Titel Kino 2/2001(2 Alternativ) - German Films

World Sales Portrait Progress Film-Verleih
Films like Nikolaikirche are perfectly suited to that. But we also
have some great actors, such as Manfred Krug, Hildegard Knef,
Armin Mueller-Stahl, Kurt Böwe and Winfried Glatzeder and
directors such as Frank Beyer, Heiner Carow, Rainer Simon,
Konrad Wolf and Kurt Maetzig. There are always occasions to
screen their films.“ When Carlos Saura’s Goya was released
last year Progress was able to piggy-back its Goya film by
Konrad Wolf.
Progress also works closely with the Goethe Institute and
other cultural institutions, which promote German language and
culture, to organize retrospectives. One such retrospective in
Vienna involved more than 120 films and lasted three months.
Each year, Progress licenses some 30-40 films within the
German-speaking territories, as well as to the Czech Republic,
Belgium, France, Italy, Spain, Poland, the UK, Slovakia, and further
afield to Japan, Mexico and the Philippines.
“Our emphasis, though, is on Europe,” says Haase. “We’re
represented in the US by Icestorm, the video distributor, but it’s a
very difficult market.” As part of efforts to expand there he cites
the DEFA library formed jointly with Amhurst University:
“It’s a platform for young people to study and come into contact
with German film.”
Children’s films also feature large
Established 1950 Managing Director Prof. Jürgen Haase Additional contact Christel Jansen
(Head of Sales), Brigitte Paetsch, Karl-Heinz Mandler (Excerpts) Main fields of activity World-wide
distribution of theatrical and television rights for films of all formats and genres, with emphasis on DEFA
productions Regular attendance of the following film and TV markets Berlinale, MIPCOM
Number of titles on offer 800 DEFA features, 3,000 features from Eastern Europe and several
thousand animated and documentary films Percentage of German titles on offer 95 % Buyers
include ARD and the Third Programs, ZDF, 3sat, KiKa, VOX, ARTE, Planet Multithématique (France),
RAISAT (Italy), Alcine Terran (Japan) Most well-known current titles on offer Jacob the Liar
(Jakob der Lügner), The Kaiser’s Lackey (Der Untertan),The Story of Little Muck
(Die Geschichte vom Kleinen Muck) Best-selling titles currently on sale Pinky and
the Million-pug (Pinky und der Millionenmops), Mask of the Desire (Die Braut),
Fueling the Flames of Love (Feuerreiter), The Pharmacist (Die Apothekerin),
Trains ’n Roses (Zugvögel)
Address Progress Film-Verleih GmbH · Burgstr. 27 · D-10178 Berlin · phone +49-30-24 00 32 25
fax +49-30-24 00 32 22 · www.progress-film.de · c.jansen@progress-film.de
“We already have more than 200 from DEFA and every couple of
years we acquire another one or two. The latest is Pinky (2000)
which had its first sales at this year’s Berlinale,” says Haase. “We
distribute or acquire children’s films which have a very humanist
approach and are very constructive, not deconstructive.”
Progress also has a number of recently-produced adult-skewed
features such as Zugvögel, Die Braut, Männerpension,
Feuerreiter, Liebe deine Nächste and Die
Apothekerin.
“We don’t co-produce or co-finance but if we like the script or
cast,” says Haase, “we’re ready relatively early to offer a minimum
guarantee to acquire a film.”
And Progress takes care of its product. The Story of Little
Muck, for example, has been seen by 13 million people over the
last twenty years.
Prof. Jürgen Haase
“You need to take a long-term view and say this film has long-term
prospects and can be marketed as long as there is a feeling for film
art and culture,” avers Haase. “And we have the decisive advantage
that we have the rights for an unlimited period. There’s no
sell-by date.”
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