German directors Dani Levy and Wolfgang Becker have revealed more details of their next features as their joint production company X Filme Creative Pool undergoes a management restructure.
This will see director-producer Tom Tykwer take over from producer Stefan Arndt as the company’s joint managing director alongside Uwe Schott. Tywker founded the company with Levy, Becker and Arndt 30 years ago. Arndt plans to focus on producing.
Levy’s next feature Kochschule Schwarz is based on the true story about a restaurant owner and a lawyer who establish a cookery school in Munich in 1938 to offer fast-track courses to Jews...
This will see director-producer Tom Tykwer take over from producer Stefan Arndt as the company’s joint managing director alongside Uwe Schott. Tywker founded the company with Levy, Becker and Arndt 30 years ago. Arndt plans to focus on producing.
Levy’s next feature Kochschule Schwarz is based on the true story about a restaurant owner and a lawyer who establish a cookery school in Munich in 1938 to offer fast-track courses to Jews...
- 5/8/2024
- ScreenDaily
Director and producer Tom Tykwer has become managing director of Berlin-based production company X Filme Creative Pool, best known for “Babylon Berlin,” alongside Uwe Schott. Tykwer succeeds Stefan Arndt, one of Germany’s leading producers.
The reorganization of the company’s management is intended to “sharpen the focus on the development and implementation of creative, bold and unusual material for film and television,” according to a statement.
Arndt is leaving at his own request but will remain associated with the company as a producer.
X Filme Creative Pool was founded 30 years ago by Tykwer together with the writers and directors Wolfgang Becker and Dani Levy as well as Arndt. The four founders, who remain shareholders together with Beta Film and Bogey, based themselves on United Artists with the aim of producing sophisticated films with an audience appeal – or, as Variety put it, “intelligent films that audiences want to see.”
Tykwer...
The reorganization of the company’s management is intended to “sharpen the focus on the development and implementation of creative, bold and unusual material for film and television,” according to a statement.
Arndt is leaving at his own request but will remain associated with the company as a producer.
X Filme Creative Pool was founded 30 years ago by Tykwer together with the writers and directors Wolfgang Becker and Dani Levy as well as Arndt. The four founders, who remain shareholders together with Beta Film and Bogey, based themselves on United Artists with the aim of producing sophisticated films with an audience appeal – or, as Variety put it, “intelligent films that audiences want to see.”
Tykwer...
- 5/8/2024
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
German director Tom Tykwer has been named Managing Director of Babylon Berlin producer X Filme Creative Pool as part of a restructure that sees company co-founder Stefan Arndt step down.
The pair co-founded the German production powerhouse 30 years ago, but Tykwer will now succeed Arndt in the MD role, and joins Uwe Schott on the management team in Berlin. Arndt is exiting “at his own request” but will remain “associated” with the producer and stays on its board.
X Filme noted the restructure was “intended to sharpen the focus on the development and implementation of creative, bold and unusual material for film and television.”
“I would like to withdraw from the day-to-day business so that I can concentrate more on producing again,” said Arndt. “Some exciting projects are already in the pipeline and I’m looking forward to realising them as a freelance producer with the X Filme team.”
Tykwer,...
The pair co-founded the German production powerhouse 30 years ago, but Tykwer will now succeed Arndt in the MD role, and joins Uwe Schott on the management team in Berlin. Arndt is exiting “at his own request” but will remain “associated” with the producer and stays on its board.
X Filme noted the restructure was “intended to sharpen the focus on the development and implementation of creative, bold and unusual material for film and television.”
“I would like to withdraw from the day-to-day business so that I can concentrate more on producing again,” said Arndt. “Some exciting projects are already in the pipeline and I’m looking forward to realising them as a freelance producer with the X Filme team.”
Tykwer,...
- 5/8/2024
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
German filmmaker Tom Tykwer is taking over as managing director of X Filme Creative Pool, the company he co-founded 30 years ago, replacing partner Stefan Arndt, who is stepping down from the post on his own accord.
Tykwer will head up X Filme together with Uwe Schott, a producer who has been at the Berlin-based outfit since 2009 and has worked on many of the company’s biggest productions, from Cloud Atlas to the TV series Babylon Berlin.
Arndt, whose cinematic resume includes Run Lola Run, The White Ribbon, and Oscar winner Amour, will continue to produce for X Filme and, as a co-founder, remains a shareholder in the company.
In a statement, he said he wanted to withdraw from the daily business of managing X Filme “so that I can concentrate more on producing again. Some exciting projects are already in the making and I’m looking forward to realizing them...
Tykwer will head up X Filme together with Uwe Schott, a producer who has been at the Berlin-based outfit since 2009 and has worked on many of the company’s biggest productions, from Cloud Atlas to the TV series Babylon Berlin.
Arndt, whose cinematic resume includes Run Lola Run, The White Ribbon, and Oscar winner Amour, will continue to produce for X Filme and, as a co-founder, remains a shareholder in the company.
In a statement, he said he wanted to withdraw from the daily business of managing X Filme “so that I can concentrate more on producing again. Some exciting projects are already in the making and I’m looking forward to realizing them...
- 5/8/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Seriesmakers, a joint initiative of Series Mania, Europe’s biggest TV festival, and European film-tv powerhouse Beta Group, has revealed the 10 top-notch project lineup of the second edition of its novel and high-powered mentoring program for filmmakers making their TV creator debut.
This year’s Seriesmakers features in development drama series from Oscar winner Kevin Macdonald (“George Blake”), behind “The Last King Of Scotland,” and from Finnish director Mikko Myllylahti, who burst onto the scene co-writing with Juho Kuosmanen the latter’s “The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Makki,” a 2016 Cannes Un Certain Regard winner.
Also in the mix is the highly courted Kaouther Ben Hania, a double Oscar nominee for the “compelling, ambitious hybrid” “Four Daughters,” said Variety, in the doc category and the “The Man Who Sold His Skin” (2020), Tunisia’s entry in international feature.
In all, however, nine of the ten directors winning berths this...
This year’s Seriesmakers features in development drama series from Oscar winner Kevin Macdonald (“George Blake”), behind “The Last King Of Scotland,” and from Finnish director Mikko Myllylahti, who burst onto the scene co-writing with Juho Kuosmanen the latter’s “The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Makki,” a 2016 Cannes Un Certain Regard winner.
Also in the mix is the highly courted Kaouther Ben Hania, a double Oscar nominee for the “compelling, ambitious hybrid” “Four Daughters,” said Variety, in the doc category and the “The Man Who Sold His Skin” (2020), Tunisia’s entry in international feature.
In all, however, nine of the ten directors winning berths this...
- 3/4/2024
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
The sales company will start talking to buyesr
German sales outfit Global Screen has snapped up world sales rights to odd couple romantic comedy The Intangible Joy Of Love, directed by Lars Kraume and will start talking to buyers at TIFF.
Based on Simon Stephens’ play Heisenberg, the film stars Caroline Peters and Burghart Klaussner, who both also starred in the original stage production. The film is about the unlikely romance between a bankrupt elderly butcher and an unpredictable school secretary.
Klaussner initially brought the project to X Filme and made the first connection with Stephens. The film is produced...
German sales outfit Global Screen has snapped up world sales rights to odd couple romantic comedy The Intangible Joy Of Love, directed by Lars Kraume and will start talking to buyers at TIFF.
Based on Simon Stephens’ play Heisenberg, the film stars Caroline Peters and Burghart Klaussner, who both also starred in the original stage production. The film is about the unlikely romance between a bankrupt elderly butcher and an unpredictable school secretary.
Klaussner initially brought the project to X Filme and made the first connection with Stephens. The film is produced...
- 8/31/2023
- by Geoffrey Macnab
- ScreenDaily
’The Light’ is one of a slate of features to receive backing from German regional fund Film-und Medienstiftung Nrw.
The Light, Tom Tykwer’s first film for the cinema since his 2016 German-us comedy A Hologram For The King is one of 10 feature film projects allocated almost €6m in production support by the Düsseldorf-based regional fund Film-und Medienstiftung Nrw.
Tykwer’s original screenplay for The Light (Das Licht) centres on a troubled family who take on a Syrian immigrant as a housekeeper. When she successfully shakes up the lives of the family she then confronts them with the dark fate of her own.
The Light, Tom Tykwer’s first film for the cinema since his 2016 German-us comedy A Hologram For The King is one of 10 feature film projects allocated almost €6m in production support by the Düsseldorf-based regional fund Film-und Medienstiftung Nrw.
Tykwer’s original screenplay for The Light (Das Licht) centres on a troubled family who take on a Syrian immigrant as a housekeeper. When she successfully shakes up the lives of the family she then confronts them with the dark fate of her own.
- 6/21/2023
- by Martin Blaney
- ScreenDaily
Seriesmakers will offer training and grants to film directors looking to switch to TV series.
Marti Noxon, Agnieszka Holland, Michael Hirst, Frank Doelger, Hagai Levi, Stefan Arndt, Cyril Tysz, Ossi Nishri and Michael Polle have been named as the speakers for the first edition of Seriesmakers, the training programme launched by French TV festival Series Mania to help feature filmmakers move into TV.
The programme aims to support film talent working on a new scripted series to develop a complete pitch deck, guided by experienced directors, show runners, writers, and producers.
Ten teams with an idea for a TV series...
Marti Noxon, Agnieszka Holland, Michael Hirst, Frank Doelger, Hagai Levi, Stefan Arndt, Cyril Tysz, Ossi Nishri and Michael Polle have been named as the speakers for the first edition of Seriesmakers, the training programme launched by French TV festival Series Mania to help feature filmmakers move into TV.
The programme aims to support film talent working on a new scripted series to develop a complete pitch deck, guided by experienced directors, show runners, writers, and producers.
Ten teams with an idea for a TV series...
- 6/13/2022
- by Tim Dams
- ScreenDaily
Click here to read the full article.
Germany’s Beta Group is backing a trio of new awards, each with a substantial cash bursary, to entice feature film directors to try out the world of serial television.
Beta will sponsor two awards, each with a 52,600 (50,000 euro) bursary, to back selected TV pitches from established feature directors. They are also getting behind a new emerging talent award, which comes with a 21,000 (20,000 euro) bursary, paid for by the Kirch Foundation, a nonprofit group set up by the late German media mogul Leo Kirch to support projects in film, television and the visual arts.
