19/03/2008

As of April, Babelsberg will be the location of a new private higher education establishment (also open to partnerships with public institutions): the Babelsberg Film School, specialised in digital production.

This new German initiative is launched by the Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg and Studio Babelsberg AG, in collaboration with the Federal State of Brandenburg and the Konrad Wolf Film and Television School.

The Babelsberg Film School will offer a form of training that is lacking at the German Film School, much to the detriment of students who want to focus on digital. The new school will also benefit from Babelsberg’s dynamic film production scene and will in turn contribute to the modernisation and strengthening of the local film industry, as pointed out by the Medienboard’s director Petra Müller.

Marius Schwarz, financial director of Studio Babelsberg AG and manager of the new school, believes that the establishment is an important new addition that guarantees the region’s future as a centre for film production. He is also delighted that this initiative makes "Studio Babelsberg a mediator between local skills in special effects and major international co-productions, which use animation techniques and the most modern effects".

The school will also be headed by Manfred Büttner, who will be in charge of the special effects department, and Matthias Haase, who will oversee the animation department. The Konrad Wolf school will act as a consultant.

(Translated from French)