15/01/2007

The 4th Berlin Film Festival Co-production Market, taking place from February 11-13 at the Chamber of Representatives (opposite the European Film Market), who are partners of the event whose main sources of financing come from MDR Mitteldeutscher RundfunkMDM - Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung and the MEDIA Programme, will offer in total 37 projects from 25 countries.

Twenty-four of the lucky candidates (out of 348), whose budgets range from €1-7m (30% of which has already been raised), are European.

Among the 22 films in the official line-up, managed by Sonja Heinen, who has highlighted its attractive variety, are four German productions, including one Serbian and one French co-production, the new title by established director Wang Chao and a French/Lebanese film. Spain is also well represented with four titles, including one co-production with Norway.

Potential co-producers and other financial partners attending the Co-production Market can also discover Swedish, Polish and Slovenian projects, as well as two UK (co-)productions, including the new film by Joe Dante, director of the famous Gremlins.

In addition to several meetings, workshops and seminars for participants, the Co-production Market is organising projects in partnership with other events; three productions will be presented as part of the Rotterdam-Berlinale Express, including one Belgian film and one German/Turkish co-production, which will take part at the World Cinema Market. The Market has also chosen 11 projects to honour its collaboration with the Berlinale Talent Campus.

Heinen’s selection efforts coincide with those of Berlinale Director Dieter Kosslick in that they both hope that producers and financiers will find something that suits their particular needs at a market that Kosslick calls a goldmine of “good projects and optimal service in an ideal context”.

The full list of titles is available at Berlinale.

(Translated from French)