Frankfurter Buchmesse prize for Best International Literary Adaptation 2017

Isabel Coixet (The Bookshop) and Arthur de Pins & Alexis Ducord (Zombillenium)

Frankfurt, 11 October 2017 – The Frankfurter Buchmesse (11-15 October 2017) is once again recognising outstanding literary adaptations. This year, the Catalan film director Isabel Coixet won the prize for her eponymous adaptation of the novel “The Bookshop” by Penelope Fitzgerald. Starring Emily Mortimer, the film is coming to cinemas in November 2017. The other films in the running were “Disobedience” by director Sebastian Leilo, based on the book by Naomi Alderman, and “Wir töten Stella” (“Killing Stella”) by Julian Pölsler, based on the book by Marlen Haushofer.

The winner in the category “Children’s and Young Adult Film” is the adaptation “Zombillenium” by the directors Arthur de Pins & Alexis Ducord, based on the series by Arthur de Pins. Unionised zombies protest when they are threatened with losing their jobs in an amusement park – that is the bizarre premise of “Zombillenium”, an animated film that premiered in a special screening at the Cannes Film Festival in 2017. “Zombillenium” prevailed over “Die kleine Hexe” (“The Little Witch”) by Michael Schaerer, based on the children’s book of the same name by Otfried Preussler, and “Le petit Spirou” (“Little Spirou”) by the director Nicolas Bary, based on the books by Tome & Janry.

“In ‘The Bookshop’, Isabel Coixet recreates the book’s special atmosphere and the main character’s personality with great sensitivity. The adaptation shows respect for the author’s work while at the same time being a distinct and original film”, according to Juergen Boos. “With ‘Zombillenium’, the directors Arthur de Pins & Alexis Ducord have achieved an incredible adaptation. It is a wonderful film for the whole family.”

Advisory board for the prize for Best International Literary Adaptation

In selecting the films, Juergen Boos, Director of the Frankfurter Buchmesse, consulted with the advisory board convoked last year for the Frankfurter Buchmesse prize for Best International Literary Adaptation. The board is composed of Leo Barraclough, a correspondent for the US trade magazine Variety; Rajendra Roy, The Celeste Bartos Chief Curator of Film, Museum of Modern Art (MoMA); Beat Glur, Press Spokesman for the Zurich Film Festival; and Ulrich Höcherl, Senior Editor-in-Chief of the trade magazine Blickpunkt:Film and Deputy Managing Director of Busch Entertainment Media. A new addition to the board this year is Frédéric Boyer, Artistic Director of the Tribeca Film Festival.

Since 2004, every year the Frankfurter Buchmesse awards a prize for Best International Literary Adaptation. Previous winners include, among others, Tom Ford (2016), Todd Haynes (2015), Anton Corbijn (2014), the husband-and-wife team Ziad Doueiri and Joelle Touma (2013), Stephen Daldry (2012) and the producer David Heyman (2011). There is no financial reward for the prize. The date of the award ceremony will be announced in the future.

Frankfurter Buchmesse and the film and games industry

For some time now, the Frankfurter Buchmesse has made it a goal to connect the publishing industry to representatives of the international film industry and, increasingly, of the games industry as well. At “Books at Berlinale”, a pitching session that has been held since 2005 as part of the Berlinale Co-Production Market, every year publishers and literary agents are invited to present material with potential for screen adaptation to international producers. “Books at Berlinale 2018” will take place on 20 February 2018.

This year, for the second time, the Frankfurter Buchmesse is presenting the networking day “A Book is a Film is a Game” (#bookfilmgame). On the Thursday of the Book Fair (12 October 2017) representatives of the book, film and games industry will once again meet for this day of networking, which was launched successfully last year. In addition to panel discussions, pitching sessions, workshops, matchmaking sessions and networking cocktails, the programme offers many opportunities to network on the exhibition grounds. It is geared toward film and games producers as well as interested literary agents and publishing rights managers.

Registration is free, but required for all events. Register here: https://www.xing-events.com/BBPISYX.html(opens in a new window)

About the Frankfurter Buchmesse
The Frankfurter Buchmesse is the international publishing industry’s biggest trade fair – with over 7,300 exhibitors from 102 countries, around 278,000 visitors, over 4,000 events and approximately 10,000 accredited journalists and bloggers - in attendance. It also gathers key players from other media, including the film and games industries. Since 1976, the Book Fair has featured an annual Guest of Honour country, which showcases its book market, literature and culture to attendees in a variety of ways. The Frankfurter Buchmesse organises the participation of German publishers at around 20 international book fairs and hosts trade events throughout the year in major international markets. With its Business Club, the Frankfurter Buchmesse offers essential services and an ideal setting for the activities of publishers, entrepreneurs, pioneers, experts and visionaries. The Frankfurter Buchmesse is a subsidiary of the German Publishers & Booksellers Association. www.book-fair.com(opens in a new window)

Contact for the media:
Press & Corporate Communications Frankfurter Buchmesse
Katja Böhne, Vice President Marketing & Communications, tel.: +49 (0) 69 2102-138, press@book-fair.com(opens in a new window)
Kathrin Grün, Head of PR and Communications, tel.: +49 (0) 69 2102-170, gruen@book-fair.com(opens in a new window)
> Press information online >www.buchmesse.de/en/press/press-releases
> Photos in print quality >www.buchmesse.de/en/press/press-material

Register for "A Book is a Film is a Game"(opens in a new window)