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FRESH TALENT FROM

DIRECTORS Sonja Heiss & Philip Koch PRODUCERS Komplizen Film & Weydemann Bros. ACTRESS Katharina Schüttler

NEW GERMAN PRODUCTIONS: FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT, FEATURES, DOCUMENTARIES, SHORTS & UPCOMING FILMS GERMAN FILMS QUARTERLY 2-2015 S.02_Contents_U2.qxp_Layout 1 23.04.15 10:26 Seite 1

CONTENTS GFQ 2-2015

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GFQ 2-2015 CONTENTS IN T H I S I S S U E

SPOTLIGHT ON  NEW DOCUMENTARIES FRESH TALENT FROM GERMANY BEYOND PUNISHMENT Hubertus Siegert ...... 29 LIFE IS ALWAYS A GOOD SOURCE A portrait of director & author Sonja Heiss ...... 4 B-MOVIE: LUST & SOUND IN WEST Jörg A. Hoppe, Klaus Maeck, Heiko Lange ...... 29 THE SWEET SPOT A portrait of director Philip Koch ...... 6 DÜGÜN – HOCHZEIT AUF TÜRKISCH DÜGÜN – MARRIAGE THE TURKISH WAY NEW DIRECTIONS Marcel Kolvenbach, Ayşe Kalmaz ...... 30 A portrait of Komplizen Film ...... 8 DER LETZTE RAUBZUG PARTNERS IN CREATIVITY GAMBLING ON EXTINCTION Jakob Kneser ...... 30 A portrait of Weydemann Bros...... 10 EIN LETZTER TANGO ACTING ON IMPULSE OUR LAST TANGO German Kral ...... 31 A portrait of actress Katharina Schüttler ...... 12

 NEW SHORTS

NEWS & NOTES ...... 14 ABWESEND ABSENT Eliza Petkova ...... 32

DISSONANCE Till Nowak ...... 32

 NEW FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT HERMAN THE GERMAN Michael Binz ...... 33

BIBI & TINA: VOLL VERHEXT! BIBI & TINA: BEWILDERED AND BEWITCHED!  UPCOMING FILMS ...... 19 ANTONIO IM WUNDERLAND Sven Unterwaldt ...... 34 FÜNF FREUNDE 4 THE FAMOUS FIVE 4 Mike Marzuk ...... 20 ER IST WIEDER DA David Wnendt ...... 34

GESPENSTERJÄGER FREIER FALL 2 Stephan Lacant ...... 34 GHOSTHUNTERS – ON ICY TRAILS Tobi Baumann ...... 21 JADE Leonie Krippendorff ...... 35 RETTET RAFFI MY FRIEND RAFFI Arend Agthe ...... 22 LOU ANDREAS-SALOMÉ – WIE ICH DICH LIEBE, RÄTSELLEBEN Cordula Kablitz-Post ...... 35 RICO, OSKAR UND DIE TIEFERSCHATTEN THE PASTA DETECTIVES Neele Leana Vollmar ...... 23 EINE REISE Johanna Pauline Maier ...... 35

V82 – DIE RACHE DER NITROS SEX & CRIME Paul Florian Müller ...... 36 V82 – REVENGE OF THE NITROS Joachim Masannek ...... 24 SMARAGDGRÜN  NEW FEATURES Felix Fuchssteiner, Katharina Schöde ...... 36

BESTEFREUNDE BESTFRIENDS SUM1 Christian Pasquariello ...... 36 Jonas Grosch, Carlos Val ...... 25 THE : A LIFE OF MUSIC HALBE BRÜDER Ben Verbong ...... 37 HALF BROTHERS Christian Alvart ...... 26 ZAZY M. X. Oberg ...... 37 NACHSPIELZEIT EXTRA TIME Andreas Pieper ...... 27 Shareholders & Supporters ...... 41 WEISSE RITTER WHITE KNIGHTS Markus Mischkowski, Film Exporters ...... 42 Kai Maria Steinkühler ...... 28 Imprint ...... 43

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SPOTLIGHT ON FRESH TALENT FROM GERMANY GFQ 2-2015

LIFE IS ALWAYS A GOOD SOURCE A PORTRAIT OF DIRECTOR & AUTHOR SONJA HEISS photo © Peter Hartwig © Peter photo

he title of the new film by Berlin- mother and wife who, scurrying from her of- on the loving relationship to her husband, based director Sonja Heiss is HEDI fice to the children’s day care center, eternally Uli. SCHNEIDER IS STUCK and at first, busy with household chores and visits to Twe are to understand it literally: relatives, experiences a panic attack that Asked whether the immense strain on women right at the beginning, the lift that should be culminates in a massive anxiety disorder. For of her generation is what triggers Hedi’s ill- taking perky Hedi – in her mid-thirties – up to months on end, Hedi is caught in a kind of ness, the director, who is about the same age her office floor suddenly comes to a stop – as paralysis. This second feature film by Sonja as her protagonist, responds: “I didn’t want if she wasn’t late for work already! Of course, Heiss, witty, cool and at the same time very to give a reason, but I don’t know anyone who Hedi is soon rescued, but the scene in the lift serious, tells of the effects of her illness manages to do everything she has decided sums up her entire situation. She is a working on her otherwise happy nuclear family and to do, even on one single day. I also have a

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„Ein humorvoller Blick auf eine rastlose Generation.“ Süddeutsche Zeitung

Te i l n a h m e Perspektive des deutschen Film Berlinale 2007

Publikumspreis First Steps Festival Award Deutscher Film Ludwigshafen

Publikumspreis Festival Deutscher Film Rhein-Neckar

Ein Film von Sonja Heiss KOMPLIZEN FILM ZEIGT EINE KOPRODUKTION MIT ZDF DAS KLEINE FERNSEHSPIEL UND HFF MÜNCHEN RICKY CHAMP GARETH LLEWELYN EVA LÖBAU CHRIS O´DOWD SVENJA STEINFELDER KAMERA NIKOLAI VON GRAEVENITZ SCHNITT NATALI BARREY VINCENT PLUSS PATRICK LAMBERTZ MUSIK THE FESTIVAL UND CHRISTIAN GARCIA TON ANDREAS PRESCHER SOUND DESIGN DANIEL IRIBARREN MISCHUNG HUBERTUS RATH PRODUKTIONSLEITUNG MAREIKE LUEG HANNAH MAAG HERSTELLUNGSLEITUNG HFF MÜNCHEN NATHALIE LAMBSDORFF ASSOCIATE PRODUCER DIRK ENGELHARDT REDAKTION CHRISTIAN CLOOS DREHBUCH SONJA HEISS NIKOLAI VON GRAEVENITZ PRODUZENTEN JANINE JACKOWSKI MAREN ADE SONJA HEISS REGIE SONJA HEISS

WWW.HOTELVERYWELCOME.KINOWELT.DE

to-do list, which just grows longer and long - characters find themselves, this film is also a book – once again, all about life and the im- er. We are over-stressed and we set our- light and upbeat. The director, who hails from possibility of enduring happiness. Or at least, selves high targets: we think we need to be Bavaria, has no liking for mawkishness – but it is a family novel, possibly also a little auto- perfect mothers and successful in our work, she doesn’t approve of a cracking, and there- biographical? and we have to enjoy a good sex life because fore very German, type of comedy, either. Her time passes so quickly and life is so short. films operate on a fine line between serious- “Of course, there is something of my own life But above all, we must be incredibly happy.” ness and buoyancy; Heiss avoids pathos and in everything that I do, including in the collec- clichés with a sure hand, almost in her sleep, tion of short stories I have written, Happiness The protagonists of Sonja Heiss’ first full- it seems. “I believe that German humor has a Runs Out. Your own life is always a good length feature film, HOTEL VERY WELCOME, poor reputation internationally,” she says, source of material. That’s one of the practical were also searching, with only moderate “and that is a shame, of course, because in things about this profession: when you ex - success, for happiness. It was premiered in Bavaria or in Northern Germany as well there perience awful things, at least you can turn the section Perspektive Deutsches Kino at the are certain types of dry humor, which I think them into art afterwards.” Berlinale 2007. Employing a tiny team and are amazing – you may even find it in Berlin, comparatively simple technology, she made a occasionally,” she says jokingly. Humor has Daniela Sannwald travel film in India and Thailand, for which her much to do with courage, the filmmaker be- five actors from Germany and Great Britain lieves: “The actors that I worked with had a were called upon to interact, in real situa - private sense of humor as well. But above all, tions, with lay actors chosen through cast- they had the courage to take risks. In every ings. take in which they aim to be funny, actors ultimately risk the danger that no one will “We always traveled with just one actor for a laugh. They brave the possibility of making month, filming the episode, and then the next themselves look ridiculous every other min - one came. We spent four months on the road ute, so to speak. In front of 20, 30, 40 people, because we had no money for preparation, so or perhaps even in front of thousands.” we didn’t look for the locations and support - ing actors until we got there. That made it a Sonja Heiss herself was courageous when very cheap film,” Heiss explains. “Including she traveled to the USA together with absolutely everything, it only cost 350,000 Vanessa van Houten in 2000 to film a fictive euros.” However, this low budget was com - story told by real people. The two of them bined with huge personal commitment from visit ed people in trailer parks and asked them all those involved: “The shooting was a truly about the key themes in their lives; later, they borderline experience: a combination of selected those passages that fitted in with chaos, heat, illnesses, sleeplessness, bribery, their film subject, “A man disappears.” What and some other dicey situations,” Heiss re- emerged from this was KARMA COWBOY, a calls, almost with a little nostalgia, and she conceptual, aesthetically unique and extre- adds cheerfully: “Because that shooting work mely successful mid-length film. That debut demanded extreme flexibility and spontaneity seemed to mark the start of a path along from me, it was a fantastic school of film - which the director has moved away from the making, where unexpected and chaotic situa- documentary step by step, although she has tions are always part of the everyday agenda.” not completely abandoned its unstaged reality, even now. But if things continue in this HOTEL VERY WELCOME doesn’t look as if the fashion, surely at some point Heiss will arrive shooting conditions were difficult; despite the at science fiction. First of all, however, she sometimes messy situations in which the has other things on her mind: she is writing

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SPOTLIGHT ON FRESH TALENT FROM GERMANY GFQ 2-2015 THE SWEET SPOT A PORTRAIT OF DIRECTOR PHILIP KOCH

hen Philip Koch invited his convictions as an artist. Everything, it seems, juvenile prison in Siegburg where a group of now fiancée on their second revolves around film for Koch one way or delinquents tortured a 20-year-old for hours movie date – the first one was another. After all, this is the guy who was on end and finally made him hang himself in Wa choice of hers, as he re- yelled at by upset audience members in his cell, Koch’s gaze is merciless. He doesn’t members, a romantic comedy with Amanda Cannes that he should consider psychiatric pull any punches in his depiction of what hap- Peet – he was adamant to lay all cards on the treatment, after his astonishing debut PICCO pened that day, thereby making the audience table. At this point it was important to him to was shown at the Directors’ Fortnight in 2010. an accomplice in the atrocities. You can sense show her who he really was and who she An experience he still savors five years later: a steely cruelness one might expect from would be dealing with, if their relationship “It was an absolute highlight, totally unreal. Michael Haneke, but at the same time PICCO was to be serious. Koch took her to see his The movie was well-received when it debuted harks back to juvie detention classics like all-time favorite film by his all-time favorite at the Max Ophüls Festival in Saarbrücken a Alan Clarke’s SCUM that had left a strong director, Werner Herzog’s trippy descent into few months prior, but it was the invitation to impression on Koch when he first saw it. madness, AGUIRRE, THE WRATH OF GOD. Cannes that really announced my arrival as a His film is as blunt a critique on the penal “She hated it”, he says with a shrug, smiling. director, that made people take note. And to system as possible, but it also has a transcen- “But we’re still together and going strong.” provoke such a deeply emotional reaction dent, almost poetic quality, something Koch from the audience was exhilarating.” likes to call the “Ecstatic Truth“, echoing his This is just the kind of story you can expect to idol Werner Herzog’s movies. It’s this Ecstatic hear when spending an hour with the 32- No wonder. PICCO is a tough movie, to put it Truth that drives Philip Koch, that makes him year-old filmmaker, talking about his life and mildly. Loosely based on the true story of a tick. photo © Markus Eckert © Markus photo

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Koch was raised on film. His eyes light up had been working on for a while, a black On first glance it’s quite a departure from the when he talks of his grandfather, an American comedy called OUTSIDE THE BOX. Again relentless realism of PICCO. But strip away who stayed in Germany after the war after he based on a true story Koch had read about the tonal differences, and you will easily had fallen in love with a German girl – and an in a newspaper, the screenplay about a group find a common theme in Koch’s work – the obsessive film nut who taped every movie he of executive consultants on a corporate team struggle of the individual against the con- could lay his hands on on TV back in the VHS event in Italy that goes horribly awry came straints of a system that is forced on him. “I era. He kept his feel quite strongly

countless tapes in about that,” he says. the attic which be- “Not least it’s some- came little Philip thing that’s mirrored Koch’s own private in my daily work as film museum – or as a filmmaker trying he puts it: “It was my to get my projects church.” Although he made against all was hooked, Koch did odds. But don’t get not harbor any early me wrong: As hard intentions to become as it may be som e - a filmmaker himself. times, I feel truly “There are no early blessed. And I plan attempts at Super 8 not to squander that.” movies,” he remem- bers. “Actually, it Thomas Schultze wasn’t until I finished college that I seri - ously considere being a director.”

He enrolled in the HFF München to learn his trade. PICCO was his gra- duation film, pro - duced by Walker+ Worm Film and made for less than 100,000 euros. The film was shunned at the German Film Awards, where it wasn’t even con - sider ed for the 60 titles that had a shot at being nominated, but its ongoing suc- cess at international festivals like London or St. Petersburg made sure that Koch could keep going.

He tried to get a super natural thriller

off the ground, took on screenwriting as- signments like the dark TV drama OPERATION ZUCKER, directed by Rainer together quite fast. Teaming up once more Kaufmann, and then got together with MEN with producers Philipp Worm and Tobias IN THE CITY director , a Walker, the film was shot last autumn mainly screenwriter in his own right, to hash out the in South Tyrol. Volker Bruch, Stefan Konarske, psychological horror thriller UNFRIEND. “We Lavinia Wilson, Samuel Finzi and Frederick finished writing the screenplay together, but Lau are among the leads. Koch is in the our initial plans to direct the film as a team middle of putting the finishing touches on the fell apart pretty fast – I’m afraid we’re both too editing of the film. “It’s quite tricky to find the headstrong for something like this to really sweet spot where everything comes together work.” the way I have imagined,” muses the director. “But we’re getting there, it’s supposed to be Verhoeven directed the still unpublished film funny and slightly surreal and over the top, by himself, and Koch returned to a project he but not so much that it becomes ridiculous.”

