68th Berlin International Film Festival Award Winners

It's over we know all winners and there are some very-pleasant surprises. 

Spontaneously will share some perceptions, first the big Festival winners seems to be Brazil Cinema; Latin America also did really good but is Paraguay who conquers Berlinale 2018 with a film that obviously I'm "dying" to see (now more that know has to have the necessary quality).

Then, no doubt female directors did really well in this edition as hopefully is because they do great films; yes, seems that when festival programmers are "forced" to include female directors, great films, films that win top awards have not only accolades but a better-chance to be seen by audiences around the world.  Great.

Will finish post tomorrow as is a bit late for me...

Competition

Golden Bear for Best Film: Nu mă atinge-mă (Touch Me Not), Adina Pintille, Romania, Germany, Czech Republic, Bulgaria and France



Silver Bear Jury Grand Prize: Twarz (mug), Malgorzata Szumowska, Poland

Silver Bear Alfred Bauer Prize: Las Herederas (The Heiresses), Marcelo Martinessi, Paraguay, Uruguay, Brazil, Germany, Norway and France

Silver Bear for Best Director:  Wes Anderson for Isle of Dogs, Wes Anderson, Germany and USA

Silver Bear for Best Actress: Ana Brun in Las Herederas (The Heiresses), Marcelo Martinessi, Paraguay, Uruguay, Brazil, Germany, Norway and France
Silver Bear for Best Actor: Anthony Bajon in La prière (The Prayer), Cédric Kahn, France

Silver Bear for Best Script: Manuel Alcala and Alonzo Ruizpalacios for Museo (Museum), Alonso Ruizpalacios, Mexico
Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Contribution in the categories Camera, Editing, Score, Costume Design or Production Design: Elena Okopnaya for Довлатов Dovlatov, Alexey German Jr., Russia, Poland and Serbia

Best First Feature Award: Nu mă atinge-mă (Touch Me Not), Adina Pintille, Romania, Germany, Czech Republic, Bulgaria and France
Special Mention: An Elephant Sitting Still, Hu Bo, China

Glashütte Original Documentary Award: Waldheims Walzer (The Waldheim Waltz) by Ruth Beckermann, Austria
Special Mention: Ex Paje (Ex Shaman), Luiz Bolognesi, Brazil

Short Films

Golden Bear: The Men Behind the Wall, Ines Moldavsky, Israel
Silver Bear: Imfura, Samuel Ishimwe, Switzerland and Rwanda
Audi Award: Solar Walk, Réka Bucsi, Denmark
Special Mention:
Best Short Film Nominee for the European Film Awards: Burkina Brandenburg Komplex, Ulu Braun, Germany

Generation

Generation Kplus

Children's Jury
Crystal Bear for Best Film: Les rois mongols (Cross My Heart), Luc Picard, Canada
Special Mention: Supa Modo, Likarion Wainaina, Germany and Kenya
Crystal Bear for Best Short Film: A Field Guide to Being a 12-Year-Old Girl, Tilda Cobham-Hervey, Australia
Special Mention: Snijeg za Vodu (Snow for Water), Christopher Villiers, Bosnia Herzegovina and UK



International Jury
Grand Prix for Best Film: Sekala Niskala (The Seen and Unseen), Kamila Andini, Indonesia, Netherlands, Australia and Qatar
Special Mention: Allons enfants (Cléo & Paul), Stéphane Demoustier, France
Special Prize of International Jury:  Jaalgedi (A Curious Girl), Rajesh Prasad Khatri, Nepal
Special Mention: Cena d’aragoste (Lobster Dinner), Gregorio Franchetti, Italy and USA



Generation 14plus

Youth Jury
Crystal Bear for Best Film: Fortuna, Germinal Roaux, Switzerland and Belgium
Special Mention: Retablo, Alvaro Delgado-Aparicio, Peru, Germany and Norway
Crystal Bear for Best Short Film: Kiem Holijanda, Sarah Veltmeyer, Netherlands
Special Mention: Je fais où tu me dis (Dressed for Pleasure), Marie de Maricourt, Switzerland



International Jury
Grand Prix: Fortuna, Germinal Roaux, Switzerland and Belgium
Special Mention: Dressage, Pooya Badkoobeh, Iran
Special Prize for Best Short Film: Juck, Olivia Kastebring, Julia Gumpert, and Ulrika Bandeira, Sweden
Special Mention: Na zdrowie! (Bless You!), Paulina Ziólkowska, Poland



Collateral Awards - Prizes from Independent Juries

FIPRESCI Awards
Competition: Las Herederas (The Heiresses), Marcelo Martinessi, Paraguay, Uruguay, Brazil, Germany, Norway and France
Panorama: リバーズ・エッジ Ribâzu ejji (River's Edge), Isao Yukisada, Japan
Forum: An Elephant Sitting Still, Hu Bo, China

Ecumenical Jury Awards
Competition: In den Gängen (In the Aisles), Thomas Stuber, Germany
Special Mention: Utøya 22. juli (U - July 22), Erik Poppe, Norway
Panorama: Styx, Wolfang Fischer, Germany and Austria
Forum: Teatro de guerra (Theatre of War) by Lola Arias, Argentina and Spain

Confédération Internationale des Cinémas d’Art et d’Essai (C.I.C.A.E.)
Panorama: Tinta Bruta (Hard Paint), Marcio Reolon and Filipe Matzembacher, Brazil
Forum: Teatro de guerra (Theatre of War) by Lola Arias, Argentina and Spain

Teddy Awards:
Best Film: Tinta Bruta (Hard Paint), Marcio Reolon and Filipe Matzembacher, Brazil
Special Jury Award: Obscuro Barocco, Evangelia Kranioti, France and Greece
Newcomer Award: Retablo, Alvaro Delgado Aparicio, Peru, Germany and Norway
Best Documentary: Bixa Travesty, (Tranny Fag) Claudia Priscilla and Kiko Goifman
Best Short Film: Three Centimetres, Lara Zeidan, UK
Readers' Award: Las Herederas (The Heiresses), Marcelo Martinessi, Paraguay, Uruguay, Brazil, Germany, Norway and France

Amnesty International Film Prize: Zentralflughafen THF (Central Airport THF), Karim Ainouz, Germany, Brazil and France
Special Mention:  Eldorado, Markus Imhoof, Switzerland and Germany

Caligari Film Prize: La Casa Lobo (The Wolf House), Cristóbal León and Joaquín Cociña, Chile
Guild Film Prize: In den Gängen (In the Aisles), Thomas Stuber, Germany
Heiner Carow Prize: Styx, Wolfang Fischer, Germany and Austria
Label Europa Cinemas: Styx, Wolfang Fischer, Germany and Austria
Peace Film Prize: The Silence of Others, Almudena Carracedo and Robert Bahar, USA and Spain

Readers' Juries and Audience Awards

Panorama Audience Awards
Feature Films
1st Place: Profile, Timur Bekmambetov, USA, UK and Cyprus
2nd Place: Styx, Wolfang Fischer, Germany and Austria
3rd Place: L'Animale, Katharina Muckstein, Austria
Documentary Films
1st Place: The Silence of Others, Almudena Carracedo and Robert Bahar, USA and Spain
2nd Place: Partisan, Lutz Pehnert, Matthias Ehlert and Adama Ulrich, Germany
3rd Place: O processo (The Trial), Maria Ramos, Brazil, Germany and Netherlands

The Berliner Morgenpost Readers' Jury Award: Довлатов Dovlatov, Alexey German Jr., Russia, Poland and Serbia
The Tagesspiegel Readers' Jury Award: L'empire de la perfection (In the Realm of Perfection) by Julien Faraut, France

Prizes Berlinale Co-Production Market & Berlinale Talents (Development Awards)

Arte International Prize: The War Has Ended by Hagar Ben Asher, Israel, Poland and Germany
Baumi Script Development Award: Soudade Kaadan for Nezouh, Syria
Euroimages Co-Production Development Award: The War Has Ended by Hagar Ben Asher, Israel, Poland and Germany

VFF Talent Highlight Award: Jing Wang producer for Tropical Memories by Shipei Wen, China.

