Film festivals are never just about films anymore. Almost every movie event now keeps some space available for television, with the medium more cinematic than ever, an increasingly drawing auteur talent. So it goes for the Berlin International Film Festival.
Some high profile binge-watching is coming to Berlin next month, including the Australian limited series take on “Picnic At Hanging Rock,” which is of course based on the book, but is probably most famously known among cinephiles from Peter Weir‘s 1975 film. Hulu‘s 9/11 series “The Looming Tower” will also unspool, as will the Ridley Scott produced AMC production “The Terror,” which brings horrors to the high seas. Rounding it out are a handful of international shows that we hope to hear more about.
The Berlin International Film Festival runs from February 15-25. TV lineup below:
Berlinale Series (at the Zoo Palast):
Bad Banks
Germany / Luxembourg
Director: Christian Schwochow (Paula)
Head writer: Oliver Kienle (Four Hands) based on a concept by Lisa Blumenberg
With Paula Beer, Barry Atsma, Désirée Nosbusch, Albrecht Schuch, Mai Duong Kieu, Marc Limpach, Tobias Moretti
Broadcaster: ZDF, ARTE
World premiere
Heimebane (Home Ground)
Norway
Creator: Johan Fasting
Director: Arild Andresen (The Orheim Company, The Liverpool Goalie)
With Ane Dahl Torp, John Carew
Broadcaster: NRK
World premiere
Liberty
Denmark
Creator: Asger Leth (Ghosts of Cité Soleil, Man on a Ledge)
Director: Mikael Marcimain (Call Girl, Gentlemen & Gangsters)
With Connie Nielsen, Carsten Bjørnlund, Sofie Gråbøl, Magnus Krepper, Charlie Karumi, Anton Hjejle
Broadcaster: DR
World premiere
The Looming Tower
USA
Creators: Dan Futterman (Capote, Foxcatcher), Alex Gibney (Taxi to the Dark Side, Zero Days), Lawrence Wright (Going Clear: Scientology & the Prison of Belief)
Director: Alex Gibney
Written by Dan Futterman, based on the book by Lawrence Wright
With Jeff Daniels, Tahar Rahim, Peter Sarsgaard, Wrenn Schmidt, Bill Camp, Michael Stuhlbarg
Broadcaster: Amazon, Hulu (USA)
International premiere
Picnic at Hanging Rock
Australia
Director: Larysa Kondracki (The Whistleblower, Shut Eye), episodes 1-3
Written by Beatrix Christian, Alice Addison
With Natalie Dormer, Lily Sullivan, Madeleine Madden, Samara Weaving, Lola Bessis, Yael Stone, Inez Currõ, Harrison Gilbertson, Ruby Rees
Broadcaster: Foxtel
International Premiere
Sleeping Bears
Israel
Creator and director: Keren Margalit (The A Word, Israel, In Treatment, Israel)
With Noa Koler, Yossi Marshek, Alma Zak, Yaakov Zada Daniel, Doron Tavory
Broadcaster: Keshet Broadcasting
International premiere
The Terror
USA
Showrunners: David Kajganich (True Story, A Bigger Splash) and Soo Hugh (The Whispers, The Killing)
Director: Edward Berger (Jack, Deutschland 83), episodes 1-3
With Jared Harris, Tobias Menzies, Ciarán Hinds, Paul Ready, Adam Nagaitis, Nive Nielsen, Ian Hart
Broadcaster: AMC, AMC Networks International, Amazon
World premiere