CLUJ-NAPOCA: Babyteeth, the debut feature by the Australian director Shannon Murphy, was awarded the Transilvania Trophy at the 19th edition of the Transilvania International Film Festival (TIFF), which took place entirely outdoors in Cluj-Napoca from 31 July to 9 August 2020. The documentary Acasă, My Home by Radu Ciorniciuc was awarded Best Film in the Romanian Days section.
BUCHAREST: The sixth edition of the Pustnik Screenwriters Residency, which will take place 7–14 September 2020, has selected eight projects from 110 submissions from 52 countries. Pustnik is the first screenwriting workshop to take place in Romania.
WE WILL HAPPEN!
Black Nights will happen, lockdown or no lockdown!
Following the events unfolding in the world and the signs of potential COVID-19 resurgence in Europe, we are preparing for all possible scenarios, including making most of the festival and industry features available online. This includes a new feature: the international press and industry will have online access to films and projects, no matter their geographic location!
The festival dates remain the same taking place from the 13th of November until the 29th of November.
Stay tuned for updates!
The 45th Polish Film Festival will be held in Gdynia on December 8-12, 2020. The decision was made by the Organizing Committee at the meeting held on August 5, 2020, adopting the new Regulations of the Polish Film Festival.
4th of August, 2020
TETA has selected the writers for the sixth edition of the Pustnik Screenwriters Residency, which will take place 7–14 September 2020. The eight projects have been selected from 110 submissions from 52 countries.
Tim Ellrich – Tal der Könige (Germany)
Cristina Groșan – Meteos (Romania / Hungary)
Mika Gustafson – Sisters (Sweden)
Mark Noonan – A Hidden Pearl (Ireland)
Răzvan Oprescu – Rehabilitated (Romania)
Zhanna Ozirna – Ground Zero (Ukraine)
Cenón Obispo Palomares & Xeph Suarez – Dancing the Tides (The Philippines)
Léa Triboulet & Iva Brdar – I Will Drink With The Bees (France / Serbia)
WARSAW: FNE has teamed up with the Brussels based team of the International Union of Cinemas (UNIC) to bring you regular updates on EU cinema policies that impact all industry professionals across Europe. Click here for FNE UNIC EU Cinema Policy Update.
TALLINN: Memory of Water, the adaptation of the eponymous bestseller by Emmi Itäranta, is currently shooting near Tallinn. The film directed by Saara Saarela is a Finnish/Estonian/German/Norwegian coproduction with a budget of 3.5 m EUR.
COVID-19 - EU response
29/07: Readout of the meeting between European Commission President von der Leyen, European Parliament President Sassoli and German Chancellor Merkel (rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union) – European Commission
27/07: Coronavirus: Commission launches call for innovative response and recovery partnerships between EU regions – European Commission
The aim of the call is to help regions catch the opportunities emerging from the crisis, develop resilience and build on green and digital transformation for the recovery of the most affected sectors, such as health and tourism.
23/07: EU long-term budget deal must be improved for Parliament to accept it – European Parliament
The recovery fund is a “historic move”, but long-term EU priorities such as the Green Deal and the Digital Agenda are put at risk, MEPs say.
21/07: European Council conclusions, 17-21 July 2020 – Council of the EU
On 21 July 2020, the European Council adopted conclusions on the recovery plan and multiannual financial framework for 2021-2027.
23/07: "This is historic. We renewed our marriage vows for 30 years. Europe is there, strong, standing tall" . Report by President Charles Michel at the European Parliament on the Special European Council of 17-21 July 2020 – Council of the EU
21/07: EU summit compromise: positive step for recovery, inadequate in the long-term – European Parliament
Commenting on the conclusions of the 17-21 July EU summit, EP negotiators welcome the recovery fund but warn that their agreement to the long-term EU budget cannot be taken for granted.
24/07: Four days, four nights: A look back on the special meeting of the European Council in July 2020 – EU 2020 DE
The first meeting in person of the Heads of State and Government of the EU since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic turned into a negotiating marathon. Instead of running two days as originally planned, the special meeting of the European Council lasted four days and nights, from 17 to 21 July.
22/07: REACT-EU: Council agrees on its partial negotiating position – Council of the EU
The EU is providing additional funding and flexibility in the use of the structural funds to help member states' recovery efforts following the COVID-19 outbreak.
Conference on the future of Europe
28/07: Senior MEP urges Member States to ensure that delayed Conference on Future of Europe starts in September – The Parliament Magazine
Mairead McGuinness, a Vice-President of Parliament, wants the Council to draw up its position on the planned conference “as soon as possible.”
EU State aid decisions
27/07: State aid: Commission approves € 866 million Czech scheme to support businesses affected by coronavirus outbreak – European Commission
23/07: State aid: Commission approves €2.6 billion Polish scheme to support companies affected by coronavirus outbreak – European Commission
Recent studies
EAO - Copyright licensing rules in the European Union - August 2020MUSO - Has the displaced cinema audience become the new piracy audience? – June 2020
Events
31 August: European Parliament CULT Committee meeting
1 September: European Parliament ITRE Committee meeting
2 September: European Parliament IMCO Committee meeting
2 September: European Parliament JURI Committee meeting
8 September: Digital Services Act consultation deadline
10 September: Copyright Article 17 consultation deadline
14 September: European Parliament Plenary session, Strasbourg
17 September: European Audiovisual Observatory (EAO) advisory board video-conference
GDYNIA: The 45th Polish Film Festival in Gdynia will take place from 8 to 12 December 2020. Among the new events at the festival will be the launch of a third competition section for micro-budget films.
BRUSSELS: The International Union of Cinemas (UNIC) has issued a statement urging support for a ‘cinema first’ strategy and warns that new content must be released in cinemas first and observe a significant theatrical window, both elements being essential for the survival of the European cinema industry after the COVID-19 pandemic.
