1. How to Apply for the Berlinale Talents Summit?
1.1. Who can apply?
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Film professionals working in the following fields of work: directing, screenwriting,
producing, cinematography, acting, editing, sound design, film music composition,
production design or art directing, film distribution or sales, film criticism.
Applicants have to be fluent in English
Berlinale Talents Alumni may not apply again for the Summit (However, Talents Alumni can
apply directly for one of the Project Labs).
Former participants of other Talents International initiatives may also apply for Berlinale
Talents.
1.2. What are the eligibility criteria?
Eligible to apply are film professionals who have worked on at least two short films or one
feature length film (>60 min) that were/was screened at an international film festival and/or
awarded a prize.
Alternatively, directors or screenwriters from the field of television also qualify if they have
been responsibly involved in the development or production of at least one high quality TV series
that was transmitted on a TV channel or, if digitally distributed, with no less than 10.000
viewers online.
Film critics and journalists qualify if they have published at least three articles as a film critic
in the last two years.
Distributors or sales agents qualify if they have been responsibly involved in the distribution or
sale of at least two feature length films.
1.3. Application procedure
The online application form includes:
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Personal and professional data
Application questions (vary depending on the 1st field of work)
 Why are you interested in filmmaking (film distribution; writing about films)?
 Please write a short personal biography
 Please give a short description about yourself and your work.
 What would you like to discuss at Berlinale Talents (at Talent Press)?
 Which three filmmakers or films have influenced your work lately and why?
 Which three writers or texts have inspired you and why? (Talent Press Only)
3.3) Filmography
 Which three distribution strategies or ideas have inspired you and why? (Distributors/Sales Agents only)
 What are for you the greatest challenges in filmmaking (in film distribution; when you write about films)
Please note that all information currently given refers to Berlinale Talents 2015 and is therefore subject to
change until the next application round.
Online Filmography (including finished projects and projects currently in development)
Sample of Work
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The sample of work must correspond to the 1st field of work in the application form. It should
contain a maximum of two scenes (scenes do not have to be from the same film). The sample
should be approximately 3 minutes in length.
All scenes that contain significant non-English dialogue must include on-screen English subtitles.
A translated list of dialogue on paper is not sufficient. The sample’s sound/soundtrack should
not be altered from the original film. Please make sure, that you are the copyright owner
and/or have obtained the consent of any other copyright owner(s) for the usage of the work
sample.
We do not accept showreels, trailers, teasers, music videos or commercials.
Editors
Please upload one continuous sequence of up to 3
minutes.
Screenwriters
In addition to the video sample, please upload an
excerpt from a screenplays or a screenplay for a
short film (in English), containing at least one
dialogue scene. It can (but doesn’t have to) be
the written counterpart to the scene uploaded as
a video.
Film Critics/Journalists
Please upload 3 of their articles published in the
last 2 years. Articles that are not in English have
to include an English translation.
Distributors/Sales Agents
Please upload:
1) An overview of 2 exemplary films you have
distributed/sold including:
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Title
Producer
Director/Writer
Cast
Genre
Length (in minutes)
Language(s)
Location(s)
Production budget
Distribution budget
Short synopsis
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Additionally, please describe the precise
sales strategy, your role and responsibility
and how you became involved in the film
project
Please indicate to which extent this
strategy was successful (ticket sales,
downloads, DVDs, revenues, etc.)
2) A zip file with visuals (e.g. film
trailer/promo, website, artwork,
advertisement, marketing/press material,
pictures, press clippings) for each of the two
films.
3) A personal statement:
 From your point of view as a distributor/sales
agent, what is your experience with VOD
platforms or other tools that have widened
the possibilities of film distribution
nowadays?
 What film distribution/sales projects are you
involved in currently?
 What is your vision on your future in the film
sales industry and your personal motivation
to work in this field?
Please note that all information currently given refers to Berlinale Talents 2015 and is therefore subject to
change until the next application round.
2. How to participate in a Studio programme or Talent Press?
The Studio programmes and Talent Press do not require an additional application. Depending on
their 1st field of work applicants will automatically be considered for the corresponding
programme.
Camera Studio --> open for Cinematographers
Editing Studio --> open for Editors
Sound Studio --> open for Sound Designers/Composers
Production Design Studio --> open for Production Designers/Art Directors
Sales and Distribution Studio --> open for Distributor & Sales Agent
Acting Studio --> open for Actors
Talent Press --> open for Film Critics/Journalists
3. How to apply for a Project Lab
Each Project Lab requires a separate application. In order to submit a project to one of the
Project Labs you will need to submit the general application first (Talents Alumni can apply
directly for a Project Lab through their Talents profile)
3.1. Who can apply?
Talent Project Market
Eligible are Producers with a feature film project for theatrical release and suitable for an
international co-production. The finished version of the script should be available by the time
of application.
Doc Station
Eligible are directors who have either made a feature-length documentary film before, or
directors who have made a short documentary and are now working on a feature-length
documentary film for the first time.
