Editor

On October 16, the Berlinale Day will be held at the Frankfurt Book Fair (Oct. 15-19, 2008) for the fourth time. The common goal of Germany’s two largest cultural events is to strengthen collaboration between the book and film worlds and promote exchange.

This cooperation between the Frankfurt Book Fair and the Berlin International Film Festival was initiated in 2005. On the Berlinale Day, screen adaptations of literary works from the Berlinale programme in 2008 will be presented and a workshop of experts will bring together producers and publishers, as well as literary agents.
During “Books at Berlinale” at the 59th Berlin International Film Festival (Feb. 5-15, 2009), this cooperation will continue: besides the Book Fair’s umbrella stand at the European Film Market, a selection of promising literary material will be presented to international producers at the Berlinale Co-Production Market.

The Berlinale Day programme at the Frankfurt Book Fair’s “Forum Film and TV” on Thursday, October 16, 2008:

• Ben X, Belgium 2007, 93 min. (Berlinale Generation 14plus)
Directed by Nic Balthazar, based on a novel by Nic Balthazar
• Boy A, UK 2007, 100 min. (Berlinale Panorama)
Directed by John Crowley, based on a novel by Jonathan Trigell
• There Will Be Blood, USA 2007, 158 min. (Berlinale Competition)
Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, based on a novel by Upton Sinclair

This year’s workshop is entitled “Whose Right(s)?” and addresses producers in particular, though interested publishers are also welcome to participate. Panel guests include two literary agents, Peter Riva from International Transactions Inc. (USA) and Silvia Brunelli from Nabu International Literary Agency (Italy), as well as Berlin film producer Wenka von Mikulicz from Boje Buck Produktion. Questions related to the legal aspects of adapting novels to the screen - such as optioning rights, cooperating with agents, acquiring materials - will be discussed on the basis of current examples. (Please apply at books@berlinale.de; the number of participants is limited.)

A tour of the Frankfurt Book Fair, organized specially for producers, as well as “Match-up Meetings” will complete the Berlinale Day programme. At these brief one-to-one meetings, film producers and representatives of publishing houses can make new contacts, present material and discuss possibilities for cooperation.