Ellen Harrington

Ellen Harrington, Director of Deutsches Filminstitut & Filmmuseum in Frankfurt

Videoscript Ellen Harrington 

So, I never had come to the frankfurt book fair until I moved to frankfurt in 2018, when I became the director of the DFF The Deutsches Film Institute and Film Museum here in frankfurt. And I felt immediately very very welcome at the book fair, because they reached out to me and they asked me, if I would be part of the jury for the literary adaptation prize and the advisory committee around film and literature.

And this has been a fantastic experience for me, because we've seen so many wonderful films that are made from books that are coming out each year. Also incredible books about film, coffee table art books,  and we've expanded the way that we look at the category because it's literary adaptations but it's also films for young people and series, because now so many long form novels of course are being made in to longform television series.

So this has been a great experience. But I have to say most of my time here in frankfurt so far we also were dealing with the pandemic and the bookfair being closed, and trying to figure out how to do all of these things online. And we had some really crazy times trying to produce these award ceremonies virtually and yet the artists really have shown up either in person or virtually. 

They respect the book fair, they're excited to be honored. We've had people like Charlie Kofman and Steve McQueen and Maria Schrader and Caroline Link. And just so many wonderful wonderful filmmakers who love books, who love literature and are adapting stories for the medium – the moving image medium. 

So I just want to thank the bookfair for embracing me, making me feel very very welcome in frankfurt over these years. I'm really excited that finally I think, that there will be full strength this year for the 75th anniversary.

We should have tens of thousands of people. We should have so many authors and film-makers and television producers and content makers doing book pitches and looking at all of the broad range of stories that are being told every year through literature. And adapting them into our medium, into film and into television. 

So thank you for inviting me to be part of this tribute to the book fair and its 75th anniversary, and I will be here every year from now on.

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