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SPOTLIGHT ON FRESH TALENT FROM GERMANY GFQ 2-2015 Jonas Dornbach, Janine Jackowski, Maren Ade (photo © Iris Janke) (photo Ade Maren Jackowski, Janine Dornbach, Jonas NEW DIRECTIONS A PORTRAIT OF KOMPLIZEN FILM

e are interested in direc- “We were traveling a lot to festivals with the Consequently, a number of long-standing “ tors who have an un- film and met up with many producers and international collaborations have developed mistakeable filmmakers,” Jackowski recalls. It was at the over the years: the German production outfit Wstyle,” says producer BAFICI film festival in Buenos Aires that Ade subsequently worked with Gomes and his Janine Jackowski who set up Komplizen Film and Jackowski saw the films of the Portu- producer Luís Urbano of O Som e a Fúria on with director Maren Ade in 1999 when they guese director Miguel Gomes and indicated the short REDEMPTION which was shown were both students at the University of Tele- that they would be interested in collab - out of competition in Venice in 2013, and vision & Film (HFF) in Munich. orating on his next project. This led to most recently on his new feature ARABIAN Komplizen Film coming onboard Gomes’ NIGHTS, which also has France’s Shellac “And we focus on producing arthouse films TABOO which had its world premiere in Sud and Switzerland’s Box Productions as which have a potential to reach a large Berlin in 2012 where it was awarded the co-producers and is screening in Cannes’ audience in Germany and internationally,” Alfred Bauer Prize and the FIPRESCI Inter- Directors’ Fortnight. she continues, pointing out that the Berlin national Film Critics Prize. and Munich-based company entered a new Another close working relationship has chapter after the production of Ade’s 2009 “We followed this new direction with the been developed with ’s coop99 – film EVERYONE ELSE, which was selected involvement in projects by international another production house established by for the Berlinale’s main competition that directors when we found companies with a fellow students (at ’s Film Academy) year and went on to win two Silver Bears, similar philosophy and approach to film - in the same year as Komplizen Film. Their the Jury Grand Prize and Best Actress ho- making,” Jackowski explains. first co-production together was coop99 co- nors for Birgit Minichmayr. founder Barbara Albert’s THE DEAD AND

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THE LIVING which had its premiere at the maker Jasmila Zbanic’s LOVE ISLAND which on her own project. “But otherwise, we are San Sebastian International Film Festival in had its world premiere on the Piazza Grande all involved together on each project and 2012 and received three nominations for the in Locarno last summer. make the important decisions as a team. Austrian Film Award (winning in the cate- Those key questions of how we will finance gory for sound design). EVERYONE ELSE also marked another mile - a project and with which co-producers is stone in the company’s development – the something that we decide together.” Last year, the Austrians came onboard decision to welcome a third partner, Jonas Maren Ade’s latest feature film TONI ERD- Dornbach, onboard. “I had known Janine Of course, the combination of two producers MANN, which also marked the beginn ing of and Maren for some time and we had and a director in the company has its advan- another new working relationship for Kom- planned to work together before EVERYONE tages: “Maren can give her perspective on plizen Film with HiFilm’s Ada Solomon who ELSE where I was the line producer,” Dorn- the projects from the vantage point of a handled the film’s shoot in Bucharest. bach recalls. “I first had to wind up my director,” Jackowski says.” This starts with own production company and then joined the choice of the projects but also includes Moreover, coop99 will serve working with the filmmaker as a co-producer on Valeska on the screenplay or at the Grisebach’s WESTERN to be editing stage. Admittedly, shot on location in Bulgaria there are some directors this summer – with Boris who are more receptive to Chouchkov of The Chouch- this input than others. kov Brothers as a local Everyone has their own way partner. of working and we just try to always give them the neces- “Working internationally sary space every individual meant that we then had director and project needs.” the opportunity to access financing from abroad Looking at the company’s for our projects,” says filmography, one might be Jackowski who was one tempted to think that there of the European Film is a particular preference Promotion’s Producers on for women film makers be- the Move in Cannes in 2009 cause the co-founders are and participated in the women. But this hasn’t ACE development workshop meant that they haven’t in 2012/2013. work ed with male directors as shown by the collabora - “When we are a minority tions with Miguel Gomes, partner in a co-production, Ulrich Köhler and Benjamin this means that these films Heisenberg. and directors get to be seen in Germany. And, on the “There isn’t any specific other hand, our majority gender discussion involved productions also get to be when making decisions for a seen by a wider audience project,” Jackowski ob - through the co-production serves. Who we work with partners.” As a result of this and what stories we col - international network, Kom- laborate on happens natur - plizen Film attracted foreign ally, intuitively, based on partners for its own projects a shared personal and such as the Dutch company cinematic interest with the Topkapi Film and France’s directors and their work.” Why Not Productions for Ul- rich Köhler’s SLEEPING Indeed, Komplizen Film SICKNESS and Switzer- has consciously sought to land’s Vega Film and recruit its director ‘accom- Austria’s Novotny & plices’ into a kind of film Novotny Filmproduktion for fam ily where they go from Ben jamin Heisenberg’s SUPEREGOS. Komplizen Film in 2010 with the idea of working on one project together to the next Moreover, Norwegian pro ducer Maria Eker- bringing in more new projects and direc- one. “At the moment, we are developing new hovd of Mer Film and Filmcamp were part- tors.” The company’s network of contacts projects with Sonja Heiss, Benjamin Heisen- ners on Sonja Heiss’ latest film HEDI was thus further extended thanks to berg and Vanessa Jopp,” Dornbach explains. SCHNEIDER IS STUCK which had its world Dornbach’s participation in the EAVE produ- premiere in the Berlinale’s Forum this Fe- cers workshop and the ACE program. In addition, he reveals that they are now bruary. working with the Chilean director Sebastián When speaking about the division of labor Lelio – who won a Silver Bear at the 2013 Meanwhile, in the other direction, Kompli- between the company’s three partners, Berlinale with GLORIA – on the development zen Film was a partner on the Uruguayan Jackowski points out that when Ade is work - of his new project called A FANTASTIC directors Ana Guevara and Leticia Jorge’s ing on a specific screenplay or shooting a WOMAN. 2012 film TANTA AGUA and Bosnian film - film, her attention is naturally then focused Martin Blaney

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SPOTLIGHT ON FRESH TALENT FROM GERMANY GFQ 2-2015 PARTNERS IN CREATIVITY A PORTRAIT OF WEYDEMANN BROS.

f you have taken part in one of the and received the CinemaXXI Award when it duction Market in 2013. Harper’s film sub- various producer workshops organized had its world premiere at the 2012 Rome In- sequently went on to win at festivals in Gua- around Europe, then there is a chance ternational Film Festival. dalajara, and Biberach as well Ithat you may have met one or both of the as last year’s First Steps Award for Best Weydemann brothers, Jakob and Jonas, be- A year later, the brothers’ next feature pro- Feature Length Film back in Germany. cause they have been busily building up a duction SILENCIO EN LA TIERRA DE LOS network of contacts which are now bearing SUEÑOS by Ecuadorian director Tito Molina INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR an eclectic range of films. had its world premiere at the Torino Inter- national Film Festival and was selected by Although they both hail from , Founded in the winter of 2008/2009, the Ecuador as its entry for the Foreign the brothers have spent some time living duo’s production company Weydemann Language Oscar® in 2015. abroad – for instance, Jakob studied Direc- Bros. didn’t take long in positioning itself in ting at Barcelona's CECC –, so it is not sur- the international film landscape with its first And the 2014 Berlinale then saw American prising that their company’s output to date three productions: Moldovan-born Ana- filmmaker Damian John Harper premiering has such an international flavor. Felicia Scutelnicu’s medium-length feature his feature debut LOS ÁNGELES which had debut PANIHIDA won the Robert Bosch originally been pitched at the festival’s Ta- Indeed, looking beyond Germany’s borders Foundation’s Co-Production Prize in 2010 lent Project Market as part of the Co-Pro- was something that they both pursued from Jakob & Jonas Weydemann (photo © André Jenchen) © André (photo Weydemann & Jonas Jakob

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“On the one hand, most of our projects are international as far as their subject matter is concerned, but they were developed and produced out of Germany,” Jakob points out. “This has also been possible thanks to the backing for debuts by the German funds and TV commissioning editors who have been open to these international projects,” he continues.

“The Film- und Medienstiftung NRW, in particular, was very important because they supported us from the outset when we were awarded the Mediengründerzentrum Cologne start-up scholarship to set up our office in Cologne,” Jonas agrees.

2015: A BUSY YEAR

2015 promises to be a particularly busy year for the two young producers. To begin with, they have two productions in post-produc- tion for delivery by the end of the year.

an early stage as a conscious strategy for The first one is the second collaboration and presented at the Projects last the company’s development, whether it was with Scutelnicu, ANISHOARA, which won the summer. participating in such initiatives as EAVE, the Best Pitch Award at Trieste’s When East Cannes Producers’ Network, IDFA Academy, Meets West co-production market in 2012, FUTURE PROJECTS Berlinale Talent Campus, Rotterdam Lab, while the second, Jakob Preuss’ documen- Sarajevo Talent Campus, or Documentary tary EUROPE'S BORDERLANDS, won the As for future projects, Jakob says that their Campus, or competing – successfully on two Gerd Ruge Scholarship in 2012 and was company is now embarking on a new occasions – for the Robert Bosch Founda- named Best Pitch and Best Work in Pro- chapter in its development and strategy. tion Co-Production Prize. gress at Utrecht’s Holland Film Meeting in “After starting by producing debuts by film- 2012 and 2013, respectively. makers like Scutelnicu and Harper, we are “It was like a second film school for us tak - now mov ing on to also handling second and ing part in these various training programs And this year will see the Weydemann third features as well as bigger projects.” and festival workshops,” Jonas recalls, “be- brothers making their first forays into Ger- cause we learned such a lot about cultural man-language production. In mid-February, A case in point is a production which would differences and other approaches to financ - shooting wrapped on the black comedy SEX be the Weydemanns’ most ambitious so far ing.” & CRIME by debutant Paul Florian Müller, – Stefano Lodovichi’s apocalyptic futuristic with Wotan Wilke Möhring, Fabian Busch, road movie CHILDREN OF THE ICE, which The network they had built up over the years Pheline Roggan and Claudia Eisinger in the was presented at the Torino Film Lab. The soon bore fruit. They developed a strong cast. The pay TV operator Sky Deutschland Weydemanns are partners with the Italian connection with fellow EAVE participants, was a partner on the film which will be re- producer Tommaso Arrighi of Mood Film on resulting in the co-production of the feature leased in German cinemas by Camino Film- the project which already has Rai Cinema as film JESUS, BLOOD AND RED CURRENTS verleih. a co-producer. which is currently underway with fellow co- producers Katrin Kissa (Homeless Bob/ Principal photography then followed from VISION Estonia), Lukasz Dziecol (Opus/Poland), and mid-April to mid-May on Martina Plura’s Ellen Havenith (PRPL/ The Netherlands). debut, the TV comedy SUBURBAN ROCKER, When asked to outline the type of films which is being produced with Hamburg- Weyde mann Bros. stands for, Jonas replies: And Jonas is now serving as EAVE’s Nation - based broadcaster NDR. And a summer “We have a vision of a narrative cinema that al Coordinator for Germany, most recently shoot is planned for Philipp Döring’s is both entertaining and political. We are not being responsible for the organization of the dark comedy with satirical elements, only wanting to get people laughing and cry- EAVE workshop in Cologne in October 2014. SMALL PARADISE, which was pitched at the ing, but are also aiming at informing them Holland Film Meeting in Utrecht last about the world around them.” The contact to Hungary’s Gábor Hörcher, the September. director of the documentary DRIFTER, was “We are always looking to work with direc- initially made by their producer Marieke The adaptation of Marius von Mayenburg’s tors and screenwriters who show evidence Bittner at the Sarajevo Talent Campus, and play TURISTA already has Nina Proll cast in of a particular style, and we’re open to the project was then submitted for the one of the leads, so there is a chance the genres such as political thrillers or satirical Robert Bosch Foundation Co-Production Weydemanns will be able to attract an comedies,” Jakob continues. “When we be- Prize where it was named Best Documen- Austrian production partner on board. come involved in projects, we like to be there tary in 2011. DRIFTER had its world pre- from an early stage so that we can develop miere at the IDFA in Amsterdam last Moreover, they are planning to start shoot - the project together with our partners. This autumn where it won the Award for Best ing Damian John Harper’s US-set second creative process is what spurs us on,” he ex- First Appearance and was then selected for feature, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RIVER, plains. Martin Blaney the Regional Documentary Competition of at the end of the year after the project Zagreb DOX in February. was deve loped at Cannes’ Cinéfondation

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ACTING ON IMPULSE A PORTRAIT OF ACTRESS KATHARINA SCHÜTTLER photo © Alex Malecki © Alex photo

