Bruce Springsteen Pens Original Song ‘Addicted to Romance’ for Rebecca Miller’s Berlin Opener ‘She Came to Me’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International Sideshow and Janus Films have acquired North American rights to the Berlin-premiering family drama “Tótem,” written and directed by “The Chambermaid” helmer Lila Avilés. Winner of the festival’s Ecumenical Jury Prize, the film follows seven-year-old Sol, who spends the day at her grandfather’s home, helping her aunts Nuri and Alejandra with the preparations for a surprise party they’re throwing for her father, Tonatiuh, who is terminally ill. However, as night descends, a strange and chaotic atmosphere takes over, shattering the bonds that hold the family together, and Sol will come to understand that her world will change dramatically.

The competition winners of the 73rd Berlinale are about to start rolling in as the festival draws to a close Saturday evening.

Dame Helen Mirren ditched her signature bob for ageless platinum waves as she attended the Berlin premiere of Golda.The actress, who last year admitted to still loving her former boyfriend, Liam Neeson, stunned as she attended the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival in Germany on Monday and was pictured with long flowing hair extensions. Helen, 77, sported an off-the-shoulder floor-length black dress that featured a low-cut ruffled neckline, which she paired with gold chandelier earrings as she walked the red carpet.

Will Mellor has thanked Strictly Come Dancing for putting him in the “best shape” of his life following his stint with professional dancer Nancy Xu. Coronation Street’s Will, who has portrayed Harvey Gaskell on the soap since 2021, appeared in last year’s Strictly, where he was eliminated 10th alongside Nancy thanks to judges Otsi Mabuse, Craig Revel Horwood, head judge Shirley Ballas and Anton Du Beke.

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International Vanessa Redgrave and Freida Pinto have boarded the family feature “The Boy at the Back of the Class,” based on the acclaimed children’s book. Directed by Stephen Herek (“101 Dalmations”), the film centers on a mysterious new boy called Ahmet who joins nine-year-old Alexa’s school. As Alexa learns that he is a refugee, separated from his family, she will do anything she can to help. With the adults out of the way, Alexa and her school friends come up with a daring plan to reunite Ahmet with his family – the start of an adventure that will take them all the way to Buckingham Palace. The film is penned by “A Street Cat Named Bob” screenwriter Tim John. Adam Rolston and David Braithwaite at Studio Pictures are producing. Nicola Pearcey of Picnik Entertainment and Paul Grindey are executive producing. Casting director is BAFTA nominee Carolyn McLeod.

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International One of the hottest packages at the EFM has been taken off the table for international. Sources tell Variety that Prime Video has snapped up all international rights, excluding the U.S., to Justin Kurzel’s “The Order,” which stars Jude Law and Nicholas Hoult in a story about the titular white supremacist organization that operated in the 1980s. The project is penned by Oscar- and BAFTA-nominated writer Zach Baylin (“King Richard”), who based the screenplay on Kevin Flynn and Gary Gerhardt’s book “The Silent Brotherhood.” Published in 1989, the book details the activities of the radical-right hate group The Order, which was one of the most sinister organizations to emerge in America since the Ku Klux Klan.

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International Adrien Brody is not interested in the culture wars. It’s fascinating, he admits, “but it’s really tragic.” “We see how fractured our world is. Look around: It’s not hard to see,” says the Oscar-winning actor from his home in New York. Brody had to dive into these dark corners when preparing for “Manodrome,” in which he plays a masculinity cult leader, and was quick to dive right out. “I tried to put this stuff down,” he admits. But his character, “Dad Dan,” isn’t the super-serious, nefarious figurehead one summons when envisioning a libertarian masculinity cult. Rather, his is a friendly, hoodie-wearing man of leisure who opens his house to all who need sanctuary. Sanctuary, that is, from the evil, entrapping ways of women and modern society.

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International The U.K.’s British Film Commission and Film in Austria, the national film commission for Austria, have struck a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) paving the way for more film and high-end TV production between the two territories. New film and TV production incentives were introduced in Austria last month, including Europe’s first “green” filming bonus. Meanwhile, in the U.K., statistics released in February revealed that investment into film and high-end television during 2022 reached a record height of £6.27 billion ($7.72 billion). Through the MoU, which will be signed in Berlin on Sunday, the BFC and Film in Austria say they seeks to “encourage greater cultural, commercial and creative exchange between the U.K. and Austria whilst actively working together to foster opportunities to support inward investment film and high-end TV production in both countries.”

Hello and welcome back to your weekly International Insider. Berlin’s back and with most of our team in the German capital, it’s Jesse Whittock here bringing you the latest from the worlds of TV and film.

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International Dogwoof has boarded MTV Documentary Films’ Sundance winner “The Eternal Memory” for international sales excluding the U.S. The latest feature from Oscar-nominated “Mole Agent” director Maite Alberdi had its world premiere as part of the World Cinema Documentary Competition at Sundance last month, where it won the World Cinema Documentary Grand Jury Prize before MTV Documentary Films acquired worldwide rights. Dogwoof will work in partnership with MTV Documentary Films to represent the film for international sales. The project marks the second collaboration between Dogwoof and Alberdi, having represented “The Mole Agent” for international sales before it was nominated for an Academy Award for best documentary feature in 2021.

