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“Straight to Cinema” is the theme for the short film competition of the Berlinale Talent Campus in 2010

Call for entries - Berlin Today Award 2010
The short film competition of the Berlinale Talent Campus – supported since 2003 by Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg – invites directors from all over the world to submit short film ideas inspired by the theme “Straight to Cinema”. In a digital age where film culture is undergoing fundamental changes, the cinema remains a unique public space, a centre for collective experiences and sensations. The Berlin Today Award theme for 2010 encourages young filmmakers to seek inspiration in the cinema and all its possibilities, and develop a short film for the big screen. The top five film ideas will be realised by five production companies from Berlin and Brandenburg – with support from Medienboard and the film industry.

Berlinale Talent Campus current applicants and former participants, as well as producers from the Berlin-Brandenburg region, can apply until November 25, 2008, to realise a short film project. Talents and producers can go to www.berlintoday.de to access the online application and participation conditions.
15 pre-selected Talents will have an opportunity to present their film ideas and convince producers attending the “Producers’ Meeting” held during the Berlinale Talent Campus 2009 (February 7-12, 2009). Five projects will be selected and have until the end of 2009 to make the final leap toward realisation. The short films will celebrate their world premiere during the opening of the Berlinale Talent Campus 2010. The winner, selected by a jury, will receive the Berlin Today Award 2010.

Review & world premiere of the Berlin Today Award 2009
Campus Talents realised five short films focusing on the theme “My Wall” as part of this year’s competition: Gina Abatemarco (USA) realised My Super Sea Wall, a documentary about the Alaskan island Kivalina and the giant sandbank created to stave off complete inundation (production: Anna Wendt Filmproduktion). Teleportation by Markus Dietrich (Germany) reveals who was really behind the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 (production: Schiwago Film). In the short film Promenade, Sabine El Chamaa (Lebanon) tells the story of an elderly woman who rebuilds the walls of her destroyed house inside her new home (production: NEOS Film). Supriyo Sen (India) documents a bizarre ritual on the border between India and Pakistan in Wagah (production: DETAilFILM). Finally, Paul Cotter (UK) tells the story of a 75 year-old man who rebuilds the Berlin Wall in The Berlin Wall (production: Kaminski.Stiehm.Film).


The short films will have their world premiere during the opening of the Berlinale Talent Campus on February 7, 2009. An award ceremony will follow during the “Dine & Shine” Talent dinner on February 8. The Berlin Today Award 2009 is supported by Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg and the Federal Foreign Office, under the patronage of Federal Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.