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GFQ 2-2015 SPOTLIGHT ON FRESH TALENT FROM GERMANY

love getting impulses,” says case you are wondering, but in a much safer get the acting, films and theater together Katharina Schüttler, fresh from New way! with family life." York, where the epic GENERATION I WAR won the Inter national Emmy After that, Schüttler found “going back to Married, one husband ( Till “2014 for Best TV-Movie/Miniseries (she school was strange. There were two totally Franzen), one “little daughter,” Schüttler de - plays the role of Greta). We are in Soho different worlds, I wanted to stay in the movie scribes theater as “a bubble, while film work House, it’s lunch time and she orders one. I was free, with adults, being taken is combined very often with traveling and quinoa with Brussel sprouts. I’m wondering serious ly, respected, eye to eye. At school you being away from home. It absorbs you, real if this is even food, but when she proffers a get the hierarchy, you’re a kid, there’s the life can have hardly any space. It’s very forkful with “Get over your childhood teacher. I missed films.” So she turned into challeng ing!” Downtime, when she gets it, is trauma, you’re going to love it!”... Well, she’s the rebel with a cause, fighting authority, beach, the ocean, reading a script, but, she certainly persuasive so okay, I’ll bite and you challeng ing... No! In fact “quitting school was says, “it might be a great idea to find a hobby know what? It’s actually really good! “I had never an option so I studied hard to have the and actually make time for it!” this in New York,” she explains, “they’re time to do films, the school could never say fashionable over there. I’m not really vege- ‘Put school first!’ My grades never went bad!” Open to all scripts, Schüttler admits she tarian, I do like eating meat but just wish it Damned clever, eh? would love “to find a character in crime, in a wasn’t from animals!” series, one so dark I could only imagine it It meant she graduated with her diploma and would have to be broadcast after ten o’clock, Was it an impulse when she signed up for then enrolled in drama school in Hanover, her what with it being so dark, so gnarly! So much the recently released 13 MINUTES (director, motivation twofold; it was the front door to potential for crime – on the artistic side of ), the true story of how working in the theater and Schüttler also course!” Georg Elser came within only a few minutes wanted to learn the craft to expand her op- of killing Hitler and most likely changing the portunities. These came earlier that she Aware of how coincidence, luck and timing course of history? “It’s quite surprising to thought when, in 2001, “in my third year I had have also played their parts in her career, talk to an Englishman about this,” Schüttler the chance to play in three productions at the Schüttler believes people should be en - starts, “because until I got the script I, as a Staatstheater. The third was the premiere of couraged in their endeavors, citing how German, had never learned about it. It’s an Lolita and I knew I would not go back to drama Germany’s healthy and flourishing film in - incredible story of an incredible man, a school. They told me to write my theory paper dustry grew out of the massive destruction of simple man who tried to do the right thing.” before the play started and they’d graduate the Second World War and the need “to think me!” of the individual’s strength and the possibi - “It was great writing by Léonie-Claire and lities that exist, whether to say yes or no, and Fred Breinersdorfer,” she continues, “I play There follows the kind of anecdote which go for something that is right, just as Georg Elsa, and the character seemed to me like works in real life but if consigned to the Elser did. It evokes the question: what does it she was growing from the pages! I have a fas- page... It involves an audition, alcohol, Daniel mean for a person today, how should he or cination for characters I’ve not played before, Brühl (with whom she is very good friends), a she act when they see something they know who have very special ways of dealing with the premiere, a performance, more alcohol and is wrong?” world and what happens to them, extreme not getting a seat in the train! It resulted in a things and situations, it forces them to act in chance meeting with Belgian theater director There are things where my conscience a special, sometimes even extreme way: a Luk Perceval who was mounting a play at shouts, “STOP!!” It’s very powerful stuff, character like a human being!” Berlin’s Schaubühne theater and, sure especially the way Oliver Hirschbiegel does it. enough, a few months later, there was It is the same with making good films and te- Schüttler likens it to “a cello string that reso- Schüttler, premiereing in the legendary levision, to encourage and be encouraged, to nates” when she knows the part is for her, and Schaubühne, where, three years later in 2005, make the right decision.” vice versa. “I like things where I think I’m so she achieved her breakthrough with Hedda different but I’d love to find this part in myself, Gabler. It was to become a role she “played Simon Kingsley whether I could be or find this person,” she several hundred times and it gave me my first expands. For her, acting is “very much about chance in New York! I have to say, it was boiling something down, like in chemistry, to all such a coincidence and all that time on get the elixir, the main information, to find the the train I was more terrified about the after entrance to the character in that.” Starting to effects from partying with Daniel!” see the world through the character’s eyes, finding the door “opens a whole new world, Here is an interesting fact about quinoa, it their behavior begins to make sense although sticks to your teeth like it has been wea - from a first look from outside you would not ponized! It does mine, anyway. Katharina understand why they behave that way. There Schüttler remains immune as the discussion is quite a beauty in getting the chance to see moves on to the etiquette of noodle slurping the world through different eyes.” in Asia and her favorite films, directors and actors, of which, she says, “it’s so hard to She was born in Cologne, her parents both single some out! There’s an ocean of films actors, so following in their footsteps “was and people out there and they pop up like the natural thing to do! When I was eleven,” waves.” She cites LET THE RIGHT ONE IN and Schüttler narrates, “I was in DIE LOK, the “I recently saw PRISONERS, with Jake Gyllen- loco motive, a kids’ adventure film when back haal and loved it. It’s beautifully shot and then there wasn’t yet a market for kids’ films! staged. He is great in DONNIE DARKO as well. All we ever got was the annual Disney movie! Another important one for me is Nicholas Anyway, it was about a bunch of kids who Roeg’s OUTBACK, which I saw with my father. want to run away to Siberia with a handcar That really moved me. I wish I had a second and stolen lawnmower engine and join the life with time for going to the cinema, theater, Trans-Siberian Railway!” They make it too, in museums, reading etc. I find it challenging to

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NEWS & NOTES GFQ 2-2015 NEWS1 3 & NOTES

presentatives and buyers the opportunity to mated German shorts will participate in the 1 meet and connect. During the festival in competition for commissioned films (FILM- Cannes, please contact us at the German Pa- FABRIK – ITFS 2015 by Alireza Hashempour GERMAN SHORT FILMS IN CANNES vilion #123, International Village. Further in- and Malaeke Farhangadib; PENGUIN – NICK formation on the Short Film Corner can be JR. CRAFTY CREATURES by Stefan Schome- Two German short films will be presented in found at: www.shortfilmcorner.com. rus, and SPIEGELEI – ITFS 2014 by Peter the official programs of this year’s Festival de Lames) as well as out of competition (IN THE Cannes: ABSENT by Eliza Petkova is com - DISTANCE by Florian Grolig). For the eighth peting in the Cinéfondation, EVERYTHING time together with German Films, the AG WILL BE OKAY by Patrick Vollrath is part of 2 Kurzfilm – German Short Film Association this year’s Critics’ Week. Once again AG Kurz- will once again be present with a booth at the film – German Short Film Association and GERMAN SHORT ANIMATIONS IN ANNECY festival’s film market MIFA (Marché Interna- German Films offer German short films and tional du Film d’Animation). Our meeting short film makers a platform during the In 2015 a line-up of eleven German animated point for the German and the international 68th edition of the Festival de Cannes. As short films will be presented in the official animation scene provides visitors with useful every year, some of the most recent short film selection of the Festival International du Film information on German animated short film, productions are available at the Short Film d’Animation in Annecy (15-20 June 2015), German filmmakers and other important Corner for international industry professio- which is one of the most important festivals contacts. On the occasion of the festival, the nals. Additionally, for the fifth time, the pro- for animated film worldwide. With ALWAYS German Short Film Association and German gram NEXT GENERATION SHORT TIGER TIRED by Jochen Kuhn; AMÉLIA & DUARTE by Films will publish a preview DVD with recent celebrates its premiere in Cannes. The second Alice Guimarães and Mónica Santos (PT/DE); German animated short films. The ninth edi- edition of Emerging Artists Contemporary Ex- DISSONANCE by Till Nowak; NUGGETS by An- tion of the DVD New German Animations ad- perimental Films and Video Art from Germany dreas Hykade; and SEXY LAUNDRY by Izabela dresses festival representatives, curators and Vol. 2 is also available at the Short Film Cor- Plucinska (DE/CA/PL) there are five German buyers and will be available from the AG ner. Upon request all films will be available shorts and German co-productions com - Kurzfilm upon request. on preview DVDs from German Films or AG peting for the Cristal d’Annecy award in Kurzfilm. In cooperation with ARTE, the the International Competition. Three more German Short Film Association invites pro- German shorts have been invited to the com- fessionals from the German and international petition for graduation films: BÄR by Pascal short film scene to their annual Short Film Flörks, THE PRESENT by Jacob Frey, and Lounge, offering filmmakers, festival re- ROADTRIP by Xaver Xylophon. Further ani- 1 1 2

ABSENT (photo © DFFB/Constanze Schmitt) EVERYTHING WILL BE OKAY (photo © 2015 Patrick Vollrath) NUGGETS (photo © Andreas Hykade/Studio Filmbilder)

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GFQ 2-2015 NEWS & NOTES 3 5

Claudia Steffen & Reinhard Brundig (Pandora Film), Petra Müller (Film- und Medienstiftung NRW), Martina Baumgartner KINO! Festival of German Films New York (photo © Karin Kohlberg) (photo © Heike Herbertz/Film- und Medienstiftung NRW) 3 4 5

BAUMI SCRIPT DEVELOPMENT AWARD EMERGING ARTISTS VOL. 2 KINO! IN THE BIG APPLE

Together with Martina and Sandra Baum- With Emerging Artists Contemporary Experi- KINO! returned for the second time to New gartner and Pandora Film, the Film- und Me- mental Films and Video Art from Germany, the York City in April: with 10 feature films and dienstiftung NRW initiated the Baumi Script German Short Film Association and German the short film program GERMAN SHORT Development Award during the Berlinale to Films present the second edition of their FILM NIGHT, the Festival of German Films commemorate the work and life of Karl program dedicated to short experimental brought fresh new German productions to Baumgartner, the producer, distributor and works of young German artists. The films the US metropolis. Eight guests presented founder of Pandora Film. The award is en - were selected by well-known representatives their works with Q&As and panel discussions dowed with 20,000 euros. “Baumi”, as he was of German film festivals: Maike Mia Höhne of from 9-16 April at the Cinema Village. The affectionately known to all, had an unparal- Berlinale Shorts, Alfred Rotert of the Euro- Audience Award went to the family drama leled eye for high-quality arthouse cinema. pean Media Art Festival Osnabrück, Carsten FLIGHTS OF FANCY by Christian Bach. The German and international authors can apply Spicher of the International Short Film tragicomedy TOUR DE FORCE opened the for the award with an English-language Festival Oberhausen, Giovanna Thiery of the festival with director Christian Zübert in treatment. In this way, Baumi’s lifetime Stuttgarter Filmwinter and Gerhard Wissner attendance with 250 guests at Tribeca Cine- achievement is to be honored and to pro- of the Kasseler Dokumentarfilm- und Video- mas. The GERMAN SHORT FILM NIGHT, the vide – in his interest – for the independent fest curated the program with seven works dark teenager comedy ABOUT A GIRL by screenplay development of extraordinary in- from more than 140 submissions. The pre- Mark Monheim, and Neele Leana Vollmar’s ternational stories. Regulations and dead - miere screenings took place during the THE PASTA DETECTIVES attracted a young lines will be announced in July 2015, the first Stuttgarter Filmwinter, and the Clermont- New York audience to the festival. Short film award ceremony will take place within the Ferrand Short Film Festival. The program is director Christoph Rainer (PITTER PATTER framework of the Berlinale 2016. avail able for screenings at festivals, in GOES MY HEART), composer Sebastian Pille museums or art galleries. The second edition and actor Nikolaus Frei (ABOUT A GIRL), and Karl Baumgartner was born in 1949 in Brun- of the DVD Emerging Artists Contemporary producer Philipp Budweg (THE PASTA eck (South Tyrol/Italy). In 1981 he founded, Experimental Films and Video Art from Ger- DETECTIVES) presented the films personally together with Reinhard Brundig, Pandora many is available from the AG Kurzfilm or to the young crowd. Festival guest actress Film. The distributor released such films as German Films upon request. Hannah Herzsprung shared her experiences those of Yilmaz Güney, Andrej Tarkovsky and Jim Jarmusch. Karl Baumgartner died in 2014 at the age of 65. 4 5

VOL » 2 FESTIVAL OF GERMAN FILMS NEW YORK 9 – 16 APRIL 2015

EMERGING ARTISTS www.kinofestivalnyc.comw ww.kinofestivalny c.com Contemporary Experimental Films and Video Art From Germany

photo © AG Kurzfilm/Susann Maria Hempel

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NEWS & NOTES GFQ 2-2015

during the exciting shoot for WHO AM I – NO student films were selected from a total of 60 significant film location, but it is also quite SYSTEM IS SAFE by Baran bo Odar. Christoph submissions from 13 film schools; to be eli- pioneering in the areas of animation and Hochhäusler’s THE LIES OF THE VICTORS gible the films had to be 15 minutes or under games. Bavarian State Secretary Franz-Josef and Arne Birkenstock’s BELTRACCHI – THE and to have been completed at German film Pschierer will participate in this year’s ART OF FORGERY also met with enthusiastic schools in 2014 or 2015. An additional 50 Business Lunch and will later in the year (29 and interested audiences who were eager to films were submitted to the SHORT TIGER September-3 October 2015) accompany a lead hot discussions with the films’ directors competition; the conditions of entry for these delegation to Montreal. during events at the Deutsches Haus at New films were suitability for theatrical release York University and the Goethe-Institut New and a maximum running time of 5 minutes. York. 7 9

NEW FUND FOR CHILDREN’S FILMS FROM 10 YEARS OF ATELIER NETWORK MITTELDEUTSCHE MEDIENFÖRDERUNG & & ARTE COOPERATION NETHERLANDS FILM FUND The ATELIER NETWORK will be celebrating The MDM Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung its 10th anniversary at the 2015 Festival de and the Netherlands Film Fund have es - Cannes. Over the past decade, the film in - 6 tablished a co-development fund to jointly dustry network has developed into a unique support script development for original European-wide association, with represen- NEXT GENERATION SHORT TIGER 2015: children’s film projects. Children’s films have tatives in the most important sectors of the TAKE FIVE! always played a major role within the policy film industry all over the world. Its members of both funds. By joining forces, the funds include producers, license dealers, lawyers, In 2015, we’re already celebrating the fifth aim to develop and co-produce high quality directors and screenwriters. They work for anniversary since German Films and the stories for children that will find their audi- grant foundations, broadcasters, and other German Federal Film Board (FFA) combined ence in both countries and beyond. The initia- film industry organizations, often far beyond their short film initiatives to present together tive also reinforces the recently signed Europe. the SHORT TIGER award-winners (best co-production treaty between Germany and German shorts under 5 minutes) and the the Netherlands in order to enhance the The members of the network are alumni of NEXT GENERATION, the most remarkable collaboration and co-production between the the Atelier Ludwigsburg-Paris program, and German student shorts up to 15 minutes. For two countries. The initial budget of the fund are among the best-qualified young talents the program NEXT GENERATION SHORT amounts up to 100,000 euros. Proposals for on the European continent. ARTE has sup- TIGER 2015, twelve outstanding short films original, live action feature films for children ported the Atelier Ludwigsburg-Paris pro- were selected that represent the diversity of in the age groups 4-6, 6-9 and 9-12 years old gram since its , a success that both styles and subjects on a high level that expert are eligible. Priority will be given to projects sides are very proud of. audiences usually connect with German that already have a co-producer or co-writer short filmmaking. attached from Germany respectively the Prof. Dr. Andreas Schreitmüller, head of the Nether lands. Applications should originate film and TV department at ARTE GEIE, on the With NEXT GENERATION SHORT TIGER 2015, from the Netherlands or the Central Atelier: “Without international cooperation, German Films and the FFA invite you to spot Germany region. Europe is too fragmented to compete on the new film trends and young talents early on. global media market. That conviction has led The program presents deeply personal as ARTE to support the Atelier since its founda- well as very universal stories told from diffe- tion. We believe in the imagination of its rent angles and in a variety of tones. The alumni and the potential of their network: it filmmakers masterfully apply cinematic is unique, creative, and international!” means to their subjects – often in a humor - 8 ous, sometimes a reflective and sad, but eventually optimistic and hopeful manner. FFF CANNES BUSINESS LUNCH WITH This program confirms once more that short GUESTS FROM CANADA film is an independent art form deserving of the big screen and the awareness of audi- The FFF Business Lunch takes place every ences.61 We hope you share our enthusiasm year in Cannes to support Bavarian pro - 7 and2 help us spread the word: the program ducers in their international work. Each year will be available after Cannes for screenings the event has a specific international terri- at international festivals and film events tory focus. After Great Britain, Scandinavia throughout the year. and the Benelux countries, this year FFF Bayern will be welcoming guests from The films for NEXT GENERATION SHORT Canada. Observation of the market has indi- TIGER 2015 were selected by an expert jury: cated that there are quite a few Bavarian- Academy Award®-winning director Caroline Canadian projects in the pipelines. And the Link, Alexandra Gramatke (KurzFilmAgentur partnership between Québec and Bavaria Hamburg) and Dr. Gregory Theile (Kino - has certainly contributed to such good re - polis/Theile Group). The NEXT GENERATION lations. Canada is not only an internationally

