The Berlinale Talent Campus, which will take place from 09 – 14 February 2008 at the “Hebbel am Ufer” in Berlin-Kreuzberg, is a summit of the most talented up-and-coming filmmakers from all over the world. Over 350 of them are invited to Berlin each year to reflect on their ideas about film in lectures and panel discussions, and to work on their projects in specialized hands-on workshops as the Garage Studio, the Script & Doc Station, the Talent Project Market, the Talent Press, the Berlin Today Award and the Volkswagen Score Competition. The Campus takes place simultaneously with the Berlinale and gives the young filmmakers the opportunity to learn from world class experts and establish an international network. This year, internationally acclaimed experts and film professionals such as István Szabó, Alex McDowell, Stephen Daldry, Mike Leigh, Mike Figgis, Gustavo Santaolalla, Shah Rukh Khan, Dušan Makavejev, Maria Schrader, Bernd Eichinger, Martina Gedeck and Fernando Eimbcke will share insight into their lives and work. Many of the events will relate to current issues addressed in the cinema showcased at the Berlinale Film Festival, as well as reflect the focus of the Campus 2008, “Screening Emotions – Cinema’s Finest Asset”.
“Screening Emotions”:  The great art of film is to transform the silver screen into a golden rectangle of stories, spaces, perspectives, light, music and visual cuts that incite emotional responses, hit a sentimental chord, captivate and touch audiences. At the same time, emotions are the most important asset to the film industry. Emotions are highly subjective and fleeting, hardly predictable and relative to the social and cultural background of each individual, be he or she a contributor to the production or simply a viewer. To examine emotionality in cinema is to look into the heart of the film industry. Embedded in the overall theme “Screening emotions”, the Berlinale Talent Campus is launching in 2008 the "Focus Africa". Together with its longterm ally and main partner, the Federal Foreign Office of Germany, the initiative takes a look at the future of filmmaking in Africa and will invite numerous young African filmmakers to Berlin. Some larger events in HAU 1 and HAU 2 will be open to the general public. Tickets for these events will be available through the official Berlinale Ticket System. They will be sold at different festival locations and online (7/ 5 Euro). For any further questions, interview requests e.g. please don't hesitate to contact us. Kind regards, Your boxfish-Team.    ******************************  PROGRAMM OVERVIEW  SATURDAY, February 9th OPENING CEREMONY (17.00 – 18.30, HAU1)Including World Premiere Berlin Today Award 2008. By invitation only  ******************************  Sunday, February 10th  Love International (11:00 – 12:30, HAU 1)Whereas love might be regarded as an eternal affair and natural human condition per se – looking at films coming from different parts of the world, one can clearly see distinctions that derive from very different cultural contexts. With high profile experts in the genre of “love depiction” from Bollywood, Nollywood and Western Cinema, the debate will look at today’s cinema and it’s various purposes.  Panel, among others:Kate Henshaw-Nuttall: one of Africa’s most talented on-screen personalities. Shah Rukh Khan: Currently India’s most famous Bollywood actor. His latest work, OM SHANTI OM will be screened in the Berlinale Special 2008. Maria Schrader: German actress, screenwriter and director, LOVE LIFE, her directorial debut, will be screened at the German Films section of the Berlinale 2008.  PANAMERICANA: Young Latin American Cinema on the Move (14:00 – 16:00, HAU 1)The panel PANAMERICANA is a case study which focuses on two former Talents of the Campus and their films, Fernando Eimbcke from Mexico and Pablo Fendrick from Argentina.  

Panel:

Fernando Eimbcke’s second feature film LAKE TAHOE is part of this years Competition at the Berlin International Film Festival – for the first time a former Talent is part of the Berlinale Competition.
Pablo Fendrik Campus participant in 2006 made his first feature film EL ASALTANTE (THE MUGGER) in 2007, which won the main actor´s award at Buenos Aires International Film Festival, a special mention at the Film Festival in Cuba and was also shown at “La Semaine de la Critique” in Cannes. 

