Director Feras Fayyad is coming to Prague to introduce his Oscar-nominated “Last Men in Aleppo” documentary at the One World Film Festival.
Festivals 12-03-2018
Today, Syrian director Feras Fayyad, author of acclaimed documentary “Last Men in Aleppo” which depicts the stories of humanitarian aid workers and activists from the White Helmets movement and which has become the first Syrian film ever to be nominated for an Academy Award, confirmed he would be coming to Prague. Fayyad is coming on invitation from the One World festival and will personally introduce two screenings of his film in Prague.
The “Last Men in Aleppo” documentary made headlines around the world not only thanks to its cinematic qualities, the cruel everyday reality of the war it shows and the awards it received (apart from an Oscar nomination, it also won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance festival) but also because of the disinformation campaign launched against the film and its director on social networks. After the announcement of the Oscar nominations, the director was targeted by numerous attacks intended to discredit his work - the film was labeled “Al-Qaeda propaganda” among other things and its director a terror sympathizer.
“Russia wants to hack the Oscars the same way they hacked the US election” was the director's comment on the disinformation campaign for British The Guardian. Also, his trip to the Academy Awards ceremony wasn't an easy one. Due to the ban on travel of citizens of selected Muslim-majority countries to the USA, it wasn't clear until the very last moment if Kareem Abeed, producer of the film, could make it to the ceremony. The Academy eventually published a joint statement in his support and Abeed received his US visa at the very last moment. Nevertheless, one of the film's protagonists – Mahmoud Al-Hattar – wasn't allowed to enter the USA.
The film takes place in Aleppo, one of the cities most devastated by the Syrian war, where some of its citizens decided to stay nevertheless. Fayyad allows us to witness the everyday work of thousands of White Helmets volunteers whose tireless activities saved the lives of hundreds of thousands of civilians. The main protagonists of the film are Khaled, a worker, and Mahmoud, a former philosophy student. It took Fayyad several months to gain their trust and convince them his goal was to show them as human beings who have their own dreams, desires and ideas about their lives rather than as victims or superheroes. Both protagonists agree that to young people, working for the White Helmets is an opportunity to change the society and help in the most affected areas without having to enlist in the army or leave the country.
Fayyad himself had to flee Syria after he was jailed twice. He was sent to prison because of his previous film “On the Other Side” which he made in 2015 and which focuses on a Syrian poet who currently lives in Prague. The film was made with participation of Czech crew members. Fayyad and his family currently live in Denmark.
The One World festival will screen “Last Men in Aleppo” on Saturday, March 10 at 8:30 pm at the large hall Lucerna Cinema and on Sunday, March 11 at 8:45 pm at the small hall of the Světozor Cinema. The director is expected to be present at both screenings for questions and answers after the film. Feras Fayyad is staying in Prague until Tuesday morning.
Europa Distribution's Workshop at the Sofia Meetings Sofia International Film Festival March 14 - 18 2018
Press releases 12-03-2018
For the eighth year in a row, Europa Distribution is organizing a workshop dedicated to its members in the scope of the Sofia Meetings of the Sofia International Film Festival. About 20 independent distributors members of the association will participate in this workshop on “Effective Communication in Professional Interactions and in the Negotiation Process” and in the Sofia Meetings’ activities.
Negotiation and communication are key aspects in the daily work of distributors. Thanks to this specific workshop, attending distributors will learn how to improve their skills to acquire, sell and promote films at best through theory, exercises, experience sharing and situation analysis. Aimed especially at people for whom negotiation is a key aspect of their daily work, the workshop will take place during two days and a half, from Thursday 15 to Saturday 17 and will be given by Hélène Gallez and Joseph Drese, two coaches experts in transactional analysis, interpersonal communication and negotiation.
Attending distributors will also participate to the Sofia Meetings activities: screenings of Bulgarian and Balkan films, meetings and networking events.
The workshop on Professional Interactions and Negotiation is part of a series of trainings that Europa Distribution offers to its members during the course of the whole year, in partnership with several international film festivals in Europe. The next appointment will be at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival at the beginning of July.
