The Berlin International Film Festival is one of the world’s top international film events, where filmmakers, industry professionals and film buffs come together for 11 days.

Overview for Publishers and Literary Agents

The festival screens close to 400 new films in six official sections: Competition, Panorama, Forum, Perspektive Deutsches Kino, Generation and Retrospective. The winners of the Competition receive the awards called the Golden and Silver Bears.

The festival centre at Potsdamer Platz offers the international community a colourful and broad overview on film production from throughout the world. Around 20,000 professionals from the film industry (from around 100 countries and including 4,000 journalists) are accredited at the festival yearly. With more than 270,000 tickets sold to the public, the Berlinale is the largest audience festival in the world.

European Film Market - EFM (11 to 21 February 2010)

The European Film Market is the business centre of the festival. As one of the three top international markets in the world, the EFM is the focal point for film producers, sales agents, distributors, buyers, and financiers attending the Berlinale.

In 2009, around 400 exhibitors from 50 countries attended the EFM with stands/offices in the Martin-Gropius-Bau and at the Marriott Hotel. The EFM is a professional trade event and is only open to industry professionals who apply for a registration.

The EFM not only provides exhibition space for companies presenting their current line-up, but also organises over 1,000 screenings of new films, which take place at movie theatres around Potsdamer Platz.
Under the auspices of the EFM is an independently run co-production market called the Berlinale Co-Production Market.

Berlinale Co-Production Market (14 to 16 February 2010)

The Berlinale Co-Production Market, now in its 7th year, is an eagerly awaited event for the international film community. Over a 2 ½ -day period, more than 450 film producers, buyers, sales agents, and film financiers meet one-on-one with potential co-producers to discuss an array of pre-selected film projects. In addition, workshops and case studies are held to inform the participants about the most up-to-date developments and trends in the industry and to create a platform for the exchange of ideas, experiences and information. And, to round out the programme, social events allow the participants and guests to meet in an informal and relaxed atmosphere to further discuss projects.

“Books at Berlinale”

In 2006, the Berlinale Co-Production Market introduced the programme Books at Berlinale in cooperation with the Frankfurt Book Fair with the goal of bringing the book and film worlds closer together.

Within Books at Berlinale, there is a special event called Breakfast & Books where approximately 10 pre-selected best-selling or brandnew, yet to be published novels with great potential for screen adaptation, are pitched to international arthouse producers by the representatives holding the film rights.

Publishers and literary agents from all over the world can submit a book until early December, and 10 Books at Berlinale will then be selected from all applications in order to be presented to the international producers at the event. Information on the projects will also be published in a booklet. Furthermore, the Books at Berlinale programme includes an information session for publishers and literary agents providing insights into the ”film producing and financing world” as well as a case study on a literary adaptation screening in the festival.
In addition, the selected publishers and literary agents have access to the Producers’ Lounge in the Berlinale Co-Production Market where they can set up meetings with producers on their own initiative.

If you would like to submit a novel for Breakfast & Books 2010, please contact books@berlinale.de for the application form and further information.

Frankfurt Book Fair at European Film Market (EFM)

The Frankfurt Book Fair and registered publishing houses and literary agencies are represented under an umbrella stand at the EFM, which offers a platform and awareness in the international film community. In addition to networking possibilities throughout the EFM and Berlinale Co-Production Market events, the EFM arranges an exclusive customised tour led by an industry expert which brings publishers and literary agents to important sales agents and exhibitors based in the EFM.

The Frankfurt Book Fair publishes a Rights Catalogue for all companies registered at the umbrella stand in which up to three books per publisher with screen potential can be presented.

To apply for the umbrella stand, please contact Ms. Katharina Gerson on the left.

For further information about the cooperation between the Berlin International Film Festival and the Frankfurt Book Fair: