NEWSLETTER DECEMBER

"ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT" ON THE OSCAR® SHORTLIST

The German film ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT by Edward Berger (Amusement Park Film)  is on the shortlist of the last 15 films for the 95th Oscars® in the Best International Feature Film category and in the categories Music (Original Score), Sound, Makeup & Hairstyling and Visual Effects. This has been announced by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS).

In addition, the following co-productions are among the selection:

Austria: CORSAGE by Marie Kreutzer (AT/LU/DE/FR, Komplizen Film)
Cambodia: RETURN TO SEOUL by Davy Chou (FR/BE/DE, Vandertastic Films)
Denmark:  HOLY SPIDER by Ali Abbasi (DK/DE/FR/SE, One Two Films)

On January 24, 2023, the Academy will reveal which five of the 15 films on the shortlist will be going forward to take part in the competition for the Oscar® in this category. A total of 92 countries submitted films to the race.

ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT was selected as Germany's entry for the Best International Feature Film category by an independent selection committee who was appointed by German Films in August 2022. German Films is not represented on the selection committee and does not decide on the composition of the committee; this is the responsibility of the associations represented on the committee.

About the film:

ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT is a great German anti-war novel and a classic of world literature from 1928, its authenticity and power drawing upon Erich Maria Remarque's own experiences in the trenches.

ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT tells the gripping story of a young German soldier on the Western Front of World War I. Paul and his comrades experience first-hand how the initial euphoria of war turns into desperation and fear as they fight for their lives, and each other, in the trenches.

Even years later, the story set in 1918 has lost none of its power and relevance. As the first German-language screen adaptation, the story is told from the German point of view of the war occupying a relevant position in the confrontational tone of the current discourse since no other society has succumbed to its destructive impulses as often as Germany did. There are no heroes in war. No victors, only lost innocence and dashed hopes. The utter futility, the losses suffered in war and the danger posed by the principles of nationalism and separation is a message that the film aims to convey to the world as an anti-war film.

ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT is a production by Amusement Park Film in co-production with Gunpowder Films and in association with Sliding for Netflix. The film had its world premiere in the section Special Presentations at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 12, 2022. The European premiere was held as a gala premiere during the Zurich Film Festival. Netflix cooperated with distribution partner 24 Bilder for the film’s nationwide theatrical release in Germany on September 29, 2022. ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT opened in US cinemas in October and can be seen on Netflix since October 28, 2022.

ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT was awarded with European Film Awards 2022 (Excellence Awards: European Make-up & Hair, Heike Merker and Excellence Awards: Visual Effects, Viktor Müller, Markus Frank, Frank Petzold). In addition,  Edward Berger, Lesley Paterson and Ian Stokell won Best Adapted Screenplay at the prestigious National Board of Review. Also, the work is one of the five best international films of 2022.  The film also received a Golden Globes Award® nomination in the category "Best Picture – Non-English Language".

Also announced was the Animated Short Film shortlist:

STEAKHOUSE by Špela Čadež (9 min, 2021, SI/DE/FR, Fabian&Fred, Anima Brussels 2022 – Grand Prix & Annecy 2022 – Jury Award)

The following titles made it onto the Live Action Short Film shortlist:

ALMOST HOME by Nils Keller (30 min, 2022, Le Hof Media, Hochschule für Fernsehen und Film München, Student Academy Award Gold 2022)
NAKAM by Andreas Kessler (33 min, 2022, Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg, Cleveland International Film Festival 2022 – Best Live Action Short)

The Oscar® awards ceremony will be held on March 12, 2023 at the Dolby® Theatre in Hollywood.

Further information about the Oscars® can be found here.

KINO! FILM SALON: ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT BY EDWARD BERGER

The focus of the next session for the English-language KINO! FILM SALON online film club on 15 January, 2023 will be on JEdward Berger’s ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT (IM WESTEN NICHTS NEUES). 

The film is German’s official entry for the upcoming Academy Awards® in the category BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM and is on the short-list (15 titles) with options for a nomination announced on January 24th, 2023.

