Berlin EFM Dailies Newsletter N°2
By Martin I. Petrov
The 66th Berlinale is opening tonight at the Berlinale Palast with Coen bros' "Hail, Caesar" premiere gathering an all star cast, along with the international jury of this year's festival. Meryl Streep, head of the jury will attend along with fellow jurors actor Clive Owen, actress Alba Rohrwacher, actor Lars Eidinger, film critic Nick James, director Malgorzata Szumowska and photographer Brigitte Lacombe.
The press conference for the international jury opened this year's festival events this morning at the Grand Hyatt Press Centre with all jurors declaring equally honoured to be part of the festival and ready to be surprised by the diverse films competing this year for the Golden Bear.
Meryl Streep humorously replied to a question on how she's going to judge the films about to see in the next ten days: "I don't think I watch only the acting. I think I'm susceptible. The programme is so varied and I am introduced to a new world, new culture with every film. I am eager to accept the challenge. We don't get to see most of these films in the US, so it is great to go home after and discuss films no one knows about. It's also a bit selfish, in a way."
Continuing, she pointed out that she enjoys beeing head of the jury and has requested from all her fellows to ignore external influence, including reading any information for the films they are about to see. "It is almost impossible to be introduced to something fresh today so I have requested from my jury to be with me in this and let themselves free to a brand new and unusual experience."
Considering that there is so much out there, Streep joked about watching a very limited amount of films. "...most of them are my friends' films and I need to see them in case I bump into them somewhere.", she said laughing.
Among the rest of the juror's acclaimed British film writer and critic Nick James underlined that it is quite rare to see film critics in juries today, so it was quite a nice surprise for him to be invited by the Berlin festival.
Last year's winner of Sliver Bear for her second feature "Body", Polish director Malgorzata Szumowska spoke about her prize as "horizon opening and career changing. It gave me a lot of new opportunities and changed the way I see things."
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Exodus to Shangai will receive its Market Premiere at EFM February 12th The world Premiere is set for Fantasporto March 3rd part of the Fantasporto for Peace Action. The Crew and Cast will be attending the screening in the Market Feb 12th at 7:00 pm Deutsche Film und Fernsehakademie, Potsdamer Strasse 2, 10785 Berlin
www.micheladam.tv/shanghai/story/ I Press Kit on filmfestivals.com I Ask for a screener I Take a meeting in Berlin I Book Exodus to Shangai fo...
Magnolia Pictures announced today that they have acquired U.S. rights to Ira Sachs' LITTLE MEN, to be released later this year theatrically. Directed by Sachs, the film stars Academy Award Nominee Greg Kinnear (LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, AS GOOD AS IT GETS), Jennifer Ehle (ZERO DARK THIRTY, 50 SHADES OF GREY), Paulina Garcia (Netflix's NARCOS, GLORIA), and introduces two young stars, Theo Taplitz and Michael Barbieri. LITTLE MEN, Sachs’ sixth feature, was praised by au...
Bliss Media (熙颐影业) announced they have acquired a stake in Insiders, the international sales company which was formed just before the 2015 Cannes International Film Festival, alongside Wild Bunch and Cine France. Insiders is headed by Vincent Maraval, also CCO of Wild Bunch. With offices in Shanghai and Los Angeles, Bliss Media is a finance, production and distribution company in China whose interest in Insiders will extend their reach and allow them to distribute its films globally thro...
Saban Films has acquired the US distribution rights to action comedy Skiptrace, directed by Renny Harlin (The Legend of Hercules, Die Hard 2) and written by Jay Longino and Ben David Grabinski. The film stars Jackie Chan (Rush Hour franchise, The Karate Kid), Johnny Knoxville (Jackass series), and Bingbing Fan (X-Men: Days of Future Past, Iron Man 3) and will open theatrically in Q3 this year. Skiptrace follows a Hong Kong detective Bennie Black (Chan), who has been tracki...
