Speakers:

With a media blitz not experienced before the 2008 edition of the Berlinale featured a roster of stars including but not restricted to Mick Jagger and his Rolling Stones, Madonna, Sharuk Khan, Martin Scorcese, and Jeanne Moreau as well as the most prominent German film stars and directors. As expected, the appearances by Madonna and the mega star 'King' Khan generated enthusiastic crowd scenes and a journalistic frenzy.

This frenzy displaced attention from other Berlinale aspects. To name but a few; outstanding selections by the Forum and its Expanded Forum, strategic knowledge dispensed in professional seminars and roundtable such as the keynotes, co-production conference and the European Film Market Industry Debates, and achievements of the World Cinema Fund and the Talent Campus (now considered to be one of the most important innovations introduced by Dieter Kosslick) . Add to this the slimmed down version of the Shooting Stars presentation featuring outstanding young film actors and actresses from throughout Europe, and the ever-expanding European Film market and one understands now why Kosslick is wondering about the limits of Berlinale growth.

After all this year's Berlinale surpassed all prior editions. Including the European Film Market, the Berlin festival featured close to 1100 films in 2325 screenings, provided more than 20 thousand professional accreditations, including 4,200 journalists, and continued holding its leading position as a public international film festival by selling 230.000 tickets. The expansion of the Berlinale and its market is fueled by Kosslick's ability to generate private and public sector financing and the largess of European and federal and state German funding agencies.

According to the Danish 2006 Copenhagen Report "1.5 billion euros of public subsidy [are] currently finding its way into European cinema every year" resulting in the production of 700 films, a financial amount growing each yearn. A significant proportion of these funds emanate from the European Union's media fund and German state and federal sources. Thus several components of the Berlinale, such as the Talent Campus, the World Cinema Fund, the European Co-Production Market, the Keynotes seminar, or the Shooting Stars presentation organized by European Film Promotion could not thrive without support from agencies such as the European Union's MEDIA training program, German state film foundations and film support boards, the federally funded Goethe Institute, the German Federal Foreign Office, and the German Film Foundation.

Both the Berlinale Keynotes seminar and the Shooting Stars presentation have become important parts of the fest. The keynotes focus on significant changes and technological shifts impacting the film industry and placed this year interactive internet applications, including video games, and emerging and collaborative structures on the agenda. It remains to be seen if Don Tapscott's Wiki-principle will actually transform the film industry. There is no question that there is a generation digital divide and that there are new social networking patters though Myspace and facebook. Yet to suggest that the new generation will have a significant impact on the film industry through collaborative 'mass' production and virtual film making seems to be a technology driven prediction open to debate. The internet has indeed become an important film distribution and marketing mechanism. Yet film festivals are flooded by individual productions as will be the internet and other platforms once fast universal broadband access is in place. Jordan Mechner demystified the audience by emphasizing the qualitative difference between videogames and films and clarified that a successful film cannot readily be transformed into a successful video game. Complex story (...)

At this year's Berlinale Keynotes, members of the digital media avantgarde - including top producers from the international games industry, Wikinomics pioneers and Open Movie directors - will discuss some of the most challenging questions facing the film industry.

In the current entertainment industry, the internet is the new key medium and games are the most important format. In view of the rapid developments in digital technology, the film industry is facing ever growing challenges and new forms of competition. After the successful premiere of the Berlinale Keynotes in 2007, this year's meeting will focus on creative, strategic and trend-setting alliances between film, games and Web 2.0. This year's meeting is also designed to open the festival even further to representatives of new media and to encourage innovative questions and an interdisciplinary exchange of ideas.

On Tuesday, February 12, 2008 in the Kaisersaal at Potsdamer Platz, festival director Dieter Kosslick and Medienboard managing director Petra Müller will welcome prominent representatives of the digital avant-garde to the Keynotes, which this year bears the title "The Age of Collaboration?":

Jade Raymond. This ground-breaking 32 year-old is considered to be the first star producer in the games industry. In November 2007, she launched her much anticipated game "Assassin's Creed", which went on to sell 2.5 million copies within 4 weeks. Ms. Raymond was already developing software on her computer at the age of 14. She went on to work as a programmer at Sony and also collaborated with "Sims" creator Will Wright at Electronic Arts to produce "Sims Online". Today, she is a video game producer at Ubisoft in Montreal. In her Keynote, Ms. Raymond will be speaking about her work as a creative producer and how the narrative structures of video games and cinematic images influence each other.