Robert Bosch Stifung Prize for International Cooperation - Germany/Arab World
Documentary Film: Purple Sea, Amel Alzakout and Khaled Abdulwahed, Germany and Syria
Animation Film: How My Grandmother Became a Chair, Nicolas Fattouh, Germany and Lebanon
Short Film Fiction: Maradona's Legs, Firas Khoury, Germany and Palestine

Kompagnon-Fellowship Awards
Perspektive Deutches Kino: Blutsauger, Julian Radlmaier
Berlinale Talents: When a Farm Goes Aflame, the Flakes Fly Home to Bear the Tale, Jide Tom Akinlemin, Denmark, Germany and Nigeria

Compass-Perspektive-Award: Überall wo wir sind (Everywhere We Are), Veronika Kaserer

Honorary Golden Bear: Willem Dafoe
Berlinale Camera: Beki Probst, Katriel Schor, and Jiří Menzel

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32nd Teddy Award Winners

Last night was the awards ceremony which was more likely a drag (?) show.  Perhaps I'm starting (lol) to get older but this type of show absolutely is not my cup-of-tea, much less the show by the group that won the documentary award.  Sigh.

Nevertheless I'm glad the ceremony was streamed live as it's easier to follow winners this way than only via twitter.

Regarding the winners it's interesting that FIPRESCI found the Paraguay movie the "best" in competition and this award jury gave film no honors, except becoming one of the three nominees, that assume means, finalists.  Brazil becomes the cinema country with more honors in this edition as wins top award and documentary award.

There was a new award given this year, Teddy Newcomer Award given to a first or second feature-lenght film with a queer subject matter.  Retablo by Alvaro Delgado Aparicio wins the first edition of this award.

Will list winners with the respective Jury Statement for easier reference.

Best Feature Film: Tinta Bruta (Hard Paint),  Marcio Reolon and Filipe Marzembacher, Brazil
Jury Statement: Tinta bruta The Teddy fiction feature award goes to a movie which beautifully tells the story of a boy reconnecting himself with the real world. In a unique and creative cinematic form, the film captures the fierce struggle between fear and desire. Music, lights and colors culminate in a pure expression of the protagonist's feelings, gradually becoming his means to reconcile body, heart and soul. For its incredible directing achievement and tremendous cast, the teddy jury is proud to award Tinta Bruta by Marcio Reolon and Filipe Matzembacher.

Nominees
Las Herederas (The Heiresses), Marcelo Martinessi, Paraguay, Uruguay, Germany, Brazil, Norway and France
Nu mă atinge-mă (Touch Me Not), Adina Pintille, Romania, Germany, Czech Republic, Bulgaria and France

Jury Award:  Obscuro Barroco, Evangelia Kranioti, France and Greece
Jury Statement: This film transports us to a city that is vibrant and surreal, a carnival of dreams and nightmares, seen through the eyes of its queer icon. The director's impressive singular vision draws you in with remarkable cinematography and sound design, making it uniquely poetic and intimate, and an outstanding artistic achievement. That's why we award the Special Jury Prize to Evangelia Kranioti and her film Obscuro Barroco.

Newcomer Award:  Retablo, Alvaro Delgado-Aparicio L., Peru, Germany and Norway

Best Documentary Film:  Bixa Travesty (Tranny Fag), Claudia Priscilla and Kiko Goifman, Brazil
Jury Statement: The film introduces us to an outstanding woman. Her curiosity and many different ways of expressing herself are more than inspiring. She is a performer, a good friend, a musician, a family person, an artist. With the beauty of the sounds, the aesthetic of the ima
ges, the film takes us on her journey of self determination between fantasy and self care. The Teddy Award for best documentary film 2018 goes to Bixa Travesty by Claudia Priscilla, Kiko Goifmann and of course to the protagonist of the film Linn da Quebrada.

Nominees
Yours in Sisterhood by Irene Lusztig, USA 
Shakedown, Leilah Weinraub, USA

Best Short Film:  Three Centimetres, Lara Zeidan, UK
Jury Statement: Three centimeters Lebanese female film director Lara Zeidan makes a sensitive and intimate portrait
of four young female friends on a Ferris Wheel in Beirut. We share in their emotional ride of sexual understanding, as the conversation turns from a jovial discussion of virginity, to a nervous outing of homosexuality. As we listen, we realise these young women are only just beginning to explore the many layers of their own and others' identities. We are privy to a crucial life episode in which a queer individual must claimand defend her right to exist. Lara Zeidan captures this delicate moment in adolescence with subtle yet tender performances from her cast.

Nominees
T.R.A.P, Manque La Banca, Argentina
Je fais où tu me dis (Dressed for Pleasure), Marie de Maricourt, Switzerland
 
Readers' Award: Las Herederas (The Heiresses), Marcelo Martinessi, Paraguay, Uruguay, Germany, Brazil, Norway and France
Jury Statement: Marceloo Martinessi shows that the search for individual identity knows no age, gender or class. With masses of emotion, visually impressive cinematography and an outstanding cast, he guides his audience through the life of a woman who finds an avenue to love and to herself despite all problems and crises. “Las Heredaras” weaves it’s story gently and imparts the characters with the space needed to grow. This is a film that lingers with you and imbues you with power. 

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2/7/18
The 32nd Teddy Award is presented within the framework of the Berlin International Film Festival from February 15 to 25, 2018. For 32 years the award has been rewarding movies and filmmakers, who, by engaging with queer topics, contribute to more tolerance, equality, acceptance and diversity in the society.  Prizes are awarded in the following categories:  Best Feature Film, Best Documentary Film, Best Short Film, Jury Award and the Manschaft Magazin Readers Award

Again this year Dieter Kosslick, Berlinale Director, did a remarkable introduction to Teddy Award Program guide and here is an excerpt.

Teddy #32: People. Dignity. Rights.
"All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights."  As often an unwillingly as this sentence - the first article of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights proclaimed 70 years ago -may be forgotten: there is nothing that we must defend more than people, their dignity and their rights.  ...

I am looking forward to the first "appearance" of the Teddy Newcomer Award.  And it has remained a special feature of the Berlinale that queer cinema can be found in nearly all sections, that 30 films from more than 20 countries adopt queer perspectives and tell queer stories.  The new Panorama team will also continue to highlight this fact.

As it's said in the program, "2018 is a year of transition for the Panorama team, with Wieland Spec, founder of the Teddy Award, relinquishing his 25 year role as curator of the arthouse section of the Berlinale. In his place stand three individuals, Paz Lazaro, Michael Stutz and Andreas Struck".  Paz Lazaro becomes the head of the section and since 2006 has worked with Wieland.  We hope that under Lazaro Panorama section will keep on growing on interesting films as well as brings more and more films that could compete for the Teddy Award.  Sigh.

Program also speaks about the #MeToo movement which suggest you read to remind yourself about celebrity predators but also about statistics like for example "lesbians are almost 10% more likely to experience rape than straight women and gay men face double the risk of sexual violence than heterosexual men". Sigh.

Current edition poster was created by the designers collective cabine, who has been responsible for the posters from several past editions.

This year there are five Teddy Diversity Talks that will cover the following subjects:
1.- Before Pride: Queer Film Pioneers on their legacy and contemporary work
2.- Bodies of Evidence: The Sensual and Political Power of Transformation
3.- Black Queer Women in Focus: The Economy of Space and Desire
4.- Go Your Own Way: Adolescent Resistance in Queer Narratives
5.- Diversity und Gender Equality in Beruf und Gesellschaft Viel Luft nach oben in Sachen Gleichstellung?

To check program go here (pdf file).

The awards ceremony will take place on February 23, at 8:30pm at the Haus der Berliner Festpiele and will be streamed live.  After the ceremony the celebration continues with the Teddy backstage party.

Feature Films

Competition
Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot, Gus Van Sant, USA
Las Herederas (The Heiresses), Marcelo Martinessi, Paraguay, Uruguay, Germany, Brazil, Norway and France. (L)
Nu mă atinge-mă (Touch Me Not), Adina Pintille, Romania, Germany, Czech Republic, Bulgaria and France 

Berlinale Special
The Happy Prince, Rupert Everett, Germany, Belgium and Italy

Panorama
Garbage, Q (Qaushiq Mukherjee), India
Hojoom (Invasion), Shahram Mokri, Iran
L'Animale, Katharina Mückstein, Austria (L)
Malambo, El Hombre Bueno (Malambo, The Good Man),  Santiago Loza, Argentina
Marilyn, Martin Rodriguez Redondo, Argentina and Chile
Mes Provinciales (A Paris Education), Jean-Paul Civeyrac, Franc
リバーズ・エッジ  Ribâzu ejji (River's Edge), Isao Yukisada, Japan
Tinta Bruta (Hard Paint),  Marcio Reolon and Filipe Marzembacher, Brazil

Forum
Tuzdan Kaide (The Pillar of Salt) by Burak Çevik, Turkey

Generation
High Fantasy, Jenna Bass, South Africa
Para Aduma (Red Cow), Tsivia Barkai Jacov, Israel (L)
Retablo, Alvaro Delgado-Aparicio L., Peru, Germany and Norway

Documentaries
Panorama Dokumente
Bixa Travesty (Tranny Fag), Claudia Priscilla and Kiko Goifman, Brazil (T)
Game Girls, Alina Skrzeszewska, France and Germany (L)
Obscuro Barroco, Evangelia Kranioti, France and Greece 
Shakedown, Leilah Weinraub, USA (L)
The Silk and the Flame, Jordan Schiele, USA
Yours in Sisterhood by Irene Lusztig, USA

Forum
Escape from Rented Island: The Lost Paradise of Jack Smith, Jerry Tartaglia, USA

Short Films
Competition
Onde o Verão Vai (episódios da juventude)/Where the Summer Goes (chapeters on youth), David Pinheiro Vicente, Portugal, 20’
T.R.A.P, Manque La Banca, Argentina, 16’ 

Forum
Contra-Internet: Jubilee 2033, Zach Blas, USA and UK, 29'
Evidentiary Bodies, Barbara Hammer, USA, 10'

Generation
Je fais où tu me dis (Dressed for Pleasure), Marie de Maricourt, Switzerland, 17'
Juck, Olivia Kastebring, Julia Gumpert, and Ulrika Bandeira, Sweden, 18'
Pop Rox, Nate Trinrud, USA, 14'
Three Centimetres, Lara Zeidan, UK, 9' (L)

The Jury
Antomio Harfuch, producer film curator, Mexico
Bohdan Zhuk, film festival programmer, Ukraine
Franck Finance-Madureira, movie journalist and Queer Palm creator, France
Marthe Djilo Kamga, film festival founder, Belgium
Natascha Frankenberg, film festival programmer, Germany
Pecha Lo, film festival director, Taiwan
Roisin Geraghty, producer and film festival manager and programmer, Ireland

Teddy Readers' Award Jury
Martin Busse, music editor
Katayun Pirdawari, activist
Holger Beisitzer, moviegoer
Chritine Burkart, journalist
Adriell Kopp, filmmaker


Retrospektive
Der Himmel Auf Erden (Heaven on Earth), Reinhold Schunzel and Alfred Schirokauer,  Germany, 1927
Ludwig de Zweite, Konig von Bayern (Ludwig II of Bavaria), Willhelm Dieterle, Germany, 1930

Homage
Pasolini, Abel Ferrara, France, Italy and Belgium, 2-14

Check available info and trailer @MOC.
Check available posters of ALL Berlinale Films, including those competing for Teddy Award, go pinterest here.

This year there is no way to embed the program guide so if you wish to check it go here.  To read about each film at official site go here.

The Trailer

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68th Berlinale Complete Lineup - Final

Today post becomes final as have checked all films, feature and shorts, with those published in Berlinale official site to make the list accurate to what will happen at the festival in a few days.

There are some interesting movies but no movie has call more my attention than the movie from Paraguay, the first one ever to compete for the Golden Bear, as I'm very curious to find why film called the attention of fest organizers, enough to place it in the main Competition.  Also is the one film that has clear lesbian interest and of course, becomes must-be-seen for me.  Let's hope film surprises many and maybe collects awards.

According to available trailers and/or film stills, seems there are films that suggest to have awesome visuals which is usual among films in the Berlinale as well as the "strange" (weird) films especially in the Forum section.  Perhaps the most surprising is to find great directors in the Panorama and Forum sections and not in the Competion (competing, out of the competion or special screening); so, will pay attention to why Kim ki-duk, Sergei Loznitsa, Santiago Loza, Corneliu Porumboiu, Claire Simon and others are not honored with a better section to decide if will watch films or not.  Sigh.

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1/30/18
First update with the new Documentary award, films in Forum and Generation.

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1/26/18
Today will start the always VERY LONG annual post with (almost) ALL movies in the current edition of the Berlin International Film Festival, better-known as Berlinale.

This is the third year festival organizers release info drop-by-drop, so there are several sections that have completed their selection and most interesting, they released a date when the full program will be "released", afternoon of Tuesday February 6th.  So that becomes the date when this post will have the before-last update.

As every year, post will be in-progress until fest uploads films to their official site, so if you wish check as will have constant updates with whatever new info becomes available.  It's only when films are in official site when this post becomes final.

Lately, there is not much talk about the almost coup-d'etat that happened a few months ago, when a group of 79 German directors called for an overhaul of the festival after Dieter Kosslicks departs as he will step down when his contract ends in May 2019.  There are many interesting things directors talk about, but what I absolutely do not agree is in saying that Berlinale is inferior to Cannes and Venice; perhaps is a tad below Cannes but is surely above Venice.  I'm Koslick's fan, love his personality and recognize his great work to make -and keep- Berlinale one of the three major film festivals in the world as we can't ignore what he has done to young filmmakers and many more achievements.  When -and if- he goes I'll miss him perhaps even more than what I could miss Thierry Fremaux and surely what I missed Marco Mueller.  Sigh.

Talking about departure, most surprising was Wieland Speck departure from Panorama section where he was the head; now will take new responsibilities as Consultant of the Official Program (???!!!).  The new Panorama team is headed by Paz Lazaro who will work together with Michael Stutz and Andreas Struck.  If you do not know who Speck is then you probably have to learn about how the Teddy Award became to be what is today, the most prestigious festival award for LGTB films.  Sigh.

Competition
Opening Film: Isle of Dogs, Wes Anderson, Germany and USA (animation)
3 Tage in Quiberon (3 Days in Quiberon), Emily Atef, Germany, Austria and France
Ang Panahon ng Halimaw (Season of the Devil), Lav Diaz, Philippines
Damsel, David Zellner and Nathan Zellner, USA
Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot, Gus Van Sant, USA
Довлатов Dovlatov, Alexey German Jr., Russia, Poland and Serbia
Eva, Benoit Jacquot, France and Belgium
Figlia mia (Daughter of Mine), Laura Bispuri, Italy, Germany and Switzerland
In den Gängen (In the Aisles), Thomas Stuber, Germany
Khook (Pig), Mani Haghighi, Iran
La prière (The Prayer), Cédric Kahn, France
(*) Las Herederas (The Heiresses), Marcelo Martinessi, Paraguay, Uruguay, Brazil, Germany, Norway and France
Mein Bruder heißt Robert und ist ein Idiot (My Brother's Name is Robert and He is an Idiot), Philip Gröning, Germany, France and Switzerland
Museo (Museum), Alonso Ruizpalacios, Mexico
(*) Nu mă atinge-mă (Touch Me Not), Adina Pintille, Romania, Germany, Czech Republic, Bulgaria and France
Toppen av ingenting (The Real Estate), Måns Månsson and Axel Petersén, Sweden and UK
Transit, Christian Petzold, Germany and France
Twarz (mug), Malgorzata Szumowska, Poland
Utøya 22. juli (U - July 22), Erik Poppe, Norway

Out of Competition
7 Days in Entebbe, Jose Padilha, USA and UK
Ága, Milko Lazarov, Bulgaria, Germany and France
Black 47, Lance Daly, Ireland and Luxembourg
(**) Eldorado, Markus Imhoof, Switzerland and Germany (documentary)
Unsane, Steven Soderbergh, USA

Check available info and trailers @MOC

International Jury
President: Tom Tykwer, director, screenwriter, film composer, and producer Germany
Cécile de France, actress, Belgium
Chema Prado, Head of programming and director Spanish Cinemateque, photographer, Spain
Adele Romanski, producer, USA
Ryūichi Sakamoto, composer, Japan
Stephanie Zacharek, film critic, USA



Berlinale Special

Berlinale Special Gala
Das schweigende Klassenzimmer (The Silent Revolution), Lars Kraume, Germany 
Songwriter, Murray Cummings, UK (documentary)
The Bookshop, Isabel Coixet, Spain, UK and Germany
The Happy Prince, Ruppert Everett, Germany, Belgium and Italy
Unga Astrid (Becoming Astrid), Pernille Fischer Christensen, Sweden, Germany and Denmark
捉妖記2 Zhuō yāo jì 2 (Monster Hunt 2), Raman Hui, China and Hong Kong

