Film Festival Without Red Carpets

Ever since he saw the comedy "Liebesgrüße vom Wörthersee " at age seventeen, Bernhard Karl was hooked on films. His early career years were spent as theater director in München, but his dream was to work for one of the major film festivals. He applied to the Berlinale but was turned down. "Why don't you create your own film festival?" asked one of his friends. That was the beginning of "Around the World in 14 Films," the film festival without red carpets.


Bernhard Karl is the founder of "Around the World in 14 Films," now taking place at the Kino Babylon in its fifth edition. Each year, Karl travels to ten festivals in 14 world regions, from Locarno to Toronto, from Cannes to Venice. He sees some 5000 films a year. Then he brings home a selection of his favorites for the broad public, mere unaccredited mortals who have no access to the top festivals in exotic locations.

This festival is like no other. Run on a shoestring budget, with help from supporters, sponsors and friends, its administrative team consists of Karl and his laptop. The screenings include no glamour, no popping flashbulbs, no red carpets. Just great films and avid cineasts.

Scene from "Curling," directed by Denis Côté (Canada)

Actually, avid and eternally grateful cineasts -- because many of these films will never make it to German movie houses. "The only films that are successful commercially, " sighs Karl, "are comedies or films about Hitler." That's exactly why "Around the World in 14 Films" fills a niche. It brings home some of the best films shown in world festivals and, at the same time, gives producers a brilliant opportunity to find a public for box-office non-starters.

One of the most interesting films this year (and Karl's personal favorite) is "Autobiografia Lui Nicolae Ceausescu, " a bio pic about the Romanian dictator. Director Andrei Ujica went through 1000 hours of footage to find material for this gem of a film.



Temperatures are sub-zero and the Berlinale isn't till February. See you at the Babylon this weekend?

"Around the World in 14 Films" runs from Friday, November 26 to Saturday, December 4 at Kino Babylon, Rosa-Luxemburg Strasse 30 (U Rosa-Luxemburg Platz). 
The next screening of "Autobiografia Lui Nicolae Ceausescu, " is on Saturday, December 4, at 16:00.
For more details go to the Festival website.