Good news for friends of German films: The 35th Sundance Film Festival (January 24 – February 3, 2019) has announced three German world premieres that will take you around the world:David Wnendt, known for such divergent films as neo-Nazi drama COMBAT GIRLS, the digressive romp WETLANDS (Sundance Competition 2013) and the Hitler comedy LOOK WHO'S BACK, has been invited back with English-language title THE SUNLIT NIGHT. Between New York City and the far north of Norway, an American painter and a Russian émigré find each other in the Arctic circle. Together under a sun that never sets, they discover a future and family that they didn’t know they had. Jenny Slate, Zach Galifianakis, Alex Sharp, Gillian Anderson, Fridjov Sáheim, David Paymer star in the adaptation of Rebecca Dinerstein's novel.
Wnendt is already in pre-production for his next film, Continue reading "3x Germany @ Sundance 2019" »
Good news for German films in the domestic market: In the 2017 cinema year, German films recorded a stronger increase in attendance and sales than the overall market. With 28 million tickets sold – one million more than the year before – and sales of 221 million euros (up from 208 million), German films increased by 5 and 6 % compared to the previous year, while the overall market for visitors and at the box office grew by 3%. These figures are in the latest FFA study “Attendance at German Films in 2017,” with which the German Federal Film Board (FFA, Filmförderungsanstalt) explored parts of the previously published study “Cinemagoers in 2017” in detail for the sixth time in a row. 
Pictures began moving more than a century ago, but they didn’t learn to talk until much later. In the mid-1920s, the first sound films marked the slow but inevitable end of the silent film era. Talkies were problematic in particular for foreign productions. The audience quickly lost interest in the films since they couldn’t understand most of the dialogues. While silent films were still internationally comprehensible, suddenly outside help was needed to overcome language barriers. The profession of dubbing actor was born -- the topic of our 
Thank you, Toronto film audiences, for awarding our German selection WELCOME TO GERMANY the EUFFTO Audience Prize! As we had a sold-out house at the Royal Cinema and had to turn 200 people away, we'll be 
Pictures began moving more than a century ago, but they didn’t learn to talk until much later. In the mid-1920s, the first sound films marked the slow but inevitable end of the silent film era. Talkies were problematic in particular for foreign productions. The audience quickly lost interest in the films since they couldn’t understand most of the dialogues. While silent films were still internationally comprehensible, suddenly outside help was needed to overcome language barriers. The profession of dubbing actor was born -- the topic of our 
The Hartmann family is making cinematic history. Since the theatrical release in November 2016, 3.2 million viewers in German cinemas have seen the comedy about refugee Diallo (Eric Kabongo), who finds a new home with the Hartmanns. 
Reposting my #Berlinale18 review for TRANSIT's Canadian theatrical launch (with the companion film SILENT REVOLUTION not showing in Canada):
We have a Goethe Documentary Film Prize winner 2018! Sebastian Schultz, Noni Lickleder and myself decided on a winning film at Europe's second largest documentary film festival, DOK Leipzig, with this jury statement:
ALL CREATURES WELCOME was one of the quirky and crazy documentaries at DOK Leipzig 2018 and could also have stood in as the festival's alternative motto. Takeaway: The future of filmmaking is bright. The future of the world less so. Here are some bespoke recommendations and thematic pairings, from pensive to upbeat, to look for at a festival or theatre or streaming platform near you, fresh from Leipzig's 61st documentary and animation festival:
