"Berlinale Talents": DW trainees get their cameras rolling

"I think we need to liven it up," says DW trainee Emily Sherwin as she and colleague Loveday Wright sit engrossed editing a profile of the Indonesian actress Tara Basro. It's their fourth video report in less than a week for a DW multimedia blog on "Berlinale Talents." This annual six-day summit offers young international filmmakers creative workshops and a networking platform at the Berlin International Film Festival.

"The training's tough but effective," says trainee Emily Sherwin

The two women, together with other DW trainees and media designers, are getting the chance to report on this unique event. "It's a great opportunity to meet filmmakers from all over the world," says Sherwin. "It's incredibly intense and gives us insights into how they work." In terms of their own blog reports, says Wright, "we're learning how to work better and faster."

Every year 300 aspiring international filmmakers attend "Berlinale Talents," now an integral part of the Berlinale film festival. Participants here fine-tune their skills, swap ideas and brainstorm on future international projects. It's like a six-day film school where participants get assistance from renowned filmmakers. The platform is the brainchild of Berlinale director Dieter Kosslick and these days more and more alumni of the "Berlinale Talents" project are returning to the festival as professional filmmakers themselves, with films screened in all festival categories.

English blog by "DW's Talents"

"DW Talents" - journalism and media designer trainees team up

"Berlinale Talents" offers more than an opportunity for aspiring filmmakers. It's also an opportunity for DW's 14 young media designers and 11 journalism trainees to create an innovative multimedia blog. This year they produced 14 profiles of actors, camera operators and directors. Some of those portrayed are from conflict-ridden countries including Nigeria, Afghanistan and Ukraine.

"This is where talent meets talent - training doesn't get any better than this," says DW traineeship head, Ramón García-Ziemsen. The project has since become a standard component of the DW traineeship.

The "DW Talents" are supported by a team of experienced trainers, and organized and overseen by Fred Oelschlegel, head of DW's media designer traineeship. Every year the AVID company provides a mobile studio outfitted with the latest equipment.