Berlinale Special
AMERICA Land of FreeKS, Ulli Lommel, Germany (documentary)
Gurrumul, Paul Williams, Australia (documentary)
Ryuichi Sakamoto: async At The Park Avenue Armory, Stephen Nomura Schible, USA and Japan  (documentary)
Tlmočník (The Interpreter), Martin Šulík, Slovak Republic, Czech Republic and Austria
Usedom - Der freie Blick aufs Meer (Usedom - Clear View at the Sea), Heinz Brinkmann, Germany (documentary)
(**) Viaje a los Pueblos Fumigados (A Journey to the Fumigated Towns), Fernando Solanas, Argentina (documentary)

Berlinale Series
Opening Series:  Picnic at Hanging Rock, Larysa Kondracki, Australia; Broadcaster: Foxtel
Bad Banks, Christian Schwochow, Germany and Luxemburg; Broadcaster: ZDF and Arte
Heimebane (Home Ground), Arild Andresen, and Johan Fasting Norway; Broadcaster: NRK
Liberty, Asger Leth and Mikael Marcimain, Denmark; Broadcaster: DR
The Looming Tower, Alex Gibney, USA; Broadcaster: Amazon and Hulu
Sleeping Bears, Keren Margalit, Israel; Broadcaster: Keshet
The Terror, Edward Berger, USA; Broadcaster: AMC, Amazon

Panorama
The first program curated by new section head Paz Lazaro, which seems has a "strong showing from Latin America" perhaps because this headline: Disobedience - "Body Politics", Resistance to Machismo.  Unfortunately after checking the final program it's clear that has a strong Brazilian presence and that's all.  The program for the 2018 edition has been finalized and features a total of 47 films from 40 countries with 37 world premieres and 16 directorial debuts.  20 films will be screened in the scope of Panorama Dokumente, while 27 fiction features are shown in Panorama Special as well as the main program.

Main Program
Opening Film: リバーズ・エッジ Ribâzu ejji (River's Edge), Isao Yukisada, Japan
Die Reise nach Sundevit (The Journey to Sundevit), Heiner Carow, Germany, 1966
Garbage, Q, India
Hojoom (Invasion), Shahram Mokri, Iran
Horizonti (Horizon), Tinatin Kajrishvill, Georgia and Sweden
Jibril, Henrika Kull, Germany
Koly padayut dereva (When the Trees Fall), Marysia Nikitiuk, Ukraine, Poland and Macedonia
Land, Babak Jalali, Italy, France, Nethrlands, Mexico and Qatar
(*) La Omision (The Omission), Sebastian Schjaer, Argentina, Netherlands and Switzerland
La terra dell'abbastanza (Boys Cry), Damiano D'Innocenzo and Fabio D'Innocenzo, Italy
Lemonade, Ioana Uricaru, Romania, Canada, Germany and Sweden
Malambo, El Hombre Bueno (Malambo, The Good Man), Santiago Loza, Argentina
(*) Marilyn, Martin Rodriguez Redondo, Argentina and Chile
Mes provinciales (A Paris Education), Jean Paul Civeyrac, France
Tinta Bruta (Hard Paint), Marcio Reolon and Filipe Matzembacher, Brazil
Trinta Lumes (Thirty Souls), Diana Toucedo, Spain
(*) Xiao Mei, Maren Hwang, Taiwan

Panorama Special
Opening Film: Styx, Wolfang Fischer, Germany and Austria
L'Animale, Katharina Muckstein, Austria
La Enfermedad del Domingo (Sunday's Illness), Ramon Salazar, Spain
Genezis (Genesis), Arpad Bogdan, Hungary
Inkan, gongkan, sikan grigo inkan (Human, Space, Time and Human), Kim ki-duk, Korea 
Ondes de choc - Journal de ma tete (Shock Waves-Diary of My Mind), Ursula Meier, Switzerland
Ondes de choc - Prenom: Mathieu (Shock Waves-First Name: Mathieu), Lionel Baier, Switzerland
Profile, Timur Bekmambetov, USA, UK and Cyprus
(*) Rou qing shi (Girls Always Happy), Yang Mingming, China
Yardle, Idris Elba, UK
Yocho (Foreboding), Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Japan

Panorama Dokumente (documentaries)
Opening Film:   (**) Až přijde válka (When the War Comes), Jan Gebert, Czech Republic and Croatia
(**) Al Gami'ya (What Comes Around), Reem Saleh, Lebanon, Egypt, Greece, Qatar and Slovenia
Bixa Travesty (Tranny Fag), Claudia Priscilla and Kiko Goifman, Brazil
(**) Ex Paje (Ex Shaman), Luiz Bolognesi, Brazil
Famillenleben (Family Life), Rosa Hannah Ziegler, Germany
(**) Game Girls, Alina Skrzeszewska, France and Germany
Generation Wealth, Lauren Greenfield, USA
Hotel Jugoslavija, Nicolas Wagnieres, Swtizerland
Je vois rouge (I See Red People), Bojina Panyotova, France and Bulgaria
Kinshasa Makambo, Dieudo Hamadi, Congo, France, Switzerland, Germany, Qatar and Norway
Matangi/Maya/M.I.A., Steve Loveridge, USA, UK, and Sri Lanka
O processo (The Trial), Maria Ramos, Brazil, Germany and Netherlands
(**) Obscuro Barroco, Evangelia Kranioti, France and Greece
Partisan, Lutz Pehnert, Matthias Ehlert and Adama Ulrich, Germany
Shakedown, Leilah Weinraub, USA
Shut Up and Play the Piano, Philipp Jedicke, Germany, France and UK
That Summer, Goran Hugo Olsson, Sweden, Denmark and USA
The Silence of Others, Almudena Carracedo and Robert Bahar, USA and Spain
The Silk and the Flame, Jordan Schiele, USA
(**) Zentralflughafen THF (Central Airport THF), Karim Ainouz, Germany, Brazil and France

Check available info and trailers for all Panorama films  @MOC

Forum

48th Forum
This year, Arsenal – Institute for Film and Video Art is putting on the Forum as part of the Berlinale for the 48th time. The main programme consists of 44 films, 35 of which world premieres.

14 Apples by Midi Z, Taiwan and Myanmar
Afrique, la pensée en mouvement Part I by Jean-Pierre Bekolo, Senegal
Aggregat (Aggregate) by Marie Wilke, Germany
(*) An Elephant Sitting Still by Hu Bo, China 
Amiko by Yoko Yamanaka, Japan
Apatride (Stateless) by Narjiss Nejjar, Morocco and France
Aufbruch (Departure) by Ludwig Wüst, Austria
Casanovagen (Casanova Gene) by Luise Donschen, Germany
Classical Period by Ted Fendt, USA
Con el viento (Facing the Wind) by Meritxell Colell Aparicio, Spain, France and Argentina
(**) Den' Pobedy (Victory Day) by Sergei Loznitsa, Germany
Die Tomorrow by Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit, Thailand
Djamilia (Jamila) by Aminatou Echard, France
(*) Drvo (The Tree) by André Gil Mata, Portugal – WP
Fotbal Infinit (Infinite Football) by Corneliu Porumboiu, Romania
Grass by Hong Sangsoo, Republic of Korea
Interchange by Brian M. Cassidy, Melanie Shatzky, Canada
Jahilya by Hicham Lasri, Morocco / France
(*) Kaotični život Nade Kadić (The Chaotic Life of Nada Kadić) by Marta Hernaiz, Mexico / Bosnia and Herzegovina
(*) La cama (The Bed) by Mónica Lairana, Argentina, Germany, Netherlands and Brazil
La casa lobo (The Wolf House) by Joaquín Cociña and Cristóbal León, Chile
Last Child by Shin Dong-seok, Republic of Korea
(**) L'empire de la perfection (In the Realm of Perfection) by Julien Faraut, France
Los débiles (The Weak Ones) by Raúl Rico, Eduardo Giralt Brun, Mexico
Madeline's Madeline by Josephine Decker, USA
Maki'la by Machérie Ekwa Bahango,  Congo and France
Mariphasa by Sandro Aguilar, Portugal
(**) Minatomachi (Inland Sea) by Kazuhiro Soda, Japan and USA
(*) Notes On an Appearance by Ricky D'Ambrose, USA
Old Love by Park Kiyong, Korea
Our House by Yui Kiyohara, Japan
Our Madness by João Viana, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, Qatar, Portugal and France
+ Accidence by Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, Galen Johnson, Canada – WP
Premières armes (First Stripes) by Jean-François Caissy, Canada
(**) Premières solitudes (Young Solitude) by Claire Simon, France
SPK Komplex (SPK Complex) by Gerd Kroske, Germany
Syn (The Son) by Alexander Abaturov, France and Russia
Teatro de guerra (Theatre of War) by Lola Arias, Argentina and Spain
The Green Fog by Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, and Galen Johnson, USA and Canada
Tuzdan Kaide (The Pillar of Salt) by Burak Çevik, Turkey
Unas preguntas (One or Two Questions) by Kristina Konrad, Germany and Uruguay
(**) Waldheims Walzer (The Waldheim Waltz) by Ruth Beckermann, Austria
Wieża. Jasny dzień. (Tower. A Bright Day.) by Jagoda Szelc, Poland
Wild Relatives by Jumana Manna, Germany, Lebanon and Norway
Yours in Sisterhood by Irene Lusztig, USA

