German scandal director Uwe Boll says he will file criminal charges against the Berlin Film Festival after the fest refused to consider his latest movie, Auschwitz, for its official selection.
Boll, who will screen Auschwitz outside the festival in Berlin’s Babylon theater on Sunday, accuses the Berlinale of breach of trust and unfair competition in its selection process. Boll told The Hollywood Reporter he would file criminal charges with Berlin’s state attorney early next week.
At issue is the 125 Euro entry fee all films are required to pay to be considered for the Berlin festival. Boll refused to pay the fee to submit Auschwitz, claiming the fest, and director Dieter Kosslick, was acting in bad faith and would not judge the film on its merits.
“Kosslick has been fighting me for the last 25 years, as Berlin festival director and before, when he was head of (German regional film board) the NRW Filmstiftung,” Boll told THR. “I don’t believe the Berlinale handles all films fairly. Kosslick has his deals with the major studios and invites his old pals from the Filmstiftung days. There isn’t fair competition.”
Boll’s suit will claim that many films picked to screen at the Berlinale — particularly prominent Hollywood films — did not pay that fee, making the festival criminally liable.
The Berlinale says Boll has no case.
“The entry fee is only required for films that apply to the festival,” said Berlinale head of press Frauke Greiner. “[Our guidelines allow us to] waive the fee for films we invite to be submitted, which is the case for many films we screen outside of Germany. It is all legal.”
