The Federal Film Board on Wednesday announced box office figures showing Teutonic titles made up nearly 27% of the box office last year thanks to local titles like 'Rabbit Without Ears.'
The German film industry had reason to cheer on the eve of the Berlin Film Festival, which starts today, with a record year for domestic films at the local box office.
The Federal Film Board on Wednesday announced box office figures showing Teutonic titles made up nearly 27% of the box office last year -- the highest share since 1991 -- thanks to boffo performers including “The Baader Meinhof Complex,” “The Wave” and the most successful pic of the year, “Keinohrhasen” (Rabbit Without Ears), which made a whopping $52 million.
Total box office revenue climbed 5% to $1 billion. Cinemas ticket sales rose 3.2% to 129.4 million, 4 million more than 2007.
International blockbusters included “Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa,” which cumed $43 million, “Quantum of Solace” with $41.3 million, “Mamma Mia!” with $33.3 million and Alastair Fothergill and Mark Linfield’s hit nature doc “Earth” with $29 million.
Distribs released 471 films last year, 13 fewer than the previous year. German productions or co-productions accounted for 185 of the releases, with U.S. pics accounting for 154; non-Teutonic Euro productions 93, with the rest stemming from outside the U.S. and Europe.
Contact Ed Meza at
ed.meza@mannaa.de