EU Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2021-2027

07/02: Long-term EU budget: The Union’s ambitions must be matched with sufficient reliable funding – European Parliament

EP negotiators for the post-2020 EU budget discussed their priorities with European Council President Charles Michel, ahead of a crucial plenary debate on the budget next week.

08/02: Plenković with Michel: Croatia wants the MFF negotiations concluded during our Presidency – EU2020HR

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said he would do everything so that in the European Union's next seven-year budget Croatia was given appropriate cohesion funds, which he added were the driver of development and investment.

Geo-blocking

28/01: O&O report highlights important risks of a ban on geo-blocking for sport content – Sports Rights Owners Coalition (SROC)

Oliver & Ohlbaum Associates Ltd (“O&O”) have published a report on ‘The impact of potential changes to geo-blocking regulation on sport’, highlighting the risks of extending a ban on geo-blocking for sports content.

Antitrust

30/01: Antitrust: Commission fines NBCUniversal €14.3 million for restricting sales of film merchandise products – European Commission

The European Commission has fined several companies belonging to Comcast Corporation, including NBCUniversal LLC, (“NBCUniversal”) €14 327 000 for restricting traders from selling licensed merchandise within the European Economic Area (EEA) to territories and customers beyond those allocated to them. These restrictions concerned merchandise products featuring the Minions, Jurassic World and other images and characters from NBCUniversal's films.

European Commission

29/01: European Commission 2020 Work Programme: An ambitious roadmap for a Union that strives for more – European Commission

The European Commission adopted its 2020 Work Programme. It sets out the actions the Commission will take in 2020 to turn the Political Guidelines of President von der Leyen into tangible benefits for European citizens, businesses and society.

European Parliament

31/01: "A new dawn for Europe" - Op-ed article by EU Presidents – European Parliament

"A new dawn for Europe" - Op-ed article by Presidents David Sassoli, Charles Michel and Ursula von der Leyen

31/01: Redistribution of seats in the European Parliament after Brexit – European Parliament

As of 1 February, the number and distribution of seats in the Parliament changes following the UK’s withdrawal from the EU.

05/02: Our Inclusive Digital Europe : Leaving Nobody Behind, Offering Opportunity For Everyone – S&D Group

Position paper

/02: Renew Europe paper on Artificial Intelligence – Renew Europe Group

Position paper

Events

17-18 February: European Parliament ITRE Committee meeting, Brussels

17-18 February: European Parliament JURI Committee meeting, Brussels

17-18 February: European Parliament IMCO Committee meeting, Brussels

18 February: UNIC conference at the European Parliament, Brussels

19 February: Extraordinary ITRE & IMCO Committee meeting with Commissioner Breton on new initiatives in the digital sector, Brussels

19 February: European Commission communication on the Digital Single Market
 
19-20 February: European Parliament CULT Committee meeting, Brussels

20 February: European Council meeting on the long-term EU Budget 2021-2027, Brussels

24 March: Digital Services Act conference: A new rulebook for the digital economy?, Brussels

Studies

O&O - The impact of potential changes to European geo-blocking regulation on sport - January 2020

Göteborg Film Festival - Nostradamus Report 2020 - January 2020

One of the main goals of all MIDPOINT programs is the continuous support for its projects – from the very beginning “on the paper” till the editing room and even further on.

MIDPOINT's special post-production program is now offering consultations in the editing room for its alumni project Lost in Paradise by the writer and director Fiona Ziegler (CZ/CH).

Fiona's directional feature debut, which was developed within MIDPOINT in 2016, is produced by Kristyna Michalek Kvetova (Cinemotif Films). In 2016, it was selected to Thessaloniki’s Agora Crossroads Co-Production Forum.

Lost in Paradise is the first ever Czech-Swiss film co-production realized, the shooting finished in August 2019.

MIDPOINT Editing Room offers tailor-made consultancy during two 5-day sessions. The first session is in progress this week in Prague, Czech Republic (February 10 – 15, 2020). One-to-one intensive work in the editing room is led by the director, writer and editor Ivo Trajkov, who also works as the Head of Editing Department at Prague's FAMU (Film and TV School of Academy of Performing Arts in Prague).

We are happy that we could organize this module in collaboration with our dear partner Studio FAMU, a specialized division of FAMU designed for film and television production and postproduction.

MIDPOINT Editing Room is realized in partnership with Studio FAMU. MIDPOINT Institute operates under the auspices of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague.

 

European Film Promotion Seeks Europe's Most Promising Up-and-Coming International Producers

'God Exists, Her Name Is Petrunya' realised among others by Producers on the Move Zdenka Gold and Labina Mitevska

Each year, 20 young producers from 20 different countries from throughout Europe are selected to participate in PRODUCERS ON THE MOVE at the Cannes Film Festival. The five-day programme aims at connecting enterprising producers with potential co-production partners and strengthening their international industry networks. The programme is underpinned by a promotion and press campaign, creating international visibility and opportunities for the producers.

EFP (European Film Promotion) started this programme 21 years ago - more than 420 producers have participated since then. Many of them went on to become internationally respected industry players whose works are screened at A-festivals around the world, winning awards, including the Oscar­. PRODUCERS ON THE MOVE is financially backed by the Creative Europe - MEDIA Programme of the European Union and the participating national film institutes, EFP's member organisations.

