This week, two films from last year’s Forum program, FOR ELLEN and HIVER NOMADE, go on general release. FOR ELLEN, the third film by So Yong Kim following IN BETWEEN DAYS and TREELESS MOUNTAIN, tells the story of an irresponsible rock musician attempting to reconnect with his young daughter after a long absence. Manuel von Stürler’s debut HIVER NOMADE, which recently received the European Documentary Film Prize, accompanies the difficult everyday life of two Swiss shepherds during the winter months.

arsenal distribution will be releasing Rainer Kirberg's THE SLEEPING GIRL (DAS SCHLAFENDE MÄDCHEN) on January 17. The film received its world premiere as part of the Forum Expanded program in 2011. It opens theatrically in selected cinemas on January 17 and will be screening daily at Kino Arsenal from January 17-23 with the director and further members of the film team attending the opening night.

The Best First Feature Award was set up by the Berlinale in 2006 in order to promote new filmmaking talent. Nine films from the Forum program have been nominated for this year’s prize: A BATALHA DE TABATÔ (THE BATTLE OF TABATÔ) by João Viana (Guinea-Bissau/Portugal), DAS MERKWÜRDIGE KÄTZCHEN (THE STRANGE LITTLE CAT) by Ramon Zürcher (Germany), GRZELI NATELI DGEEBI (IN BLOOM) by Nana Ekvtimishvili and Simon Groß (Georgia/Germany), I AIONIA EPISTROFI TOU ANTONI PARASKEUA (THE ETERNAL RETURN OF ANTONIS PARASKEVAS) by Elina Psykou (Greece), LA PLAGA (THE PLAGUE) by Neus Ballús (Spain), MO SHENG (FORGETTING TO KNOW YOU) by Quan Ling (China), THE WEIGHT OF ELEPHANTS by Von Daniel Joseph Borgman (New Zealand/Denmark) and SIENIAWKA by Marcin Malaszczak (Germany/Poland).

Once again the program will be rounded off by a series of film historical rediscoveries, including the oldest surviving Korean silent film CHEONGCHUN-EUI SIPJARO, which will be screened at Delphi complete with a film narrator, singer and orchestra, and a series of films by Japanese director Keisuke Kinoshita.

Social upheaval, times of transition and periods of change are at the heart of numerous films in the 2013 Forum programme. Attempts to find new certainties and realignments do not only characterise their subject matter but also play a key role in determining their formal approaches. European cinema is a particularly strong presence in this year’s programme, from both east and west.