Forum Special Screenings
11 x 14 by James Benning, USA, 1976
Der Film verlässt das Kino: Vom Kübelkind-Experiment und anderen Utopien (Film Beyond Cinema: The Dumpster Kid Experiment and Other Utopias) by Robert Fischer, Germany 
Geschichten vom Kübelkind (Stories of the Dumpster Kid) by Ula Stöckl, Edgar Reitz, Germany, 1970
Kad budem mrtav i beo (When I Am Dead and Pale) by Živojin Pavlović, Yugoslavia, 1967
Santo contra Cerebro del mal (Santo vs. Evil Brain) by Joselito Rodríguez, Mexico, 1961
Shaiu Umar by Adamu Halilu, Nigeria, 1976
Tahia ya Didou by Mohamed Zinet, Algeria, 1971
Yama–Attack to Attack by Mitsuo Sato, Kyoichi Yamaoka, Japan, 1985

A Pink Tribute to Keiko Sato
Abnormal Family by Masayuki Suo, Japan 1984 
Gushing Prayer by Masao Adachi, Japan 1971
Inflatable Sex Doll of the Wastelands by Atsushi Yamatoya, Japan 1967

Concert: “Georges Méliès Solitudes Cine-concert” with Sharif Sehnaoui, Khyam Allami, Magda Mayas, Tony Elieh and Abed Kobeissy

13th Forum Expanded
34 film and video works of all lengths and genres together with 15 installations have been invited from a total of 27 countries.  This year’s programme once again includes a variety of works that use documentary techniques to examine and explore the potential for both cinema and music to question, illustrate, analyse and bring about change in such a way that they are capable of intervening in social and political events on the global stage. In so doing, they also expand the very concept of the documentary.  Check press release with all films in this section at official site here.

Generation
Selected from considerably more than 2,000 submissions, this year a total of 65 full-length and short films from 39 production and co-production countries have been invited to compete in the Generation Kplus and Generation 14plus competitions.   In its 41st edition, Generation reinforces the Berlin International Film Festival’s reputation for presenting ambitious new discoveries in the international contemporary film scene to young people told at eye level. “Generation shows films that stay close to the daily lives and fields of experience of children and young people, frequently in challenging situations. And we won’t ever tire of promoting a broader understanding of film for young viewers. At the same time, a visit to Generation has to be a joyful one, an adventure - and whet the appetite for more great cinema,” comments section head Maryanne Redpath.

Generation Kplus

Feature Films
Opening Film: Den utrolige historie om den kæmpestore pære (The Incredible Story of the Giant Pear), Philip Einstein Lipski, Amalie Næsby Fick, and Jørgen Lerdam, Denmark
Allons enfants (Cléo & Paul), Stéphane Demoustier, France
(*) Blue Wind Blows, Tetsuya Tomina, Japan
(**) Ceres, Janet van den Brand, Belgium and Netherlands (documentary)
Cirkeline, Coco og det vilde næsehorn (Circleen, Coco and the Wild Rhinoceros), Jannik Hastrup, Denmark
Dikkertje Dap (My Giraffe), Barbara Bredero, Netherlands, Belgium and Germany
(*) El día que resistía, Alessia Chiesa, Argentina and France
Gordon och Paddy (Gordon and Paddy), Linda Hambäck, Sweden
Les rois mongols (Cross My Heart), Luc Picard, Canada
Los Bando, Christian Lo, Norway and Sweden
Mochila de Plomo (Packing Heavy), Dario Mascambroni, Argentina
Sekala Niskala (The Seen and Unseen), Kamila Andini, Indonesia, Netherlands, Australia and Qatar
Supa Modo, Likarion Wainaina, Germany and Kenya
Wang Zha de yuxue (Wangdrak's Rain Boots), Lhapal Gyal, China

Short Films
A Field Guide to Being a 12-Year-Old Girl, Tilda Cobham-Hervey, Australia
Brottas (Tweener), Julia Thelin, Sweden
Cena d’aragoste (Lobster Dinner), Gregorio Franchetti, Italy and USA
De Natura, Lucile Hadžihalilović, Romania
Fisketur (Out Fishing), Uzi Geffenblad, Sweden
Fire in Cardboard City, Phil Brough, New Zealand, 9'
Hvalagapet, Liss-Anett Steinskog, Norway
Jaalgedi (A Curious Girl), Rajesh Prasad Khatri, Nepal
L’après-midi de Clémence (The Afternoon of Clémence), Lénaïg Le Moigne, France
Lost & Found, Bradley Slabe, Andrew Goldmith, Australia, 8'
Neko no Hi (Cat Days), Jon Frickey, Germany, 11'
Paper Crane, Takumi Kawakami, Australia
Pinguin (Penguin), Julia Ocker, Germany
Snijeg za Vodu (Snow for Water), Christopher Villiers, Bosnia Herzegovina and UK
Toda mi alegría (All My Joy), Micaela Gonzalo, Argentina
Tråder (Threads), Torill Kove, Norway and Canada
Trois rêves de ma jeunesse (Three Dreams of My Childhood), Valérie Mréjen, Bertrand Schefer, Romania
Vdol´ i poperyok (Between the Lines), Maria Koneva, Russia
Yover, Edison Sánchez, Colombia, 14'

Generation Kplus International Jury
Amanda Duthie, festival director, Australia
Sanna Lenken, director and screenwriter, Sweden
Carla Simon, director, Spain



Generation 14plus

Feature Films
Opening Film: 303, Hans Weingartner, Germany
Adam, Maria Solrun, Germany, Iceland, USA and Mexico
Cobain, Nanouk Leopold, Netherlands, Belgium and Germany
Danmark (Denmark), Kasper Rune Larsen, Denmark
(*) Dressage, Pooya Badkoobeh, Iran
Fortuna, Germinal Roaux, Switzerland and Belgium
(*) Güvercin (The Pigeon), Banu Sivaci, Turkey
Hendi va Hormoz (Hendi & Hormoz), Abbas Amini, Iran and Czech Republic
High Fantasy, Jenna Bass, South Africa
Kissing Candice, Aoife McArdle, Ireland
Les faux tatouages (Fake Tattoos), Pascal Plante, Canada
(*) Para Aduma (Red Cow), Tsivia Barkai Jacov, Israel
Retablo, Alvaro Delgado-Aparicio, Peru, Germany and Norway
Unicórnio (Unicorn), Eduardo Nunes, Brazil
Virus Tropical, Santiago Calcedo, Colombia
(**) What Walaa Wants, Christy Garland, Canada and Denmark

Short Films
Fry-Up, Charlotte Regan, UK
Follower, Jonathan B. Behr, Germany, 10'
Je fais où tu me dis (Dressed for Pleasure), Marie de Maricourt, Switzerland, 17
Juck, Olivia Kastebring, Julia Gumpert, and Ulrika Bandeira, Sweden, 18'
Kiem Holijanda, Sarah Veltmeyer, Netherlands
Na zdrowie! (Bless You!), Paulina Ziólkowska, Poland, 5'
Neputovanja (Untravel), Ana Nedeljković, Nikola Majdak Jr., Serbia and Slovakia
Nuuca,  Michelle Latimer , USA and Canada, 13'
Playa (Beach), Francisco Borrajo, Mexico
Pop Rox, Nate Trinrud, USA, 14'
Premier amour (First Love), Jules Carrin, Switzerland
Sinfonía de un mar triste (Symphony of a Sad Sea), Carlos Morales, Mexico, 13'
Tangles and Knots, Renée Marie Petropoulos, Australia
Three Centimetres, Lara Zeidan, UK, 9'
Vermine (Vermin), Jeremie Becquer, Denmark, 6'
Voltage, Samira Ghahremani, Austria

Check available info and trailers for all Generation films @MOC

Generation 14plus International Jury
Felipe Bragança, director, Brazil
Mark Rogers, cinematographer,  Australia
Verena von Stackelberg, producer and Wolf founder, Germany



Perspektive Deutsches Kino
14 films, including six full-length fiction and four documentary films, will compete for the Kompass-Perspektive-Preis. In addition, a neighborhood film project that focuses on Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz in Berlin will be a guest at Perspektive Deutsches Kino 2018.

