The new projects by Sabine Derflinger, Daniel Prochaska and Barbara Albert have also received grants. The Austrian Film Institute has announced the recipients of its latest round of grants, which were decided on during its eighth funding session of 2019. The three members of the selection committee decided to split a total sum of €700,300 among 27 film projects and to hand out one grant for professional development. Among the projects chosen to receive funding is Jessica Hausner’s Club Zero, which received a script-development grant of €15,000. The Austrian filmmaker is ready to follow up on the success of her sci-fi flick Little Joe, which was part of the Cannes Film Festival’s main competition this year, with a satire. Inspired by the 13th-century fable The Pied Piper of Hamelin, in which the townspeople never pay the flute-playing rat-catcher for his services, leading him...
- 12/10/2019
- Cineuropa - The Best of European Cinema
Netflix is set to unveil three new genre-spanning original series in Berlin on Wednesday.
The U.S. streaming giant’s latest slate includes showrunner-director Christian Ditter’s fast-paced German thriller “Biohackers” and Norwegian horror series “Bloodride,” from writer-director Kjetil Indregard (“Maniac”).
Netflix will also officially announce “Unorthodox” from “Deutschland 83” showrunner Anna Winger, which Variety reported Tuesday.
Produced by Uli Putz and Jakob Claussen of Munich-based Claussen+Putz Filmproduktion, “Biohackers” follows medical student Mia, who discovers the use of highly advanced bio-hacking technology in her university town. When a groundbreaking discovery falls into the wrong hands, she has to decide which side she is on and how far she is willing to go to find out the truth.
“Bloodride,” produced by Oslo-based Monster Scripted, is described as a tongue-in-cheek horror anthology series, with six stories set in their own realistic yet strange universes. Atle Knudsen and Geir Henning Hopland will also direct along with Indregard.
The U.S. streaming giant’s latest slate includes showrunner-director Christian Ditter’s fast-paced German thriller “Biohackers” and Norwegian horror series “Bloodride,” from writer-director Kjetil Indregard (“Maniac”).
Netflix will also officially announce “Unorthodox” from “Deutschland 83” showrunner Anna Winger, which Variety reported Tuesday.
Produced by Uli Putz and Jakob Claussen of Munich-based Claussen+Putz Filmproduktion, “Biohackers” follows medical student Mia, who discovers the use of highly advanced bio-hacking technology in her university town. When a groundbreaking discovery falls into the wrong hands, she has to decide which side she is on and how far she is willing to go to find out the truth.
“Bloodride,” produced by Oslo-based Monster Scripted, is described as a tongue-in-cheek horror anthology series, with six stories set in their own realistic yet strange universes. Atle Knudsen and Geir Henning Hopland will also direct along with Indregard.
- 2/13/2019
- by Ed Meza
- Variety Film + TV
Berlin — Netflix is set to unveil three new genre-spanning original series in Berlin on Wednesday.
The U.S. streaming giant’s latest slate includes showrunner-director Christian Ditter’s fast-paced German thriller “Biohackers” and Norwegian horror series “Bloodride,” from writer-director Kjetil Indregard (“Maniac”).
Netflix will also officially announce “Unorthodox,” from “Deutschland 83” showrunner Anna Winger, which Variety reported about on Tuesday. [ Please link: https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/netflix-deutschland-83-anna-winger-series-unorthodox-1203135684/ ]
Produced by Uli Putz and Jakob Claussen of Munich-based Claussen+Putz Filmproduktion, “Biohackers” follows medical student Mia who discovers the use of highly advanced biohacking technology in her university town. When a groundbreaking discovery falls into the wrong hands, she has to decide which side she is on and how far she is willing to go to find out the truth.
“Bloodride,” produced by Oslo-based Monster Scripted, is described as a tongue-in-cheek horror anthology series, with six unique stories set in their own realistic, yet strange universes. Atle Knudsen and Geir Henning Hopland...
The U.S. streaming giant’s latest slate includes showrunner-director Christian Ditter’s fast-paced German thriller “Biohackers” and Norwegian horror series “Bloodride,” from writer-director Kjetil Indregard (“Maniac”).
