BRATISLAVA: Director Mariana Čengel Solčanská starts developing The Maidservant / Slúžka, a strong feminist story placed in Vienna during WWI. Based on Hana Lasicová’s bestseller published in 2013, The Maidservant will be the first Slovak film ever to deal with female homosexuality.

VILNIUS: Lithuanian filmmaker Mantas Kvedaravičius is currently shooting his debut feature, the psychological drama Stasis, which is a coproduction between Lithuania, the Ukraine and France. Shooting takes place in the Ukraine, Greece, Turkey and Lithuania.

PRAGUE: Director/scriptwriter/producer Václav Marhoul starts shooting The Painted Bird in Volyn, Ukraine on 23 March 2017. The film is adapting Jerzy Kosiński’s bestseller and is a coproduction between the Czech Republic, the Ukraine, Slovakia and Poland. The film stars Czech 9-year-old Petr Kotlár alongside Stellan Skarsgård, Udo Kier and Harvey Keitel.

BRATISLAVA: Slovak production consultant company kaleidoscope introduced two films in postproduction at the Works in Progress, Industry Days - MFFK Febiofest (2-8 March 2017). Juraj Lehotský’s second feature film Nina and Pavol Pekarčík’s first long documentary A Long Day will be released in 2017.

PRAGUE: Director/producer Štěpán Altrichter develops a dark psycho thriller entitled Runner, taking over some of the motifs of the classical 1982 sci-fi thriller Blade Runner by Ridley Scott. The film will be another German/Czech coproduction after Altrichter’s debut feature Schmitke (2014).

VALLETTA: Abigail Mallia’s Limestone Cowboy is set to follow in the footsteps of Rebecca Cremona’s Simshar (produced by Kukumajsa Productions Ltd) and be the next film from Malta to gain international theatrical distribution. Limestone Cowboy is a whimsical film on a political dark horse, who aims for the top job in a small Mediterranean island.

BRATISLAVA: Acclaimed Slovak director Juraj Jakubisko is currently shooting a sequel to his popular Christmas fairy tale The Feather Fairy / Perinbaba (1985) in the Slovak town of Kežmarok. Seven-legged Lucas / Sedmonohý Lukáš will revive Giulietta Masina, who played the Perinbaba, through digital technology.

ZAGREB: Antun Vrdoljak’s anticipated The General, starring Goran Višnjić as the hero of the Croatian War of Independence Ante Gotovina, started shooting in Croatia on 20 February 2017. The project includes a feature film and also an eight-episodes series.

WARSAW: Kinga Dębska, director of box office hit These Daughters of Mine, started shooting her new project The God's Plan on 14 February 2017. This story about love has its premiere already set for Valentine’s Day 2018.

VALLETTA: Maltese-Australian director Peter Sant, known for arthouse shorts, has finished shooting his debut feature, tentatively titled Maneland, with support from the Malta Film Fund.

BUCHAREST: The second season of the HBO Europe series Shadows / Umbre, produced and shot in Romania in autumn-winter 2016, is currently in postproduction with the premiere set for 2017.

BELGRADE: Serbian actress Bojana Novaković is in production with her directorial debut, the documentary The Forbidden Aunt / Zabranjena tetka. The film is a study of the actress-director’s own aunt and was supported by Film Center Serbia.

PRAGUE: Czech Television will begin filming a two-part film about Central Europe’s most significant monarch, the Empress Maria Theresa.

VILNIUS: Lithuanian director Audrius Juzėnas is currently shooting his third feature film, Owl Mountain / Pelėdų kalnas. The release of this historical drama is planned for 16 February 2018, the day when Lithuania celebrates 100th anniversary of its Act of Independence.

BELGRADE: Serbian newcomer Katarina Mutić has completed her first documentary, The Way of the East / Tako mi na Istoku. The film follows a fortune-teller and was supported by Film Center Serbia.

BRATISLAVA: Mátyás Prikler’s second feature film, Power, closed the development stage and will have the principal photography in the winter 2017/2018. The film is a Slovak/Czech/Hungarian coproduction and stars the Hungarian director and actor Kornel Mundruczó, alongisde popular Czech actor Jan Tříska.