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One of the highlights of Mipcom premiere screenings on Oct. 21, the buzzy international action thriller “Safe Harbor” repped by Eccho Rights, gathered in Cannes its starry creative team: Showrunner and “Ozark” co-creator Mark Williams, actors Colm Meaney Alfie Allen (“Game of Thrones”) and Martijn Lakemeier.

At Mipcom, Night Train Media-owned Eccho Rights was discussing the show with broadcasting clients and platforms.

Led by Mediawan’s Dutch banner Submarine, producing alongside Germany’s Night Train Media and Williams’ Zero Gravity for Dutch streamer Videoland and Belgium’s Streamz, the series combines the best of Hollywood savoir-faire with European talent and production expertise.

“The European [filmmaking] world is new to me,” admits the Emmy-nominated Williams, who serves as creator, executive producer, head-writer and co-helmer on the show. “As the only American onboard, I could help them expand a little bit more than what they’re used to. I loved the process and had a great time,...

Exclusive: Adam Barth has left his role as Director of Co-Productions, Development and Acquisitions at European distributor Eccho Rights and its parent Night Train Media.

We’ve got word of the news less than a week ahead of MIPCOM Cannes, where Eccho Rights will be shopping Safe Harbor, the buzzy crime drama from Ozark co-creator Mark Williams. Barth will remain as an exec producer on the show.

Barth has been with Eccho Rights since 2021, having joined after exiting Nent Studios UK (aka Drg), where he was SVP for Emea. Further back, he worked at New Media Vision, acting as an executive producer on international formats adaptations of shows such as NBC procedural Mysteries of Laura.

Eccho confirmed his departure to Deadline this week.

At Eccho, he has worked on shows such as Sundance and Virgin Media drama Vanishing Triangle and BBC drama Granite Harbour. He has worked as an exec producer on Safe Harbor,...

Über die jungen Jahre der heutigen niederländischen Königin Máxima ist eine fiktionale Serie entstanden, in der auch Sebastian Koch mitspielt. Rtl Deutschland hat jetzt die Starttermine bekannt gegeben.

Delfina Chaves (l.) und Martijn Lakemeier in „Máxima“ (Credit: Rtl / 2024 Millstreet Films)

Die Rtl Group trennt sich bekanntlich von ihrem Niederlande-Geschäft, plant aber eine strategische Partnerschaft mit dem neuen Eigentümer von Rtl Nederland, Dpg Media, zu behalten. Die fiktionale Serie „Máxima“ über das Leben der amtierenden niederländischen Königin mit dem deutschen Schauspieler Sebastian Koch in einer größeren Rolle ist ein Videoland Original.

Videoland heißt der Streamingdienst von Rtl Nederland. Die weitere Kooperation drückt sich auch darüber aus, dass „Máxima“ jetzt ab 17. August zum deutschen Streamingdienst Rtl+ und ab 18. August zum Pay-tv-Sender Rtl Passion um 20.15 Uhr kommt.

Der Sechsteiler erzählt als modernes Märchen von Máximas frühen Jahren in Argentinien und New York bis zu ihrem neuen Leben als Königin der Niederlande. Von dem Moment an,...

Submarine’s action thriller series “Safe Harbor,” whose showrunner and executive producer is Emmy-nominated “Ozark” co-creator Mark Williams, has added several cast members, including Colm Meaney, whose credits include “Layer Cake,” “Con Air” and “Star Trek.”

Also joining the cast are Pauline McLynn, Damien Molony, Charlotte Timmers and Daniel Lapaine.

The cast, as previously announced, also includes Emmy- and Tony-nominated actor Alfie Allen, Charlie Murphy, Jack Gleeson and Martijn Lakemeier.

Pauline McLynn, Damien Molony, Charlotte Timmers and Daniel Lapaine.

Filming commenced in the fall of 2023 and the series will be delivered in the fourth quarter of 2024.

Inspired by true events, “Safe Harbor” follows gifted hacker Tobias (Allen) and his ambitious best friend Marco (Lakemeier), intent on cracking into the tech billionaires club. Marco and Tobias are plucked from quiet obscurity and plunged headfirst into the chaos of organized crime when they cross paths with the Irish mob. Leading the family...

Germany’s Beta Film is bringing the love story between a Dutch prince and a beautiful Argentinian financier to the Croisette. The world premiere of “Máxima” screens out-of-competition at Canneseries on April 9 after being teased at the London TV Screenings in late February.