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GFQ 2-2015 NEWS & NOTES 10 4

Ingmar Trost (photo courtesy of Sutor Kolonko Filmproduktion) 10

EFP SELECTS 20 PRODUCERS ON THE MOVE 2015

Twenty of the most dynamic emerging “In particular for the smaller European PRODUCERS ON THE MOVE participants producers from across Europe have been countries, cross-border co-productions are a from the past five years have completed 19 selected to take part in European Film Pro- financial necessity. But, it’s a way for all co-productions with their peers. These co- motion‘s (EFP) networking platform PRO - countries to benefit from new perspectives operations involved 36 producers from 18 DUCERS ON THE MOVE at the Festival de and make films more accessible to diverse different countries, including the recently Cannes. For the first time, the number of audiences,” says Renate Rose, EFP Managing released drama THE DISAPPEARING participants has been limited to 20 in order Director. “In order to ensure more intensified ILLUSIONIST by Bobbie Peers, a cooperation to give the event the utmost effect promo- discussion and the possibility of launching between Maria Ekerhovd (Norway 2011) and tion-wise and to build up long-lasting busi- new ideas, we had to limit the number of par- the co-producers Gian-Piero Ringel (Ger- ness relations across borders. Top of the ticipants and sharpen the selection criteria.” many 2011) and Lizette Jonjic (Sweden 2010). criteria for qualifying are international expe- The schedule of PRODUCERS ON THE MOVE rience in co-producing and theatrical re- 2015 includes working sessions such as Representing German this year is INGMAR leases outside of the home country. Now in one-to-one speed-dating meetings and TROST of the Cologne-based Sutor Kolonko its 16th year, the four-day event runs from various opportunities to exchange know- Filmproduktion. A graduate in Film Studies May 15-18. Each year, PRODUCERS ON THE ledge and follow-up ideas about future and Documentary Directing from London’s MOVE results in several international co-pro- projects. The EFP will again be teaming up Goldsmiths College, Trost had already direc- ductions and raises the profile of the partici- with the pan-European co-production fund ted and produced documentaries before pating producers in Cannes. Eurimages for a case study. founding Sutor Kolonko in 2010. His credits include Ilian Metev’s award-winning docu- mentary SOFIA’S LAST AMBULANCE, Juris Kursietis’ MODRIS and Ingo Haeb’s THE CHAMBERMAID LYNN. He has just com - pleted his third feature, Isabelle Stever’s THE WEATHER INSIDE, and is now working on Andre Hörmann’s THE PUNCH and Chico Pereira’s DONKEYNOTE. He is also de veloping projects by Ilian Metev (MIMU PEPO TATI), and Francisco Hervé and Tom 510 Schreiber (FATHERLAND).

THE CHAMBERMAID LYNN (photo © Olaf Hirschberg/58Filme)

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NEW FILMS GFQ 2-2015

NEWFILMS

6 FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT 4 FEATURES 5 DOCUMENTARIES 3 SHORTS 11 UPCOMING

29 new German productions are © Lieblingsfilm photo presented on the following 19 pages. Please visit our website www.german-films.de for more information on German features, documentaries and shorts.

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GFQ 2-2015 NEW FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT

photo © DCM

BIBI & TINA: BEWILDERED AND BEWITCHED!

he atmosphere is gloomy at Falken- DETLEV BUCK was born in 1962 in Bad Sege- GENRE Family Entertainment YEAR OF PRO- stein Castle. Amid busy prepara - berg and made his fame as an actor, director DUCTION 2014 DIRECTOR Detlev Buck tions for a festive costume ball, and screenwriter at the tender age of 22. SCREENPLAY Bettina Börgerding, Detlev Tthere is a burglary. And the mis - Follow ing high school and alternate military Buck CINEMATOGRAPHY Marc Achenbach creants have not only made off with valuable service, he made the short film TIME TO CAST Lina Larissa Strahl, Lisa-Marie Koroll, paint ings, but – far worse – Count Falko’s KNOCK OFF, which quickly became a cult Louis Held, Emilio Moutaoukkil, Michael entire collection of monocles is gone. As if classic. His first feature as a director was Maertens, Mavie Hörbiger PRODUCERS Sonja that weren’t bad enough, the mood at RABBIT FEVER, which won the Bavarian Film Schmitt, Marc Schmidheiny, Christoph Daniel neighboring Martinshof holiday farm is Prize. He followed this up with 1993’s NO CO-PRODUCERS Dario Suter, Joel Brandeis, equally glum – not a single guest has booked MORE MR. NICE GUY, which garnered an Claus Boje, Gabriele Salomon PRODUCTION in yet. Bibi and Tina need to come up with a honorable mention at the Berlinale and two COMPANY DCM Pictures, in co-production plan to promote the farm, and that includes a German Film Awards. His next film, JAIL- with Boje Buck Produktion, Kiddinx Filmpro- bit of showy sprucking. To top it all off, Bibi BIRDS, which he directed and starred in, duction RUNTIME 109 min LANGUAGE Ger- has her first serious crush. Of course, it made stars of the two female leads, Heike man would have to be on Tarik, who – along with Makatsch and Marie Bäumer. In 2004, he was his four chaotic brothers and sisters – is turn - awarded the as Best SALES ing Martinshof upside down ... while guarding Supporting Actor for his role in BERLIN Beta Cinema a dark secret. BLUES, directed by Leander Haußmann. His [email protected] other works as a director include: TOUGH www.betacinema.com ENOUGH and HANDS OFF MISSISSIPPI, both of which won German Film Awards in several categories, SAME SAME BUT DIFFERENT, MEASURING THE WORLD, and both BIBI & TINA films.

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NEW FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT GFQ 2-2015

photo © SamFilm

THE FAMOUS FIVE 4

ernhard, the father of Julian, Dick With no other choice, the Famous Five are GENRE Adventure, Family Entertainment and Anne, organizes an exhibition now thrust ever deeper into their latest as- YEAR OF PRODUCTION 2015 DIRECTOR Mike on ancient Egypt. During a private signment: they must discover who the real Marzuk SCREENPLAY Peer Klehmet, Seba- Bvisit, the kids, together with their criminal is and find the genuine amulet to stian Wehlings, Mike Marzuk CINEMATOG - faithful dog Timmy, disturb a burglar who is prove Bernhard’s innocence. Together with RAPHY Philip Peschlow CAST Valeria trying to steal a 5,000-year-old mummy. He the sympathetic Egyptian boy Auni, they set Eisenbart, Quirin Oettl, Justus Schlingensie- escapes but our Famous Five discover a gold off and quickly get caught up in the machina- pen, Omid Memar PRODUCERS Andreas amulet that once belonged to Tutalun I – the tions of a corrupt, secret society. The trail Ulmke-Smeaton, Ewa Karlström CO-PRO - legendary oldest of the pharaohs, the where - leads them finally to the Valley of the Snakes, DUCERS , Bernd Schiller abouts of whose priceless treasure remains deep in the desert, where they are lured into PRODUCTION COMPANY SamFilm, in co-pro- one of the world’s greatest mysteries. The a trap. Will they escape and save Bernhard duction with Produktion, amulet, however, reveals clues pointing to- from having to spend many, many, many years Alias Entertainment RUNTIME 97 min wards Tutalun’s hidden pyramid. in an Egyptian prison? LANGUAGE German FESTIVALS TIFF Kids 2015 Together with Bernhard and his Egyptian col- MIKE MARZUK was born in 1969 in Lands- league Elena, the junior detectives fly to Cairo berg am Lech. Since 1995 he has been work - SALES to give the amulet to Farouk, the head of the ing as an editor, musician, writer and director Beta Cinema Institute for Antiquity. But all of a sudden for short and feature films as well as video [email protected] Bernhard is arrested, accused of having clips. His films include: WWGW* – *WEISST www.betacinema.com stolen the original amulet and replacing it WAS GEIL WÄR...?! (2007), SUMMER with a forgery! (SOMMER, 2008), ROCK IT! (2010), and all four of the THE FAMOUS FIVE films.

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GFQ 2-2015 NEW FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT

photo © 2015 Lucky Bird Pictures/Warner Bros. Entertainment/Immer Wieder Gerne Film/Lotus Film/Ripple World Pictures

GHOSTHUNTERS – ON ICY TRAILS

he often fearful 11-year-old Tom TOBI BAUMANN was born in 1974 in Koblenz GENRE Family Entertainment YEAR OF PRO- discovers a green ghost in his cel- and started his career in the TV industry in DUCTION 2015 DIRECTOR Tobi Baumann lar! Slimy Hugo is an ASG, an Aver - 1994 as a freelance writer for German late- SCREENPLAY Tobi Baumann, Murmel Clau- Tagely Spooky Ghost, whom Tom night shows. Besides his work behind the sen, Martin Ritzenhoff, Christian Tramitz, Ro- soon realizes is not only completely harmless camera he has worked on stage as an actor land Slawik, Mike O’Leary CINEMATOGRAPHY but also desperately in need of his help. Hugo and comedian. He has created and directed Thomas Kiennast CAST Anke Engelke, Milo cannot go back to his haunted house, because numerous hit comedy series and most re- Parker, Bastian Pastewka, Karoline Herfurth, a dangerous AIG, an Ancient Ice Ghost, has cently, the first German pay TV production, Christian Tramitz, Christian Ulmen, Julia moved in and is spreading an arctic cold over ADD A FRIEND. His other work includes Koschitz, Ruby O. Fee, Amy Hubermann PRO- the entire town in the middle of summer. Tom comedy events like FRÖHLICHE WEIH - DUCERS Oliver Schündler, Tommy Pridnig, and Hugo enlist the services of professional NACHTEN, the TV adventure movie VISUS – Peter Wirthensohn, Dominic Wright, Jacque- Ghosthunter Hetty Cuminseed who has just EXPEDITION ARCHE NOAH, the two-part TV line Kerrin, Boris Ausserer PRODUCTION lost her job at the CGI, the Central Ghosthunt - Christmas comedy classic ZWEI WEIH- COMPANY Lucky Bird Pictures, in co-produc- ing Institute. Hetty doesn’t like children or NACHTSMÄNNER, his feature debut DER tion with Warner Bros. Film Productions Ger- ghosts very much, but Tom and Hugo con- WIXXER, an adaption of Tommy Jaud’s many, Lotus-Film, Ripple World Pictures, vince her to teach them the basics of ghost- bestselling novel VOLLIDIOT, and GHOST - Immer Wieder Gerne Film, ARRI Film & TV hunting. The three become an unlikely team – HUNTERS – ON ICY TRAILS. Services, Satel RUNTIME 99 min LANGUAGE only with friendship, courage and self-con - English fidence can they overcome their adversary and save the town from the AIG. SALES Beta Cinema [email protected] www.betacinema.com

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photo © Mimi & Crow Film

MY FRIEND RAFFI

ammy is eight years old. He lives AREND AGTHE studied German Literature, GENRE Adventure, Children & Youth, Family with his mother Helene and his Philosophy and Drama in Frankfurt. After Entertainment YEAR OF PRODUCTION 2014 sister Molly. Sammy’s father left the working as a cartoonist and journalist he be- DIRECTOR Arend Agthe SCREENPLAY Arend Sfamily a year ago, as he needed came a writer and director for cinema and TV. Agthe, Bettina Kupfer CINEMATOGRAPHY some “time off”. Before he left he gave In 2012 he founded, together with his wife Thomas Benesch CAST Nicolaus von der Sammy a present: a hamster named Raffi. Bettina Kupfer, the Mimi & Crow Filmpro - Recke, Albert Kitzl, Sophie Lindenberg, Hen- The little rodent is something very special. duktion to produce MY FRIEND RAFFI, based riette Heinze, Claes Bang, Bettina Kupfer, Not only can he kick goals with a football but on the novel he and his wife wrote together. Josef Ostendorf, Rainer Strecker, Dirk he can also sniff out smuggled goods. Raffi A selection of his other films includes: RIVER- Martens, Philip Schmitz-Elsen, Martin and Sammy are best friends. However, one TRIP WITH A HEN (1984), FALCON SUMMER Dudeck, Genia Karasek PRODUCER Bettina day Raffi is ill and it turns out to be worse SKY (1987), YEARS OF WONDER (1989), Kupfer PRODUCTION COMPANY Mimi & Crow than anyone thought: a heart disease, which KARAKUM (1993), and OVER THE SEA TO Filmproduktion, in co-production with NDR, needs to be operated. This, being bad enough FREEDOM (2011). KiKA RUNTIME 93 min LANGUAGE German as it is, gets worse when Raffi is suddenly FESTIVALS FIFEM Montreal 2015, Kristian- gone! Raffi is stolen by Rocky, a ruthless cri- sand 2015, Zlín 2015, International Children’s minal. As Helene is busy working and Molly Film Carnival Hong Kong 2015, Children’s prefers spending time with her boyfriend, Film Festival Munich 2015 Sammy secretly begins his search for Raffi alone. He is worried about his little hamster, SALES and his search soon turns out to be an odys- Mimi & Crow Filmproduktion sey through the big city of Hamburg. In the [email protected] end, and after a tremendous and long search, www.mimiandcrow-filmproduktion.de Sammy reaches the famous hamster show. However, suddenly everyone wants Raffi: the show-master, Rocky and Sammy himself. Can Sammy stand up against all grown-ups? Can he save Raffi?

