ANIMARKT Pitching is a great opportunity to present your puppet short film project to an international jury and attract partners for its realization. The final projects were presented on 11th October during the ANIMARKT Stop Motion Forum, which was held in Łódź for the fourth time.

Pitching is one of the ANIMARKT Stop Motion Forum program sections - the world’s only industry event dedicated to stop motion and puppet animation. 15 finalists took part in the competition for puppet short animations at the development stage. The jury composed of: Luce Grosjean (Distributor, Miyu Distribution), Kerdi Oengo (Producer, Nukufilm), Jacek Spychalski (Set design and stop-motion animation specialist, CeTA) awarded 11 prizes. The Glass Elephant project was the big winner, as it won four awards, including a special accolade from CeTA Film Studio (the Audiovisual Technology Centre in Wroclaw) - a voucher worth PLN 60,000 (ca €14.000) for using the studio and its facilities for film production.

The full list of winners of ANIMARKT Pitching: 

– Special accolade from CeTA Film Studio (the Audiovisual Technology Centre in Wrocław), namely voucher worth PLN 60,000 (ca €14.000): Glass Elephants, dir. Vykintas Labanauskas & Dominyka Adomaitytė (Lithuania)

– Special accolade from CeTA Film Studio (the Audiovisual Technology Centre in Wrocław), namely voucher worth PLN 40,000 (ca €9.300): Money and Happiness, dir. Ana Nedeljković & Nikola Majdak jr. (Czech Republic, Serbia)

– Co-production Award sponsored by Folimage: Glass Elephants, dir. Vykintas Labanauskas
& Dominyka Adomaitytė (Lithuania)

– Distribution Award by Radiator IP Sales: Glass Elephants, dir. Vykintas Labanauskas & Dominyka Adomaitytė (Lithuania)

– Dragonframe 4 licence with a Bluetooth keypad: Rest in Piece, dir. Antoine Antabi (Germany, Syria, Quatar)

– Ale kino+ Award. The TV channel will buy the license rights for one pitched project when it’s finished: Albert, dir. Szandra Pataki (Hungary), Au, dir. Katarzyna Majsner (Poland) and Luthier, dir. Carlos González Penagos (Colombia)

– Accreditation for MIFA 2020 at Annecy Festival: Luthier, dir. Carlos González Penagos (Colombia)

– Expert consultations with puppet maker Marcin Zalewski, available at the production stage of the awarded project: Hain, dir. Alejandra Jaramillo (Chile)

– APALAB award, consisting of a 2 weeks writing and development residence in the Animation Production Center Quirino Cristiani in Cordoba, including accommodation in the castle, or in a house close to the castle. Also including mentoring/development consultancy in scriptwriting, production and art for development stage, and meetings with producers, considering international co-production fund for animation in Cordoba (Argentina): No Happily Ever After, dir. Gabriela Plačková & Alžběta Göbelová (Czech Republic) 

- CEE Animation Forum Award – one accreditation to the CEE Animation Forum, local transport (Prague-Trebon-Prague) and 3 night’s accommodation for one person sponsored by CEE Animation: Glass Elephants, dir. Vykintas Labanauskas & Dominyka Adomaitytė (Lithuania)

The ANIMART Stop Motion Forum is organized by MOMAKIN – an organisation dealing with the popularization of animation, as well as supporting its creators in Poland and internationally through comprehensive activities in the field of production, distribution, promotion and education. 

ANIMARKT is organised thanks to the co-financing from the International Visegrad Fund, the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage from the Culture Promotion Fund and the Polish Film Institute. More info is available at www.animarkt.pl

The main partner of the event is EC1 Łódź - City of Culture and Łódź Film Commission. All the events of the fourth edition of ANIMARKT took place in the EC1 complex, which is located in the redeveloped buildings of the first commercial power plant in Łódź, which was established in 1907 and operated until 2000. Currently it is an open space for various cultural and scientific activities, which is the seat of the EC1 Science and Technology Centre, the National Centre for Film Culture, the Łódź Film Commission and the Centre for Comics and Interactive Narration.

The 26th edition of the International Astra Film Festival had its opening on Monday, October 14, and from the very first day it seems that it will register as a real box office success. The festival started in the company of an impressive audience, sold-out screenings and a festive atmosphere. The festival takes place between 14-20 October in 11 venues spread out across the city of Sibiu.

Astra Film Festival opened its 26th edition with the nationwide premiere of the documentary “State Funerals” directed by Sergei Loznitsa, in the presence of a large audience consisting of Romanian and foreign special guests who have arrived in Sibiu for the festival. Before the screening held at Filarmonica de Stat Sibiu, the founding director of Astra Film Sibiu, Dumitru Budrala was awarded with the distinction of the High Patronage of the Romanian Presidency, event followed by a discussion with Emil Hurezeanu, the Romanian ambassador in Berlin.

”In the 26 years that have passed since the first edition of the festival, 10% of approximately 20.000 films that had applied to be selected were shown on the screens of Astra Film Sibiu, which means that over 2.000 directors have presented their works during the festival. Some directors sought to bring us stories, histories, human experiences and occasionally they have risked their lives to complete their films. The Astra Film mothership took off this morning with the most cherished programme of the festival, Astra Film Junior. The things happening this week in Sibiu are miraculous and those who claim that the interest in culture and education has died should take a closer look at this festival”, said Dumitru Budrala, founding director of Astra Film Sibiu.

