a way of marking the director's 80th birthday.

The film had its world premiere in competition at the 2003 Venice International Film Festival and received the European Film Award for BEST FILM. The lead role was taken by the German actress and director Maria Schrader (UNORTHODOX, Germany’s 2022 Oscar® entry I'M YOUR MAN). Margarethe von Trotta wrote the screenplay with the New York-based screenwriter Pamela Katz.

We are delighted to now welcome our new moderator and film curator Jim Kolmar who selected this movie:
ROSENSTRASSE was Margarethe von Trotta's first film for almost a decade, and it's an exhilarating return to the intense cinema that made her name. An impassioned portrait of a key moment in the history of the Second World War, the film is anchored by stunning performances from the iconic Katja Riemann and Maria Schrader.

The innovative structure moves between 2000 and 1943, exploring the detention of the Jewish husbands of Aryan women in an anonymous building on Rosenstrasse, Berlin. The film focuses, in particular, on the fearless efforts of the women who commit to freeing their loved ones. Albeit with some provocative factual liberties, ROSENSTRASSE is a story of love, resilience and hope that plays like a thriller and resonates like a dark memory.

RSVP: https://bit.ly/kinosalonrosenstrasse
Date and Time: Sunday, July 17th at 11am - 12pm PDT, 2pm - 3pm EDT, 8pm - 9pm CET.
Hosted by Jim Kolmar
KINO! FILM SALON is a production of Telescope Film, in collaboration with the German Film Office.

GERMAN PRODUCERS @ FINNISH FILM AFFAIR


German Films and Finnish Film Affair will be cooperating for the first time this year and giving a small delegation of interested producers the opportunity to network with Finnish producers at the Finnish Film Affair.

The Finnish Film Affair will take place for the 11th time from 21 - 23 September, 2022 as part of the Helsinki International Film Festival - Love & Anarchy. Around 400 professionals from the international film industry will be taking part in the industry event which is mainly focused on Finnish films, but also showcases Nordic talents.  

The aim of the joint venture is to encourage and further develop German-Finnish co-productions.

Please click here for more information about the call for entries and the conditions for applying.
The deadline for applications is 15 July, 2022.
Participation in the Finnish Film Affair through German Films will be announced in early August 2022.

ANNECY 2022


German animation film had a very strong presence at the world’s leading animation film festival in Annecy (13 - 18 June, 2022) this year with 11 shorts in the competitive sections and one feature-length film. For an overview click here.

The co-production STEAKHOUSE (SVN/FR/DE, Fabian&Fred) by director Špela Čadež was awarded the Jury Award of the short film competition at the awards ceremony.

The traditional German reception on the shores of Lac d'Annecy was very well attended, with some of the guests using the proximity to the lake to have a swim as temperatures reached 30 degrees Celsius. Around 200 international and German guests met there for lively discussions on the invitation of the hosts Animation Media Cluster Region StuttgartFFF BayernMFG Filmförderung Baden-WürttembergMitteldeutsche MedienförderungFilmakademie Baden-WürttembergFMXGerman FilmsAnimation Germany and AG Kurzfilm.

The parallel animation film market MIFA was the hub of the international animation industry from 14 - 17 June 2022 with a record number of more than 13,000 accreditations, additional booth space, numerous presentations, pitches and discussion events. German Films collaborated with Animation Germany and AG Kurzfilm to have a joint stand there. The stand was used by several German producers as a place to meet and discuss business. Animation Germany, the umbrella brand of the German animation and VFX industry, presented its new showreel in Annecy. The reel with animation teasers and interviews offers an up-to-date overview of German animated films that are being successfully distributed in cinemas as well as on television and via streaming platforms. The industry professionals were also introduced to the new animated short films that have been added to the NEW GERMAN SHORTS online catalogue since the beginning of this year.

Founded in 1960, the festival will be celebrating its next edition from 12 - 18 June, 2023.

The photo shows AURORA'S SUNRISE director Inna Sahakyan with German Films Managing Director Simone Baumann at the German Films stand at MIFA during the Annecy International Animation Film Festival.

NEWSBYTES


6TH EDITION EMERGING ARTISTS - CALL FOR PROJECTS
AG Kurzfilm and German Films have been presenting young artists and their experimentally oriented, emerging cinematic works as part of Emerging Artists - Contemporary Experimental Films and Video Art from Germany initiative since 2012. Entries for the 6th edition will be presented for the first time in early 2023 and then go on an international tour: they can still be submitted until 8 July, 2022. Films should have been completed after 1 January, 2021 and not be any longer than 30 minutes. All information and the detailed call for projects here.