Script Station
Eligible are screenwriters (or writer/directors) who have either written a script for a feature
length film or a high quality TV series or screenwriters who have written a script for a short
film, and are now working on a script for a feature length film for the first time.
Short Film Station
Eligible are screenwriters (or writer/directors) who have either written a script for a feature
length film or a high quality TV series or screenwriters who have written a script for a short
film, and are now working on a script for a feature length film for the first time.
Please note that all information currently given refers to Berlinale Talents 2015 and is therefore subject to
change until the next application round.
3.3. Application Procedure
Talent Project Market
Project Presentation
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Title
Screenwriter
Director
Producer
Format
Running time
Genre
Target audience
Expected shooting start
Shooting language(s)
Shooting location(s)
Main cast
Project status
Total budget
Financing already secured
Partners already attached
Financing status
What are you looking for at the Talent Project
Market?
Which positions are open to potential coproducers?
Why should this film be an international coproduction?
Logline
Synopsis
Director’s profile incl. filmography
Producer’s profile incl. filmography
Production company profile incl. credits
Director’s note
Producer’s note
Have you participated in any other training
initiative, project development programmes or
workshops with this project
Project Material
Upload a PDF (in one single file) containing:
● A 5-page treatment/synopsis of your featurelength film project, telling the whole story form
beginning to end, in English.
● A 5-page excerpt from the project’s script, in
English (please note: an advanced draft of the
script must be available at the time of
application. If you are selected, a full English
version of the script must be available by
January 20, 2016)
● A 1-page financing plan (how much money is
secured from whom and how much money is still
in negotiations with whom? Where do you intend
to apply for additional funding and when? Please
list amount and names of funding institution/
financier/production company and country).
Additional Upload
● Please upload a sample of work from the
project’s director
● You may also upload additional visual material
to provide the jury with a visual insight into
your project, e.g. mood photos (with a short
description of the context for each photo).
Please note that all information currently given refers to Berlinale Talents 2015 and is therefore subject to
change until the next application round.
Doc Station
Project Presentation
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Title
Writer/filmmaker
Country of production
Countries that contribute to the
financing/production of the film
Running time
Genre
Logline
Synopsis
Them/background
Main protagonists
Visual style
Author’s statement of intent
Filmmaker’s profile incl. filmography
Project status: Please indicate if you have a
producer, confirmed protagonists, crew and/or
the status of finance
Target audience
Have you participated in any other training
initiative, project development programmes or
workshop with this project?
Project Material
Upload 8-12 page treatment/exposé of your
documentary film project, in English or German
If your project gets pre-selected for Doc Station,
you will be asked to supply an English version of
your treatment for the international selection
panel by November 2015.
Additional Uploads
● Video material for the documentary (trailer /
footage) you intend to make of max. 5 minutes
length and 1 GB file size. This video material
should not be the same as the sample of work
provided for your Summit application.
● Visual material such as photographs (maximum
25 stills). If you choose to provide photographs,
please include a short description of the
context for each image (OPTIONAL!)
Script Station
Project Presentation
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Title
Writer/filmmaker
Country of production
Running time
Genre
Logline
Synopsis
Them/background/setting
Main protagonists
Visual style
Author’s statement of intent
Filmmaker’s profile incl. filmography
Project status: Please indicate if you have a
producer, confirmed cast, crew and/or the
status of finance
 Target audience
 Have you participated in any other training
initiative, project development programmes or
workshop with this project?
Project Material
Upload a PDF (in one single file) containing:
● A 8-12 page treatment/exposé of your feature
film script in English or German (12pt font, 1.5
spacing)
● A 3-5 page dialogue scene out of the finished
script in English or German (12pt font, 1.5
spacing)
If your project gets selected for Script Station, you
will be asked to supply an English version of your
script for the international mentors by January 2,
2016.
Please note that all information currently given refers to Berlinale Talents 2015 and is therefore subject to
change until the next application round.
Short Film Station
Project Presentation
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Title
Director or Writer/director
Country of production
Running time
Genre
Logline
Synopsis
Them/background/setting
Main characters/ protagonists
Visual style
Director’s (or writer/director’s) note
Director’s (or writer/director’s) profile incl.
filmography
 Project status: Please indicate if you have a
producer, confirmed cast, crew and/or the
status of finance
 Target audience
 Have you participated in any other training
initiative, project development programmes or
workshop with this project?
Project Material
Upload a PDF (in one single file) containing:
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A 3 page treatment / synopsis of your short film
project (12pt font, 1.5 spacing)
A finished script in English (for a short
documentary film no finished script is needed)
Additional Uploads
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You may upload visual material such as
photographs. If you choose to provide
photographs, please include a short description
for each image.
You may also upload video material for the short
film project (trailer / footage) of max. 5 minutes
length and 1 GB file size. This video material
should not be the same as provided for your
general application.
For short documentary film: If available, please
provide us with some footage of the
documentary’s main protagonists.
For short animated films: If available, please
provide us with an animation sample of one
scene and/or at least one of the lead characters
of the project.
Please note that all information currently given refers to Berlinale Talents 2015 and is therefore subject to
change until the next application round.