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Lisa Dream Lyrics Hint ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

Blackpink’s Lisa released her full album, Alter Ego, and one of the songs sparked speculation about her past heartbreak in 2019. Read on to know what happened in Tokyo.

Lisa is making headlines every now and then. The Blackpink member who began her career in the music industry in 2016 is putting her name on the global map not only with her musical skills but also by showing her acting prowess. Recently, she stepped into the acting industry by debuting in the American series The White Lotus 3. However, she also made waves online by dropping her full album, Alter Ego.

But, now, netizens have noticed that one of the tracks called ‘Dream’ from her album hinted at her past heartbreak. The lyrics have sparked speculations and attracted attention from the listeners. Especially the part where she sang, “Are you happy? Are you sad? Are...

Stars, filmmakers and industry reps gathered at Soho House for Studio Babelsberg’s annual Berlinale bash on Friday, celebrating the renowned company’s cinematic legacy and its central role in Germany’s bustling film and TV sector.

Recent productions shot at the storied studio, part of the Cinespace Studios group, include Tom Tykwer’s Berlinale opener “The Light” as well as Wes Anderson’s upcoming “The Phoenician Scheme” and Robert Schwentke’s thriller “Control,” starring James McAvoy and Julianne Moore.

Ken Duken, Volker Schlöndorff and Detlev Buck

Among this year’s high-profile guests at the Cinespace x Studio Babelsberg Night were Lana Wachowski, Toby Onwumere, Aaron Altaras, Anika Decker, Volker Schlöndorff, Julia von Heinz, Jeanne Goursaud, David Schütter, Lars Kraume, Detlev Buck, Heiner Lauterbach, Uwe Ochsenknecht, Malick Bauer, Florence Kasumba, Hannah Herzsprung, Marie Mouroum, Klara Lange, Dani Levy, Oliver Masucci, Lea van Acken, Sabin Tambrea and Pheline Roggan.

Lana Wachowski

Speaking to Variety,...

A scene from the German TV historical series “Babylon Berlin” Season 2. Courtesy of MHz Choice

As promised in last month’s review of the German historical thriller “Babylon Berlin: Season One” (https://www.wearemoviegeeks.com/2024/04/babylon-berlin-season-one-review/), May bestows upon us the bounty of Seasons Two and Three, in which Germany’s political and economic upheavals deepen. These two seasons remain in 1929, bringing us up to the global you-know-what that led to the Great Depression. The train with its mysterious, hazardous contents remains in play among several factions with assorted motives.

Both seasons are longer – 10 and 12 episodes, respectively – which may not have been a plus. The pace seems slower than before, with less overt action per hour. The suspense and looming aura of menace, however, are ramped up and broadened, with more characters bringing more subplots and social issues into the picture. Rath is still our beleaguered hero; Charlotte’s role...

Exclusive: Studiocanal has been rolling out sales on the first instalment of Germany-language film trilogy Woodwalkers in Cannes.

A joint production between Blue Eyes Fiction and Studiocanal Germany, it is one the most ambitious German-language productions to date for both partners.

The franchise is adapted from the best-selling novels by German writer Katja Brandis about a group of teenagers with secret shapeshifting abilities, known as ‘Woodwalkers’.

Blue Eyes Fiction MD and founder Corinna Mehner is lead producing, with Berlin-based Studiocanal exec Sandrine Mattes, EVP German Production & Acquisition, spearheading her company’s involvement.

Mattes says the Woodwalkers ticks a number of boxes for Studiocanal.

“Studiocanal’s DNA is truly European so we’re always looking for European content that can work on the global market. The ‘Woodwalkers’ books are a perfect fit. They’re one of the biggest IPs we have for family and kids in the German market, both in...

Matthias Glasner’s epic dysfunctional family drama Dying has won the top prize for best film at the 2024 German Film Awards, the Lolas.

Dying was one of the critical favorites at this year’s Berlin Film Festival, where Glasner won the Silver Bear for best screenplay. The film stars Lars Eidinger as a classical conductor with an extremely dysfunctional family.

In addition to the top prize, Corinna Harfoch won the best actress Lola for her role in Dying, where she plays Eidinger’s sharp-tonged and cold-hearted mother. Her Dying co-star Hans-Uwe Bauer took best supporting actor, and the film also took the Lola for best film music for composer Lorenz Dangel.

Ayşe Polat took best director and best screenplay for In the Blind Spot, her twisty documentary-style conspiracy thriller set in modern-day Turkey. The film, which premiered in Berlin’s Encounters section last year, won the top prize at the Oldenburg Film Festival,...

The German Film Academy has announced the movies in competition this year for the German Film Awards, the local equivalent of the Oscars.

Matthias Glasner’s epic family drama Dying, Timm Kröger’s experimental sci-fi feature The Universal Theory, and In the Blind Spot, Ayşe Polat’s documentary-style conspiracy thriller set in modern-day Turkey, are among the favorites for this year’s awards, called the Lolas.

Dying, which stars Lars Eidinger as a classical conductor with an extremely dysfunctional family, picked up nominations in every major category, including best film, best director and best screenplay nominations for Glasner, a best actor nom for Eidinger and a best actress nomination for Corinna Harfoch, who plays Eidinger’s mother. In total, the film is up for nine Lolas.

The Universal Theory, a black-and-white drama about the multiverse, is also in the running for the best film Lola, and Kröger is up for best director.

"You can see how you are a puma..." Studiocanal has revealed a quick teaser for a fantasy adventure thriller movie series called Woodwalkers, set to debut initially in November (at least in Germany). "The bestseller film adaptation based on the successful novels of the same name by Katja Brandis, which has been eagerly awaited by fans, will now start in cinemas from November 21st." Take a look at this "unique and magical world of shapeshifters" in the first look teaser for Woodwalkers. At first glance, Carag looks like a normal boy. But behind his shining eyes hides a secret: Carag is a puma shapeshifter and has only recently started living in the human world. He is accepted into a secret boarding school for shapeshifters called Clearwater High. So this is Harry Potter but with these kids instead of wizards & witches? Starring Emile Cherif as Carag, with Oliver Masucci, Martina Gedeck,...

Picture Tree Intl. has boarded international sales for Scandinavian period drama “Stormskerry Maja,” directed by Tiina Lymi, adapted from Anni Blomqvist’s series of novels.

The film chronicles the saga of Maja and her family as they embark on a journey to the desolate and remote island Stormskerry. Their daily existence becomes an unwavering struggle for survival, but Maja, holding on to her deep-rooted connection to the island, remains there despite hardships.

The cast includes “Thin Blue Line” star Amanda Jansson and Linus Troedsson, as well as Desmond Eastwood, who appeared in “Normal People.” The film was shot in Swedish and English.

“Stormskerry Maja” is produced by Markus Selin, Jukka Helle and Hanna Virolainen for Solar Films in Finland, and marks its second collaboration with Pti after “The Midfwife.” Nordisk Film will distribute the film in Scandinavia next year.

Pti’s AFM slate includes “Everything’s Fifty Fifty,” written and directed by Alireza Golafshan,...

Exclusive: Picture Tree International (Pti) has boarded sales on German Iranian director Alireza Golafshan’s comedy Everything’s Fifty Fifty about a divorced couple who embark on a family vacation, ahead of the AFM.

