International film festivals are here in force at the Berlinale to not only scout for new films but also to make announcements on upcoming special projects. Here are a few that have made the headlines here in Berlin.   

BEIJING INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL LAUNCHES

Beijing, the Chinese capital, now will have its own film event with the launching of the 1st Beijing International Film Festival, set for April 23-28, 2011. The Festival organization took an office at the Marriot Hotel to hold meetings and finalize plans for this year’s inaugural event. An international film program will unspool at the National Centre for Performing Arts of China, with a focus this year on Russian cinema, local Chinese production and the best of world cinema from the festival circuit. The Festival is also hosting several day-long forum events focused on the dialogue between Chinese and international directors, a meeting of international festival directors and co-production efforts between Chinese and European producers. If last year’s Olympics ceremony was any indication, expect an extravaganza as China adds another festival to its calendar. For more information, visit the Festival website: www.bjiff.com  

ERA NEW HORIZONS LOOKS TO NORWAY

The ERA New Horizons International Film Festival, Poland’s most prestigious film event, will host Norway Expanded, a series of programs and events in Wroclaw from July 21-31. The program will include screenings of new Norwegian films, a Polish-Norwegian Co-Production Forum, concerts of avant-garde Norwegian musicians, art installations, theater performances and the publication of a book in Polish on Norwegian films. Era New Horizons, which also presents the 2nd edition of the American Film Festival in November, is working with the Norwegian Film Institute, the EEA Financial Mechanism (an organization that links Norway, Iceland and Lichtenstein) and Music Export Norway. For more information, visit: www.enh.pl 

ZLIN FILM FESTIVAL TO SHOWCASE ITALIAN CINEMA

The 51st edition of the Zlin Film Festival, the world’s oldest festival devoted to international cinema for children and youth, will host Days of Italian Cinema in Zlin, a program of contemporary and classic Italian cinema. The Festival, which takes place May 29 to June 5 in the heritage city of Zlin in the Czech Republic, has a long reputation of cooperation with its European neighbors. The Festival team is here in Berlin scouting new films in the Generations section of the Berlinale, one of the world’s largest devoted to films for the youth market. For more information, visit www.zlinfest.cz  

KARLOVY VARY FETES QUEBEC DIRECTOR VILLENEUVE

The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival has unveiled some programming details for its 46th edition, which will be held in the resort city in western Czech Republic from July 1 to 9. The Festival will offer a retrospective of the career of Quebec writer/director Denis Villeneuve, whose latest film INCENDIES is nominated for the Best Foreign Language Oscar. There will also be a tribute to American cult director Samuel Fuller and a spotlight on young Greek directors. This is the first Festival under the direction of Karel Och, who succeeds long-time artistic director Eva Zaoralova. For more information, visit: www.kviff.com  

DUBAI FESTIVAL TO OFFER GERMAN FOCUS IN 2011

The Dubai International Film Festival will host a special focus on Germany for its 8th edition, running from December 7 to 14. In cooperation with the Goethe Institut, German Films and Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, the Festival will present the best of contemporary German film and talent, boosting collaboration between the Arab world and the German film industry. Focus Germany will introduce German distributors and producers to their counterparts in Dubail and the wider Arab world. For more information, visit: www.dubaifilmfest.com

HERZOG RETROSPECTIVE AT TIFF

German cult director Werner Herzog, whose visually expressive 3D documentary CAVE OF FORGOTTEN DREAMS wowed audiences yesterday at the Berlinale, will be honored with a retrospective of his 30 year career at the 10th Transilvania International Film Festival in Cluj, Romania. The event, which is held from June 3-12, will also include a focus on cult Belgian and Norwegian cinema, as well as a showcase of work from French filmmaker, clown and comedian Pierre Etaix.

ISTANBUL FILM FESTIVAL CREATES GERMAN CONNECTION

The Istanbul International Film, Turkey’s biggest film event, has joined forces with the German regional funds Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg and Filmforderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein to launch a German-Turkish co-production fund. The fund will seed co-production projects with more than $200,000. There are, of course, close ties between the countries, with over 2 million citizens of Turkish decent living in Germany. The Festival runs from April 2-17. For more information, visit: www.iksv.org  

SHORTS PROGRAM TO TOUR FILM FESTIVAL CIRCUIT

SHORT MATTERS!, an initiative by the European Film Academy, will offer a tour that will bring the short films nominated for the European Film Awards to film festivals to a host of European and international film festivals over the next year. The tour covers festival events in Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Colombia, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, India, Iran, Israeel, Italy, Jamaica, Lithuania, Malta, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden and the USA. For more information, visit: www.europeanfilmawards.eu

Sandy Mandelberger, Berlin Dailies Editor