Jordan Mechner is the screenwriter for Jerry Bruckheimer's (Pirates of the Caribbean) current Disney project Prince of Persia, which is a live action version of the video game of the same name created by Mechner. "Prince of Persia" also happens to be the most successful and best selling computer game series of all time. Mike Newell (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Four Weddings and a Funeral) will direct Prince of Persia, which will be the first installment in a series of films in the spirit of Pirates of the Caribbean and Indiana Jones.

Don Tapscott is a top consultant and university professor as well as founder and head of the international think tank New Paradigm. As the creator of the Wikinomics Theory, Mr. Tapscott knows his way around the networked universe and has written eleven bestsellers on the digital economy, all of which have been translated into 20 different languages. In his Keynote, he will outline how the knowledge of the many and the co-operation of the masses are destined to turn the film industry on its head. 

Matt Hanson, director, producer and founder of the Visual Intelligence Agency, has set himself an ambitious goal, namely the production of the feature film A Swarm of Angels using the Open Movie principle. The budget of 1.5 million Euro will be helped along by roughly 50,000 community members who will in turn have a say in all project phases of the film. When complete, the film will be broadcast on the Internet - for free of course. 

Ton Roosendaal is the head of the Dutch foundation Blender and chief developer of Blender, the free 3D graphic software. Elephant Dream is the first short film to have been cre (...)

Thursday, February 14---------When you are one of the most famous people on the planet, it is hard to go anywhere without noisy crowds assembling. And when you are premiering your film directorial debut......it is a papparazzi dream on steroids. This is the tame description of what happened last evening, when Madonna, the Material Girl herself, was in Berlin to premiere her new film FILTH AND WISDOM.

As one can only imagine,  Madonna made quite a media splash. She was prominently featured on the cover of several local tabloids and attracted huge crowds wherever she appeared, includiing a packed press conference which was also broadcast on a giant screen outside the Berlinale Palast. Police security, almost unheard of at the Festival, were called in to handle the masses that blocked traffic outside the Zoopalast Theater, where the film had its world premiere screening last night.

The film, produced by Exposure Films in the UK, screened as part of the Panorama program. The film, shot completely in her now native town of London, was shot last summer with a limited budget and rather  "under the radar". Using a largely unknown cast, FILTH AND WISDOM tells the story of Andriy Krystiyan, or A. K. for short, who has come to England from the Ukraine. A. K. is a philosopher, a poet, and an authority on all aspects of life. At the same time, he is following his grand plan to become an international star. Global stardom is how A. K. describes the goal that he and his band Gogol Bordello are pursuing with their particular brand of boisterous gypsy punk. A. K. shares a flat with two young women named Juliette and Holly. Juliette dreams of being a kind of Florence Nightingale of the developing world. Holly is a trained ballerina. Her big dream is to dance with the Royal Ballet. These three distinctive personalities are at the centre of a cinematic tale of everyday life about people who are obliged to take on jobs just to earn a living, but who live in hope of one day fulfilling their dreams.

So far, the buzz from film professionals is respectful, if not enthusiastic. Several critics have indicated that the film represents a substantial improvement over her recent work as an actress. Nevertheless, some reviews took her to task for what was described as the movie's fortune-cookie philosophy. At a news conference, Madonna appeared to ignore the criticism, reflecting that her goal was to reflect life's "ultimate duality" -- as expressed in the title. She also commented on the challenges of directing her first film project. "In film directing, you live more in your head -- there's no visceral release. It was an adjustment for me to work from my neck up."

So far, the film does not have any distributor attached, although curiosity is certainly high. At the press conference, Madonna confirmed reports that she is exploring the possibility of releasing FILTH AND WISDOM on the internet, avoiding a traditional theatrical release. "That would be an unconventional way for it to be seen," she said, "and I like doing unconventional things."

