Berlin. The Philippines was strongly represented at this year’s Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale), which took place from 5 – 15 February 2015 through the festival’s Talent Campus.

The Campus brings together annually (through the Festival) selected groups of international filmmakers: directors, screenwriters, producers, cinematographers, editors, actors, distributors, production designers, sound designers/ composers and film critics from all over the world are invited.  It is an initiative of the Berlin International Film Festival, which is  funded by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and Media, in cooperation with Creative Europe MEDIA, a program of the European Union, the Robert Bosch Stiftung, the Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, Canon, Federal Foreign Office and the German Film Fund.
Out of 2,529 aspirants from 117 countries for the Talent Campus, 300 promising filmmakers were chosen to participate in the thirteenth edition of the program with the theme, “2015:  A Space Discovery”.

Nine (9) Filipino filmmakers made it to this year’s Berlinale Talent Campus.

They were cinematographer and director Dan Villegas, screenwriter and director Giancarlo Lauro Abrahan, sound designer and editor Warren Santiago, actor Sandino Martin, director Sigrid Andrea Bernardo, editor and director Charlie Gohetia, producer and director Joseph Israel Laban, director Hannah Espia, and director Rina Tsou.  Participants not only got to pitch their films at the Talent Project Market, they also had one-on-one meetings with their mentors in the Project Labs and attended Master classes and panel discussions with top notch experts in the field.

Filmmaker Dan Villegas was thankful for the opportunity to be part of this year’s Berlinale Talents. He said, “My biggest takeaway from Berlinale Talents is the value of learning. I learned a lot from the classes, and I’m thankful that there are entities that give grants for further education for filmmakers.“

When asked to describe the networking aspect of Berlinale Talents, Taiwan-based Filmmaker Rina Tsou quipped, “It is probably one of the best networking platform for us upcoming young filmmakers around the world! I have been really blessed to have built connections with my Filipino and Southeast Asian filmmaker friends this time. I have always dreamed of forming a co-production base in our region, and I look forward to future possibilities. “

To further promote Philippine cinema in new markets, the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) for the first time took part in the European Film Market, where film producers engaged leading European and worldwide distributors.  FDCP Chairman Briccio Santos along with Vice Chair Teodoro Granados led the Philippine delegation.  Producer/promoter Bianca Balbuena promoted Pepe Diokno’s “Above the Clouds”, Paul Soriano’s Manny Pacquiao biopic “Kid Kulafu” and Milo Sogueco’s “Mariquina.”

The European Film Market section of the Berlinale was attended by producers, distributors, film financiers, cinema operators, buyers and sellers as well as representatives of the TV, Home Entertainment/VoD, and New Media market. The market’s nine (9) day run showcased 400 exhibiting companies which accommodated a traffic of about 70,000 visits. The Philippine film previews did not have as many buyer-viewers as expected but this was seen as a challenge for next year’s Berlinale ; the FDCP, the independent producers and the Philippine Embassy will be cooperating more closely to invite more buyer-viewers for Philippine films in future Berlinale Filmfests.

To strengthen its networking with PHL participants,the Filcom and media, Ambassador Millie Sta. Maria-Thomeczek hosted a dinner on 6 February 2015, for the FDCP, Quezon City Vice Mayor Ma. Josefina G. Belmonte, organizers of the Quezon City Film Festival, Berlinale Talent campus participants, and journalists.

Berlinale takes place every year in Berlin and is regarded as one of the world’s leading film industry events.  The films that are successful in the competition are awarded Gold and Silver Bears by an international jury.  Up to 400 films are presented in various sections.  The 2015 Berlinale sold more than 300,000 tickets , had almost 20,000 professional visitors from 124 countries, including around 3,700 journalists, making the film festival with the largest audience worldwide. ***END