Digital Single Market
19/10: 4th Council of Europe Platform Exchange on Culture and Digitisation – Council of Europe
The 4th Platform Exchange on Culture and Digitisation, organised by the Council of Europe in cooperation with ZKM at the ZKM headquarters in Karlsruhe, took place from 19-20 October, with the aim to explore the potential of Culture, Arts and Science as a strong resource for empowering democracy for culturally competent citizens.
22/10: Recommendation on measures to safeguard fundamental rights and the open internet in the framework of the EU copyright reform - IPKat
Together with a group of scholars active in copyright issues, Professor Martin Senftleben (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) has published a Recommendation on measures to safeguard fundamental rights and the open internet in the framework of the EU copyright reform.
Lux Film Prize
17/10: The starting pistol is fired for the 2017 LUX Film Days - European Parliament
The time has come for the 2017 edition of the LUX Film Days to get under way. Once again this year, the European Parliament’s LUX Prize will take the three finalist films on a trip across Europe, from theatre to theatre, and from festival to festival, visiting more than 60 cities.
Events
TBC: EP JURI vote on the Broadcast RegulationTBC: Vote on the Contracts for the Supply of Digital Content Directive6/11: UNIC Film Screening of 'Borg McEnroe' - Brussels - email to reserve21/11: Joint Film Screening of 'The Square' - Bozar - email to reserve27-28/11: Estonian Presidency conference on audiovisual content, technology and policy – Tallinn – more information here
VALLETTA: Johann Grech has been named as the incoming Malta Film Commissioner. He replaces Engelbert Grech.
ZAGREB: Men Don’t Cry by Alen Drljevic is among the 13 films vying for the Golden Pram in the main competition of first and second films at the 15th Zagreb Film Festival, running 11-19 November 2017. The Frog by Elmir Jukic is also in the main section, screening out of competition as the closing night film. Both films are coproductions from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
BERLIN: Three Bulgarian coproductions and two Polish films, along with one Romanian short film, are among the films nominated for the 2017 European Film Awards.
Today the script and project development program MIDPOINT Feature Launch 2017 concluded in Písek, Czech Republic, and the winners have been announced. The main development award of 8.000 EUR goes to ZANA by writer/director Antoneta Kastrati and producer Casey Johnson.
19 writers, directors and producers have participated in this year's MIDPOINT Feature Launch with their feature film projects. Since June's workshop in Macedonia, the teams have been improving their scripts and project development. Today it all concluded at the final workshop, when all 9 projects were pitched to an invited group of international experts.
MIDPOINT Development Award and a cash prize of 8.000 EUR was awarded to:
- Zana – writer/director Antoneta Kastrati, producer Casey Johnson (Kosovo)
The motivation of the selection committee:
"Exploring the personal impact of horrific loss, this project examines long-held cultural traditions and living scars of war that continue to torment people from a remote corner of Europe."
About the project: ZANA is a dark and haunting psychological drama about the collision of modern day faith healers and post-war trauma of survivors in Kosovo. Inspired by true events. Riddled by night terrors and repeated miscarriages, a Kosovar bride is sent to witch doctors who subject her to unusual rituals and confinement to cure her of suspected black magic, but when she again becomes pregnant, her dark wartime past comes back to haunt her and her unborn baby.
Connecting Cottbus Award – 4 projects have been selected to pitch at Connecting Cottbus East West Co-production Market in November under the banner MIDPOINT Selection 2017. They are:
- Inventory – writer/director Darko Sinko, producer Vlado Bulajic (Slovenia)
- Mnk Boy – writer Sibel Altinbas, director Mete Gümürhan, producer Bas Broertjes (Netherlands/Turkey)
- Waterwolf – writer/director Ann-Julie Vervaeke, producer Anastassia Oudovitchenko (Belgium)
- Zana – writer/director Antoneta Kastrati, producer Casey Johnson (Kosovo)
Read about all the projects here.
CineMart Award – 1 producer has been handpicked to participate in Rotterdam Lab including CineMart access during Intl. Film Festival Rotterdam in Jan. 2018. The winner is:
Eliza Jones who participated at MIDPOINT with the project 'Asunden'
"The team communicates a certain openness and ambition that confirms that Eliza Jones is at the right point of her career to expand her network and producing skills in the context of the international marketplace that Rotterdam Lab has to offer. I have no doubt that 'Asunden', a project strongly rooted in both Sweden and the USA, is in the right stage and hands to benefit from this award", says Inke van Loocke, Coordinator CineMart & Rotterdam Lab and Guest Tutor at Feature Launch.
Kristyna Plhonova, Program Coordinator of Feature Launch says about the program overall,
"Feature Launch 2017 has offered our participants script consulting and project development in equal parts, and it has proved to be the right path. We have been truly blessed with a wonderful selection of projects. – In addition we have expanded our industry partnerships, and I cannot wait for another edition, which starts already in January in collaboration with Trieste FF, Karlovy Vary International Film Festival and When East Meets West."
