Mobile Kino has finally found a Neukölln replacement venue since the closing of Griessmuehle. We are happy to be back in Neukölln with a new indoor venue starting in October!
The Refugio theatre is located right near Hermannplatz in Neukölln. Mobile Kino will begin screenings every Monday night.
The beautiful theatre with hardwood floors is normally used for dance performances and various cultural events.
Mobile Kino will transform the hall into a cinema every Monday night.
Sponsored.
To get in the mood for the Berlinale festivities, Audi invited us to their Berlinale Open House program at the Audi Berlinale Lounge at Marlene-Dietrich-Platz. During the entire run of the film festival, Audi and the Berlinale have put together an interesting and diverse program of panels, performances, and interviews, that are taking place in the comforts of their elegant and yet cozy lounge.
We loved the classy and glamorous feel of the place, with its dark walls, dimmed lights, stylish food and drinks, and the first class view right onto the Red Carpet. The location is one of a kind, since it is right next to the Red Carpet and thus part of the event. On Saturday, we went there to experience one of their new formats this year: Electric Minds.
Sponsored.
This week, already for the 69th time, Berlin will yet again move into the spotlight of the international film industry as the Berlin International Film Festival – or short: Berlinale – opens on Thursday!
For 10 days, the city will vibrate with sensational events – innumerable film screenings, glamorous receptions and parties, all brimming with the brightest stars of the film industry. And naturally, everyone is giddy with anticipation waiting for the jury to announce who is going to be awarded the prestigious Golden and Silver Bears.
But that’s not all: a full program of exciting events is awaiting you in the Audi Berlinale Lounge located directly on the red carpet in front of the cinema that shows the film premieres at the Marlene-Dietrich-Platz. The Berlinale Open House program is inviting you to join morning Electric Yoga, fascinating workshops and compelling panel talks discussing the burning issues of our time, excellent live music and much more.
Berlin is kind of a tough city for cinephiles, especially for those of us that (still!) don’t speak German. American films usually come out months later in Germany, and foreign films are either dubbed or subtitled in German. The biggest movies of the year usually come out in December, meaning that some titles still aren’t available in Berlin until February, March or even later, well after the awards have been given. And forget about downloading them (unless you have a VPN)!
But there is a bright side: the Berlinale is one of the film industry’s most prestigious festivals, and it’s actually the largest one in the world, based on annual attendance. Our international community is in luck because all the films are subtitled in English (and German too, sometimes). Instead of being late to the party, the party actually kicks off here: many of these are world premieres, without distribution deals even. So it really is a treat to attend a Berlinale screening.
The Bookshop
Annually the weeks leading up to Berlinale turn into a stress test. How well can I maneuver through the seemingly countless names of directors? How optimal can I structure my screening schedule? Will I manage to not only realize on day four that a film with my favorite actor screened on day one?
This year is no exception to this emotional roller-coaster. However due to extended internet research, reading of press newsletters and countless hours spent on the Berlinale website, I’m fairly confident Ive got thinks figured out. I nevertheless share my 10 highlights only with the cautious warning that these are not complete or final and definitely my personal taste. Each film can be your personal cinematic supernova, so head to Potsdamer Platz and into the dark. It’ll be worth it …
Berlin is definitely not L.A. Even though the German capital has several production companies and the big Filmstudios Babelsberg right outside the city, during the year the local movie-industry is nearly invisible. Invisible but not non-existent. No wonder they shine even brighter at the biggest festival in Germany for contemporary film culture: Berlinale.
At this year’s edition not only did we have the chance to visit the press previews from several movies but also we got an exclusive backstage tour of the festival including a visit to the photo studio with Canon, sponsor and creative partner of the festival.
We breathed some air of glamour and lots of love and devotion for the art on celluloid while speaking with the team of Berlinale who did not hesitate to answer all our questions and explain us in details everything about the cultural DNA of this celebration of creativity.
After the jump we show you our Backstage discoveries and tell you more about our incredible highlight of the festival.
Filmstill: Welt am Draht
The startling cold of February in Berlin has returned, and with it comes the 67th edition of the Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin, also known as the Berlinale or Berlin Film Festival. The festival begins February 9th and runs through the 19th. As with every year’s edition, there are an overwhelming number of screenings to choose from, even though most bigger-name titles tend to sell out of public tickets at alarming rates. Nevertheless, there are plenty of lesser-known titles worth your time. Guest Author Maximilien Proctor highlights a few of his most anticipated pictures (but don’t let it discourage you from seeking screenings even further off the beaten path!).
Hail, Caesar!
It’s here! One of the world’s premiere film festivals sets up shop for the next ten days in theaters all around the city. Are you going? Yes, it can be a bit of a hassle to try and snag tickets, since it feels like the whole film world descends on our city – Hollywood insiders, independent financiers and other various movers & shakers. But it’s also fun to get swept up in the hype, especially when there are such good films to see! And there’s still time to get tickets to tons of films through the Berlinale website – tickets are released three days before the screenings. To help you navigate the crazy 400 + films in the programme and the goings on around the cinema, here are our Berlinale recommendations.
photos: Skylar Kang
Somehow this year’s Berlinale seems to be celebrated with much more enthusiasm, glamour and invasiveness then the years before. Even our little blog managed to publish already much more articles about this particular event then ever before.
Why is it so you might ask? Is it maybe all because of James Franco pushing the limits in time, space and physics being omnipresent all around the city. Just yesterday a friend asked me if I think we might get expelled out of town just because we have not met James Franco yet (and I am not 100% sure). Or might it be that my theater friends are right and the movie people are all impostors who managed somehow to give the business a pure dose of glamour injection not only causing botoxed faces but also total oblivion to the sponsors of the festival?
Anyway one thing that stays somehow reassuringly unchanged is the distressing bad design of the Berlinale bags. Trying to explain this obscure urban myth repeating itself in its painful atrocity every year I collected some thoughts after the jump.
Yesterday’s halftime report was filled with the films I saw from the competition. Today – as promised – I will speak about all those I saw from the Sections Panorama, Forum, Perspective and Shorts. I haven’t managed to squeeze in Generation, Retrospective or Gala Screenings yet, but hey one has to set priorities, however much it hurts to miss all that other great stuff.
Two of my very very favorites are in this selection! Continue reading to find out which is film really blew me away and is currently my new favorite film ever (told you I’m emotional these days)…