Berlin Adds Omar Sy & Vadim Perelman Movies; Classics Strand Includes Fellini & ‘A Fish Called Wanda’

Thanks to a quirk in scheduling, Berlin's European Film Market was expected to see a record year of business activity from China's vast film industry in 2020.

Picture Tree Intl. has secured global sales rights of Berlin comedy “Nightlife,” directed by Simon Verhoeven, following his last film “Welcome to Germany,” which was Germany’s comic relief to the refugee crisis. The film sold to more than 60 territories and screened at more than 50 festivals worldwide, while being the No.1 box office hit in Germany in 2016.

In the run to the Berlin Film Festival, MovieChainer, the cloud-based app allowing right-holders to model and track the legal and financial structure of their film projects, has added German sales powerhouse The Match Factory and France’s Memento Film Distribution, to its client roster.

By Andreas Wiseman

Variety has been given exclusive access to the trailer for Oscar nominee Agnieszka Holland’s “Charlatan,” which premieres in the Berlinale Special Gala section of the Berlin Film Festival.

Variety has been given an exclusive clip from Berlin Film Festival competition film “Volevo Nascondermi” (Hidden Away) by Giorgio Diritti. The film stars Cannes award-winner Elio Germano (“La nostra vita”) as the 20th century Naïve artist Antonio Ligabue.

As you might be aware, both the Jonas Brothers and Lewis Capaldi are currently on tour in Europe—so naturally, Joe Jonas and Capaldi squeezed in a rendezvous in Berlin, Germany. And, naturally, said rendezvous involved flagons of beer, a few links of sausage, and matching pairs of lederhosen (an embroidered leather short which, if you'll allow my inner Hermione to emerge, are typically associated with the state of Bavaria, to which Berlin does not belong. But you have fun lads!)

London-based sales agency Film Republic has boarded Finnish film “Eden” as it prepares for the European Film Market in Berlin. The company has released a teaser for the film.

Variety has been given exclusive access to the trailer for Christian Petzold’s “Undine,” which world premieres in competition at the Berlin Film Festival. Petzold won the Silver Berlin Bear for best director for “Barbara” in 2012.

Berlin-based sales agent M-appeal has picked up Norwegian children’s film “Sisters: The Summer We Found Our Superpowers,” ahead of the European Film Market in Berlin, where it will screen.

Photo courtesy Tom of Finland Foundation/Copyright by Peter Berlin

The Berlin Film Festival has unveiled the six film professionals —three men and three women —who will join jury president Jeremy Irons in picking the winners of this year's competition.Oscar-nominated French actress Bérénice Bejo (The Artist) and Oscar-winning screenwriter Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester by the Sea) will judge the 2020 Berlin line-up, alongside Brazilian director Kleber Mendonça Filho (Bacurau, Aquarius) and Palestinian filmmaker Annemarie Jacir (Wajib, Salt of This Sea).

American playwright and filmmaker Kenneth Lonergan, French actor and “The Artist” star Bérénice Bejo, and Palestinian director Annemarie Jacir will serve on the International Jury of the Berlin Film Festival.

By Andreas Wiseman

By Andreas Wiseman

By Andreas Wiseman

The Berlin Film Festival is unveiling its main competition line-up this morning, alongside additional galas.

By Andreas Wiseman

A big year for the Berlin Film Festival, the 70th edition of the Berlinale will open with Philippe Falardeau’s anticipated “My Salinger Year,” headlined by a powerful female duo, Sigourney Weaver and Margaret Qualley.

By Tom Grater