The grants for short animated films were announced by the Georgian National Film Center (GNFC) on 11 October 2019.
ACF Advises Bear Grylls on his Sale to Banijay to form The Premier Home of Adventure Programming: The Natural Studios
Press releases 17-10-2019From top: Bear Gryll'sglibal phenomenon, Man us Wild - estimated aggregate global audience of 1.2 bn, Bear Grylls, and Delbert Shoopman.
More information: https://www.acfib.com/press-release/acf-advises-bear-grylls-on-his-sale-to-banijay-to-form-the-premier-home-of-adventure-programming-the-natural-studios/
We're looking for new voices and new films! Submit your film for the 19th edition of Transilvania International Film Festival and you're in for a great experience.
Save the dates: May 29 - June 7, 2020, Cuj-Napoca, Romania.
Good to know:
- The Official Competition is dedicated to 1st and 2nd time directors
- Films submitted for the competitive programs must have been officially released (world premiere) after May 1st, 2019
- Foreign and Romanian entries in the Official Competition must not have been screened in Romania
- National premieres have priority in all sections
Deadline: February 1st, 2020 for all sections - Official Competition, Romanian Days (shorts and features), Shadows (shorts and features), Supernova, No Limit, and What's Up, Doc?
Take advantage of our early bird submission fees, available until December 31st:
- 20 euro for international features and 5 euro for international shorts in the Shadows section.
Regular fees apply between January 1st - February 1st, 2020: 40 euro for international features and 10 euro for international shorts in the Shadows section. Romanian films have no submission fee. All regulations can be found here.
If you haven't joined us yet, you should know that the Transilvania IFF experience means an exciting and intriguing selection, picturesque locations such as castles or open air museums, cine-concerts in churches, educational platforms for young audiences, solid industry programs, and a consistent focus on the future of audio-visual content.
Find out more: www.tiff.ro
Read the guidelines and submit your film here:
Shindisi, directed by Dito Tsintsadze
Georgia’s Oscar submission was awarded the Warsaw Grand Prix, funded by the Capital City of Warsaw, with Dito Tsintsadze also named Best Director. Special Jury Award went to Iran's A Hairy Tale by Homayoun Ghanizadeh.
35th Warsaw Film Festival Awards

INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION
International Competition Jury:
- Małgorzata Bela-Pawlikowska, actress/producer/model, Poland;
- Oana Giurgiu, producer/director/festival organiser, Romania;
- Hanna Slak, director, Slovenia;
- Bujar Alimani, director, Albania;
- Michal Leszczyłowski, Polish director/editor living in Sweden;
Warsaw Grand Prix, funded by the Capital City of Warsaw: Shindisi by Dito Tsintsadze, Georgia
Best Director Award: Dito Tsintsadze for Shindisi, Georgia
Special Jury Award: A Hairy Tale by Homayoun Ghanizadeh, Iran
COMPETITION 1-2
Competition 1-2 Jury:
- Anita Juka, producer, Croatia;
- Piotr Domalewski, director, Poland;
- Johan Karrento, director, Finland,
Competition 1-2 Winner: Move the Grave by Seung-o Jeong, South Korea
Special Mention: All for My Mother/Wszystko dla mojej matki by Małgorzata Imielska, Poland
Special Mention: The Forgotten by Daria Onyshchenko, Ukraine/Switzerland
FREE SPIRIT COMPETITION
Free Spirit Competition Jury:
- Nadine Luque, financier/producer, Spain/UK;
- Anna Shalashina, producer Russia;
- Łukasz Ronduda, director and art curator, Poland,
Free Spirit Award: Lost Holiday by Michael Kerry Matthews i Thomas Matthews, USA
Special Mention: II (Two) by Vlada Senkova, Belarus
DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
Documentary Competition Jury:
- Andrijana Stojkovic, director, Serbia,