”I am very glad to be your guest once again in Sibiu and I congratulate the extraordinary performance of the organizers of hosting the most interesting documentary film festival from this geographical area in Sibiu. I must emphasize that this is one of the few festivals in Romania that has survived these past difficult years”, said Emil Hurezeanu, the ambassador of Romania in Berlin. 

”I wish you success and a long life”, was the message sent by Klaus Iohannis, President of Romania, to the organizers of the festival.

”We are honored to offer our support to such events. Astra Film Festival has become a significant part of our cultural heritage and it makes Sibiu a city of superlatives. We are here today because a young teacher from a forgotten village followed his dream with passion, perseverance and a lot of work. Dumitru Budrala managed to infect many people with his passion for cinematography. In the era of Mineriads, he managed to create a film festival in Sibiu, something that was unheard of at that time”, declared Daniela Cîmpean, President of Sibiu County Council.

”Astra Film Festival animates a touristic city during the autumn season and it serves as evidence that when state institutions and authorities collaborate, fabulous things can happen, such as this festival”, said Ciprian Ștefan, general manager of CNM ASTRA, the main partner of the festival.

Astra Film Junior also started on Monday, 14 October, bringing children from every school in Sibiu county in the movie theatres. Currently at its 11th edition, Astra Film Junior has broken a new record of registrations and the official data will be published at the end of the festival. Tickets for Monday at the Dome in the Large Square were sold out as audiences crowded to watch the scheduled films.

Astra Film Festival continues until Sunday, 20 October, and the vast and diverse programme of the 2019 edition proposes a very wide, panoramic overview that extends both geographically on large territories and over time, going back to the past and coming back to the present, while also looking towards the future using new technologies. Over 400 cinematographic events, absolute premieres, dozens of Q&A sessions, event-meetings, prestigious guests from the industry, debates and concerts will literally make the historical center of Sibiu and many other areas come to life.

You can find the complete festival programme here: https://www.astrafilm.ro/en/program/

Tickets for AFF 2019 can be purchased online: https://eventbook.ro/festival/astra-film-festival

 

Astra Film Festival Sibiu is held under the High Patronage of the Romanian Presidency.

Astra Film Festival 2019 is coordinated by Astra Film, CNM Astra and the Astra Film Foundation, with the support of the Sibiu County Council, the Ministry of Culture and National Identity and the National Center of Cinematography. The event is co-financed by the Sibiu Local Council through the City Hall of Sibiu.

• New Europe Market (NEM) is bringing some of the key players from the TV industry from USA, UK, Hungary, Belgium, The Czech Republic and Estonia to Zagreb

• TV Writing Contest is a unique opportunity for talented screenwriters regardless of their experience

Zagreb, September 24th 2019 – NEM Zagreb 2019, the winter edition of the renowned New Europe Market event, offers a unique opportunity for all TV creatives. Along with numerous panels, workshops and lectures, NEM is also organising a TV Writing Contest. Regardless of the level of screenwriting experience, this competition is an excellent opportunity to present one's ideas to international names from the TV industry looking for new ideas in two categories: 

• scripted (drama, thriller, crime, fantasy, SF, comedy) 
• unscripted (game show, factual reality, reality, docuseries)

The independent expert jury panel is made up from professionals who work on screenplay development, are organizing script contests or workshops for screenwriters and are in touch with various TV projects daily.

 

• Farah Abushwesha (United Kingdom), Rocliffe represetative and producer nominated for the prestigious BAFTA award (The British Academy of Film and Television Arts) and founder of BAFTA's New Writing Showcase and Competition.
  She has produced hits like "The ABC Murders" with John Malkovich and Rupert Grint, as well as Netflix's "Irreplaceable You" with Christopher Walken. She is also the author of Amazon bestsellers "Rocliffe Notes - A Professional Approach for Screenwriters and Writer-Directors" and "Rocliffe Notes - A Guide to Low Budget Filmmaking: Taking Your Film from Script to Screen".
• ScreenCraft (USA), a consulting agency that connects writers and filmmakers with renowned Hollywood production companies and studios like Netflix, CBS Studios International, NBC Universal, 20th Century Fox, Lionsgate, Paramount, Sony Pictures Television, Warner Bros., 3 Arts Entertainment, The Sundance Institute and many others.
• Joyrider (Hungary), a creative network of producers and writers involved in developing projects for numerous platforms. “Launching our scripted content company JOYRIDER into the international market, we are incredibly grateful that our region finally has an event like NEM Zagreb. We are looking forward to the opportunity to introduce our slate to potential partners, scout new projects and meet fresh talents.” said Gábor Krigler, the founder and executive creative of the Joyrider company, with many years of experience working at HBO Europe, which is now one of their main clients.
• Cineuropa.org (Belgium), the first European portal dedicated to cinema and the audio-visual arts in four languages. A special project on the portal is ScriptAnalysis, a programme that provides screenwriters with feedback on their idea and work provided by TV professionals.

Domenico La Porta, the portal's chief editor supports NEM's initiative: "Cineuropa supports this initiative because we believe that every successful creative project starts with good writing. Writers must be encouraged financially but also critically by confronting them with experienced professionals who are in touch with the reality of the market."

• Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF) (Estonia), a five-day film festival which has over time become a central hub bringing together professionals from Asia and America, connecting them with key regional decision-makers. “We are really excited to be part of NEM Zagreb, eager to read interesting projects and attend all the panels and case studies. I look forward working with NEM platform as our Central European counterpart, share the know-how and experiences, and develop the collaboration between professionals.” stated Triin Tramberg, coordinator of international TV/drama series script competition Script Pool taking place at Industry@Tallinn &; Baltic Event, a programme held during Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival
• MIDPOINT (The Czech Republic), a platform aimed at developing screenplays and projects, as well as bringing together industry professionals: screenwriters, directors and producers from the CEE region.

In the preselection round, the independent jury panel will select 30 screenplays from each category, and from these a selected 10 screenwriters will be given the opportunity for meeting top people from companies like BBC Studios, Beta Film, RAI, ZDF, CBS Studios International and Croatian Radio-television. The best three screenplays from both categories will be presented in the main conference hall to all participants of NEM Zagreb, which will also include representatives

from the leading production companies listed above, and the best screenplay in each category will receive a prize in the amount of 5000 euros.

NEM Zagreb/Dubrovnik: A platform for concluding key deals 

New Europe Market has been recognised for years as the central meeting spot for professionals from the audio-visual industry. Numerous deals have been made at the Dubrovnik event, and one of them popularised the Croatian series The Newspaper. The producers Nebojša Taraba and Miodrag Sila (Drugi plan) were able to establish cooperation with the Israeli production and distribution company Keshet, which bought global distribution rights. Soon after this, the series also appeared on Netflix as the first Croatian series on that platform. Another person making a dream deal was Lars Lundström, the producer of one of the most popular Scandinavian series Real Humans. It was at NEM that he met members of the top management of AMC International, which then bought the format and filmed the British version titled Humans.  

NEM Zagreb, the first Zagreb edition of the New Europe Market event, will be held from the 11th to the 13th of December 2019 at the Esplanade Zagreb Hotel.  

You can find more details about NEM Zagreb and TV Writing Contest on New Europe Market's official web page - https://neweumarket.com/.

Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event announce projects for the third edition of the script competition Script Pool Tallinn, and POWR Baltic Stories Exchange international forum. 

Script Pool Tallinn is an international script competition for film, TV and drama series scripts. Its main goal is to gather talented scriptwriters with producers attached, in order to provide them support enhancing the script and maximizing its production and distribution potential.

At the Script Pool Tallinn event five teams consisting of scriptwriters and producers will be competing in Tallinn at the open pitch on the 28th of November. The winner of the competition receives the prize of 5000 euros, provided by the leading international sales & distribution company Global Screen GmbH.

Triin Tramberg, Script Pool competition coordinator comments: “We are happy to see that our relationship with directors are growing with the years and more and more filmmakers come back to Tallinn with their new films and new projects to set out into the big world.”

Selected projects:

TRANSITION by director and scriptwriter Artem Semakin.
Feature directorial debut “Transition" from Artem Semakin, who is mainly known for being an actor and producer in Russia, but who brings out an interesting family drama mixing road movie and raising transgender issues.

IN THE BELLY OF A TIGER by director, scriptwriter Jatla Siddhartha.
Siddartha Jatla returns to Tallinn after his directorial debut, Love and Shukla, written with his collaborator Amanda Mooney. Love and Shukla had its European premiere at Tallinn in 2017, and later went on to conquer audiences at festivals around the world before its release on Netflix. Jatla returns to Tallinn with his and Mooney’s intriguing new story, In the Belly of a Tiger. The film follows an elderly couple in rural India as they decide who will be killed by a tiger in order to claim government compensation for their family’s survival.

MOLLY by scriptwriter Nicole Paglia, producer Jessie Mangum.
"Molly" is inspired by true events from 1960’s Soviet Russia, when an American defector and radio DJ broadcasts American pop music and propaganda into a top secret US military base which is buried under the ice in Greenland. Scriptwriter Nicole Paglia has written on Disney’s "101 Dalmation Street", story edited on "The Amazing World of Gumball", and is currently developing a number of TV series. Producer Jessie Mangum’s film "Looted" will have its world premiere in this year’s Black Nights First Feature Competition.

REPLY TO A LETTER FROM HELGA by scriptwriter and director Ása Hjörleifsdóttir. 
Scriptwriter and director Ása Hjörleifsdóttir whose latest film “The Swan" gained a lot of attention around the world at festivals comes with her new project "Reply to a letter from Helga” - a beautiful yet painful love triangle set in magical Iceland.

DROPS OF WATER by scriptwriter and director Robert Budina. 
Robert Budina’s new project “Drops of Water” is yet again a strong drama this time focusing on the love of a mother and how far will she go to protect her family, especially when things aren’t as they seem. His last film "A Shelter Among the Clouds”, premiered in the Black Nights Film Festival’s Official Selection in 2018.

MELCHIOR THE APOTHECARY by scriptwriters Elmo Nüganen, Olle Mirme Kristian Taska. It is the first Estonian project in the Scriptpool Film Competition. “Melchior The Apothecary" by well-known Estonian scriptwriters Elmo Nüganen, Olle Mirme and Kristian Taska is based on the best-selling novel “Apothecary Melchior and the Mystery of St. Olaf’s Church” by Indrek Hargla, and the original script created by the author.

Since 2018, Industry@Tallinn has partnered with MIDPOINT, a training and networking platform with the aim to strengthen the creative collaboration between writers, directors and producers in the development process in Central and Eastern Europe. 

POWR Baltic Stories Exchange is a 4-day scriptwriters’ workshop, that gives Nordic and Baltic screenwriters an opportunity to present their projects and writing talent at the largest regional film market in Northeastern Europe.

