scene from The Dawn

The second title in The Sun Trilogy – The Dawn, a fiction feature directed and written by Dalibor Matanić and produced by Kinorama, will have its world premiere in competition of the prestigious Black Nights festival held in the Estonian capital. The 24th edition of the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival will take place 13th – 29th November.

connecting cottbus, the East-West co-production market taking place in November during FilmFestival Cottbus, presents its selection of 13 projects in development and 6 works in progress for this year’s online edition.

From 4-6 November 2020, the 22nd edition of connecting cottbus (coco) will take place  online, presenting exciting feature film projects to a select audience of co-producers, sales  agents and other potential partners. This year, 13 cocoPITCH and 6 cocoWIP projects  from 13 countries in broader Eastern Europe will be pitched. All projects compete for a  variety of awards. Their producers and directors will take part in in-depth feedback  sessions with industry experts in the cocoLAB, while all industry participants can join online  networking events and a framework programme focusing on current production topics.

Despite all collective hardships at the festival circuit this year, we are proud of the coco  alumni projects released in 2020: besides SERVANTS (Slovakia/Ireland/Czech Republic/  Romania) by Ivan Ostrochovský, which competed at Berlinale Encounters in February, Ivan  Tverdovskiy’s CONFERENCE (Russia/Estonia/Italy/UK) premiered at Venice Days. THE  CAMPAIGN (Romania) by Marian Crisan will premiere in Moscow in October, while Piotr  Domalewski’s I NEVER CRY (Poland/Ireland) will be part of the New Directors Competition  at upcoming San Sebastian. 

This year’s cocoPITCH selection covers a variety of stories and characters, from accidental  millionaires to greedy aunts and sad mathematicians. Once again the majority of  protagonists are strong-willed women. Topics include home displacement, immigration  and workers’ rights, corruption and sensationalist journalism, as well as a little-known  practice called Catholic divorce. Debut feature projects are set alongside new work by  award-winning filmmakers like Roman Bondarchuk, Robert Budina and Svetla Tsotsorkova,  who received the Special Pitch Award FilmFestival Cottbus 2019 to present FORTUNE  TELLER. Pre-selected by coco at partnering events were SEP & ANA by Paul Cioran,  winner of the Transilvania Pitch Stop - coco Award at TIFF 2020, and VACUUM by  Yelizaveta Smith, which took the Midpoint - coco Award (Midpoint Feature Launch) at  Karlovy Vary Eastern Promises 2020.

The line-up of cocoWIP is equally diverse in terms of genre, ranging from dark comedy  and savvy coming-of-age to vibrant historical epos. We are pleased to present two coco  alumni projects: SISTER (WT; North Macedonia/Kosovo/Montenegro/France) by Dina  Duma and STOP-ZEMLIA (WT; Ukraine) by Kateryna Gornostai.

This year, connecting cottbus takes place entirely online on 4-6 November 2020.

Producers, sales agents, commissioning editors and other industry representatives active in East-West European co-production can apply to attend without a project by 7 October 2020.

Selected cocoPITCH Projects 2020 

CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC | Croatia | dir: Vanja Juranić |  prod: Damir Terešak | Maxima film  

FLOOD | Slovak Republic | dir: Martin Gonda |  

prod: Katarína Krnáčová, Tomáš Gič | Silverart  

Special Pitch Award FilmFestival Cottbus 

FORTUNE TELLER | Bulgaria | dir: Svetla Tsotsorkova |  prod: Svetoslav Ovcharov | Omega films  

HONEY BUNNY | Croatia | dir: Igor Jelinović |  

prod: Rea Rajčić | Eclectica  

KIRIL’S LUCK | Bulgaria | dir: Milena Andonova |  

prod: Katya Trichkova, Rali Ralchev | Contrast Films  

NORWEGIAN DREAM | Norway, Poland | dir: Leiv Igor Devold |  prod: Håvard Wettland Gossé, Bartek Glinski | Spætt Film / Impakt Film  

