BY DIETER BROCKMEYER Germany has a highly competitive TV industry and a highly competitive Lander [or State] structure. Each of the 16 Landers wants to be a location that lures in media and communications-focused companies. As a result, Germany also has a slew of highly competitive TV industry screenings events — not just internationally, but within the country. Some of them have been successful, while others are still finding their niches. The traditional “German Screenings” date back to the “ancient” times of precommercial TV. The 32nd annual event, which took place at the Leipzig Westin Grand Hotel last month, is still the domain of public broadcasters. This year, German United Distributors (owner of Bavaria Media, which is very active at the Screenings) and Telepool (both closely associated with German pubcaster ARD), Austria’s ORF and Deutsche Welle (Germany’s official multi-language international radio and TV service), were all on hand. This group has acquired a commercial touch since Telepool hooked up with Mediengruppe RTL last year to act as international sales agent for TV programs coming from the German RTL section, such as crime action series Cobra 11. The annual event is quite popular, especially with buyers from neighboring European and Eastern European countries. They particularly like the homey atmosphere of a small event and the fact that the screening facilities are set up in cozy hotel rooms. There is also the “Cologne Conference,” which began as a result of Cologne being one of the commercial centers of the German TV industry and since North Rhine Westphalia, a German Lander, couldn’t defend its position as an industry leader in media. The Cologne Conference launched as part of a much bigger convention and trade show dealing with a mix of media ventures. The declared ambition of the Cologne Conference in the beginning was to compete directly with international industry events such as MIP-TV. Consequently, the first editions of the market took place on a riverboat on the banks of the Rhine River right across from the Cologne Convention Centre, and attracted only a small number of international buyers. The concept quickly failed, but after a period of trying to find a new niche, it relaunched in October. The Cologne Conference strengthened its festival approach and now serves merely to showcase exceptional and innovative TV programs, with no sales ambitions whatsoever. The third major German screenings event is a much more serious challenge, though it’s well-equipped with public subsidies. The annual European Film Market (EFM) was launched about five years ago as part of the renowned German film festival Berlinale, which takes place every February in Berlin (see story on page 26). The event combines screenings for cinema and TV with international co-production pitching sessions. For the screenings session, the EFM has opted to focus on commercial art-house productions. The approach has worked. Organizers have reported growth of exhibitor and participant numbers year after year. In 2006, numbers were up 30 percent, with 240 companies from 45 countries. The following year, the event boasted 260 companies from 46 countries with 700 films available and over 1,000 screenings held in 31 cinemas and screening cabins. During Berlinale 2007, the EFM had grown too large for the historical MartinGropius Building, where it had taken place for a number of years, and organizers were forced to extend the property with tents. They expect new record participation figures for this February’s Screenings. Unfortunately, there is no detailed breakdown available as to where the buyers come from for this festival. Regardless of all these screenings, there are many more film and TV festivals in Germany that offer the possibility to screen and buy programs or to establish co-producing relationships. There is, for instance, the Oberhausener Kurzfilmtage, an event birthed in the days of the rebellious 1960s, which has turned into a globally renowned festival and market for short films. The Munich Filmfest, taking place every June, has turned into a serious domestic industry platform for Germany. Baden Baden, a small city in the southeast of Germany, has established its successful Fernsehfilm Festival, where prizes are awarded for the best feature films in German TV over the last year. There are also two prestigious festivals targeting newcomers, Max Ophuels Festival in Saarbrücken and the Hofer Filmtage in Hof. In addition, the Lucas Kinderfilmfestival in Frankfurt is the oldest A-Festival in Germany that focuses exclusively on kids programming. Each of these events tries not only to create awareness of the films presented, but also to be seen as a marketplace from which its content starts a successful journey. And if this journey leads to global success, so much the better for a small market in a German province that will be able to at least briefly compare with the glitz and glamour of Cannes or Los Angeles. V I D E O • A G E JA N U A R Y 2 0 0 8 24 G e r m a n S c r e e n i n g s Proliferation of TV Events as A Way to Get Int’l Attention Inside the EFM Winners of the Cologne Conference’s prize for “Best Adoption of an International Format,” Das perfekte Dinner (Come Dine With Me)
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