TOKYO GAP-FINANCING MARKET 2022 - CALL FOR PROJECTS
TIFFCOM 2022, the Marketplace for Film and TV in Asia, the affiliated market of the Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF), is announcing a Call for Projects for the third edition of the Tokyo Gap-Financing Market (TGFM), which will take place from October 25 - 27, 2022. The TGFM is a platform for up to 20 selected projects in the categories of fiction films, fiction TV series, animated feature films and animated TV series. The market aims to support Japanese, Asian and international producers in securing financing for their projects through one-on-one meetings with professionals from around the globe, including producers, sales agents, distributors, financiers, broadcasters and other potential funders. All the invited professionals are decision-makers. In addition, each project will have broad networking opportunities at TIFFCOM 2022 and TIFF. Project submission deadline is July 20th, 2022. This call is open to Japanese, Asian and International projects in the following categories: Feature Films (Fiction, Animation). The project must be a fiction feature film or a long feature animation with a running time above 70 minutes and intended for theatrical and/or streaming. Each project must have secured 60% of its budget and must prove that this financing is in place. The projects must be a majority Asian stake and/or include an Asian element. Please find further information here.

GERMAN FILM FESTIVAL IN AUSTRALIA WRAPS
The GERMAN FILM FESTIVAL in Australia wrapped on 22 June after a month on the road. Franziska Stünkel presented her film THE LAST EXECUTION in Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra. Other popular titles with the audiences in seven Australian cities were the opening film A STASI COMEDY by Leander Haußmann, THE FORGERCONTRA by Sönke Wortmann and IT'S JUST A PHASE, HONEY BUNNY by Florian Gallenberger. In Sydney and Melbourne alone, 15,000 spectators had attended the festival. German Films organised the festival together with the Australian Palace Cinemas cinema chain. The Goethe-Institut in Australia showed a selection of German films from five decades to mark its 50th anniversary, as well as the sidebar Kino for KidsPalace Cinemas commented on the success of the festival by saying that "the appetite for new German cinema is as strong as ever". More information about the festival as well as the programme can be found here.

24th FESTIVAL OF GERMAN FILMS IN MADRID
From 08 to 12 June 2022, The 24th edition of the FESTIVAL OF GERMAN FILMS was held from 8 - 12 June, 2022 at the Palacio de la Prensa cinema in Madrid to celebrate German cinema in the Spanish capital. Florian Hoffmann presented his drama WHISPERS OF WAR as the opening film of this year’s festival and it was subsequently voted the audience’s favourite, while Melanie Lischker brilliantly answered questions during two emotional Q&As after the screenings of her film LIFE ON TAPE. The programme included a retrospective of films by Christian Schwochow with JE SUIS KARLBORNHOLMER STRASSE and GERMAN LESSON curated by the Goethe-Institut in Madrid. The festival’s partners are the Goethe-Institut Madrid, the German Embassy in Madrid, FILMIN and Almamedia+.

FESTIVALS


German productions and co-productions in Karlovy Vary, Sheffield and Vila do Conde.

INTERNATIONAL RELEASES IN JULY


International releases of German films in July 2022 supported by the German Films Distribution Support program.

FABIAN: GOING TO THE DOGS in Taiwan (Distributor: Swallow Wings, World Sales: Les Films du Losange, Theatrical Release: 01 July 2022)
CRESCENDO in France (Distributor: Bodega Films, World Sales: Global Screen, Theatrical Release: 06 July 2022)
BEST BIRTHDAY EVER in Hungary (Distributor: ADS Service, World Sales: SC Films International, Theatrical Release: 14 July 2022)
THE OGGLIES – WELCOME TO SMELLIVILLE in Poland (Distributor: Vivarto, World Sales: The Playmaker Munich, Theatrical Release: 15 July 2022)
COCOON in the Netherlands (Distributor: Cinemien, World Sales: m-appeal, Theatrical Release: 21 July 2022)
MIA AND ME in Spain and Andorra (Distributor: Version Digital, World Sales: Studio 100 Film, Theatrical Release: 22 July 2022)
SCHOOL OF MAGICAL ANIMALS in Israel (Distributor: Red Cape Distribution, World Sales: Global Screen, Theatrical Release: 22 July 2022)
BLOODSUCKERS – A MARXIST VAMPIRE COMEDY in the USA (Distributor: Crescendo House, World Sales: The Playmaker Munich, Theatrical Release: 29 July 2022)

Please note: Correct at time of going to press. Changes may occur at any time.



Impressum


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