Slovenian Film Centre Presents Panel Discussion "Women in the film sector: a gender issue"
Press releases 12-03-2018
Within the 20th Documentary Film Festival
Tuesday, 20th of March 2018 at 15:00
Klub Lily Novy at Cankarjev dom, Ljubljana
PROGRAMME
Part I
15.00 Introductory speech - Nataša Bučar, Director of the Slovenian Film Centre
15.05 Presentation of the Council of Europe Recommendations on gender equality in the AV sector - Enrico Vannucci, Deputy Executive Director of Eurimages
15.15 Presentation of the EURIMAGES Strategy for Gender Equality in the European Film Sector 2018-2020 - Susan Newman-Baudais, Eurimages
15.25 Activities of the Swedish Film Institute in the field of gender equality - Kristina Börjeson, Head of Film Funding, Swedish Film Institute
15.50 Film gaze and representation of gender in Yugoslav film: some examples - Maja Bogojević, film critic, Camera Lucida, Montenegro
16.10 Presentation on "The Place of Women in Slovenian Film Sector: Gender Equality (2011-2017)" - Nika Gričar, researcher, Slovenian Film Center
16.30 Discussion with questions and answers in the presence of Slovenian film Directors, among others: Urša Menart, Sonja Prosenc, Hanna Slak, Maja Weiss, Ida Weiss
Moderated by: Boštjan Narat
17.30 – 18.00
Reception and informal socializing
Part II
9.00 Film screening of the documentary film My Way 50 (2018) directed by Maja Weiss at the Slovenian Cinematheque
21.00 Film screening of the documentary film Peter vs. Harry (2017) directed by Ida Weiss at the Slovenian Cinematheque
Submissions are now being accepted for Polish films and projects as part of Polish Days 2018, to be held July 30 – August 1, 2018, during the 18th New Horizons International Film Festival (July 26 – August 5, 2018).
Polish Days
Polish Days, the most important industry event at the New Horizons International Film Festival, is organized jointly with the Polish Film Institute. At special closed screenings, it offers members of the international film industry opportunities to view the latest Polish projects in all stages of production, including completed films and fragments of films in postproduction as well as taking part in presentations for projects in development. As each year, organizers expect about 200 guests including sales agents, distributors, festival programmers and producers to be in attendance. Polish Days offers an unparalleled opportunity for Polish producers and filmmakers to promote their projects and plan festival strategy network with international partners.
Submission deadline: May 25
Organizers of Polish Days encourage submissions of new Polish films as well as works-in-progress (i.e. fragments of films in production) for viewing during closed screenings, as well as for projects in development to take part in a pitching session. Submission deadline: May 25, 2018.
Post-production services as prizes
During the event, partners from postproduction companies will award selected projects prizes in the form of postproduction sound and image services on preferential terms.
EAVE partners with Polish Days
For the third year in a row, EAVE and the Polish Film Institute will award a grant for a Polish producer and Polish film project in development, which will cover costs of participation in the prestigious EAVE production program in 2019.
Successful previous editions of Polish Days
Polish Days is an industry event with an excellent track record. In previous years, films presented at Polish Days have included The Last Family, Loving Vincent, Wild Roses, Nina, Tower. A Bright Day, Silent Night, Spoor, The Erlprince, I'm a Killer, All These Sleepless Nights, Warsaw 44, Papusza, Gods, Floating Skyscrapers, The Congress, You Are a God, Life Feels Good, and The Fastest among others.
Previous years' industry guests have included sales agents such as Films Boutique, Memento, LevelK, Wild Bunch, MK2, Luxbox, Alpha Violet, Intramovies, Wide, Urban Distribution, Stray Dogs, New Europe Film Sales, distributors like Aero Films, MFA+ Filmdistribution, Just, Imagine Film Distribution, Kino Świat, Forum Film, Gutek Film, Soda Pictures, Metrodome, as well as HBO, Canal+, Polsat and TVP. Additionally, the New Horizons International Film Festival has hosted festival programmers from Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Rotterdam, Karlove Vary, Busan, Tribeca, SXSW, Transylvania IFF, Hamburg, Göteborg, Hong Kong, Cottbus, Tallinn, Istanbul, Munich, Seattle, and Stockholm.
More information at:
- This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- www.nowehoryzonty.pl
Copyright Enfoncement
01/03: A Europe that protects: Commission reinforces EU response to illegal content online – European Commission
The Commission has recommended a set of operational measures – accompanied by the necessary safeguards – to be taken by companies and Member States to further step up into tackling illegal content online before it determines whether it will be necessary to propose legislation.
01/03: Frequently asked questions: Commission Recommendation on measures to effectively tackle illegal content online – European Commission
The European Commission has presented a set of concrete and operational measures to take down illegal content spreading online, from terrorist content, incitement to hatred and violence, child pornography, counterfeit products and intellectual property infringement.
