(L-R) Guy Daleiden, Film Fund Luxembourg Director; Eric Thill, Luxembourg's Minister for Culture; Sylvie Lucas, Luxembourg's Ambassador to Germany (in Berlin);
Credit: FFL/Viviane Wild
As reported by Film Fund Luxembourg, a visit to the international film market, which welcomes more than 12,000 professionals, marked the beginning of a series of strategic exchanges and meetings between Luxembourg's Minister for Culture, Eric Thill, and key players in the film industry at the Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale).
As part of his meeting with representatives of French- and German-speaking support funds, Minister Thill reaffirmed Luxembourg's commitment to strategic film cooperation, both bilateral and multilateral.
During a discussion with Carine Bachmann, Director of the Swiss Federal Office of Culture, Minister Thill confirmed that Film Fund Luxembourg will organise a co-production meeting between Swiss and Luxembourg producers this year to discuss future prospects for cultural collaboration between the two countries. It was also decided to adapt the Luxembourg-Switzerland co-production treaty to include new innovative audiovisual formats, such as virtual reality (VR), immersive works and television series.
Minister Thill also attended the traditional Luxembourg reception, organised by Film Fund Luxembourg in collaboration with the Luxembourg Embassy in Berlin, which brought together nearly 400 professionals from the film industry as well as other cultural and economic sectors. This was an opportunity for "enriching discussions", particularly with the directors, producers and protagonists of the six Luxembourg co-productions in selection at the Berlinale 2025.
In his speech, Minister Thill emphasised the importance of building on the solid relationships that unite Luxembourg with its long-standing loyal partners, and of trusting them in these uncertain times.
Moreover, the Culture Minister attended the screening of the Luxembourg co-production Reflet dans un diamant mort (Reflection in a Dead Diamond), co-produced by Les Films Fauves, in competition at the Berlinale, and took part in the presentation of the film Confidente (Confidante), co-produced by Bidibul Productions.
Film Fund Luxembourg recalled that this edition of the Berlinale, taking place from Thursday 13 to Sunday 23 February 2025, is showcasing six films in co-production with Luxembourg: La Cache (The Safe House); Reflet dans un diamant mort (Reflection in a Dead Diamond); Timestamp (documentary); Kontinental '25; Confidente (Confidante); Der Kuss des Grashüpfers (The Kiss of the Grasshopper).
Minister Thill stated: "It is an honour for me to participate for the first time in the Berlinale and the European Film Market, an unmissable event for international cinema. The dynamism and commitment of our film talents are exemplary, and I would like to congratulate them on their remarkable work. In a constantly changing world, the seventh art plays an essential role as a window on the world and a vehicle for our values and convictions".
