Growth and novelties for the Berlinale EFM
The upcoming EFM (European Film Market)) will complement the 56th Berlin Film Festival (February 9-19, 2006) like never before, for it will be bigger and offer more services.
Indeed, the number of registered participants beats all records, with 240 companies from 45 countries. This growth accounts mostly for the new American participants (such as Focus Features, Lakeshore Entertainment, and The Weinstein Company) and the new Asian ones (such as iHQ, MK Pictures, The Core Studio, Nippon TV, Cineclick Asia, and Shochiku). Certain major European companies (Hanway Films, Gaumont, TF1...) will finally get a reserved space in this wider, more functional market. Indeed, from now on, the EFM will take place at the Martin-Gropius-Bau, a structure more adapted to the new size and ambitions of the EFM, as Beki Probst, its director, underlined: 'With a new location in the Martin-Gropius-Bau, optimized infrastructure and new partnerships, our goal is to create an environment which will satisfy both old and new EFM participants.'
This growth will not affect the connection between of the festival and the market which makes Berlin so special, explains Dieter Kosslick, director of the Berlinale. 30% of the films presented at the festival, all sections included, will also be shown at the market.
Thus, 2006 inaugurates many changes and improvements, including a change in procedure. Like at the Oscars, in Cannes or in Venice, the prize winners will only know it during the final ceremony.
(Translated from French)
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