Die defekte Katze (A Dysfunctional Cat), Susan Gordanshekan, Germany
(**) draußen (outside), Johanna Sunder-Plassmann and Tama tobias-Macht, Germany (documentary)
Feierabendbier (After-Work Beer), Ben Brummer, Germany
Impreza - Das Fest (Impreza - The Celebration), Alexandra Wesolowski, Germany (documentary)
Kein sicherer Ort (No Safe Place), Antje Beine, Germany, 22' (medium-lenght)
Kineski zid (Great Wall of China),  Aleksandra Odić, Germany, 36' (medium-length)
(*) Luz, Tilman Singer, Germany
Rå, Sophia Bösch, Germany and Sweden, 30' (medium-length)
Rückenwind von vorn (Away You Go), Philip Eichholtz, Germany
Storkow Kalifornia, Kolja Malik, Germany, 29' (medium-length)
(**) The Best Thing You Can Do With Your Life, Zita Erffa, Germany and Mexico (documentary)
Überall wo wir sind (Everywhere We Are), Veronica Kaserer, Germany (documentary) 
Verlorene (Lost Ones), Felix Hassenfratz, Germany
(*) Whatever Happens Next, Julian Pörksen, Germany and Poland

Guest Projects
Film Waderungen (Film Walks), 27 participants, Germany (doc-series)
Landrauschen (Country Noise), Lisa Miller, Germany
Ohne diese Welt (Without This World), Nora Fingscheidt, Germany (documentary)

(*) Competing for the First Feature Award.  There are 18 films nominated the award.
First Feature Award Jury
Jonas Carpignano, director, Italy
Calin Peter Netzer, director, Romania
Noa Regev, director of Cinemateque and Jerusalem fest, Israel



(**) Competing for the Documentary Award. Also The Green Lie by Werner Boote screened at Culinary Cinema. There are 18 films competing for the award.
Documentary Award Jury
Gintia Gil, doc festival director, Portugal
Ulrike Ottinger, director, screenwriter, cinematographer, artist and phtographer, Germany
Eric Schlosser, journalist, playwright, screenwriter and filmmaker, USA



Berlinale Shorts
22 films from 18 countries will be competing for the Golden and Silver Bear, as well as the Audi Short Film Award and a nomination for the European Film Awards.  The short films in this year's international competition look reality in the eye and actively contribute to the current socio-political discourse. Different strategies of empowerment are brought to bear. Self-determinedly, the filmmakers capture small moments, local stories and topics, and connect them to events of great impact. Whether the films are animated, documentary or fiction – experimentation is the order of the day. The performative element is part of the strategy. Gender relations and power structures are still far from being equal or balanced, but they are the subject of these works.

Films screening in Berlinale Shorts 2018

After/Life, Puck Lo, USA, 15'
Alma Bandida (The Hooligan Soul), Marco Antônio Pereira, Brazil, 15’
And What Is the Summer Saying, Payal Kapadia, India, 23’
Babylon, Keith Deligero, Philippines, 20
Blau, David Jansen, Germany, 15’
Burkina Brandenburg Komplex, Ulu Braun, Germany, 19’
Circle, Jayisha Patel, UK, India and Canada, 14’
City of Tales, Arash Nassiri, France, 21’
Coyote, Lorenz Wunderle, Switzerland, 10’
Imfura, Samuel Ishimwe, Switzerland and Rwanda, 36’
Madness, João Viana, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, Qatar, Portugal and France, 13‘
Onde o Verão Vai (episódios da juventude), David Pinheiro Vicente, Portugal, 20’
Russa, João Salaviza & Ricardo Alves Jr., Portugal and Brazil, 20’
Solar Walk, Réka Bucsi, Denmark, 21’
Terremoto Santo (Holy Tremor), Bárbara Wagner and Benjamin de Burca, Brazil, 20’
T.R.A.P, Manque La Banca, Argentina, 16’
While I Yet Live, Maris Curran, USA, 15’
Wishing Well, Sylvia Schedelbauer, Germany, 13‘

Berlinale Shorts II: Inside the circle of lighting from outer space
Imperial Valley (cultivated run-off), Lukas Marxt, Germany and Austria, 14'
Berlinale Shorts III: Ecstasy of Life
The Men Behind the Wall, Ines Moldavsky, Israel, 28'
Berlinale Shorts IV: In the night a whisper is a Roar
Des jeunes filles disparaissent (Young Girls Vanish), Clément Pinteaux, France, 16'
Berlinale Shorts V: Step across yesterday
Le Tigre de Tasmanie (The Tasmanian Tiger), Vergine Keaton, France, 14'

Out of Competition
Besida, Chuko Esiri, Nigeria, 12’
The Shadow of Utopia, Antoinette Zwirchmayr, Austria, 23’

50 years since 1968: The Berlinale Shorts special program “1968 – Red Flags for Everyone” will present aesthetic strategies that are still relevant to this day. “Without raising the question of social unrest, it would be impossible to examine 1968 – the subjective gaze in its aesthetic diversity is the kaleidoscope that makes the conditions then accessible today. By radically reducing everything to the material itself, the artists free film from any sort of narrative and allow a new reality to become apparent,” states Berlinale Shorts curator Maike Mia Höhne.

Berlinale Shorts Special Program - 1968-Red Flags for Everyone
Alaska, Dore O., Federal Republic of Germany, 18‘, 1968
Antigone, Ula Stöckl, Federal Republic of Germany, 9‘, 1964
Farbtest Rote Fahne (Color Test: The Red Flag), Gerd Conradt, Federal Republic of Germany, 12‘, 1968
Fundevogel (Founding-Bird), Claudia von Alemann, Federal Republic of Germany, 22‘, 1967
I Ruhrområdet (In the Ruhr Region), Peter Nestler, Sweden, 34‘, 1967
Ja/Nein (Yes/No), Ernst Schmidt jr., Austria, 3‘, 1968
Kunst & Revolution (Art & Revolution), Ernst Schmidt jr., Austria, 2‘, 1968
My Name is Oona, Gunvor Nelson, USA, 10‘, 1969
Na und…? (So what...?), Marquard Bohm and Helmut Herbst, Federal Republic of Germany, 33‘, 1966
Programmhinweise (Program Advice), Christiane Gehner, Federal Republic of Germany, 10‘, 1970
Rohfilm (Raw Film), Birgit and Wilhelm Hein, Federal Republic of Germany, 20‘, 1968
Tapp und Tastkino (Tap and Touch Cinema), VALIE EXPORT, Austria, 2‘, 1968

Berlinale Shorts Jury
Diogo Costa Amarante, filmmaker, Portugal
Jyoti Mistry,  filmmaker and academic, South Africa
Mark Toscano, filmmaker and curator, USA



NATIVe
This year, the Berlinale special presentation NATIVe − A Journey into Indigenous Cinema will pass review and at the same time turn its glance towards the future.

12th Culinary Cinema
The 12th Culinary Cinema will be held under the motto “Life Is Delicate” from February 18 to 23, 2018. Nine documentaries and a fictional film focusing on the relationship between food, culture, and politics are being presented this year.

Retropsective - Weimar Cinema Revisited
The Retrospective of the 68th Berlin International Film Festival will focus on the great variety of cinema in the Weimar era. Some one hundred years ago, at the end of World War I and the dawn of the Weimar Republic, one of the most productive and influential phases in German filmmaking began unfolding, a creative era that went on to shape international perception of the country’s film culture, even to the present day. For “Weimar Cinema Revisited”, the festival will present a total of 28 programmes of narrative, documentary, and short films made between 1918 and 1933.

Berlinale Goes Kiez
Berlinale Goes Kiez has been bringing the festival to independent cinemas across the city and the surrounding area since its inception in 2010. This special series honours the work of those arthouse theatres whose committed owners and operators devote their lives to keeping a vital cinema culture going and whose patrons appreciate their wide programmatic range the entire year round. Use link to check full section program.

