PRAGUE: CEE Animation Forum is accepting applications for its 2021 regional pitching, financing and coproduction market through 17 January 2021.
This week True Story, a collaborative project between the Institute of Documentary Film and Film New Europe, speaks to Polish documentary maker Tomasz Wolski about his documentary An Ordinary Country.
This week True Story, a collaborative project between the Institute of Documentary Film and Film New Europe, speaks to Romanian documentary maker Radu Ciorniciuc, who speaks about his observational documentary Acasa, My Home.
Alexander Nanau’s critically acclaimed homage to the powers of investigative journalism wins top EFA prize
Berlin, December 12, 2020 – COLLECTIVE by Romanian-German filmmaker Alexander Nanau has won the top documentary award at this year’s EFA.
COLLECTIVE chronicles a team of fearless journalists as they expose political corruption in the highest ranks in Romania that led to the loss of many innocent lives after a nightclub fire in Bucharest in 2015.
#LubinaLove in a cube: Ivan I. Tverdovskiy wins the main prize at the FilmFestival Cottbus for the third time
Festivals 13-12-2020Ivan I. Tverdovskiy wins the main prize for the best film in the Feature Film Competition of the 30th FilmFestival Cottbus. This is the third time the Russian director has been awarded the 25,000 EUR prize at the FFC, following CORRECTIONS CLASS (2014) and ZOOLOGY (2016). The Special Award for Best Director goes to Piotr Domalewski for I NEVER CRY. Acting debuts Marijana Novakov, Tijana Marković and Valentino Zenuni from Ivan Ikić's OASIS are honoured with the prize for an outstanding individual performance.
At the anniversary edition, not only the winners from the Feature Film Competition will be given the LUBINA, but also the winners from the Short Film and U18 Youth Film competitions.
Altogether, prizes worth EUR 72,000 in total will be awarded at the 30th FFC, whose programme of 150 films can be viewed online and streamed nationwide until December 31, 2020.
European Film Promotion (EFP) welcomes the non-profit association Romanian Film Development (ADFR - Ascociatia de Dezvoltare A Filmului Romanesc) as its 38th member organisation and successor to Romanian Film Promotion.
The Diary of Diana B. included in Eurimages’ publication “The Gold Album – Female Directors”
Press releases 15-12-2020The director of The Diary of Diana B., Dana Budisavljević, finds herself in select company of only 50 female directors included in the first edition of the publication “The Gold Album – Female Directors,” published by the Council of Europe’s cultural support fund Eurimages. In addition to The Diary of Diana B., the publication also includes Croatian minority co-production God Exists, Her Name Is Petrunija, by Macedonian director Teona Strugar Mitevska.
Fiction feature Mayday, shot in Croatia, to premiere at Sundance Film Festival
Press releases 18-12-2020Early next year, Karen Cinorre’s debut fiction feature Mayday, will have its world premiere at Sundance Film Festival (screening in the U.S. Dramatic Competition). Last year, the film was shot entirely in Croatia, with production house Antitalent acting as service producer. Sundance Film Festival is held online, 28th Jan – 3rd Feb, 2021.
WARSAW: FNE has teamed up with the Brussels based team of the International Union of Cinemas (UNIC) to bring you regular updates on EU cinema policies that impact all industry professionals across Europe. Click here for FNE UNIC EU Cinema Policy Update.
COVID-19: EU response
09/12: EU financing for 2021-2027: Political agreement on the 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), the Next Generation EU (NGEU) recovery instrument and new own resources – European Parliament
The briefing provides a graphic presentation of the political agreement reached on 10 November 2020 between the Parliament and the Council Presidency, enabling the EU to finance the extraordinary needs in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. It highlights the improvements that the European Parliament achieved in particular.
11/12: European Council in Brussels: Agreement on the budget and climate protection – EU 2020 DE
At the last European Council meeting during Germany’s Presidency of the Council, the heads of state or government of the 27 EU member states have taken important decisions. Together, they set an ambitious new climate target and agreed on the multiannual financial framework and the recovery fund.
8/12: InvestEU Fund agreed: Boosting strategic, sustainable and innovative investments – European Parliament
EP and Council negotiators struck a deal on the new InvestEU programme, which supports investments and guarantees simplified access to financing.
04/12: EU Budget 2021 deal: supporting the recovery – European Parliament
MEPs have fought for and obtained better support for key EU programmes creating jobs, tackling the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic and boosting climate action.
Geo-blocking
09/12: The Court of Justice annuls a Commission decision making binding the commitments offered by a company in order to preserve competition on the markets - CJEU
30/11: European Commission Geo-blocking review in line with latest studies supporting territoriality – UNIC website
Europe's film/AV sector welcomes the Commission's review of unjustified geo-blocking, in line with the latest studies supporting territoriality, and calls for an AV action plan that boosts European cooperation on financing and distribution, including through co-productions, to increase circulation of content.
Media and Audiovisual Action Plan
3/11: Digital Decade: Commission launches Action Plan to support recovery and transformation of the media and audiovisual sectors – European Commission
The Commission adopted an Action Plan to support the recovery and transformation of the media and audiovisual sector. These sectors, particularly hit by the coronavirus crisis, are essential for democracy, Europe's cultural diversity and digital autonomy. The Action Plan focuses on three areas of activity and 10 concrete actions, to help the media sector recover from the crisis by facilitating and broadening access to finance, transform by stimulating investments to embrace the twin digital and green transitions while ensuring the sector's future resilience and empower European citizens and companies.
COVID-19: Cultural and creative sectors (CCS)
01/12: Videoconference of EU culture and audiovisual ministers: “Creative Europe” to be strengthened – EU 2020 DE
Given the COVID-19 crisis, culture and the media are facing massive challenges. The plan to top up the Creative Europe assistance programme is an encouraging sign, declared Minister of State Monika Grütters. She chaired a meeting of EU ministers responsible for the cultural sector.
LUX Audience Award
13/12: LUX Award: three films shortlisted for the European Audience Film Award – European Parliament
During the virtual European Film Awards ceremony in Berlin, Another Round, Corpus Christi, and Collective were shortlisted for the LUX Audience Award.
Events
January 2021: Creative Europe MEDIA stakeholder dialogue (TBC)
11 January: European Parliament CULT Committee meeting
11 January: European Parliament IMCO Committee meeting
25 & 26 January: European Parliament CULT Committee meeting
