BERLIN- Generation Programme Complete

The selection for Generation – the Berlinale section for children and youth- has been finalised. 24 feature and 31 short films from 20 countries will be screening this year. This includes eight world and seven international feature film premieres.

The competition Generation Kplus will open on February 8 at the Zoo Palast with theDutch film Waar is het Paard van Sinterklaas? Director Mischa Kamp already captivated audiences with her first film about the Chinese-Dutch girl Winky at the Berlinale 2006.

Compelling genre films will join the arthouse productions already selected for Generation Kplus. A French adaptation of the legendary comics series Lucky Luke will screen at the Zoo Palast to old and new fans of the timeless Western: TOUS AL’OUEST, Une aventure de Lucky Luke. Shochiku, a Japanese company with a long tradition, will be showing its adaptation of a comic with Kung Fu Kun which is about a Shaolin monk who, though only a small child, is already a powerful kicker.

Generation 14plus will open on February 8 with the Australian film The Black Balloon by Elissa Down. This world premiere starring Toni Collette, Rhys Wakefield, Luke Ford and supermodel Gemma Ward will kick off a strong competition of 14 feature films.

For the first time two documentaries will also be competing in the Generation 14plus programme: love, peace & beatbox by Volker Meyer-Dabisch takes a rhythmic and atmospheric look at a form of Berlin subculture, human beatboxing. And in War Child, director Christian Karim Chrobog accompanies hip-hop star Emmanuel Jal on a journey into his past as a child soldier in Sudan. Jal himself will present the film in Berlin.

In the world premiere of the zany road movie Dunya & Desie, Eva van de Wijdeven and Maryam Hassouni (Netherlands’ Shooting Star 2008) set out on a trip through the chaos of a generation caught between cultures.

Somers Town, a new film by Shane Meadows (This is England), has also been selected. The director has again joined forces with actor Thomas Turgoose, who was in Meadows’ last film, to make this black-and-white study of a milieu in London.

The DVD edition Berlinale Generation is releasing two new titles for the Festival: Schickt mehr Süßes (Send More Candy) and Der Italiener (An Italian) were past audience favourites. They will go on sale in February.