PARADE | Lithuania | dir: Titas Laucius |  

prod: Klementina Remeikaite | afterschool production  

Transilvania Pitch Stop - coco Award 

SEP & ΑΝΑ | Romania | dir: Paul Cioran |  

prod: Claudiu Mitcu | We are Basca  

SWAPS | North Macedonia | dir: Gjorche Stavreski |  

prod: Gjorche Stavreski, Ivana Shekutovska | Fragment Film  

THE EDITORIAL OFFICE | Ukraine | dir: Roman Bondarchuk |  prod: Darya Bassel, Darya Averchenko | Moon Man / South Films  

Midpoint - coco Award (Midpoint Feature Launch)  

VACUUM | Ukraine | dir: Yelizaveta Smith |  

prod: Aleksandra Kostina | Bosonfilm  

WATERDROP | Albania | dir: Robert Budina |  

prod: Sabina Kodra | Erafilm  

WHEN YOU ARE 17 | Georgia | dir: Giorgi Mukhadze |  prod: Nato Sikharulidze | Terra Incognita Films

Selected cocoWIP Projects 2020 

EVICTION | Hungary | dir: Máté Fazekas |  

prod: Gábor Osváth, Péter Fülöp | Filmfabriq / FP Films  

FIRE! | Russia | dir: Maria Ignatenko |  

prod: Egor Odintsov, Konstantin Fam, Ekaterina Mikhailova | Ark Pictures  

SISTER (WT) | North Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro, France | dir: Dina Duma |  prod: Marija Dimitrova, Liridon Cahan, Biljana Vusovic, Guillaume De Seille | List Production / Added Value Films / Videa Production / Arizona Productions 

STAND BY ME | Russia | dir: Tamara Dondurey |  

prod: Katia Filippova | Pan-Atlantic Studio  

STOP-ZEMLIA (WT) | Ukraine | dir: Kateryna Gornostai |  

prod: Vitaliy Sheremetiev, Vika Khomenko, Natalia Libet, Olha Beskhmelnytsina | Esse Production House  

SUPERMARKET | Montenegro, Serbia | dir: Nemanja Becanovic |  

prod: Milena Charan, Jelena Angelovski | VHS / Tri Osmine

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connecting cottbus is supported by Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, Creative Europe/MEDIA, MDM Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung and Land Brandenburg  

Thanks to our partners: D-Facto Motion, Avanpost, Midpoint, Producers Network, Transilvania Pitch Stop,  New Horizons Film Festival, eave, CineLink, Filmarket Hub, Odesa International Film Festival, Meetings on the  Bridge, When East Meets West, Berlinale World Cinema Fund.  

Organiser: pool production GmbH

The 30th World Festival of Animated Film – Animafest Zagreb 2020 closed with an award ceremony at SC cinema after over 300 screened films and many side events in six festival days.

The Grand Competition – Short Film jury consisting of Clémence Bragard, Réka Bucsi, Nancy Denney-Phelps, Vladislav Knežević and Martina Scarpelli decided to give the Grand Prix to the German film Just a Guy by Shoko Hara, produced by Studio Seufz. The statement said that the Grand Prix goes to a film that treats the subject with a sensitivity that leaves no judgement of right or wrong. This left the jury mystified about why women would be fascinated with having a relationship with a serial killer on a death row. Is there someone who can, or should, or must not be loved?

The same jury presented the Golden Zagreb Award for creativity and innovative artistic achievement to Soetkin Verstegen for Freeze Frame (Belgium and Germany, produced by Akademie Schloss Solitude), pointing out that in this film the darkest black and the brightest white reveal the illusion of life in a melting unique setting. It is a beautiful tribute to the origins of filmmaking. The film liquefies light, gives it a unique texture and preserves movement into frozen frames – said the jury.

The Zlatko Grgić Award for best first film made outside of an education institution went to the French-Hungarian Symbiosis (Miyu Productions, SALTO Films) by Nadja Andrasev, a film that, without saying too much and just showing what's needed, depicts with subtlety and elegance an intriguing situation which some of us could relate to. The clever use of framing and the colour palette provide a balance between the aesthetic, the suspense and the empathy – said the statement.

