Karl Baumgartner

Karl Baumgartner ( born January 3, 1949 in Brunico, South Tyrol, Italy, † March 18, 2014 in Frankfurt am Main ) was a film producer and co-founder of the production and distribution company Pandora Film. Baumgartner was one of the most important producers and film distributors in Germany.

Life

Baumgartner grew up in Brunico, where he completed his compulsory education. 1967, at the age of 18, he got into Rome as an assistant director and critic in the movie business. 1971 Baumgartner moved to Frankfurt, where he joined filmmakers around the collective harmony, which became in the years to become one of the leading producers and agents in the field of art-house film.

In 1981, Baumgartner and Reinhard Brundig the movie rental company Pandora Film, one of Europe's leading promoter of art-house films. Pandora film is considered the discoverer of non-German filmmakers like Andrei Tarkovsky, Jim Jarmusch, Sally Potter, Kim Ki Duk and Aki Kaurismäki. As part of Pandora Film Baumgartner is operated as a film producer. Emir Kusturica's film " Underground" from 1995 is one in this context, the most important productions.

In 2003, Karl Baumgartner, together with Thanassis Karathanos based in Halle production company Pallas film, which specialized in the manufacture of Eastern European films. Baumgartner was a member of the German Film Academy, the European Film Academy and the Asian Film Academy.

Filmography (selection)

Awards (selection)

• 2003: Prize of the Arts and Cultural Foundation of the Sparkasse Bremen ( for services to the European Film )
• 2004: Raimondo Rezzonico award at the International Film Festival of Locarno
• 2012: The Hollywood Reporter Award of the Festival Cologne Conference
• 2014: Berlinale Camera of the 64th International Film Festival Berlin