02/10/2007

Today, the city of Berlin is taking advantage of the New York Film Festival (September 18-October 14), to dedicate an entire day to presenting to American film producers and investors its position as a major creative hub in Europe with great opportunities for international film professionals.

Berlin – which belongs with Paris, Madrid, and Rome to the European network CRC (Capital Regions for Cinema) – offers all the necessary elements (great writers, directors and actors, professional studios, highly skilled technicians, unbelievable locations...) for producing quality films in the best conditions, including attractive film financing schemes.

For that matter, the booming creativity of the German capital is well illustrated by the importance of the international projects currently shooting there and in nearby Studio Babelsberg, such as Speed Racer, starring Susan Sarandon, The Reader with Nicole Kidman, Valkyrie starring Tom Cruise, and Tom Tykwer's The International, starring Clive Owen and Naomi Watts (see news).

Kirsten Niehuus, Managing Director of the regional fund Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, is convinced that since "New York and Berlin are both thriving hot spots for creative film-making", these two cities should be brought together "to increase that energy". Cultural exchanges are already numerous: this year alone, New York is hosting, among other events, a Berlin-Day in May, the MoMa exhibition "Destination: Berlin" and the Film program "New Films from Germany + Kino!Berlin" (also at the MoMa).

For further information, please contact capitalregions@medienboard.de.

(Translated from French)