Like last year, the workshop will be run by experienced tutors Valeria Richter and Helene Granqvist. Selected scriptwriters will present their projects on the 28th of November. It is an opportunity to hear the new voices and stories from the Baltic & Nordic film communities, and a voice from this year’s focus region Industry@Tallinn &; Baltic Event 2019 – Ireland.

Selected projects:

HYNDAN - Viktor Granö (Finland)

THE EXPLORER (working title) - Hilke Rönnfeldt (Denmark)

JUST DESSERTS - Orla Murphy (Ireland)

ORIGINAL VOICE - Sandra Olsson (Sweden)

QUIET - Larissa Curi (Estonia) 

THE BURLAKS - Gatis Ungurs (Latvia) 

POWR Baltic Stories Exchange was launched by our region’s MEDIA Desks with the goal to bring forward the young talent of the Nordic and Baltic countries. Over the years, many participating projects have found a producer from the Industry@Tallinn &; Baltic Event.

PHOTOS
Script Pool Tallinn Tallinn 2018 session

Read more about Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event
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More information about POWR Baltic Stories Exchange

·         Leading global and European TV companies and associations confirm their participation at NEM Zagreb 2019

·         First speakers to confirm are Academy Award winner and nominees

·         Renowned speakers will share their knowledge and experience through lectures, one-on-one discussions, panels and workshops

Zagreb, October 16^th 2019 – NEM Zagreb 2019, an event aimed at the development of the TV and film industry in Croatia and the region, has announced the first confirmed speakers and panellists. During the three-day event, speakers from Europe and from around the world will share their broad knowledge and experience with the aim of developing the audio-visual industry in Croatia, the region and the world as a whole.

The first NEM Zagreb event will be held from the 11^th to the 13^th of December 2019 at the Esplanade Zagreb Hotel, and the list of first confirmed speakers:

·         Allan Starski, Production Designer and Set Decorator, Oscar winner

·         Gabrielle Tana, Producer, Oscar nominee and two-time BAFTA nominee

·         Vanja Černjul, Director of Photography from Zagreb with a successful international career

·         Harold Gronenthal, Executive Vice President, Programming and Marketing for AMC Networks International

·         European Alliance, an association of leading European TV companies ZDF, RAI and France Television

The first NEM Zagreb will host new series presentations and exclusive screenings by leading production companies which will be opened to all NEM Zagreb participants, providing them with insight into new trends and enabling interested parties to buy broadcast rights for their territories. For example, exclusive content will be shown by Croatian Radiotelevision, BBC Studios and the Israeli production and distribution company Keshet. NEM Zagreb will cover all themes involved in process of producing film and television content, providing an excellent opportunity and a springboard for all professionals or beginners who would like to pitch their work to a global audience. 

One of the panels will be devoted to unscripted content like reality shows, documentaries or quiz shows, and the speakers at this panel are experts with years of experience in producing precisely this type of content. One of the confirmed speakers is Izzet Pinto, Founder and CEO at Global Agency, the leading independent global distributor of TV content that offers a broad portfolio of dramas and innovative formats.

A prominent part of NEM Zagreb is the TV Writing Contest, a contest for promising screenplay writers who will have the opportunity of presenting their idea to key decision makers and of potentially setting up a deal that might promote their writing career. The applications will be evaluated by an independent jury in the preselection stage, and then by production companies and television houses with which all participants have a chance of establishing cooperation. The confirmed main jury currently includes Croatian Radio-television, RAI, Beta Film and Zig Zag Productions.

NEM Zagreb and Croatian Radio-television agree on a key partnership

A key partner and one of the main sponsors of NEM Zagreb 2019 is Croatian Radio-television (HRT). During the opening ceremony of the conference on December 11th 2019, HRT will present its programme content and also underline its achievements, and announce plans, as well as showing a reminder of its rich history. After the presentation, there will be a discussion followed by HRT's networking event.

On the second day of the event, Damir Novinić, head of HRT's production, will introduce the attendees to the world of HRT through a panel discussion with series creators, actors and producers dealing with prominent hit projects. 

The official closing of the 8th New Europe Market and the first NEM Zagreb 2019 will be marked by a grand celebration at the HRT building at Prisavlje.

Cooperation with the Croatian Chamber of Commerce

Another NEM partner is the Croatian Chamber of Commerce, which has recognised the importance of the initiative: "Film and TV industry is one of the few sectors that can quickly contribute to the change in the perception and branding of Croatia as a welcome and a must-see destination for living, and thus also for investment. This is the reason why the Croatian Chamber of Commerce is pleased to support New Europe Market and the audio-visual industry in Croatia as a segment that propels the development of other sectors of the economy, from tourism, gastronomy and the hotel and hospitality sector, as well as other industries that accompany film production", stated Luka Barilović, president of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce.

The import of New Europe Market for the Adriatic region

Over the years, New Europe Market has established itself as the most relevant market in the Adriatic region specialising in the film and TV industry. From the very outset in Dubrovnik in 2013, NEM has continuously contributed to the development of the industry, and thus also to tourism and the economy. Renowned global production companies have visited NEM with the aim of investing in local content with potential for the international market.

You can find more information about the conference at NEM's official website https://neweumarket.com/

Black Nights Stars, the initiative of the Industry@Tallinn &; Baltic Event, announces six young actors from the Baltic Sea region to participate in the programme this November.