Sandy Mandelberger, Berlin FF Dailies Editor

Wednesday, February 13-------The new age of digital cinema, and how it will effect everything from production to distribution to exhibition, was the hot topic at this past weekend's EFM Industry Debates, sponsored by the European Film Market (EFM) and its official main partner Arts Alliance Media (AAM). Building on the success of last year’s collaboration, this year’s debates dealt with the opportunities and challenges of digital film distribution and sales. Under the heading “Embrace Digital Distribution: Drive Your Business Into The Future”, advances in digital distribution possibilities, prospects of the cinema market and the effects of growing digitalisation on home users were discussed at three afternoon sessions, held in the ballroom of the Marriot Hotel.

The first debate examined the perspectives opening up for European independent distributors in view of increasing digitalisation. On the second day, the key issue was the developments in the home entertainment market, including the opportunities that are for filmmakers and distributors as a result of online distribution and legal downloading options. The series closed with a panel on the outlook of technical innovations and the development of digital standards for online distribution.

The London-based company Arts Alliance Media is Europe’s leading provider for the digital distribution of film and is currently working on establishing a European-wide digital network that will make films available to cinemas and home entertainment as well as enable exchange between partners in the industry. Industry experts who contributed to the discourse included: Arash Amel (Screen Digest), Robert Andrews (PaidContent: UK), Liesl Copland (Netflix), John Dick (MEDIA Programme), Anders Geersten (European Digital Cinema Forum), Michael Gubbins (Screen International), Simon Morris (Lovefilm.com), Jon Salmon (Tiscali), and Nick Varley (Park Circus).

Sandy Mandelberger, Berlin FF Dailies Editor

Opening of the Berlinale Talent Campus #6 with Dieter Kosslick, Dorothee Wenner, Stephen Daldry and Gustavo Santaolalla
Match Factor by Maheen Zia from Pakistan winner of the Berlin Today Award 2008

Yesterday evening (Saturday, Feb 9) festival director Dieter Kosslick and Campus director Dorothee Wenner opened the Berlinale Talent Campus 2008 before a crowd of ca. 600 invited guests in the Hebbel am Ufer theatre, HAU 1. Until Feb 14, 350 Talents from about 100 countries will meet with international experts to learn from their experience in workshops and discussion-based events. Together with director Stephen Daldry, two-time Oscarâ award-winner and mentor for this year's Volkswagen Score Competition Gustavo Santaolalla, Nollywood-Star Kate Henshaw-Nuttall and Kirsten Niehuus, CEO Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, they welcomed this year's participants, partners and guests.
The highlight of the evening was the world premiere of the three nominated short films for the Berlin Today Award 2008. Host of the Opening Peter Twiehaus (ZDF) welcomed the three young directors Maheen Zia (Pakistan), Ole Bendtzen (Denmark) and Ville Jankeri (Finland) on stage prior to the screening.

"And the Berlin Today Award 2008 goes to..."
This Sunday (Feb 10) evening, the Berlin Today Award 2008 will be handed by director Wim Wenders to the winner of this year's competition round during a networking dinner held by the Campus. The fifth Berlin Today Award goes to Maheen Zia from Pakistan for her short film Match Factor, which competed against the documentary Berlin Hair Today from Ole Bendtzen and the drama The Last Wash from Ville Jankeri. Anneke Kim Sarnau and Navid Akhavan played the leading roles in this intense story about Ahmed, an Iraqi who finds himself the key suspect in a manhunt led by the German police. Laudator and this year's juror as well as mentor for the next round of the competition Wim Wenders, alongside director Uli Gaulke (Havanna mi amor!, Comrades in Dreams) and actress Jasmin Tabatabai (Bandits, Unveiled), on the jury's decision: "The city silently passes by its protagonists and yet remains present at all times Using quiet tones and delicate gestures. Match Factor succeeds wonderfully in describing how the two main protagonists gently grow closer. We are excited about what projects are in store for the future - maybe in Berlin!"