The three awards will be presented as part of the SeriesMakers program, an initiative launched by Beta and television festival Series Mania. The objective of SeriesMakers is to support talent in the transition to television series production by matching up directors and scriptwriters with showrunners, producers and other behind-the-camera veterans.
Germany’s Beta Group is backing a trio of new awards, each with a substantial cash bursary, to entice feature film directors to try out the world of serial television.
Beta will sponsor two awards, each with a 52,600 (50,000 euro) bursary, to back selected TV pitches from established feature directors. They are also getting behind a new emerging talent award, which comes with a 21,000 (20,000 euro) bursary, paid for by the Kirch Foundation, a nonprofit group set up by the late German media mogul Leo Kirch to support projects in film, television and the visual arts.
The three awards will be presented as part of the SeriesMakers program, an initiative launched by Beta and television festival Series Mania. The objective of SeriesMakers is to support talent in the transition to television series production by matching up directors and scriptwriters with showrunners, producers and other behind-the-camera veterans.
- 6/13/2022
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Following the international acclaim of “Babylon Berlin,” XFilme Creative Pool, in partnership with Beta Film, debuted excerpts from its newest drama series, “House of Promises,” scoring on Sunday MipDrama’s prestigious Buyers’ Coup de Couer Award.
The 12-part drama, directed by the reputed Sherry Hormann (“Desert Flower”) and Umut Dag (“Vienna Blood”) for bullishly growing SVOD service Rtl Plus, centers on its female protagonists, giving breath to their histories and the tide-shift taking place in the ‘20s that allowed them to chase their passions and ambitions fiercely.
“House of Promises” is the female perspective of the Golden 20s. The center of our series isn’t only a love story, it’s about love on all levels. Romantic love, love within a family. It’s about the failure of love, about friendship and love between women,” Hormann notes.
“Our vision is to dive into daily life at this time. Telling facts...
The 12-part drama, directed by the reputed Sherry Hormann (“Desert Flower”) and Umut Dag (“Vienna Blood”) for bullishly growing SVOD service Rtl Plus, centers on its female protagonists, giving breath to their histories and the tide-shift taking place in the ‘20s that allowed them to chase their passions and ambitions fiercely.
“House of Promises” is the female perspective of the Golden 20s. The center of our series isn’t only a love story, it’s about love on all levels. Romantic love, love within a family. It’s about the failure of love, about friendship and love between women,” Hormann notes.
“Our vision is to dive into daily life at this time. Telling facts...
- 4/4/2022
- by Holly Jones
- Variety Film + TV
The 7th MipDrama – an industry centrepiece at Cannes MipTV trade fair – wrapped with Germany’s “House of Promises” scooping the prestigious Buyers’ Coup de Coeur award.
The romantic drama proved the clear favorite among the MipDrama audience gathered in the Debussy Theatre at Cannes’ Palais des Festivals, receiving the most rapturous applause of the day following its presentation.
The 12-episode series stars Naemi Feitisch, Ludwig Simon – also seen in Amazon’s Prime Video series “Beat” – Alexander Scheer and Nina Kunzendorf, fresh off hit Viaplay Original “Furia.”
Set in Berlin, “House of Promises” explores the eventful story behind the legendary credit department store Jonass, founded in the 1920s in a building which has now become Berlin’s Soho House.
While the times are hard, marked by poverty and hardship, the protagonists of “House of Promises” still dream of a better future. Including Vicky (Feitisch), a headstrong young woman desperate to earn...
The romantic drama proved the clear favorite among the MipDrama audience gathered in the Debussy Theatre at Cannes’ Palais des Festivals, receiving the most rapturous applause of the day following its presentation.
The 12-episode series stars Naemi Feitisch, Ludwig Simon – also seen in Amazon’s Prime Video series “Beat” – Alexander Scheer and Nina Kunzendorf, fresh off hit Viaplay Original “Furia.”
Set in Berlin, “House of Promises” explores the eventful story behind the legendary credit department store Jonass, founded in the 1920s in a building which has now become Berlin’s Soho House.
While the times are hard, marked by poverty and hardship, the protagonists of “House of Promises” still dream of a better future. Including Vicky (Feitisch), a headstrong young woman desperate to earn...
- 4/3/2022
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
TVNow, Rtl Deutschland’s streaming service, high-flying Berlin-based production house X Filme Creative Pool and production-distribution powerhouse Beta Film are partnering on what looks like one of the biggest German drama series productions of 2021: “House of Promises,” (a working title).
Beta Film is handling world sales and will present first moving images of the series at October’s Mipcom trade fair in Cannes, it said Friday.
Described by Beta Film as a “high-end” and a “visually stunning drama,” the 12-hour series is currently shooting on location in Berlin, Brandenburg and the Saxon city of Görlitz. Set in Berlin in the 1920s, it captures the hopes of a dazzling decade and the dramatic turn of an era from the perspective of a young woman and a Jewish family, owner of a state-of-the-art department store at Berlin’s Torstrasse 1.
Award winning director Sherry Hormann directs episodes 1-6, once again focusing on “complex,...
Beta Film is handling world sales and will present first moving images of the series at October’s Mipcom trade fair in Cannes, it said Friday.
Described by Beta Film as a “high-end” and a “visually stunning drama,” the 12-hour series is currently shooting on location in Berlin, Brandenburg and the Saxon city of Görlitz. Set in Berlin in the 1920s, it captures the hopes of a dazzling decade and the dramatic turn of an era from the perspective of a young woman and a Jewish family, owner of a state-of-the-art department store at Berlin’s Torstrasse 1.
Award winning director Sherry Hormann directs episodes 1-6, once again focusing on “complex,...
- 9/3/2021
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
‘Taboo’ and ‘Hanna’ director Anders Engström has joined the project.
London and La-based sales agency Cornerstone Films has added the Irish-set remake of 1980 thriller The Changeling to its slate for the virtual Cannes Marché, with Finnish director Anders Engström boarding the project.
The film will be set and shot in Ireland in a contemporary setting, paying tribute to the original title while introducing new plot twists.
Engström has directed two features including 2011’s The Kiss Of Evil, and has recently worked on TV series including See, Amazon Studios’ Hanna, and the BBC’s Taboo.
Oscar nominee Tab Murphy (Gorillas In The Mist: The Story Of Dian Fossey...
London and La-based sales agency Cornerstone Films has added the Irish-set remake of 1980 thriller The Changeling to its slate for the virtual Cannes Marché, with Finnish director Anders Engström boarding the project.
The film will be set and shot in Ireland in a contemporary setting, paying tribute to the original title while introducing new plot twists.
Engström has directed two features including 2011’s The Kiss Of Evil, and has recently worked on TV series including See, Amazon Studios’ Hanna, and the BBC’s Taboo.
Oscar nominee Tab Murphy (Gorillas In The Mist: The Story Of Dian Fossey...
- 6/10/2020
- by 1101321¦Ben Dalton¦26¦
- ScreenDaily
Finnish director Anders Engström, whose TV credits include Taboo, Hanna and See, is aboard to direct producer Joel B. Michaels’ (Terminator Salvation) update of 1980 supernatural thriller The Changeling.
The film follows a musician who, after the death of his young daughter, returns to his childhood home. After a series of terrifying events, he begins to unlock the mystery of the dead child that haunts his home along with a terrible family secret. Tab Murphy’s script is said to introduce “several new twists and turns”.
Cornerstone Films, which first picked the title up in 2018, will be shopping the project at the upcoming Cannes virtual market. Uwe Schott and Stefan Arndt of X-Filme (Babylon Berlin) are also producing with Cornerstone’s Alison Thompson and Mark Gooder serving as executive producers.
The plan is to shoot the remake in Ireland. Michaels was the original producer of the 1980 film starring George C. Scott.
The film follows a musician who, after the death of his young daughter, returns to his childhood home. After a series of terrifying events, he begins to unlock the mystery of the dead child that haunts his home along with a terrible family secret. Tab Murphy’s script is said to introduce “several new twists and turns”.
Cornerstone Films, which first picked the title up in 2018, will be shopping the project at the upcoming Cannes virtual market. Uwe Schott and Stefan Arndt of X-Filme (Babylon Berlin) are also producing with Cornerstone’s Alison Thompson and Mark Gooder serving as executive producers.
The plan is to shoot the remake in Ireland. Michaels was the original producer of the 1980 film starring George C. Scott.
- 6/10/2020
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Film about late, legendary German director had Cannes 2020 hopes.
Picture Tree International has acquired international sales rights to Oskar Roehler’s biopic Enfant Terrible capturing the tumultuous life and career of late iconic German director Rainer Werner Fassbinder.
The legendary filmmaker, who died of a drugs overdose at the age of 37 in June 1982, would have turned 75 on Sunday (May 31). Berlin-based Picture Tree has released an English-language subtitled trailer to coincide with its sales acquisition and to mark the event.
“The film isn’t due out in German cinemas until October but with the producers and German distributor Weltkino, we wanted to commemorate this special date,...
Picture Tree International has acquired international sales rights to Oskar Roehler’s biopic Enfant Terrible capturing the tumultuous life and career of late iconic German director Rainer Werner Fassbinder.
The legendary filmmaker, who died of a drugs overdose at the age of 37 in June 1982, would have turned 75 on Sunday (May 31). Berlin-based Picture Tree has released an English-language subtitled trailer to coincide with its sales acquisition and to mark the event.
“The film isn’t due out in German cinemas until October but with the producers and German distributor Weltkino, we wanted to commemorate this special date,...
- 6/1/2020
- by 1100388¦Melanie Goodfellow¦0¦
- ScreenDaily
Film about late, legendary German director had Cannes 2020 hopes.
Picture Tree International has acquired international sales rights to Oskar Roehler’s biopic Enfant Terrible capturing the tumultuous life and career of late iconic German director Rainer Werner Fassbinder.
The legendary filmmaker, who died of a drugs overdose at the age of 37 in June 1982, would have turned 75 on Sunday (May 31). Berlin-based Picture Tree has released an English-language subtitled trailer to coincide with its sales acquisition and to mark the event.