Netflix will also officially announce “Unorthodox,” from “Deutschland 83” showrunner Anna Winger, which Variety reported about on Tuesday. [ Please link: https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/netflix-deutschland-83-anna-winger-series-unorthodox-1203135684/ ]
Produced by Uli Putz and Jakob Claussen of Munich-based Claussen+Putz Filmproduktion, “Biohackers” follows medical student Mia who discovers the use of highly advanced biohacking technology in her university town. When a groundbreaking discovery falls into the wrong hands, she has to decide which side she is on and how far she is willing to go to find out the truth.
“Bloodride,” produced by Oslo-based Monster Scripted, is described as a tongue-in-cheek horror anthology series, with six unique stories set in their own realistic, yet strange universes. Atle Knudsen and Geir Henning Hopland...
- 2/12/2019
- by Ed Meza
- Variety Film + TV
Picture Tree Intl. has added German romantic comedy “Cold Feet” (Kalte Füsse) to its market lineup at the Berlin Film Festival, where the sales agent will screen the film as a market premiere. Sony Pictures released the pic, directed Wolfgang Groos, in Germany on Thursday, and it garnered 100,000 admissions over its opening weekend.
“Cold Feet,” set in a snow-covered landscape, tells the story of petty criminal Denis, who breaks into the winter cottage of rich business man and stroke patient Raimund. Denis is mistaken for the new nurse by Raimund’s granddaughter Charlotte, a police-academy trainee. In order not to get busted Denis decides to play along. Then a snowstorm hits and a game of cat and mouse ensues in the snowbound house.
Denis is played by Emilio Sakraya, who previously appeared in “Heilstätten” and the “Bibi & Tina” movie franchise; Raimund is played by Heiner Lauterbach, whose credits include...
“Cold Feet,” set in a snow-covered landscape, tells the story of petty criminal Denis, who breaks into the winter cottage of rich business man and stroke patient Raimund. Denis is mistaken for the new nurse by Raimund’s granddaughter Charlotte, a police-academy trainee. In order not to get busted Denis decides to play along. Then a snowstorm hits and a game of cat and mouse ensues in the snowbound house.
Denis is played by Emilio Sakraya, who previously appeared in “Heilstätten” and the “Bibi & Tina” movie franchise; Raimund is played by Heiner Lauterbach, whose credits include...
- 1/17/2019
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Breaking Glass has acquired Us rights from Studiocanal to the German live-action adaptation of Otfried Preussler’s children’s classic The Little Witch (Die Kleine Hexe).
Breaking Glass has acquired Us rights from Studiocanal to the German live-action adaptation of Otfried Preussler’s children’s classic The Little Witch (Die Kleine Hexe).
Student Academy Award-winner Michael Schaerer (Warmth) directed the film, which follows the 127-year-old protagonist as she embarks on a quest to discover what makes a good witch when she is punished for attempting to sneak into a dance.
The Little Witch stars Karoline Herfurth, best known for her...
Breaking Glass has acquired Us rights from Studiocanal to the German live-action adaptation of Otfried Preussler’s children’s classic The Little Witch (Die Kleine Hexe).
Student Academy Award-winner Michael Schaerer (Warmth) directed the film, which follows the 127-year-old protagonist as she embarks on a quest to discover what makes a good witch when she is punished for attempting to sneak into a dance.
The Little Witch stars Karoline Herfurth, best known for her...
- 8/10/2018
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
The Little Witch (Die Kleine Hexe) will star German actress Karoline Herfurth and reunite the production team behind local box office hit Heidi.
Studiocanal is to co-produce and handle world sales on the first German live-action film adaptation of Otfried Preussler’s children’s classic The Little Witch (Die Kleine Hexe).
Published in 1957, Preussler’s tale centres on a witch who is a mere one hundred and twenty-seven years old and thus deemed too young to be allowed to dance with the others on the Hill of Witches during Walpurgis Night (30 April).
Before she can prove to the chief witch that she has what it takes to become a good witch, she must hone her magic skills, but she hadn’t reckoned with the mean weather witch Rumpumpel using every means to prevent her reaching her goal.
Studiocanal’s German production arm, Studiocanal Film, will co-produce with Munich-based Claussen+Putz Filmproduktion and Switzerland’s Zodiac Pictures after last...
Studiocanal is to co-produce and handle world sales on the first German live-action film adaptation of Otfried Preussler’s children’s classic The Little Witch (Die Kleine Hexe).
