FNE: As a president of Romanian Film Promotion (www.romfilmpromotion.ro), which is organizing annualy the Gopo Gala (www.premiilegopo.ro) celebrating the Romanian film industry, what do you think it was the most important development in the Romanian film industry in 2011?

Prague, April 4 2012 - The Czech Film Center has prepared several activities for this year’s Finále Plzeň - the festival of Czech films. The traditional presentation of Upcoming feature and animated films, which the Czech Film Center (CFC) is organizing for the 11th time, will take place April 27. The presentation is the most detailed and comprehensive overview of Czech films of various genres in progress and is accompanied by the release of a detailed catalogue.

CFC celebrates its 10th anniversary this year and is significantly enriching its activities within the framework of this year’s Finále Plzeň. CFC focuses on the constant support and presentation of Czech cinema, especially abroad; the significant support of the presence of domestic films and filmmakers at international festivals; and connecting Czech filmmakers, producers and distributors with foreign partners.

Within the newly introduced Industry Days at Finále Plzeň, three thematic panels are scheduled for April 26 and 28. This year’s focus is on Polish cinematography and contacts between Czech and Polish filmmakers, producers, distributors and cultural professionals. Czech and Polish representatives will discuss the topics of financing, laws and inter-regional cooperation as well as new forms of film distribution. The panels are kindly supported by Polish Film Institute and CzechTourism agency.

The Long Night of Short Films, which has a shorter but equally interesting tradition, will take place April 26 at Měštanská beseda. Young directors will present six selected short films from the recently released DVD, Czech Short Films 2012, Vol. 3.

Czech Film Center Events

Presentation of Upcoming feature and animated films

Producers and other members of creative teams will present about 20 new domestic feature and animated films that have not yet been released. The presentation will include the traditional catalogue of works in progress, the new edition of which will be presented to the public for the first time at Finále Plzeň. The catalogue is divided into three phases: projects in development, in production and in post-production. Beginning this year, the catalogue will also include new categories of information.

Date: April 27, 10am-2pm

Place: Malý sál, Měšťanská beseda

Moderator: Tomáš Baldýnský (publicist and screenwriter)

Presenting: Producers will present their projects (approximately 20) in seven-minute blocs

Target audience: Producers, journalists, foreign guests of the festival

Panel I: Polish experience and Czech expectations: Financing Polish and Czech cinematography today

Panelists will discuss a new Czech audiovisual law and the current law on the Czech State Fund as well as the experiences of the Polish Film Institute, which was established seven years ago by a new Polish law on cinematography.

Date: April 26, 10am-12pm

Place: Taneční sál, Měšťanská beseda

Moderator: Tomáš Baldýnský (publicist and screenwriter)

Panelists: Jacek Bromski (director, chairman of the Filmmakers’ Association, tbc), Agnieszka Odorowicz (director of the Polish Film Institute, tbc), Tereza Csesany Dvořáková (member of the Council of the State Fund for Support and Development of Czech cinematography, Pavel Berčík (producer, Evolutions Film)

Target audience: New members of the Council of the State Fund, producers, journalists, festival guests

Panel II: Support of film production in regions and possibilities of using film to market destinations

The panel will present several years of experience among regional film offices and funds in Poland and will discuss the opportunities and interest of regions in the Czech Republic. Regional support of film production is common in European countries – film offices offer logistical support, and films with a regional aspect are subsidized through regional funds. There are 11 regional and municipal funds and offices in Poland which provided film productions approximately CZK 61 million (EUR 2.5 million) in support in 2011, in addition to logistical support.

Date: April 26, 2pm-4pm

Place: Taneční sál, Měšťanská beseda

Moderator: Ludmila Claussová (Czech Film Commission)

Panelists: Rafał Bubnicki (Lower Silesia Film Fund), Monika Głowacka (Łódź Film Commission), Adéla Koudelová/Hana Cívelová (City of Ostrava, Dept. of Economic Development), Alena Horáková (Destination Management Agency East Bohemia)

Target audience: Representatives of regions, towns and districts; destination agencies, producers, journalists, festival guests

Panel III: Ways to attract viewers, or How to survive as a distributor at present

The role of film distributors is changing. Presenting in cinemas is no longer enough. Distributors also co-produce, handle international sales, run cinemas and organize festivals. Participants of the panel will discuss possibilities and new approaches of Czech and Polish distribution companies.

Date: April 28, 10am-12pm

Place: Taneční sál, Měšťanská beseda

Moderator: Dominika Prejdová (Czech Center Warszaw)

Panelists: Jakub Duszyński (distributor, Gutek film), Přemysl Martínek (distributor Artcam), Petr Zelenka (director and screenwriter).

Target audience: Distributors, producers, journalists, festival guests

Long Night of Short Films

For the third time, the Czech Film Center presents a series of short films at Finále Plzeň, including a selection of six titles from the new DVD, Czech Short Films 2012, Vol. 3. The DVD presents all genres and film schools in Prague, Písek and Zlín. The filmmakers will present their films in person in Plzeň. A collection of films from the Institute of Art and Design at the University of West Bohemia in Plzeň will follow the CFC program. In the evening, audience members will have an opportunity to speak with the young filmmakers about their work and current Czech film.

The screening will take place on April 26 from 8pm at Taneční sál of Měšťanské beseda.

Czech Short Films 2012 was released in January as the third edition of the DVD of selected works, which CFC launched in 2010. With the addition of Spanish subtitles, this year’s DVD is accessible in four languages, giving it a greater opportunity of being used by international festivals. CFC presented the collection for the first time at the International Short Film Festival in Clermont-Ferrand in January, thanks to which approximately 20 international festivals have already expressed interest in the films.

Short Films presented in Plzeň:

Písně kosmické (Cosmic Songs)/ Katarína Dědičová / live action / FAMO / 10 min.

A film about the desire to answer the question whether life really exists in the universe, and also about such worldly emotions as love and friendship.

Blízký přítel (Close Friend) / Pavel Soukup / animated / Academy of Arts (VŠUP) / 6 min.

An animated film about a lonely old woman, her very strange friend and even stranger decision.

5 Kč (5 Crowns) / Marek Ciccotti / documentary / FAMO / 14 min.

A documentary probing the territory of public toilets and their women caretakers in areas of Prague’s metro.

Neplavci (Non-swimmers) / Jakub Šmíd / live action / FAMU / 23 min.

This graduation-thesis documentary tells the story of a vacation at a deserted recreational center, where nothing happens at all. During the long wait, however, it is possible to experience a bitter summer love.

Jáma (The Hollow) / Jiří Stejskal / documentary / Tomas Bata University in Zlín / 23 min.

A documentary depicting the life of a Ukrainian family who does not comply with today’s way of life. Where the old meets the new, where something unique transforms, a conflict arises.

Dezert (Dessert) / Anna Mastníková / animated / VŠUP / 4 min.

A short animated film about three forms of love in which partners cut down, flirt with and eat one another. In the leading roles, spaghetti and whipped cream in a special restaurant…

Contact:

Phone: +420 221 105 398

e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

www.filmcenter.cz

„LOSING SONIA” AND „3 DAYS OF FREEDOM”
PREMIERE AT VISIONS DU RÉEL

Two documentaries produced by Wajda Studio, "Losing Sonia" by Radka Franczak and "3 Days of Freedom", by Łukasz Borowski, were selected for the programme of the 18th Visions du Réel Festival in Nyon, Switzerland, which starts today.

"Losing Sonia" is the latest production of Wajda Studio (co-produced by Otter Films Anna Wydra), whose world premiere will take place at this year's Visions du Réel Festival (20 - 27 April), where the film will be screened in the International Competition for Middle Length Films. The Radka Franczak documentary shows how a seemingly rigid monastery can be a place full of life, beauty and artistic expression. Sonia, a young nun, paints icons in the night and then sleeps until noon. She has a dog, cats, exotic birds, and a body that rebelled against the strict rigour of the monks. Trying to understand her and the meaning of her life choices, we come to Sonia’s family, marked with the history of Russia. At the same time, the film is a journey inside the Orthodox church, showing that the deep spirituality of the nation is being reborn. "Losing Sonia" tells the story of an unusual woman who, within the walls of the monastery, is trying to rebuild the values that Russian society has lost under successive political regimes.