The Black Nights Stars programme is designed to build a bridge between foreign casting directors and new talent from the region - enhancing their international visibility. The aim is to help young actors from the Baltic Sea region to promote themselves outside their home territory and acquire the practical skills needed for their future international careers.

The international jury selected six young actors from over 30 candidates, who are invited to attend the Black Nights Stars Industry@Tallinn &; Baltic Event, a part of the 23rd edition of the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF):

Magdalena Berus (Poland) (download photo)

Maria Dragus (Germany) (download photo)

Mimosa Willamo (Finland) (download photo)

Povilas Jatkevičius (Lithuania) (download photo)

Risto Vaidla (Estonia) (download photo)

Franz Malmsten (Estonia) (download photo)

The young actors have been chosen to present their emerging talent from their first feature films and TV roles. Participating in Black Nights Stars will give these actors a chance to meet with film professionals and showcase their talent as well as get connected with international film professionals and gain some of the practical skills needed for their future international careers. During the program, they will participate in masterclasses, workshops and industry networking events.

This year’s international 2019 selection jury included contributing editor Nikki Baughan (Screen International), Estonian Director of Photography Elen Lotman (When You Least Expect; Demons), former European Shooting Star and 2019 winner of the Bruno O’Ya Best Young Estonian Actor Award Rea Lest (Shooting Star 2019; November;  Scandinavian Silence), UK and USA based casting director Jeremy Zimmerman (Moon, Hellboy, Willow, Keeping Mum) and Claudia Landsberger (creative producer).

”I think last year’s Black Nights Stars programme was a great success with interesting events, panels and workshops, great people and great new contacts,” says Raakel Huikuri, Talent Agent from Lisa Richards Nordic. “We were introduced to brilliant new talent, and ended up signing a new client through the event."

The Black Nights Stars program takes place from 25-27 November 2019. The Black Nights Stars programme is presented by the Industry@Tallinn &; Baltic Event during the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival and the European Regional Development Fund funded project Creative Gate.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Read more about Industry@Tallinn &; Baltic Event 
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PRESS ACCREDITATION
Press accreditation for the 23rd Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival and Industry@Tallinn &; Baltic Event is in progress. Please apply by clicking on the link below.

APPLY FOR THE PRESS ACCREDITATION

More information about talents, projects and programme on Industry@Tallinnwebpage. 

TV Beats Forum, an industry-oriented counterpart to the TV Beats programme of Industry@Tallinn &; Baltic Event presents case-studies of several high-profile TV series. Wendy Mitchell and Kathleen McInnis moderate the two-day event with an interesting programme. 

Among this year's highlights of the TV Beats Forum is the case study of the highly acclaimed HBO series Chernobyl with the series Lithuanian co-producer UAB Baltic Film Services producer Lineta Miseikyte (production manager of Defiance, 2008). During the discussion, Miseikyte will provide the perspective from a local production house working with a major studio on a production that kept growing throughout and took place in three different jurisdictions simultaneously - the US, UK and Lithuania. 

Marge Liiske, head of Industry@Tallinn &; Baltic Event commented: "We are extremely excited to continue working with our regions creative talents. We are always seeking ways to improve local series production and storytelling, and to attract more international productions to shoot here. One of our long-term goals is to build a regional series content market in Tallinn primarily aimed at the Baltic Sea and Scandinavian countries (including Iceland) and Ukraine, similar to what we are doing with films in the Baltic Event co-production market."

Another high-profile international co-production in focus this year is The Feed, starring David Thewlis and Michelle Fairley and written by Channing Powell (producer of Walking Dead). The series premiered in the UK via Virgin Media in September and will be available on Amazon Prime elsewhere. Three all3media international representatives – Executive Vice President of EMEA & European Co-Productions Stephen Driscoll, Acquisitions Executive Laura White and Sales Manager Debra Bergg - will be sharing their experience on working with the four companies that were involved in production: Studio Lambert in association with all3media international, Liberty Global and Amazon. 

The third case study highlights the growing efforts and successes of Finnish-Estonian co-production by focusing on the Finnish crime series All the Sins, funded by Finnish telecommunication service provider Elisa that has recently opened its own VOD service as well. Speakers include series creator/writer Mika Ronkainen (was co-created and co-written with Merja Aakko), producer Ilkka Matila and the Estonian co-producer Kris Taska. 

Also among the speakers at TV Beats Forum is Icelandic producer Kristinn Thordarson (Kristinn Þórðarson) explaining how the tiny isolated country has become a hotspot for international production and manages to create series that travel globally. Thordarson will be sharing her experience working on The Valhalla Murders, the first series that Netflix has produced in Iceland.

This year's TV Beats Forum also tackles VOD content creation in Russia. The discussion round welcomes the team behind the new series Call Center, as the creators Natasha Merkulova and Alexey Chupov (directors of the 2018 Venice Official Competition entry The Man Who Surprised Everyone) and producers Valeriy Fedorovich and Evgeniy Nikishov from Premier Studios (behind series Gogol and An Ordinary Woman, which have screened in the festival's TV Beats programme previously) are confirmed as speakers. Call center follows employees of an online sex-shop, who find themselves shut inside their office by terrorists, who call themselves "Mommy and Daddy". 

TV Beats Forum is the newest addition to the Industry@Tallinn &; Baltic Event conference programme held during Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, reacting to the real demand of the industry as the series market is taking over from film, and the demand for content by global streaming platforms is ever increasing. TV Beats Forum will take place on November 25 and 26, 2019. Over the two days, various discussion panels, keynote interviews, presentations and workshops, as well as crossmatching events with other Industry@Tallinn activities will take place. 