Published in 1957, Preussler’s tale centres on a witch who is a mere one hundred and twenty-seven years old and thus deemed too young to be allowed to dance with the others on the Hill of Witches during Walpurgis Night (30 April).
Before she can prove to the chief witch that she has what it takes to become a good witch, she must hone her magic skills, but she hadn’t reckoned with the mean weather witch Rumpumpel using every means to prevent her reaching her goal.
Studiocanal’s German production arm, Studiocanal Film, will co-produce with Munich-based Claussen+Putz Filmproduktion and Switzerland’s Zodiac Pictures after last...
- 4/29/2016
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
He's not Casper, but he's just as friendly. The Little Ghost has been charming audiences over in Germany, and he's soon headed Stateside. Read on for all the details about the ghost with the most!
As per Variety, Vertical Entertainment has acquired North American rights to the family-friendly flick, which has thus far grossed over $6 million at the German box office.
The feature is live-action, apart from, of course, its central character, the Little Ghost, which is rendered in CGI. It is based on the best-selling children’s book by Otfried Preussler, which has been translated into more than 31 languages.
The titular Little Ghost lives in the castle of Eulenstein and is awake for one hour every night from midnight. The ghost would like to see the world by daylight for once, despite the warnings of a friend, Mr. Tu-Whit Tu-Whoo.
One night, three kids go on a trip to the castle,...
As per Variety, Vertical Entertainment has acquired North American rights to the family-friendly flick, which has thus far grossed over $6 million at the German box office.
The feature is live-action, apart from, of course, its central character, the Little Ghost, which is rendered in CGI. It is based on the best-selling children’s book by Otfried Preussler, which has been translated into more than 31 languages.
The titular Little Ghost lives in the castle of Eulenstein and is awake for one hour every night from midnight. The ghost would like to see the world by daylight for once, despite the warnings of a friend, Mr. Tu-Whit Tu-Whoo.
One night, three kids go on a trip to the castle,...
- 2/3/2014
- by John Squires
- DreadCentral.com
Berlin International Film Festival
BERLIN -- Hans-Christian Schmid's "Lichter" (Distant Lights) is about two tough border towns that swarm with smugglers, refugees and capitalist exploiters. One is the Polish town of Slubice, filled with Russians and Eastern Europeans dying -- in some cases, literally -- to slip across the river to greater economic opportunities in the second town, Frankfurt-on-Oder, in Germany. It's a heartless environment where people exploit one another and innocence is crushed.
Schmid and co-writer Michael Gutmann plunge the viewer into a chaotic 48-hour period where a large cast of German, Polish, Russian and Ukrainian characters struggle for survival. This is an up-to-the-minute portrait of the turmoil along the Polish-German border, with principal photography having been completed only three months ago. More festival appearances and European distribution appear certain for this impressive competition film, though its bleakness works against commerciality.
Schmid and Gutmann certainly take a discouraging view of humanity along this border. Nothing works out for anybody here. Any glimmer of hope that may, metaphorically, be contained in the film's English title, "Distant Lights", is distant indeed.
A group of refugees gets dumped by cruel smugglers in Poland rather than in Germany as promised. They split up to wander into increasing peril. One Ukrainian family encounters an obliging taxi driver who desperately needs money to pay for his daughter's Communion dress.
He is short on money because his wife has lost her illegal job across the border, working for a discount mattress store owner who has gone broke because competitors have screwed him.
A cigarette smuggler lives in a dilapidated farm near Frankfurt with two sons who are in conflict over a young runaway girl each one fancies. A young female translator for the border police sympathizes with the plight of one captured refugee and decides to help him at all costs, even to her relationship with her German boyfriend. Another Polish translator earns her living by offering services to businessmen that go beyond linguistic. This comes as a shock to a former German boyfriend who has a chance encounter with her two years after having abandoned her.
When Schmid does find humanity in these situations, it usually happens when business or politics has no importance. Otherwise, capitalist ruthlessness holds sway over all human transactions on both sides of the river.
The film's large cast splendidly conveys the increasing tensions as the stakes rise with every minute over the 48 hours. Bogumil Godfrejow's mobile camera sticks close to the characters, scrambling like a documentary crew to keep up with people on the go. A melancholy score by a quartet known as the Notwist underscores the almost helpless binds that trap most of the characters.