“The film isn’t due out in German cinemas until October but with the producers and German distributor Weltkino, we wanted to commemorate this special date,...
Picture Tree International has acquired international sales rights to Oskar Roehler’s biopic Enfant Terrible capturing the tumultuous life and career of late iconic German director Rainer Werner Fassbinder.
The legendary filmmaker, who died of a drugs overdose at the age of 37 in June 1982, would have turned 75 on Sunday (May 31). Berlin-based Picture Tree has released an English-language subtitled trailer to coincide with its sales acquisition and to mark the event.
“The film isn’t due out in German cinemas until October but with the producers and German distributor Weltkino, we wanted to commemorate this special date,...
- 6/1/2020
- by 1100388¦Melanie Goodfellow¦0¦
- ScreenDaily
Variety’s “10 Europeans to Watch” were feted Saturday night at a party held by Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg at Berlin’s Ritz-Carlton Hotel. Co-hosting the evening were Kirsten Niehuus and Helge Jürgens, managing directors of Medienboard, the regional film, TV and digital-media funding body.
Pictured above are U.K. filmmaker and rapper Andrew Onwubolu, known by his alias Rapman, Irish producer Fodhla Cronin O’Reilly, Italian director Carlo Sironi (“Sole”), German director Leonie Krippendorff (“Cocoon”), Estonian director Tanel Toom, Germany-based Kosovan director Visar Morina (“Exile”), and Hungarian actor Abigél Szõke (“Those Who Remained”).
Before welcoming to the stage some of Europe’s most promising stars of tomorrow, Variety executive VP of content Steven Gaydos noted: “Variety is celebrating our 115th year covering international entertainment, before people were watching movies.”
He also shared the story of local producer Sol Bondy, who met Russian producers Ilya Stewart and Murad Osmann at Variety’s “10 Producers to...
Pictured above are U.K. filmmaker and rapper Andrew Onwubolu, known by his alias Rapman, Irish producer Fodhla Cronin O’Reilly, Italian director Carlo Sironi (“Sole”), German director Leonie Krippendorff (“Cocoon”), Estonian director Tanel Toom, Germany-based Kosovan director Visar Morina (“Exile”), and Hungarian actor Abigél Szõke (“Those Who Remained”).
Before welcoming to the stage some of Europe’s most promising stars of tomorrow, Variety executive VP of content Steven Gaydos noted: “Variety is celebrating our 115th year covering international entertainment, before people were watching movies.”
He also shared the story of local producer Sol Bondy, who met Russian producers Ilya Stewart and Murad Osmann at Variety’s “10 Producers to...
- 2/23/2020
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
She had previously worked at Senator Film, Atlas Film & Medien and her own company Mk Film Consulting.
Milada Kolberg has been appointed to the newly created position of head of acquisitions at Berlin-based distributor X Verleih, with responsibility for acquiring new projects and completed films from Germany and internationally for distribution.
Kolberg, who arrives in Locarno today (August 8) on the lookout for new titles at the festival, took up her position at X Verleih at the beginning of August.
She had previously served as head of acquisitions and sales at Senator Film, Atlas Film & Medien and, most recently, managed her own company,...
Milada Kolberg has been appointed to the newly created position of head of acquisitions at Berlin-based distributor X Verleih, with responsibility for acquiring new projects and completed films from Germany and internationally for distribution.
Kolberg, who arrives in Locarno today (August 8) on the lookout for new titles at the festival, took up her position at X Verleih at the beginning of August.
She had previously served as head of acquisitions and sales at Senator Film, Atlas Film & Medien and, most recently, managed her own company,...
- 8/8/2019
- by Martin Blaney
- ScreenDaily
The enduring real-life mystery of “Isdal Woman” will be the subject of a new spy thriller series.
Handwritten Pictures, part of Stefan Arndt and Tom Tykwer’s X Filme, and Beta Film’s “Undercover” producer Good Friends are the German producers. Fenes Film is the Norwegian partner. Beta Film will handle distribution and take the project to market. German and Norwegian broadcasters are expected to be announced shortly.
Isdal Woman has fascinated people for almost 50 years, with the BBC reporting new findings as recently as this week. The case began in 1970 when hikers found the body of a woman in the Isdalen Valley on the west coast of Norway. Initially considered a suicide, the case took a mysterious turn when evidence came to light showing she was in possession of fake identities, fueling speculation that she may have been a Cold War spy. Her identity has still not been established.
Handwritten Pictures, part of Stefan Arndt and Tom Tykwer’s X Filme, and Beta Film’s “Undercover” producer Good Friends are the German producers. Fenes Film is the Norwegian partner. Beta Film will handle distribution and take the project to market. German and Norwegian broadcasters are expected to be announced shortly.
Isdal Woman has fascinated people for almost 50 years, with the BBC reporting new findings as recently as this week. The case began in 1970 when hikers found the body of a woman in the Isdalen Valley on the west coast of Norway. Initially considered a suicide, the case took a mysterious turn when evidence came to light showing she was in possession of fake identities, fueling speculation that she may have been a Cold War spy. Her identity has still not been established.
- 6/28/2019
- by Stewart Clarke
- Variety Film + TV
Variety’s “10 Europeans to Watch” were feted at a party held by Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg at Berlin’s Ritz-Carlton Hotel Saturday. Kirsten Niehuus and Helge Jürgens, managing directors of Medienboard, the regional film, TV and digital-media funding body, were the co-hosts for the evening, which attracted 2,000 party-goers.
Pictured above are Henry Chu, Variety‘s international editor (left), with six of the Europeans to Watch – (from left) Belgian director Bas Devos (“Hellhole”), German actress Maria Dragus (“Mary Queen of Scots”), German director Aron Lehmann (“The Most Beautiful Girl in the World”), Austrian actress Valerie Pachner (“The Ground Beneath My Feet”), Dutch director Steven Wouterlood (“My Extraordinary Summer With Tess”), and German actor Fahri Yardim (“Dogs of Berlin”), with Niehuus (right).
Among the guests at the event were producers Martin Moszkowicz (“Resident Evil”) and Stefan Arndt (“Babylon Berlin”), and Tom Schilling, the lead actor in the Oscar nominated German film “Never Look Away,...
Pictured above are Henry Chu, Variety‘s international editor (left), with six of the Europeans to Watch – (from left) Belgian director Bas Devos (“Hellhole”), German actress Maria Dragus (“Mary Queen of Scots”), German director Aron Lehmann (“The Most Beautiful Girl in the World”), Austrian actress Valerie Pachner (“The Ground Beneath My Feet”), Dutch director Steven Wouterlood (“My Extraordinary Summer With Tess”), and German actor Fahri Yardim (“Dogs of Berlin”), with Niehuus (right).
Among the guests at the event were producers Martin Moszkowicz (“Resident Evil”) and Stefan Arndt (“Babylon Berlin”), and Tom Schilling, the lead actor in the Oscar nominated German film “Never Look Away,...
- 2/12/2019
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
There were just a few weeks to go before the start of production on Babylon Berlin, the most ambitious German television series of all time, when Stefan Arndt lost his nerve.
Arndt, a veteran film producer (Run Lola Run, The White Ribbon) has spent years putting together what was his dream project: an epic television series set during the Weimar Republic, the chaotic 15-year era before the Third Reich. It was budgeted at $45 million for two, eight-episode seasons. No one had ever spent that much on a non-English-language TV show before. No one knew if it would work.
"It was ...
Arndt, a veteran film producer (Run Lola Run, The White Ribbon) has spent years putting together what was his dream project: an epic television series set during the Weimar Republic, the chaotic 15-year era before the Third Reich. It was budgeted at $45 million for two, eight-episode seasons. No one had ever spent that much on a non-English-language TV show before. No one knew if it would work.
"It was ...
- 12/27/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Picking up where the previous run left off, the new season of lavish German series “Babylon Berlin” will be set in the 1930s and will look at the seamy side of the movie industry, centering on the murder of a big star at a time when “the talkies” were beginning to take off, producers of the show said Tuesday.
Shooting is scheduled to begin in the fall in Berlin and at other locations. Season 3 of the hit noir series – whose renewal Variety reported exclusively in May – will consist of 10 new episodes and be based on the second novel by Volker Kutscher featuring detective Gereon Rath, titled “Silent Death.”
The series will be written by the directing-writing trio of Tom Tykwer, Henk Handloegten and Achim von Borries. Once again, the production partners on the show are X Filme Creative Pool, Ard Degeto, Sky and Beta Film.
The first two seasons of “Babylon Berlin,...
Shooting is scheduled to begin in the fall in Berlin and at other locations. Season 3 of the hit noir series – whose renewal Variety reported exclusively in May – will consist of 10 new episodes and be based on the second novel by Volker Kutscher featuring detective Gereon Rath, titled “Silent Death.”
The series will be written by the directing-writing trio of Tom Tykwer, Henk Handloegten and Achim von Borries. Once again, the production partners on the show are X Filme Creative Pool, Ard Degeto, Sky and Beta Film.
The first two seasons of “Babylon Berlin,...
- 7/24/2018
- by Henry Chu
- Variety Film + TV
Kirsten Niehuus, managing director of Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, hosted a reception in Cannes on Saturday to celebrate the inclusion in the festival lineup of several films backed by the fund.
Among those pictures being feted in the garden of the Grand Hotel were two competition entries, Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s “The Wild Pear Tree” and Alice Rohrwacher’s “Happy as Lazzaro,” and Ulrich Koehler’s “In My Room” and Sergei Loznitsa’s “Donbass,” both in Un Certain Regard.
Among the producers attending the event were Benny Drechsel, Regina Ziegler, Fabian Gasmia, Stefan Arndt, Christoph Friedel, Claudia Steffen, Martin Moszkowicz and Fabian Massah, who was selected by European Film Promotion as one of its Producers on the Move.
Also attending was South Africa’s Sibs Shongwe-la Mer, who is one of 15 filmmakers selected to take part in Cannes’ Cinefondation Workshop. Medienboard is backing his latest film, “The Sound of Animals Fighting,” through its German co-producer Rohfilm Productions.
Among those pictures being feted in the garden of the Grand Hotel were two competition entries, Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s “The Wild Pear Tree” and Alice Rohrwacher’s “Happy as Lazzaro,” and Ulrich Koehler’s “In My Room” and Sergei Loznitsa’s “Donbass,” both in Un Certain Regard.
