Tanguero Director: Emanuele Persico, 2011, Italy/Argentina, 78 minutes, Cast: Omar Quiroga, Veronica Palacios, Maria Cecilia Cervini, Juan Carlos Stasi, Jorge Juanatey Simple Director: Ivan Calbérac, 2010, France, 90 minutes, Cast: Bastien BOUILLON, Julien DRION, Shemss Audat, Morgane Cabot, Esteban CARVAJAL-ALEGRIA, Valentine CATZEFLIS, CIVIL François, Jérémie ELKAIM The Fire [Der Brand] Director: Brigitte Bertele, 2011, Germany, 70 minutes, Cast:  Florian David Fitz, Wota...

Now that the programme is almost complete it can be said that in the aftermath of the financial crisis truly independent cinema is at an advantage. The themes of many first films are daring and hence inspiring, as seen in the work of Israeli filmmaker Michal Aviad who, set against the backdrop of the interminable Palestinian-Israeli conflict, has her protagonists work through traumas in Lo Roim Alaich (Invisible), or with French director Céline Sciamma whose Tomboy portrays the coming of age of...

The opening of the Berlinale is still one month off – yet Festival Director Dieter Kosslick is pleased to be able to announce the first films in the Competition. Five entries are definite and they range “from tragic love story to political psychodrama, from historical thriller to intimate family saga”, as Kosslick explains. The entries are from Germany, Spain, Denmark, Croatia and the USA, and their celebrated directors, such as Romuald Karmakar or Academy Award-winner Ron Howard, are a gu...

BERLINALE COMPETITION 2004: FIVE ENTRIES ALREADY CONFIRMED The opening of the Berlinale is still more than two months off – yet Festival Director Dieter Kosslick is pleased to be able to announce the first films in the Competition. Five entries are definite and they range “from tragic love story to political psychodrama, from historical thriller to intimate family saga”, as Kosslick explains. The entries are from Germany, Spain, Denmark, Croatia and the USA, and their celebrated director...