Laura Tonke (Jupiter) and Moritz Bleitreu play a divorced couple who head to Italy for a family holiday with their young son and the former’s new boyfriend, played by David Kross.

Planned with the best of intentions, the trip exposes cracks in their parenting, forcing them to reappraise their approach and work out how to function as a family again.

The movie follows Golafshan’s Ibiza-set hen party caper Jga and reunites him with producers Justyna Muesch, Quirin Berg and Max Wiedemann at Leonine-company Wiedemann & Berg, best known for The Lives Of Others, Never Look Away and Who am I.

They are lead producing in...

German cinema is in Cannes with new works by Wim Wenders and films that explore Nazi propaganda, gender identity, economic crisis, romance, betrayal and fast cars.

In addition to domestic films, a dozen German co-productions are screening in this year’s Cannes Film Festival lineup, including major works from the likes of Wes Anderson, Aki Kaurismäki and Jessica Hausner.

Wenders is in Cannes with “Perfect Days,” which is vying for the Palme d’Or, and the documentary “Anselm” in Special Screenings.

“Perfect Days” tells the story of a Tokyo janitor (Kôji Yakusho) who seems very content with his simple life, structured routines and passion for music, books and photography. A series of unexpected encounters gradually reveal more of his past. The Japanese-German co-production is sold by the Match Factory.

“Anselm” explores the work of artist Anselm Kiefer, shedding light on his life, inspirations and creative process. Shot in 3D,...

With some of Germany’s most successful production companies in its stable, Leonine Studios is reaping the rewards with such feature film and television hits as “School of Magical Animals,” “Nightlife,” “Dark” and “Pagan Peak.”

Leonine’s production division includes such well-established companies as Wiedemann & Berg Film, which focuses on theatrical features, W&b Television and Odeon Fiction, which produce movies and series for all broadcasters and streaming platforms in Germany, documentary outfit Gebrueder Beetz and format maker I&u TV.

“We are in for high creative quality and commercial success,” explains Quirin Berg, who, along with Max Wiedemann, serves as Leonine’s chief production officer and managing director of Wiedemann & Berg Film.

“The parameters in each segment we are operating in may be different, but the agenda is not. And that was already the profile when we started out as producers some 20 years ago.”

Indeed, Wiedemann & Berg’s first feature film,...

Picture Tree Intl. has picked up global sales rights to “Gina” (working title), by Ulrike Kofler, which follows her Netflix debut “What We Wanted.”

“Gina” tells the story of a 9-year-old girl longing for a home and family while having to take care of her younger siblings and mother, who is too overwhelmed to take care of herself, let alone her children.

The film, produced by Film Ag, is the second feature by Kofler, who is a long-time editor for Austrian director Marie Kreutzer. Kofler’s editing work includes “Corsage,” which won best film at the London Film Festival and three nominations for the European Film Awards in 2022, “The Ground Beneath My Feet”, and Josef Hader’s “Wild Mouse”.

Kolfer’s directorial debut “What We Wanted,” starring Elyas M’Barek and Lavinia Wilson, was sold by Pti exclusively to Netflix, and was Austria’s official entry for the Academy Awards in...

Michiel van Erp’s Casanova drama ‘A Beautiful Imperfection’ stars Jonah Hauer-King and Dar Zuzovsky.

German sales outfit Global Screen has added two new titles to its busy Cannes market line-up.

The Munich-based company has taken on international rights, excluding Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and Italy, for Michiel van Erp’s A Beautiful Imperfection, a romantic costume drama telling the story of the love affair between a young woman and the notorious Italian adventurer and womaniser Giacomo Casanova.

The project is in post-production and Global Screen will have a first promo for pre-sales at the Cannes Market.

Jonah Hauer-King stars as...

Picture Tree Intl. has come on board to handle the international sales of black comedy “Shooting Blanks,” written and directed by Žiga Virc. The Slovenian film looks at what happens when a family goes to war with itself.

The film is in post-production. Pti will present a first private market screening at the Marché du Film in Cannes.

Vida’s father France worships his father, a hero of the partisan resistance. When a German supermarket chain decides to build a new store in his hometown, demolishing a statue of his father in the process, France declares war on this new “enemy.”

Vida could not care less about the past – she is trying to get pregnant, and it is not going well. While she and her husband Toni wait for news from the fertility clinic, France leads local volunteers dressed up as partisans and Nazis into maneuvers against the supermarket.

But...

Hannah Herzsprung reprises her role as piano wunderkind from 2006 film.

Berlin-based Picture Tree International (Pti) has boarded international sales for German director Chris Kraus’ 15 Years, a sequel to the writer and director’s 2006 feature Four Minutes.

15 Years sees Hannah Herzsprung, who went on to star in The Reader and Who Am I, reprising her lead role as the piano wunderkind Jenny von Loeben. It also stars Albrecht Schuch, best known for All Quiet on the Western Front, System Crasher.

Four Minutes launched the acting career of Herzsprung in 2006 and won the best film prize at the Shanghai International Film Festival,...

Switzerland’s Locarno Film festival has unveiled its line-up ahead of a physical 2021 edition running August 4-14. Scroll down for a list of titles.

As previously announced, Ferdinando Cito Filomarino’s Beckett, starring John David Washington and Alicia Vikander, will open the festival with its world premiere on August 4.

Joining the movie for a screening at the fest’s main venue, the Piazza Grande, will be titles including John Swab’s Ida Red starring Frank Grillo, which will world premiere, Shawn Levy’s Free Guy starring Ryan Reynolds, and several U.S. classics including Michael Mann’s Heat and James Cameron’s The Terminator.

Back in November last year, Deadline interviewed new artistic director Giona A. Nazzaro, who told us about his love for popular cinema and American movies. This will mark his debut edition at the helm.

Screening in the Concorso Internazionale strand, which features international works from around the world,...

Actors Gerard Butler (pictured above with Soho House’s Dominic Hofer and Studio Babelsberg’s Christoph Fisser), Daniel Brühl and Tom Wlaschiha, who played Jaqen H’ghar in “Game of Thrones,” were among the guests at the Studio Babelsberg Night Friday at Berlin’s Soho House.

Other actors at the party included Thomas Kretschmann, Emilia Schuele, Elyas M’Barek, Iris Berben, Max von der Groeben, Sebastian Koch, Sabin Tambrea, Sonja Gerhardt, David Schuetter, and Hannah Herzsprung.

The directors at the event were Tom Tykwer, Ruben Fleischer, Baran bo Odar, Stefan Ruzowitzky, Lars Kraume, Marco Kreuzpaintner, and Jan-Ole Gerster.

Among the politicians and business execs were Michael Mueller, Mayor of Berlin, Monika Gruetters, Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, Charles Rivkin, chairman of the Motion Picture Assn., David Goldman, VP, original series at Netflix, Martin Bachmann, managing director at Sony Pictures Releasing in Germany, and Kirsten Niehuus, M.D. at Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg.

Picture Tree Intl. has acquired the rights to Carolina Hellsgård’s “Sunburned,” the follow-up feature to her zombie drama “Endzeit – Ever After.”

Pti will be presenting first footage from the film, currently in post-production, at this year’s German Films Previews (July 3-6).

“Sunburned” follows solitary teenager Claire on a family holiday in Spain. Neglected by her distant mother and older sister she eventually finds company in Amram, a young, struggling Senegalese beach vendor. Claire promises to help him, regardless of the consequences.