- Paweł Łoziński, director, Poland,
- Arunas Matelis, director, Lithuania,
Best Documentary Feature: Overseas by Sung-A Yoon, Belgium/France
SHORT FILMS COMPETITION
Short Films Competition Jury:
- Dinara Drukarova, Russian director/actress, living in France,
- Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk, director, Ukraine
- Rafał Zawierucha, actor, Poland,
Short Grand Prix: Sororal by Frederic Even & Louise Mercadier, France
Best Live Action Short: Keep it Quiet by Ilya Simakov, USA
Best Animated Short: Why Slugs Have no Legs by Aline Höchli, Switzerland
Best Documentary Short: El Infierno by Raul de la Fuente, Spain
FIPRESCI (International Federation of Film Critics) Award
The FIPRESCI Jury members:
- Anna Serdiukow, Poland;
- Victoria Smirnova, Russia;
- Clementine van Wijngaarden, Netherlands,
gave the award for best debut from Eastern Europe to the film:
Cat in the Wall by Mina Mileva & Vesela Kazakova, Bulgaria/UK/France
Young FIPRESCI Award
Young FIPRESCI Award Jury members were participants of FIPRESCI Warsaw Critics Project:
- Lemana Filandra, Bosnia and Herzegovina;
- Denisa Jašová, Slovakia;
- Oleksandra Povoroznyk, Ukraine;
- Svetlana Semenchuk, Russia;
- Bogdan Balla, Romania,
- Levan Tskhovrebadze, Georgia,
gave the award for best debut from Eastern Europe to the film:
Sister by Svetla Tsotsorkova, Bulgaria/Qatar;
ECUMENICAL Award
The Ecumenical Jury members:
- Reverend Dr Stefan Affolter, Switzerland;
- Arnaldo Casali, journalist, Italy;
- Beata Hyży-Czołpińska, screenwriter/director, Poland
gave the Ecumenical Jury Award to:
Omar and Us by Maryna Er Gorbach&Mehmet Bahadir Er, Turkey
NETPAC Award
NETPAC (Network for Promotion of Asia Pacific Cinema) Jury:
- Diana Ashimova, festival director, Kazakhstan;
- Mevlut Akkaya producer/ director, Turkey;
- Łukasz Mańkowski, film critic, Poland,
gave the award for the best Asian/Pacific film to:
Move the Grave by Seung-o Jeong, South Korea
Warsaw Film Festival
Thirty years have passed since the Fall of the Iron Film Screenings: Curtain. This is a good opportunity to question, through some filmmakers’ point of view, the ways in October 18th at 7pm - Auditorium of the City which profound changes have taken place since of Paris (5, quai de l'Hôtel de ville, 75004 Paris) 1989 in Hungarian, Polish, Slovak and Czech Film: Rabbit à la Berlin / Królik po berlińsku, societies. director Bartosz Konopka, Poland.
The event will offer a series of screenings and 52 minutes, 2009 debates in the presence of many guests with diverse — Screening followed by a cocktail backgrounds and will take place from October 18th to October 20th 2019 in different venues in Paris. October 19th at 7pm - Hungarian Institute of This program is a unique opportunity to discover Paris (92, rue Bonaparte, 75006 Paris) talented and multi-award-winning artists, as well as Film: It’s not the time of my life / Ernelláék the newest filmmaking trends in Central Europe. Farkaséknál, director Szabolcs Hajdu, Hungary, With the support of Visegrad International Fund and 81 minutes, 2016 the Paris City Hall - Label Paris Europe.
PROGRAM:
October 18th from 3pm to 6pm - House of EuropeOctober 18th from 3pm to 6pm - House of Europe (29, avenue de Villiers, 75017 Paris) Debates: Cinema as a cultural challenge inunified Europe
With the presence of: Andor F. Dávid (General Director of the Visegrad International Fund), Julien Ezanno (Department of European and International Affairs of the CNC), Szabolcs Hajdu (Filmmaker, Hungary), Markéta Hodouskova (Creative Europe Expert and Czech-In Festival), Catherine Horel (Historian, CNRS), Isabella Kiszka-Hoflik (International Sales, former director of PISF, Poland), Jana Kluková (Producer, Slovakia), Sophie Mirouze (La Rochelle Film Festival and Weekend of East) and Ariel Schweitzer (critic in the Cahiers du cinéma).