"Losing Sonia" is Radka Franczak's debut middle length film production. The director alludes to the topic of her previous short documentary film – "Stiepan" (produced by Wajda Studio, 2006), which was a record of a conversation with a random traveller at the train station in Terespol. In 13 minutes, a 75-year-old Russian recounts his life story – the story of a deeply religious man who, despite severe persecutions, refused to renounce his beliefs.

One of the five cameramen is Michael Ackerman, an American photographer known for his radical and unique approach to photography.

Screenings of “Losing Sonia” at Visions du Réel:

· April 22^nd, 2:30pm
cinema Capitole 1

· April 23^rd, 2pm
cinema Capitole 2

“3 Days of Freedom”, dir. Łukasz Borowski

"3 Days of Freedom" is a short documentary that will be presented in the International Competition, which will be its European premiere. The protagonist is Peter, who, after a long stay in prison, receives a three-day pass, during which he will have to decide what is most important in his life. So far, the film has already received the Grand Prix of the Etiuda & Anima Festival in Krakow (in the etude section) and the Best Polish Short Film Award at the "New Horizons" Festival in Wroclaw, for example. In late March, Łukasz Borowski's documentary had an American premiere at the International Documentary Film Festival "It's All True" in Brazil.

Screenings of “3 Days of Freedom” at Visions du Réel:

· April 25^th, 10pm
cinema Capitole 1

· April 26^th, 10am
cinema Capitole 2

The Visions du Réel Festival is one of the most prestigious documentary film festivals in Europe. It is worth recalling that it is not the first time that documentaries endorsed by Wajda Studio and Anna Wydra will have their premiere in Nyon. In 2009, there was the international premiere of "Rabbit a la Berlin," by Bartek Konopka and Piotr Rosołowski (produced by MS Films and Otter Films Anna Wydra), for which Bartek Konopka and Anna Wydra were nominated for an Oscar, and 2010 saw the showing of "Dog Hill" by Grzegorz Zariczny (produced by Wajda Studio).

The 31st Istanbul Film Festival organised by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts under the sponsorship of AKBANK ended on Sunday, 15 April.

Throughout two weeks, a total of 140 thousand cinephiles watched 220 films by 232 directors from 52 countries at 522 screenings grouped under 22 sections, in 7 movie theatres. In addition to the screenings that were realised with 70% occupancy rate, the festival featured twelve master classes, panel discussions, a special concert, and a workshop with the participation of the guests of the festival.

Please find the detailed information in the press release attached.

For the hi-res images from the 31st Istanbul Film Festival: iksvpress.com/film2012

FILM SPRING OPEN 2012

FILM SPRING CHANNEL on YOU TUBE.

We are very happy to announce that we have just launched Film Spring Channel on YouTube, where the viewers will be able to see the effects of this year's Film Spring Open-Air 2012.

www.youtube.com/user/filmspringopen

Thanks to our making-of team from TVN Media School we have made a welcoming video of Sławomir Idziak introducing this year's Film Spring Open-Air (workshops and festival). The video is available at the following link:

Slawomir Idziak Film Spring Open

In addition, the channel contains documentaries (making-ofs) from the previous editions, which accurately reflect a creative atmosphere that prevails at Film Spring Open-Air.

This year, apart from a continuation of 3D workshops, documentary workshops, analyzing films made by outstanding filmmakers and developing a new work flow for low-budget films, we will show and learn a new way of filmmaking.

Interactive dramaturgy is the future of cinema. The viewer does not want to be just a passive observer, he wants to be active. Film Spring Open is looking for a new format of a film show and a new way to reach the viewer.

We hope that all films made at Film Spring Open-Air (the effect of our workshops) will reach millions of viewers around the world.

For more information about Film Spring Open-Air: www.filmspringopen.eu

FILM SPRING OPEN 2012

FILM SPRING CHANNEL on YOU TUBE.

We are very happy to announce that we have just launched Film Spring Channel on YouTube, where the viewers will be able to see the effects of this year's Film Spring Open-Air 2012.

www.youtube.com/user/filmspringopen

Thanks to our making-of team from TVN Media School we have made a welcoming video of Sławomir Idziak introducing this year's Film Spring Open-Air (workshops and festival). The video is available at the following link:

Slawomir Idziak Film Spring Open

In addition, the channel contains documentaries (making-ofs) from the previous editions, which accurately reflect a creative atmosphere that prevails at Film Spring Open-Air.