Our film curator Jim Kolmar selected this movie: “Edward Berger's ambitious ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT is a gripping, visceral exploration of the waning days of World War I. Based on Erich Maria Remarque's seminal novel, the film depicts a side of the conflict we rarely see, following a young German soldier as he plunges ever deeper into the trenches of war, both literally and metaphorically. The film's great strength lies in its careful balance of personal experience, with the wider ramifications of a devastating war that still resonate today. ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT is a vivid, indelible experience.”
 
RSVP: https://bit.ly/WESTERNFRONT
   
Date and time: Sunday, January 15th at 11am - 12pm PT, 2pm - 3pm ET, 8pm - 9pm CET. 
Hosted by Jim Kolmar

KINO! FILM SALON is a production of Telescope Film, in collaboration with the German Film Office.

LAST NEW EPISODES SEASON 1: WAR IN FILMS AND SERIES - DEEP DIVE GENRE: A GERMAN FILMS PODCAST

Oscar®-Winner Zamarin Wahdat talks about her work as a cinematographer and director for documentaries and fiction - about difficult moments during the filming of LEARNING TO SKATEBOARD IN A WARZONE (IF YOU’RE A GIRL) in Afghanistan as well as about the eponymous long distance swimmer SARAH MARDINI. She also reveals what she loves about each of her professions and her most challenging moments on the job.

We also talked to film critic and genre expert Florian Koch (AZ) about war in film. Our discussion covers a lot of ground: From visual style, to the hero’s journey to epic music. Join us, won’t you? For the final chapter of our first season of Deep Dive Genre.

DEEP DIVE GENRE – A GERMAN FILMS PODCAST presents in-depth interviews with German creatives from the film industry. Each season will focus on a different genre. Season 1 is about war in films and series. You will get behind-the-scenes access to your favourite German movies and TV-series as well as a better understanding of the creative decisions behind them – as well as the people who bring these extraordinary stories to life.

A second season of our Deep Dive Genre Podcast will follow in 2023!

Click here or listen wherever you find your podcasts.

NEW EPISODES – SHORT TAKE: A GERMAN FILMS PODCAST

Our latest  #SHORT TAKE episodes see us chatting with the actress Marie Burchard and writer Moritz Binder!

On 9 December, 2022 #SHORT TAKE had Ronja Räubertochter as a guest. Well, almost. In our podcast episode with actress Marie Buchard we chatted with her about her favourite acting experience, literary heroines and the heavenly foods that are Kaiserschmarrn and Schnitzel with cranberries.

Garlic. Octopus Stew and Obatzda. Our #SHORT TAKE episode, which appears on 29 December, 2022, with writer Moritz Binder definitely has a slight foodie vibe. And there’s nothing wrong with that! But we talk with him about his writing process as well as his seminal film experience watching PHILADELPHIA on his first trip to the cinema alone at the age of 11. Enjoy!

SHORT TAKE: A GERMAN FILMS PODCAST has already racked up more than 8,000 listeners from various countries since the format’s launch - and more are joining with each new episode.

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

SHORT TAKE on Instagram!

THE 20TH GERMAN-FRENCH FILM MEETING AND A NEW FORMAT IN BERLIN

150 participants gathered for the 20th Franco-German Film Meeting / Rendez-vous franco-allemands in Berlin from 23 to 25 November. The anniversary edition kicked off with an opening dinner given by the hosts where the Institut-Francais also presented Marie Bäumer with the Medal of Arts and Letters.

The guests took part in the diverse two-day programme which was curated by the Franco-German Film Academy and Erwin Schmidt at Haus Ungarn in Berlin. As last year, the participants from the fields of production, distribution, sales and funding benefited from a revised concept that featured hybrid elements in combination with talks, panels, "2 questions to" and working groups on current topics as well as extensive networking opportunities.

The Rendez-Vous, German-French Film Meeting is an event organised by German Films and Unifrance in cooperation with the Franco-German Film Academy. The event is supported by various partners from both countries, which this year included Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, the German-French Youth Office OFAJ, ARTE, the FFA and BKM.