Books At Berlinale
Twelve International Novels with screen potential.  Producers can once again discover twelve new, unusual literary works that could be turned into films. The selected books will be showcased at the popular presentation, which has been a part of the Berlinale Co-Production Market since 2006, in cooperation with the Frankfurt Book Fair.

16th Berlinale Talent Campus
250 filmmakers from 81 countries in Berlin, including 128 women and 122 men. 40 film projects.

European Film Market & Co-Production Market
36 new feature film projects that are looking for co-producers from 28 countries.

Homage
The 68th edition of the Berlin International Film Festival is dedicating this year’s Homage to American film and theatre actor Willem Dafoe and presenting him with an Honorary Golden Bear in recognition of his life’s work.

The Berlinale Camera
Beki Probst, President of the European Film Market, Switzerland
Katriel Schory, producwr and Executive Director of the Israel Film Fund, Israel
Jiří Menzel, director and actor, Czech Republic

Check available posters at my Pinterest here.

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30th European Film Awards Winners

Last night the European Academy had their annual awards ceremony and have to admit that enjoyed the show, at least the first half as believe Wim Wenders speech was outstanding and the #MeToo moment was relevant - will take a lot for me to forget what the Polish lady said-.

Then there were the clip collages with kudos to the 30th anniversary video which gave me satisfaction as to my viewing pleasure, have seen almost all the movies they shown.  Always homages have nice videos with the honored filmography, but Aleksandr Sukorov video was breathtaking with many well-crafted images from his outstanding oeuvre.  Images from Mother and Son will always move me beyond tears as not often you see such beauty in cinema.  Gorgeous homage to Sukorov.

The big winner of the night is The Square by Ruben Östlund which tonight collected 5 awards for a grand total of 6 awards when taking into account those announced earlier.  Ruben Östlund won 2 awards for directing and screenwriter; but perhaps the most remarkable achievement is film to win both top award as well as top European comedy.

Also well-deserved are Lady Macbeth win as film is constructed in such an interesting fashion that a well-known story becomes new in the hands of William Oldroyd and with the amazing performance of his lead actress.

No doubt Loving Vincent is mesmerizing as the novelty of oil painting animation in the style of Vincent Van Gogh is impossible to imagine until you see it.  Perhaps is a bit too-much for me but nevertheless was a very interesting cinematic experience.  Well-deserved recognition from the European Academy and wonder how well will film do in the American awards.

Last half of the awards show became a monotonous, especially after the first half was very dynamic but some winners were emotional and always feels very fresh to see those spontaneous reactions.  In general was a good awards show that lasted almost three hours and was able to maintain my interest alive.  Great.

So check the winners below.  Those announced earlier have the statement for your information.

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11/14/17
Today the European Film Academy announced the first award winners for the 2017 edition but the major categories will be announced during the awards ceremony next December 9; consequently, post will be in progress until that date.

A special seven-member jury convened in Berlin and, based on the EFA Selection list and the additional film entries, decided on the winners in the categories cinematography, editing, production design, costume design, hair & make-up, composer and sound design.

These are the winners

European Film:  The Square, Ruben Östlund, Sweden, Germany, France and Denmark
European Comedy:  The Square, Ruben Östlund, Sweden, Germany, France and Denmark

European Discovery - Prix FIPRESCI: Lady Macbeth, William Oldroyd, UK
European Documentary: Komunia (Communion), Anna Zamecka, Poland
European Animated Feature: Loving Vincent, Dorota Kobiela and Hugh Welchman, Poland and UK

European Director:  Ruben Östlund for The Square, Sweden, Germany, France and Denmark
European Screenwriter: Ruben Östlund for The Square, Sweden, Germany, France and Denmark

European Short Film: Timecode, Juanjo Giménez, Spain

European Actress: Alexandra Borbély in Teströl és lélekröl (On Body and Soul), Ildikó Enyedi, Hungary
European Actor: Claes Bang in The Square, Ruben Östlund, Sweden, Germany, France and Denmark

People's Choice Award for Best European Film: Von der Morgenrote (Stefan Zweig-Farewell to Europe), Maria Scharader, Germany, Austria and France

European University Film Award: Heartstone, Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson, Iceland and Denmark
Heartstone is a story about exploration of identities and growing up within an isolated Icelandic community. It highlights the pressure placed on people to conform to particular gender conventions and social norms. The film offers an individual and unique perspective on the difficulty of experiencing and suppressing same-sex attraction in small, disconnected communities. As an up and coming talent, Gudmundur Arnar Gudmundsson delivers an immersive story visualized by overwhelming natural landscapes and beautiful performances. It stands out not only because it is a good film, but also because it explores relevant contemporary issues within today’s society.

European Cinematographer - Prix Carlo di Palma: Michall Krichman for Нелюбо́вь Nelyubov (Loveless), Andrey Zvyagintsev, Russia, Belgium, Germany and France
The cold eye of Michail Krichman guides us through the film’s dark universe, consequently constructing an intense feeling of discomfort. The camera conveys a strong sense of darkness, emptiness and sadness. The choice of what is shown and what stays hidden, gives tremendous weight to every movement of the camera, every carefully constructed frame. Ascetic and well-measured cinematic means evoke an uncanny sense of anxiety, a slight internal tremor.

European Editor: Robin Campillo for 120 Battements par minute (BPM (Beats per minute)), Robin Campillo, France
From the very beginning, Robin Campillo’s editing underlines perfectly the desperate personal urgency of the ACT UP activists and their manifestations. Be it at a pharmaceutical corporation or at a conference, the edit makes the tempo and contributes to the urgency of the film in perfect harmony with framing and story. 

European Production Designer: Josefin Åsberg for The Square, Ruben Östlund, Sweden, Germany, France and Denmark
With great artistic sensibility, the production design in THE SQUARE elevates the film by creating a world at the edge to the surreal. In this way the scenography is able to integrate and interact with the story without ever dominating over it. This is the great artistic quality of Josefin Åsberg.

European Costume Designer: Katarzyna Lewińska for Pokot (Spoor), Agnieszka Holland and Kasia Adamik, Poland, Germany, Czech Republic, Sweden and Slovakia
The simplicity and clarity of the costumes intensify the images and underline the substantial message of the film. The clash between the human element and the natural environment is reflected in the texture, the colours and the design of the costumes, at the same time contributing to the personality of the characters and giving them life. They form an integral part of the storytelling, along with all the other visual elements, and together they create a powerful viewing experience.

European Hair & Make-up Artist: Leendert van Nimwegen for Brimstone, Martin Koolhoven, Netherlands, France, Germany, Belgium, Sweden, UK and USA
In BRIMSTONE, Leendert van Nimwegen, with make-up and hair, helps the characters and their development throughout the film, from play- and colourful, to sober and sinister, the good, the bad, the young, the old. It is a perfect combination of hair and make-up to describe characters, so beautifully done, and making them real.

European Composer: Evgueni and Sacha Galperine for Нелюбо́вь Nelyubov (Loveless), Andrey Zvyagintsev, Russia, Belgium, Germany and France
The dark, haunting and brooding music intensifies the experience of watching the film. Beautifully written, with an intelligent use of piano effects, the score works like an extra character added to the unfortunate family. From beginning to end, the music captivates the underlying tensions, the hidden truths and lies, and guides you through the story, without being too overtly present.

European Sound Designer: Oriol Tarragó for A Monster Calls, J.A. Bayona, Spain
The sound design in A MONSTER CALLS is the power of imagination. Sonically, it takes us into a completely new, unknown world, and does exactly what the filmmaker wants the audience to feel when they’re watching something unfold on screen: It creates a sense of eeriness, a sense of mood, a sense of darkness … resulting in a well-crafted collaboration between sound and visuals.

The members of the jury that selected the seven EFA awards.
Samir Fočo, sound designer, Bosnia & Herzegovina
Raf Keunen, composer, Belgium
Melanie Ann Oliver, editor, UK
Vassilia Rozana, costume designer, Greece
Susana Sanchez, hair & make-up artist, Spain
Łukasz Żal, cinematographer, Poland
Tonino Zera, production designer, Italy

European Co-Production Award-Prix Eurimages: Cedomir Kolar
European Achievement in World Cinema: July Delpy
European Life Achievement Award: Aleksandr Sokurov

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30th European Film Awards Nominations

Last Saturday, November 4, at the Seville European Film Festival the nominations for the major categories were announced and my spontaneous reaction when watching live the press conference was that nominees are extraordinary films and Academy members will have a difficult task deciding their votes, as for example in the top category, voting between Cannes Golden Palm, Grand Prix and Jury Award is not easy but then you have to add Berlin Golden Bear and on top a movie by master filmmaker Aki Kaurismäki. Very difficult decision, not easy at all.