The jury members also decided to present special mentions. Clémence Bragard's went to the Austrian film How to Disappear by Robin Klengel, Leonhard Müllner and Michael Stumpf, produced by Total Refusal, because through game design and a very accurate metaphor, it deals with the options that a fictional character as well as a human being could or couldn't have. Exploring the size and limits of entertainment, the directors use a unique point of view and cold cynicism to bring a different view on a crucial subject. I appreciated this tribute to disobedience and desertion – said Bragard.

Réka Bucsi was particularly impressed by the Japanese film My Exercise by Atsushi Wada from New Deer Production, made by a unique artist who uses the visual image for its own sake. It is a purely charming film that feels like a gentle hug during this time of isolation. These characters don’t need 20 minutes of screen time to leave a lasting impression. Winding down after a marathon is just as important as running it. Pushing your face into the soft fur of a dog might as well be just what you need to have a great day – said Bucsi.

Nancy Denney-Phelps gave her special mention to the Canadian film The Physics of Sorrow by Theodore Ushev, produced by National Film Board of Canada which touched her heart and soul to the core. This story about growing up in Bulgaria and emigrating to Canada uses a unique animation method derived from an ancient Etruscan wax and pigment technique – wrote Denney-Phelps.

Vladislav Knežević chose Argentinian-French film Pulsión by Pedro Casavecchia (Atlas V production), saying: Intriguingly and consistently experimenting with a specific visual and a clear narrative line, the author points to the problem of perpetuating aggression which tragically manifests itself in different social situations. Skillfully hermeticising the horror genre and isolating the set situations from a bird’s eye view, in the surrounding darkness, the film powerfully visualizes an atmosphere with an eerie epilogue. The film induces a very intense film-watching experience, establishing a specific atmosphere of terror, using 3D animation in a particular and creative way.

And finally, Martina Scarpelli gave her special mention to the British film Betty by Will Anderson, saying that it is clever, sharp, unexpected, honest, original, compassionate and fun. With its modern aesthetic, elegant storytelling and sophisticated humor this film brings the intimacy of human connection to the screen to reflect about the creative process through a love story gone wrong. It is an ode to the highest high and the lowest low of creativity but also an ode to the highest high and the lowest low of love.

The joint jury of the Student and Croatian Film Competition consisting of Laurent Crouzeix, Hefang Wei and Mladen Đukić decided to give the Dušan Vukotić Award for best student film to the Russian film Naked by Kirill Khachaturov, made at Moscow School of New Cinema due to its very original design and a strong author vision, taking the viewer through urban, natural, and intimate landscapes. The € 1 000 cash prize is sponsored by Zagrebačka banka.

The same jury’s special mentions went to Pearl Diver (Norway, Volda University College) by Margrethe Danielsen, Airhead! (Belgium, La Cambre) by Gaspar Chabaud and Survival HK (Hong Kong and USA, CalArts) by Louise Pau. Pearl Diver is a subtle, bittersweet portrait of separation and miscommunication with a great sense of timing, Airhead! perfectly mixes mathematics and daydreaming, while Survival HK displays a great sense of space and balance between the inside and the outside world, between a boring English test and a fascinating Typhoon – wrote the jury.

The best film in the Croatian Film Competition is Arka by Natko Stipaničev, produced by Kreativni sindikat, also winning a € 1 000 cash prize sponsored by the Croatian Directors’ Association. The special mention went to Marko Dješka for All Those Sensations in my Belly, Croatian-Portuguese co-production by Adriatic Animation and BAP Animation Studio. Film that displays carefully made choices to offer a highly creative vision of a slowly but surely sinking world – said the award statement for Arka. Cleverly animated documentary tackling a strong subject – said the special mention statement for All Those Sensations in my Belly.

The winners in the Children’s Film Competition were chosen by Una Patafta, Maris Popović, Din Hodžović, Simon Varošanec and Ruta Pašalić. Their award went to a Czech film Daughter by Daria Kashcheeva and the special mention to the Spanish film Mare Monstrum by a group of directors.

Finally, the Mr M. Audience Award for best film in Grand Competition Short Film went to Theodore Ushev for The Physics of Sorrow. 