The film is Hellsgård’s third feature as director after her debut “Wanja,” which premiered at the Berlinale in 2015, and post-apocalyptic zombie feature “Endzeit – Ever After,” which premiered at Toronto Film Festival last year. The latter film is still traveling the festival circuit with an upcoming U.K. premiere at Edinburgh Film Festival on June 29, and is being readied for its U.S. release through Juno Film,...

Picture Tree Intl. has picked up sales rights to “The Boy Needs Some Fresh Air” (Der Junge muss an die frische Luft), directed by Oscar-winner Caroline Link. The film, which was released by Warner Bros. on Dec. 25 at more than 700 locations across Germany, has garnered a box office of €10.6 million ($12.1 million) to date. Pti will launch it as a market premiere at Berlin’s European Film Market in February.

Based on an autobiographic novel by German comedian Hape Kerkeling, the film is set in Ruhrpott, a West German coal and iron ore mining area, in 1972. It centers on chubby nine-year-old Hans-Peter who is blessed with a talent to make others laugh and grows up in a loving and cheerful family. “Unfortunately, dark shadows attach to the boy’s everyday life as his mother becomes more and more depressed after a failed surgery,” according to a statement from Pti. “For Hans-Peter...

The multilayered underworld drama showcases Berlin's cultural diversity and will stream on Netflix in 190 countries from December 7. The series stars Felix Kramer and Fahri Yardim as two unconventional cops who are taking up the fight against crime in Berlin’s underworld. The exciting cast also includes Katharina Schüttler, Anna Maria Mühe, Katrin Sass, Hannah Herzsprung, Antonio Wannek, Mišel Matičević, Jasna Fritzi Bauer, Constantin von Jascheroff, Alina Stiegler, Branko Tomovic, Seyneb Saleh, Yung Ngo, Urs Rechn and Uwe Preuss. Dogs of Berlin's labyrinthine plot revolves around two unconventional cops, Erol Birkan and Kurt Grimmer, who investigate the murder of German-Turkish football star Orkan Erdem. There's a long list of potential suspects: Neo-Nazis from the former East Berlin district of Marzahn; the Turkish family clan related to...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

The 10-episode series Dogs of Berlin is directed by thriller specialist Christian Alvart and centers around the murder of a Turkish-German football super star which happens the night before a big international game in Berlin-Marzahn. The series stars Felix Kramer and Fahri Yardim as two unconventional cops who are taking up the fight against crime in Berlin’s underworld. The cast also includes Katharina Schüttler, Anna Maria Mühe, Katrin Sass, Hannah Herzsprung, Antonio Wannek, Mišel Matičević, Jasna Fritzi Bauer, Constantin von Jascheroff, Alina Stiegler, Branko Tomovic, Seyneb Saleh, Urs Rechn, Uwe Preuss and also several cameos that will thrill German hip-hop fans. The show dives deep into the zeitgeist of Germany's capital city, where different cultures and lifestyles collide in a melting pot of hopes, dreams...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

This Crazy Heart is directed by Marc Rothemund whose 2005 drama Sophie Scholl was nominated for the best foreign-language film Oscar.

In advance of the Marché, German sales outfit Global Screen has confirmed multiple sales on two of the titles on its Cannes slate.

This Crazy Heart, directed by Marc Rothemund whose 2005 drama Sophie Scholl was nominated for the best foreign-language film Oscar, has gone to Spain (Flins y Peniculas), Portugal (Pris), South Korea (Yejilim Entertainment), Cis (Voxell), Taiwan (Encore Film), Czech Republic, Slovenia and Hungary (Prorom), and Brazil (Globo). Negotiations are underway with distributors for France, Italy, China and Japan,...

Netflix announced that its second German Original series Dogs of Berlin has started production. The series stars Felix Kramer and Fahri Yardim as two unconventional cops who are taking up the fight against crime in Berlin’s underworld. The cast also includes Katharina Schüttler, Anna Maria Mühe, Katrin Sass, Hannah Herzsprung, Antonio Wannek, Mišel Matičević, Jasna Fritzi Bauer, Constantin von Jascheroff, Alina Stiegler, Branko Tomovic, Urs Rechn and Uwe Preuss. The 10-episode series is is directed by thriller specialist Christian Alvart and centers around the murder of a Turkish-German football super star which happens the night before a big international game in Berlin-Marzahn. “Dogs of Berlin is a cutting-edge crime drama series with thriller elements set in the different sub-worlds of modern Berlin. It’s gripping, fast-paced,...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Toni Erdmann star Sandra Hüller features in latest project from the director of Friendship!.

Sony’s Deutsche Columbia Pictures Filmproduktion and Studio Babelsberg’s in-house production arm Traumfabrik Babelsberg are co-producing Friendship! director Markus Goller’s latest feature project 25 Km/H, which began shooting in Baden-Württemberg this week.

The road movie stars Lars Eidinger (The Bloom of Yesterday), Bjarne Mädel (Tatortreiniger), Sandra Hüller (Toni Erdmann), Alexandra Maria Lara (Rush) and Jella Haase (Fack Ju Göhte).

The project is the first to go into production for Goller and screenwriter Oliver Ziegenbalg’s recently formed production company Sunny Side Up, and is also in co-production with Deutsche Columbia, Pictures in a Frame, Mythos Film, Traumfabrik Babelsberg and the single-purpose company 26th Babelsberg Film.

25 Km/H is Goller and Ziegenbalg’s first collaboration since their 2010 film Friendship! which was the most successful German film of that year with more than 1.5 million admissions.

That film was produced by The Live Of...

Two vibrant cities that love making movies, Berlin and Los Angeles will celebrate their 50th anniversary as sister cities by screening the highly anticipated Tom Tykwer series Babylon Berlin (Isa: Beta) in Downtown Los Angeles on October 6th at The Theatre at Ace Hotel. The two cities have a number of other exciting events planned for the anniversary as well.

The City of Berlin and the City of Los Angeles, two of the most exciting places in the world, connected through their inspiring and trend setting art scene, their social freedom, openness and their integration of different cultures and religions will join each other to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of their Sister Partnership with events throughout September and October in Los Angeles, culminating with the International Premiere of Babylon Berlin.

Babylon Berlin, the much talked about new TV series, co-written and co-directed by BAFTA and Golden Globe Nominated Tom Tykwer,...

Now in its 9th year German Currents Festival of German Film is a fixture on the cultural calendar of Hollywood. Over the past years, thousands of audience members enjoyed Oscar-nominated German cinema, engaged in Q&As with top German talent, tasted German cuisine during the opening night gala and experienced contemporary German culture in the historical setting of the Egyptian Theater.

This year, German Currents will go beyond its regular film screenings, adding a pre-event on Oct. 5th with a screening of Sundance TV’s “Deutschland 83” followed by a Q&A with director Edward Berger and Golden Globe nominated composer Reinhold Heil. In addition, the festival will include a Tribute to Roland Emmerich and a Q&A with the filmmaker himself, added afternoon matinees throughout the weekend, the exhibit “Brilliant Dilletantes – Subculture in Germany in the 1980s” and a concert of the German Techno DJ, Westbam.

German Currents will also have its opening night red carpet event, followed by the film “We are Young, We are Free” (L.A. Premiere), plus Q&A’s with top German filmmakers, nightly screenings, including the Us Premiere of “B-Movie: Lust & Sound in West Berlin 1979 - 1989” and a free children’s morning screening of “The Pasta Detectives,” as well as a filmmaker brunch.