23/02: Liability of Online Service Providers for Copyright Protected Content – Regulatory Action Needed? – European Parliament Think Tank
The paper looks at liability of online providers for copyright infringements. The liability privileges in Articles 12 to 15 E-Commerce Directive can remain unchanged; they seem to be sufficiently flexible to adopt to new business models, which also make them in general future proof.
European Institutions
01/03: European Parliament to launch probe into Martin Selmayr promotion – The Parliament Magazine
German official’s appointment as European Commission Secretary-General branded a ‘cloak-and-dagger operation’ that needs parliamentary examination.
EU Funding
05/03: Proposed List of Instruments for the next Multiannual Financial Framework - European Commission
The document compares the instruments under the current Multiannual Financial Framework with the next generation of financial instruments.
Recent studies
European Audiovisual Observatory - How do deposit systems safeguard Europe's film and video content? - February 2018European Parliament Think Tank – Liability of Online Service Providers for Copyrighted Content – Regulatory Action Needed? – December 2017
Events
27-28 March: Digitising European Industry Stakeholder Forum 201828 March: Informal meeting of education, youth, culture and sport ministers on culture (EYCS): Media Advisory
Vilnius Film Festival Kino Pavasaris not only presents film fans with a meticulously prepared programme but also invites film professionals to its industry conference Meeting Point – Vilnius (MPV) held on March 27–29.
In its 9th edition, Meeting Point – Vilnius will focus on how to find alternative ways to distribute films and create marketing strategies for independent cinema. More than 300 international guests are expected to attend.
One of this year’s MPV speakers is Danish marketing guru Cristian Have, the creative director and founder of Have Communications. Their client list includes Disney, Universal and 20th Century Fox. Mr. Have will share his knowledge on how to present debut European films in the global market.
Wendy Bernfeld, the founder and managing director of Rights Stuff consultancy, will present an updated overview of the evolving opportunities for indie filmmakers in the digital sector. Ms. Bernfield argues that this topic is timely for indie producers across various formats and regions. The essence of her talk is to become aware of what else is ‘out there’ for indie filmmakers.
Film finance expert Linda Beath will address challenges of a comprehensive digital market and new business models. The founder of Ideal Filmworks will draw on her longstanding career as an executive producer, supervisor of marketing and promotional campaigns, as well as a distributor in Canada and the United States.
MPV will also host festival strategist Kathleen McInnis who helps emerging world-cinema filmmakers cultivate new audiences and launch careers from the platform of the global film festival circuit. She worked with a film that participated in this year’s Berlinale competition programme. Kathleen will talk in detail about organizing a film’s festival release, planning an international festival premiere and the creator’s personal strategy. A sales agent from Film Republic, Xavier Henry-Rashid, will provide with an insider’s knowledge of rapidly changing film sales agents work methods.
See the full list of speakers and the programme: http://kinopavasaris.lt/en/programme-2018
Film industry professionals are able to buy festival accreditations allowing them the access to all festival screenings as well as the industry conference Meeting Point – Vilnius. Accreditations are available for purchase until March 27 here: https://vp.eventival.eu/viff/2018/accreditation
More information about Meeting Point – Vilnius: http://kinopavasaris.lt/en/industry
MPV is organised together with Lithuanian Film Center, Lithuanian Council for Culture, Creative Europe Media Desk Lithuania, Audiovisual Authors Producers Rights Association AVAKA, Danish Cultural Institute, Baltic View, Noir Lumiere and Vilnius Film Cluster.
Baltic States to Jointly Present Themselves in 12 European Film Festivals This Year
Festivals 09-03-2018THURSDAY, MARCH 15
MAIN PROGRAMME
10.00 – 18.30
WORKING SESSIONS with Isabelle Fauvel, Initiative Film (France)
GHS, Executive Lounge, 1st floor
(participants with projects only)
10.00 – 18.30
SCRIPT DEVELOPMENT CONSULTING with Licia Eminenti (France)
GHS, Serdica Hall 1, 1st floor
(participants with projects only)
Screening
18.30
A LITTLE BIT OF LUCK, Bulgaria, 2017, 98’, Director Aleksandar Smolianov
Lumiere Lidl Cinema
20.30
DINNER on the occasion of the opening of 15th Sofia Meetings
Hosted by MEDIENBOARD BERLIN-BRANDENBURG, MDM,
FILMFESTIVAL COTTBUS AND CONNECTING COTTBUS
Pod Lipite Restaurant
(by invitation only)
PARALLEL PROGRAMME
12.00 – 17.00
VR HUB SOFIA MEETINGS – VR Screenings
GHS, Sredetz Meeting Room, 2nd floor
14.00 – 16.00
NU BOYANA FILM STUDIOS GUIDED TOUR
Meeting Point: Grand Hotel Sofia
16.00 – 16.45
AUDIENCE! AUDIENCE!