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GFQ 2-2015 NEW FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT

photo © Lieblingsfilm

THE PASTA DETECTIVES

earching for the owner of a “lost and NEELE LEANA VOLLMAR was born in 1978 in GENRE Family Entertainment YEAR OF found macaroni” the lowly gifted Bremen and studied at the Filmakademie PRODUCTION 2014 DIRECTOR Neele Leana Rico meets the highly gifted Oskar Baden-Württemberg from 2000-2005. In 2003 Vollmar SCREENPLAY Christian Lerch, Sand the two become friends for life. she also participated in the Berlinale Talent Andreas Bradler, Klaus Döring, based on a Across Berlin they are after Mr. 2000, a Campus and the Hollywood Masterclass. Her novel by Andreas Steinhöfel CINEMATOG - notorious kidnapper. But suddenly Oscar dis- films include: the shorts WATTENMEER RAPHY Torsten Breuer CAST Anton Petzold, appears and Rico has to pluck up all his (1999), ZU ZWEIT (1999), EINE REISE (2000), Juri Winkler, Karoline Herfurth, Axel Prahl, courage to find his friend… SANS UNE PAROLE (2001), WEISS (2001), Ronald Zehrfeld, Ursela Monn, David Kross, TOTE FISCHE SCHWIMMEN OBEN (2002), MY Milan Peschel, , Anke PARENTS (2003), the features VACATION Engelke PRODUCERS Philipp Budweg, Robert FROM LIFE ( 2004), PEACEFUL TIMES (2008), Marciniak CO-PRODUCER Marco Mehlitz WEDDING FEVER IN CAMPOBELLO (2009), PRODUCTION COMPANY Lieblingsfilm, in co- and THE PASTA DETECTIVES (2014). production with Fox International Productions (Germany) RUNTIME 96 min LANGUAGE German FESTIVALS Goldener Spatz 2014, Munich Children’s Film Festival 2014, Giffoni 2014, BUSTER Copenhagen 2014, Fünf Seen Filmfestival 2014, Schlingel 2014 AWARDS White Elephant Munich 2014, Best Screenplay Goldener Spatz 2014, Audience Award Munich 2014, Best Children’s Film Bavarian Film Prize 2015

SALES Beta Cinema [email protected] www.betacinema.com

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NEW FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT GFQ 2-2015

photo © Rat Pack Filmproduktion/B.A. Produktion/ARRI Film & TV Services/RSC/Universal Pictures Germany

V82 – REVENGE OF THE NITROS

he V8 team we already got to know JOACHIM MASANNEK was born in 1960 in GENRE Action, Adventure, Family Entertain- and love in their first film is back! Hamm and studied German, Philosophy, and ment YEAR OF PRODUCTION 2015 DIRECTOR In a new and even more spectacular Film in Munich. Since 1985, he has worked as Joachim Masannek SCREENPLAY Joachim Tadventure, David, Robin, Luca, and a production designer, lighting technician, Masannek CINEMATOGRAPHY Benjamin Kiki Lilou have to show what they are camera man and author. After working on Dernbecher CAST Georg Sulzer, Maya made of. various animation projects, he wrote the Lauter bach, Samuel Jakob, Klara Merkel children’s book Die Wilden Fussballkerle based PRODUCER Christian Becker CO-PRODU- After their glorious win against the Baracu- on the soccer team he founded in Munich. His CERS Franz Kraus, Antonio Exacoustos, Josef das, the V8 team got closer to a place at the films include: numerous short films and TV Reidinger, Reinhard Schürk PRODUCTION legendary “Castle”, where kids are taught in movies, all five of the award-winning THE COMPANY Rat Pack Filmproduktion, in co- racing. However, Robin’s father Rasmus V. WILD SOCCER BUNCH films (2002-2007), and production with B.A. Produktion, ARRI Film & Eight is hard on their heels. He still wants to both V8 (2013/2015) films. TV Services, Reinhard Schürk, Universal get the control over his son and, much more, Pictures Production RUNTIME 93 min to ban the secret racings. Meanwhile, the V8 LANGUAGE German team has to deal with a new competitor, the crazy Nitros, who kidnap Robin and force him SALES to drive against his own team. Can V8 win ARRI Worldsales with out Robin against the Nitros and will [email protected] Rasmus V. Eight stop the racings? [email protected] www.arriworldsales.de

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GFQ 2-2015 NEW FEATURES

photo © Résistefilm

BESTFRIENDS

ou can’t pretend to be honey A warm-hearted Berlin-based comedy about GENRE Comedy, Coming-of-Age Story, “ if what you really are is a friendship. Tragicomedy YEAR OF PRODUCTION 2014 Bratwurst!” That’s how osteo- DIRECTORS Jonas Grosch, Carlos Val Y path Dominique felicitously JONAS GROSCH was born 1981 in Freiburg. SCREENPLAY Jonas Grosch, Carlos Val CINE- describes his long-term patient Susi Q’s After studies of Philosophy and Comparative MATOGRAPHY Beltrán García Valiente CAST problem. As a freelance journalist, 30-some- Literature in Giessen, he graduated from the Katharina Wackernagel, Sebastian Schwarz, thing Susi Q. travels the world with her best “Konrad Wolf” University of Film and Tele - Tina Amon Amonsen, Niels Bormann, Robert friend Mark, publishing their experiences in vision in Potsdam-Babelsberg in 2009 with Beyer, Maria Matschke, Thelma Buabeng, her blog. They live from hand to mouth, the the feature film RESIST! INTERN REBEL- Bjarne Mädel PRODUCERS Jonas Grosch, Ka- path is the goal, and there’s no tomorrow any- LION, which he wrote and directed. THE LAST tharina Wackernagel, Tobias Weishaupt CO- way. LIE, his second feature film as writer/director PRO DUCER Frank Bohn PRODUCTION which he also financed independently without COMPANY Achtfeld RUNTIME 84 min Back in cold Berlin, Mark meets Vivian and subsidies or TV-participation, had a cinema LANGUAGE German, Spanish FESTIVALS Hof things change dramatically. He settles down run and was sold to German pubcaster ZDF. 2014, Max Ophüls Festival Saarbrücken 2015 and suddenly doesn’t have time for Susi Q. His other films include: WHITE MAN WITH Their common passions like self-determined BLACK BREAD (doc, 2007), A SILENT ROCK - SALES journalism, traveling, wild parties, pretty UMENTARY (doc, 2012), and BESTFRIENDS Résistefilm women and endless discussions about the (2014, in co-direction with Carlos Val). [email protected] meaning of life are suddenly over. www.resistefilm.com CARLOS VAL was born in 1977 and studied at But Susi Q. is not to be fobbed off that easily. the Media University in Madrid Complutense. She pulls out all the stops to get her best Also active as an instructor for Media and as friend back and even involves single father a screenwriter, his films include: the shorts Steffen, whom she always considered a bor - THE IGLOO (2007), I’VE GOT A SECRET (2008), ing square, and his cheeky daughter Marie and GOD LOVES VOTING (2014), as well as Lou. his feature debut BESTFRIENDS (2014, in co- direction with Jonas Grosch).

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NEW FEATURES GFQ 2-2015

photo © ConradFilm/Bavaria Pictures/Bernd Spauke

HALF BROTHERS

ulian, Yasin and Addi are brothers – or CHRISTIAN ALVART was born in Jugenheim GENRE Culture-Clash Comedy, Road half brothers, to be more precise. The in 1974 and already began developing a fas- Movie YEAR OF PRODUCTION 2015 DIREC- three diametrically opposed bros cination and love for cinema and television in TOR Christian Alvart SCREENPLAY Doron Jlearn from the notary that their his youth. In 1999 he wrote, produced and Wisotzky, Michael Ostrowski CINEMATOG - mother has passed away. Tough luck, they directed his debut film CURIOSITY & THE CAT. RAPHY Christof Wahl CAST Paul “SIDO” think, but just as they’re about to leave they He subsequently developed screenplays for Würdig, Fahri Yardim, Tedros “TEDDY” find out there’s a comfortable, well-hidden in- the TV series DER PUMA and WOLFF’S Teclebrhan, Mavie Hörbiger, Detlev Buck, heritance which they will only get if they all REVIER, and worked as director, author and Charly Hübner, Erdal Yildiz, Violetta pull together as a team. co-producer of the multiple award-winning Schurawlow PRODUCERS Marc Conrad, Jan film ANTIBODIES. Alvart directed the Holly- S. Kaiser, Sigi Kamml, Christian Alvart CO- God knows you can always use money, wheth- wood production CASE 39 with Renée Zell - PRODUCERS , Tom Zickler, er it’s to finally free yourself from the shadow weger and with Dennis Quaid. Christian Franckenstein PRODUCTION COM- of a wealthy adoptive father, to launch a big Next to these international theatrical pro- PANIES ConradFilm, Bavaria Pictures, hip hop career or just to get rid of the annoy- jects, he made the TV Movie 8 UHR 28 and the Syrreal Entertainment, in co-production with ing pink debt collector bunny. The three must Kiel TATORT-episode BOROWSKI UND DER Barefoot Films, Colonia Media, Bavaria Film thrash out their differences while on a road COOLE HUND. Since 2010 Alvart has been RUNTIME 117 min LANGUAGE German trip of unknown destination. Their journey working on the filming of CAPTAIN FUTURE. takes them from Berlin via Frankfurt and In 2012 he directed, next to the new Hamburg SALES Cologne up to the northern island of Feh- TATORT, a further Kiel TATORT, BOROWSKI Global Screen marn. In the course of this scavenger hunt UND DER STILLE GAST as well as the feature [email protected] they end up in the claws of a drug-dealing film BANKLADY. www.globalscreen.de grandma, a vengeful payment collector and a mysterious beauty. Their biological fathers, whom they meet on the trip, bring them clo- ser to the hoped-for inheritance, but also to the verge of madness. The half brothers realize that they will only reach their goal if they pull together as a family. 26 S.27_NACHSPIELZEIT_Layout 1 28.04.15 13:34 Seite 1

GFQ 2-2015 NEW FEATURES

photo © Lichtblick Media

EXTRA TIME

em is in his mid-20s and doing ANDREAS PIEPER was born in 1977. He GENRE Drama YEAR OF PRO DUCTION 2015 voluntary service at a nursing studied Directing at the Film University DIRECTOR Andreas Pieper SCREENPLAY home, where he falls in love with Babels berg. His films include: the shorts DIE Andreas Pieper CINEMA TOGRAPHY Armin CAstrid, who works there as a dance BEGEGNUNG, DIE FRAU VOM VIERTEN FOTO Dierolf CAST Mehmet Atesci, Friederike therapist to help give the residents some UNTEN RECHTS, HAKENLAND, his gradua- Becht, Frederick Lau, Jacob Matschenz, swing to their lives. Cem grew up in the Neu- tion feature RHEINGOLD, and EXTRA TIME. Aleksandar Tesla, Uwe Preuss, Vedat Erincin kölln neighborhood of Berlin, and he doesn’t PRODUCER Martin Heisler PRODUCTION take any crap: he defends his neighborhood COMPANY Lichtblick Media RUNTIME 85 min against Nazis, speculators and marginali - LANGUAGE German FESTIVALS Max Ophüls zation. But just who are the real enemies? Festival Saarbrücken 2015

Cem finds some balance in his life through SALES his great passion: football. But one day during Lichtblick Media a match, he gets into it with Roman. Roman [email protected] threatens Cem. And the next day the windows www.lichtblick-media.com in Cem’s parents’ restaurant are smashed. A coincidence? Cem swears revenge and the duel between the two escalates. When Astrid is then brutally beaten up in the subway, the conflict climaxes and Cem sees it as an op- portunity to prove himself. Suddenly it be - comes a matter of life and death.

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NEW FEATURES GFQ 2-2015

photo © Anna C. Wagner/Westendfilme

WHITE KNIGHTS

years after WESTEND (2001), MARKUS MISCHKOWSKI was born in 1966 in GENRE Comedy, Road Movie YEAR OF comes the sequel WHITE Cologne and studied Linguistics in Berlin and PRODUCTION 2015 DIRECTORS Markus KNIGHTS: jobless beer-drink - Screenwriting at the ifs international film Mischkowski, Kai Maria Steinkühler SCREEN- 14ing buddies Mike and Alfred school in Cologne. PLAY Markus Mischkowski, Kai Maria Stein- are recruited by their old companion Rasto to kühler CINEMATOGRAPHY KaPe Schmidt transfer a suitcase with “important docu- KAI MARIA STEINKÜHLER was born in 1967 CAST Steffi Gosejohann, Markus Misch- ments” to Luxembourg. While Mike takes the in Cologne and studied Egyptian and African kowski, Kai Maria Steinkühler, Jens Claßen, mission too seriously and Alfred falls in love Studies in Cologne, followed by engagements Claudia Basrawi PRODUCER Markus Misch- with the seductive hitchhiker Anja, Rasto en- in various theaters. kowski PRODUCTION COMPANY Westend- joys getting ’coached and controlled’ by the filme/Cologne RUNTIME 81 min LANGUAGE charming consultant Katja. Active as writers, directors and producers German (Westendfilme) of numerous short films, their A laid-back black & white road movie with a first feature film was WESTEND (2001). SALES nonchalant retrograde style. Westendfilme [email protected] www.westendfilme.de

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GFQ 2-2015 NEW DOCUMENTARIES

reedom is what you do with what has been done to you. Three diffe- rent countries and one case of Fdeadly violence each. Three men who have killed and three families who have lost a beloved one. In our standard idea of guilt and punishment this means three who get punished and three who are meant to forget. No way to imagine the two sides will ever get closer. The film tells three times the impossible story: To meet your enemy, in thoughts, in messages, in real life. In Norway, in the US, in Germany. A film that changes our idea of guilt and punishment.

photo © Mathias Bothor

HUBERTUS SIEGERT is active as a producer, GENRE Crime, Social Drama YEAR OF PRO- Ophüls Festival Saarbrücken 2015, Berlinale writer and director. In addition to numerous DUCTION 2015 DIRECTOR Hubertus Siegert 2015, DOK.fest Munich 2015 AWARDS Best short films, his films include: the documen- SCREENPLAY Hubertus Siegert CINEMATOG - Documentary Saarbrü cken 2015 taries BERLIN BABYLON (2001), KLASSEN- RAPHY Marcus Winterbauer, Börres Weiffen- LEBEN (2004), 24 H BERLIN (2009), 24 H bach, Jenny Lou Ziegel PRODUCER Hubertus SALES JERUSALEM (2013), and BEYOND PUNISH- Siegert PRODUCTION COMPANY S.U.M.O. S.U.M.O. Film MENT (2015). Film, in co-production with ZDF/3sat, DOC- [email protected] DAYS Productions RUNTIME 98 min LAN– www.sumofilm.de GUAGE English, German FESTIVALS Max www.beyondpunishment.de

-MOVIE is about music, art and chaos in the Wild West Berlin of the 1980s: the wall ed-in city which Bbecame the creative melting pot for the sub and pop culture, attracting in - genious dilettantes and world famous cele- brities alike. Before the iron curtain would fall, artists and communards, squatters and hedonists of all kinds would enjoy Berlin’s unconventional lifestyle, starting with punk and ending with the Love Parade. It was about living for the moment – the here and now.