Among the producers attending the event were Benny Drechsel, Regina Ziegler, Fabian Gasmia, Stefan Arndt, Christoph Friedel, Claudia Steffen, Martin Moszkowicz and Fabian Massah, who was selected by European Film Promotion as one of its Producers on the Move.
Also attending was South Africa’s Sibs Shongwe-la Mer, who is one of 15 filmmakers selected to take part in Cannes’ Cinefondation Workshop. Medienboard is backing his latest film, “The Sound of Animals Fighting,” through its German co-producer Rohfilm Productions.
- 5/13/2018
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Cornerstone Films and German production company X Filme are teaming up with producer Joel Michaels on a remake of Michaels’ 1980 supernatural horror “The Changeling,” Cornerstone announced Wednesday in Cannes.
The film marks the first joint film production under the partnership between German’s Beta Cinema and Cornerstone, which was announced in February when Beta bought a minority stake in the London and L.A. based international sales company. The two company’s are partnering to produce, finance, distribute and sell distinctive, commercially driven English-language features for contemporary audiences. Beta acquired a strategic stake in X Filme in February last year. Cornerstone was set up in April 2015 by Alison Thompson and Mark Gooder (pictured).
Mark Steven Johnson will write and direct the update of “The Changeling,” which follows a musician who returns to his childhood home following the death of his young daughter where, after a series of terrifying events, he...
The film marks the first joint film production under the partnership between German’s Beta Cinema and Cornerstone, which was announced in February when Beta bought a minority stake in the London and L.A. based international sales company. The two company’s are partnering to produce, finance, distribute and sell distinctive, commercially driven English-language features for contemporary audiences. Beta acquired a strategic stake in X Filme in February last year. Cornerstone was set up in April 2015 by Alison Thompson and Mark Gooder (pictured).
Mark Steven Johnson will write and direct the update of “The Changeling,” which follows a musician who returns to his childhood home following the death of his young daughter where, after a series of terrifying events, he...
- 5/9/2018
- by Robert Mitchell
- Variety Film + TV
1980 original starred George C. Scott.
UK sales outfit Cornerstone Films, German producer X Filme and Us producer Joel Michaels (Basic Instinct 2) are teaming on The Changeling, a remake of the 1980 supernatural thriller.
Michaels was a producer on the original film starring George C. Scott. The story follows Joe Carmichael, who, after the death of his young daughter, returns to his childhood home in Venice, Italy. After a series of terrifying events, Joe begins to unlock the mystery of the dead child that haunts the home.
The project is the first production announced since German outfit Beta Cinema, which owns a stake in X Filme,...
UK sales outfit Cornerstone Films, German producer X Filme and Us producer Joel Michaels (Basic Instinct 2) are teaming on The Changeling, a remake of the 1980 supernatural thriller.
Michaels was a producer on the original film starring George C. Scott. The story follows Joe Carmichael, who, after the death of his young daughter, returns to his childhood home in Venice, Italy. After a series of terrifying events, Joe begins to unlock the mystery of the dead child that haunts the home.
The project is the first production announced since German outfit Beta Cinema, which owns a stake in X Filme,...
- 5/9/2018
- by Tom Grater
- ScreenDaily
Official Oscar® Submission for Best Foreign Language Film from Austria: ‘Happy Ending’ by Michael Haneke“All around us, the world, and we, in its midst, blind.”The Laurent Family in ‘Happy Ending’A snapshot from the life of a bourgeois European family.
What is Michael Haneke’s vision in this film? We have seen his take on the young Adonises in Funny Games, the most devastating picture of modern sociopathology I have ever seen. And his view of the pathological origin of fascism in The White Ribbon, of the political scandal of the police mass murder and civilians turning a blind eye to the plight of Algerians in France in Cache, on sexual pathology run amock in The Piano Teacher.
Happy Ending features the best actors of a generation and of Haneke’s films, Isabelle Huppert (The Piano Teacher), Jean-Louis Trintignant who played the same character in Amour, is now shown from another angle,...
What is Michael Haneke’s vision in this film? We have seen his take on the young Adonises in Funny Games, the most devastating picture of modern sociopathology I have ever seen. And his view of the pathological origin of fascism in The White Ribbon, of the political scandal of the police mass murder and civilians turning a blind eye to the plight of Algerians in France in Cache, on sexual pathology run amock in The Piano Teacher.
Happy Ending features the best actors of a generation and of Haneke’s films, Isabelle Huppert (The Piano Teacher), Jean-Louis Trintignant who played the same character in Amour, is now shown from another angle,...
- 11/11/2017
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Opening in L.A. and other cities June 16, “Stefan Zweig: Farewell to Europe” is a stylishly accomplished and intellectually well thought out character study of a man who was the most popular author in the world in the 1920s and 1930s and who, today, is nearly forgotten. Told through six windows of 20 minutes each, this unique storytelling technique gives the film an immediacy as each part of Stefan Zweig’s life plays out in real time.
Stefan Zweig’s books have been made into 23 movies around the world, including his novel, Letter from an Unknown Woman, which was adapted to the screen in 1948 by Max Ophüls and starred Joan Fontaine and Louis Jourdain. His writings have also inspired Wes Anderson’s “Grand Budapest Hotel”.
Having just read his memoir, The World of Yesterday and having been on my own private search for what it means to have to leave your...
Stefan Zweig’s books have been made into 23 movies around the world, including his novel, Letter from an Unknown Woman, which was adapted to the screen in 1948 by Max Ophüls and starred Joan Fontaine and Louis Jourdain. His writings have also inspired Wes Anderson’s “Grand Budapest Hotel”.
Having just read his memoir, The World of Yesterday and having been on my own private search for what it means to have to leave your...
- 6/14/2017
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
German sales and production group Beta Film (Babylon Berlin) will take a strategic stake in X Filme, the German production and distribution company behind Run Lola Run, Cloud Atlas and Good Bye Lenin!
X Filme, founded in 1994 by producer Stefan Arndt and directors Tom Tykwer, Wolfgang Becker and Dani Levy, will be restructured to merge all production, distribution and sales operations under a single entity, X Filme Holding. Beta will become a strategic partner in X Filme Holding.
Beta teamed with X Filme on Tom Tykwer's upcoming TV series Babylon Berlin, with Beta co-financing and handling international sales on...
X Filme, founded in 1994 by producer Stefan Arndt and directors Tom Tykwer, Wolfgang Becker and Dani Levy, will be restructured to merge all production, distribution and sales operations under a single entity, X Filme Holding. Beta will become a strategic partner in X Filme Holding.
Beta teamed with X Filme on Tom Tykwer's upcoming TV series Babylon Berlin, with Beta co-financing and handling international sales on...
- 2/9/2017
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The distributor has picked up North American and Latin American rights to the Austrian auteur’s upcoming French production which wrapped in late August.
Happy End offers a snapshot from the life of a bourgeois European family and reunites Haneke with Jean-Louis Trintignant and Isabelle Huppert from his 2012 foreign language Oscar winner Amour, as well as Mathieu Kassovitz and Toby Jones.
A press release issued the following ominous line: “All around us, the world, and we, in its midst, blind.”
Margaret Menegoz produces and Stefan Arndt and Veit Heiduschka co-produce and reprise their functions from Amour and The White Ribbon.
Spc has handled most of Haneke’s recent work, including Amour, The White Ribbon and Caché.
Happy End offers a snapshot from the life of a bourgeois European family and reunites Haneke with Jean-Louis Trintignant and Isabelle Huppert from his 2012 foreign language Oscar winner Amour, as well as Mathieu Kassovitz and Toby Jones.
A press release issued the following ominous line: “All around us, the world, and we, in its midst, blind.”
Margaret Menegoz produces and Stefan Arndt and Veit Heiduschka co-produce and reprise their functions from Amour and The White Ribbon.
Spc has handled most of Haneke’s recent work, including Amour, The White Ribbon and Caché.
- 11/1/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The distributor has picked up North American and Latin American rights to the Austrian auteur’s upcoming French production which wrapped in late August.
Happy End offers a snapshot from the life of a bourgeois European family and reunites Haneke with Jean-Louis Trintignant and Isabelle Huppert from his 2012 foreign language Oscar winner Amour, as well as Mathieu Kassovitz and Toby Jones.
A press release issued the following ominous line: “All around us, the world, and we, in its midst, blind.”
Margaret Menegoz produces and Stefan Arndt and Veit Heiduschka co-produce and reprise their functions from Amour and The White Ribbon.
Spc has handled most of Haneke’s recent work, including Amour, The White Ribbon and Caché.
Happy End offers a snapshot from the life of a bourgeois European family and reunites Haneke with Jean-Louis Trintignant and Isabelle Huppert from his 2012 foreign language Oscar winner Amour, as well as Mathieu Kassovitz and Toby Jones.
A press release issued the following ominous line: “All around us, the world, and we, in its midst, blind.”
Margaret Menegoz produces and Stefan Arndt and Veit Heiduschka co-produce and reprise their functions from Amour and The White Ribbon.
Spc has handled most of Haneke’s recent work, including Amour, The White Ribbon and Caché.
- 11/1/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Sony Pictures Classics has acquired North American and Latin American rights to writer-director Michael Haneke’s new film Happy End, which features his Amour stars Isabelle Huppert and Jean-Louis Trintignant along with Mathieu Kassovitz and Toby Jones. The French production wrapped in August. Stefan Arndt and Veit Heiduschka are co-producers. Haneke's new film has been mostly kept under wraps, but a regional French paper reported last December that it is understood to…...
- 11/1/2016
- Deadline
Award Winning Director Wolfgang Becker (“Good Bye Lenin!”) will open the festival at the American Cinematheque’s Egyptian Theatre with “Me and Kaminski” bringing outstanding German cinema and its stars to Los Angeles from October 20 to 23rd.
Full Program Line Up Announced with a selection of the best new German, Austrian and Swiss Cinema
Celebrating its 10th year, German Currents features an expanded program including screenings of ten La premieres, conversations with prolific German directors, writers and actors, as well as the return of the free family matinee film screening for local schools.