The six-hour-long episodes chronicle the whirlwind romance between the Dutch Crown Prince Willem-Alexander, played by Martijn Lakemeier (“Goodbye Stranger”) and bubbly financier Máxima, played by Argentinian breakout Delfina Chaves (“The Secret of the Greco Family”). Directed by Saskia Diesing alongside Joosje Duk and Iván López Núñez, the series is adapted from Dutch journalist Marica Luyten’s biography on Queen Máxima, “Máxima Zorreguieta: Motherland.”

Speaking to Variety ahead of the “Máxima” premiere at Cannes, Chaves says she feels “extremely lucky” for the opportunity to play the titular Queen onscreen, not only because of the role itself but also because of the scale of the production, which saw the...

Germany’s Beta Film (“Babylon Berlin”) sets its sights on the Croisette for the world premiere of Dutch Royal drama “Máxima,” selected to screen out-of-competition at Canneseries on April 9. In tow, Delfina Chaves (“The Secret of the Greco Family”), who portrays the titular character in the series that Variety recently likened to Emmy-Award-Winning Netflix Drama “The Crown.”

Teased at last month’s London TV Screenings, the six-part drama series unravels the love story between then Dutch Crown Prince Willem-Alexander (Martijn Lakemeier) and his enigmatic Argentine love interest, Máxima, who goes on to become Queen, at his side.

Her future fraught with whispers of her father’s political connection to Argentina’s brutal dictatorship, she’s tasked with circumventing harsh truths to remain faithful to her destiny in the narrative that follows her through her formative years.

“You don’t have to know Máxima and the Dutch royal family to enjoy the show.

Exclusive: Beta Film’s Crown-esque high-end drama series Maxima has sold to networks in Lat Am, Israel and across Europe.

The series, which is one of the German major’s biggest being shopped at the London TV Screenings, will air on Hot in Israel and on Warner Bros. Discovery networks across Latin America following the deals. Other buyers include Croatia’s Hrt, Austria’s Orf and broadcasters in Latvia and Slovakia.

Millstreet Films’ Maxima tells the story of Dutch queen Máxima Zorreguieta and is one of the few shows about a living royal out there. Dropping on The Netherlands’ Videoland from April 20, it takes up the story the moment the Argentina-born queen appears at the Dutch crown prince’s side. Heated discussions subsequently erupt about her father’s political career in the Argentinian Videla regime – something she never faced in her own circles.

Máxima is portrayed by Argentinian rising star...

Germany’s Beta Film is introducing at the London TV Screenings the first episode of “Maxima,” a six-part drama about the love story between future Queen Maxima of the Netherlands and the then Dutch Crown Prince Willem-Alexander. The series is produced by Millstreet Films “The Neighbors”), with Videoland (Rtl Netherlands) holding Dutch broadcasting rights.

“Maxima” is adapted from the biography written by Dutch journalist Marcia Luyten in celebration of the Queen’s 50th birthday and focuses mainly on how the political background of Maxima’s father interfered with her very public engagement to the Crown Prince. Speaking to Variety ahead of the London TV Screenings, Justus Riesenkampff, EVP Nordics & Benelux at Beta Film, said “Maxima” was “especially appealing because royal stories resonate well.”

“It’s the second TV series made about a living royal — we couldn’t think of any other than ‘The Crown.’ And we have a lot of...

Exclusive: Alfie Allen, Charlie Murphy and Jack Gleeson are to star in a Dutch-Belgian thriller series from Ozark co-creator Mark Williams, Night Train Media and Submarine.

They are starring alongside emerging Dutch star Martijn Lakemeier in the eight-part drama, which is for Dutch streamer Videoland and Belgium’s Streamz.

Production has begun in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, with Williams directing along with Arne Toonen, and we hear the ambition is for Safe Harbor to be a returner that aims to balance edge-of-the-seat thrills with character-based stories and a twisty plot line. Further shooting will take place in Belgium and Ireland, Deadline understands.

The series follows gifted hacker Tobias (Allen) and his ambitious best friend Marco (Lakemeier), who are intent on cracking into the tech billionaires club. They are plucked from quiet obscurity and plunged headfirst into...

Channel 4 Takes Another JFK Doc

The UK’s Channel 4 has acquired a doc on the late U.S. President John F Kennedy. The network has struck a deal with Espresso Media International for the hour-long doc on the first day of Mipcom. JFK: 24 Hours That Changed The World comes from Coleman Television and follows the final day of Kennedy’s life, before he was assassinated in November 1963. The doc also follows the aftermath, as gunman Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested and charged with the murder. Espresso says ten other deals have been struck with buyers in Europe and Asia. Channel 4 previously bought Espresso sold doc Ve Day in Colour: Britain’s Biggest Party and recently pre-bought Sinatra, Kennedy and the Mob from Abacus Media Rights.