The festival takes place at: Egyptian Theatre, 6712 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA – 90028

Tickets can be purchased Here.

Monday, Oct 5, 7:00 pm

“Deutschland 83” Screening and Panel Discussion German Currents Pre-Event Goethe-Institut Los Angeles, 5750 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 100, Los Angeles, CA 90036 Free Admission | RSVP required rsvp@losangeles.goethe.org

Pilot episode screening of the Sundance TV original series “Deutschland 83." A gripping coming-of-age story and spy thriller set in Germany in the 80’s. Divided Germany in 1983: during a peak period for Cold War tensions between East and West. Marting Rauch, a wide-eyed 24-year-old East German soldier plucked from obscurity, goes undercover as a West German soldier for the East German Secret Service. With Jonas Nay, Alexander Nay, Maria Schrader, Sonja Gerhardt. Following the screening will be a Q&A with director and Grimme Awardee Edward Berger and Golden Globe nominated composer Reinhold Heil, moderated by Thomas Mikusz.

Saturday, Oct 17, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm

German Currents Pre-Event Reception and introduction to the Exhibition: “Brilliant Dilletantes- Subculture in Germany in the 1980’s”. 18th Street Art Center, 1639 18th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90404 Admission is free with RSVP Here

Presented with the support of Dublab, DJ Michael Stock will provide an evening of music from the era.

Curated by Mathilde Weh, (Visual Arts, Goethe-Institut, Munich), this extensive multi-media exhibition includes a diverse selection of photos, posters, albums and cassettes, as well videos and interactive sound stations. Highlighting the work of the bands Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft/D.A.F. (Düsseldorf), Der Plan (Düsseldorf), Die Tödliche Doris (Berlin), Einstürzende Neubauten (Berlin), Freiwillig Selbstkontrolle/ F.S.K. (Munich), Ornament und Verbrechen (East Berlin), and Palais Schaumburg (Hamburg) as well as various artists, filmmakers and designers from West and East Germany, this exhibition presents the most comprehensive survey to date of this extraordinarily innovative subculture. The exhibition runs Oct 5th – Oct 23rd

Thursday, Oct 22nd, 7:00 pm (Gala Opening Night)

“We Are Young. We Are Strong” (“Wir sind jung. Wir sind stark”) Los Angeles Premiere Directed by Burhan Qurbani Germany (2014), 116 min, German with English subtitles

International Sales: Beta. No. America is available.

August of 1992. Three years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, anti-immigrant attacks targeting a refugee shelter on the outskirts of the former East German city of Rostock culminate in the notorious “Night of the Fire.” Following three days of violence, nearly 3,000 rioters, neo-Nazis and bystanders set fire to the shelter, trapping Vietnamese refugees and a group of journalists inside. Qurbani’s controversial film recounts the hours leading up the evening’s startling events as experienced by three very different characters: Lien, a young Vietnamese immigrant, caught in a struggle for survival; Stefan, an insecure youth, who, along with his friends participates in the night’s riots; and Stefan’s father Martin, an ambitious local politician torn between advancing his career by remaining silent, and standing up for his ideals, taking action to stop the riots. Qurbani meticulously recreates the look and feel of the era, when many East German cities struggled with unemployment and feelings of isolation from the West, exposing the complex issue of xenophobia in a country thought to have been healed by German reunification.With Devid Striesow, Jonas Nay, Trang Le Hong.

Director Burhan Qurbani is confirmed to attend.

Friday, Oct 23rd, 10:00am (Private screening for schools)

“The Pasta Detectives” (“Rico, Oskar und die Tieferschatten”) Los Angeles Premiere | Winner Best Children Film German Film Awards Directed by Neele Leana Vollmar Germany (2014), 96 min, German with English subtitles

20th Century Fox Germany Production. Watch for "The Pasta Detectives 2"

International Sales: Beta No. America is available.

At the heart of this adaptation of German author Andreas Steinhöfel’s wildly popular children’s book is ten-year-old Rico, the only child of a working-class single mother in Berlin. Although quick to describe himself as a “Lowly gifted child” who can’t tell his left from his right and whose thoughts often “rattle around in his head like balls in a bingo cage,” Rico is compassionate, observant, and makes the best of his short-comings. Often left on his own, Rico spends most of his time close to home or visiting the quirky tenants in his apartment building. One day Rico meets Oskar, a “highly gifted” younger boy who is obsessed with safety statistics and prone to wearing a helmet. Despite their differences, the two boys complement each other and become fast friends. When Oskar suddenly goes missing, Rico suspects a notorious local kidnapper “Mr. 2000” and sets out to find and rescue his new friend. With an emphasis on teamwork and friendship, Vollmar’s film is a fresh and endearing take on the classic “buddy-film” suitable for the whole family. With Anton Petzold, Juri Winkler, Katharina Thalbach.

Friday, Oct 23rd, 7:30 pm – Double Feature

“Jack” Los Angeles Premiere | Best Film: Silver German Film Awards Directed by Edward Berger Germany (2014), 103 min, German with English subtitles

Tiff 2015.

International Sales: PIcture Tree. No. America is available.

Ten year old Jack (Ivo Pietzcker) is frequently left alone by his loving, but hopelessly incompetent young mother (Luise Heyer). Forced to care for himself and his six-year-old half-brother, Manuel (Georg Arms) for extended periods of time, Jack selflessly acts as the head of the household. When Manuel is accidentally injured, Jack is blamed and is placed in a long-term foster care facility, leaving Manuel with their mother. Lonely, homesick and bullied by other children, Jack decides to escape and head home to Berlin, only to find that what little order he had established has crumbled. Once again abandoned by their mother, the boys take to the streets on a desperate odyssey to find not only their mother, but a sense of stability. Co-written by Nele Mueller-Stöfen, Berger’s screenplay and precise direction coax refreshingly unaffected performances from the two child actors. Cinematographer Jens Harant’s camera provides essential gritty realism, capturing the city from the unique vantage point of the lonely boys. With: Ivo Pietzker, Luise Heyer, Georg Arms. Director Edward Berger is confirmed to attend.

Friday, Oct 23rd, 9:30 pm (approximately) – Double Feature

“Schmitke” Los Angeles Premiere Directed by Stepán Altrichter Germany (2014), 90 min, German and Czech with English subtitles

Like his once state-of-the-art “C 174” wind turbine, 57 year-old German engineer Julius Schmitke (Peter Kurth) is past his prime. No longer models of efficiency both creak and groan under the strain of their daily duties. A man of few words, Schmitke leads a banal, solitary life, but, intrigued by reports of a hermit, known as “Bear-Man” found living alone in the woods; Schmitke begins to dream of deep, dark forests. When a model C 174 breaks down outside a small Czech town on the German border, Schmitke and his slacker subordinate Gruber are sent to repair it. Here, the engineers encounter an odd assortment of townspeople, and the undeniable allure and danger of the impenetrable Ore Mountain forest. The next day, Gruber mysteriously vanishes and Schmitke is drawn to the woods. Katharina Grischkowski’s extraordinary sound design, contrasts the creaking of the C 174 with the eerie stillness of the forest, heightening the surreal atmosphere provided by Christian Pirjol’s haunting cinematography. Altrichter, who also co-wrote the screenplay, deftly balances the bizarre and the beautiful in this desolate, deadpan, comic mystery. With Peter Kurth, Johann Jürgens, Petr Vrsek.