photo © DEF Media

KLAUS MAECK, JÖRG A. HOPPE and HEIKO GENRE Music YEAR OF PRODUCTION 2015 German FESTIVALS Berlinale 2015, Istanbul LANGE have all been working in the music DIRECTORS Jörg A. Hoppe, Klaus Maeck, 2015, Crossing Europe 2015 AWARDS and film industries for many years, as music Heiko Lange SCREENPLAY Jörg A. Hoppe, Heiner Carow Prize of the DEFA Foundation publishers, managers, producers and film- Klaus Maeck, Heiko Lange WITH Mark Reeder 2015 makers. B-MOVIE: LUST & SOUND IN WEST PRODUCERS Jörg A. Hoppe, Christoph Post BERLIN (2015) is their first collaboration on a CO-PRODUCERS Klaus Maeck, Heiko Lange SALES film project. PRODUCTION COMPANY DEF Media, in co- Interzone Pictures production with Interzone Pictures, Scenes [email protected] From RUNTIME 92 min LANGUAGE English, www.interzone-pictures.com

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NEW DOCUMENTARIES GFQ 2-2015

ÜGÜN is an intimate and sensitive portrait of a cultural minority which has become the main- Dstream for many. In Duisburg Marxloh, the glory of the heavy industry has long since faded – today the children of the first Turkish “Gastarbeiter” establish a new industry of emotions. Everything revolves around the wedding business. DÜGÜN offers a deep insight into the emotional worlds of young couples and their families. We experi- ence weddings as the search for happiness in a state of rootlessness and the longing for a sense of home in others.

photo © Bernd Spauke

DÜGÜN – MARRIAGE THE TURKISH WAY

MARCEL KOLVENBACH has been working as GENRE Documentary YEAR OF PRODUCTION SALES a freelance journalist and award-winning 2015 DIRECTORS Marcel Kolvenbach, Ayşe IFAGE Filmproduktion filmmaker since 1994. Kalmaz SCREENPLAY Marcel Kolvenbach [email protected] CINEMATOGRAPHY Marcel Kolvenbach http://if-age.de AYŞE KALMAZ gathered her first film experi- PRODUCERS Volker Schmidt-Sondermann, ence working with Adolf Winkelmann for the Andrea Haas-Blenske PRODUCTION COM- video art project Fliegende Bilder at Dortmund PANY IFAGE Filmproduktion, in co-production University. The focus of their work is the co- with WDR RUNTIME 88 min LANGUAGE Ger- habitation of cultures in society. man, English

very 15 minutes an elephant is killed. Extinction is no longer a by-product of poaching, it is the Every purpose. GAMBLING ON EXTINCTION is a powerful documentary that takes you from the killing fields in Kenya and to the trading hubs of Vietnam and China with undercover investigators, rangers, ex-poachers, conservationists and buyers. Director Jakob Kneser exposes the lethal mechanisms of the global trade, the terrorist connection, explains who the custo- mers are, what generates demand, and what can be done to stop the slaughter. A story about greed and a merciless battle over a limited resource: Wild elephants and rhinos. It is in fact the dark side of globalization: Ivory and rhino horn have become lucrative com- modities.

photo © a&o buero

GAMBLING ON EXTINCTION

JAKOB KNESER has been working as a COLLECTIVE MINDS (2009), FOOD FOR duktion, in co-production with Real to Reel director, author and editor since 2002. Also THOUGHT (2010), THE ARCTIC (2012), and RUNTIME 52 min LANGUAGE German, active as a lecturer for Journalism at the GAMBLING ON EXTINCTION (2014). French, English FESTIVALS Environmental Humboldt University Berlin, a selection of his Film Festival Wash ington 2015 films includes: CUBAN ROOTS (music doc, GENRE Ecology YEAR OF PRODUCTION 2014 2002), the TV documentaries THE WORLD DIRECTOR Jakob Kneser SCREENPLAY Jakob SALES WITHOUT PETROLEUM (2004), THE HISTORY Kneser CINEMATOGRAPHY Russell Gienapp Java Films OF SURGERY (2005), THE SECRETS OF TIME PRODUCERS Tristan Chytroschek, Anne Pick [email protected] TRAVEL (2006), END OF A LEGEND (2006), PRODUCTION COMPANY a&o buero filmpro- www.javafilms.fr

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GFQ 2-2015 NEW DOCUMENTARIES

aría Nieves and Juan Carlos Copes are the best-known couple in tango’s history and Mshaped this dance like no other. They danced passionately, loved and hated each other for almost 50 years, until one day they separated. And that left a huge gap in the tango scene... Now, almost at the end of their lives, they talk about their story for the first time.

GERMAN KRAL was born in Buenos Aires in 1968 and studied at the University of Tele - vision & Film in Munich. His films include: THE OTHER ONE (short, 1991), ON THE EDGE (short, 1992), TALES OF THE DESERTS (short, 1996), A TRICK OF THE LIGHT (co-director/ co-author, 1996), TANGO BERLIN (co-director, 1997), IMAGES OF THE ABSENCE (1999), , WHEN LIFE BECOMES A photo © German Kral Filmproduktion

OUR LAST TANGO

FILM (co-director/co-author, 2000), THAT’S María Nieves Rego, Juan Carlos Copes, Pablo duction with WDR, Monogatari Films, Mateína LIFE (2002), MÚSICA CUBANA (2004), THE Verón, Alejandra Gutty, Ayelén Álvarez Miño, Producciones, Schubert Interna tion al RUN- LAST APPLAUSE (2008), and OUR LAST Juan Malizia, Pancho Martínez Pey, Johana TIME 83 min LANGUAGE Spanish TANGO (2015). Copes PRODUCERS Nils Dünker, Dieter Horres, German Kral, Wim Wenders (Exec. SALES GENRE Art, Dance, Love Story, Music YEAR Prod.) CO-PRODUCERS Jutta Krug, Lothar Wide House OF PRODUCTION 2015 DIRECTOR German Mattner, Birgit Rothörl, Josef Brandmaier [email protected] Kral SCREENPLAY German Kral CINE MA - PRODUCTION COMPANIES Lailaps Pictures, www.widehouse.org TOG RAPHY Jo Heim, Félix Monti WITH German Kral Filmproduktion, in co-pro-

st Hamburg International ShortFilmFestival

www.short lm.com June  –  

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NEW SHORTS GFQ 2-2015

ABSENT

ne night and one day in the life of GENRE Drama YEAR OF PRODUCTION 2014 Klara (30) who is having a diffi- DIRECTOR Eliza Petkova SCREENPLAY cult time reconciling her every - Eliza Petkova CINEMATOGRAPHY Constanze Oday life with motherhood. Schmitt CAST Katrin Sommer, Márton Nagy, Claudia Balko, Werner Zwosta, Mike Sommer Winter in a big city. Klara, a 30-year-old single PRO DUCERS Tim Oliver Schultz, Cécile Tollu- mom, arrives home with a random guy that Polonowski PRODUCTION COMPANY Deut- she has just met. Both are drunk, they are sche Film- und Fernsehakademie Berlin giggling, having fun. But there is someone (DFFB) RUNTIME 13 min LANGUAGE German else in the apartment: Anton (9) catches them having sex. The next morning, Anton is gone. SALES Deutsche Film- und ELIZA PETKOVA was born in 1983 in Bulgaria. Fernsehakademie Berlin (DFFB) After studying Philosophy and Japanese in [email protected] Düsseldorf, she worked as a freelance docu- www.dffb.de mentary filmmaker. Since 2011, she has been Cannes studying at the German Academy of Film & Cinéfondation Television (DFFB) in Berlin. A selection of her films include: STILLE POST (doc, 2010), WILL- KOMMEN ZUHAUSE (doc, 2011), IM KREIS (short doc, 2012), MEIN SOHN (short docu- fiction, 2013), ZUR RECHTEN ZEIT (short, 2014), and ABWESEND (short, 2014). 

photos © DFFB/Constanze Schmitt

DISSONANCE

hat is reality and what is ima- Film Award. His other films include the gination? Who defines the highly-acclaimed shorts THE CENTRIFUGE boundaries? A gifted pianist BRAIN PROJECT (2011) and DISSONANCE Wplays piano. The piano re- (2015). flects the pianist’s emotion, exploding every dimension. As does the emotion: the man GENRE Animation, Drama YEAR OF PRODUC- misses his daughter, is no longer allowed to TION 2015 DIRECTOR Till Nowak SCREEN- see her. Had the man seen a doctor, however, PLAY Till Nowak CINEMATOGRAPHY Ivan he would most likely have been diagnosed Robles Mendoza CAST Nina Petri, Roland with a psychosis. Would, should, could. He Schupp, Hannah Heine, Klaus Zehrfeld, Leslie lives on the street. The mother is worried as Barany, Mirko Thiele PRODUCER Till Nowak the man who was once her husband sinks PRO DUCTION COMPANY frameboX RUN- ever deeper. What kind of world is this that TIME 17 min LANGUAGE English, German puts a smile on his face while inspiring noth - FESTIVALS Berlinale 2015, Cleveland 2015, ing but fear in her? The daughter has no fear. Brussels 2015, Aspen 2015, Riverrun 2015, All that remains is longing. Busan 2015, Annecy 2015 AWARDS Best Short Film Berlinale Nominee for the Euro- In DISSONANCE, reality and fantasy merge, pean Film Awards 2015, Best Animation flow into one another. 3D animation and live Aspen 2015 action become one. An odyssey through time and space. A modern fairytale. SALES KurzFilmAgentur Hamburg TILL NOWAK studied Media Design from [email protected] 2000-2005 at the Fachhochschule . In www.shortfilm.com 1999, he founded frameboX, a studio for digi- Annecy In tal art and animation. His short DELIVERY Competition (2005) brought him international attention,

photos © frameboX winning more than 35 awards at international festivals and was nominated for the European

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GFQ 2-2015 NEW SHORTS HERMAN THE GERMAN

erman is one of the most experi- GENRE Action, Tragicomedy YEAR OF PRO- enced bomb defusers in Germany. DUCTION 2015 DIRECTOR Michael Binz After a medical examination Her- SCREENPLAY Michael Binz CINEMATOG - Hman learns that he suffers from RAPHY Jesse Mazuch CAST Gustav Peter the very rare Kahnawake syndrome and can Wöhler, Kerstin Thielemann, Hans-Martin no longer sense the emotion of “fear”. To be- Stier, Piet Fuchs, Anke Engelke, Igor Novic, come normal again, he is forced to try out all Dolunay Gördüm, Enno Kalisch, Thorsten phobias. Franzen, Mareike Hein PRODUCER Maike Drinhausen PRODUCTION COMPANY Kunst- MICHAEL BINZ was born in 1987 in Cologne hochschule für Medien Köln (KHM) RUNTIME and studied at the Academy of Media Arts Co- 15 min LANGUAGE German FESTIVALS Max logne from 2008-2014. His short works in- Ophüls Festival Saarbrücken 2015, Regens- clude PLACEBUS (2009), a social spot about burg 2015, Dresden 2015, Hamburg 2015 Alzheimer’s that won the Grimme-Institute’s AWARDS Audience Award Saarbrücken 2015, NRW.Spot Award, THE STORYTELLER (2013, Audience Award Regensburg 2015 with Milan Ruben Kappen), winner of the Short Tiger 2014, and DER MAISMANN (2013). SALES HERMAN THE GERMAN (2015) is his gradua- Kunsthochschule für Medien Köln (KHM) tion film. [email protected] www.khm.de

photos © Jesse Mazuch/KHM

CANNES PREMIERE

Sunday, 17 May 2015 · 8:30 pm OLYMPIA 1 · 5, rue d’Antibes

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UPCOMING FILMS GFQ 2-2015

ANTONIO IM WUNDERLAND

he sequel to the smash WEDDING GENRE Comedy, Family Entertainment, Love FEVER IN CAMPOBELLO sees Jan, the Story, Romantic Comedy CATEGORY Feature Tsensitive, intelligent proofreader and DIRECTOR Sven Unterwaldt SCREENPLAY his now pregnant, attractive, lively, German- Daniel Speck, based on the novel by Jan Italian wife, Sara, finally on their longed for Weiler CAST Christian Ulmen, Mina Tander, honeymoon in New York. Thousands of miles Alessandro Bressanello, Peter Prager, Maren between them and their in-laws, they can now Kroymann PRODUCERS Ronald Mühlfellner, make those essential family decisions in Christina Christ, Anna Zündel (Prod. Exec.), peace. Yeah, right! Because Jan’s demanding Magdalena Prosteder (Prod. Exec.) PRODUC- father-in-law, Antonio Marcipane, the self- TION COMPANIES Bavaria Pictures, Fox In- appointed head of the family, is working on a ternational Productions LANGUAGE German new plan. He’s spent 37 years at the steel mill and is looking forward to a peaceful retire- SALES ment, just as soon as he fulfils his dream and Twentieth Century Fox childhood promise, to visit his friend Mauro in [email protected] America. What could make more sense than www.fox.com

photo © Bernd Spauke to join Jan and Sara on their honeymoon in the Big Apple? Basta! ER IST WIEDER DA

fter directing such films as COMBAT GENRE Comedy CATEGORY Feature DIREC- GIRLS and WETLANDS, David TOR David Wnendt SCREENPLAY David AWnendt has now turned his attention Wnendt, Minna Fischgartl CAST Oliver to adapt ing Timur Vermes’ debut novel, the Masucci, Fabian Busch, Christoph Maria social sat ire ER IST WIEDER DA (LOOK WHO’S Herbst, Katja Riemann PRODUCERS BACK), which was in the Top 10 of Der Christoph Müller, Lars Dittrich CO-PRO - Spiegel’s bestseller list for over a year, No. 1 in DUCERS Martin Moszkowicz, Oliver Berben The Times bestseller list, and has been trans- PRODUCTION COMPANY MYTHOS FILM, in lated into more than 40 languages. It is sum- co-production with Constantin Film Produk- mer 2015 and Adolf Hitler suddenly wakes up tion LANGUAGE German on an empty plot of land in present-day Ber- lin, 70 years after his presumed demise. The CONTACT war is over, his party is no more, and his be- Constantin Film Verleih loved Eva is not there to console him. But, [email protected] against all the odds, Adolf begins a new ca- www.constantin-film.de reer on television because he is universally

mistaken for a brilliant comedian – even photo © Constantin Film though he is indeed the genuine article... FREIER FALL 2

ctors Hanno Koffler and GENRE Drama CATEGORY Feature DIRECTOR are set to be reunited with director Stephan Lacant SCREENPLAY Stephan AStephan Lacant for a sequel of their Lacant, Karsten Dahlem CAST Hanno Koffler, successful drama FREE FALL from 2013. This Max Riemelt PRODUCERS Daniel Reich, Chri- comes after the producers received thou- stoph Holthof PRODUCTION COMPANY Kur- sands of messages from members of the haus Production LANGUAGE German audi ence asking to know what happened next to the two police officers, Marc and Kay. The CONTACT screenplay for the new film will also be Kurhaus Production written by Lacant with his co-writer Karsten [email protected] Dahlem, with input from the two male leads. www.kurhausproduction.de The sequel is likely to see Marc meeting up again with Kay during a special assignment in Berlin after searching for him for two years without success. Plans are underway for a crowdfunding campaign to be launched – pro-

photo © Kurhaus Production bably at the end of June 2015 – to raise finan- cing for the sequel.

