EFA Board Elections 2016 Candidates (Members of the Board) Austria / Germany / Switzerland (2 positions, 12 candidates) SABINE DERFLINGER (AUSTRIA) VERONICA FERRES (GERMANY) BEN GIBSON (GERMANY) DAGMAR JACOBSEN (GERMANY) HENNING KAMM (GERMANY) GARY MARLOWE (GERMANY) ARNDT SCHWERING-SOHNREY (GERMANY) ANJORKA STRECHEL (GERMANY) IRA VON GIENANTH (GERMANY) FLORIAN WEGHORN (GERMANY) VIRGIL WIDRICH (AUSTRIA) DANIEL ZUTA (GERMANY) 1 / 40 Austria / Germany / Switzerland (2 positions, 12 candidates) Sabine DERFLINGER director, Austria my statement: As an Austrian/European director, it is appropriate for me to be in step with the times. It would be great to discuss with interesting international filmmakers about contentious issues, trends & analyse new approaches of storytelling. It will be a good opportunity to get to know & exchange views on international productions. I'm planning to expand my working areas, so it'll be a good impulse to find new contacts for my productions & give some input from my long experiences in the film business. MY BIOGRAPHY Sabine Derflinger, born in 1963 in Upper Austria, studied at the Film Academy Vienna, emphasizing on “Cinematographic narration between epic and dramatic art” (final thesis). Since then she has produced various award-winning feature films and documentaries (e.g. 42PLUS, DAY AND NIGHT). In 2010, Sabine Derflinger founded her own production company, named Derflinger Film, to be independent in producing her own films and documentaries, as well as to promote international cooperation (e.g. THOSE WHO CAN TELL NO TALES (director: Jasmila Zbanic), EM FAMÍLIA – Globo TV). In 2011, she became the first woman to ever direct an episode of the well-known Austrian crime series Tatort (“False Labelling”). Her Tatort “Down for the Count” received the Grimme Award 2014. Just recently, Sabine Derflinger set up and directed the new TV series “Vorstadtweiber”, and turned it into the most successful Austrian TV series of the past ten years. 2 / 40 Austria / Germany / Switzerland (2 positions, 12 candidates) Veronica FERRES actress, Germany my statement: After spending almost 25 years within the film industry as an actress, and now leading my own production company, I believe it is utmost necessary to support EFA as a source of knowledge and inspiration. I wish to promote the industry and ensure that all films, national or international, independent or large productions, receive the attention they deserve and need. MY BIOGRAPHY Veronica Ferres is one of the most famous actresses in Germany, and consistently ranks among the most popular and successful leading ladies in polls. She has acted in over 30 theatrical feature films and starred in dozens of TV movies, winning most major German film and TV prizes and numerous international awards, including an Emmy in 2002 for “The Manns”. She played the female lead in "Everyman”, the traditional opening play of the Salzburg Festival, considered the highest honour in German stagecraft. In 2012 she founded her own production company, Construction Film, and began producing her own national and international films. Ferres is recognized as one of the most influential women in German show business. Ferres was born in Solingen, Germany, and studied German Literature, Psychology and Drama at University of Munich before taking up acting. She had her breakout with the title role in hit comedy THE SUPER WIFE, followed by starring roles in hits such as Oscar nominated SCHTONK!, ROSSINI, KLIMT (alongside John Malkovich) and SAVIOURS IN THE NIGHT, making her a household name in Germany. Her TV productions include “The Manns”, “Destined to Witness”, “The Woman from Checkpoint Charlie”, “The Miracle of Berlin”, “Marco W. - 247 Days in Turkish Prison” and “She Deserved It”, among many others. Her awards include the Adolf Grimme Prize, the German Television Prize, the Bavarian Television Prize, the Golden Camera Award and the Bambi Award. In 2013 she shot the international feature HECTOR AND THE SEARCH FOR HAPPINESS with Simon Pegg and Jean Reno, and played the main role in the feature film THE GIACOMO VARIATION, again with John Malkovich. Her 13th international production, THE DEVIL’S VIOLINIST, was released theatrically in fall of 2013. In 2015, she starred opposite Nic Cage in the thriller PAY THE GHOST, directed by the Oscar nominated director Uli Edel. In 2016, she’ll be seen in the leading role in Werner Herzog’s newest film SALT AND FIRE, co-starring Michael Shannon and Gael Garcia Bernal. Veronica is also co-starring in THE COMEDIAN along with Robert De Niro, Leslie Mann and Danny DeVito. The film is slated to hit theatres in 2017. 