16/06/2014 - The 17th Shanghai International Film Festival is welcoming its 11th German Focus

German cinema and the audience in Shanghai have a strong bond. Consequently, the Focus Germany section at the Shanghai International Film Festival has become a successful tradition. Thus, the 17th Shanghai International Film Festival (14-22 June) is, for the 11^th time, welcoming a special selection of 11 new German films, plus many other titles in its other sections, including Volker Schlöndorff's Diplomacy [+see also:
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film profile] (co-produced by Blueprint Film with French partners) running in competition. In total, the Chinese public will discover 39 German films and co-productions.

Mariette Rissenbeek, managing director of German Films, says: “We are very proud to be a partner of the festival for Focus Germany. It is an important gateway to the Chinese market, which offers enormous growth potential.” German Films also has a stand at the Shanghai Film Market.

The German Focus section opened with a gala screening of Marc Rensing's The Woman Who Dares [+see also:
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film profile] (Zum Goldenen Lamm Filmproduktion), followed by a Q&A session. The other ten titles being shown in Focus Germany range from road movies, through family entertainment, family portraits, newcomer films and historical subjects, to thrillers, and they have been awarded national and international prizes. Directors Peter Thorwarth and Grzegorz Muskala have travelled to Shanghai to present Not My Day [+see also:
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film profile] (Westside Filmproduktion, Donar Film, Deutsche Columbia Pictures, Mr Brown Entertainment) and Whispers Behind the Wall (One Two Films, dffb) in person. The selection also includes Xavier Koller's Black Brothers [+see also:
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making of
film profile] (Germany/Switzerland: Enigma Film, Starhaus Filmproduktion, Herold Productions, Odeon Pictures), Christian Alvart's Banklady [+see also:
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film profile] (Syrreal Entertainment, STUDIOCANAL), Marc Rothemund's Girl With Nine Wigs [+see also:
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film profile] (Goldkind Film), Robert Thalheim's Parents (Kundschafter Film) and this year’s big winner at the Lolas/German Film Awards, Edgar Reitz's Home From Home – Chronicle of a Vision [+see also:
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film profile].

The Spectrum section is showing Dominik Graf's Berlinale title Beloved Sisters [+see also:
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interview: Dominik Graf
film profile] (Bavaria Filmverleih- & Produktion, Senator Film Produktion, Kiddinx Filmproduktion), Jöns Jönsson's Lamento [+see also:
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film profile] (Buntfilm Juretzka & Hering, HFF “Konrad Wolf” Potsdam Babelsberg) and Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel [+see also:
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making of
film profile] (co-produced by Studio Babelsberg), amongst others.

German Films has been active in China for 11 years and is represented in all matters by Anke Redl. Apart from the Focus Germany at the Shanghai International Film Festival, German Films also regularly supports the presence of German films at the Shanghai TV Festival. Last autumn saw a Festival of German Films being held in four Chinese cities for the first time.