The Four Horsemen of Full Blood Moon Entertainment Inc.(FBM) Gerald Auger, Cam White, Cam Belseth and Michael Bourree, are pleased to announce the completion of their production of the Indigenous Gothic Horror Short Film Bohemian Blood. The Film is lead by the acting of Indigenous Co-writer/Lead, Gerald Auger (Pawnee Killer from Hell on Wheels) alongside Actor/Writer/Director Cam White, who makes his international directorial debut on this no-budget, high demand film. Filmed in Gr...
International sales companies The Bureau Sales and Celluloid Dreams have secured the international rights to distribute the hotly anticipated new film by award-winning writer-director ANDREW HAIGH, LEAN ON PETE. The production will be backed by both the BFI and Film4, with shooting set for summer 2016 in Pacific Northwest, to be completed in Spring 2017. Casting has started and sales will begin in Berlin.The project has been developed with the support of Film4. The film will be produced by TRIS...
Arclight Films is thrilled to announce acquisition of the psychedelic thriller HAPPY BIRTHDAY, which is being presented for the first time to distributors in Berlin. With his pedigree as director and editor of spectacular, high-energy concert films and music videos, director and original script writer, Emmy Award-winner Casey Tebo (BLACK VEIL BRIDES: ALIVE AND BURNING, AEROSMITH: ROCK FOR THE RISING SUN) brings an eye for the dynamic and kinetic, drawing viewers in from the first shot ...
NEST Starring Li Bingbing, Kellan Lutz, Kelsey Grammer, Stef Dawson, Shane Jacobson and Wu Zun *First-look stills at end of press release BERLIN (February 11, 2016) Filming is underway at Village Roadshow Studios on the Gold Coast, Australia, on the 3-D movie NEST, starring Chinese superstar Li Bingbing. Stef Dawson (THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY 1 & 2), Chinese popstar and actor Wu Zun and Australian star Shane Jacobson (THE DRESSMAKER, ODDBALL, KENNY) have joined the s...
Sweden 2016, 12 min animated, Swedish by Joanna Rytel Moms on Fire had it‘s World Premiere a few weeks ago at the Gothenburg International Film Festival, where it received the Audience Award in the category of Best Swedish Short 2016. An ordinary neighbourhood in an ordinary town. Two women sit on a sofa and scratch their pregnant bellies. Four days till the due date. The situation is as unbearable as it is unavoidable. It’s simply intolerable. Masturba...
“DASEIN” is a non linear, post modern, meta-narrative film. In this film the filmmaker tries to reinvestigate core values of existentialism, nihilism, futurism and deconstruction theory. The film deals with issues such as personhood, mortality and the paradox of living in relationship with other humans while being ultimately alone with one self. The story revels that morality does not inherently exist, and that any established moral values are abstractly contrived....
Turkey's national sport of Oil Wrestling - as seen through the eyes of its youngest and most determined competitors 2016 Berlinale - World Premiere Generation Kplus YOUNG WRESTLERS (GENÇ PEHLIVANLAR) Netherlands-Turkey / 2016 / 90 min / Color / Documentary Turkey's national sport of oil wrestling, in which fighting competitors douse themselves in olive oil, is an international phenomemon. Less well known are the children's tournamen...
Prolific filmmaker Baltasar Kormákur is in production on a new feature film in his native Iceland. The Oath is a psychological thriller, which he co-wrote with Olafur Egilsson and is directing, producing and starring, returning to acting after an eight year hiatus. In The Oath Kormákur plays the part of a father who sets off on a mission to try to pull his daughter away from the world of drugs and petty crime, only to discover that danger can be found i...
Fortissimo Films announced today its acquisition of worldwide sales rights (excluding Sweden and the UK) to STOCKHOLM MY LOVE, the fiction feature debut by award-winning writer/director Mark Cousins (THE STORY OF FILM: AN ODYSSEY; THE FIRST MOVIE). The musical film stars world-famous Swedish singer-songwriter Neneh Cherry in her first feature role, who also contributes five new songs to the soundtrack. Cinematography is by the acclaimed and award-winning Christopher Doyle (HERO; ...
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