Rtl Buys ‘Maxima’

Upcoming Dutch royal doc Maxima has found a home in Germany. Rtl has bought the six-part drama series, which follows the...

Germany’s Rtl has acquired royal drama “Maxima” from Beta Film. The show follows the life of Argentinian born Maxima Zorreguieta, who later became Queen Maxima of the Netherlands.

The first six-hour season of the show has just wrapped shooting. Several additional territories are in negotiations. A sneak preview of “Maxima” will be presented at Mipcom in Cannes. The series is produced by Millstreet Films and was commissioned by Rtl Netherlands’ Ott service Videoland.

Shot in New York, Spain, the Netherlands, and Belgium over the course of the summer, the series features a stellar cast: Maxima is portrayed by Argentinian actress Delfina Chaves (“The Secret of the Greco Family”), and Crown Prince Willem-Alexander by Martijn Lakemeier (“The East”). German star actor Sebastian Koch takes on the role of Claus von Amsberg, Willem-Alexander’s father, and Elsie de Brauw (“The Death of My Mother”) stars as Queen Beatrix. Valeria Alonso (“Tell Me Who I Am...

Happy Ending is a romantic comedy film written and directed by Joosje Duk. The Netflix film follows the story of a couple Luna (Gaite Jansen) and Mink (Martijn Lakemeier), who are very much in love with each other but Luna has never been able to orgasm during the course of their relationship and when she tells this to her best friend, she gets an advice from her that will change Luna’s life for forever. So, if you loved Happy Ending here are some similar movies you could watch next.

Sleeping With Other People Credit – IFC Films

Synopsis: Can two serial cheaters get a second chance at love? After a one-night stand in college, New Yorkers Lainey (Alison Brie) and Jake (Jason Sudeikis) meet by chance twelve years later and discover they each have the same problem: because of their monogamy-challenged ways, neither can maintain a relationship. Determined to stay friends despite their mutual attraction,...

Exclusive: The Lives of Others star Sebastian Koch and The Death of My Mother‘s Elsie de Brauw have joined Máxima, Rtl’s upcoming drama about the Argentine-born Queen of the Netherlands. Germany’s Beta Film has also joined the Millstreet Films production.

Principal photography on the six-part drama for Rtl’s streamer Videoland began last month in New York and Madrid in Spain, which subbed in for Buenos Aires, and is set to move to the Netherlands and Belgium with its cast rounded out.

German star Koch joins the cast in the role of Claus van Amsberg, the father of Crown Prince King Willem-Alexander, and Elsie de Brauw will play Queen Beatrix. Koch has appeared in 2007 Academy Award-winning feature The Lives of Others, Tom Hanks starrer Bridge of Spies and Showtime series Homeland.

Queen Máxima is portrayed by Argentinian star Delfina Chaves (The Secret of the Greco Family) and Prince Willem-Alexander,...

“Marie Antoinette” is the BBC, Canal+ produced historical drama TV series, created by Deborah Davis and directed by Pete Travis, Geoffrey Enthoven, starring Emilia Schüle, Louis Cunningham, Jack Archer, Jasmine Blackborow, Gaia Weiss, James Purefoy, Marthe Keller, Roxane Duran, Nathan Willcocks, Crystal Shepherd-Cross, Caroline Piette, Oscar Lesage, Liah O'Prey, Yoli Fuller, and Martijn Lakemeier, airing in North America on PBS:

“…based on the life of the last queen of France before the ‘French Revolution’, who was 14 years old when she became ‘Dauphine of France’…

“…upon her marriage to the heir apparent, ‘Louis-Auguste’…”

Season Two is currently in production.

Click the images to enlarge…...

Argentinian actress Delfina Chaves (The Secret Of The Greco Family) and Martijn Lakemeier (The East) have signed on to star in the drama series Maxima.

The series tells the life story of the Argentinian-born Dutch Queen Máxima. Millstreet Films is the producer and will also handle international sales. Rtl commissioned the series for the Netherlands.

The series will shoot in Argentina, New York, Spain, Belgium, and the Netherlands from June. Rachel van Bommel of Millstreet Films is producing. Head writers are Marnie Blok and Ilse Ott. Episodes will be directed by Saskia Diesing, Joosje Duk, and Iván López Núñez.

The full synopsis reads: From the moment Máxima Zorreguieta appears at the Dutch crown prince’s side, she finds herself in the spotlight. When Willem-Alexander asks her to marry him, the past catches up with her. Heated discussion erupts about her father’s political career in the Videla regime – a discussion...