 IN THE LIMELIGHT: STEPHEN DALDRY (17:00 – 19:00, HAU 1)Stephen Daldry, renowned director of award-winning movies such as Billy Elliot or The Hours will provide a deeper insight into his career and his filmmaking. Participant: Stephen Daldry CAIRO UNDERGROUND (17:00 – 19:00, HAU 2)Cairo, the hotspot of the Middle East, has regained its importance over the last decade in both the amount and quality of productions to assert its position at the centre of film and art production in the Middle East. Some of the key players in the Cairo film scene will talk about topics as the emergence of a new cultural scene and the opening up of alternative spaces for film and art in Cairo. Panel, among others:Hala Galal: The Egyptian documentary filmmaker (among others the critically acclaimed WOMEN’S CHIT CHAT) is one of the key figures in the founding of the independent production company SEMAT, which produced some of the most interesting short and documentary films coming out of Egypt in recent years.
Viola Shafik (chairwoman of the panel): German film scholar, filmmaker and writer (Popular Egyptian Cinema: Gender, Class, and Nation, 2007), who has directed several documentaries. ******************************  
Monday, February 11th 

Senses and Sensibilities: Documentaries for the Big Screen (14:00 – 16:00, HAU 1)

Recently, documentaries are increasingly screened in movie theatres and festival slots which were traditionally, through an unwritten law, reserved for “features only”. The Panel will reflect on the limits and ethics in documentary filmmaking. Panel, among othersJohn Akomfrah came to prominence with HANDSWORTH SONGS, which explores the contours of race and civil disorder in 1980s Britain. In 1982, he helped found the Black Audio Film Collective, the seminal black filmmaking workshop, which produced a broad range of critically acclaimed work winning over 35 international awards. Sandi DuBowski: American director (TREMBLING BEFORE G-D, Teddy Award Berlinale 2001) and producer best known for his work on homosexuality and religion. He is the producer of Parvez Sharma’s documentary A JIHAD FOR LOVE, which will be part of the Panorama programme of the Berlinale 2008.   FROGS IN THE POCKET (14:00 – 16:00, HAU 2)Serbian film director Dusan Makavejev, famous for his sexual-political WR: MYSTERIES OF THE ORGANISM (1971), discusses his career and its lessons for young filmmakers today. WR: MYSTERIES OF THE ORGANISM will enjoy a re-release at International Forum of New Cinema, Berlinale 2008.  Panel: Dusan Makavejev   IN THE LIMELIGHT: MIKE LEIGH (17:00 – 19:00, HAU 1)His latest movie HAPPY-GO-LUCKY will be presented in the Competition programme of the 58th Berlin International Film Festival. At the Campus he will talk about his career and his experiences as a filmmaker.

Panel: Mike Leigh

SHORT FILMS EXPAND CINEMA (17:00 – 19:00, HAU 2)

Short films have secretly become the centre of cinematographic innovation with a potential that benefits not only the film industry but other artistic domains as well. The panel will give insight into alternative ways and spaces for presenting short films, as well as the new hot spots of exhibition for the short film scene. Panel, among others : Salem Ahmed Abderrahmane, Director of “La Maison des cineastes”, including “Ecran Dromedaire”, an initiative to bring movies to the backcountry Mauretania.Shai Heredia, founder and director of Experimenta, the first and only international festival for experimental cinema in India. Matthias Müller, an artist working in film, video and photography, who has taken part in major film festivals worldwide, including the festivals at Cannes, Venice, Berlin and Rotterdam.

******************************  TUESDAY, February 12th MATTERS OF LIFE AND DEATH: Reviews that Make and Break (14:00 - 16:00, HAU 1)This panel will take a fresh look at the special - and at times complicated - relationship between film professionals and their critics: the reviewers. It is a very sensitive area, often feared by directors, producers and actors, since reviews have a major influence on the life of a film or the career of a star. Panel, among others:Martina Gedeck: German actress, whose filmography comprises over 50 productions including THE GOOD SHEPARD, THE LIVES OF OTHERS and MOSTLY MARTHA.Shaibu Husseini: Performing artist, cultural worker and film journalist. He writes on the arts and movies in Nigeria’s flagship newspaper, The Guardian.  He is also a participant of this year’s Talent Press - a part of the Talent Campus hands-on training programmes. István Szabó: One of the most critically acclaimed Hungarian film directors of the past few decades. His film MEPHISTO won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and a Cannes Award for the Best Screenplay.  THE DARK SIDE OF CINEMA (17:00 – 19:00, HAU 1)Since the very first film ever made, film professionals as well as audiences have experienced the strengths of depicting emotional extremes of the dark side - be it horror, personal trauma, death or war. On this panel, directors and actors will discuss their fascination and motivation dealing as film professionals with human behaviour and reaction of extreme kinds.  Panel, among others:Newton E. Aduaka: Nigerian Director of short and feature length films. With EZRA he won the best film award at the Durban International Film Festival & Ougadougou Film Festival. Josef Fares: Lebanese/Swedish director and writer. He has a host of films to his credit including KOPPS, and JALLA JALLA and most recently LEO, which will be screened as part of the 2008 Berlinale Forum.  From Street Cred to Screen Credibility – Hip Hop and the Movies (17:00 – 19:00, HAU 2)The Panel will explore the real values of Hip-Hop and the opportunities it represents for a generation of artists that come from marginalised communities, as well as discuss the love affair with gangsters and pimps by portraying underdogs as stereotypes and icons. Followed by a Hip-Hop Lounge in HAU 2 theater. Panel, among others:Kevin Fitzgerald has directed numerous documentaries, like the award winning documentary FREESTYLE – THE ART OF RHYME. He is also the founder of the “Hiphop film festival”, a travelling festival on the US’ west coast,  DJ and co-founder of the popular radio show “all @one point” in Los Angeles.Donald Mugisha: Ugandan filmmaker, whose film DIVIZIONZ will be presented as part of the International Forum of New Cinema. DIVIZIONZ stars popular local musicians, like Bobi Wine, Ugandan Artist of the year 2006 and winner of the ,Pearl of Africa Music Award’.