MIDPOINT FEATURE LAUNCH 2017 – PROJECTS
/ 19 – writer/director Kosara Mitic, producer Kornelija Ristovska (Macedonia)
/ Alive in Moscow – writer/director Grigore Becket, producer Elie Aufseesser (Switzerland/Moldova)
/ Asunden – writer/director Petter Ringbom, producer Eliza Jones (Sweden)
/ Images of Love – writer Tomasz Winski, producer Radovan Sibrt (Czech Republic)
/ Inventory – writer/director Darko Sinko, producer Vlado Bulajic (Slovenia)
/ Mnk Boy – writer Sibel Altinbas, director Mete Gümürhan, producer Bas Broertjes (NL/Turkey)
/ Night of the Whale – writer/director Kaveh Daneshmand, producer Jordi Niubo (Czech Rep.)
/ Waterwolf – writer/director Ann-Julie Vervaeke, producer Anastassia Oudovitchenko (Belgium)
/ Zana – writer/director Antoneta Kastrati, producer Casey Johnson (Kosovo)
MIDPOINT FEATURE LAUNCH 2017 – TUTORS
/ Danijel Hocevar, Head of Studies of Feature Launch
/ Anne Gensior, Core Tutor
/ Pavel Jech, Core Tutor
/ Ivo Trajkov, Core Tutor
/ Gabriele Brunnenmeyer, Guest Tutor
/ Gyula Gazdag, Guest Tutor
/ Alessandro Gropplero, Guest Tutor
/ Martin Horyna, Guest Tutor
/ Jan Naszewski, Guest Tutor
/ Christina Pelekani, Guest Tutor
/ Katriel Schory, Guest Tutor
/ Pavel Strnad, Guest Tutor
/ Ognjen Svilicic, Guest Tutor
/ Elma Tataragic, Guest Tutor
/ Daniela V. Stanikova, Guest Tutor
/ Inke van Loocke, Guest Tutor
MIDPOINT Feature Launch 2017 is realized in collaboration with Ministry of Culture Czech Republic, Czech Film Fund, International Visegrad Fund, Macedonian Film Agency, Creative Europe MEDIA Desk CZ, APA – Audiovisual Producers' Association, COCO – Connecting Cottbus and CineMart.
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OPEN CALL: MIDPOINT Feature Launch 2018
International feature filmmakers can apply for the 2018 workshop until October 26th. Read more about the expanded one-year program here.
http://www.midpoint-center.eu/programs/179-midpoint-feature-launch-2018-2018
ABOUT
MIDPOINT is an international script and project development program for emerging film professionals – aimed at creative teams of writers, directors and producers. MIDPOINT focuses on narrative film and TV projects and operates as a year-long center organizing a string of workshop programs.
The 2017 edition of connecting Cottbus will introduce coco Work in Progress (WiP) with the new €35,000 coco WiP Award, an in-‐kind prize sponsored by the German post-‐production company D-‐FACTO MOTION.
Competition for one of the coco Pitch or coco WiP slots was tough. coco WiP’s four projects were selected from 50 submissions from 25 countries. The coco Pitch selection of ten projects was made from over 125 submissions from 32 countries.
The ten coco Pitch projects will compete for another four coco awards: The €1,500 coco Best Pitch Award sponsored by Berliner Synchron and No Limits Media plus a Cannes Producers Network accreditation will go to the producer of the awarded best pitch. A jury of three industry representatives will award the €25,000 coco Post Pitch Award, an in-‐kind award donated by the German post-‐ production house The Post Republic. The Midpoint Scholarship Award will enable one cocoLab project to develop its script by participating in our sponsor's Midpoint Feature Launch.
The Polish German Co-‐Production Roundtable will be continuing this year. connecting cottbus is joining forces with Medienboard Berlin-‐Brandenburg, Mitteldeutsche Medienstiftung, the Polish Film Institute and the German Federal Film Board (Filmförderungsanstalt -‐ FFA) to invite producers from Poland and Germany to discuss the situation of co-‐production between the neighboring countries.
We are very happy to welcome Serbia as coco’s country focus this year. In cooperation with the Film Center Serbia Focus Serbia will present Serbian co-‐ production possibilities as well as projects and case studies.
This year will see connecting cottbus starting a network initiative focusing on gender equality. The coco Female Producers Roundtable will be inviting leading as well as upcoming female producers to a think tank to devise and develop new collaborative strategies that can benefit the industry in terms of gender diversity.