Exclusive: Filming has quietly begun on Dutch comedy Happy Ending, which is being produced by Amsterdam-based production company Topkapi Films, known for movies including Halina Reijn’s Instinct and Lukas Dhont’s Girl.

Pic is written and directed by Joosje Duk, one of five winners of Netflix’s New Voices contest in 2021, a competition initiated by the streamer to discover new screenwriters in the Netherlands.

Starring are Gaite Jansen, Martijn Lakemeier and Joy Delima. Netflix will release globally in 2023.

In the film, Luna (Gaite Jansen) and Mink (Martijn Lakemeier) are a close couple celebrating their one-year anniversary together. But Mink doesn’t know that Luna has been faking her orgasms since the beginning of their relationship, and Luna has kept this quiet for so long now that she doesn’t dare bring it up with him. When her best friends who know about her problem urge Luna to try new...

The European Shooting Stars is one of our very favourite events of the year. This year we feared for its existence, unable to foresee quite how the event – which celebrates the best of young European acting talent – would be able to go ahead, away from its usual home at the Berlinale. But the good folks over at European Film Promotion have done a remarkable job, defying the odds and delivering this brilliant initiative virtually. We’re a very proud media partner, and were thrilled to once more have the opportunity to speak to the ten winners, each bringing such a wealth of maturity and talent that should amount in hugely success careers. So here in this big mega-post, make a nice cuppa tea and be sure to watch all of these fascinating interviews.

We speak to Portuguese actress Alba Baptista, Swedish actor Gustav Lindh. Then we have Fionn O’Shea from Ireland,...

European Shooting Stars 2021

This year’s ten European Shooting Star actors are Seidi Haarla (Finland), Nicolas Maury (France), Albrecht Schuch (Germany), Natasa Stork (Hungary), Fionn O’Shea (Ireland), Žygimantė Elena Jakštaitė (Lithuania), Martijn Lakemeier (The Netherlands), Sara Klimoska (North Macedonia), Alba Baptista (Portugal) and Gustav Lindh (Sweden). The selection jury included U.S. casting director Cassandra Han, Kosovan director Antoneta Kastrati and Danish producer René Ezra. European Film Promotion’s 24th edition of the program will take place digitally, from 23 to 25 February 2021. Previous Shooting Stars have included Carey Mulligan, Alba Rohrwacher, Alicia Vikander, Maisie Williams and Riz Ahmed.

Nent Group Chair

Nent Group Chair David Chance has decided not to stand for re-election this year. The Nent Group Nomination Committee has proposes the election of Pernille Erenbjerg as the new Chair of the Board. Erenbjerg has served as member of the Nent Group Board since May 2020, and was previously President and CEO of Tdc,...

European Film Promotion has revealed the 10 actors who will take part in the 24th edition of European Shooting Stars. The program, which launches emerging European thespians onto the world stage, has boosted the careers of actors like Carey Mulligan, Alicia Vikander, Riz Ahmed and George MacKay.

For the first time, Efp will present the neophyte actors to the film industry, public and international press as part of a three-day online program. Efp’s oldest and most prestigious initiative will take place digitally from Feb. 23-25, one week before the industry events of this year’s 71st Berlinale (March 1-5). The Shooting Stars award ceremony will take place within the framework of the Berlinale screenings in the summer.

“Although this year we sadly cannot meet in person, we invite you to join, discover and celebrate the best in rising European acting talent, while staying safe at home,” Efp’s managing director Sonja Heinen said.

Exclusive: Xyz Films will handle worldwide sales (except Canada) on zombie thriller Blood Quantum, which they also executive produced, at the upcoming Cannes Marché.

In Blood Quantum, the dead are coming back to life outside the isolated Mi’gMaq reserve of Red Crow, except for its indigenous inhabitants who are immune to the zombie plague. A tribal sheriff must protect his son’s pregnant girlfriend, apocalyptic refugees, and other members of the reserve from the hordes of walking white corpses. Above is a first look image from the movie.

Directed and written by Mi’gmaq filmmaker Jeff Barnaby, the movie stars Fear The Walking Dead and True Detective actor Michael Greyeyes, Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers (On the Farm) and Forrest Goodluck (The Revenant), and was produced by John Christou for Prospector Films and Rob Vroom. Madrona Drive will also executive produce.

The film recently wrapped shoot in Montreal, Canada and the Kahnawake...

ICM Partners jointly represents Us rights.

Filming is underway in Java, Indonesia, on wartime drama The East, which Xyz Films represents internationally at the Efm and jointly handles Us rights with ICM Partners.

