The International Film Guide Launches at the Berlin Film Festival

Amid the movie stars and acclaimed directors populating the 52nd Annual Berlin Film Festival was the launch of the The 45th edition of the International Film Guide: The Definitive Annual Review of World Cinema.

The International Film Guide includes a “World Survey” section encompassing the cinematic output and film industry trends and developments in more than 120 countries, written by expert local correspondents who present critical reviews assessing features, documentaries and shorts. The cover image of the 2009 Guide is from the award-winning Israeli film Waltz with Bashir.

Special features this year include the 5 Directors of the Year (including John Sayles, Paolo Sorrentino, Angès Varda, Nuri Bilge Ceylan and Hayao Miyazaki), a “Country Focus” on the expanding Israeli Film Industry, an Industry Focus on digital distribution and a Special Report on the 2004 expansion of the European Union covering the development of cinema in the ten new member countries—Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia. The 450-page reference book also includes detailed breakdowns of international box office statistics and film festival award-winners, plus detailed listings and descriptions of hundreds of International Film Festivals.