The members of EFP (European Film Promotion) elected a new Board of Directors at today's General Assembly during the Cannes Film Festival. The Board is composed of seven members, and the term of office lasts for two years. Four EFP members were newly appointed to the board: Catherine Ann Berger, Managing Director of Swiss Films, Arben Zharku, Director of Kosova Cinematography Center with Markéta Šantrochová, Deputy Director of Czech Film Center serving as President and Stine Oppegaard, Manager International Relations Feature Films, Norwegian Film Institute as Vice President.
EFP’s Managing Director Sonja Heinen wishes to thank Martin Schweighofer, President for the past four years, on behalf of all EFP members “for his exceptional dedication and reliability. With his vast experience of working in the industry, Martin has fostered EFP’s projects and helped to bring new initiatives to life. His international network is really impressive and, on top of that, he is a true champion of the European idea, always putting the common goals of our international network of film promotion institutes first. We will miss him as President, but we are delighted that he will continue to be part of EFP.”
The members of the Board of Directors are:
President: Markéta Šantrochová, Deputy Director of Czech Film Center Vice President: Stine Oppegaard, Manager International Relations Feature Films, Norwegian Film Institute Catherine Ann Berger, Managing Director of Swiss Films Briony Hanson, Director of Film, British Council Nerina T. Kocjančič, Head of Promotion and Distribution, Slovenian Film Centre Françoise Lentz, Head of Promotion, Film Fund Luxembourg Markéta Šantrochová, Deputy Director of Czech Film Center Arben Zharku, Director of Kosova Cinematography Center
EFP (European Film Promotion) is an international network of film promotion institutes from 37 countries from throughout Europe, each representing their national films and talent abroad. Under the EFP flag, these organisations come together to jointly promote the diversity and spirit of European cinema and talent at key film festivals and markets, in particular outside of Europe. EFP is financially supported by the Creative Europe – MEDIA Programme of the European Union and by its member organisations. The Hamburg-based office is backed by the German Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, the Film Fund Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein and the Ministry of Culture of the City of Hamburg.
For more information please visit www.efp-online.com
On 29 May, the EARLY BIRD ticket sales start for the Riga International Film Festival (RIGA IFF) that will take place from October 17 to 27. This limited offer of one hundred exclusive ten-ticket packs is valid for all festival screenings!
Feature films, documentaries and short films from all over the world will be shown in more than 100 screenings of the RIGA IFF competition and themed sections.
FESTIVAL SELECTION, a section of outstanding new discoveries, showcases films that have thrilled the audiences of prominent international film festivals. RIGA IFF can now reveal three of them! Sorry, We Missed You (2019) by the British social drama master Ken Loach, nominated for Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, will touch a cord with those shaken by the dark side of globalization. The self-ironic Non-Fiction (Doubles vies, 2018) by the French director and screenwriter Olivier Assayas, one of the contenders for the Golden Lion of the Venice Film Festival, makes us smile about the twists and turns of careers and love lives of contemporary high society as well as problems and hopes brought by universal digitalization. Probably, the most unexpected surprise will be the partially autobiographical tragicomedy Synonyms(Synonymes, 2019) by the Israeli director Nadav Lapid, telling a story about the ability and disability to break free from one’s national identity. The film received the Golden Bear of the Berlin Film Festival and the prize of the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI).
The focus of the retrospective and research will be on cinema and technologies this year. Therefore, futuristic visions of several different film classics will vibrate on the big screen in the section IN TECHNO VERITAS. Namely, the message of aliens to the mankind shot during the Cold War Era The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) by Robert Wise, the iconic 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) by Stanley Kubrick, the techno-surreal provocation with violence and brainwashing Videodrome (1983) by the innovator of forms and languages David Paul Cronenberg and the politically satiric Orwellian dystopia Brazil (1985) by Terry Gilliam.
More on other festival film sections, competitions and special ticket packs – 10 tickets for 40€ on the RIGA IFF website rigaiff.lv.
We welcome you to see the RIGA IFF 2019 announcement video, revealing both the identity of this year and the films to be screened during the festival. Watch here!
This will be the sixth instalment of the Riga International Film Festival. The audience reached more than 22,000 people last year. This year, RIGA IFF will take place from October 17 to 27 in film theatres Splendid Palace, KSuns, Kino Bize as well as the Latvian National Library and Kaņepe Culture Centre. More than 100 screenings in 11 film sections will run along with lectures, discussions and other events gathering hundreds of international film professionals in Riga.
RIGA IFF is supported by the State Culture Capital Foundation of Latvia, the National Film Centre of Latvia and the Riga City Council.