Check out the programme of TV Beats Forum with intriguing discussion panels, case studies and fireside chats.

Daily tickets available for Industry@Tallinn &; Baltic Event

This year’s Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event will see the launch of daily tickets, which will allow individuals to take part in the TV Beats Forum, attend several masterclasses, as well as participate in the Music Meets Film and Black Nights Stars events from 25-27 November.

“Industry@Tallinn &; Baltic Event is a landmark event in our region with an exhaustive programme - from scriptwriting workshops to discussions about producing high profile TV series, which is also appealing to people who do not work in the film industry yet such as young and emerging actors, artists, musicians, other talents and students. With the daily ticket everyone who has a deeper interest towards some of the topics in the programme is invited to gain knowledge and learn from the experiences of the internationally recognised speakers,” Marge Liiske, head of Industry@Tallinn &; Baltic Event commented.   

With a daily ticket (50€) everyone with an interest in the film industry, who does not have the accreditation for the event, is able to attend open seminars and workshops of Industry@Tallinn &; Baltic Event incl. TV Beats Forum, Music Meets Film, European Film Academy masterclasses, Black Catwalk and Black Night Stars. In addition to the regular daily ticket, students are able to attend the summit by purchasing daily tickets for a reduced price (20€). The daily tickets do not include the entrance to evening networking events and the film programme.

Daily tickets are available throughout the Industry@Talinn &; Baltic Event. For more information and for purchasing tickets, check the website.

Check out the preliminary programme of Industry@Tallinn &; Baltic Event

After having high viewing figures on CANAL+ this summer as well as getting great reviews from Polish journalists and audience members, THE PLEASURE PRINCIPLE directed by Dariusz Jabłoński debuted in the Czech television market, on Czech TV,Monday October 14th. The series will be broadcasted from October 14th at a prime time, on Mondays at 8 pm, in the airtime reserved for the best criminal series. The participation of a galaxy of Czech film stars, including the outstanding actor Karel Roden, makes it one of the most anticipated premiere of this autumn.

THE PLEASURE PRINCIPLE is a multi-threaded criminal thriller, produced by Apple Film Production, co-produced by CANAL+ Poland, Czech TV and Star Media and distributed by Beta Film, which is one of the world's largest television program distributors.

Created with a cinematic flourish in three cities: Warsaw, Prague and Odessa, with best Polish, Czech and Ukrainian actors, the series received great reviews after its premiere in Poland, from critics who highlighted its uniqueness: “A masterpiece of detective story.” (Barbara Hollender, Rzeczpospolita), “Together with Maciej Maciejewski, the screenwriter of the memorable series ‘The Cop’, and an international team, the Polish director has created an exceptional super production, which incorporates a truly Hollywood-style spirit, a mystery typical of the best Scandinavian TV series, and hot Slavic temperament. (Paulina Januszewska, Newsweek) and quality: “The TV series by Jabłoński and Maciejewski can  be easily compared to the best western thrillers and detective movies.” (Rzeczpospolita), “If you have ever dreamed of a Polish version of ‘The Bridge’, now you will be satisfied. (Serialowa.pl.)

THE PLEASURE PRINCIPLE is a premium series and the first ever international television co-production of Central and Eastern European countries on such a great scale. During over nine months, nearly five hundred filmmakers worked on the set in three countries. When shooting the series, 8K cameras, underwater cameras and drones, etc., were used. 

The plot of THE PLEASURE PRINCIPLE takes the audience into the middle of a multi-threaded police investigation, which begins with the murders of young women in Warsaw, Odessa and Prague. The showrunner of the production is Dariusz Jabłoński, the pictures were shot by operators from three countries: Paweł Dyllus, Martin Žiaran and Andrey Lisietskiy, and the script was written by Maciej Maciejewski, the author of “The Cop", a cult series recognized by critics and audience.

DIRECTOR: Dariusz Jabłoński; SCREENPLAY: Maciej Maciejewski; DoP: Paweł Dyllus, Martin Žiaran, Andrey Lisietskiy; EDITING: Milenia Fiedler; PRODUCTION DESIGNER: Wojciech Żogała, Jiří Karásek, Piotr Wyrzykowski, Diana Todoratyeva; MAKE-UP: Anna Nobel-Nobielska; COSTUMES: Dominika Gebel, Aleksandr Dmitriyev, Tereza Kučerová; CAST: Małgorzata Buczkowska, Karel Roden, Sergey Strelnikov Robert Gonera, Dawid Czupryński, Mirosław Baka, Kryštof Hádek, Marek Taclík, Ana Geislerová Dmitriy Oleshko, Stanislav Booklan, Vladimir Minyaylo, Urszula Grabowska, Dorota Segda, Piotr Machal Marcin Tyrol, Mirosław Haniszewski and others; PRODUCERS: Izabela Wójcik, Violetta Kamińska; EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Dariusz Jabłoński; PRODUCTION: Apple Film Production; IN CO-PRODUCTION WITH: CANAL+, Česká Televize (Czech Rep.) and Star Media (Ukraine); WITH THE SUPPORT of the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine; IN COOPERATION with Beta Film

Duration: 10 episodes x 56 min.

After the opening night with sold-out screenings and an audience of thousands of people, Astra Film Festival 2019 continues until Sunday, 20 October, with a busy schedule including top films, Q&A sessions, debates, event-meetings with the legends of documentary filmmaking and live concerts.