34 S.35_Upcoming_Films_2_Layout 1 28.04.15 13:54 Seite 1

GFQ 2-2015 UPCOMING FILMS

JADE

eila, 19, searches for she knows not GENRE Art, Melodrama CATEGORY Feature what, but wants to feel alive. She DIRECTOR Leonie Krippendorff SCREENPLAY Lmoves from one borderline situation to Leonie Krippendorff CAST Jella Haase, Lana another, feeling her pulse only when over- Cooper, Marie-Lou Sellem, Markus Hering, stretched, self-destructive or in danger. Christian Kuchenbuch, Michel Dierks, Maëlle Frenja, 35, wants to regain the life she had Giovanetti, Ilona Schulz, Henning Peker PRO- with her husband and daughter before she DUCERS Jost Hering, Ursula Kalb-Krieg was ill. But she was overcome by the need to PRODUCTION COMPANY Jost Hering Filme, puke out all her love and that feeling will not in co-production with Filmuniversität Babels- go away. Ann, 52, has lived in other countries berg KONRAD WOLF LANGUAGE German with other people, seen much of the world, loved and been loved, but she can’t shake off CONTACT the encroaching feeling of loneliness. Three Jost Hering Filme women from three generations meet at a very [email protected] relevant point of their lives in a psychiatric cli- www.josthering.de nic. Between them arises a strong connection

photo © Jost Hering Filme full of energy, honesty and eroticism.

LOU ANDREAS-SALOMÉ – WIE ICH DICH LIEBE, RÄTSELLEBEN

he ailing writer and psychoanalyst Lou GENRE Biopic, Drama CATEGORY Feature Andreas-Salomé is leading a lonely DIRECTOR Cordula Kablitz-Post SCREEN- Texistence in Göttingen. When German PLAY Cordula Kablitz-Post, Susanne Hertel philologist Ernst Pfeiffer enters her life she CAST Katharina Lorenz, Merab Ninidze, Alex- begins to write her memoirs with him. Born ander Scheer, Julius Feldmeier, Philipp in 1861 in St. Petersburg, she vows never to Hauss, Peter Simonischek, Katharina Schütt- fall in love and to pursue intellectual perfec- ler, Nicole Heesters PRODUCER Cordula tion. She meets the philosophers Paul Rée Kablitz-Post CO-PRODUCERS Helge Sasse, and Friedrich Nietzsche. Against all conven- Gabriele Kranzelbinder, Josef Reidinger PRO- tion, Lou and Rée live and study together in DUCTION COMPANY Avanti Media Fiction, in Berlin. Lou attains her goal of an intellectual, co-production with Tempest Film, KGP free-spirited life, but when she meets the Kanzelbinder Gabriele Filmproduktion, ARRI young, still unknown writer Rainer Maria Film & TV Services LANGUAGE German Rilke, she falls in love. After they break up she has numerous affairs. Lou begins to attend SALES Sigmund Freud’s lectures, becomes an es - ARRI Worldsales

teemed psychoanalyst and finally recognizes [email protected], [email protected] Katharina Lorenz (photo © Stefan Klüter) the trauma of her youth. www.arriworldsales.de EINE REISE

journey of self-discovery and the as- GENRE Drama CATEGORY Feature DIRECTOR sociated contradictions are at the Johanna Pauline Maier SCREENPLAY Acenter of Johanna Pauline Maier‘s Johanna Pauline Maier, Peter Jung CAST second feature EINE REISE (WT) which will be Jana Klein, Claudie Decultis, Laurent Lucien, her graduation film from the University of Pierre Mignard, Nirina Moinet-Sievert, Valérie Tele vision & Film Munich. A young German Moinet, Liliane Rovère, Rainer Sievert, Jutta woman Anna is in the middle of a life crisis Wernicke PRODUCER Martin Blankemeyer when she takes off for Paris without further CO-PRODUCER François Xavier Frantz PRO- ado to restart her life. Once there, she keeps DUCTION COMPANIES Münchner Filmwerk- meeting people who claim to already know statt, Hochschule für Fernsehen und Film her, but then Anna meets a woman who München (HFF/M), in cooperation with Con- seems to be her spitting image. Backed by stellation Factory LANGUAGE French, Ger- FFF Bayern‘s fund for graduation films, EINE man REISE was shot over three weeks in Paris during March 2015 with a bilingual cast and CONTACT crew. Münchner Filmwerkstatt

photo © Sarah Blum/Johanna Pauline Maier [email protected] www.muenchner-filmwerkstatt.de

35 S.36_Upcoming_Films_3NEU.qxp_Layout 1 23.04.15 12:46 Seite 1

UPCOMING FILMS GFQ 2-2015

SEX & CRIME

aul Florian Müller promises a truly GENRE Comedy CATEGORY Feature DIREC- pitch black comedy with his feature TOR Paul Florian Müller SCREENPLAY Paul Pdebut SEX & CRIME. Valentin receives Florian Müller CAST Wotan Wilke Möhring, a worrying phone call from his best friend Pheline Roggan, Fabian Busch, Claudia Theo whom he’d spontaneously given the run Eisinger, Oliver Stokowski, Jörg Moukaddam of his spanking new home to spend some PRODUCERS Jakob D. Weydemann, Jonas quality time with the waitress Mörli. Since Weydemann CO-PRODUCERS Susanne Mann, relations between Theo – a bestseller author, Paul Zischler, Andreas Eicher, Helge Neu- chess player, and not in the best of health – bronner, Frank Evers PRODUCTION COM - and his wife Katja hadn’t been that harmo- PANIES Weydemann Bros., Zischlermann nious for some time, a little distraction might Filmproduktion, cine plus Filmproduktion be exactly what the doctor ordered – or so LANGUAGE German Valentin had thought. Arriving at his house, Valentin is met by total darkness, Theo is CONTACT in complete despair, there’s a dead body, Weydemann Bros. and, naturally, nothing is as it seems at the [email protected]

photo © Wotan Wilke Möhring outset... www.weydemannbros.com

SMARAGDGRÜN

ime-traveling Gwendolyn’s adventures GENRE Adventure, Fantasy, Love Story CATE- continue in part three of the PRECIOUS GORY Feature DIRECTORS Felix Fuchssteiner, TSTONE TRILOGY. The evil Count of St. Katharina Schöde SCREENPLAY Katharina Germain and his sinister secret lodge are Schöde CAST Maria Ehrich, Jannis Niewöh- bent on world domination and it’s up to Gwen ner, Josefine Preuß, Florian Bartholomäi, and her fellow traveler Gideon to stop the Laura Berlin, Jennifer Lotsi, Johannes von fiendish plot. The young adults’ love is put to Matuschka, Peter Simonischek, Kostja Ull- a tough test again and again while the lodge mann PRODUCERS Philipp Budweg, Thomas debates whether she should sacrifice her life Blieninger, Felix Fuchssteiner, Katharina while others believe only she can stop the Schöde CO-PRODUCERS Hans W. Geißendör- Count. But when Gideon is captured and fer, Markus Zimmer PRODUCTION COM - Gwen escapes, the Count sees his chance and PANIES Lieblingsfilm, mem-film, in co-pro- seizes the opportunity. Can Gwen place Gide- duction with gff, Tele München Gruppe LAN - on’s life above saving the world? It comes to GUAGE German a showdown where the prize is immortality, making the Count the ruler of the past and fu- SALES

ture. But then Gwen receives support from an Tele München International photo © Thomas Kost unexpected direction... [email protected], www.tmg.de SUM1

or several decades, eerie and powerful GENRE Fantasy, Science Fiction CATEGORY alien creatures have been forcing Feature DIRECTOR Christian Pasquariello Fhumanity to seek refuge in a giant un- SCREENPLAY Christian Pasquariello CAST derground network of bunkers. Christian Iwan Rheon, André Hennicke PRODUCERS Pasquariello’s debut features the British Christian Alvart, Sigi Kamml, Susa Kusche newcomer star Iwan Rheon (GAME OF PRODUCTION COMPANY Syrreal Entertain- THRONES) as the title character of SUM1. The ment, in co-production with White Rabbit young military recruit has been sent up to the LAN GUAGE English earth’s surface on a 100-day mission to pro- tect the last survivors by being stationed at a SALES desolate watchtower in a remote forest. How - Global Screen ever, the routine assignment soon develops [email protected] into a nightmare. Isolation and growing para- www.globalscreen.de noia take their toll, and SUM1 not only fears for his sanity, but also for his very life...

photo © Syrreal Entertainment

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GFQ 2-2015 UPCOMING FILMS

THE TRAPP FAMILY: A LIFE OF MUSIC

ased on Agathe von Trapp’s autobio- GENRE Biopic, Drama, Family Entertainment graphy, this is the real story behind CATEGORY Feature DIRECTOR Ben Verbong Bthe beloved Broadway musical and hit SCREENPLAY Tim Sullivan, Christoph Silber Hollywood film, . After CAST Vanessa Redgrave, Matthew Macfadyen, the untimely death of her mother, Agathe Eliza Hope Bennett, Cornelius Obonya, An- takes charge of her siblings and guides her nette Dasch, Yvonne Catterfeld PRODUCERS father through a changing world. But when a Herbert G. Kloiber, Rikolt von Gagern PRO- new woman, Maria, arrives she finds her role DUCTION COMPANY Clasart Film, in co - and the memory of her beloved mother in jeo- operation with ORF & Concorde Media pardy. Both women discover the healing LANGUAGE English power of music to overcome their differences, but when the Nazis begin to take over Austria SALES and endanger their happiness, Agathe is Tele München International forc ed to make a decision that will affect the [email protected] family forever. The film tells a vivid and some- www.tmg.de times heartbreaking story about courage,

photo © Jan Betke/Clasart Film love, and passion.

ZAZY

uby O. Fee, one of the rising stars in GENRE Drama CATEGORY Feature DIRECTOR German cinema’s firmament and M. X. Oberg SCREENPLAY M. X. Oberg CAST Rrecently seen in Andreas Dresen’s AS Ruby O. Fee, Paul Boche, Petra van de Voort, WE WERE DREAMING, plays 18-year-old Zazy Philippe Brenninkmeyer PRODUCERS Daniel who is doing an apprenticeship to become a Mann, Marco Gilles CO-PRODUCERS Bastie seamstress in a little town in the Italian re- Griese, Philip Borbély PRODUCTION COM- gion of Trentino. After meeting the elegant PANY gilles mann filmproduktion, in co-pro- and rather well-off Marianna from Germany, duction with MMC Movies, in cooperation with she sees a chance of moving up into better WDR, WeFadeToGrey, TORUS, Maier Bros., circles. Together with her older boyfriend Ludwig Kameraverleih LANGUAGE German Tomek, Zazy finds a way of gaining an entrée to Marianna’s life. It’s not long before the CONTACT young couple have Marianna under their con- gilles mann filmproduktion trol – but then a sadistic power struggle [email protected] begins... ZAZY is M.X.Oberg’s first feature film www.gilles-mann.de since directing STRATOSPHERE GIRL in 2004.

photo © gilles mann filmproduktion

Check out the new GFQ digital issue www.germanfilmsquarterly.de

Specially designed for desktop and mobile devices, to keep you informed on all the latest German films and filmmakers, and a whole lot more!

37 S.38_Anz-VGF_Layout 1 23.04.15 13:41 Seite 1

REMUNERATION IN GERMANY

FOR

PRIVATE COPYING ʹ VIDEO RENTAL ʹ CABLE RETRANSMISSION

VGF, a collecting society under German law, was founded in 1981 when private copying of TV-programs (in particular feature films) by means of video recording equipment started to become commercially important.

Since 1982 VGF collects blank tape levies due to German and foreign film producers under Art. 54 of the German Copyright Act and distributes them to the respective rightsholders. The German Collecting Societies Act obliges VGF to make sure that all rightsholders and owners of neighbouring rights of motion pictures, including foreign rightsholders who enjoy national treatment under the international copyright conventions, receive an equitable share of the monies collected for all rightsholders of programs broadcasted by German TV-Stations. Since it is virtually impossible for the individual rightsholders to control the use of the property and to make claims individually, Art. 54 provides that the respective rights must be administered collectively and claims can be made through a collecting society only.

VGF now administers a great number of film rights of important film and TV producers from USA, Great Britain, Germany and other countries who have joined VGF as members. Since VGF's activities come under the supervision of the German Patent Office, it is safeguarded that a fair division of monies among all rightsholders concerned takes place and that producers receive an equitable share of the royalties in Germany.

The following rights are administered by VGF:

Art. 54 German Copyright Act ʹ Private Copying

Art. 54 of the German Copyright Act provides a remuneration for private copying of films. As rightsholders cannot prevent private copying, makers of recording devices and storage media which are used to effect private copying are charged with a levy. The claim can be made by a collection society only (Art. 54h German Copyright Act). VGF as a trustee administers the rights for film and TV producers and distributes the respective amounts to the rightsholders. Licensing of television rights does not imply transfer of the above mentioned right.

Art. 27 German Copyright Act ʹ Video Rental

Art. 27 of the German Copyright Act entitles rightsholders to a supplementary remuneration for the rental and lending of videograms by video-retailers. The money must be paid by the video retailer. It is provided by law (Art. 27 Sec. 3) that claims can be made by collecting societies only.

