While the winding-down of the first uninterrupted Awards Season we’ve seen in a while may be occupying headlines, we’re also entering the full swing of the 2024 Festival Season. Perennial favorite, the Berlin International Film Festival, kicked off its 74th edition in an awkward climate, but the vibrancy is still managing to shine through.Take a closer look at Entertainment lawyer Brandon Blake, at Blake & Wang P.A., fills us in on the festival so far.
Protests Not Detracting from the Goal
In a wider global atmosphere as strongly politicized as it currently is, the media industry inevitably faces its share of turbulence. While we’ve seen some organized protests and personal political statements made from the red carpet, they haven’t managed to distract from the broader business of film and have been mostly well-handled from the guests’ perspective. This is, after all, also one of the first film festivals since the pandemic to take place in what can be called a truly ‘normal’ business atmosphere!
Hot Package Deals
The European Film Market, which takes place side-by-side with the Berlinale, is also off to a hot start. There are plenty of buzzy projects in the air! Interestingly, we have seen something of a return to package deals, mostly driven by A-list stars themselves and with a notably commercial focus. These are, of course, the very films that haven’t made it as far as the market in turbulent recent years, so it is always good to see them rear their heads again. To date, the market’s highest budget (reportedly in the $80M range) goes to a Will Smith-driven cop thriller, Sugar Bandits. It is backed by CAA Media Finance and AGC Studios.
Some attendees have gone as far as to call the market atmosphere this year ‘turbocharged’, with plenty of other red-hot projects set to land in the coming week. We’ll be here to keep you up-to-date with all the latest Berlin news as it unfolds, so stay tuned!