Saturday, Oct 24th, 10:00am

“A Tribute to Roland Emmerich – from "The Noah’s Ark Principle" to "Independence Day" and "Stonewall” Goethe-Institut Los Angeles, 5750 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 100, Los Angeles, CA 90036 Free Admission | RSVP by Oct. 19th required: rsvp@losangeles.goethe.org This event is produced by Gaba – the German American Business Association

Roland Emmerich (Director/Writer/Producer) is one of the world’s most talented and sought-after directors. His career began in his native Germany. He studied film at the University of Television and Film Munich where his student film “The Noah’s Ark Principle“ went on to open the 1984 Berlin Film Festival. His body of work includes movies such as “Independence Day”, “Stargate”, “10,000Bc” and “White House Down”, to name just a few.

Emmerich recently wrapped “Independence Day: Resurgence”, the next epic chapter in the “Independence Day “universe. The original 1996 film redefined the event movie genre by shattering opening weekend and total box office records to become the first movie in history to gross over $500m internationally. The new film mixes a cast of new and familiar faces -- Liam Hemsworth, Jeff Goldblum, Jessie User, Bill Pullman, Maika Monroe, Sela Ward, and Judd Hirsh -- flashing forward 20 years when the nations of Earth must unite to protect the planet against the aliens' return and only a few brave men and women can bring the world back from the brink of extinction. Emmerich’s latest film, “Stonewall”, is a drama about the Stonewall Riots in 1969 New York, which sparked the Lgbt civil rights movement. The film stars Jeremy Irvine and Jonathan Rhys Meyers.

In addition, to his work in film and television, Emmerich has made considerable contributions to many charities, including but not limited to the Cambodian Children’s Fund and the Los Angeles Lgbt Center. The Q&A will be moderated by journalist Dierk Sindermann.

Following the panel:

“Filmmaker Brunch” Following the “Tribute to Roland Emmerich” will be a filmmaker brunch at the Goethe Institute. Meet filmmakers and talent attending the festival while enjoying a continental breakfast by Downtown La’s Bier Beisl Imbiss This brunch is sponsored by German Consulate Los Angeles and Bier Beisl Imbiss

Saturday, Oct 24th, 5:30pm (Matinee)

“Who am I- No system is safe” (“Who am I- Kein System ist sicher”) Los Angeles Premiere | Bavarian Film Prize for Best Direction. Tiff 2014. Directed by Baran bo Odar Germany (2014), 110 min, German with English subtitles

International Sales: Trust Nordisk. No. America is available.

Young Berlin computer whiz-turned hacker Ben (Tom Schilling) feels more at home in the virtual world than he does in the real one. When the charismatic and revolutionary hacker Max (Elyas M’Barek) asks Ben to put his skills to use and “hack the world,” they form the collective “Clay” (Clowns Laughing At You). Instead of lofty political goals, the group shocks the world with humor and guerilla-like pranks. As the team’s popularity drives them to take bigger, bolder risks, they soon attract the attention of the German Secret Service. Just as Ben begins to feel like he finally belongs somewhere, he’s forced to figure out how to escape not only from his law enforcement pursuers, but his dangerous new friends. This stylish, surprising, and exceptionally timely fast-paced cyber thriller moves seamlessly between the real and the virtual, leaving the audience guessing long after the film is over. With Tom Schilling, Hannah Herzsprung, Elyas M’Barak.

Saturday, Oct 24th, 8:30pm

“B-Movie: Lust and Sound in West Berlin” Us Premiere. Berlin Ff 2015 Directed by Jörg A. Hoppe, Klaus Maeck, Heiko Lange Germany (2015), 92 min, German with English subtitles

International Sales: Edel

An Essay-Film narrated by producer and musician Mark Reeder, B-Movie is a fast-paced collage of unreleased film and TV footage, photos, and original interviews compiled by Hoppe, Maeck, and Lange and dramatized scenes that illustrate Reeder’s account of the music, art and chaos in West Berlin of the 1980s. The walled-in city, which became a cultural inter-zone and creative melting pot for avant-garde sub- and pop- culture unlike anywhere else in Europe, attracted “brilliant dilettantes,” squatters, artists, musicians, and world famous celebrities alike. Reeder left Manchester, England for Berlin in 1979 and soon found himself at the center of this dynamic cultural hub, meeting and often working with legendary bands and artists. Including interviews and archival footage from Joy Division, Blixa Bargeld (Einstürzende Neubauten), Die Toten Hosen, Nick Cave, Gudrun Gut, Die Aerzte, Nena, Christiane F. and Westbam, B-movie offers an intimate portrait of the constantly changing cultural constellations of the city, from the Geniale Dilletanten, to the Love Parade, and ending with the fall of the Berlin Wall. Director Klaus Maeck and German DJ Westbam are confirmed to attend.

Saturday, Oct 24th, 11:00pm

DJ Westbam: Free Concert in the Egyptian Theater Courtyard

Hardly any DJ can look back on such a long and exciting career as Westbam, who since 1983 has provided the right music for the night for more than 15 million fans worldwide. A pioneer of DJ culture in Germany and Europe alike, Westbam was the first DJ in Germany to mix his own tracks rather than just play record after record, the first German DJ invited to play the big stages in the heyday of acid house in the UK, the first German DJ to sell over 2 million records, the founder of the first big rave event in Germany, the legendary “Mayday”, and the only DJ to have DJed at every “Loveparade,” producing every “Loveparade anthem” since. Featured in Jörg A.Hoppe, Klaus Maeck & Heiko Lange’s film "B-Movie: Lust & Sound in West-Berlin 1979-1989," Westbam will perform live at the Egyptian Theatre following the film’s screening at the German Currents Film Festival. Please note: Ticket holders for the screening of “B-movie” receive priority admission to the concert. A Standby line for “concert only” begins after the box office closes for the screening at the Egyptian Theatre.

Sunday, Oct 25th, 4:00 pm (Matinee)

“Age of Cannibals” (“Zeit der Kannibalen”) Los Angeles Premiere | Prix Europe for Most Innovative Television Fiction Script. Berlin Ff 2014. Directed by Johannes Naber Germany (2013), 93 min, German and English with English subtitles

Cut-throat business consultants Öllers and Niederländer travel the world without ever really seeing it. In advising companies on how to ruthlessly maximize profits, the two have managed to insulate themselves from the dangerous locations where they conduct business by never leaving their various 5-star hotels. Models of ruthless efficiency, both hope to secure partnerships at their nameless company. When Bianca, a newly hired younger female colleague, is sent to assist in the negotiations, her constant critique of her colleagues’ unscrupulous behavior with clients and hotel staff alike is unsettling to the executives, who pride themselves on their ability to remain emotionally disconnected. Confined within the walls of their hotel, the protagonists reach grotesque extremes, accentuating the feel of a chamber play within Stefan Weigl’s screenplay. The perfectly directed darkly comedic performances offer critique of contemporary global economics. When the dangers of the outside world (experienced only through the occasional sounds of distant explosions or gunfire) find their way inside, the three models turn out to be incompetent. With Sebastian Blomberg, Devied Striesow, Katharina Schüttler.