3 / 40 Austria / Germany / Switzerland (2 positions, 12 candidates) Ben GIBSON Director of DFFB (Deutsche Film- und Fernsehakademie Berlin), Germany my statement: I've been advocating European filmmaking for 30 years plus, as a producer and also as a fund-runner, distributor and programmer, writing about the cinema, and now a teacher. The EFA is already an important institution and has more potential. I think I can contribute, especially by working to bring in and support emerging talent, and helping EFA to engender cinephilia amongst new audiences and professionals starting out. MY BIOGRAPHY Since February 2016 Ben Gibson has been the Director of the Deutsche Film- und Fernsehakademie Berlin GmbH. He worked at the Australian Film Television and Radio School in Sydney as Director of Degree Programs from September 2013 to September 2014 and before that was Director of the London Film School from 2001-14. From 1986 to 2001 he worked as an independent producer and as Head of Production at the British Film Institute from 1989 to 1999. His production credits include Terence Davies' THE LONG DAY CLOSES, Derek Jarman's WITTGENSTEIN, John Maybury's LOVE IS THE DEVIL, Carine Adler's UNDER THE SKIN and Jasmin Dizdar's BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE, more than 20 other low budget features and numerous short films by UK directors including Patrick Keiller, Gurinder Chadha, Lynne Ramsay, Richard Kwietniowski and Andrew Kotting. From 1981 to 1987 he was a partner in distributors The Other Cinema/Metro Pictures, acquiring and promoting films by Almodóvar, Marker, Akerman and Godard as well as opening London’s Metro Cinema. He has also been a theatre director, a repertory film programmer and a film critic and journalist. During his period at the London Film School he was responsible for launching pan-European training initiatives including The Low Budget Film Forum and Making Waves. He is a member of BAFTA and the EFA, and became a Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2010. 4 / 40 Austria / Germany / Switzerland (2 positions, 12 candidates) Dagmar JACOBSEN producer, Germany my statement: I present myself as a board member for my last term as I’d like to accomplish my main target: to heighten the visibility & diversity of European cinema by encouraging the use of contemporary tools of communication & to help make the EFA more attractive for the next generation. That’s why I support the important jury for the European Discovery award. Also, it’s one of my main concerns to inform the members about important political issues & to start a necessary discussion about solutions. MY BIOGRAPHY After studying sociology and journalism at Berlin’s Free University, Dagmar Jacobsen graduated from the German Film and Television Academy (dffb). Since 1990 she has directed and produced feature films and documentaries, translated, subtitled and dubbed films from all over the world together with different German and European partners and with her own company alias film & sprachtransfer GmbH. She has produced and co-produced films like ANNA’S SUMMER by Jeanine Meerapfel, TOSCA by Benoit Jacquot, L’ANNULAIRE by Diane Bertrand, and EL OTRO by Ariel Rotter which won two Silver Bears at the 2007 Berlinale. From 2006 to 2010 she was head of the producers’ school at the dffb. Since 2007 she has been a regular consultant for SOURCES2, a screenwriters’ training organisation supported by the EC’s MEDIA Programme. films on screen or in production: ONCE I DREAMT OF LIFE, documentary by Jukka Karkkainen and Sini Liimatainen (arte, Nordisk Panorama) GEISTER (Ghosts) feature length film by Judith Angerbauer ENCUENTRO, documentary by Thierry le Nouvel METRO CROSSING, Crossmedia project 5 / 40 Austria / Germany / Switzerland (2 positions, 12 candidates) Henning KAMM producer, Germany my statement: Having worked internationally for 10 years, with a passion for film&politics alike, I feel the time is right to join the EFA Board & help shape the future. As an Atelier Ludwigsburg-Paris alumni the European idea is part of my DNA. We’re facing the challenge to make Europe stronger when it is being weakened, all while our industry is going through rapid changes. I’m looking forward to working on these issues with my fellow colleagues & kindly ask you to lend me your vote to be able to do so. MY BIOGRAPHY Henning Kamm majored in Applied Cultural Studies at the University of Lüneburg in 2005. He is an alumni of Atelier Ludwigsburg Paris where he met Fabian Gasmia, together they founded DETAiLFILM in 2007. Their films have been presented at Berlinale, Sundance, Karlovy Vary, Venice, Locarno, SXSW and museums like the MoMA/ New York. Their first successes were winning the German Oscar - LOLA, the Crystal Globe at Karlovy Vary, and being nominated for the European Film Award with David OREILLYs THE EXTERNAL WORLD. In 2012 the first two features by DETAiFLIM premiered in German cinemas. Furthermore DETAiLFILM premiered the minority co-production SHARQIYA (Israel, France, Germany) at the Panorama section in Berlin. In 2013 THE SPECIAL NEED by Carlo Zoratti premiered in Locarno Cineasti del Presente and went on to have successful festival run winning several awards, amongst them the Golden Dove at DOK Leipzig and the GlobalX audience award at SXSW. In 2014 U U by utlug Ataman premiered as a Panorama Special presentation at Berlinale and won the CICAE award while DETAiLFILM s co-production PRAIA DO FUTURO (Brazil, Germany) by Karim Ainouz premiered in the official competition of Berlinale.