Recently in Berlin Category

As the Tom Paxton song goes, wasn't that a party? Hell yes, that was indeed a party. So much so that there's not a lot of it I remember, what with the flowing Möet and chilled vodka shots. It was for a Russian film screening at Berlin, Day Watch (Fox Searchlight, June), written and directed by Timur Bekmambetov but beyond that, I can't tell you much. Although there did seem to be a few Russian mafia-looking types around. Then again, I've never really seen one, so what do I know? Oh, and then there were the dancers. I figured since I am about to post some stills from the party @ Flickr.com, I might as well put up a little video, too!

Ok, so I have finally gotten around to switching from Buzznet (they are so '05) to Flickr and am in the process of posting pix, some with witty bon mots, even! So far, it starts at the indieWIRE anniversary party in late November 2006 up to Berlin, 2007. Keep checking back, as by the end of next week I hope to have a few years worth of pix loaded, most of which have never been in this blog before and many of which include you. Yes, you!

So come on by and check them out and comment, comment, comment!
Even better, join Flickr, put your own pix up and be my friend!

Thanks.

So I had to take these pix. I was just kinda transfixed by the array of fish on offer at the KaDeWe's seafood department and these three were so very pissed off. I suppose I would be too, if I were....ugly as sin, dead and on ice in Berlin.
So...fish:

And the angriest of them all, the Monk Fish:

Yikes.

A dinner some friends and I had recently in what we like to call Das Fleischhaus:

It consists of: 4 Schnitzels, 4 small steaks, 4 pork cutlets and 4 small ground beef & pork links called Cevapcici, not to mention 2 kinds of rice and fries. Sheer heaven...so we ordered 8 of those on the side. My doctor would be so proud!

Emmanuelle Béart's official Berlinale portrait on display at the Berlinale Palast, main theater of the Berlin International Film Festival:

Or as I like to call it, "Please sir, can I have some more?" She's a fine actress and quite attractive, but, erm, not in this pic. That said, André Téchiné's Les Témoins (The Witnesses) is a fine film. Review coming soon!

Sighted several times on the sidewalk outside main fest hotel the Berlin Grand Hyatt:

Erm.....hunh?

Well, I'm 5 days into the Berlinale and I've seen 10 films, putting my cume for the trip at 33. I doubt I am going to make my stated goal of 50, alas. There's just too much to do here in Berlin to make seeing 4 or 5 films a day possible, unless that's all you do and well, even with my newfound responsibility, I gotta be me!

indieWIRE's editor in chief Eugene Hernandez, publicist Gary Springer and Berlinale competition filmmkaer Ryan Eslinger chill at the Norwegian Film Institute party on Saturday night. Eslinger's film When A Man Falls in the Forest premiered this morning.

Many industries have a part of their calendar year that is referred to as the "silly season." In European football it's when the transfer windows are open in the summer and during the month of January and in the marginally independent segment of the film biz in which I find myself, it's pretty much from January to March. In that space of time you have the Sundance, Rotterdam and Berlin film festivals, the Golden Globe Awards, the Oscar nominations and awards and the Spirit nominations and awards. Whew.