Germany: "Festival and Event Management" during the Berlinale

The course is entitled "Festival and Event Management". It focuses on the management and organization of film festivals and networking in the industry. The opportunity to get a look behind the scenes and engage in direct exchange with the organizers of the Berlinale is invaluable to the festival managers from Africa and Asia. Through classic meetings, panel discussions and job shadowing during the festival, the course participants get an exclusive chance to follow experienced professionals through their hectic daily schedules. They get a close-up view of the obstacles and pitfalls which must be overcome or avoided to guarantee a smooth-running festival.

DW Akademie launches cooperation with Tom Tykwer

This year's Berlinale program includes the film "Soulboy" by the internationally renowned German director and filmmaker Tom Tykwer ("Run, Lola, Run", "Perfume"). "Soulboy", shot in Kibera, the biggest slum in the Kenyan capital Nairobi, tells a fairy-tale-like story from an African perspective.

Driven by their experiences in Nairobi, Tom Tykwer's team came up with the idea of establishing a long-term project to promote and encourage young African filmmakers. DW Akademie is also on board, contributing its experience and expertise in project management with the aim of establishing modern African cinema on the international stage.

The project is called "FilmAfrica!" and includes, on the one hand, professional training for African filmmakers in the fields of screenplay writing, directing, photography, production, production design, sound design, costume and make-up, and on the other hand, the realization of a full-length feature film. The initiative is based on the pilot project "Soul Boy". The individual workshops and shooting of the feature film are scheduled for fall 2010 in Nairobi, Kenya.

The Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development has pledged to fund the project, which is also supported by the Goethe Institute.