Berlinale festival to screen 17 films backed by EU MEDIA programme

Brussels, 7-2-2013 — /europawire.eu/ — For two weeks (7-17 February), the 63rd Berlinale film festival will screen some of the best new European and international films, including 17 (list in annex) supported by the EU’s renowned MEDIA programme. In total, these films have so far received nearly

€ 1 million from the programme, which aims to boost diversity and competitiveness through its funding for film development, promotion and the distribution of European films outside their country of origin. MEDIA also supports four of the festival’s main attractions: the ‘Shooting Stars‘, presenting the 10 hottest young actors in Europe, the Berlinale Talent Campus, Co-Production Market and Berlinale Residency (details below).

Androulla Vassiliou, European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth, said: “I am delighted that the Berlinale appreciates these films as much as we do; the festival is a fantastic platform for European film-makers as well as for the MEDIA programme – and long may that continue. The European Union provides significant added value through targeted investment in the audiovisual and cultural sectors, which are important contributors to the economy and jobs. I am confident that our new Creative Europe programme, which encompasses MEDIA and our existing Culture programme, will soon be approved by Member States and the European Parliament. Our proposal envisages a seven-year budget of €1.8 billion for Creative Europe; while this is a relatively small sum in the big picture, it will help the European film industry to respond to the challenges of digitisation and globalisation, while at the same time promoting cultural and linguistic diversity.”

This year’s ‘Shooting Stars’ are: Mikkel Boe Følsgaard (Denmark), Laura Birn (Finland), Christa Théret (France), Saskia Rosendahl (Germany), Luca Marinelli (Italy), Arta Dobroshi (Kosovo), Ada Condeescu (Romania), Jure Henigman (Slovenia), Nermina Lukač (Sweden) and Carla Juri (Switzerland). They will be take part in a photocall and press conference on Sunday 10 February (12:30, Hotel de Rome, Behrenstraße 37).

An information session on the current MEDIA and future Creative Europe programme, with representatives of the Commission’s MEDIA unit and the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency, will be held on Monday 11 February (11:00, Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Potsdamer Platz 3). The European Commission will also host a MEDIA business centre at the festival for film producers, distributors and trainers.

Background

Now in its 16th year, ‘Shooting Stars’ is an initiative which puts a spotlight on Europe’s best young actors. Ten young stars from across Europe are chosen by a panel of experts from a list of potential candidates nominated by the member organisations of the European Film Promotion network, which gathers professional organisations in 36 European countries. Many of the previous winners have gone onto very successful international careers. They include Daniel Craig (Skyfall, Casino Royale), Daniel Brühl (Good Bye, Lenin!, Inglorious Basterds), Ludivine Sagnier (Swimming Pool, Un secret), Maria Bonnevie (The Banishment), Rachel Weisz (The Constant Gardener, The Deep Blue Sea), Moritz Bleibtreu (The Baader Meinhof Complex, Soul Kitchen), Johanna Wokalek (The Baader Meinhof Complex, Pope Joan) and Nina Hoss (Wolfsburg, Barbara). MEDIA has provided € 132 000 in support for European Film Promotion and the Shooting Stars, which is half the project’s budget for 2013.

The Berlinale Talent Campus offers training for more than 350 young filmmakers from all over the world, who take part in workshops and master-classes given by leading experts. In the past, it has provided a first step towards an international career for many young directors. The Campus was launched in 2002 by Dieter Kosslick (Director of the Berlinale), Paul Trijbits (executive producer of Jane Eyre, Tamara Drewe) and Klaus Keil (former chief executive of Filmboard/ Medienboard). Collaborators have included the film directors Mike Leigh, Wim Wenders, Jia Zhangke, Anthony Minghella, and the actress Juliette Binoche. MEDIA contributes €300 000 per year to the Talent Campus – equivalent to half of its budget.

The Berlinale Co-production Market presents around 40 film projects each year to potential investors. Around 65% of the projects originate in Europe. MEDIA has supported the market since 2005 and is contributing €105 000 for this year’s event.

The Berlinale Residency is an international fellowship programme which enables filmmakers to bring their projects to Berlin for four months starting in September. The Residency has received € 154 000 this year from MEDIA Mundus, the international version of the MEDIA programme.

Overall, the MEDIA programme will contribute a total of €755 million in support of Europe’s film industry in 2007-2013, with the aim of improving the distribution and promotion of European films and strengthening the competitiveness of the sector.

The Commission has proposed a budget of €1.8 billion for the new Creative Europe programme (2014-2020); of this, more than €900 million would be allocated to its ‘MEDIA’ arm.