This year, Astra Film Festival launches a new series of special events:”Astra Film: Life in Documentaries”and the first guest in this series is the legendary Peter Dale, Head of Documentary at the world-renowned National Film and Television School in London. Over 40 years of artistic success will be presented during a discussion between Peter Dale and Liviu Tipuriță. The meeting will take place on Thursday, October 17, 5 PM, at Hub - Filarmonica de Stat Sibiu and the audience is encouraged to get involved and ask questions.

”The Film Collector”focuses on Andrei Ujică, Romanian filmmaker, known and appreciated all around the world. To collect means to create your personal universe.What are the films most cherished by the Romanian director? We will find out by meeting him on Friday, 18 October, 5 PM, at the Glass Hall of Filarmonica de Stat Sibiu. His film, ”Videograms of a Revolution”, will be screened from 7:30 PM at Filarmonica de Stat Sibiu followed by a discussion with the audience at the end of the documentary. 

Hidden secrets from the sensible corners of marriage, love and sex are revealed in the thematic programme called “Marriage, Sex and Beyond”. The film ”Heartbound”steps behind the scenes of the marriage industry that links the lives of Thai women with those of Danish men. The screening of this documentary will take place on Wednesday, 16 October, 5:30 PM, at Filarmonica de Stat Sibiu and it will be followed by a discussion with director Janus Metz. “School of Seduction” will also be screened on Wednesday, 9:30 PM, in the same venue, a film that goes inside the classrooms of a school of seduction where young women are trained to find a husband that will offer them a better life.

Three films from the thematic programme “Sex Work Stories” move the emphasis from shock and disgust to understanding and empathy when dealing with people whose sexual explorations know no boundaries. The stories of seven Romanian sex workers and one star of gay erotic movies are presented in the films ”Blue Boy” and ”Until Porn Do Us Part”, which will be screened on Thursday, 17 October, 8 PM, at Cinema Ion Besoiu – Large Hall, followed by a Q&A session with producer Bogdan Georgescu. One of the most popular gay pornstars presents his taboo-career but also his relationship with his mother in the film ”Jonathan Agassi Saved My Life” that will be screened on Friday, 18 October, 9 PM, at Cinema Ion Besoiu – Large Hall, followed by a Q&A session with the protagonist’s mother who will be in Sibiu for the screening.

Depicting the combination of a controversial subject and a unique style of filmmaking, “Shooting the Mafia” directedby Kim Longinotto, one of the leading voices in British documentary, is a captivating film that adopts a totally different perspective on the Sicilian Mafia. The documentary included in the thematic programme “Great Masters” will be screened on Saturday, 19 October, 5 PM, at Cinema Ion Besoiu – Large Hall.

A series of live music performances will delight the festival audience: on Wednesday, 16 October, from9:30 PM, Disco Sigaretta will performin the lobby of Cinema Ion Besoiu; on Thursday, 17 October, from9:30 PM, at the Dome in the Large Square, Ungo Visualswill hold a spectacular immersive party andafter11 PMthe music will play at Hub - Filarmonica de Stat Sibiu, on the rhythms of Balkan Taksim; on Saturday, 19 October, after the AFF 2019 Awards, Om la lună will play on the stage of Filarmonica de Stat Sibiu.

You can find the complete festival programme here: https://www.astrafilm.ro/en/program/

Tickets for AFF 2019 can be purchased online: https://eventbook.ro/festival/astra-film-festival

Astra Film Festival Sibiu is held under the High Patronage of the Romanian Presidency.

Astra Film Festival 2019 is coordinated by Astra Film, CNM Astra and the Astra Film Foundation, with the support of the Sibiu County Council, the Ministry of Culture and National Identity and the National Center of Cinematography. The event is co-financed by the Sibiu Local Council through the City Hall of Sibiu.

The Black Nights Film Festival’s youth and children’s film festival Just Film has announced its international youth film competition programme.

The 19th Just Film international youth competition programme (consisting of 12 films) explores the world and has found the most important topics to ponder and discuss upon. The heroes of these films do not have superpowers, but they have kind hearts. However, when life throws big obstacles at you, they remind you that at some point it must get better. All these battles and grand emotions unravel on the screen during the Just Film festival.

The international youth competition is judged by a five-member Just Film youth jury and  three-member international jury. The latter will present the winning film with the Just Film grand prix at the Black Nights Film Festival closing ceremony.

The Black Nights Film Festival’s youth and children’s film festival Just Film will be held from the 15th of November until the 1st of December. Ticket sales will begin on the 16th of October.

Presenting the international youth film programme competitors:

“Boyz In The Wood”
BOYZ IN THE WOOD
The United Kingdom 2019, 87 min
Director: Ninian Doff

Dean, Duncan and DJ Beatroot are teenage pals from Glasgow who embark on a character-building camping trip—based on a real-life program—known as the Duke of Edinburgh Award, where foraging, teamwork and orienteering are the order of the day. The trio find themselves paired with straight-laced Ian, a fellow camper determined to play by the rules. 

From writer-director Ninian Doff—making his feature debut after a slew of award-winning music videos and short films for artists such as Run the Jewels, Miike Snow, Migos, and Mykki Blanco —comes an anarchic cocktail of generational politics, hip-hop loving farmers, and hallucinogenic rabbit droppings that pit the youth of tomorrow against the status quo of yesterday. Boyz in the Wood stars Eddie Izzard, Kate Dickey, Georgie Glen, James Cosmo and a breakout young cast featuring Samuel Bottomley, Viraj Juneja, Rian Gordon, and Lewis Gribben.