BUCHAREST: The 23rd edition of the European Film Festival will take place from 11 to 30 June 2019 in the Romanian towns of Bucharest, Râmnicu Vâlcea, Tîrgu-Mureș and Sibiu, and for the first time in the capital of the Republic of Moldova, Chișinău. The festival is organised by the Romanian Cultural Institute.
FNE at Art Film Fest 2019: Latvian Coproduction The Humorist Heads to Art Film Fest Competition
Slovakia 11-06-2019KOSICE: Michael Idov’s debut feature The Humorist is one of two Latvian coproductions screening in the main competition of the Art Film Festival, which runs 14 – 22 June in Kosice, Slovakia.
KOSICE: The Latvian/Belgian/Lithuanian/French coproduction Oleg by Juris Kursietis screens in the main competition of the 27th Art Film Fest, which takes place 14 – 22 June 2019 in the Eastern Slovak city of Kosice.
BITOLA: American cinematographer and director Edward Lachman is this year`s recipient of the Golden Camera 300 Lifetime Achievement Award of the Manaki Brothers Film Festival, which will be held September 14th to 21st 2019 in Bitola.
This was announced at the press-conference of the festival on Wednesday along with a video message from the first laureate of the 40th edition of the festival. Lachman expressed his gratitude for the reward which once again relates him directly with his Eastern European origin and said "In Eastern Europe I found art, in America, life".
The festival art director, Blagoja Kunovski – Dore, said that Lachman's name is at the very top not only of the American but also of the world film and it is a great pleasure that he accepted the invitation to come the festival.
"For decades Lachman has been at the forefront of American cinema and has been nominated for an Oscar several times. But now we are pleased to present him with our Oscar, the Golden Camera 300 forlifetime achievement, which he absolutely deserves. Having him as a new laureate of the Golden Camera 300, with the inspirational dimension of his tireless creative energy and with all his humane, altruistic nobleness in the character of Ed Lachman, the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Manaki Brothers, gets the most appropriate enchantment of cinematographers` art " – Kunovski said.
The festival director, Gena Teodosievska, noted that the preparations for the jubilee edition are intense.
"And while all together we worked hard on this edition, we have also worked on our other collaborations – the festival received the IMAGO, the International Cinematographers’ Association award for extraordinary contribution to the promotion of film art; we presented five short Macedonian films at the festival for short film in Poznan, Poland along with five young directors; at The Danish Film Institute last week we presented several Macedonian feature films from the younger generation of directors. This festival is forming partnerships with European and world festivals, which was our mission as well – not to be just a festival for screening films, but also a link between our filmmakers and European and world filmmakers" – Teodosievska said.
The President of the Macedonian Film Professionals’ Association, Igor Ivanov – Izi, also addressed the media, emphasizing that the Association remains committed to the Festival, which is the most important project of the Association. Ivanov informed that traditionally the Association will present the Big Star of Macedonian film award.
The director of the Cultural Center in Bitola, Maja Andonovska Ilievska also addressed the press conference and said that this year the Center as a main venue will dedicate particular attention to the Festival, given the jubilee edition and respond to the high criteria of the festival.
On behalf of the Municipality of Bitola, Evgenia Bektash Josifovska said that as every year, the Municipality will support the festival providing accommodation of the guests, printed materials, as well as other organizational matters.
BRATISLAVA: Slovakia will be out in force at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival and MIFA, sending an eight-person delegation, including five producers among the attendees.
Discover Slovak Animation at MIFA
The Russian/Estonian film won the Best Doc award at the Zlin IFF for Children and Youth 2019.
Call for applications is open until August 16, 2019
The eighth edition of MIDPOINTs local module for Slovak filmmakers will take place in Bratislava from September 23-25, 2019.
Intensive 3-day workshop will focus on the script development of participating projects. Slovak creative teams of writers and/or directors and producers can apply with their feature-length film project.
We are very happy to work again with writer, director, editor and acclaimed script consultant Ivo Trajkov, who will act as the group leader of the program.
The program also offers tailor-made online consultations after the program concludes, according to the need of each project.
The workshop will be conducted in Slovak language and it is organized in partnership with Slovak Film Institute.
The deadline for applications is August 16, 2019 – read more about the program here and in case you are Slovak filmmaker with a suitable project, apply here.
MEET US
MIDPOINT is traveling to Transilvania International Film Festival, get in touch to schedule a meeting!
June 5 - 9, 2019
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., MIDPOINT TV Launch & Writers´Room Program Coordinator
MIDPOINT operates under the auspices of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague.