“Me and Kaminski” starring Daniel Brühl and directed by Wolfgang Becker
2016 has been a successful year for German language cinema, not only in Europe, but across the globe. Beginning on Thursday, October 20th 2016 German Currents will open this year’s 4 day festival with the red carpet event Los Angeles premiere of Wolfgang Becker’s (“Goodbye Lenin”) five-time...
Full Program Line Up Announced with a selection of the best new German, Austrian and Swiss Cinema
Celebrating its 10th year, German Currents features an expanded program including screenings of ten La premieres, conversations with prolific German directors, writers and actors, as well as the return of the free family matinee film screening for local schools.
“Me and Kaminski” starring Daniel Brühl and directed by Wolfgang Becker
2016 has been a successful year for German language cinema, not only in Europe, but across the globe. Beginning on Thursday, October 20th 2016 German Currents will open this year’s 4 day festival with the red carpet event Los Angeles premiere of Wolfgang Becker’s (“Goodbye Lenin”) five-time...
- 10/4/2016
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Nazi hunter thriller wins best film at the annual ‘Lolas’.
Lars Kraume’s Nazi hunter thriller, The People Vs. Fritz Bauer, won six Lola statuettes at this year’s German Film Awards after being tipped as the evening’s hot ticket with nine nominations.
The co-production between Berlin’s zero one film and Cologne-based Terz Film picked up the evening’s top award - the Lola in Gold for Best Film - as well as the statuettes for Best Screenplay, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor (Ronald Zehrfeld), Best Production Design (Cora Pratz), and Best Costume Design (Esther Walz).
Accepting the Gold statuette from the hands of Germany’s State Minister for Culture and Media Monika Grütters, producer Thomas Kufus dedicated the award to the memory of Fritz Bauer.
Kurth knocks out Klaußner
While many thought that it was foregone conclusion that Burghart Klaußner would take the Lola home for his portrayal of the state prosecutor Fritz Bauer, nobody...
Lars Kraume’s Nazi hunter thriller, The People Vs. Fritz Bauer, won six Lola statuettes at this year’s German Film Awards after being tipped as the evening’s hot ticket with nine nominations.
The co-production between Berlin’s zero one film and Cologne-based Terz Film picked up the evening’s top award - the Lola in Gold for Best Film - as well as the statuettes for Best Screenplay, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor (Ronald Zehrfeld), Best Production Design (Cora Pratz), and Best Costume Design (Esther Walz).
Accepting the Gold statuette from the hands of Germany’s State Minister for Culture and Media Monika Grütters, producer Thomas Kufus dedicated the award to the memory of Fritz Bauer.
Kurth knocks out Klaußner
While many thought that it was foregone conclusion that Burghart Klaußner would take the Lola home for his portrayal of the state prosecutor Fritz Bauer, nobody...
- 5/31/2016
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
"Babylon Berlin," the path-breaking joint serial project of X-Filme, Ard Degeto, Sky and Beta Film, is finalizing its pre-production and will start shooting in April. The high-end series, set in the roaring 1920s in Berlin, will be produced until the end of the year. Created by showrunner Tom Tykwer (“Sense 8”, “Cloud Atlas”, “Run Lola Run”) and his writer/director team Achim von Borries (“Alone in Berlin”) and Hendrik Handloegten (“Good Bye, Lenin”), "Babylon Berlin" stars “Generation War”-lead Volker Bruch and multiple-award-winning and up-and-coming actress Liv Lisa Fries (“She Deserved It”). The four partners have already signed in for two seasons. X-Filme producer Stefan Arndt: “We’re particularly happy that we’ll be able to complete two series of eight episodes each during the first shooting. This shows how enthusiastic and confident all of the partners are in our joint project.”
Kutscher’s "Babylon Berlin," centering on police inspector Gereon Rath, delivers an atmospheric portrayal of Berlin as the most exciting city in the world of that time, a hotbed of drugs and politics, murder and art, emancipation and extremism.
Sky will broadcast the series in 2017 and Ard in 2018. As co-producer, Beta Film will be responsible for the worldwide distribution of the series.
Beta Film’s director Jan Mojto explains, “Made in Germany is also a hallmark of quality in television. Due to the subject, the creative energy invested in the project, the names involved, its high standards, and not least, its budget, the first international reactions to the project have been very positive. 'Babylon Berlin' doesn’t need to take second stage to any of the major international series.”
The broadcasting team at Sky Deutschland and Ard Degeto emphasized how unique this collaboration is going to be. In the words of Volker Herres, program director at Erstes Deutsches Fernsehen: “We would like to build on the incredible success of Volker Kutscher’s novels. These are exciting stories with a historical background, and we want to present them to German television audiences in a serial production that holds up to international standards. With this goal, we benefit from a collaboration between three strong partners so X Filme and Tom Tykwer can implement the detective series in grand style.”
“Babylon Berlin,” Carsten Schmidt, Chief Executive Officer of Sky Deutschland reports, “is an exceptional project and a perfect match for Sky – bold storytelling, an outstanding cast, and Tom Tykwer’s incredibly creative team. The cooperation between X Filme, Ard, Degeto, and Beta Film is an impressive example of a fruitful and fair collaboration where all the partners are striking a unique path for Germany and Austria. With 'Babylon Berlin,' we are adding an in-house German production segment to our exclusive international agreements with such major partners as HBO and Showtime – a direction we will be moving in even more in the future.”
And Christine Strobl, managing director of Ard Degeto adds, “'Babylon Berlin' is a special project and very important for Ard. With this series, Ard Degeto will be offering Das Erste audiences a real treat that can stand up to international comparison from both the narrative and visual points of view. With regard to cooperation and financing, such an exceptional project deserves an exceptional approach. I am looking forward to the upcoming start of filming – judging from the screenplays, we can expect some outstanding television.”
A special challenge for the three authors and directors, Tom Tykwer, Achim von Borries, and Hendrik Handloegten. “For a long time, we were searching for subject matter that could tell the story of this unique era in all its facets,” Tom Tykwer explains. “We finally found it in Kutscher’s novels. And after Achim, Hendrik, and I spent three years working intensively on the screenplay, I can hardly wait now to get started.”
Achim von Borries adds, “The final years of the Weimar Republic were a time of continual crisis and constant attacks from political extremists. A rapidly growing city with immigrants from all over the world was in the middle of it all – Berlin, the international melting pot, with the pressure constantly mounting. This was a source of inexhaustible material for us as authors. And to finally have the opportunity to portray the atmosphere of the late 20s is a challenge to us as directors – absolutely huge and incredibly exciting.”
For Hendrik Handloegten, the city of Berlin plays one of the key roles: “Berlin in the final Weimar years was characterized by its fast pace, freedom, and diversity. But soon it was too much speed, too much freedom, too much diversity. A city that is always becoming, but never is. In 'Babylon Berlin,' the city is the protagonist. And Berlin in 1929 is a bestial, monstrous, famished and satiated, exalted and down-to-earth, elegant and degenerate, perverse and chaste… and mysterious protagonist. The best thing that could happen to an author and director.”
Stefan Arndt adds, “We’re really looking forward to capturing this exuberant episode of Berlin’s history here in the city itself, thanks to all our partners and sponsors. A stunning outdoor set is being built right now in Babelsberg that will evoke so many impressions of the city at the time. Together with our experienced film artists from our previous productions, we are greatly looking forward to bringing the world of the 1920s to life in a TV series. For all of us, this project is the dawn of a new epoch in television production.”
Volker Bruch captivated millions of television viewers with his portrayal of Wehrmacht officer Wilhelm in “Generation War”. As one of the five leading actors, he won a special prize at the 2013 Bavarian TV Awards for his performance, as well as a German Television Award and Emmy Award.
Liv Lisa Fries won considerable acclaim in the Ard film “She Deserved it”, where she plays the aggressive teenager Linda who tortures her classmate to death. She was awarded the 2012 Golden Camera as Best Young Actress for her convincing performance, and also won the 2011 Günter Strack Television Award.
The chief editors of "Babylon Berlin" are Christine Strobl, Sascha Schwingel, and Carolin Haasis (Ard Degeto), Gebhard Henke and Caren Toenissen (Wdr), and Marcus Ammon and Frank Jastfelder (Sky Deutschland). The producers for X Filme are Stefan Arndt, Uwe Schott, and Michael Polle.
The project is sponsored by Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, Creative Europe Media, and the Nrw Film and Media Foundation.
Kutscher’s "Babylon Berlin," centering on police inspector Gereon Rath, delivers an atmospheric portrayal of Berlin as the most exciting city in the world of that time, a hotbed of drugs and politics, murder and art, emancipation and extremism.
Sky will broadcast the series in 2017 and Ard in 2018. As co-producer, Beta Film will be responsible for the worldwide distribution of the series.
Beta Film’s director Jan Mojto explains, “Made in Germany is also a hallmark of quality in television. Due to the subject, the creative energy invested in the project, the names involved, its high standards, and not least, its budget, the first international reactions to the project have been very positive. 'Babylon Berlin' doesn’t need to take second stage to any of the major international series.”
The broadcasting team at Sky Deutschland and Ard Degeto emphasized how unique this collaboration is going to be. In the words of Volker Herres, program director at Erstes Deutsches Fernsehen: “We would like to build on the incredible success of Volker Kutscher’s novels. These are exciting stories with a historical background, and we want to present them to German television audiences in a serial production that holds up to international standards. With this goal, we benefit from a collaboration between three strong partners so X Filme and Tom Tykwer can implement the detective series in grand style.”
“Babylon Berlin,” Carsten Schmidt, Chief Executive Officer of Sky Deutschland reports, “is an exceptional project and a perfect match for Sky – bold storytelling, an outstanding cast, and Tom Tykwer’s incredibly creative team. The cooperation between X Filme, Ard, Degeto, and Beta Film is an impressive example of a fruitful and fair collaboration where all the partners are striking a unique path for Germany and Austria. With 'Babylon Berlin,' we are adding an in-house German production segment to our exclusive international agreements with such major partners as HBO and Showtime – a direction we will be moving in even more in the future.”
And Christine Strobl, managing director of Ard Degeto adds, “'Babylon Berlin' is a special project and very important for Ard. With this series, Ard Degeto will be offering Das Erste audiences a real treat that can stand up to international comparison from both the narrative and visual points of view. With regard to cooperation and financing, such an exceptional project deserves an exceptional approach. I am looking forward to the upcoming start of filming – judging from the screenplays, we can expect some outstanding television.”