Sunday, Oct 25th, 6:30 pm – Double Feature

“Dora or The Sexual Neuroses of our Parents” (“Dora oder die sexuellen Neurosen unserer Eltern”) Us Premiere. Berlin Ff 2015 Directed by Stina Werenfels Switzerland/ Germany (2013-2015), 90 min, German with English subtitles

International Sales: Wide

Mentally disabled Dora (Victoria Schulz) has spent much of her 18 years under psychotropic sedatives. When her mother, Kristin (Jenny Schily), decides to stop the medication, Dora’s world begins to open. Determined to experience the world, love, and sex, Dora enters into a relationship with an unscrupulous perfume salesman (Lars Eidinger) who is eager to take advantage of her newfound lust for life. Though Dora’s parents are horrified by her relationship and her eventual pregnancy, they must determine how to both protect their daughter as well as allow her to make her own choices as an adult. Lukas Strebel’s award winning innovative camerawork capture’s not only Dora’s transformation, but also her perspective through p.o.v. In adapting Lukas Bärfuss’ challenging play, director Stina Werenfels and co-writer Boris Treyer emphasize the perspectives and parallel struggles of both mother and daughter, examining broader issues of female sexuality, agency, and motherhood. With Victoria Schulz, Jenny Schily, Lars Eidinger. Director Stina Werenfels is confirmed to attend.

Sunday, Oct 25th, 8:30 pm (approximately) – Double Feature

“Gruber is Leaving” (“Gruber Geht”) Los Angeles Premiere | Beijing Iff: Best Music Directed by Marie Kreutzer Austria (2015), 104 min, German with English subtitles

John Gruber (Manuel Rubey) is the epitome of arrogance. In his mid-thirties, and living in his own world, he has it all; the right job, car, designer apartment in Vienna. In between business trips, nightclubs, and countless one-night stands, the dry-witted cynic has little left for anyone else, and this is just how he likes it. When he meets Berlin-based DJ Sarah (Bernadette Heerwagen), his self-styled world is turned on its head. For it is Sarah, who after their night together, reads him the diagnosis explaining that a tumor is to blame for his recent stomach problems. Gruber‘s superman facade quickly crumbles, sending him on a binge of drugs, alcohol and bar fights in an attempt to cope. With a new regimen of chemotherapy and a growing infatuation with Sarah, Gruber slowly begins to drop his guard. But will he really change? Kreutzer’s faithful adaptation of Doris Knecht’s best-selling novel is strengthened by Cinematographer Leena Koppe’s ability to capture Gruber’s darkly comical transition from cold and distant loner, to a man on a journey to find himself. With Manuel Rubey, Doris Schretzmayer, Ulrike Beimpold.

The first thing you notice in German actress Hannah Herzsprung is her stunning dark blue green eyes. They are like calm yet mysterious twin lakes. During the whole interview, I couldn't help losing myself in them. I've become a huge Herzsprung fan, ever since I saw her brave performance as a deeply troubled young piano prodigy in prison in her feature debut Vier Minuten (Four Minutes) some years ago. I was really thrilled when I found out that she would be available for an interview for her new film Who Am I: No System is Safe, a stylistic cyber thriller, playing at Kino! Festival, here in New York. I tried very hard not to be a fanboy during the interview and it was very hard....

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

Here are the films opening theatrically in the U.S. the week of Friday, January 9th. (Synopses provided by distributor unless listed otherwise.) Beloved Sisters Director: Dominik Graf Cast: Florian Stetter, Henriette Confurius, Hannah Herzsprung, Claudia Messner, Ronald Zehrfeld, Andreas Pietschmann, Maja Maranow, Peter Schneider, Michael Wittenborn, Anne Schäfer, Philipp Oehme, Thomas Kornack, Klaus Lehmann Synopsis: "The summer of 1788 in Rudolstadt. Rebellious poet Friedrich Schiller and two penniless sisters, members of the Thuringian aristocracy, experience an unforgettable period together which will eventually bind them forever. Unhappily married Caroline von Beulwitz and her shy sister Charlotte von Lengefeld take seriously their oath to share everything – even the author of ‘The Robbers’. Charlotte marries Schiller so they may pursue their ménage à trios under the guise of convention. Caroline, whose novel Schiller publishes anonymously,...

In a marvelously cheeky 1979 essay, the late, great Ellen Willis defined the difference between classical sex ("romantic, profound, serious...and typically feminine") and baroque sex ("pop, playful, funny...and stereotypically masculine"). So where shall we put German director Dominik Graf's Beloved Sisters, which tells the possibly semi-true story of the pact made by aristocratic sisters Caroline and Charlotte von Lengefeld (played by Hannah Herzsprung and Henriette Confurius) to peaceably share the same man, poet, playwright, and historian Friedrich Schiller (Florian Stetter)? Everything goes swimmingly for a time in this 18th-century idyll, and, particularly in the first section of the film, Graf brings a lush but discreet eroticism to the story. In the most ...

Chicago – The 2014 edition, the 50th Chicago International Film Festival, kicks off tonight on October 9th. The premiere film will be “Miss Julie,” an adaptation of the August Strindberg play adapted and directed by Liv Ullmann. The first weekend promises a scintillating variety of cinema indulgences.

HollywoodChicago.com contributors Nick Allen and Patrick McDonald have been sampling the festival offerings, and provide this preview to cover the first four days of the event. The depth and breadth of the films is a reminder to participate in the variety of the Festival, especially if interested in a particular country, for their cinema is a glimpse into their culture. Each capsule is designated with Na (Nick Allen) or Pm (Patrick McDonald), to indicate the author.

Opening Night “Miss Julie”

Jessica Chastain in ‘Miss Julie’

Photo credit: Chicago International Film Festival

Liv Ullmann, the legendary Swedish actress – and muse to director Ingmar Bergman – directs her fifth feature film,...

Beloved Sisters producer Uschi Reich on Dominik Graf at the New York Film Festival: "It was very important for Dominik to work with the language." Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze

Dominik Graf's Beloved Sisters (Die Geliebten Schwestern) starring Florian Stetter, Henriette Confurius and Hannah Herzsprung alongside Claudia Messner, Ronald Zehrfeld, Michael Wittenborn, Maja Maranow and Andreas Pietschmann, sharply re-invents the costume drama with an historical fiction centered around the ménage-à-trois love story between writer Friedrich Schiller (Stetter) and the sisters Caroline (Herzsprung) and Charlotte (Confurius) von Lengefeld.

I met up with producer Uschi Reich during the New York Film Festival to discuss her role in bringing the story to the screen. We also discussed Dominik Graf's voice and music, his relationship to Christian Kracht's novel Imperium and Frauke Finsterwalder's Finsterworld film, Caroline Link, the connection between Veit Heiduschka to Michael Haneke and Helge Sasse with Anton Corbijn's...

Dominik Graf's Beloved Sisters arrives at the New York Film Festival, and we've got the trailer, a clip and reviews, including James Lattimer's for Slant: "It's autumn 1787 and the predictably beautiful Charlotte von Lengefeld (Henriette Confurius) has been sent to the court in Weimar, where she's supposed to pick out a future husband of suitable affluence and standing. The only person to catch her eye, though, is famous, yet penniless, poet Friedrich Schiller (Florian Stetter), who eventually follows her back home at the behest of Charlotte's unhappily married sister, Caroline von Beulwitz (Hannah Herzsprung), who finds him equally alluring. Yet just as the stage seems set for a dully impassioned love triangle, the film blossoms instead into a breezily utopian depiction of a ménage á trois whose entirely matter-of-fact presentation sets up an intriguing dissonance with the prim period setting." » - David Hudson...