‘Help from the audience. Bulgarian films and their viewers at the beginning of the XXI century.’
With Alexander Donev (Bulgaria)
GHS, Triaditza Hall 1, 1st floor
17.00 – 19.00
HOW TO WRITE A PROJECT
Workshop with Martin Kiselov (Bulgaria)
GHS, Triaditza Hall 1, 1st floor
22.30
AFTER PARTY
IN THE PARK (Former MATTI’D)
(above Lumiere Lidl Cinema)
FRIDAY, MARCH 16
MAIN PROGRAMME
10.00 – 10.40
OPENING OF THE 15th SOFIA MEETINGS and WHO IS WHO
Presentation of all guests and participants of Sofia Meetings
GHS, Sofia Conference Hall, 2nd floor
10.40 – 11.40
SECOND FILMS PITCHING – 6 projects
GHS, Sofia Conference Hall, 2nd floor
11.40 – 12.00
COFFEE BREAK
*GHS – Grand Hotel Sofia
12.00 – 13.20
PLUS MINUS ONE PITCHING – 8 projects
GHS, Sofia Conference Hall, 2nd floor
13.30 – 15.00
LUNCH Hosted by CED MEDIA (Bulgaria)
(by invitation only)
15.00 – 16.20
FIRST FILMS FIRST PITCHING – 8 projects
GHS, Sofia Conference Hall, 2nd floor
17.00 – 18.00
AUDIENCE! AUDIENCE!
DISTRIBUTION AND FILM FUNDS POLICIES
GHS, Sofia Conference Hall, 2nd floor
19.00
SOFIA IFF AWARDS CEREMONY
Followed by a screening of The Leisure Seeker, 112’
National Palace of Culture, Hall 1
20.30 – 23.00
DINNER on the occasion of the 15th SofiaMeetings
Hosted by BULGARIAN NATIONAL FILM CENTER
Festival Center IN THE PARK (Former MATTI’D)
(above Lumiere Lidl Cinema) (by invitation only)
22.00
CHOUCHKOV BROTHERS PARTY
Fabrica 126 (by invitation only)
PARALLEL PROGRAMME
10.00 – 13.30
SCRIPT DEVELOPMENT CONSULTING with Licia Eminenti (France)
GHS, Serdica Hall 1, 1st floor
(participants with projects only)
12.00 – 18.00
VR HUB SOFIA MEETINGS – VR Screenings
GHS, Sredetz Meeting Room, 2nd floor
14.00 – 15.30
AWARENESS – RESPONSIBILITY – PROFESSIONALITY
Talk on Casting for Actors and following Q & A session
With the Casting Director Beatrice Kruger (Italy)
GHS, Serdica Hall 1, 1st floor
15.30 – 17.00
CREATIVE EUROPE MEDIA DAY
NEW MOMENTS AND EXPERIENCES FROM NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES
With Kamen Balkanski, Head CED MEDIA (Bulgaria)
Mercedes Fernandez, TorinoFilmLab (Italy)
Danijel Hocevar, MIDPOINT (Slovenia)
Stefan Arsenijevic, First Films First (Serbia)
GHS, Serdica Hall 1, 1st floor
17.00 – 17.30
PRESENTATION OF ACE PRODUCERS with Simon Perry (Netherlands)
GHS, Serdica Hall, 1st floor
SATURDAY, MARCH 17
MAIN PROGRAMME
9.30 – 13.30
ONE TO ONE MEETINGS
GHS, Sofia Conference Hall, 2nd floor
11.00 – 11.30
COFFEE BREAK
13.30 – 14.30
LUNCH (by invitation only)
14.30 – 18.30
ONE TO ONE MEETINGS
GHS, Sofia Conference Hall, 2nd floor
Screening
18.30
8'19'', Bulgaria, 2018, 90’, Directors Kristina Grozeva, Petar Valchanov, Luybomir Mladenov, Nadejda Koseva, Theodore Ushev, Vladimir Lyutskanov Lumiere Lidl Cinema
20.30 – 22.00
CLOSING DINNER of the15th SOFIA MEETINGS
Central Army Club
(by invitation only)
22.00
SOFIA MEETINGS AWARD CEREMONY and PARTY
Central Army Club
(by invitation only)
PARALLEL PROGRAMME
9.30 – 12.30
SCRIPT DEVELOPMENT CONSULTING with Licia Eminenti (France)
GHS, Triaditza Hall 1, 1st floor
(participants with projects only)
10.30 – 11.30
CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGNS: WILL IT WORK FOR YOU?