A special challenge for the three authors and directors, Tom Tykwer, Achim von Borries, and Hendrik Handloegten. “For a long time, we were searching for subject matter that could tell the story of this unique era in all its facets,” Tom Tykwer explains. “We finally found it in Kutscher’s novels. And after Achim, Hendrik, and I spent three years working intensively on the screenplay, I can hardly wait now to get started.”
Achim von Borries adds, “The final years of the Weimar Republic were a time of continual crisis and constant attacks from political extremists. A rapidly growing city with immigrants from all over the world was in the middle of it all – Berlin, the international melting pot, with the pressure constantly mounting. This was a source of inexhaustible material for us as authors. And to finally have the opportunity to portray the atmosphere of the late 20s is a challenge to us as directors – absolutely huge and incredibly exciting.”
For Hendrik Handloegten, the city of Berlin plays one of the key roles: “Berlin in the final Weimar years was characterized by its fast pace, freedom, and diversity. But soon it was too much speed, too much freedom, too much diversity. A city that is always becoming, but never is. In 'Babylon Berlin,' the city is the protagonist. And Berlin in 1929 is a bestial, monstrous, famished and satiated, exalted and down-to-earth, elegant and degenerate, perverse and chaste… and mysterious protagonist. The best thing that could happen to an author and director.”
Stefan Arndt adds, “We’re really looking forward to capturing this exuberant episode of Berlin’s history here in the city itself, thanks to all our partners and sponsors. A stunning outdoor set is being built right now in Babelsberg that will evoke so many impressions of the city at the time. Together with our experienced film artists from our previous productions, we are greatly looking forward to bringing the world of the 1920s to life in a TV series. For all of us, this project is the dawn of a new epoch in television production.”
Volker Bruch captivated millions of television viewers with his portrayal of Wehrmacht officer Wilhelm in “Generation War”. As one of the five leading actors, he won a special prize at the 2013 Bavarian TV Awards for his performance, as well as a German Television Award and Emmy Award.
Liv Lisa Fries won considerable acclaim in the Ard film “She Deserved it”, where she plays the aggressive teenager Linda who tortures her classmate to death. She was awarded the 2012 Golden Camera as Best Young Actress for her convincing performance, and also won the 2011 Günter Strack Television Award.
The chief editors of "Babylon Berlin" are Christine Strobl, Sascha Schwingel, and Carolin Haasis (Ard Degeto), Gebhard Henke and Caren Toenissen (Wdr), and Marcus Ammon and Frank Jastfelder (Sky Deutschland). The producers for X Filme are Stefan Arndt, Uwe Schott, and Michael Polle.
The project is sponsored by Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, Creative Europe Media, and the Nrw Film and Media Foundation.
- 2/19/2016
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Exclusive: Punk Berlin 1982 will become the first German feature to have a global release on digital platforms.
X Filme Creative Pool is to join forces with the Goethe Institute, alleskino.de and Under The Milky Way to launch its production of Oskar Roehler’s Punk Berlin 1982 (Tod den Hippies!! Es lebe der Punk) next month as the first German feature film to have a global release on digital platforms.
The film will be available worldwide in German, English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Russian and Chinese subtitles on the iTunes, Google, Sony, Amazon, Vudu and Microsoft online VoD platforms as well as via the Goethe Institute’s website and libraries.
Commenting about this new distribution channel and marketing model, X Filme producer Stefan Arndt pointed out that “everybody is talking about how the industry should adapt to the ever-changing challenges of digitisation while the international distribution of German films is becoming increasingly difficult”.
“As a result, we are taking...
X Filme Creative Pool is to join forces with the Goethe Institute, alleskino.de and Under The Milky Way to launch its production of Oskar Roehler’s Punk Berlin 1982 (Tod den Hippies!! Es lebe der Punk) next month as the first German feature film to have a global release on digital platforms.
The film will be available worldwide in German, English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Russian and Chinese subtitles on the iTunes, Google, Sony, Amazon, Vudu and Microsoft online VoD platforms as well as via the Goethe Institute’s website and libraries.
Commenting about this new distribution channel and marketing model, X Filme producer Stefan Arndt pointed out that “everybody is talking about how the industry should adapt to the ever-changing challenges of digitisation while the international distribution of German films is becoming increasingly difficult”.
“As a result, we are taking...
- 2/14/2016
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Altitude and Picturehouse strike deal for Second World War drama starring Emma Thompson and Brendan Gleeson.
Picturehouse Entertainment and Altitude Film Distribution have struck a deal for UK rights to Vincent Perez’s Alone In Berlin, ahead of the film’s world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival.
The deal was negotiated between Altitude Film Entertainment’s Will Clarke, Picturehouse’s Clare Binns, producers Paul Trijbits and Christian Grass and Alison Thompson from sales outfit Cornerstone Films, which handles international rights.
Emma Thompson (Saving Mr Banks), Brendan Gleeson (The Guard) and Daniel Brühl (Rush) star in the Second World War drama-thriller based on the true story of a working class couple who conducted a series of anonymous protests against the Nazi regime in Berlin.
Actor-director Perez’s feature is adapted from the classic novel Every Man Dies Alone by German writer Hans Fallada.
Producers are X Filme powerhouse duo Stefan Arndt (Amour) and Uwe Schott ([link...
Picturehouse Entertainment and Altitude Film Distribution have struck a deal for UK rights to Vincent Perez’s Alone In Berlin, ahead of the film’s world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival.
The deal was negotiated between Altitude Film Entertainment’s Will Clarke, Picturehouse’s Clare Binns, producers Paul Trijbits and Christian Grass and Alison Thompson from sales outfit Cornerstone Films, which handles international rights.
Emma Thompson (Saving Mr Banks), Brendan Gleeson (The Guard) and Daniel Brühl (Rush) star in the Second World War drama-thriller based on the true story of a working class couple who conducted a series of anonymous protests against the Nazi regime in Berlin.
Actor-director Perez’s feature is adapted from the classic novel Every Man Dies Alone by German writer Hans Fallada.
Producers are X Filme powerhouse duo Stefan Arndt (Amour) and Uwe Schott ([link...
- 2/12/2016
- by andreas.wiseman@screendaily.com (Andreas Wiseman)
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: First still from Berlin Competition drama based on the classic wartime novel.
ScreenDaily can reveal the first production still of anticipated Berlin Competition entry Alone In Berlin, actor-director Vincent Perez’s adaptation of the classic German novel of the same name.
Based on the true story of a working class couple who conducted a series of anonymous protests against the Nazi regime during the Second World War, Emma Thompson (Saving Mr. Banks) and Brendan Gleeson (Calvary) star alongisde Daniel Brühl (Rush).
Producers are Stefan Arndt and Uwe Schott for X-Filme, the German production outfit whose credits include Amour, The White Ribbon and Cloud Atlas, Master Movie’s Marco Pacchioni (Bye Bye Blondie) together with James Schamus (Brokeback Mountain) and FilmWave’s Christian Grass (Sing Street) and Paul Trijbits (Jane Eyre).
Cornerstone Films handles international sales.
Hans Fallada’s classic 1947 novel centres on Otto and Anna Quangel (Gleeson and Thompson), who live in a shabby apartment block during...
ScreenDaily can reveal the first production still of anticipated Berlin Competition entry Alone In Berlin, actor-director Vincent Perez’s adaptation of the classic German novel of the same name.
Based on the true story of a working class couple who conducted a series of anonymous protests against the Nazi regime during the Second World War, Emma Thompson (Saving Mr. Banks) and Brendan Gleeson (Calvary) star alongisde Daniel Brühl (Rush).
Producers are Stefan Arndt and Uwe Schott for X-Filme, the German production outfit whose credits include Amour, The White Ribbon and Cloud Atlas, Master Movie’s Marco Pacchioni (Bye Bye Blondie) together with James Schamus (Brokeback Mountain) and FilmWave’s Christian Grass (Sing Street) and Paul Trijbits (Jane Eyre).
Cornerstone Films handles international sales.
Hans Fallada’s classic 1947 novel centres on Otto and Anna Quangel (Gleeson and Thompson), who live in a shabby apartment block during...
- 2/1/2016
- by andreas.wiseman@screendaily.com (Andreas Wiseman)
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: First still from Berlin Competition drama based on the classic wartime novel.
ScreenDaily can reveal the first production still of anticipated Berlin Competition entry Alone In Berlin, actor-director Vincent Perez’s adaptation of the classic German novel of the same name.
Based on the true story of a working class couple who conducted a series of anonymous protests against the Nazi regime during the Second World War, Emma Thompson (Saving Mr. Banks) and Brendan Gleeson (Calvary) star alongisde Daniel Brühl (Rush).
Producers are Stefan Arndt and Uwe Schott for X-Filme, the German production outfit whose credits include Amour, The White Ribbon and Cloud Atlas, Master Movie’s Marco Pacchioni (Bye Bye Blondie) together with James Schamus (Brokeback Mountain) and FilmWave’s Christian Grass (Sing Street) and Paul Trijbits (Jane Eyre).
Cornerstone handles international sales.
Hans Fallada’s classic 1947 novel centres on Otto and Anna Quangel (Gleeson and Thompson), who live in a shabby apartment block during...
ScreenDaily can reveal the first production still of anticipated Berlin Competition entry Alone In Berlin, actor-director Vincent Perez’s adaptation of the classic German novel of the same name.
Based on the true story of a working class couple who conducted a series of anonymous protests against the Nazi regime during the Second World War, Emma Thompson (Saving Mr. Banks) and Brendan Gleeson (Calvary) star alongisde Daniel Brühl (Rush).
Producers are Stefan Arndt and Uwe Schott for X-Filme, the German production outfit whose credits include Amour, The White Ribbon and Cloud Atlas, Master Movie’s Marco Pacchioni (Bye Bye Blondie) together with James Schamus (Brokeback Mountain) and FilmWave’s Christian Grass (Sing Street) and Paul Trijbits (Jane Eyre).
Cornerstone handles international sales.
Hans Fallada’s classic 1947 novel centres on Otto and Anna Quangel (Gleeson and Thompson), who live in a shabby apartment block during...