EFP is proud of the outcome of PRODUCERS ON THE MOVE, especially in recent years: Between 2016 and 2019 alone, 47 co-productions involving 58 different Producers on the Move were realised - including such critically acclaimed films as God Exists, Her Name Is Petrunya (North Macedonia, 2019), The Hole in the Ground (Ireland, 2019) and Sieranevada (Romania, 2016).

Interested producers/production companies wishing to apply for PRODUCERS ON THE MOVE must have completed at least one international co-production, but not more than three.

The final selection of the 20 participants is based on a points system which considers the following criteria:

• the producer's experience in an international co-production (at least one international co-production) is a prerequisite. The selection process favours producers who have been majority producers.
  If candidates were the majority producers in more than three international co-productions, they, unfortunately, are too experienced for PRODUCERS ON THE MOVE
• the producer's feature-length film(s) have had a theatrical release and /or a VoD / SVoD / DVD / TV release outside of the production countries involved
• the producer has had a feature-length film screened in the international section at a major festival
• the producer's feature-length film was awarded Best Film in the producer's home country, i.e. the recipient of a national film award
• the producer has a strong project suitable for an international co-production

Producers interested in participating in PRODUCERS ON THE MOVE 2020, should contact their national film promotion institutes (EFP's member organisations) by 5 March, 2020.

With the support of

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 team up 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.

From March 10th to 14th, the director Gosta-Gavras and sound editor Eddy Joseph will attend the Film and TV Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava.
The 9th Visegrad Film Forum will offer more than the screening of their well-known movies. The rich audiovisual program will be complemented by lectures in an informal atmosphere, so that everyone can learn more from the world of cinematography.

A Greek Who Hit It BIG in France and Conquered Hollywood

After his family moved from Athens to France in 1945, Costa-Gavras began to study law, but his passion for film made him change his studies. Costa is one of the most important directors in France. His works often depict political dramas and conflicts, and he does not conceal his leftist feelings. He began his film career as an assistant of the director René Clair. His first film, The Sleeping Car Murderers (1965), based on a well-known book, had a major impact, as it was particularly popular with the general public.

His film Z (1969), based on a real case of assassination of a Greek politician, brought him a great success abroad. He won an Academy Award – Oscar – for Best Foreign Language Film and two Cannes Awards for this movie. Another movie that scored worldwide was the political thriller Missing (1982). It again follows the real story of the kidnapping in South America. The film earned him an Academy Award Best Screenplay and threIn the following years, Costa worked alternately in the US and France, creating other politically tuned films. His latest film Adults in the Room (2019) describes the events in Greece in 2015, when the Greek economy went into the biggest crisis. This film is the first one he shot in his native Greece and it competed at the Venice Film Festival. The film will be presented by the International Film Festival FEBIOFEST Bratislava, which, like the last year, takes place at the same time as the Visegrad Film Forum and Costa-Gavras will be the guest of both of these events.

A Filmmaker Who Gave the Sound to James Bond, Pink Floyd and Harry Potter

During the Visegrad Film Forum, the sound editor Eddy Joseph from Northern Ireland, will talk about how to create an atmosphere of a movie using sound. He won two most prestigious British BAFTA Film Awards for Best Sound - the first one for the iconic musical movie Pink Floyd: The Wall (1982), and the second, for one of the James Bond films with Daniel Craig called Casino Royale (2006).

"I want to teach the people to listen, and how they can just do that you can enhance and soundtrack. You can read script and tell from what the movie is supposed to sound like in the end. I believe that now-a-days people are not being taught that,” says Eddy Joseph. 

He also worked as a sound supervisor for well-known titles such as Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001), King Arthur (2004), Cold Mountain (2003) and United 93 (2006). He cooperated with the director Allan Parker not only on a musical film with animated segments by political cartoonist Gerald Scarfe, which is based on Pink Floyd album of the same name, but also on six other films, such as Angel Heart (1987), The Commitments (1991) and Evita (1996). In addition, Eddy collaborated for a while on also with the director Tim Burton on his films Batman (1989), Tim Burton's Corpse Bride (2005) and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005).

Filmmakers Who Worked with Jarmusch, Trier, Polanski or Participated in the Creation of the Popular TV Show Friends

To the 9th year of the international event is also invited Jim Stark, the producer of independent films, who helps independent filmmakers actually turn their dream into reality. At the beginning of his career, he worked with the director Jim Jarmusch. Debra McGuire, the costume designer of the well-known TV show Friends, is coming from the USA to our Forum too. Another female guest is Molly Malene Stensgaard, who is a longtime editor of the famous Danish director Lars Von Trier. Last but not least, is our guest from Poland, the cameraman Pawel Edelman, who has worked on several films with Roman Polanski and Andrzej Wajda.

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Visegrad Film Forum 2020

Date: March 10th - 14th  2020

Location: Bratislava, Slovakia

Venue: Film and TV Faculty of Academy of Performing Arts, Lumière Cinema

Website: http://www.visegradfilmforum.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VisegradFilmForum

Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/965119220523879/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dw98y5Y39h0

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vffbratislava/

Organizer: Boiler NGO

Co-organizers: Film and TV Faculty of Academy of Performing Arts Financial support: Audiovisual Fund, International Visegrad Fund, Nadácia SPP

Partner schools: Academy of Performing Arts in Sarajevo, The University of Arts in Belgrade, Yerevan State Institute of Theater and Cinematography, Sahara Lab, Film and TV Faculty of Academy of Performing Arts,, The Film Academy of Miroslav Ondricek in Pisek, Eszterházy Károly University in Eger, Krzysztof Kieślowski Film School in Katowice.