But the category that blew my mind is European Actress were you have Juliette Binoche and Isabelle Huppert, then Paula Beer and Alexandra Borbély, and finish with almost newcomer Florence Pugh!  What an eclectic combination of talent!  To be honest, have skipped Lady Macbeth but after BIFA and now this, imagine will have to "unskip" film (lol).



My biggest shock is the absence of Michael Haneke in major categories, only his main actors got a nomination.  Well, have to admit that was a year with several great productions that are not honored even with one nomination so, being optimist, it was an extraordinary year for filmmaking, for audiences but was very-crowded with great films by outstanding directors.

Leading the pack is Cannes Golden Palm winner The Square with five (5) nominations followed by Berlin Golden Bear winner On Body and Soul with four (4) nominations, then Loveless, The Other Side of Hope and The Killing of a Sacred Deer with three each.

Most interesting were the news about the next awards ceremony that will take place on Decembers 2018 and no other city but the one that have always held the nominations announcement, Seville.

The more than 3,000 EFA members will now vote for the winners who will be presented during the awards ceremony on December 9 in Berlin.

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10/25/17
The European Film Academy in the past few weeks has been announcing nominations for some categories, but major categories will be announced at the press conference on November 4 in the Seville European Film Festival; consequently, this post will be In Progress until that date.

Worth noting that the 30th anniversary award ceremony will be in Berlin on Saturday, December 9, 2017 and will be streamed live at the awards official site and broadcast across Europe.

The following are the #EFA2017 nominations.  The nominated films will soon be submitted to the more than 3,000 EFA members to elect the winner.

European Film
120 Battements par minute (BPM (Beats per minute)), Robin Campillo, France
Нелюбо́вь Nelyubov (Loveless), Andrey Zvyagintsev, Russia, Belgium, Germany and France
Teströl és lélekröl (On Body and Soul), Ildikó Enyedi, Hungary
Toivon Tuolla Puolen (The Other Side of Hope), Aki Kaurismäki, Finland and Germany
The Square, Ruben Östlund, Sweden, Germany, France and Denmark



European Comedy
King of the Belgians, Jessica Woodworth and Peter Brosens, Belgium, Netherlands and Bulgaria
The Square, Ruben Östlund, Sweden, Germany, France and Denmark
Vincent (Vincent and the End of the World), Christophe van Rompaey, Belgium and France
Willkommen bei den Hartmanns (Welcome to Germany), Simon Verhoeven, Germany



European Discovery - Prix FIPRESCI
Petit Paysan (Bloody Milk), Hubert Charuel, France
БЕЗБОГ Bezbog (Godless), Ralitza Petrova, Bulgaria, Denmark and France
Lady Macbeth, William Oldroyd, UK
Estiu 1993 (Summer 1993), Carla Simón, Spain
Die Einsiedler (The Eremites), Ronny Trocker, Germany



European Animated Film
Ethel & Ernest, Roger Mainwood, UK and Luxembourg
Louise by the Shore,  Jean-François Laguionie, France and Canada
Loving Vincent, Dorota Kobiela and Hugh Welchman, Poland and UK
Zombillénium, Arthur de Pins and Alexis Ducord, France and Belium



European Documentary
Austerlitz, Sergei Loznitsa, Germany
Komunia (Communion), Anna Zamecka, Poland
La Chana, Lucija Stojevic, Spain, Iceland and USA
Stranger in Paradise, Guido Hendrikx, Netherlands
The Good Postman, Tonislav Hristov, Finland and Bulgaria

European Director
Andrey Zvyagintsev for Нелюбо́вь Nelyubov (Loveless), Russia, Belgium, Germany and France
Ildikó Enyedi for Teströl és lélekröl (On Body and Soul), Hungary
Aki Kaurismäki for Toivon Tuolla Puolen (The Other Side of Hope), Aki Kaurismäki, Finland and Germany
Ruben Östlund for The Square, Sweden, Germany, France and Denmark
Yorgos Lanthimos for The Killing of a Sacred Deer, UK, Ireland and USA

European Actress
Paula Beer in Frantz, François Ozon, France and Germany
Juliette Binoche in Un beau soleil intérieur (Bright Sunshine In), Claire Denis, France and Belgium
Alexandra Borbély in Teströl és lélekröl (On Body and Soul), Ildikó Enyedi, Hungary
Isabelle Huppert in Happy End, Michael Haneke, France, Austria and Germany
Florence Pugh in Lady Macbeth, William Oldroyd, UK

European Actor
Claes Bang in The Square, Ruben Östlund, Sweden, Germany, France and Denmark
Colin Farrell in The Killing of a Sacred Deer, Yorgos Lanthimos, UK, Ireland and USA
Josef Hader in Vor der Morgenröte (Stefan Zweig-Farewell to Europe), Maria Schrader, Austria, Germany and France
Nahuel Pérez Biscayart in 120 Battements par minute (BPM (Beats per Minute)), Robin Campillo, France
Jean-Louis Trigntignant in Happy End, Michael Haneke, France, Austria and Germany

European Screenwriter
Ildikó Enyedi for Teströl és lélekröl (On Body and Soul), Hungary
Yorgos Lanthimos and Efthimis Filippou for The Killing of a Sacred Deer, Yorgos Lanthimos, UK, Ireland and USA
Oleg Negin and Andrey Zvyagintsev for Нелюбо́вь Nelyubov (Loveless), Andrei Zvyagintsev, Russia, Belgium, Germany and France
Ruben Östlund for The Square, Sweden, Germany, France and Denmark
François Ozon for Frantz, François Ozon, France and Germany

European University Film Award (EUFA)
Hjartasteinn (Heartsone), Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson, Iceland and Denmark
Home, Fien Troch, Belgium
Нелюбо́вь Nelyubov (Loveless), Andrei Zvagintsev, Russia, Belgium, Germany and France
Toivon Tuolla Puolen (The Other Side of Hope), Aki Kaurismäki, Finland and Germany
The War Show, Andreas Dalsgaard and Obaidah Zytoon, Denmark, Syria and Finland



European Short Film
Copa-Loca, Christos Massalas, Greece, 14'
En La Boca, Matteo Gariglio, Switzerland and Argentina, 25' (documentary)
Fight On A Swedish Beach!!, Simon Vahine, Sweden, 15'
Gros Chagrin (You Will Be Fine), Céline Devaux, France, 15' (animation)
Havêrk (The Circle), Rûken Tekeş, Turkey, 14'
Information Skies, Metahaven, Netherlands and South Korea,  24' (experimental)
Jeunes Hommes à la fenêtre (Young Men at their Window), Loukianos Moshonas, France, 18'
Los Desheredados (The Disinherited), Laura Ferrés, Spain, 18'
Love, Réka Bucsi, Hungary and France, 16' (animation)
Os Humores Artificiais (The Artificial Humors), Gabriel Abrantes, Portugal, 30'
Scris/Nescris (Written/Unwritten), Adrian Silisteanu, Romania, 20'
The Party, Andrea Harkin, Ireland, 14'
Timecode, Juanjo Giménez, Spain, 15'
Ugly, Redbear Easterman and Nikita Diakur, 12'
Wannabe, Jannis Lenz, Austria and Germany, 29'

People's Choice Award for Best European Film
A Monster Calls, J.A. Bayona, Spain
Bacalaureat (Graduation), Cristian Mungiu, Romania, France and Belgium
Bridget Jones's Baby, Sharon Maguire, UK, France and USA
Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, David Yates, UK and USA
Frantz, François Ozon, France and Germany
La Pazza Gioia (Like Crazy), Paolo Virzi, Italy and France
Kollektivet (The Commune), Thomas Vinterberg, Denmark, Sweden, Netherlands
Toivon Tuolla Puolen (The Other Side of Hope), Aki Kaurismäki, Finland and Germany
Von der Morgenrote (Stefan Zweig-Farewell to Europe), Maria Scharader, Germany, Austria and France



European Film Academy Lifetime Achievement Award: Aleksandr Sokurov
European Achievement in World Cinema: Julie Delpy

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