- 2/1/2016
- by andreas.wiseman@screendaily.com (Andreas Wiseman)
- ScreenDaily
Franz
Director: François Ozon
Writer: François Ozon
Ex-terrible enfant is a perennial favorite on the festival circuit (2015 was only the third year in the past fifteen years of filmmaking where François Ozon didn’t unveil a new title). His prolific output sees him unveiling at a variety of prestigious festivals, having competed twice at Cannes (2003, 2013), four times in Berlin, and twice in Venice. His latest was 2014’s The New Girlfriend, a playful if rather anachronistic narrative featuring outmoded psychological presentations of gender identity (it premiered in Toronto, another platform Ozon has been known to premiere at). In time for 2016, Ozon has been working on a historical drama, the German co-production Franz, headlined by recent Cesar winner Pierre Niney (Yves Saint Laurent). As usual, confirmations of the exact narrative have been kept under wraps by Ozon.
Cast: Pierre Niney, Paula Beer, Cyrielle Claire
Production Co./Producers: Mandarin’s Eric and Nicolas Altmayer,...
Director: François Ozon
Writer: François Ozon
Ex-terrible enfant is a perennial favorite on the festival circuit (2015 was only the third year in the past fifteen years of filmmaking where François Ozon didn’t unveil a new title). His prolific output sees him unveiling at a variety of prestigious festivals, having competed twice at Cannes (2003, 2013), four times in Berlin, and twice in Venice. His latest was 2014’s The New Girlfriend, a playful if rather anachronistic narrative featuring outmoded psychological presentations of gender identity (it premiered in Toronto, another platform Ozon has been known to premiere at). In time for 2016, Ozon has been working on a historical drama, the German co-production Franz, headlined by recent Cesar winner Pierre Niney (Yves Saint Laurent). As usual, confirmations of the exact narrative have been kept under wraps by Ozon.
Cast: Pierre Niney, Paula Beer, Cyrielle Claire
Production Co./Producers: Mandarin’s Eric and Nicolas Altmayer,...
- 1/10/2016
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
A Hologram for a King
Director: Tom Tykwer
Writer: Tom Tykwer
Primarily known for his famed 1998 title Run, Lola Run, which shot actress Franka Potente into international stardom, German director Tom Tykwer’s been involved with a variety of international co-productions since, each seeming to find a minor cult following, such as Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006), The International (2009), and most infamously, Cloud Atlas (2012), which he co-directed with Andy and Lana Wachowski (however, we were most impressed with his less discussed return to Germany with 2010’s well performed Three). Now, Tykwer’s adapated David Eggar’s (screenwriter for Away We Go and Where the Wild Things Are) novel, A Hologram for a King, a political allegory set in an up-and-coming Saudi Arabian city. The comedy-drama tells the story of an American businessman who makes a last-ditch attempt to stave off bankruptcy and finally accomplish something big. He wants to...
Director: Tom Tykwer
Writer: Tom Tykwer
Primarily known for his famed 1998 title Run, Lola Run, which shot actress Franka Potente into international stardom, German director Tom Tykwer’s been involved with a variety of international co-productions since, each seeming to find a minor cult following, such as Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006), The International (2009), and most infamously, Cloud Atlas (2012), which he co-directed with Andy and Lana Wachowski (however, we were most impressed with his less discussed return to Germany with 2010’s well performed Three). Now, Tykwer’s adapated David Eggar’s (screenwriter for Away We Go and Where the Wild Things Are) novel, A Hologram for a King, a political allegory set in an up-and-coming Saudi Arabian city. The comedy-drama tells the story of an American businessman who makes a last-ditch attempt to stave off bankruptcy and finally accomplish something big. He wants to...
- 1/8/2016
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
German regional fund also backs Austrian Oscar-winner of The Counterfeiters.
German director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck is to reunite with Max Wiedemann and Quirin Berg, the producers of his 2005 Oscar-winning debut The Lives Of Others, for his first film since his second feature The Tourist in 2010.
Munich-based Wiedemann & Berg Film and von Donnersmarck’s own company Pergamon Film have received $550,000 (€500,000) production support from the Bavarian regional film fund Fff Bayern for the German-language drama Werk Ohne Autor which centres on a young artist who transforms his experiences under the Nazi and East German dictatorships when his art served political ideas, into new and extremely personal works of art.
In 2006, von Donnersmarck’s searing debut feature won seven German Film Awards and three European Film Awards, among many prizes, as well as the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2007.
Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie starred in his first Hollywood production, the romantic...
German director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck is to reunite with Max Wiedemann and Quirin Berg, the producers of his 2005 Oscar-winning debut The Lives Of Others, for his first film since his second feature The Tourist in 2010.
Munich-based Wiedemann & Berg Film and von Donnersmarck’s own company Pergamon Film have received $550,000 (€500,000) production support from the Bavarian regional film fund Fff Bayern for the German-language drama Werk Ohne Autor which centres on a young artist who transforms his experiences under the Nazi and East German dictatorships when his art served political ideas, into new and extremely personal works of art.
In 2006, von Donnersmarck’s searing debut feature won seven German Film Awards and three European Film Awards, among many prizes, as well as the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2007.
Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie starred in his first Hollywood production, the romantic...
- 12/11/2015
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Josef Hader and Barbara Sukowa star in feature from Cloud Atlas producer.
Films Distribution has boarded international sales rights to German-language drama Before Dawn, which will chart the life of renowned 20th century writer Stefan Zweig.
The Paris-based sales outfit will co-produce alongside X-Filme, Maha Productions, Dor Film and Ideale Audience, reuniting with producer Stefan Arndt (Cloud Atlas, The White Ribbon), with whom they worked on 2014 drama The Dark Valley.
Before Dawn, currently in post-production, charts the years in exile of the famous Jewish Austrian writer who struggled to reconcile himself to events in war torn 1930’s Europe before taking his own life in Brazil.
Zweig’s works have inspired numerous films including Wes Anderson’s Oscar-winner The Grand Budapest Hotel, Patrice Leconte’s 2013 drama A Promise and Roberto Rosselini’s 1954 drama Fear.
Josef Hader (The Bone Man) stars alongside Barbara Sukowa (Hannah Arendt) in the drama which marks the feature debut of actress Maria Schrader ([link...
Films Distribution has boarded international sales rights to German-language drama Before Dawn, which will chart the life of renowned 20th century writer Stefan Zweig.
The Paris-based sales outfit will co-produce alongside X-Filme, Maha Productions, Dor Film and Ideale Audience, reuniting with producer Stefan Arndt (Cloud Atlas, The White Ribbon), with whom they worked on 2014 drama The Dark Valley.
Before Dawn, currently in post-production, charts the years in exile of the famous Jewish Austrian writer who struggled to reconcile himself to events in war torn 1930’s Europe before taking his own life in Brazil.
Zweig’s works have inspired numerous films including Wes Anderson’s Oscar-winner The Grand Budapest Hotel, Patrice Leconte’s 2013 drama A Promise and Roberto Rosselini’s 1954 drama Fear.
Josef Hader (The Bone Man) stars alongside Barbara Sukowa (Hannah Arendt) in the drama which marks the feature debut of actress Maria Schrader ([link...
- 9/10/2015
- by andreas.wiseman@screendaily.com (Andreas Wiseman)
- ScreenDaily
Funds Mdm and Fff Bayern are providing more than $9.4m (€8.6m).
New films by Gore Verbinski, Steve Barron and Margarethe von Trotta are among the projects backed with more than $9.4m (€8.6m) by two German regional funds, Mdm and Fff Bayern, in their latest funding sessions.
Mdm stumped up $437,000 (€400,000) production support for Verbinski’s horror film A Cure For Wellness, which wraps shooting today (July 24) at the Hohenzollern Castle in Baden-Württemberg’s Hechingen, the ancestral seat of the imperial House of Hohenzollern.
The cast for the production by Blind Wink Productions, New Regency and Studio Babelsberg includes Dane deHaan, Mia Goth and Jason Isaacs, and 20th Century Fox is planning a Us theatrical release in September 2016.
A Cure For Wellness is the third major international project co-produced by Studio Babelsberg this year after serving as a partner on Eddie The Eagle, starring Taron Egerton and Hugh Jackman, and for the fifth season of the Us series Homeland...
New films by Gore Verbinski, Steve Barron and Margarethe von Trotta are among the projects backed with more than $9.4m (€8.6m) by two German regional funds, Mdm and Fff Bayern, in their latest funding sessions.
Mdm stumped up $437,000 (€400,000) production support for Verbinski’s horror film A Cure For Wellness, which wraps shooting today (July 24) at the Hohenzollern Castle in Baden-Württemberg’s Hechingen, the ancestral seat of the imperial House of Hohenzollern.
The cast for the production by Blind Wink Productions, New Regency and Studio Babelsberg includes Dane deHaan, Mia Goth and Jason Isaacs, and 20th Century Fox is planning a Us theatrical release in September 2016.
A Cure For Wellness is the third major international project co-produced by Studio Babelsberg this year after serving as a partner on Eddie The Eagle, starring Taron Egerton and Hugh Jackman, and for the fifth season of the Us series Homeland...
- 7/24/2015
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
The European Commission’s plans for a Digital Single Market (Dsm) were high on the agenda as the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) held its annual strategy meeting in Berlin for first time.
Representatives from all six studios attended the two-day meeting in the German capital.
Speaking exclusively to ScreenDaily, Stan McCoy, MPAA’s Brussel-based president and MD for Emea, said: “Rhere are really two reasons why the MPAA came to Berlin this year.
“Firstly, film production between Germany and America has never been stronger. You don’t have to look any further than Homeland [fifth season shooting in the Berlin-Brandenburg region], Grand Budapest Hotel and Monuments Men to understand that.
“Secondly, the German industry has stepped up to take leadership on issues surrounding the Digital Single Market and the threat it poses to the film sector.
“The members of the MPAA are very much interested in understanding the situation that confronts the entire sector in Europe and understanding how we can be...
Representatives from all six studios attended the two-day meeting in the German capital.
Speaking exclusively to ScreenDaily, Stan McCoy, MPAA’s Brussel-based president and MD for Emea, said: “Rhere are really two reasons why the MPAA came to Berlin this year.
