www.x-verleih.de

In February 2000 X Filme Creative Pool GmbH founded the film collecting society X Verleih AG located in Berlin, so furthering the X beginnings. The idea is based on the original "United Artists" model, which was the brainchild of such names as Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks and D.W. Griffith: Directors, writers, producers and distributors work closely together within a shared infrastructure, both in terms of content and economics, from the first idea right through to the release of a film and beyond. Rather than having to accept friction losses between the production and distribution sides, they see themselves as a friendly-critical group, which has one main thing in common: love of good films and great cinema.

X Verleih is exclusively responsible for the cinematic release of all X Filme Creative Pool productions. And beyond that, X Verleih works independently in acquisition, cinematic release and the exploitation of all sub-rights and in individual cases, as co-producer of further films. The aim is to offer a broad distribution programme, which covers the whole spectrum of challenging and popular cinema. X Verleih plans to release between 8-10 films per year.

This model proved successful in the first year with the award-winning films THE PRINCESS AND THE WARRIOR (Director: Tom Tykwer), HEIDI M. (Director: Michael Klier) and NEVER MIND THE WALL (Director: Connie Walther). It is considered a work in progress.

BLACK BOX BRD was the first film from an outside production company to be added to the distribution programme. It was released in early summer 2001 with much press and audience attention. With the Spanish-French production VENGO, X Verleih expanded its spectrum into the international independent film market in summer 2001. With SUZHOU RIVER, THE SECRET and AMORES PERROS came a whole row of challenging international productions.

THE WHITE SOUND by Hans Weingartner ensured a good start to 2002. Tom Tykwer's HEAVEN opened the 52nd International Film Festival in Berlin. Following Dani Levy's modern family drama I'M THE FATHER, came LIES (Director: Jang Sun Woo), SOLINO (Director: Fatih Akin) and JEANS (Director: Nicolette Krebitz).

Wolfgang Becker's sensational audience hit GOOD BYE, LENIN! ensured a good start to the year for X VERLEIH. Both GOOD BYE, LENIN! and Oskar Roehler's love story ANGST were in the competition at the 53rd International Film Festival in Berlin. With Max Färberböck's SEPTEMBER, which celebrated its world premiere in the „Un certain regard“ section at Cannes, X VERLEIH continues its highly successful co-operation with zero film, which began with BLACK BOX BRD. X Filme already has a further four productions on its programme for autumn 2003: LEARNING TO LIE, 4 FREUNDE UND 4 PFOTEN, LOVE IN THOUGHTS and LAUTLOS.

The company is run by the board of directors, comprising Anatol Nitschke, Manuela Stehr and Stefan Arndt.