This year, apart from a continuation of 3D workshops, documentary workshops, analyzing films made by outstanding filmmakers and developing a new work flow for low-budget films, we will show and learn a new way of filmmaking.

Interactive dramaturgy is the future of cinema. The viewer does not want to be just a passive observer, he wants to be active. Film Spring Open is looking for a new format of a film show and a new way to reach the viewer.

We hope that all films made at Film Spring Open-Air (the effect of our workshops) will reach millions of viewers around the world.

For more information about Film Spring Open-Air: www.filmspringopen.eu

BUCHAREST: Jesus del Cerro (Ho Ho Ho, The Bride Was Stolen, Ho Ho Ho 2: A Family Lottery) began filming the comedy Grandma together with producer Alma Sârbu and MediaPro Pictures (www.mediapropictures.com) on 1 April the 2012.

MEETINGS ON THE BRIDGE 2011

In its sixth year, the Meetings on the Bridge (MoB), aims at creating a platform, a meeting point for the film industry within the frame of the 30th Istanbul Film Festival. The programme continues to bring together Turkish and European producers, directors, scriptwriters and representatives of institutions to provide the opportunity for Turkish filmmakers to make the first international presentations of their feature film projects, and build a platform for co-productions.

Meetings on the Bridge is introducing the Turkish-German Co-Production Film Development Fund in collaboration with Medienboard Berlin- Brandenburg and Hamburg Schleswig Holstein Funds and the support of the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism,with a budget of 150.000 Euro .
In addition, for the first time, Turkish-French Co-production Meetings and meetings with Italian Filmmakers Meetings will take place.

The guests of this year's platform include Eric Garandeau, President of CNC; Marit van den Elshout, Head of Cinemart / Rotterdam Film Festival; Marten Rabarts, Artistic Director of Binger Lab; Claire Launay from ARTE; Mira Staleva from Sofia Film Lab; Roberto Olla, Executive Director - Eurimages; Savina Neirotti, Head of Torino Film Lab; Sonja Heinen, Head of Berlinale Co-production Market; Thibaut Bracq, Head of Paris Project; Katriel Schory, Head of Israel Film Fund; and award winning producers such as Cedomir Kolar (No Man's Land), Ilann Girard (Lebanon, Goodbye Bafana, March of the Penguins); and Stéphane Parthenay (Pyramid and co-producer of Three Monkeys).

Film Development Workshop, 13-14 April

The fourth Film Development Workshop, which receive great attention from cinema professionals, organised as part of the 30th Istanbul Film Festival will take place on April 13 and 14 this year.

The producers and directors of the 12 film projects selected from among the 99 projects submitted this year will be having one-to-one meetings with producers, distributors and the representatives of international institutions including Rotterdam Film Festival, Eurimages, ARTE, Cinemart, Binger Lab, Torino Film Lab, and Fortissimo Films. Through these meetings, directors and producers of the elected projects find the opportunity to make the preliminary preparations and spadework for international co-production workshops and markets they will be taking part in. They also get the chance to realize the initial contact with producers and distributors who are interested in their projects and perform their international presentations without leaving the country.

At the end of the meetings, two projects will receive the $10.000 Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism Development support, the 25.000 TL worth Melodika Post-Production Support, and 10.000 Euro CNC Support. For the first time this year, Dutch film institution Binger Lab will award a project with 2.500 Euro worth of Script Development Scholarship.

The award winning project of 2008, Zefir (Zephyr) by Belma Baş was completed in 2010 and it received the Artistic Achievement Award at the 51st Thessaloniki Film Festival and the Rajata Chakoram Award (Silver Crow Pheasant) in the 'Best Debut Film' category at the 15th Kerala International Film Festival. Zephyr continues the festival tour.

The shooting of Sesime Gel (Come to My Voice) by Hüseyin Karabey, that received the 2009 award, will start in October 2011 and the shooting of Babamın Sesi (Voice of My Father) by Orhan Eskiköy - Zeynel Doğan, one of the award winning projects of 2010, will start in May 2011. Another award winning project, Üst Kattaki Terörist (Terrorist Upstairs) by Emre Yeksan, is currently in script writing stage. Ebedi Uykusuz (Last Sleepless) by İlke Yeşilay, which was considered praiseworthy by the jury, received the 10,000 Euro support award of the Balkan Fund at the 51st Thessaloniki Film Festival.

