04/07/2006

This year’s Moscow Film Festival (June 23-July 2) featured no less than ten German co-productions. In the spotlight were hit titles from the 2006 Berlin Film Festival, such as The Free Will by Matthias Glasner and The Red Cockatoo [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Dominik Graf.

Buelent Akinci’s Running On Empty (Der Lebensversicherer) had the honour of being the only 100% German title in competition (the other competition title being the Austrian/German/French/UK co-production Klimt [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Raoul Ruiz).

Russian critics sitting on the jury of the 28th edition of the Moscow event awarded the Silver St. George Award for Best Actor to Jens Harzer, who plays the insurance agent referred to in Akinci’s original German title, a fine achievement for the 34 year-old theatre-trained actor in his first starring role.

The Fipresci jury meanwhile were also quick to award this debut feature, produced and sold by the Berlin-based outfit Razor Film and already nominated "Best Film" following its international preview screening in the "Perspektive Deutsches Kino" section at the Berlin Film Festival.

The career of Running On Empty does not end there however, with the film’s current screening at Karlovy Vary and future screenings at the Montréal, Copenhagen and Thessaloniki Film Festivals.

(Translated from French)