01/03/2006

According to the final figures released by the European Film Market (EFM), 2006 was a record-breaking year for the Berlin International Film Festival’s parallel market, held for the first time at the prestigious Martin-Gropius-Bau (MGB) exhibition hall. Over 250 companies from 51 countries were in attendance, 85 more than in 2005, and 5,162 industry people were accredited, as compared with 4,264 last year. In terms of product, over 650 films were shown this year, 92 more than in 2005, and the number of screenings increased by 240, from 860 to 1100 this year.

"We are delighted the new EFM got off to such a successful start, as well as by the positive feedback we have received from so many people", said EFM director Beki Probst. "The significant number of reservations for 2007 so early in the game underscores this success. Our recent experiences will also enable us to improve the next edition of the EFM", she added.

In an interview with Cineuropa, Probst said that one of the possible improvements for 2007 would be to expand the current exhibition space at the MGB by using the third floor of the Renaissance building, offering the 40 or so companies who were at the EFM business offices the same roof as the other 210 exhibitors.

On the business side, confirming strong ties between the Berlinale’s competition programme and the EFM, several high profile films reported strong sales, such as Oskar Roehler’s German film The Elementary Particles [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Franka Potente & Moritz Ble…
interview: Oskar Roehler
film profile] or Michael Winterbottom’s UK production The Road to Guantanamo [+see also:
trailer
film profile], both sold to over 15 territories. The presence at the EFM of film funding institutions, joint regional and national exhibition agencies, the Frankfurt Book Fair, the Berlinale Co-production Market and Talent Campus also proved highly effective for project discussions and pre-sales.