On Monday, Feb 11, there will be a public screening of the three Berlin Today short films at 6 p.m. in the Hackesche Höfe cinema, Rosenthaler Str. 40/41, 10178 Berlin. This year's series was produced by the production company zero fiction with contributions and support from Medienboard and the regional film industry. After the award ceremony, media partner Deutsche Welle, DW-TV, will broadcast the winning film as part of its regular televised programme.

Sunday, February 10-------For the 11th consecutive year, the Berlin Film Festival is hosting the Shooting Stars initiative, a promotion effort to kickstart the careers of some of Europe's most promising actors and actresses. The program is sponsored by European Film Promotion, a pan-European organization of the continent's film promotion offices, who work together to spread the gospel about European film and film talents at film festivals and markets around the world.

This year's talent pool (pictured above from left to right) includes: Stine Fischer Christensen (Denmark) Joel Basman (Switzerland); Anamaria Marinca (Romania); Marko Igonda (Slovakia), Zsolt Nagy (Hungary), Nicolas Cazalé (France), Maryam Hassouni (The Netherlands) ; Hannah Herzsprung (Germany);  and Elio Germano (Italy).

In Berlin, the young actors and actresses have a dizzying array of photo shoots and official presentations in store. Yesterday, the group was photographed at an atmospheric Volkswagen factory, with the r&b artist Seal. Today, they were the focus of a casting agents' pitching session where the beautiful young things could network and find out about upcoming productions. The group also is participating in the Berlinale Talent Campus, meeting producers, distributors, financiers and others who can help with their career ambitions.

Monday is the big day and night......kicking off with a Press Conference, where members of the international press can have one-on-one access to the budding talents, and culminating with the official presentation of the Shooting Stars at a gala screening at the Berlinale Palast. All this is followed, natch, by the legendary Shooting Stars Party, one of the Berlinale's most celebrated soirees.

As an added feature this year, EFP is promoting films being presented in both the official sections of the Festival and the accompanying Film Market that showcase the talents of this up-and-coming stars. Past alumni of the Shooting Stars initiative who have become major film actors include Daniel Craig, Rachel Weisz and Daniel Bruehl. It will be interesting to see which of this year's crop will be on the acendancy in the months and years to come.

Sandy Mandelberger, Berlin FF Dailies Editor

Sunday, February 10---------The Panorama section of the Berlin Film Festival is recognized as the "cutting edge" program at the Berlinale, with films that embrace politics, sexuality and social upheaval. Longtime Panorama chief Wieland Speck has been a consistent curator at the Berlinale over the past 20 years, bringing his own sensibilities to the programming of what is, for me, the Festival's most consistent and uplifiting film showcase. To start things off this past weekend, the Panorama presented the international premiere of A JIHAD FOR LOVE, an engaging and eye-opening documentary on gay Muslims, that had its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival in September.

In Toronto, I had the opportunity to interview the film's creative team and am reprinting it here. A JIHAD FOR LOVE serves as a kind of complimentary bookend to producer Sandi Dubowski's acclaimed TREMBLING BEFORE GOD, an exploration of gays and lesbians in the Orthodox Jewish community, that was a Sundance hit a few years ago. A JIHAD FOR LOVE will follow that earlier film's unique distribution roll-out, with a theatrical run by First Run Features that also includes community screenings at synagogues, mosques, churches, universities and even people's homes. This is the kind of intimate setting that allows for discussion of the film's engaging themes.

There are very few words in our contemporary culture that are as charged as the word "jihad". It has been used as a kind of talisman for conjuring up the fears of Western society for the resurgence of political, economic and ideological influence of the Muslim world. Indian-born Muslim director Parvez Sharma uses the word in the title of his debut documentary film in its more literal Arabic meaning. Rather than simply being equated with "holy war", Sharma unfolds a story of its literal meaning....."struggle" or "to strive in the path of God". This path is especially difficult for those in the Muslim world who are struggling with self-acceptance of themselves as gay men and lesbian women, in a society and religious culture that is hostile and uncomfortable with their mere presence.