For more information

European Commission:

http://ec.europa.eu/media

Androulla Vassiliou’s website

Follow Androulla Vassiliou onTwitter @VassiliouEU

Berlinale Film Festival, Talent Campus, Co-production Market:

www.berlinale.de/en/HomePage.html

Shooting stars: www.shooting-stars.eu

Contacts :Dennis Abbott (+32 2 295 92 58); Twitter: @DennisAbbottDina Avraam (+32 2 295 96 67)

Annex

Films supported by the EU MEDIA Programme at 2013 Berlin Film Festival

The Spirit of ’45 by Ken Loach (UK, Berlinale Special)

Elle s’en va (On my Way) by Emmanuelle Bercot (France, Competition)

La Religieuse (Die Nonne) by Guillaume Nicloux (France/Germany/Belgium, Competition)

Layla Fourie by Pia Marais (Germany/South Africa/France/Netherlands, Competition)

Paradies: Hoffnung (Paradise: Hope) by Ulrich Seidl (Austria/France/Germany, Competition)

Poziţia Copilului (Child’s Pose) by Călin Peter Netzer (Romania, Competition)

Night Train to Lisbon (Nachtzug nach Lissabon) by Bille Aug (Germany/Switzerland/Portugal, Out of Competition)

Slow Food Story by Stefano Sardo (Italy, Culinary Cinema)

Krugovi (Circles) by Srdan Golubović (Serbia/Germany, Forum)

La Plaga (The Plague) by Neus Ballús (Spain, Forum)

Materia oscura (Dark Matter) by Massimo D’Anolfi and Martina Parenti (Italy, Forum)

Shirley – Visions of Reality by Gustav Deutsch (Austria, Forum)

The Weight of Elephants by Daniel Josh Borgman (New Zealand/Denmark, Forum)

Nono, Het Zigzag Kind (Nono, the Zigzag Kid) by Vincent Bal (Netherlands/Belgium, Generation Kplus)

Boven is het stil (It’s all so Quiet) by Nanouk Leopold (Netherlands/Germany, Panorama)

Belleville Baby by Mia Engberg (Sweden, Panorama)

The Act of Killing by Joshua Oppenheimer (Denmark/Norway/UK, Panorama)

The Berlinale selections cover many different cinema genres; these include ‘Culinary Cinema’, which focuses on films about food and the environment; the ‘Panorama Special’ programme features new films by renowned directors, debut films and new discoveries; The ‘Generation’ films are targeted at younger audiences (K Plus for children and 14 Plus for teenagers). Perspektive Deutsches Kino fosters new directorial talents in Germany.

2. Films supported by the EU MEDIA Programme which have previously won awards at the Berlin Film Festival

2003	Golden Bear	In This World	Michael Winterbottom
2004	Golden Bear	Gegen Die Wand	Fatih Akin
2005	Silver Bear – Best Director	Sophie Scholl – The Final Days	Marc Rothemund
2006	Silver Bear – Best Director	The Road to Guantanamo	Michael Winterbottom
2006	Silver Bear – Best Actress	Requiem	Sandra Hüller
2006	Silver Bear – Best Actor	The Elementary Particles	Moritz Bleibtreu
2006	Crystal Bear – Best Feature	Drømmen – the Dream	Niels Arden Oplev
2007	Silver Bear – Best Actress	Yella	Nina Hoss
2010	Silver Bear – Best Director	The Ghostwriter	Roman Polanski
2011	Jury’s Grand Prix	The Turin Horse	Béla Tarr
2011	Best First FeatureSpecial Mention	The Guard	John Michael McDonagh
2012	Golden Bear	Caesar Must Die	Paolo &Vittorio Taviani
2012	Silver Bear – Best Actor	A Royal Affair	Mikkel Følsgaard
2012	Silver Bear – Best Script	A Royal Affair	Nikolaj Arcel and Rasmus Heisterberg

3. Major German films supported by the EU MEDIA Programme

Good Bye, Lenin (Wolfgang Becker, 2003)

2003 Best Film, Best Actor, Best Screenplay, European Film Awards

2003 Blauer Engel for Best European Film, Berlin Film Festival

2004 Best Foreign Film, César Awards

Gegen Die Wand/Head on (Fatih Akin)

2004 Golden Bear, Berlinale International Film Festival

2004 Public Choice Award, European Film Awards

Die Geschichte Vom Weinenden Kamel/The Story of the Weeping Camel (Byambasuren Davaa, 2003)

2004 Best Director – Documentary, Directors Guild of America Awards

2005 Nomination for Best Documentary, Academy Awards

Das Leben Der Anderen/The Lives of Others (Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, 2006)

2006 Best Foreign Language Film, Academy Award

2006 Best Film, Best Actor, Best Screenwriter, European Film Awards

2008 Best Foreign Film, César Awards

Auf Der Anderen Seite/ The edge of heaven (Fatih Akin)

2007 Best Screenplay, Cannes Film Festival

2007 Best Screenplay, European Film Awards

2007 European Parliament Lux Prize

2007 German nomination for Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards

Soul Kitchen (Fatih Akin)

2009 Special Jury Prize, Venice Film Festival

Das Weisse Band/The White Ribbon (Michael Haneke, 2009)

2009 Palme d’Or, Cannes Film Festival

2009 Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, European Film Awards

2009 German nomination for Best Foreign Language Film, Academy Award

Pina (Wim Wenders, 2011)

2012 Nominated for Best Documentary Feature, Academy Awards

2011 Best Documentary, European Film Awards

Barbara (Christian Petzold)

2012 Silver Bear for Best Director, Berlinale

2012 Best Feature Film at German Film Awards

2012 German nomination for Best Foreign Language Film, Academy Award

Halt Auf Freier Strecke/Stopped On Track (Andreas Dresen)

2011 Main Award – Un Certain Regard, Cannes Film Festival

2012 German Film Awards: Best Feature, Best Main Act, Best Supporting Act, Best Director

Lore (Cate Shortland)

2012 Prix du Public, International Film Festival, Locarno

2012 Stockholm International Film Festival, Best Feature, Best Act, Best Design, Best Music

2012 Filmfest Hamburg, Critics’ Choice