******************************   Wednesday, February 13th Cinema Inside the Crystal Ball: Future Thoughts on Filmmaking (11:00 – 12:30, HAU 1)In this panel, Aditya Assarat’s highly acclaimed second feature „Wonderful Town“, selected as official entry to this year’s International Forum of New Cinema, will serve as a case study to discuss multiple aspects relevant to filmmaking of today & tomorrow. The young Thai director will be in conversation with future scientist Wolfgang Müller-Pietralla (VW).  Panel: Aditya Assarat and Wolfgang Müller-Pietralla  THE LANGUAGE OF SPACES & THINGS Narratives in set design (14:00 -16:00, HAU 2)Alex Mc Dowell is one of the most acclaimed set designers of our times. With his innovative style that mixes classic set design with digital effects, McDowell has set a unique stage for films like Fight Club, Minority Report, The Terminal, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  

Panel: Alex McDowell  

PRESENTATION DOC STATION (11:00 - 12.30, HAU 2 ) / PRESENTATION SCRIPT STATION (15 :00 - 17:00, HAU 2 )The Script & Doc Station offer Talents the chance to receive feedback and advice on their screenplays from internationally renowned documentary experts and script consultants. In intensive one-on-one sessions, Talents are given professional coaching, participate in intense workshops, and receive constructive guidance in documentary and feature film development.   

Real life emotions: biopics and docustars (17:00 – 19:00, HAU 1)

Of lately, a whole new wave of biopics have entered the cinemas of the world. Director Stephen Frears (The Queen), producer Bernd Eichinger (The Downfall) and actress and director Sandrine Bonnaire (Elle s’appelle Sabine) will debate some of today’s biopics, with the ambition to define specific attractions of the genre and it’s unique challenges.

Panel: Sandrine Bonnaire, Bernd Eichinger, Stephen Frears

Sandrine Bonnaire: Internationally famous French actress with numerous credits to her name. With Elle s’appelle Sabine, a portrait about her autistic sister, she marks her feature-length directing debut.  Bernd Eichinger: German director and producer (The Name of the Rose, Perfume: The Story of a Murderer). In 2004 he was the producer of The Downfall, an award-winning film about the last days of Hitler.Stephen Frears: has directed a number of successful and critically acclaimed films, including The High-Lo Country, High Fidelity and Dirty Pretty Things. His latest film, The Queen, which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture, was one of the most successful biopics of the last years. 

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Thursday, February 14th Presentation VOLKSWAGEN Score Competition (11:00 -12:30, HAU 1)Young composers and sound designers are invited as part of the competition to compose new soundtracks for pre-selected film excerpts. In February, three composers selected by a jury will be given the unique opportunity to have their arrangements recorded by the Babelsberg Film Orchestra. The Talents will have the Argentine musician and two-time Oscar® winner (Brokeback Mountain, Babel) Gustavo Alfredo Santaolalla at their side as a mentor and member of the jury for the competition.The Award Ceremony takes place during the Closing of the Berlinale Talent Campus, 20.00, HAU1  

Presentation of the Garage Flicks  (14:00 - 16:00, HAU 1) 

The Garage Studio is a place for creating short digital films on a small budget. Each day of the Campus week one international team of Talents will enter the Garage Studio to shoot and edit an Garage Flick. Mentors are the internationally renowned filmmakers Jay Anania, Mike Figgis, Garin Nugroho und Grahame Weinbren. Closing Ceremony (20.00, HAU 1)Including Award Ceremony Volkswagen Score Competition. By Invitation only. Afterwards Closing Party of the Berlinale Talent Campus #6