Jim Taihuttu’s Dutch drama stars Golden Calf winners Marwan Kenzari and Martijn Lakemeier (Winter in Wartime) and takes place during the Indonesian War of Independence in 1946.

Lakemeier (pictured opposite Coen Bril in first look photo) plays a young Dutch soldier among forces dispatched to quell an uprising in the Dutch East Indies colony who falls under the spell of a charismatic and brutal army captain (Kenzari...

Robin Pront ofThe Ardennes directs.

Annabelle Wallis will co-star opposite Nikolaj Coster-Waldau in thriller The Silencing, which Xyz Films is introducing to worldwide buyers at the Efm.

Xyz Films jointly represents Us rights with Endeavor Content on the story of a reformed hunter who gets involved in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse when he and the local sheriff set out to track a killer who may have kidnapped his daughter years ago.

Robin Pront, who directed the 2016 Belgian Oscar submission The Ardennes, directs from a Nicholl Fellowship-winning screenplay by Micah Ranum. Cybill Lui of Anova Pictures serves as producer, and...

Exclusive: Xyz Films has boarded world sales rights to horror-thriller Color Out Of Space, starring Nicolas Cage and based on the H.P. Lovecraft novella. Also starring are Joely Richardson, Tommy Chong, Elliot Knight, Julian Hilliard and Q’Orianka Kilcher.

Currently in production, the film is being directed by Richard Stanley, his first feature in over 20 years, and is produced by SpectreVision’s Daniel Noah, Josh C. Waller, Lisa Whalen and Elijah Wood. Executive producers are Timur Bekbosunov, Johnny Chang, Emma Lee and Peter Wong for Ace Pictures, which is also financing. Stacy Jorgensen will executive produce for SpectreVision. Xyz will be selling at next week’s Efm.

The film marks a reteam for Cage with SpectreVision and Xyz after last year’s revenge thriller Mandy, which originally premiered at Sundance 2018 and went on to Director’s Fortnight at Cannes.

Color Out Of Space tells the story of the Gardners,...

Xyz Films and CAA Media Finance announce Academy Award® nominee Toni Collette has joined Anna Kendrick in the cast of the sci-fi thriller Stowaway, which marks the second feature film from Joe Penna and Ryan Morrison, the duo behind the Cannes Official Selection Arctic.

Stowaway will be directed by Joe Penna and co-written by Penna & Ryan Morrison. Morrison will also serve as executive producer. Xyz Films will produce alongside augenschein Filmproduktion and Rise Pictures, with Rise Visual Effects Studios providing VFX. Xyz and CAA Media Finance are arranging financing for the film and handling worldwide sales at the coming Efm in Berlin.

On a mission headed to Mars, an unintended stowaway accidentally causes severe damage to the spaceship’s life support systems. Facing dwindling resources and a potentially grim outcome, a medical researcher (Kendrick) emerges as the only dissenting voice against the clinical logic of both her commander (Collette) and the ship’s biologist.

Toni Collette will star opposite Anna Kendrick in the sci-fi thriller “Stowaway.”

The movie marks the second feature from Joe Penna and Ryan Morrison, the duo behind “Arctic,” a survival film that premiered at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival. “Stowaway” will be directed by Penna, who will co-write the script with Morrison.

The story revolves around a mission headed to Mars, where an unintended stowaway accidentally causes severe damage to the spaceship’s life support systems. Facing dwindling resources and a potentially grim outcome, a medical researcher (Kendrick) emerges as the only dissenting voice against the clinical logic of both her commander (Collette) and the ship’s biologist.

Morrison will also serve as executive producer. Xyz Films will produce alongside Augenschein Filmproduktion and Rise Pictures. Rise Visual Effects Studios will provide VFX. Xyz and CAA Media Finance are arranging financing for the film and handling worldwide sales at the coming Efm in Berlin.

Veteran to lead sales efforts in Berlin next month.

In a major coup, Xyz Films has brought on former Im Global evp of international sales Tatyana Joffe as president of international sales and distribution.

Joffe will oversee a number of major territories including Western Europe, Latin America and Australia and New Zealand. She will report to Xyz partner Nick Spicer and will lead the sales team at the Efm at Berlin next month.

The arrival means Xyz partner Nate Bolotin will shift his focus to expanding North American sales operations and bolstering the company’s acquisitions and packaging efforts.

Joffe...

Xyz Films is staffing up ahead of Berlin and has appointed former Im Global exec Tatyana Joffe as President of International Sales and Distribution.

Joffe, who spent eight years at Im Global, most recently as Evp, International Sales, will oversee Xyz’s international sales department as well as handling a number of major territories including Western Europe, Latin America, Australia and New Zealand.

