January 29, 2008

Berlinale. Jury, Kamera, buzz.

zitty: Berlinale 08 Some go to the first Berlinale press conference each year simply because that's your first opportunity to get your hands on the schedule. Gives you a week to start sorting out what you'll see when between February 7 and 17. Others go because their papers actually want stories on how many world or international premieres from how which countries can be tallied up for each of the festival's sections. Or to nab sound or video clips for radio or TV. I go because this is the morning the buzz kicks in.

It's not that there isn't any actual news. The lineups may already be out, and you may have already been able to tell on your own that, say, there sure are a lot of films this year that have something or a lot to do with music - starting, of course, with the opener, Shine a Light, Martin Scorsese's Rolling Stones doc. Among all the other stats, the press booklet helpfully lists 16 more.

What I found particularly interesting to hear about was that, though the Stones are coming - and so are Madonna, Patti Smith, Neil Young, plus dozens and dozens of other Names more commonly associated with film festivals rather than rock concerts - it's the imminent arrival of Shah Rukh Khan to present the Bollywood hit Om Shanti Om that's given organizers the greatest logistical challenge in the How to Handle the Fans Dept. They're coming en masse, evidently, and the Berlinale's been compelled to publish a FAQ devoted to this single event.

But on to other announcements. The International Jury, headed by Costa-Gavras, will be comprised of Danish director Susanne Bier, actress (and director) Sandrine Bonnaire, production designer Uli Hanisch, actress Diane Kruger, the one, the only, the great Walter Murch, producer Alexander Rodniansky and actress Shu Qi.

Berlinale Kameras go to Karlheinz Böhm and Otto Sander.

And the schedule? It's online, too. I can already tell you, though, that Tuesday, February 12, is a big day: Hong Sang-soo for breakfast, Mike Leigh for lunch and Errol Morris for dinner.



Bookmark and Share

Posted by dwhudson at January 29, 2008 7:31 AM

Comments

Anticipating your dispatches from Berlin, David!!

Posted by: Maya at January 29, 2008 9:13 AM

David,

Any word as yet on whether the Stones will do some kind of performance, a'la U2 last year at Cannes?

I'm guessing most likely not, but then who would have anticipated U2 on the steps of the Palais?

Posted by: via collins at January 29, 2008 2:33 PM

Thanks, Michael.

Via collins, the question's come up, but no one really thinks that'll happen. Having them trot around on the red carpet will be show enough. You never know, of course, but I doubt they'll perform.

Posted by: David Hudson at January 29, 2008 3:03 PM