The 31th World Festival of Animated Film - Animafest Zagreb takes place 7-12 June 2021.

Can a single meeting change the course of a novice filmmaker’s career? It surely can!  As a beginner filmmaker with head full of ideas sometimes you need that one advice, that push in the right direction. Talent Demo will get you there!

What is it?

Talent Demo is an educational event tailored especially for students and aspiring filmmakers. Each year a chosen group of participants have a chance to meet with acknowledged experts – cinematographers, directors, editors, talent agents and producers.

How does it work?

This initiative aims to enable young filmmakers to discuss their ongoing projects with world class film professionals. The program is addressed primarily to students of film and art schools as well as independent filmmakers who will have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to present their projects to film industry experts: cinematographers, directors, producers, distributors, talent agents, among others.

Talent Demo participants will be selected based on their applications. Those invited to the program will have an opportunity to present their projects to industry professionals and discuss the further direction of their projects as well as their career path with experts who match their needs the most.

How can you participate in a meeting?

This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Talent Demo session will be held in a hybrid form, just like the festival itself. The participants who are not be able to come to Toruń will have a chance to take part in the online meetings, whereas those who will come to Toruń are invited to have a physical meeting with the experts. Each participant can choose a suitable type of meeting in the application form.

How to apply?

It is really simple! All you have to do is to log in to portal.camerimage.pl and fill out the application form where you will be asked to answer just a few simple questions regarding your experience and the project. Selection of participants is based on the application forms.

Application fee is 150 PLN (approx. 35 EUR).

When can you apply?

We are currently accepting applications. The deadline is 18 October 2020.

Talent Demo 2018,
photo by Bartosz Klimczak

Who our experts are?

A typical panel of experts consists of representatives of the following professions: recognised cinematographer, talent agent, producer, director, distributor, representative of an international film festival. What is important is that the experts are selected after careful analysis of all successful applications. Therefore we are sure that the meetings will be fruitful.

Last year, our Talent Demo board of experts was composed of the following acclaimed professionals: César Charlone (cinematographer, director, writer), Rob Epstein (director, writer, producer), Jeffrey Friedman (producer, director, editor), Gabriela Rodriguez (producer), Adam Newport-Berra (cinematographer) oraz Ann Murphy (talent agent). The panel of experts for this year’s edition of Talent Demo will be selected after careful analysis of all the successful applications and announced on a later date.

What previous participants say?

“One of the things that makes this festival so unique is the feeling that everyone is equal within it. No matter the status or fame of the person attending Camerimage we are all filmmakers drawn to this festival through our passion for the craft. Filmmaking is a collaborative effort and the generosity of Mr. Heim and his colleagues were imperative to bring Catch to its completion.”
Jeremy Glaholt, Talent Demo 2012 participant

“Camerimage and Talent Demo has been a great experience for me, I learned many things and this great opportunity opened my mind to new experiences and the advisory program was very good. Sharing with filmmakers from around the world pushes me to keep going and not give up on the long road to complete a film, the philosophy of the festival is very important: I felt a brotherhood among filmmakers, which is very important to create a global community, especially in these times when the world is torn between borders and cultural differences.”
Arturo Almanza, Talent Demo 2015 participant

In order to apply for Talent Demo Program go HERE.
Please direct all inquiries to Dominika Kruzińska at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

         

For the sixth time, the RE-ACT (Regional Audiovisual Cooperation and Training) initiative announces its call for project co-development funding and is once again joining forces with First Cut Lab, opening its call for the autumn workshop session for feature fiction films in editing phase. Deadline for applications is 15 November 2020.

The FilmFestival Cottbus has been known for the best cinema from Eastern Europe for 30 years. In the Feature Film Competition at the 30th FilmFestival Cottbus (November 3 to 8, 2020), twelve films from a total of 22 (co-)production countries compete for the main prize of 25,000 euros and the special prize for best director as well as the prize sculpture LUBINA (Sorbian: the Lovely). Eleven of the works celebrate their German premieres in Cottbus. Promising talents compete with star directors, newcomers meet film makers, who are already known in Cottbus, like Oleg Novković, whose film THE LIVING MAN will have its world premiere at the FFC.