LICHTER
Claussen + Wobke Filmproduction with ZDF in cooperation with Arte
Credits:
Director: Hans-Christian Schmid
Screenwriters: Hans-Christian Schmid, Michael Gutmann
Producers: Jakob Claussen, Thomas Wobke
Executive producer: Uli Putz
Director of photography: Bogumil Godfrejow
Production designer: Christian M. Goldbeck
Music: The Notwist
Costume designer: Ulrike Scharfschwerdt
Editor: Hansjorg Weissbrich, Bernd Schlegel
Cast:
Kolja: Ivan Shvedoff
Dimitri: Sergej Frolov
Anna: Anna Janowskaja
Andreas: Sebastian Urzendowsky
Katharina: Alice Dwyer
Marko: Martin Kiefer
Maik: Tom Jahn
Ingo: Devid Striesow
Simone: Claudia Geisler
Antoni
Zbigniew Zamachowski
Running time -- 105 minutes
No MPAA rating...
BERLIN -- Hans-Christian Schmid's "Lichter" (Distant Lights) is about two tough border towns that swarm with smugglers, refugees and capitalist exploiters. One is the Polish town of Slubice, filled with Russians and Eastern Europeans dying -- in some cases, literally -- to slip across the river to greater economic opportunities in the second town, Frankfurt-on-Oder, in Germany. It's a heartless environment where people exploit one another and innocence is crushed.
Schmid and co-writer Michael Gutmann plunge the viewer into a chaotic 48-hour period where a large cast of German, Polish, Russian and Ukrainian characters struggle for survival. This is an up-to-the-minute portrait of the turmoil along the Polish-German border, with principal photography having been completed only three months ago. More festival appearances and European distribution appear certain for this impressive competition film, though its bleakness works against commerciality.
Schmid and Gutmann certainly take a discouraging view of humanity along this border. Nothing works out for anybody here. Any glimmer of hope that may, metaphorically, be contained in the film's English title, "Distant Lights", is distant indeed.
A group of refugees gets dumped by cruel smugglers in Poland rather than in Germany as promised. They split up to wander into increasing peril. One Ukrainian family encounters an obliging taxi driver who desperately needs money to pay for his daughter's Communion dress.
He is short on money because his wife has lost her illegal job across the border, working for a discount mattress store owner who has gone broke because competitors have screwed him.
A cigarette smuggler lives in a dilapidated farm near Frankfurt with two sons who are in conflict over a young runaway girl each one fancies. A young female translator for the border police sympathizes with the plight of one captured refugee and decides to help him at all costs, even to her relationship with her German boyfriend. Another Polish translator earns her living by offering services to businessmen that go beyond linguistic. This comes as a shock to a former German boyfriend who has a chance encounter with her two years after having abandoned her.
When Schmid does find humanity in these situations, it usually happens when business or politics has no importance. Otherwise, capitalist ruthlessness holds sway over all human transactions on both sides of the river.
The film's large cast splendidly conveys the increasing tensions as the stakes rise with every minute over the 48 hours. Bogumil Godfrejow's mobile camera sticks close to the characters, scrambling like a documentary crew to keep up with people on the go. A melancholy score by a quartet known as the Notwist underscores the almost helpless binds that trap most of the characters.
LICHTER
Claussen + Wobke Filmproduction with ZDF in cooperation with Arte
Credits:
Director: Hans-Christian Schmid
Screenwriters: Hans-Christian Schmid, Michael Gutmann
Producers: Jakob Claussen, Thomas Wobke
Executive producer: Uli Putz
Director of photography: Bogumil Godfrejow
Production designer: Christian M. Goldbeck
Music: The Notwist
Costume designer: Ulrike Scharfschwerdt
Editor: Hansjorg Weissbrich, Bernd Schlegel
Cast:
Kolja: Ivan Shvedoff
Dimitri: Sergej Frolov
Anna: Anna Janowskaja
Andreas: Sebastian Urzendowsky
Katharina: Alice Dwyer
Marko: Martin Kiefer
Maik: Tom Jahn
Ingo: Devid Striesow
Simone: Claudia Geisler
Antoni
Zbigniew Zamachowski
Running time -- 105 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 2/14/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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