European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 22, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Magazine International film festival pitch in West Berlin by Christopher Wienandt staff writer t Homas Edison would be amazed. Sure he saw possibilities in that Little Gadget reinvented the movie camera. But did Hore Alize what big business movies would become it s hard too Lor the average Guy to comprehend How Gigantic the movie business really is. The 36th annual Berlin International film festival which continues until feb. 25, offers some celluloid insights. Movies one learns quickly at a festival such As this have to do with a lot More than moviegoers. Movies Are a product a commodity to be bought and sold. With More than 180 films being shown at 12 Heaters the festival is a big operation. Its most Public Side the Competition Lor the Golden Bear awards consists of about 25 feature films and another 15 or so shorts that play several limes during the festival s 12 Days almost always to packed houses. Moviegoers pay 14 Marks a ticket about $6.10 to get in on the action. The panel of 11 judges for these awards is headed by Gina Lollobrigida and includes British director Lindsay Anderson and professor August Coppola of san Francisco stale University whose brother happens to be Francis Ford Coppola. Movies that will be shown during the festival but not participating in the Competition Are out of Attica with meryl Streep and Roberi Redford. The journey of Natty Gann with Meredith Salenger and John Cusack. And to live and die in la. With William l. Petersen and John Pankow. The festival also includes a children s film festival of 20 films from around the world a Short film Panorama a Black sea Panorama an International forum of new films retrospectives on German actress Henny Porten and american director Fred Zinnemann High noon the Day of the jackal Julia. And special showings the american contribution is Clint Eastwood s Honky Tonk Man. More than 180 films is obviously More than anyone could or would even want to see in 12 Days but that s Only the Public aspect of the event. For film professionals there is a film Market a Trade fair at which not Only nations such As Switzerland. Canada. Yugoslavia Hungary and Colombia have occupied Booths to pedal their cinematic wares but special screenings of their turns have been set up to attract distributors. Although film festival veterans say every possible consideration has been Given to audiences at Berlin the True business of this like Many film festivals is Selling movies. Manufacturers and distributors seek each other out through ads in the festival s Uno Ocial newspaper and official Magazine which is published  is done at the festival itself and in restaurants hotels and Cales. The feel of Money is in a philos aet Reti Meredith Salenger director Jeremy Kogan left and producer Mike Lobell after screening of the journey of Natty Gann at film festival in Weil Berlin Gina Lollobrigida it chairman of the awards committee. The air. But none of that matters to the Public which wants Only to see As Many dims Good ones is possible within the Brief time of the festival. Audiences in Berlin Are demanding As can be seen from two of the american films shown Al the festival. The journey of Natty Gann whose connection Wilh the Disney studios is destined to overshadow everything else about it. Was in fact too Disney esque for the european audience. Ii is the Story of a girl s trek from Chicago to Seattle during  depression to rejoin her father who had to move there without her. The film is in the emotional vein of old be Ler which did t sit Loo Well in Berlin either. The girl s Friendship with a Wolf was More than the audience was prepared to take. At close Range which is entered in the Competition is a film about a family crime Syndicate in Rural Pennsylvania. It fared somewhat belter but eventually the audience overdosed on american to style violence and began to titter nervously every time a gun appeared. One viewer began clapping when he thought the film should have ended rather than when it did. The Public at Large is Likely to be More forgiving. These films despite the reaction they received in West Berlin Are Likely to be among the most scalable Al the festival. And those movie distributors Bank on their feeling Lor what audiences like. Literally. Saturday february 22, 1986 the stars and stripes Page 13