The Film Development Workshop is frequented especially by European producers and distributors who wish to get informed on film projects and meet the filmmakers . This year, 14 film professionals will conduct meetings with the producers and directors of the projects .

Turkish-German Co-Production Film Development Fund
The Istanbul Film Festival - Meetings on the Bridge, in collaboration with Medienboard Berlin- Brandenburg and Hamburg Schleswig Holstein Funds with the support of the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism, is proud to set up for the first time this year, the Turkish and German Co-production Development Fund. The foundations of the fund had been laid during the Turkish-German Co-Productions Panel conducted within the scope of the Meetings On The Bridge Platform of the 29th Istanbul Film Festival.

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TURKISH FILM INDUSTRY 2010 REPORT

Following the international acclaim of several Turkish films and the growing share of Turkish Films at Turkey's box office numbers, Turkish film industry has become an interesting field to observe in the last few years. These developments have continued in 2010. In 2009 the number of new Turkish releases were 69. In 2010, this number slightly dropped to 65, however the number of admissions for Turkish films increased to 21,706,524, from 18,790,700. This was a crucial increase, after the sharp drop in 2009. In 2008 the number of admissions for Turkish Films was
23,074,291.

In 2009, the total number of admissions for Turkish and foreign releases was 36,899,954. In 2010 with an 11% increase, the total number of admissions reached 41,064,394. Turkish films share in the total admissions has reached 53%. In comparison to other countries, where there is no quota for foreign releases this is an unusually high share. However when one considers that in 2009 the total admissions in France, Germany, Poland and South Korea were 200,000,000, 146,000,000, 39,000,000 and 156,000,000 respectively, the relatively small size of Turkish market becomes more apparent. Still this also highlights the potential for growth.

The average admissions per Turkish films is 334,000. However when you study the box office numbers of each and every new Turkish film released, you observe that only the top 12 films were able to sell over 334,000 tickets, and top five Turkish hits shared the 62% of the admissions. These numbers tell us that, the increase in production and the increase in admissions are not really related processes in Turkish Cinema. The industry has been able to produce a few popular movies every year drawing millions to the theaters, however the general admissions level for less commercially oriented movies are able to reach to only a limited number of audience. The most striking example of this is Semih Kaplanoğlu's Bal (Honey), which won the Golden Bear in 2010. The film was released with 32 copies and barely reached 32,000 admissions. What is more disappointing is the fact that in the box office list for Turkish films in 2010, there are 29 more films under Bal. So out of the 65 Turkish films released, 45% were under 30,000 admissions.

This unequal distribution of admissions, raise important questions regarding the sustainability of growth of production and the development of the industry. One of the main reasons for such picture is that the distributors in Turkey, take minimum risk and leave almost all the distribution, PR and marketing expenses to the producer. Hence, they could easily distribute Turkish Films to support Turkish Cinema, even though if they don't expect any commercial gain. Sometimes for the distributor it is really difficult to find enough number of theaters, or to keep the film showing more than one or two weeks, but still many films are granted the chance to have a theatrical release and enter the annual statistics. Thanks to the highly risk averse practices of distributors in Turkey.

PLZEN: Some of the Czech Republic's leading filmmakers will be represented in the more than 20 films screening in the Finale Plzen documentary competition.

{mosimage}BUDAPEST: Mihaly Schwechtj is developing Heat, a black-comedy set in a small village an involving love, friendship, sex, lies and some pregnant goats.

Höség/Heat is produced by László Kántor with Új Budapest Filmstúdió Kft (www.ujbudapestfilmstudio.hu). The project was selected at Binger Filmlab (www.binger.nl) for development, at Cinelink-Sarajevo (http://www.sff.ba/en/cinelink), and it was on the short list of the Sundance Film Festival (http://www.sundance.org/festival/). Foreign coproducers are expected. Possible co-producers are Helena Danielson together with the Swedish HEPP Film (www.heppfilm.se), and John Keville together Conor Barry Irish producers –SPFilms, Kántor told FNE.