The Hollywood Foreign Press Association has nominated Studio Babelsberg’s production The Reader for four Golden Globes. The adaptation of Bernhard Schlink’s best-selling novel is in the race to win the coveted award for „Best Picture“ and „Best Director“ with Kate Winslet nominated for „Best Supporting Actress“ and writer David Hare for “Best Screenplay”. The Golden Globes are considered second only to the Academy Awards in their prestige and have enjoyed a higher profile in and out of the film industry in recent years. The 66th Golden Globes Awards are held in Los Angeles on January 11. 2009.
“We are extremely proud to be considered in so many categories and are crossing our fingers for the announcements”, says Dr. Carl Woebcken, CEO of Studio Babelsberg AG who served as co-producer on The Reader together with executive board member Christoph Fisser and Studio Babelsberg Motion Pictures’ Managing Director Henning Molfenter.
It is great that more and more German newcomers are getting a chance to break through on an international level with productions such as The Reader”
Christoph Fisser
Studio Babelsberg AG
According to a statement made earlier today by Berlinale organizers, The Reader will premiere in Germany in February during the 59th International Film Festival of Berlin. The film stars Kate Winslet and Ralph Fiennes with the title role played by up-and-coming German actor David Kross, who will also receive the European SHOOTING STAR award at the film festival. Studio Babelsberg will present the SHOOTING STARS Awards for the first time in 2009. “It is great that more and more German newcomers are getting a chance to break through on an international level with productions such as The Reader”, says Studio Babelsberg’s Christoph Fisser. The cast also includes Bruno Ganz, Alexandra Maria Lara, Hannah Herzsprung, Karoline Herfurth, Burghart Klaußner and many other German stars.
The film was produced by a studio subsidiary (Neunte Babelsberg Film GmbH) and was shot on location in Berlin, Babelsberg, Görlitz, Cologne, and New York. The Reader was directed by Steven Daldry (Billy Elliot, The Hours). Academy Award winner Anthony Minghella and Sydney Pollack (Mirage Enterprises), both men recently deceased, served as producers together with Donna Gigliotti and Redmond Morris. Bob and Harvey Weinstein oversaw the production as Executive Producers.
For Studio Babelsberg, The Reader counts among one of the flagship productions in an immensely successful year of productions during 2007. Henning Molfenter, Managing Director of Studio Babelsberg Motion Pictures remarked, “It was a great challenge and a pleasure to produce for the big screen such an internationally famous and recognized novel with such a unique crew. Our creative team at Art Department Studio Babelsberg was thrilled to accept the challenge to find and build the captivating and authentic locations and sets for this wonderful project.”
The Reader premiers in German theaters on February 26. 2009, distributed by Senator Film Verleih.
About Studio Babelsberg
Studio Babelsberg is the oldest large-scale studio complex in the world and one of Europe’s leading service pro-viders for feature films and TV productions (www.studiobabelsberg.com). For over 95 years, film history has been made in Studio Babelsberg. Countless renowned filmmakers have worked with Studio Babelsberg, engaging the studio to produce small and big budget productions. Many of Germany’s most famous films were produced in the stages and facilities at Studio Babelsberg, including Fritz Lang's Metropolis and Josef von Sternberg's The Blue Angel, starring Marlene Dietrich. With a complete set of services that make Studio Babelsberg unique in Ger-many, the studio is fully equipped to see a Hollywood-sized motion picture through all phases of production, in one convenient location. 16 state-of-the-art sound stages, various exterior sets on its 39-acre back lot, and its close proximity to the city of Berlin comprise the services available at the studio and provide an optimal working environment for filmmakers and crews. Furthermore, Studio Babelsberg contributes to a number of productions as co-producer and co-financier.
Press Contact:
Studio Babelsberg AG
Eike Wolf
Head of Corporate Communications
eike.wolf()studiobabelsberg.com
Tel: +49 331-72 12-137
Fax: +49 331-72 12-135
