The 2005 Berlin International Film Festival will open with the world premiere of Régis Wargnier's British/French co-production, "Man to Man", the festival announced today. The film, called a historical adventure epic, is described as "the story of a group of anthropologists who have embarked on a research trip to South Africa in the 1870s," will kick off the event on February 10th in Berlin and will be in the event's competition. The film depicts the search for the "Missing Link" between man and ape. In the words of the festival announcement, "'Man to Man' portrays not just the beginnings of modern evolutionary science, but also its unscrupulous abuse for selfish motives."
Wargnier wrote the film with William Boyd, author of "A Good Man in Africa." It stars Joseph Fiennes ("Shakespeare in Love") and Kristin Scott Thomas ("The English Patient").
In other Berlinale news, fest organizers recently announced the event's selection committee for 2005. The Berlinale advisory film selection committee for the competition includes 12 people who are attending screenings and recommending titles to Festival Director Dieter Kosslick.
The list of advisors, joining Wieland Speck/Panorama, Christoph Terhechte/Forum, Alfred Holighaus/ Perspektive Deutsches Kino, Thomas Hailer/Kinderfilmfest and the head of the Berlinale’s European Filmmarket Beki Probst, are (bio info provided by the festival):
The producer Gloria Burkert has many high quality films for cinema and television to her credit, among them the Berlinale competition film A Map of the Heart (Der Felsen) by Dominik Graf. In 1994, Burkert together with her partners Andreas Bareiß and Peter Herrmann, founded the production company MTM (Medien & Television München GmbH) which produced Charlotte Link’s Oscar-winning film Nowhere in Africa.
Matthias Elwardt is chief executive and program director of Hamburg's highly commended ABATON art house cinema. He is also on the selection committee of the Filmförderung Hamburg.
Claudia Landsberger, president and founder member of European Film Promotion, is from Holland. She has been working for years in the fields of production, film financing and marketing. She he became chief executive of Holland Film in 1995.
Anke Leweke has been a film journalist for a number of daily newspapers, radio and television stations since 1989. She has also authored television features and portraits.
Dr. Rainer Rother is the program director of the Zeughaus cinema in the German Historical Museum in Berlin, as well as the curator of exhibitions there. He also writes on film for diverse journals and books.
The U.S.-American Rajendra Roy is programme director of the Hamptons International Film Festival. In the past, he has organized numerous film programs in the international field. From 2000 through 2002, Roy managed film activities of the Guggenheim Museum.
The journalist Ralf Schenk works as a freelancer for various daily and weekly newspapers as well as for trade magazines. In addition, Schenk has been responsible for numerous book publications and television features on film history.