She will report to Xyz partner Nick Spicer and will lead the sales team at the upcoming Efm at Berlin, where the firm will be selling titles including Stowaway starring Anna Kendrick, Synchronic starring Anthony Mackie and Jamie Dornan, Prisoners of the Ghostland starring Nicolas Cage, and The East starring Marwan Kenzari and Martijn Lakemeier.

Xyz partner Nate Bolotin will shift his focus to expanding North American sales operations and bolstering the company’s film acquisitions and packaging efforts.

At Im Global, Joffe handled sales and distribution...

Jim Taihuttu writing and directing Toronto market title.

Xyz Films, New Amsterdam and writer-director Jim Taihuttu have reunited after crime drama Wolf on Indonesia-set period war thriller The East, which Xyz has introduced to international buyers in Tiff.

Sander Verdonk and Julius Ponten are producing for New Amsterdam Film Company out of The Netherlands, alongside Benoit Roland for Belgium’s Wrong Men, and Shanty Harmayn of Salto Films in Indonesia.

Xyz Films serve as executive producers, international sales agent, and jointly represent Us rights with ICM Partners. Indonesia holds a special significance for Xyz Films, who were behind The Raid films,...

I Need a Lover with a Farmhand: Leopold’s Understated Portrait of Desire Deferred

Loneliness and resentment are the dueling, omnipresent emotions on screen in virtually every frame in Nanouk Leopold’s It’s All So Quiet. Premiering back at the 2013 Berlin Film Festival, Leopold adapts from the novel The Twin by Gerbrand Bakker (who makes a small appearance in the film), and it seems to be aligned with a subject matter the Dutch filmmaker prizes—notions of secret desires. Those first being introduced to either Leopold’s work or that of the rather moving performance of its lead actor, Jeroen Williams, will be saddened to learn that he died suddenly at the end of 2012 at the age of 50, with this film’s dedication honoring his memory. It’s a reality that adds another layer to the film’s already sobering representation of lives caught in stilted familial histories.

With...

The Berlin International Film Festival -- which kicks off February 7th -- has added a slew of new titles to its Panorama and Berlinale Special programs, including new work form Ken Loach, James Franco, Michael Winterbottom, Shane Carruth, Giuseppe Tornatore and Jane Campion. Many of them having their international premieres after debuting at Sundance (a notable exception being Ken Loach's doc about post-war Britain and tracks the birth of a new socialism, a world premiere), the newly announced films helped complete the Panorama's narrative film program, which previously was announced to include new work from Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Noah Baumbach and Felix van Groeningen. Here is the list of newly announced titles. The Berlinale runs February 7-17, 2012. Panorama fictional films   Boven is het stil (It's all so Quiet) - Netherlands/Germany By Nanouk Leopold With Jeroen Willems, Henri Garcin, Wim Opbrouck, Martijn Lakemeier World...

Winter in Wartime is one of those truly well-crafted motion pictures that rarely get made in today’s dismal movie climate. It is a taut human drama that focuses heavily on the plight of vulnerable and emotional people. Winner of numerous well-deserved awards such as the 2009 Netherlands Film Festival Golden Calf award, Winter in Wartime is quite sensational and now yours to own in a special Blu-ray/DVD combo pack.

The story revolves around Michiel van Beusekom (Martijn Lakemeier), a 13-year-old boy living in Nazi-occupied Holland circa winter of 1945. He belongs to a typical Dutch family consisting of his parents and an older sister. His father Vader (Raymond Thiry) is a mayor who sucks up to the Nazis to ensure the safety of their village. The mother Moeder (Anneke Blok) is passive and content with her station in life and the sister Erica (Melody Klaver) is also rather blasé about everything that’s going on.

Rating: 3/5

Writers: Martin Koolhoven (screenplay), Paul Jan Nelissen (screenplay)

Director: Martin Koolhoven

Cast: Martijn Lakemeier, Jamie Campbell Bower, Yorick van Wageningen

Talk about a poor weekend to call home.

Amidst names like The Hangover Part II, Kung Fu Panda, and the debut of this little tiny film you may have heard of, Terrence Malick’s The Tree Of Life, yet another film premiere this long Memorial Day Weekend, the WWII drama, Winter In Wartime. Opening in truly limited release, the film comes to us thanks to Danish director Martin Koolhoven, and is an adaptation of the beloved 1972 novel, penned by Jan Terlouw.

Read more on Theatrical Review: Winter In Wartime...