As a novelty this year, four projects have been selected at the Midpoint Feature Launch 2017 to pitch under the banner MIDPOINT SELECTION:
- INVENTORY / director Darko Sinko, producer Vlado Bulajic (Slovenia)
- MNK BOY / director Mete Gümürhan, producer Bas Broertjes (Netherlands/Turkey)
- WATERWOLF / director Ann-‐Julie Vervaeke, producer Anastassia Oudovitchenko (Belgium)
- ZANA / director Antoneta Kastrati, producer Casey Johnson (Kosovo)
connecting cottbus is supported by Medienboard Berlin-‐Brandenburg, Creative Europe/MEDIA and MDM Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung.
More information about connecting cottbus can be found online at www.connecting-‐ cottbus.de/ or on facebook www.facebook.com/connecting.cottbus.
Press contact:
info@connecting-‐cottbus.de
Three films received Silver Eye Awards at the Jihlava IDFF.
The 2017 edition of connecting cottbus will introduce coco Work in Progress (WiP) with the new €35,000 coco WiP Award, an in-kind prize sponsored by the German post-production company D-FACTO MOTION.
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The Baltic Cinema Review is slowly becoming one of Camerimage’s traditions – it will appear in the programme this year for the third time. In the last three years the festival has established a broad network of contacts through which it is able to reach the most visually beguiling film productions that have been created in the Baltic Sea region and in the cooperating countries. The Review is co-created by journalists, members of cinematography societies, film institutes, distributors, producers, and filmmakers working in the region.
Through the Baltic Cinema Review, Camerimage proves how many amazing films are shot in northeast Europe. Baltic cinema is a broad term, within which one can find a full range of genres and themes – which is clearly visible in the collection of titles chosen for this year’s edition. Countries and nations create films that show the problems they are currently facing or explain the geopolitical history of that corner of Europe, while multinational co-productions relate to the greatest global trends.
This year’s Review will present a diversity of genres, styles, and themes from 11 countries from around the Baltic Sea and collaborating countries: Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Russia, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Germany, and Poland.
This is the complete line-up for the Review:
After You're Gone
Aleksey Temnikov was once a ballet dancer. And not just any dancer, but a real star. He performed on the world’s most famous stages and the media hailed him as the next Baryshnikov. But the curtain fell on Aleksey’s dazzling career when he suffered a severe spinal injury. He returned home to a provincial town of 70,000 people just outside of Moscow and opened a dance studio and school. Now, nearly 20 years since his traumatic exit from the stage, we witness a typical day in Aleksey’s life. He drives from home to the dance school, even though he could get there quicker on foot. The daily routine at work is endless.
Director: Anna Matison
Cinematographer: Serg Otrepiev
Produced by: Sergey Bezrukov Film Company, Production Value WorldWide
Russia, 2016
Chronicles of Melanie, The
14 June 1941. Under the Stalinist regime, ca. 40,000 Lithuanians, Latvians, and Estonians are deported to Siberia. Among them is Melānija Vanaga, an Latvian journalist and her eight-year-old son. The fate of her husband, whom she is separated from, remains unknown. Melānija has to find the strength to survive the physical and psychological tortures of captivity. A touching piece based on a true story that shows the power of human character, the steadfastness of the spirit, and the most painful experiences imaginable. Everything combines to make this story one of the greatest tragedies in Latvian history.
Original title: Melanijas hronika
Director: Viestur Kairish
Cinematographer: Gints Bērzins
Produced by: Mistrus Media
Latvia, Czech Republic, Finland 2016
Convoy
In one of the biggest detention centres in the country one of the inmates gets killed. He is shot by major NOWACKI, the director of the centre, who disappears right after the incident. An investigation starts. The prosecutor discovers that the reasons for this crime should be looked for in the convoy from two years ago. Sergeant BERG, one of the participants of the mysterious convoy, is summoned for the interrogation. Despite a conspiracy of silence the prosecutor slowly unveils the mystery. We move to the events from the past. The film touches on the subject of crime and punishment in the contemporary world as well as a moral dilemma concerning the question how to deal with a brutal killer whose actions are similar to those of Breivik’s. Where is the line between human evilness and crime one has to pay for?
Original title: Konwój
Director: Maciej Żak
Cinematographer: Michał Sobiciński
Produced by: Profil Film Jacek Rzehak
Polish distributor: KINO ŚWIAT Sp. z o. o.
Poland, 2017
Darkland
Zaid, a famous heart surgeon and immigrant from Iraq, lives in a luxurious apartment in the centre of Copenhagen. When his younger brother, Yasin, a small-time drug dealer, is killed in gang conflict, Zaid decides to abandon his settled life and avenge his brother. As a masked warrior, he fights to bring justice to the streets. A crime story with a psychological (revenge) and social (immigrant problems) background.