With Melody Gilbert (USA) & Dumitria Pacicovschi (Italy)
GHS, Serdica Hall, 1st floor
11.45 – 14.00
INTERACTIVE STORYTELLING: DISCUSSING AN INDUSTRY IN MOTION
With Mirka Duijn (Netherlands)
SHORT PRESENTATIONS FROM CREATORS, MAKERS AND SPECIALISTS
GHS, Serdica Hall, 1st floor
12.00 – 18.00
VR HUB SOFIA MEETINGS
VR Screenings
GHS, Sredetz Meeting Room, 2nd floor
14:30 – 15.10
6 REASONS YOUR FIRST VFX SHOW WILL BE A COMPLETE DISASTER
By Nu Boyana FX
Starring Peter Dimitrov & Martin Georgiev (Bulgaria)
GHS, Serdica Hall, 1st floor
15.15 – 16.00
PRESENTATION OF ROMA LAZIO FILM COMMISSION
With Luciano Sovena (Italy)
GHS, Serdica Hall, 1st floor
16.00 – 17.30
PROFESSION: CASTING DIRECTOR
Talk on Casting for Producers and Directors and following Q & A session
With the Casting Director Beatrice Kruger (Italy)
GHS, Serdica Hall, 1st floor
SUNDAY, MARCH 18
10.00 – 12.00
NU BOYANA FILM STUDIOS GUIDED TOUR
Meeting Point: Grand Hotel Sofia
Screening
20.30
OCCUPATION 1968, Bulgaria-Germany-Hungary-Poland-Russia, 2018, 120’
Directors Stephan Komandarev, Marie Elisa Scheidt, Linda Dombrovszsky, Magdalena Szymków, Evdokia Moskvina Lumiere Lidl Cinema
ADDITIONAL PROGRAMME
WEDNESDAY-SUNDAY, MARCH 14-18
FIRST FILMS FIRST WORKSHOP
GHS (closed event, participants only)
EUROPA CINEMAS SEMINAR
G8 Cinema
(closed event, participants only)
EUROPA DISTRIBUTION WORKSHOP
GHS, Sofia Club, Ground floor
(closed event, participants only)
THURSDAY-SATURDAY, MARCH 15-17
10.00 – 19.00
VIDEO SCREENINGS
Video Library
GHS, Room 104, 1st floor
SUNDAY, MARCH 18
10.00 – 14.00
VIDEO SCREENINGS
Video Library
GHS, Room 104, 1st floor
Sofia Meetings presents the following Awards:
We are very happy to announce our new partner CineLab Romania. Cinelab Romania will present an Award for one of the projects in the main selection. The Award consists of 25 000 Euro in postproduction services.
Nu Boyana Film Studios ’ Danny Lerner Award - Grand Prix for Best Project. The leading European film studio will back up two of the projects this year, each with aprize of 50,000 Euro in services and 5 000 Euro in cash during the production of the project.
CineLab - 25 000 Euro in post production lab services (without VFX & Sound).
Focusfox Studio Award equal to 10,000 Euro in post-production services.
East West Filmdistribution Award – script consultancy with Steven Goldsmith, an Irish-American script doctor and writer (equal of 5,000 Euro).
Young Producer Award – YAPIMLAB will invite one producer for a week of project consultancy in Istanbul or Antalya, during International Antalya Film Festival, and offer network possibilities within Turkish industry (equal of 5,000 Euro).
Producers Network (Cannes Market) will award two accreditations for Producers Network at Cannes Market 2018.
Crossroads will select and present one of the projects from Sofia Meetings.
Mediterranean Film Institutewill award a scholarship to one of the projects from Sofia Meetings to participate in MFI Script 2 Film Workshops.
SOFIA: A total of 29 projects are participating in the 15th Sofia Meetings (15-18 March 2018), the industry platform of the 22nd Sofia International Film Festival (7-18 March 2018).
WARSAW: Polish Dorota Kobiela and British Hugh Welchman were awarded the Director of the Year Award at the 20th edition of Cartoon Movie, the annual European feature animation industry event, held in Bordeaux, France on 9 March 2018.
JIHLAVA: Submissions to the 7th edition of Emerging Producers can be sent until 31 March 2018. The selection of producers will be announced during the summer of 2018.
