TBILISI: Ciné-DOC, the region's pioneering documentary IFF, launching 15-20 October, has announced its submission deadlines for the international competition section and the Focus Caucasus screenings.
Balkanima, the festival of Southeastern European animation running 1-5 October, now in its 10th edition, is accepting submissions through 10 August, seeking work up to 25 minutes from continental filmmakers with no entry fee.
Following up on last year's first appearance of official Chinese representation, the Warsaw IFF (www.wff.pl), running 11-20 October, will launch the China-Eastern Europe Film Promotion Program (CEEFPP), intended to foster a long-term relationship and cultural exchange between film professionals from the two regions.
"Aftermath", produced by Apple Film Production and written and directed by Wladyslaw Pasikowski, awarded with two prestigious prizes - the Yad Vashem award at Jerusalem Film Festival and Jan Karski Eagle Award - has had its first screening on the American continent at the 33rd San Francisco JFF; the producer is currently in talks considering theatrical distribution in the United States in the forthcoming months.
The San Francisco Festival, the scene of the first American screening of "Aftermath", is one dynamic, international festival with its specific diverse audience, characteristic for the cosmopolitan spirit of the city famous for its intellectual traditions as well.
This year edition - the 33rd - of the Festival takes place in the historic Castro Theatre between 25 July and 1 August.
Just before the first ever showing of "Aftermath" producer Dariusz Jabłoński read the letter from Wladyslaw Pasikowski adressed to the audience: „Although „Aftermath” was produced in Poland, the support and cooperation came from our friends in Holland, Russia and Slovakia. Before World War II, Poland was home to millions of Jews. Only tens of thousands survived to see the end of the war. We made this picture out of longing for our Jewish neighbors. The guilt guided us, too. The story tends to tell about it. "
Recently, the "Aftermath" by Wladyslaw Pasikowski received as many as two prestigious awards: the award of the President of Yad Vashem, Avner Shalev at the Jerusalem film festival and Jan Karski Eagle Award "for the courage to speak NO to anti-Semitism”. For the first time in the history of the award, Jan Karski Eagle Award was presented to a moving image - having honored in the past the likes of Prof. Elie Wisel, President Lech Wałęsa, Orianna Fallaci, Prof. Józef Tischner, President Michail Gorbachev, Jacek Kuroń, Tadeusz Mazowiecki, Victor Yushchenko, President Aleksander Kwaśniewski - but also the Hoover Institution and Washington Holocaust Museum.
"Aftermath", lauded as a bravest Polish movie on Polish-Jewish matters was also awarded with the prize of journalists at Gdynia Film Festival and received seven nominations for the Eagles - „Polish Oscars” - awards of Polish Film Academy (including Best Picture). Two Eagles were handed to the the creators of the picture: for the best actor to Maciej Stuhr and the best art direction to Allan Starski. The film has also won the Silver Grapeaward at Lagow Festival. From its premiere in Poland it has been seen by more than 320 000 viewers.
"Aftermath" was produced by Apple Film Production in co-production with Topkapi Films Metrafilms, Attack Film, Trigon Production, Polish Television and CANAL+Poland and supported by Polish Film Institute, Eurimages, Netherlands Film Fund, Cinema Fund Russian Federation and Slovak Audiovisual Fund.
FNE together with Europa Distribution continues its Distributor of the Month series. In recognition of the hard work and excellence of European distributors and the common problems they face, especially in the transition to digitalization, we choose a distributor from each country covered by FNE each month.
PRAGUE: TV Nova owner Central European Media Enterprises has reported another drop in revenues of $31 m for the second quarter of the year to $180 m, citing an ad revenue slump but reports that price increases have helped and predicts the market will rebound in the fall.
FNE together with Europa Cinemas continues its Cinema of the Month series. In recognition of the hard work and excellence of European cinema operators we choose a cinema from each country covered by FNE each month. We look at the challenges and the successes faced by those cinemas with a special series of interviews that offer insights that other operators can benefit from and a platform for the exchange of ideas.
SARAJEVO: The Sarajevo fest's 19th edition 16-24 August 2013 will screen nine titles in its main compeition - including five world premieres - revealing a new crop of cinematic exploration in the region, just a fraction of the 50 features, docus and shorts scheduled. The Heart of Sarajevo winner will take home 16,000 EUR while other prizes total 15,000 EUR
Bobo Jelčić's unconventional Croatian feature on the fierce dilemma forced upon a man by the funeral of a friend, A Stranger (www.spiritus-movens.hr), swept seven of the main competition awards as the Pula IFF (http://pulafilmfestival.hr) wrapped this weekend.