Original title: Underverden
Director: Fenar Ahmad
Cinematographer: Kasper Tuxen Andersen
Produced by: Profile Pictures ApS
Polish distributor: Mayfly Ltd
Denmark, 2017
Garage Helicopter, The
A huge dumpster suddenly plummets to earth after breaking loose from a helicopter. Meanwhile an elderly Romani woman wakes up with a pervasive longing for a wall clock from her past. Those two seemingly trivial events lead to the woman’s three grandchildren setting off on a long journey through the windy highways of Sweden, determined to find the clock and bring it back to their grandma. But many more unexpected discoveries await.
Original title: Sophelikoptern
Director: Jonas Selberg Augustsén
Cinematographer: Anders Bohman
Produced by: Bob Film Sweden AB
Sweden, Quatar, 2015
Heartstone
During an exciting and emotional summer, two teenage friends – Thór and Kristján – discover new feelings. While Thór tries to win the heart of his dream girl, Kristján begins to realise that he wishes for a more intimate relationship with his friend. Once the summer break is over, the astonishing but cruel nature of Iceland takes back its rights and the boys have to bid farewell to their childhood.
Original title: Hjartasteinn
Polish title: Serce z kamienia
Director: Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson
Cinematographer: Sturla Brandth Grøvlen
Produced by: SF Studios
Polish distributor: Bomba Film
Denmark, Iceland, 2016
In the Fade
Out of nowhere, Katja’s life falls apart when her husband Nuri and little son Rocco are killed in a bomb attack. Her friends and family try to give her the support she needs, and Katja somehow manages to make it through the funeral. But the mind-numbing search for the perpetrators and the reasons behind the senseless killing complicate Katja’s painful mourning, opening wounds and doubts. Danilo, a lawyer and Nuri’s best friend, represents Katja in the eventual trial against the two suspects: a young couple from the neo-Nazi scene. The trial pushes Katja to the edge, but there’s simply no alternative for her: she wants justice.
Original title: Aus dem Nichts
Polish title: W ułamku sekundy
Director: Fatih Akin
Cinematographer: Rainer Klausmann
Produced by: bombero international GmbH & CO KG, Macassar Productions, The Match Factory
Polish distributor: GUTEK Film Sp. z o. o.
Germany, 2017
King's Choice, The
The King’s Choice is based on the true story of three dramatic days in April 1940 when the king of Norway is presented with an unimaginable ultimatum from the German armed forces: surrender or die. With the German air force and soldiers hunting them, the royal family is forced to flee from the capital. They decide to part ways without knowing if they’ll ever see each other again. Crown Princess Märtha leaves Norway with the children to seek refuge in Sweden, while King Haakon and Crown Prince Olav stay to fight the Germans. After three days of desperately trying to evade the Germans, King Haakon makes his final decision. He refuses to capitulate, even if it costs him, his family, and many Norwegians their lives.
Original title: Kongens Nei
Director: Erik Poppe
Cinematographer: John Christian Rosenlund
Produced by: Paradox Film 1 AS
Norway, 2016
Law of the Land
A remote Finnish village in Lapland next to the Swedish border. A retiring police officer learns that his illegitimate son has been released from prison and is terrorising the area. The young man has discovered the big family secret and is seeking revenge by assaulting people close to the police officer – including his other legitimate son. The hatred between the two brothers leaves the area in a state of vengeance and violence, forcing the villagers to take the law in their own hands. While trying to prevent the brothers from killing each other, the police officer is forced to face his past mistakes. The final showdown takes place in the Arctic desert of the North.
Original title: Armoton maa
Director: Jussi Hiltunen
Cinematography: Tuomo Hutri
Produced by: Making Movies Oy
Norway, Finland, 2017
November
An Estonian village is infested with werewolves, ghosts, and pestilence. The main concern of the inhabitants is to survive the long, dark winter. In order to do so, everyone steals from everyone: the neighbours, German employers, ghosts, even the devil and Christ. To save their souls, the locals hide them in “kratts” – puppets made of wood and metal that are supposed to help their owners to steal. People keep on stealing even though their pantries are bursting at the seams. But they will pay sooner than later.
Director: Rainer Sarnet
Cinematographer: Mart Taniel
Produced by: Homeless Bob Production
Estonia, 2017
Seneca's Day
It is 1988 – the final year of the Soviet era – in Vilnius, Lithuania. A group of 18-year-old friends establishes an informal group called Seneca’s Fellowship, disassociating themselves from the Soviet system. They vow to live each day as if it were their last. A love triangle breaks up the fellowship right at the moment the country is experiencing a rebirth during the Baltic Chain demonstration for independence. The main character, seen 25 years later, appears at first glance to be successful. However, he is disillusioned with himself. His habit of disassociating himself from life’s circumstances has made him a cold observer of life. A family crisis compels him to remember the oath he took in his youth.
Original title: Senekos diena
Director: Kristijonas Vildžiūnas
Cinematographer: Audrius Kemezys
Produced by: Studio Uljana Kim
Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, 2016
