Bicoastal/international Partizan has extended its global reach this week with the opening of an office in Berlin under the aegis of executive producer Moritz Merkel.
The new shop will handle representation in Germany for all of Partizan’s labels: Partizan lab (animation and special effects), the darkroom (content) Partizan Films (feature film and documentary) and of course Partizan’s TV commercial division.
Merkel, who recently came aboard Partizan, has years of experience working on both sides of the advertising business, having held senior production roles in German production companies and agencies, including Kolle Rebbe and Jung von Matt, where he was head of TV.
“Germany is one of the seven most important markets for content and films, said Georges Bermann who is chairman and global executive producer of Partizan. “Our rapidly growing activity in feature films, documentaries, TV and Internet content means we had already developed strong contacts there and the only missing piece was a full production operation to offer our directors and experience to the German agencies and advertisers.
“Advertising is changing very quickly these days and will probably evolve even faster than people think,” Bermann continued. “Partizan has anticipated these changes and has prepared for them with a combination of more global offers [films, content, post production, online and print projects] and a local proximity in key territories.
Bermann further noted that in the next six months Partizan’s presence will expand in emerging markets, citing India, China for Asia, and Brazil for Latin America.
Partizan is currently developing and producing six feature films, three TV shows, and several 360˚ content projects with agencies alongside its traditional production activity in commercials and music videos. A new management division will be added next month to provide screenplay writers and content projects.
“The financial crisis is not freezing Partizan’s projects,” said Bermann.
Director Dag Johan Haugerud’s “Dreams (Sex Love)” Wins Top Prize At The Berlin Film Festival
A Norwegian film about love, desire and self-discovery won top honors at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival on Saturday.
A jury headed by American director Todd Haynes awarded the Golden Bear trophy to "Dreams (Sex Love)" by director Dag Johan Haugerud.
Haynes called it a "meditation on love" that "cuts you to the quick with its keen intelligence."
The film focuses on a teenager played by Ella Øverbyer, infatuated with her female French teacher, and the reactions of her mother and grandmother when they discover her private writings. It's the third part of a trilogy Haugerud has completed in the past year. "Sex" premiered at Berlin in 2024, and "Love" was screened at the 2024 Venice Film Festival.
The runner-up Silver Bear prize went to Brazilian director Gabriel Mascaro's dystopian drama "The Blue Trail." Argentine director Ivan Fund's rural saga "The Message" won the third-place Jury Prize.
The best director prize went to Huo Meng for "Living the Land," set in fast-changing 1990s China.
Rose Byrne was named best performer for her role as an overwhelmed mother in the Mary Bronstein-directed "If I Had Legs, I'd Kick You." Andrew Scott won the supporting performer trophy for playing composer Richard Rodgers in Richard Linklater's "Blue Moon."
The climax of the festival known as the Berlinale came on the eve of Germany's parliamentary elections after a campaign dominated by migration and the economy.
The national election is being held seven months early, after Chancellor Olaf Scholz's governing coalition collapsed in a dispute about how to revitalize the country's economy.
Efforts to curb migration have emerged as a central issue in the campaign — along with the question of how to handle the... Read More