.Attending the premiere of her rom-com She Came to Me at the Berlin International Film Festival on February 16, the wore a sheer mesh Valentino gown with leather bowties over a nude bodysuit. She paired the daring dress with a set of opera gloves and black pumps, which was exactly how the look was , minus the mesh turtleneck detail and tulle hat. Instead, Hathaway wore her hair up in an Audrey Hepburn-esque updo with her face-framing bottleneck bangs kept loose and a particularly glowy makeup look. Anne Hathaway attends the "She Came to Me" premiere and Opening Ceremony red carpet during the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival on February 16, 2023.Anne Hathaway attends the "She Came to Me" premiere during the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival on February 16, 2023.Hathaway was joined on the red carpet by jury president Kristen Stewart, who dressed in an intricate floral Chanel gown with a whimsical bow-tie-inspired choker. Kristen Stewart attends the "She Came to Me" premiere during the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival on February 16, 2023.She Came to Me stars Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones) as a celebrity composer who sought a way out of writer's block by marrying his therapist (Anne Hathaway).

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivered an empowered live video message to attendees of the opening night of the 73rd edition of the Berlin International Film Festival, urging filmmakers and culture “not to remain silent” when it comes to global politics as his country approaches a year since the Russian invasion.

The Berlin Film Festival’s opening-night red-carpet gala Thursday stayed on schedule despite a pair of climate change activists who apparently glued themselves to the carpet in front of the Berlin Palast.

The last time actor Peter Dinklage and musician Bryce Dessner were involved in the same project, we got “Cyrano,” Joe Wright’s beautifully moving (if underappreciated) adaptation of Edmond Rostand’s classic play “Cyrano de Bergerac.” Less than two years later, Dinklage and Dessner reunite once more in Rebecca Miller’s “She Came to Me,” the opening film of this year’s Berlin International Film Festival.

Owen Gleiberman Chief Film Critic No genre of the last few decades can get on my nerves like the indie quirkfest. You know: those movies that keep poking you in the ribs to giggle at their cutely addled characters with their adorable eccentricities — I’m talking woe-is-us hipster comedies like “Pieces of April,” “Lars and the Real Girl” and the pop-crossover “Citizen Kane” of the genre, “Little Miss Sunshine.” The trouble with these movies is that even as they pretend to be lifesize, they’re too conscious about packaging their prefab weirdness; they’re edgy sitcoms minus the laugh tracks. But Rebecca Miller’s “She Came to Me,” which opened the Berlin Film Festival today, demonstrates how the indie quirkfest can be resonant and real, with characters who have soul instead of a chewy center.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Anne Hathaway and Kristen Stewart delivered a dose of major glamour on the red carpet on Thursday as the Berlin Film Festival returned to full-scale, in-person operation for the first time since 2020. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky revived Berlin’s role as a political platform.   The Hollywood stars were greeted by packed crowds outside the Berlinale Palast and by festival co-heads Mariette Rissenbeek and Carlo Chatrian.

You would need a heart of stone to leave Rebecca Miller’s She Came to Me without wanting to pick up sticks and live on a tugboat, preferably one steered by Marisa Tomei. Tomei’s tugboat captain Katrina, with her softly weathered face, earthy humor and somewhat sociopathic “love” addiction, is a simply fabulous romcom heroine, if She Came to Me can be described as a romcom. And in Peter Dinklage, at his most darkly glowering as the perpetually panic-stricken, creatively blocked composer Katrina targets with her romantic zeal, she has her perfect foil. Props to Berlin Film Festival artistic director Carlo Chatrian for nailing She Comes to Me: light but pungent, it is a perfect opener.  

The Berlin Film Festival kicks off this evening with the gala world premiere of Rebecca Miller’s She Came to Me. Ahead of the opening night out-of-competition screening, Miller met the Berlinale press corps alongside cast members including Anne Hathaway, Peter Dinklage, Marisa Tomei, Joanna Kulig and Evan Ellison. 

Bruce Springsteen accidentally struck his guitar tech in the head during a show this month after the rocker launched his instrument into the air.The musician is currently on a US tour with his E Street Band, the first time they have hit the road in six years.Performing in Atlanta, Georgia on February 3, Springsteen tossed his guitar to assistant Kevin Buell – a routine move during his shows – but slipped through the tech’s fingers and struck him on the head.In a video posted to YouTube, Buell can be seen stumbling to the ground on stage before The Boss walks over to check on his crew member, who appeared to be mostly unharmed as Springsteen walks away with a smile.You can watch the footage below.In other tour news, earlier this week Springsteen performed ‘If I Was The Priest’ for the first time in 51 years.“I wrote this song. I was 22, 15 years ago,” the musician joked on Tuesday night (February 14) at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International Peter Dinklage has spoken candidly about turning 50 and weighing up his future as an actor over the next three decades. The “Game of Thrones” star leads Rebecca Miller’s new film “She Came to Me,” which opens the Berlin Film Festival on Thursday. In the movie, Dinklage plays Steven, a moody classical composer struggling with an oppressive writer’s block that prevents him from delivering his next opera. At a press conference ahead of the premiere, the film’s cast was asked how they deal with creative blocks of their own. “I’m 53. I wonder if I want to be an actor for the next 30 years,” said Dinklage. “It’s a fork in the road. It’s a common story when you hit 50: there’s a fork in the road and you either wait for inspiration or you seek it out, and I intend to keep seeking it out.”