Effective immediately and until October 30, 2008, internationally experienced producers from all over the world can submit film projects to the 6th Berlinale Co-Production Market (February 8-10, 2009). Projects must have secured a minimum of 30% of their required financing and be suited to co-production in order to qualify.
The Berlinale Co-Production Market supports the selected projects in searching for production partners. Producers meet on location with potential co-producers, financiers, sales agents and international distributors, as well as with broadcasting and funding representatives. The Berlinale Co-Production Market team coordinates customised meeting schedules for each participant according to his or her wishes.
In addition to these pre-scheduled individual meetings, the Berlinale Co-Production Market includes a multifaceted program from which each of the ca. 450 participants can compile their own personal programme: Producers and financiers can take advantage of Case Studies, Theme Talks, Speed Matchings and numerous other networking opportunities.
Of the projects that participated during the first five years of the Berlinale Co-Production Market, 69 films have already been completed, equalling a success rate of 35%. 2008 was an especially successful year – not only the Berlinale, but also the Cannes and Venice film festivals each included a competition film that was a participating project at the Berlinale Co-Production Market. They were Feuerherz by Luigi Falorni (Berlin), Delta by
Kornel Mundruczo (Cannes) and Milk by Semih Kaplanoglu (Venice).
Ten other films were included in the programmes of larger festivals and opened at cinemas this year, including Flame & Citron by Ole Christian Madsen, which attracted over half a million viewers to box offices in Denmark and is currently playing in Germany, Mongol by Sergei Bodrov and Krabat by Marco Kreuzpaintner, which opens in German cinemas this October.
Principal partners of the Berlinale Co-Production Market are the MDM – Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung (since 2004) and the MEDIA-Programme of the European Union (since 2005). Project submission forms and selection criteria are available at www.efm-berlinale.de