Archive notice: This article was originally published on April 7, 2008. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
The Berlin Today Award, supported by Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg as the Berlinale Talent Campus short film competition since 2003, has nominated five short film projects as finalists for the new round.
176 young filmmakers from 72 countries responded to the invitation to submit project ideas on the theme “My Wall” to mark the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall in 2009.
Alongside the Campus talents, producers from across Germany were also able to apply to realise a short film project for the first time. A shortlist of 15 talents and 10 production companies was invited to a “Producers’ Meeting” during the Berlinale Talent Campus, where they had an opportunity to present their projects.
A subsequent vote by the talents and producers formed the basis for the jury meeting, attended by representatives of Medienboard, the Berlinale Talent Campus, organiser boxfish events and Berlin Today Award e.V. Five talent-producer teams were selected and have thus made it to the final:
Gina Abatemarco from the USA will realise “My Super Sea Wall” together with Anna Wendt Filmproduktion from Berlin. The documentary portrays the Alaskan island of Kivalina, which is currently being saved from sinking only by a huge sand wall built by its residents.
“Teleportation” by Markus Dietrich from Germany is being made in collaboration with Berlin’s Schiwago Film and reveals who was really responsible for the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.
In “Promenade”, Sabine El Chamaa from Lebanon tells the story of an old woman who rebuilds the walls of her war-destroyed house, stone by stone, in her new home. The partly animated project is being realised by NEOS Film from Geiselgasteig near Munich.
Hamburg’s DETAilFILM is producing “Wagah” by Supriyo Sen from India, a documentary about a very bizarre ritual at a border post on the 1,000 km border between India and Pakistan.
Finally, Britain’s Paul Cotter is realising his project “Werner and the Wall” together with Kaminski.Stiehm.Film from Berlin. One day, 75-year-old Werner Schlömerkemper begins rebuilding the Berlin Wall. Before long, he has many enthusiastic helpers, none of whom recognises the true motive for his actions…
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The five short films will be realised with Medienboard funding and contributions in kind from the film industry. A new component of the Berlin Today Award is a one-month residency supported by the Federal Foreign Office, giving the talents an opportunity to develop their projects further in collaboration with their respective producers.
Filming will take place until the end of the year in Alaska, Beirut, Berlin, Brandenburg and India. The five short films will celebrate their world premieres during the opening of the Berlinale Talent Campus 2009 (February 7–12, 2009). The winner will receive the Berlin Today Award. Worldwide screenings in collaboration with the Goethe-Institut are planned afterwards.
The Berlin Today Award 2009 is supported by Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg and the Federal Foreign Office. Federal Foreign Minister Dr Frank-Walter Steinmeier has assumed patronage, and Wim Wenders is the mentor of this year’s competition round.
Further information on the website.
Further Links:
- Berlin Today Award