Director: Martin Koolhoven Writers: Mieke de Jong, Martin Koolhoven, Paul Jan Nelissen (screenplay), Jan Terlouw (novel) Starring: Martijn Lakemeier, Yorick van Wageningen, Jamie Campbell Bower Winter in Wartime opens to a snowy scene in Nazi occupied Holland during World War II in 1945. A British fighter plane crashes several hundred yards away from Michiel van Beusekom's second story bedroom window. Moments later the English pilot is spotted by a German scout as he patrols the nearby forest, but the pilot quickly shots the German in the head while dangling from his deployed parachute in the trees above. Michiel and his family are in support of the resistance, but because Michiel's father Vader van Beusekom is the village Mayor, he must stay neutral to the bidding of the Germans in attempt to keep the towns people safe. In contrast to his father, Michiel adores his rebellious Uncle Ben who is active in...

Winter in Wartime, the award-winning 2008 Dutch World War II drama directed by Martin Koohoven and based on the book by Jan Terlouw, will be released on June 23 as a Blu-ray/DVD combo pack courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. It will carry a list price of $45.99.

Martijn Lakemeier experiences the harsh realities of war in Winter in Wartime.

The movie unfolds in Nazi-occupied Holland in 1945, where 13-year-old Michiel (Martijn Lakemeier) is drawn into the Resistance movement after he helps a British paratrooper. What begins as an adventure quickly turns into a life of desperation and danger as Michiel becomes wary of the adults and townspeople around him, many of whom he’s not sure he can trust. Welcome to childhood innocence slamming into the harsh realities of wartime adulthood!

The winner of the Golden Calf Award at the 2009 Netherlands Film Festival as well as Best Actor (Lakemeier), Best Supporting Actor...

Most adults would concur with the old adage that war is hell. However for many children caught up in these conflicts, war is…fun. Or at the very least a thrilling, magical playground. This view concerning World War II has been explored in films such as John Boorman’s Hope And Glory and Steven Spielberg’s Empire Of The Sun. While these films showed the war’s impact on children in England and China, Martin Koolhoven’s Winter In Wartime looks at that conflict through the eyes of the children of Holland. Many films have portrayed Nazi occupation in central Europe and France. In this new film we see how the Axis troops take over a small Dutch village in 1945.

Michiel lives in that small Dutch village with his father ( the mayor ) and his older sister and mother who work at the town hospital. He’s fascinated by all aspects...

Michiel lives in a small village in the Netherlands during World War II. He lives a life of relative privilege as the son of the Mayor, a man Michiel has come to lose respect for because of the Mayor’s acceptance of the Nazis that occupy their village. But Michiel’s eyes open to the realities of war when a friend’s brother asks Michiel to deliver a letter. He meets Resistance fighter/Raf soldier Jack, and realizes that not everything in his small village is as it seems.

Winter in Wartime works on many levels; a story about how Nazi Germany’s invasion of other countries affected a small village in Holland, a coming-of-age story about a boy who takes his first steps towards becoming a man, and an intimate father-son story. This could become a jumbled mess of colliding themes, but in this movie they blend into a satisfying experience.

Chicago – When life collides with history, human beings are often both the perpetrators and the victims. In the excellent film “Winter in Wartime,” a boy grows up quickly when confronted with the realities of that history and life in the last days of World War II.

Rating: 4.5/5.0

What happens to a childhood when the serious implications of wartime becomes the wolf at the door is the main premise of the film. There are bound to be secrets, distrust, intrigue and the unfortunate tragedy. The absorbing story has all of this, and is rendered by the sincere performances of a great cast, especially the young boy at the center of the conflict.

That boy is Michiel (Martijn Lakemeier), a 13 year old boy living in a Nazi-occupied Dutch village in the last months of World War II. His father (Raymond Thiry) is the mayor of the town, and appeases the occupiers in...

Reviewed by Chris Allsop

(March 2011)

Directed by: Martin Koolhoven

Written by: Paul Jan Nelissen, Mieke de Jong and Martin Koolhoven

Starring: Martijn Lakemeier, Yorick van Wageningen, Jamie Campbell Bower, Raymond Thiry and Melody Klaver

“Winter in Wartime” arrives in U.S. theaters already laden with accolades: Short-listed for the 2009 Academy Award for Foreign Language Film, it’s also won multiple Golden Calves at the Netherlands Film Festival. And, incredibly for a foreign arthouse movie, it also managed to outgross “Twilight.”

Okay, so that was only in the Netherlands. And the marketing edge provided by the longstanding fame of Jan Terlouw’s best-seller of the same name — on which “Winter in Wartime” is based — probably helped propel director Martin Koolhoven’s movie to its impressive commercial showing. But another contributing factor was — and will no doubt continue to be — the broad appeal of this coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of Nazi-occupied Holland.