“Firstly, film production between Germany and America has never been stronger. You don’t have to look any further than Homeland [fifth season shooting in the Berlin-Brandenburg region], Grand Budapest Hotel and Monuments Men to understand that.
“Secondly, the German industry has stepped up to take leadership on issues surrounding the Digital Single Market and the threat it poses to the film sector.
“The members of the MPAA are very much interested in understanding the situation that confronts the entire sector in Europe and understanding how we can be...
- 6/12/2015
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
Film industry veterans Alison Thompson and Mark Gooder have unveiled their London and La-based company and strategic alliances with London’s Potboiler Films and Berlin-based X Filme.
Gail Egan and Andrea Calderwood’s Potboiler Films and X Filme run by Stefan Arndt and Uwe Schott will each channel up to two films a year for financing and sales into Cornerstone Films.
Thompson will hit the Croisette with the prestige drama Denial starring Hilary Swank and Tom Wilkinson.
As first reported on ScreenDaily, the film is based on Deborah E Lipstadt’s book History On Trial: My Day In Court With A Holocaust Denier about a courtroom clash with the notorious historian David Irving. David Hare has adapted the screenplay.
Thompson will fold her Sunray slate into the new venture, which includes Asif Kapadia’s Midnight selection Amy Winehouse documentary Amy and Vincent Perez’s Alone In Berlin starring Emma Thompson, Daniel Brühl and [link...
Gail Egan and Andrea Calderwood’s Potboiler Films and X Filme run by Stefan Arndt and Uwe Schott will each channel up to two films a year for financing and sales into Cornerstone Films.
Thompson will hit the Croisette with the prestige drama Denial starring Hilary Swank and Tom Wilkinson.
As first reported on ScreenDaily, the film is based on Deborah E Lipstadt’s book History On Trial: My Day In Court With A Holocaust Denier about a courtroom clash with the notorious historian David Irving. David Hare has adapted the screenplay.
Thompson will fold her Sunray slate into the new venture, which includes Asif Kapadia’s Midnight selection Amy Winehouse documentary Amy and Vincent Perez’s Alone In Berlin starring Emma Thompson, Daniel Brühl and [link...
- 4/28/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The film industry veterans have unveiled their London and La-based company and strategic alliances with London’s Potboiler Films and Berlin-based X Filme.
Gail Egan and Andrea Calderwood’s Potboiler Films and X Filme run by Stefan Arndt and Uwe Schott will each channel up to two films a year for financing and sales into Cornerstone Films.
Thompson will hit the Croisette with the prestige drama Denial starring Hilary Swank and Tom Wilkinson.
As first reported on Screendaily, the film is based on Deborah E Lipstadt’s book History On Trial: My Day In Court With A Holocaust Denier about a courtroom clash with the notorious historian David Irving. David Hare has adapted the screenplay.
Thompson will fold her Sunray slate into the new venture, which includes Asif Kapadia’s Midnight selection Amy Winehouse documentary Amy and Vincent Perez’s Alone In Berlin starring Emma Thompson, Daniel Brühl and Brendan Gleeson.
Cornerstone will reveal...
Gail Egan and Andrea Calderwood’s Potboiler Films and X Filme run by Stefan Arndt and Uwe Schott will each channel up to two films a year for financing and sales into Cornerstone Films.
Thompson will hit the Croisette with the prestige drama Denial starring Hilary Swank and Tom Wilkinson.
As first reported on Screendaily, the film is based on Deborah E Lipstadt’s book History On Trial: My Day In Court With A Holocaust Denier about a courtroom clash with the notorious historian David Irving. David Hare has adapted the screenplay.
Thompson will fold her Sunray slate into the new venture, which includes Asif Kapadia’s Midnight selection Amy Winehouse documentary Amy and Vincent Perez’s Alone In Berlin starring Emma Thompson, Daniel Brühl and Brendan Gleeson.
Cornerstone will reveal...
- 4/28/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Emma Thompson, Brendan Gleeson and Daniel Bruhl star in "Alone in Berlin," an adaptation of Hans Fallada's novel about the true story of working class couple Otto and Anna Quangel who, after their son dies on the battlefield, stage a series of anonymous protests against the Nazi regime. Written by Achim von Borries, who cowrote the marvelous 2003 "Good Bye Lenin!" which also starred Bruhl, the film is directed by Swiss actor/filmmaker Vincent Perez. Former Focus Features head James Schamus is among the film's producers including X Filme’s Stefan Arndt and Uwe Schott and Master Movie’s Marco Pacchioni, and FilmWave’s Christian Grass and Paul Trijbits. Thompson also stars in the upcoming period piece "Effie Gray," and has "A Wak in the Woods," "Survivor" and "Adam Jones" coming up. Gleeson will be seen in Ron Howard's December adventure "In the Heart of the Sea" opposite Chris Hemsworth and Cillian.
- 3/27/2015
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Thompson on Hollywood
Second World War drama will shoot on location in Berlin, Cologne and Görlitz.
The English-language adaptation of Hans Fallada’s classic 1947 novel Alone In Berlin is set to begin shooting in Germany.
Based on the true story of a working class couple who conducted a series of anonymous protests against the Nazi regime during the Second World War, principal photography will begin tomorrow (March 27) on location in Berlin, Cologne and Görlitz.
Emma Thompson (Saving Mr. Banks) and Brendan Gleeson (Calvary) star as Anna and Otto Quangel, with Daniel Brühl (Rush) playing Gestapo inspector Escherich.
Producers are Stefan Arndt and Uwe Schott for X-Filme, the German production outfit whose credits include Amour, The White Ribbon and Cloud Atlas.
Co-producers are Master Movie’s Marco Pacchioni together with James Schamus and FilmWave’s Christian Grass and Paul Trijbits.
French actor Vincent Perez will direct.
The screenplay was written by Achim von Borries (Good Bye Lenin!) and Vincent...
The English-language adaptation of Hans Fallada’s classic 1947 novel Alone In Berlin is set to begin shooting in Germany.
Based on the true story of a working class couple who conducted a series of anonymous protests against the Nazi regime during the Second World War, principal photography will begin tomorrow (March 27) on location in Berlin, Cologne and Görlitz.
Emma Thompson (Saving Mr. Banks) and Brendan Gleeson (Calvary) star as Anna and Otto Quangel, with Daniel Brühl (Rush) playing Gestapo inspector Escherich.
Producers are Stefan Arndt and Uwe Schott for X-Filme, the German production outfit whose credits include Amour, The White Ribbon and Cloud Atlas.
Co-producers are Master Movie’s Marco Pacchioni together with James Schamus and FilmWave’s Christian Grass and Paul Trijbits.
French actor Vincent Perez will direct.
The screenplay was written by Achim von Borries (Good Bye Lenin!) and Vincent...
- 3/26/2015
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Bridging The Dragon is an association connecting European and Chinese film professionals.
Euro-China initiative Bridging The Dragon is hosting its first public event at Efm tomorrow (Feb 10), a panel discussion and case study with speakers including producer Nansun Shi and X-Filme’s Stefan Arndt.
Shi and Arndt will join Bona Film Group’s Jeffrey Chan and Constantin Film’s Martin Moszkowicz in a discussion on the challenges and opportunities of co-producing between Europe and China.
Producer Lorna Tee will then speak to Unifrance’s Isabelle Glachant about what works in China and understanding the Chinese audience.
Launched at Locarno Film Festival last year, Bridging The Dragon is an association connecting European and Chinese film professionals through events, networking opportunities and consultancy services.
The initiative, which has a strategic partnership with Efm, will also host residential labs and pitching sessions around Shanghai Film Festival and Locarno later this year.
“China has been more focused on gaining expertise from the...
Euro-China initiative Bridging The Dragon is hosting its first public event at Efm tomorrow (Feb 10), a panel discussion and case study with speakers including producer Nansun Shi and X-Filme’s Stefan Arndt.
Shi and Arndt will join Bona Film Group’s Jeffrey Chan and Constantin Film’s Martin Moszkowicz in a discussion on the challenges and opportunities of co-producing between Europe and China.
Producer Lorna Tee will then speak to Unifrance’s Isabelle Glachant about what works in China and understanding the Chinese audience.
Launched at Locarno Film Festival last year, Bridging The Dragon is an association connecting European and Chinese film professionals through events, networking opportunities and consultancy services.
The initiative, which has a strategic partnership with Efm, will also host residential labs and pitching sessions around Shanghai Film Festival and Locarno later this year.
“China has been more focused on gaining expertise from the...
- 2/10/2015
- by lizshackleton@gmail.com (Liz Shackleton)
- ScreenDaily
A Hologram for the King
Director: Tom Tykwer// Writer: Tom Tykwer
Primarily known for his famed 1998 title Run, Lola Run, which shot actress Franka Potente into international stardom, German director Tom Tykwer’s been involved with a variety of international co-productions since, each seeming to find a minor cult following, such as Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006), The International (2009), and most infamously, Cloud Atlas (2012), which he co-directed with Andy and Lana Wachowski (however, we were most impressed with his less discussed return to Germany with 2010’s well performed Three). Now, Tykwer’s adapated David Eggar’s (screenwriter for Away We Go and Where the Wild Things Are) novel, A Hologram for a King, a political allegory set in an up-and-coming Saudi Arabian city. The comedy-drama tells the story of an American businessman who makes a last-ditch attempt to stave off bankruptcy and finally accomplish something big. He wants to...
Director: Tom Tykwer// Writer: Tom Tykwer
Primarily known for his famed 1998 title Run, Lola Run, which shot actress Franka Potente into international stardom, German director Tom Tykwer’s been involved with a variety of international co-productions since, each seeming to find a minor cult following, such as Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006), The International (2009), and most infamously, Cloud Atlas (2012), which he co-directed with Andy and Lana Wachowski (however, we were most impressed with his less discussed return to Germany with 2010’s well performed Three). Now, Tykwer’s adapated David Eggar’s (screenwriter for Away We Go and Where the Wild Things Are) novel, A Hologram for a King, a political allegory set in an up-and-coming Saudi Arabian city. The comedy-drama tells the story of an American businessman who makes a last-ditch attempt to stave off bankruptcy and finally accomplish something big. He wants to...
- 1/8/2015
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
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