Recommended for ages 14 and up.

“About That Life”
DE LIBI
The Netherlands 2019, 102 min
Director: Shady El-Hamus

About That Life is a comical portrait about three young suburban friends, who we follow around Amsterdam over the course of 24 hours. The three do everything they can to get inside the famous nightclub ‘Jimmy Woo’ that evening in order to prove their worth in life. A film about an indomitable zest for life and dreams of a future full of possibilities. About three boys who do all they can to be noticed by the rest of the world.

“Cleo”
CLEO
Belgium 2019, 105 min
Director: Eva Cools

Seventeen-year-old Cleo survived a hit and run accident in which both her parents lost their lives. Her grandmother tries to offer Cleo and her brother a warm and comfortable home, but she ends up bearing the brunt of a rebellious teenager who searches for comfort with the mysterious Leos.

“FoMo - Fear of Missing Out”
FOMO: MEGOSZTOD, ES URALKODSZ 
Hungary 2019, 91 min
Director: Attila Hartung

Gergő and his teenage friends are into three things: partying, sex, and their online following. One night, at a party, Lilla falls victim to the boys. A dare gets out of hand and the youngsters’ world changes forever overnight.

“John Denver Trending”
JOHN DENVER TRENDING
The Philippines 2019, 100 min
Director: Arden Rod

John Denver is a quiet, ordinary eighth grader who lives with his mom. During a school dance practice, a classmate who is broadcasting the practice on social media plays a mean prank on John. Upset, John leave the practice early, only to be accused of stealing the boy’s iPad. John retaliates to his bully, and their fight is filmed and uploaded on social media. The video of John attacking his classmate goes viral, and his peaceful life is completely destroyed. 

“Scent of Oranges”
UZLY A POMARANČE
Czech Republic/Germany/Slovak 2019, 92 min
Director: Ivan Pokorný

In love with a girl that smells of oranges, while in a complicated relationship with his father, Darek is gentle, strong and devoted to his little sister and their herd of horses. Darek’s world is a story about the joy and pain of growing up in the isolated, yet beautiful, Lusatian Mountains.

Here, horses are not expensive specimens of racing stables, but beings you should care for and love. Not even that is enough in life though, as Darek finds out nearing the Summer’s end, closing his childhood definitely. But just like any ending, this is a start of something new.

“All For My Mother”
WSZYSTKO DLA MOJEJ MATKI
Poland 2019, 102 min
Director: Małgorzata Imielska

Olka is seventeen years old, tomboyish in her movement, with large eyes hidden behind her hair. Her nails are bitten and her hands bear the marks of self-harm. For years, she had been looking for her mother. Her constant escapes from the orphanage landed her in a reformatory. She lives there, but she is of another world: she does not care for hipster clothes or the newest smartphone. Unlike other girls, she does not want to provide sexual services to the guard for a smoke. She only wants her mother back.

Recommended for ages 12 and up. 

“Perfect 10”
PERFECT 10
Suurbritannia 2019, 84 min
Director: Eva Riley

15-year-old Leigh is a gymnast focused on her first competition on the squad. Leigh’s life is turned upside down when her older half brother Joe, who she didn’t know existed, comes to stay with her and her father. But when her confidence at gymnastics is knocked, Leigh finds herself caught up in an underground world of moped crime with her brother. Starting to find the excitement and attention she has been so desperately craving, Leigh stands at a crossroads between her gymnastic dreams and an exciting new world…

“Corpus Christi”
BOŻE CIALO
Poland 2019, 115 min
Director: Jan Komasa

"Corpus Christi" is the story of 20-year-old Daniel who experiences a spiritual transformation in a Youth Detention Center. The crime he commits prevents him from applying to the seminary and after his release on parole he is sent to work at a carpenter's workshop. However, Daniel has no intention of giving up his dream and dressed as a priest he decides to - minister a small-town parish.

“My Brother Chases Dinousaurs”
MIO FRATELLO RINCORRE I DINOSAURI
Italy 2019, 101 min
Director: Stefano Cipani

Jack has always wanted a little brother to play with, and when Gio is born, his parents tell him his brother is a "special" child. That's when Gio turns into a superhero with amazing powers in his big brother's imagination, like the ones in his comic books. Over time, however, Jack learns the truth: his brother has Down syndrome, a condition Jack decides to keep secret. When he goes to high school and falls in love with Arianna, he hides Gio's very existence from her and his new friends. But how can you expect someone to love you if you conceal such an important part of yourself? In no time, the truth comes out, and Jack realises that Gio's energy and vitality are contagious. Gio's original outlook does indeed change the world, just like a superhero. 

“Antigone”
ANTIGONE
Kanada 2019, 109 min
Director: Sophie Deraspe

In helping her brother escape from prison, Antigone defies the authorities: the police, the judiciary, the penal system and the father of her friend Haemon. Brilliant and, until now, blameless, the teenage girl feels the grip of power tightening around her. But she rejects the law of man and follows her own sense of justice, dictated by love and loyalty.

“I Am Free”
Я СВОБОДЕН
Russia 2019, 95 min
Director: Iliya Severov
International premiere

17 year old Artyom comes to the seaside summer camp for troubled kids where he tries to start a new life and escape his troubles and difficult memories.