Berlinale Talents was founded in 2003 thanks to Berlinale Talent Campus and the director of the Berlin International Film Festival Dieter Kosslick.The initiative, realised with the support of many institutions (such as the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media for example),takes place every February; its mission is to bring selected talents (writers, directors, producers, cinematographers, actors, editors, production designers, composers, sound designers, sales agents and distributors, and film critics) in touch with professionals from the film industry.
The result is an extremely lively scenario that every years brings together 250 leading lights – selected by an international committee -, whom often have obtained exciting accomplishments: many are the successes achieved by these alumni, who can – not only be noticed – but also take part to numerous events, meeting renowned filmmakers and other emerging talents.
Berlinale Talents offers to these young creatives the chance to be coached in all areas of film-making. Furthermore, selected film projects are supported during and after the event, as well as presented in the Talents Online Community and to producers and financiers.
As every year, the 16th edition has its thematic focus too: Secrets, a theme willing to dig deeper into unknown world. What’s hiding behind cinematic stories and images? Is there more to explore?
“Every time a filmmaker acts with courage, their step takes the true measure of a challenge. For the anniversary edition, Berlinale Talents will focus on these crucial points while celebrating a new generation busy making film with unshakeable optimism and against all odds,” – Florian Weghorn (Berlinale Talents, Programme Manager)
This year talents have been announced too: their backgrounds and their origins are extremely varied, yet all taking an incredibly important step for their careers, as proven by the past illustrious alumni including, as many others, the team that realised The Wound (Panorama Opening Film 2017): producers Cait Pansegrouw and Elias Ribeiro, as well as director John Trengove.
To date more than 5,400 former Talents have taken part to the program. This year many of them are concerned with political issues and gender equality, hence willing to raise questions about their own responsibility in the film industry.
“The selection for 2018 includes, amongst others, Angela Guerrero, the Mexican distributor of Raoul Peck’s I Am Not Your Negro (Panorama 2017), Chinese director Yang Qiu, whose short film A Gentle Night was awarded a Palme d’Or at the Festival de Cannes, and Ana Pfaff, the Spanish editor of Carla Simón’s Estiu 1993, which received the GWFF Best First Feature Award at the Berlinale in 2017. Turkish actress Elit Işcan, who played one of the five sisters in Deniz Gamze Ergüven’s multiple award-winning Mustang, will also come to Berlinale Talents.”
Full program will be released on February the 6th, while Berlinale opening ceremony will be on the 15th.
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