Berlin

Antonio Banderas’ El Camino de los Ingleses (Summer Rain) has won the Europa Cinemas Label as Best European film in the Panorama section of the Berlinale, it was announced today by a jury of four Europa Cinemas exhibitors. The Label will be awarded this evening at the joint Europa Cinemas/Fipresci awards ceremony.

This marks the third year that the Europa Cinemas Label has been awarded to the Best European film in the Panorama section of the Berlinale, and complements the Labels awarded at the Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes, the Giornate degli Autori section of the Venice Film Festival and Karlovy Vary.  El Camino de los Ingleses (Summer Rain) will now receive the invaluable support of extended theatrical exposure and additional promotion from the Europa Cinemas network.

The Europa Cinemas Label consisted of Stas Ravter (Slovenia), Exhibitor at the Kinodvor cinema and General Manager of the Slovenian Cinematheque (Llubljana); Georgette Ranucci (Italy), Exhibitor at  the Alcazar cinema in Rome; Michal Drobny (Slovak Republic), Manager of the distribution/exhibition company Continental Film in Bratislava and Christian Schmalz (Germany), exhibitor at the Off Broadway Kino in Cologne

The jury issued the following statement about the winning film: “This is a well made film which we feel the young audience around Europe will identify strongly with. The cast is made up of talented and exciting new faces. Excellent camerawork, editing and the use of music add to the enjoyment of this summer love story.”

Sold internationally by Sogepaq International and directed by Antonio Banderas, El Camino de los Ingleses (Summer Rain) is written by Antonio Soler from his novel “El Camino de los Ingleses”. The producers are Antonio Banderas, Gustavo Ferrada, Carlos Taillefer and  Antonio Meliveo. The cast includes Alberto Amarilla, Maria Ruiz, Raūl Arévalo and Fran Perea.

It’s the 1970s in Malaga and 18 year-old Miguelito Dàvila has just left hospital minus one of his kidneys. Along with an impressive scar, Miguelito’s experience leaves him with a copy of Dante’s “Divine Comedy,” a gift from a fellow patient. The book inspires him to be a poet.

It’s summertime and Miguelito and his friends meet by the swimming pool. There’s Babirusa, a teenage rebel with a passion for martial arts, Paco, a rich snob, and Moratalla, the baby of the gang. 

The gang follows the path of love, friendship, dreams and ambitions which, like the Camino de los Ingleses, a road that crosses their hometown, could take them anywhere. But the path is tortuous and every summer has its rainy day. 

El Camino de los Ingleses (Summer Rain) will now receive the invaluable support of extended theatrical exposure and additional promotion from the Europa Cinemas network. Founded in 1992, the Europa Cinemas network now consists of a remarkable 1689 screens in 690 cinemas in 403 cities in 55 countries. Europa Cinemas’ aim is to support the programming  and visibility of European films outside their country of origin, and to foster initiatives aimed at encouraging younger audiences to develop their interest in European films and cultural diversity.

Previous winners of the Europa Cinemas Label are:

Cannes/Directors’ Fortnight

2003:                     The Mother (Roger Michell, UK)

                              Kitchen Stories (BentHamer, Norway/Sweden)

2004:                     In the Battlefields (Danielle Arbid, France/Belgium/Lebanon)

2005:                     La Moustache (Emmanuel Carrère, France)

2006 :                    12 :08 East of Bucharest/A Fost sau n-a fost ? (Corneliu Porumboiu, Rumania)

Berlin/Panorama

2005:                     Live and Become (Radu Mihaileanu, France/Belgium/Israel)

Crustacés et Coquillages (Olivier Ducastel, Jacques Martineau/France)

2006 :                    Tough Enough/Knallhart (Detlev Buck, Germany)

Venice/Venice Days

2004:                     Darwin’s Nightmare (Hubert Sauper, Austria/France/Belgium)

2005:                     Le Petit Lieutenant (Xavier Beauvois, France)

2006:                     Azul Oscuro Casi Negro (Dark Blue Almost Black)(Daniel Sánchez Arévalo,Spain)                  

Karlovy Vary (Main Competition and East of the West section)

2006:                     Frozen City (Aku Louhimies, Finland)

www.europa-cinemas.org
Bruno