Sunday, 8 February----In addition to the red carpet premieres, the film market haggling and the endless roundelay of meetings and receptions, the Berlin Film Festival offers a fascinating one week film intensive that packs more into seven days than most university film programs do in a year. The Berlinale Talent Campus, now in its 7th year, brings together several hundred aspiring filmmakers who have the rare opportunity of being couched by some of the most experienced and renowned experts in the international film world.

Over 3500 applicants from 130 countries applied for admission. For the first time, applications were received from Botswana , Haiti , Kyrgyzstan , Lesotho , Madagascar , Malawi , Mongolia and Qatar. This year’s theme is "Suddenly, It All Happened – The Turning Point In Close-Up" and will focus on the driving force of turning points in filmmaking. The event will once again take place at the "Hebbel am Ufer" theatre in Berlin-Kreuzberg.

Highlights of the week-long program include a masterclass with award-winning Polish cinematographer Janusz Kamiński (SCHINDLER’S LIST); an in depth discussion with Indian director and choreographer Farah Khan (OM SHANTI OM); and presentations by renowned Chilean director Patricio Guzmán (THE PINOCHET CASE) and Bosnian director Jasmila Žbanić (GRBAVICA). Experts from the fields of financing, distribution and new technologies will also present the latest news from the ever-changing international audiovisual industry.

The Berlinale Talent Campus is an initiative of the Berlin International Film Festival in co-operation with MEDIA - Training programme of the European Union, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, Skillset and the UK Film Council.