Art. 20 b German Copyright Act ʹ Cable Retransmission

Rightsholders whose programs are broadcast by German TV stations and retransmitted via cable are also entitled to a remuneration for such cable retransmission. VGF is also active in collecting this fee. Administration of the above mentioned fees by VGF incurs no costs for the rightsholders. If your company is interested in collecting these remunerations, please contact VGF for more detailed information.

www.vgf.de [email protected]

VGF Berlin (for non-German films) Neue Schönhauser Straße 10, D-10178 Berlin ʹ T: +49-30-2 79 07 39-46 ʹ F: +49-30-2 79 07 39-48

VGF Munich (for German films) Beichstraße 8, D-80802 München ʹ T: +49-89-1 89 37 84-0 ʹ F: +49-89-1 89 37 84-29

GFQ 2-2013 43 S.38_Anzeige_Druckvorlage 23.04.15 13:31 Seite 1

www.efp-online.com © Niels Buchholzer Niels © Panié Julien © JAN MACOLA KATJA ADOMEIT MIKKO TENHUNEN PIERRE GUYARD INGMAR TROST Czech Republic – Mimesis Film Denmark – Adomeit Film Finland – Mjölk Movies France – Nord-Ouest Films Germany – Sutor Kolonko

HEATHER MILLARD JULIETTE BONASS ARTURO PAGLIA ù0=03ǜ.(33,.6 SVETOZAR RISTOVSKI Iceland – Spier Films Ireland – Element Pictures Italy – Paco Cinematografica Lithuania – Fralita Films FYR of Macedonia – Small Moves Films

ELLEN HAVENITH KJETIL OMBERG 4(90<:A>è6+(9:20 JOANA FERREIRA :5,ù(5(7,5,= The Netherlands – PRPL Norway – Norsk Superfilm Poland – Lava Films Portugal – C. R. I. M. Produções Serbia – This And That Productions

MAREK URBAN 40/(Ǖ,95,* MONTSE TRIOLA ANNIKA ROGELL ALINE SCHMID Slovak Republic – sentimentalfilm Slovenia – Staragara Spain – Andergraun Films Sweden – Tangy Switzerland – Intermezzo Films

contact in Cannes Participating EFP members: Czech Film Center, Danish Film Institute, EYE International/The Netherlands, Film Center Serbia, Finnish Film Foundation, +49 160 440 9595 German Films, ICA I. P./Portugal, ICAA/Spain, Icelandic Film Centre, Irish Film Board, Istituto Luce-Cinecittà/Italy, Lithuanian Film Centre, Macedonian Film Agency, Norwegian Film Institute, Polish Film Institute, Slovak Film Institute, Slovenian Film Centre, Swedish Film Institute, Swiss Films, Unifrance films European Film Promotion Friedensallee 14 – 16 22765 Hamburg, Germany EFP is supported by: project partners: [email protected] S.40_Profile_2_2015_Layout 1 28.04.15 13:55 Seite 1

GERMAN FILMS: A PROFILE GFQ 2-2015 GERMAN FILMS SERVICE + MARKETING

is the national infor mation and advisory .SUPERVISORY BOARD center for the promotion of German films worldwide. It was established in 1954 under Peter Herrmann Chairman the name Export-Union of German Cinema as Jana Cernik the umbrella association for the Association Peter Dinges of German Feature Film Producers, the Antonio Exacoustos Association of New German Feature Film Petra Müller Producers and the Association of German Ulrike Schauz Film Exporters, and operates today in the legal form of a limited company. In 2004, the TEAM company was re organized and now operates under the name: German Films Service + Mariette Rissenbeek Managing Director Marketing GmbH Christine Harrasser Distribution Support, Business Affairs Angela Hawkins Communications & Marketing SHAREHOLDERS are the Association of Nicole Kaufmann Regional Coordinator: USA, UK & Northern Europe German Film Pro ducers, the German Pro- Birgit Koch Press & PR ducers Alliance, the Association of German Verena Köstler Accounts Film Exporters, the German Federal Film Dennis Ruh Festival Relations Board (FFA), the Deutsche Kinemathek, the Maike Schantz Regional Coordinator: Southern Europe & Latin America German Documentary Association, FilmFern- Martin Scheuring Project Coordinator & Short Film sehFonds Bayern, Film- und Medien stiftung Sabrina Schrödl Assistant to the Managing Director NRW, Medien board Berlin-Brandenburg, and Bernhard Simek Regional Coordinator: Eastern Europe & Australia, Documentary Film the German Short Film Association. Konstanze Welz Television, Regional Coordinator: Asia

German Films’ budget of presently €4.55 RANGE OF ACTIVITIES million comes from film export levies, the office of the Federal Government Com -  Close cooperation with major interna -  Publication of informational literature missioner for Culture and the Media, and the tional film festivals, inc luding Berlin, Cannes, about current German films and the German FFA. The seven main regional film funds Venice, San Sebastian, Locarno, Rome, film industry, as well as international market (FilmFernsehFonds Bayern, Filmförderung Karlovy Vary, Montreal, Toronto, New York, analyses and special festival brochures Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein, Film- und Shanghai, Warsaw, Moscow, and Busan Medien stiftung NRW, Medienboard Berlin-  A website (www.german-films.de) offer - Brandenburg, MFG Baden-Württemberg,  Organization of umbrella stands for ing inf orma tion about new German films, a Mittel deutsche Medien förderung, and Nord- German sales companies and producers at film archive, in formation and links to German media) make a financial contribution – international television and film markets and international film festivals and institu - currently amounting to €319,000 – towards (Berlin, Cannes, AFM Los Angeles, Shanghai, tions the work of German Films. Toronto, Clermont-Ferrand, Annecy)  Organization of the selection procedure German Films is a founding member of the  Staging of Festivals of German Films in for the German entry for the Oscar® for Best European Film Promotion, a network of selected inter national territories in coopera- Foreign Language Film European film organizations with similar tion with the Goethe-Institut responsibilities to those of German Films.  Collaboration with Deutsche Welle’s The organiza tion, with its headquarters in  Staging of the German Premieres industry DW-TV KINO program which features the Hamburg, aims to develop and realize joint screenings in New York latest German film releases and intern ational projects for the pre sentation of European productions in Germany films on an inter national level.  Providing advice and information for rep - resentatives of the international press and  Organization of the German Films Pre- In association and cooperation with its share - buyers from the fields of cinema, video, and views geared toward arthouse distributors holders, German Films works to promote fea- television and buyers of German films ture, documentary, television and short films.  Providing advice and information for  Selective financial Distribution Support In addition, German Films has foreign re p - German filmmakers and press on inter - for the foreign releases of German films resentatives for Eastern Europe, China/ national festivals, conditions of participation, Southe ast Asia, and the USA/Canada. and German films being shown  Organization with Unifrance of the annual German-French film meeting  Organization of the annual Next Genera- tion Short Tiger short film program, which presents a selection of shorts and is inter - nationally premiered at Cannes

40 S.41_Supporters_2_2015.qxp_Layout 1 23.04.15 12:53 Seite 1

GFQ 2-2015 SHAREHOLDERS & SUPPORTERS

Allianz Deutscher Produzenten – Film & Fernsehen e.V. German Producers Alliance Kronenstr. 3 | 10117 Berlin/Germany phone +49-30-2 06 70 88 0 | fax +49-30-2 06 70 88 44 | [email protected] | www.produzentenallianz.de

Arbeitsgemeinschaft Dokumentarfilm e.V. German Documentary Association Schweizer Str. 6 | 60594 Frankfurt am Main/Germany phone +49-69-62 37 00 | fax +49-61 42-96 64 24 | [email protected] | www.agdok.de

Arbeitsgemeinschaft Kurzfilm e.V. German Short Film Association Förstereistr. 36 | 01099 Dresden/Germany phone +49-3 51-4 04 55 75 | fax +49-3 51-4 04 55 76 | [email protected] | www.ag-kurzfilm.de

Deutsche Kinemathek Museum für Film und Fernsehen Potsdamer Str. 2 | 10785 Berlin/Germany phone +49-30-30 09 03-0 | fax +49-30-30 09 03-13 | [email protected] | www.deutsche-kinemathek.de

FilmFernsehFonds Bayern GmbH Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Medien in Bayern Sonnenstr. 21 | 80331 Munich/Germany phone +49-89-54 46 02-0 | fax +49-89-54 46 02 21 | [email protected] | www.fff-bayern.de

Filmförderungsanstalt German Federal Film Board Große Präsidentenstr. 9 | 10178 Berlin/Germany phone +49-30-27 57 70 | fax +49-30-27 57 71 11 | [email protected] | www.ffa.de

Film- und Medienstiftung NRW GmbH Kaistr. 14 | 40221 Düsseldorf/Germany phone +49-2 11-93 05 00 | fax +49-2 11-93 05 05 | [email protected] | www.filmstiftung.de

Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg GmbH August-Bebel-Str. 26-53 | 14482 Potsdam-Babelsberg/Germany phone +49-3 31-74 38 70 | fax +49-3 31-7 43 87 99 | [email protected] | www.medienboard.de

Verband Deutscher Filmexporteure e.V. (VDFE) Association of German Film Exporters Robert-Koch-Str. 1 | 80538 Munich/Germany | Berlin office: Winterfeldtstr. 56 | 10781 Berlin/Germany phone +49- 89-57 08 77 53 | fax +49-89-57 08 77 60 | [email protected] | www.vdfe.de

Verband Deutscher Filmproduzenten e.V. Association of German Producers Bavariafilmplatz 7 | 82031 Grünwald/Germany phone +49-89-64 95 64 18 | fax +49-89-35 46 60 60 [email protected] | www.filmproduzentenverband.de

Die Beauftragte der Bundesregierung für Kultur und Medien Federal Government Commissioner for Culture & the Media Köthener Str. 2 | 10963 Berlin/Germany phone +49-30-18 68 14 43 51 | fax +49-30-1 86 81 54 43 51 | [email protected] | www.kulturstaatsminister.de

Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein GmbH Friedensallee 14–16 | 22765 Hamburg/Germany phone +49-40-398 37-0 | fax +49-40-398 37-10 | [email protected] | www.ffhsh.de

MFG Medien- und Filmgesellschaft Baden-Württemberg mbH Bereich Filmförderung | Breitscheidstr. 4 | 70174 Stuttgart/Germany phone +49-7 11-90 71 54 00 | fax +49-7 11-90 71 54 50 | [email protected] | www.mfg-filmfoerderung.de

Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung GmbH Hainstr. 17-19 | 04109 Leipzig/Germany phone +49-3 41-26 98 70 | fax +49-3 41-2 69 87 65 | [email protected] | www.mdm-online.de

nordmedia – Film- und Mediengesellschaft Niedersachsen/Bremen mbH Expo Plaza 1 | 30539 Hanover/Germany phone +49-5 11-1 23 45 60 | fax +49-5 11-12 34 56 29 | [email protected] | www.nordmedia.de

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ASSOCIATION OF GERMAN FILM EXPORTERS GFQ 2-2015 ASSOCIATION OF GERMAN FILM EXPORTERS

Verband deutscher Filmexporteure e.V. (VDFE) Robert-Koch-Str. 1 80538 Munich/Germany phone +49-89-570 877 53 Berlin office: fax +49-89-570 877 60 Winterfeldtstr. 56 [email protected] 10781 Berlin/Germany www.vdfe.de phone +49-30-8 61 23 93

Aktis Film International GmbH Films Boutique GmbH SOLA Media GmbH Hauptmannstr. 10 Köpenicker Str. 184 Filderhauptstr. 49 04109 Leipzig/Germany 10997 Berlin/Germany 70599 Stuttgart/Germany phone +49-3 41-35 54 09 07 phone +49-30-69 53 78 50 phone +49-7 11-4 79 36 66 fax +49-3 41-35 54 09 09 fax +49 30-69 53 78 51 fax +49-7 11-4 79 26 58 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] www.aktis-film.com www.filmsboutique.com www.sola-media.com

ARRI Worldsales Global Screen GmbH Transit Film GmbH Türkenstr. 89 Sonnenstr. 21 Dachauer Str. 35 80799 Munich/Germany 80331 Munich/Germany 80335 Munich/Germany phone +49-89-38 09 12 88 phone +49-89-24 41 29 55 00 phone +49-89-59 98 85-0 fax +49-89-38 09 16 19 fax +49-89-24 41 29 55 20 fax +49-89-59 98 85-20 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] www.globalscreen.de www.transitfilm.de www.arriworldsales.de

Beta Cinema GmbH Media Luna New Films UG Grünwalder Weg 28d Kaiser-Wilhelm-Ring 38, 6th Floor 82041 Oberhaching/Germany 50672 Cologne/Germany phone +49-89-6 73 46 98 28 phone +49-2 21-51 09 18 91 fax +49-89-6 73 46 98 88 fax +49-2 21-51 09 18 99 [email protected] [email protected] www.betacinema.com www.medialuna.biz

Constantin Film Verleih GmbH Picture Tree International GmbH Feilitzschstr. 6 Zur Börse 12 80802 Munich/Germany 10247 Berlin/Germany phone +49-89-44 44 60 0 phone +49-30-420 824 80 fax +49-89-44 44 60 666 fax +49-30-420 824 812 [email protected] [email protected] www.constantin-film.de www.picturetree-international.com

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GFQ 2-2015 IMPRINT & FOREIGN REPRESENTATIVES

German Films Quarterly is published by: Editor FOREIGN REPRESENTATIVES Angela Hawkins German Films Service + Marketing GmbH Eastern Europe Herzog-Wilhelm-Str. 16 Contributors Simone Baumann 80331 Munich/Germany Martin Blaney, Simon Kingsley, Saxonia Entertainment phone +49-89-5 99 78 70 Daniela Sannwald, Thomas Schultze Altenburger Str. 9 fax +49-89-59 97 87 30 04275 Leipzig/Germany [email protected] Translations phone +49-3 41-35 00 45 36 www.german-films.de Lucinda Rennison fax +49-3 41-35 00 77 45 36 [email protected] Cover Katharina Schüttler USA & Canada (photo © Alex Malecki) Oliver Mahrdt Hanns Wolters International Inc. Design & Art Direction 599 Eleventh Ave., 3rd Floor Werner Schauer www.triptychon.biz New York, NY 10036/USA ISSN 1614-6387 phone +1-212-714 0100 Printing Office [email protected] Credits are not contractual for any of www.esta-druck.de the films mentioned in this publication. China German Films supports the use of paper from sustainable forestry. The pages of this magazine are made of PEFC certificated cellulose. Anke Redl © German Films Service + Marketing GmbH PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification China Media Management Inc. schemes) is the largest independent organization worldwide for securing and continuously improving a sustainable forest manage- Galaxy SOHO, Tower D-50931 All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or ment and it guarantees ecological, social and economic standards. No. 7 Xiaopaifang Hutong Currently there are 258 million hectares of PEFC certificated forest transmission of this publication may be made worldwide. Dongcheng without written permission. Beijing 100010/China phone +86-10-84 18 64 68 fax +86-10-84 18 66 90 PEFC/04-31-1180 [email protected] GmbH worldwide transport solutions Int. Medienspedition FILMTRANSPORTS . FIRST CLASS SERVICE ! AIRFREIGHT WORLDWIDE: EXPORT . IMPORT . WAREHOUSE INTERNATIONAL COURIERSERVICE: WORLDWIDE „DOOR TO DOOR“ TRUCKING SERVICE . OVERNIGHT FESTIVALS . FILMPRODUCTION-HANDLING

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GERMAN PAVILION · #123 · INTERNATIONAL VILLAGE GERMAN FILMS · phone +33-(0)4-92 59 01 80 · www.german-films.de FOCUS GERMANY · phone +33-(0)4-92 59 00 04 · www.focusgermany.de