After the anniversary edition officially opened on the evening of 23 November, the Film Meeting’s programme began the next morning with a panel featuring Peter Dinges (FFA), Olivier Henrard (CNC) and Kirsten Niehuus (MBB) - moderated by Dr. Andreas Bareiss. The format devised by Erwin Schmidt encouraged intensive exchange in a relaxed atmosphere thanks to shorter programme items and interactive, challenging opportunities for participation. The Rendez-Vous’ new format also meant that there could be a link up with the French Film Week in Berlin which was being held at the same time. All participants were therefore invited to attend the festival’s opening on 24 November when Emmanuel Mouret’s film CHRONIQUE D'UNE PASSAGÈRE was shown at Kino International. 

The topics discussed in the Film Meeting followed on from the innovative programme of the previous edition. 150 German and French participants from the fields of production, distribution, sales and funding debated current issues affecting film production. 
Those topics explored in depth included

• the current situation of theatrical distribution and cinemas, in Germany and France
• how one can better address and include underrepresented target groups with adapted film marketing
• an example of international feature film financing - HOLY SPIDER (One Two Films)
• an example of a TV co-production with the participation from public broadcaster and a streamer as illustrated by the series REIGN SUPREME (Les Films du Belier)
• the current situation after 1 ½ years since the imposition of an investment obligation in France and future prospects in Germany
• the current challenges faced when launching a production company
• the use of virtual production
• the question to what extent (in)formal networks of production companies are a sustainable model for international cooperation
• technology-based applications for film producers of European companies.

Another highlight was the presentation of the Franco-German Film Academy Award. This year’s prize was handed to Wim Wenders by Fabian Gasmia (Vice President of the Franco-German Film Academy). The award recognises in particular his commitment to the Franco-German film landscape.

In addition, a meeting was organised for the first time in partnership with the Franco-German Youth Office (FGYO) between film students and established film producers and distributors who introduced their professions to the students and answered questions in a lively exchange of ideas.

More information about the German-French Film Meeting and 2022’s programme can be found here. 

FESTIVALS

German productions and co-productions in Ljubljana, Tbilisi, Bogotá, Palm Springs, Slamdance, Sundance, Clermont-Ferrand, Sydney and Rotterdam.

AWARDS

Awards for German productions and co-productions in Torino, Tallinn and Leuven.

INTERNATIONAL RELEASES IN JANUARY

International theatrical releases in January of German films supported by the German Films Distribution Support Programme.

RHEINGOLD in Greece (Distributor: Rosebud.21, World Sales: The Match Factory, Theatrical Release: 12 January, 2023)
HANNES in Taiwan (Distributor: Garageplay Inc., World Sales:    Studiocanal, Theatrical Release: 13 January, 2023)
THE ROYAL GAME in the USA (Distributor: Film Movement, World Sales: Studiocanal, Theatrical Release: 13 January, 2023)
A E I O U - A QUICK ALPHABET OF LOVE in Taiwan (Distributor: Swallow Wings, World Sales:The Match Factory, Theatrical Release: 13 January, 2023)
MAX AND THE WILD BUNCH in North Macedonia (Distributor: Cutaway Dooel, World Sales: The Playmaker Munich, Theatrical Release: 19 January, 2023)
THE AMAZING MAURICE in Sweden (Distributor: Lucky Dogs, World Sales: Global Screen, Theatrical Release: 20 January, 2023)
THE AMAZING MAURICE in Turkey (Distributor: Bir Film, World Sales: Global Screen, Theatrical Release: 20 January, 2023)
THE CONFERENCE in Sweden (Distributor: Edge Entertainment, World Sales: Global Screen, Theatrical Release: 20 January, 2023)
CAVEMAN in Switzerland (Distributor: Praesens-Film AG, World Sales: Constantin Film, Theatrical Release: 26 January, 2023)

All details correct at time of going to press. Note: 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