Dominik Graf's Beloved Sisters arrives at the New York Film Festival, and we've got the trailer, a clip and reviews, including James Lattimer's for Slant: "It's autumn 1787 and the predictably beautiful Charlotte von Lengefeld (Henriette Confurius) has been sent to the court in Weimar, where she's supposed to pick out a future husband of suitable affluence and standing. The only person to catch her eye, though, is famous, yet penniless, poet Friedrich Schiller (Florian Stetter), who eventually follows her back home at the behest of Charlotte's unhappily married sister, Caroline von Beulwitz (Hannah Herzsprung), who finds him equally alluring. Yet just as the stage seems set for a dully impassioned love triangle, the film blossoms instead into a breezily utopian depiction of a ménage á trois whose entirely matter-of-fact presentation sets up an intriguing dissonance with the prim period setting." » - David Hudson...

Dominik Graf has finally properly landed in America, and it's about damn time. The German director, known almost exclusively for a prodigious—and unexportable—output of work for television, has been directing since the 1970s, but only Beloved Sisters, one of this year's Berlinale competitors, has managed to secure proper theatrical distribution in the United States. I don’t know if the time is ripe or, more likely, if this is a mere fluke. Graf’s omnivorous ingestion of German social, political, cultural, and material histories and transformation of their tensions into deeply intelligent, supremely revealing genre dramas ipso facto must eventually create something international distributors think non-Germans might want to see. Then again, previous films by the director seemingly ripe or obvious for English-language audiences, including the Die Hard-like action-siege film Die Katze (1988, which was actually pathetically limitedly shown with an alternate soundtrack in the Us), the zany post-Berlin...

German Films said today that its nine-person jury has selected Dominik Graf’s Beloved Sisters as Germany’s official submission for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar race. The film tells the little-known true story of a ménage-à-trois among Friedrich Schiller and the von Lengefeld sisters, a utopia on the eve of the French Revolution. Florian Stetter, Hannah Herzsprung and Henriette Confurius have the lead roles. “This designation is for me the greatest joy and the confirmation of my work,” producer Uschi Reich said. “What great luck for us all.” Beloved Sisters premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival in February and hit German theaters July 31 via Senator Film Verleih. Nominations for the 87th Academy Awards will be announced January 15.

BAFTA said today that American filmmaker David Fincher will discuss his life and career during the group’s A Life in Pictures event next month. Fincher is a two-time Oscar...

Dominik Graf’s ménage-à-trois drama to compete for the Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards.

Dominik Graf’s period drama Beloved Sisters is to represent Germany as the official submission for the 87th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film.

The decision was made today (Aug 27) by an independent jury in Munich, which was appointed by German Films to preside over the selection process.

In a statement explaining its motivation, the nine-person jury chaired by Peter Herrmann said: “Beloved Sisters is a modernly told ménage-à-trois that takes us back to the 18th century with a certain lightness.

“Dominik Graf directed, with his own personal signature and great sensitivity, the story of a moving love affair. The film convinces with the direction of the actors, the images suffused with light, and its very clever and unconventional composition.”

Producer Uschi Reich: “This designation is for me the greatest joy and the confirmation of my work.”

The...

Opening Night – World Premiere

Gone Girl

David Fincher, USA, 2014, Dcp, 150m

David Fincher’s film version of Gillian Flynn’s phenomenally successful best seller (adapted by the author) is one wild cinematic ride, a perfectly cast and intensely compressed portrait of a recession-era marriage contained within a devastating depiction of celebrity/media culture, shifting gears as smoothly as a Maserati 250F. Ben Affleck is Nick Dunne, whose wife Amy (Rosamund Pike) goes missing on the day of their fifth anniversary. Neil Patrick Harris is Amy’s old boyfriend Desi, Carrie Coon (who played Honey in Tracy Letts’s acclaimed production of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?) is Nick’s sister Margo, Kim Dickens (Treme, Friday Night Lights) is Detective Rhonda Boney, and Tyler Perry is Nick’s superstar lawyer Tanner Bolt. At once a grand panoramic vision of middle America, a uniquely disturbing exploration of the fault lines in a marriage,...

Almost five years after premiering as the opening-night selection of the 2009 Zurich Film Festival, Alain Gsponer's Lila Lila is at last receiving theatrical exposure in the U.S. Judging by the mild but hardly noteworthy competence of the film itself, this development seems largely attributable to the fast-rising stock of German star Daniel Brühl, who has made a stateside splash in Inglourious Basterds, The Fifth Estate, and Ron Howard's Rush.

Adapted from a best-seller by Swiss author Martin Suter, Lila, Lila concerns David Kern (Brühl), a lonely waiter who concocts an enormous lie in order to woo the object of his affection, Marie (Hannah Herzsprung). After purchasing a night stand at a flea market, David finds a manuscript in the top ...

The 64th Berlin International Film Festival may have ended, but acquisition season is still in full swing. Music Box Films has obtained the U.S. and Canadian distribution rights to Berlin competition title "Beloved Sisters," the period romance film by Dominik Graf. Florian Stetter stars as the Romantic era poet Friedrich von Schiller. The film follows Schiller's love affair with the aristocratic von Lengefeld sisters, played by Hannah Herzsprung and Henriette Confurius.  Graf is best known for the German thrillers "The Invincibles" and "A Map of the Heart," the latter of which was a Berlin competition title in 2002. No release date is set.

Music Box has picked up rights in the U.S. and Canada for Beloved Sisters, the German period drama from Dominik Graf that had its world premiere in competition at the Berlin International Film Festival last week. The drama stars Florian Stetter as 18th century romantic poet Friedrich von Schiller. The film focuses on his passionate love affair with the two aristocratic von Lengefeld sisters, played by German actresses Hannah Herzsprung and Henriette Confurius. “Dominik Graf, his wonderful performers and production team have brought the Romantic Era and the lives of Schiller and the von Lengefeld sisters to life for

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The Beloved Sisters

Director: Dominik Graf

Writer: Dominik Graf

Producer: Uschi Reich

U.S. Distributor: Rights Available

Cast: Henriette Confurius, Florian Stetter, Hannah Herzsprung, Ronald Zehrfeld

A member of what’s known as the Berlin school of filmmakers (including Christian Petzold and Christoph Hochhausler), Graf has worked almost exclusively in television and he contributed to the 2011 triptych Beats Being Dead. His latest is an ambitious period piece and features a handful of bright faces in the German film industry, and, with a little luck, will be a breakout success for Graf.

Gist: 1788 in Rudolstadt, a small provincial town in Germany. The beautiful Caroline von Beulwitz is unhappily married, longing for love and life. Charlotte von Lengefeld, her shy sister, dreams of finding a husband. The two are a heart and soul, until He enters their lives: Friedrich Schiller, the man who wrote “The Robbers”, an overnight sensation, the espouser of proto-revolutionary republican ideals.

Richard Linklater’s Boyhood to compete for the Golden Bear; Beauty and the Beast, starring Vincent Cassel and Léa Seydoux, to play out of competition.