Reviewed by Chris Allsop

(March 2011)

Directed by: Martin Koolhoven

Written by: Paul Jan Nelissen, Mieke de Jong and Martin Koolhoven

Starring: Martijn Lakemeier, Yorick van Wageningen, Jamie Campbell Bower, Raymond Thiry and Melody Klaver

“Winter in Wartime” arrives in U.S. theaters already laden with accolades: Short-listed for the 2009 Academy Award for Foreign Language Film, it’s also won multiple Golden Calves at the Netherlands Film Festival. And, incredibly for a foreign arthouse movie, it also managed to outgross “Twilight.”

Okay, so that was only in the Netherlands. And the marketing edge provided by the longstanding fame of Jan Terlouw’s best-seller of the same name — on which “Winter in Wartime” is based — probably helped propel director Martin Koolhoven’s movie to its impressive commercial showing. But another contributing factor was — and will no doubt continue to be — the broad appeal of this coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of Nazi-occupied Holland.

Bd-25 Single-Layer Disc Video: 1080p/Avc Mpeg-4 Audio: Dutch 5.1 DTS-hd Master Audio Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Subtitles: English Run time: 103 minutes Studio: Kaleidoscope Entertainment Rating: R Region Coding: Region Free Equipment used for review: Sharp Lc-46SB57UN 46" 120Hz 1080p LCD (24fps), Onkyo TX-SR606 7.1 Receiver, Onkyo Sks-HT540 7.1, & LG BH200 Super Blu Cast/Crew Info: Martijn Lakemeier as Michiel Yorick van Wageningen as Oom Ben Jamie Campbell Bower as Jack Raymond Thiry as Johan Melody Klaver as Erica Anneke Blok as Lia Mees Peijnenburg as Dirk Jesse van Driel as Theo Dan...

This is the Pure Movies review of Winter in Wartime, starring Anneke Blok, Jamie Campbell Bower, Martijn Lakemeier, Mees Peijnenburg, Melody Klaver, Raymond Thiry and Yorick van Wageningen, directed by Martin Koolhoven. This story of a boy in occupied Holland during World War II was hugely successful in the Netherlands, outgrossing Twilight and The Dark Knight. It is Holland’s entry for the foreign language Oscar and is, after some time, getting a UK release.

In the same vein as Come and See, Empire of the Sun and Hope and Glory comes, Winter in Wartime (Oorlogswinter). Set in a small Dutch village during a famine and the dying days of WW2, the film focuses on a young lad named Michiel.

After a British Raf pilot (Jamie Campbell Bower) crashes in some nearby woods, Michiel (Martijn Lakemeier) is given a map for safekeeping by a member of the resistance revealing the wounded man’s whereabouts. Curious for adventure and defiant against the occupying Nazi forces, he seeks him out and offers to help.

Director Martin Koolhoven’s award-winning film was a massive hit in the Netherlands and earned over eight million dollars at the domestic box office. It earned more than such films as The Dark Knight and Twilight (that’s no small feat). Produced by the same team behind Paul Verhoeven’s Black Book and...

This is a competition for Winter in Wartime, also known as Oorlogswinter, directed by Martin Koolhoven and starring Martijn Lakemeier, Yorick van Wageningen, Jamie Campbell Bower (Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows, The Twilight Saga: New Moon), Raymond Thiry, Melody Klaver, Anneke Blok and Mees Peijnenburg. From the producer of Black Book comes a beautifully crafted Dutch coming-of-age drama directed by Martin Koolhoven and starring Jamie Campbell Bower (Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows, The Twilight Saga: New Moon). The film follows a young boy who becomes involved with the Dutch resistance after he helps a wounded British soldier during the final winter of World War II.

Cologne, Germany -- Dutch/Irish co-production "Nothing Personal," a feature debut from Polish-born director Urszula Antoniak won big at this year's Golden Calves, the Dutch national film awards, taking four trophies, including that for best film.

The story of a woman who abandons her life and all her possessions in the Netherlands for a nomadic lifestyle in Ireland, also secured nods in the best director, best cinematography and best sound design categories. The film stars Lotte Verbeek and Stephen Rea.

Martin Koolhoven's World War II epic "Winter in Wartime" picked up three Golden Calves, for best actor Martijn Lakemeier, a 16-year-old first-timer, best supporting actor Raymond Thiry and best production design. Director Esther Rots, another first-timer, scooped three trophies for her intimate drama "Can Go Through Skin," taking Golden Calves for best actress Rifka Lodeizen and best editing prizes along with a special Jury award.

Dutch Oscar contender, Jean van de Velde...