A JIHAD FOR LOVE has a lot to teach us about love, acceptance and the struggle for human dignity for those who see themselves as both homosexual and Muslim, a combination so taboo that very little has even been documented on the subject. Traveling to a number of countries in the Middle East, South Africa, Asia and into the heart of Europe's immigrant communities, Sharma bravely enters these territories by illuminating multiple stories as diverse as the many worlds of Islam. 

In South Africa, we encounter a religious scholar, the imam Muhsin Hendricks, who faces condemnation when he publicly comes out of the closet. In Egypt, where homosexuality is outlawed, a young man named Mazen has to flee after being imprisoned and tortured following the well-publicized 2001 raid on Cairo’s secret gay community. Once in Paris, he befriends lesbians from other Muslim countries, and their bonds help to supplant the families left behind.

Where there is struggle, there is also hope. We find a Muslim mother in Turkey accepting her grown daughter’s lesbian partner. Four gay men from Iran seek asylum and a new life in Canada. Each subject in the film is, in their own way, fighting a kind of "holy war" of acceptance, from both their families and communities, and from within themselves. In this respect, the film parallels similar themes and issues explored with (...)

Saturday, February 9----------As the Competition Screenings at this year's Berlinale move into high gear, it is a good moment to comment on the credentials and the international mix of jurors who must view an impressive group of awards contenders, all vying for the prestigious Golden and Silver Bear Awards.

Jury President Costa-Gavras (France) is one of the most renowned figures of dedicated, political filmmaking. His international breakthrough came in 1969 with the political thriller Z, which won him two Academy Awards. In 1990 Costa-Gavras was awarded the Berlinale Golden Bear for his film Music Box (with Armin Mueller-Stahl and Jessica Lange). He last participated in the Berlinale Competition in 2002 with Amen. Costa-Gavras is also President of the French Cinemathèque.

Danish director Susanne Bier is one of her country’s most internationally successful filmmakers. She received numerous awards for her Dogma film Open Hearts (2002). In 2007 her drama After The Wedding received a Best Foreign Film Oscar nomination. Her latest film, Things We Lost In The Fire, with Halle Berry, will be released in Germany this summer.

Sandrine Bonnaire is one of France‘s most popular and successful actresses. Her international breakthrough came at the start of her career with her role in Agnès Varda’s Vagabond (1985). A holder of two César Awards, she has played in films by Jacques Rivette and Claude Chabrol (The Ceremony, 1995). In 2004 she was on screen in the Berlinale Competition in Intimate Strangers by Patrice Leconte.

Production designer Uli Hanisch was honoured with the German and the European Film Awards for his work in the adaptation of Patrick Süskind’s novel Perfume – The Story Of A Murderer (2006). He has done the production design for almost all of Tom Tykwer’s films, including the upcoming The International, starring Clive Owen and Naomi Watts. His set designs also shaped films by Oliver Hirschbiegel (The Experiment) and Sönke Wortmann (The Miracle Of Bern).

Diane Kruger’s international breakthrough came with her role in Wolfgang Petersen’s monumental epic Troy. The young actress played in the 2007 Berlinale Competition film Goodbye Bafana by Bille August. Together with Nicolas Cage she is currently on screen in National Treasure: Book Of Secrets.

Walter Murch is a multiple-Academy Award winner who wrote film history with his spectacular sound design for Francis Ford Coppola’s anti-war film Apocalypse Now. As a cutter and sound designer he has collaborated with Coppola for 30 years, on films ranging from The Godfather to his latest work Tetro. He has also created image and sound montages for George Lucas, Jerry Zucker and Anthony Minghella.

Alexander Rodniansky was born in the Ukraine, and is one of the biggest cinema and TV producers in Russia. A studied filmmaker, he is now president of the Moscow media holding CTC and a formative figure in Russia’s media landscape. His work as a director includes a series of documentaries about contemporary Russia, including 1992s two-part Farewell USSR, which won numerous awards.

Shu-Qi is one of the most popular and sought-after actresses in Asian cinema. Born in Taiwan, she has played in over 50 films in a great variety of genres. On the international circuit she attracted attention for her role in the thriller The Transporter (2002). In 2000 Shu-Qi appeared in the Berlinale Competition film The Is (...)