The 64th Berlin International Film Festival (Feb 6-16) has added 15 titles to its Competition programme, completing the line-up of 23 films - of which 20 will vye for the Golden Bear and Silver Bears.

The programme includes 18 world premieres and three feature debuts.

The line-up includes the international premiere of Boyhood, from Before Midnight director Richard Linklater. The film, which will premiere at Sundance, was shot over short periods from 2002 to 2013 and covers 12 years in the life of a family, featuring Mason and his sister Samantha. Patricia Arquette, Ethan Hawke, Ellar Coltrane, Lorelei Linklater star.

World premieres include In Order of Disappearance, directed by Hans Petter Moland, which stars Stellan Skarsgård as a snow plough driver whose son’s sudden death puts him in the middle of a drug war between theNorwegian mafia and the...

‘71, Life of Riley and Aloft selected. A Long Way Down, The Turning among Berlinale Special titles.

The first seven films selected for the Berlinale Competition programme include Yann Demange’s ‘71, Alan Resnais’ Life of Riley (Aimer, Boire et Chanter) and Claudia Llosa’s Aloft.

Also joining Wes Anderson’s opening film The Grand Budapest Hotel, and George Clooney’s Monuments Men, both announced in November, are Dominik Graf’s Die Geliebten Schwestern and Yannis Economides’ Stratos.

In the Berlinale Special strand are Pascal Chaumeil’s A Long Way Down, Australian anthology film The Turning, Hubert Sauper’s documentary We Come As Friends (Entente Cordiale) and Dayna Goldfine and Dan Geller’s doc The Galapagos Affair: Satan Came to Eden.

Six of the seven announced main competition titles are world premieres – Monuments Men, which screens out of competition, gets its international premiere.

Chaumeil’s A Long Way Down, starring Pierce Brosnan, Toni Collette, [link...

A Long Way Down, The Turning among Berlinale Special titles.

The first seven films selected for the Berlinale Competition programme include Yann Demange’s ‘71, Alan Resnais’ Life of Riley (Aimer, Boire et Chanter) and Claudia Llosa’s Aloft.

Also joining Wes Anderson’s opening film The Grand Budapest Hotel, and George Clooney’s Monuments Men, both announced in November, are Dominik Graf’s Die geliebten Schwestern and Yannis Economides’ Stratos.

In the Berlinale Special strand are Pascal Chaumeil’s A Long Way Down [pictured], Australian anthology film The Turning, Hubert Sauper’s documentary We Come As Friends (Entente Cordiale) and Dayna Goldfine and Dan Geller’s doc The Galapagos Affair: Satan Came to Eden.

Six of the seven announced main competition titles are world premieres – Monuments Men, which screens out of competition, gets its international premiere.

Chaumeil’s A Long Way Down, starring Pierce Brosnan, Toni Collette, Aaron Paul and Imogen Poots, makes its world...

Directed by: Tim Fehlbaum

Written by: Tim Fehlbaum, Oliver Kahl, Thomas Wobke

Featuring: Hannah Herzsprung, Stipe Erceg, Angela Winkler, Lisa Vicari, Michael Kranz, Lars Eidinger

For quite a while now, environmental horror has been the province of mostly North American productions. For some reason, the apocalypse just doesn't seem quite as popular in Europe. But that changes with Tim Fehlbaum's feature debut, the 2011 post-global warming potboiler, the rather amusingly titled Hell (in some parts of the world it's been released as the even more generic Apocalypse). Produced by Roland Emmerich (of course it is), Hell is a good deal less stupid than Emmerich's own 2012 or The Day After Tomorrow, but it never quite gets out of second gear.

A hurried text piece sets up the story: In 2016, a series of massive solar flares have raised the earth's temperature by 10 degrees Celsius and made the sun burn brighter than ever.

The Berlin International Film Festival is celebrating its opening today, on February 7, 2013 at 7.30 pm. After a few words of greeting from Minister of State for Cultural and Media Affairs Bernd Neumann and Governing Mayor of Berlin Klaus Wowereit, the Festival will be officially opened by Jury President Wong Kar Wai (Hong Kong, China) and Berlinale Director Dieter Kosslick. The International Jury – whose other members are Susanne Bier (Denmark), Andreas Dresen (Germany), Ellen Kuras (USA), Shirin Neshat (Iran), Tim Robbins (USA) and Athina Rachel Tsangari (Greece) – will also be introduced during the gala. Anke Engelke will again host the evening. This year’s music will be provided by Ulrich Tukur & Die Rhythmus Boys. 3sat will be broadcasting the opening live. Ziyi Zhang in Yi dai zong shi (The Grandmaster) by Wong Kar Wai Following the gala, Wong Kar Wai’s epic martial-arts drama The Grandmaster will have its international premiere. The director and his leading actors,...

Watch H+ Series 1 Episode 17 Salmiakki, Episode 18 Advent, Episode 19 7500 Kilometers, Episode 20 Partenza. Stewart Hendler‘s H+ Season 1, Episode 17: Salmiakki, Episode 18: Advent, and Episode 19: 7500 Kilometers, Episode 20: Partenza star Samuli Vauramo, Hannah Herzsprung, David Clayton Rogers, Samuel Vauramo, and Nikki Crawford. H+ Salmiakki‘ plot synopsis: “Helsinki, Finland – 7 years before it happened Drunk, Topi stumbles [...]

Continue reading: H+: Season 1, Episode 17-20: Salmiakki, Advent, 7500 Kilometers, Partenza...

Watch H+ Season 1 Episode 14 The Gates, Episode 15 Their Connection, Episode 16 From Above. Stewart Hendler‘s H+ Season 1, Episode 10: Questions, Episode 8: The Gates, and Episode 9: Their Connection, Episode 16: From Above star Samuli Vauramo, Hannah Herzsprung, David Clayton Rogers, Samuel Vauramo, and Nikki Crawford. H+ Questions‘ plot synopsis: “Porland, Oregon, USA – 5 years before it [...]

Continue reading: H+: Season 1, Episode 13-16: Questions, The Gates, Their Connection, From Above...

Watch H+ Season 1 Episode 10 Out, Episode 11 Manta, Episode 12 Searching Over. Stewart Hendler‘s H+ Season 1, Episode 10: Out, Episode 8: Manta, and Episode 9: Searching Over star Samuli Vauramo, Hannah Herzsprung, David Clayton Rogers, Samuel Vauramo, and Nikki Crawford. H+ Out‘s plot synopsis: “San Francisco, USA – 50 minutes after it happened Kenneth tells the [...]

Continue reading: H+: Season 1, Episode 10-12: Out, Manta, Searching Over...

Watch H+ The Digital Series 1 Episode 7 Implanted, Episode 8 Makeshift Engineering, Episode 9 The Snow Viper. Stewart Hendler‘s H+ The Digital Series (2011) Season 1, Episode 7: Implanted, Episode 8: Makeshift Engineering, and Episode 9: The Snow Viper star Samuli Vauramo, Hannah Herzsprung, David Clayton Rogers, Samuel Vauramo, and Nikki Crawford. H+ Implanted‘s plot synopsis: “Mumbai, India – 5 months before it happened Gurveer prepares [...]

Continue reading: H+ The Digital Series: Season 1, Episode 7-9: Implanted, Makeshift Engineering, The Snow Viper...