Night Riders heading to Lumière Festival!

We are thrilled to announce that digitally restored Slovak classic Night Riders, from the collections of the National Film Archive of the Slovak Film Institute, will be world premiered at the 11th Lumière Festival in Lyon (10 – 18 October 2020).

SFI will also participate in the Marché International du Film Classique.

Watch Trailer

„If they catch him, his myth will fall. If he escapes, he becomes a legend.“

Original title: Noční jazdci
Country: Czechoslovakia (CS)
Year of production: 1981
Duration: 91 min.

Director: Martin Hollý
Screenplay: Tibor Vichta
DoP: František Uldrich, Vladimír Smutný
Music: Svetozár Stračina
Editor: Maximilián Remeň
Cast: Radoslav Brzobohatý, Michal Dočolomanský, Leopold Haverl, Jozef Adamovič, Ivan Palúch, Karol Čálik, Ľubomír Paulovič

Production company: Slovenská filmová tvorba Bratislava, Filmové studio Barrandov
Sales: Slovak Film Institute | Rastislav Steranka | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | www.sfu.sk

Ji.hlava is moving to digital asylum. We have always preferred the festival to happen physically as we draw our inspiration primarily from screenings in cinema halls, discussions and personal meetings. However, the situation has changed and we respect that. Therefore, we want to see the currently closed cinemas in the Czech Republic as an opportunity and a challenge. This year again, we will treat you to a full-fledged festival programme as well as the tenth edition of the Inspiration Forum, sharing all the events online, in a surprising and engaging form. Join us in this endeavor!

Thank you for your support and trust,
Marek Hovorka & Team of the Ji.hlava IDFF

In the face of the Coronavirus the Lithuanian film industry has encountered and still encounters serious challenges. Thanks to close collaboration with the film industry, Lithuanian Film Centre has efficiently identified the most affected areas and their needs. In an attempt to counter the problems created by the COVID-19 pandemic the film sector was provided with 6.2 million euros funding, which was distributed by the Lithuanian Film Centre. Such multifaceted support for the film sector is the only one in the Baltic States. 

On October 8, the Board members of the European Film Agency Directors association unanimously re-elected Luis Chaby Vaz as EFAD President and Edith Sepp as Vice-President of the association with a 3 year mandate.

President:
Luis Chaby Vaz,
President of the Board of Directors of the Institute of Cinema and Audiovisual of Portugal

Vice-President:
Edith Sepp,
CEO of the Estonian Film Institute

"I am thrilled to continue helping EFAD to accomplish its mission: promoting European audiovisual creation in all its diversity. In constant dialogue with the industry and governments, EFAD has a strategic role to play to surpass these difficult times we are experiencing”, declared Luis Chaby Vaz.

“I would like to contribute to a stronger union between EFAD members bringing the voices of small, young and less competitive countries closer to prominent, mature and very competitive ones. Europe’s very diverse storytelling skills are one of its great strengths and we can act together to increase the audience desire for European audiovisual works across the world. I am also convinced of the need for more innovation, film education and diversity in the sector”, said Edith Sepp.

Short biographies of the President and Vice-President

Luís Chaby Vaz is since June 2017, President of the Board of Directors of the Institute of Cinema and Audiovisual of Portugal. He began his professional activity in 1993 as a lawyer before entering the cultural sector where he held several public management positions. He also worked in the Advertising industry and in the movie post production sector as CEO of Tobis. He was the Cultural Counselor of the Portuguese Embassy in Spain between 2010 and 2013. After that, he worked in a venture capital firm and as a private consultant.

Edith Sepp has been the CEO of the Estonian Film Institute since 2013. She started her film career in the early 1990s as an assistant director. After graduating with an MA in film and TV drama from the Northern Media School in UK, she worked in the film/TV industry as a film director and producer. In 2010, she became a film adviser to the Estonian Minister of Culture and lead the creation of the Estonian Film Institute’s 2013-2020 strategy. She has been a member of EFAD board since 2014 and she has chaired the EFAD Think-Tank since 2015.