Film Screenings:
October 18th at 7pm - Auditorium of the CityOctober 18th at 7pm - Auditorium of the City of Paris (5, quai de l'Hôtel de ville, 75004 Paris)
Film: Rabbit à la Berlin / Królik po berlińsku, director Bartosz Konopka, Poland,52 minutes, 2009— Screening followed by a cocktail
October 19th at 7pm - Hungarian Institute ofOctober 19th at 7pm - Hungarian Institute of Paris (92, rue Bonaparte, 75006 Paris)
Film: It’s not the time of my life / Ernelláék Farkaséknál, director Szabolcs Hajdu, Hungary, 81 minutes, 2016 — Screening followed by a meeting with thedirector and a cocktail
October 20th at 4pm - Cinéma Les 3October 20th at 4pm - Cinéma Les 3Luxembourg (67 Rue Monsieur le Prince,75006 Paris)
Film: When the war comes / Až přijde válka, director Jan Gebert, Czech Republic, 76 minutes, 2018
October 20th at 6:30pm - Czech Center of ParisOctober 20th at 6:30pm - Czech Center of Paris(18, rue Bonaparte, 75006 Paris)
Film: Cooking History / Ako sa varia dejiny, Director Péter Kerekes, Slovakia, 88 minutes, 2009 — Screening followed by a cocktail
Reservations required. More information on:Reservations required. More information on: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. / +33(0)675689583 / http://kino-visegrad.fr/
The FilmFestival Cottbus presents its complete programme, which this year includes 210 films from 45 (co)producing countries. With the Georgian film GORI | PIG by Giga Liklikadze, the FFC presents another world premiere in the Feature Film Competition. Patrons of the 29th edition of the FilmFestival Cottbus are Olaf Scholz, Vice Chancellor and Federal Minister of Finance, and traditionally Dietmar Woidke, Minister President of Brandenburg.
"The end of the so-called Iron Curtain was the beginning of the FilmFestival Cottbus, which since 1991 has developed into one of the world's leading festivals of East European cinema. Since then, the films of the 29 editions have also reflected the enormous transformation in the East European states. They take us into the reality of life on site. And let us feel through their characters what change means for each and every individual“, says Olaf Scholz, Vice Chancellor and Federal Minister of Finance, patron of the 29th FilmFestival Cottbus.
FEATURE FILM COMPETITION
In particular the 29th FFC's Feature Film Competition shows this reality of life and change – in the most unusual places, with a lot of emotion and a multitude of genres.
The coming-of-age story TOPAL ŞÜKRAN'IN MACERALARI | THE ADVENTURES OF SUKRAN THE LAME (2019) by Onur Ünlü is brightly coloured, in silent film format, cheeky and subversive. The first Turkish competition entry in the history of the FFC challenges: After an accident Sukran has to master her young life with a stiff leg. But she doesn't let this get her down, dreams of love, physical closeness and security. But something goes wrong again and again and sometimes ends deadly.
MIN URDUBER KYUN KHAHAN DA KIIRBET | THE SUN ABOVE ME NEVER SETS (Lyubov Borisova, RU 2019) brings us to a tragicomic scenery on a Yakutian island in the Laptev Sea. Sent there by his father for fox farm keeping, the young YouTuber Altan meets the old hermit Baibal, who believes he will have to die soon.
Antonio Lukich's bizarre comedy MOYI DUMKY TYKHI | MY THOUGHTS ARE SILENT (UA 2019) accompanies Vadim, who collects animal voices for a video game and who in search of the song of a rare bird is accompanied by his devoted mother.
In the dystopian psycho-drama JESTEM REN | I AM REN (PL 2019) Piotr Ryczko balances between horror and science fiction. Protagonist Renata is mother and wife – or a REN, a Regenerative Emotive Neuro-Being? The service agency detects a malfunction, a shut down is imminent. Hope is still there, but isn't family therapy already the final visit to the technician?
With her film SHPIA E AGËS | AGA’S HOUSE (KO/HR/FR/AL 2019), Lendita Zeqiraj makes visible the fates of women and children: After the Kosovo War, five women live in a wasteland cut off from male influence. Tragedy and trauma are revealed only gradually. Nine-year-old Aga - the only man in the house - is looking for a father figure.
The second world premiere in the Feature Film Competition (besides PUN MJESEC | FULL MOON, Nermin Hamzagić, BA 2019) is the feature film debutGORI | PIG by Giga Liklikadze (2019) from Georgia. The director shows this land of longing of many travellers away from the tourist streams, where the young Bachana roams aimlessly and falls into the hands of two petty criminals. They want to extort 100 euros from his family for his release, but can only offer them a pig.
With unexpected stories, pictures and main characters, all of the FFC's competition and other programme entries trigger unforeseen thoughts and feelings.
"This compassion, this listening to each other, in light of the increasing populism that causes a social division, I consider to be particularly important. In Germany, across the borders of Eastern Europe and throughout Europe. The films of this 29th festival year will make their contribution to this," emphasises patron Olaf Scholz.
INTERNATIONAL JURY
The four prizes in the Feature Film Competition (main prize for the best film, special prize for the best director, prize for an outstanding actress and an outstanding actor) will be awarded by the International Jury:
Sergey Dvortsevoy - Russian director, 2018 at FFC with AYKA winner of the main prize for best film
Luli Bitri - Albanian actress (ALIVE!, AMNESTY, HOLY BOOM)
Péter Muszatics - Hungarian film historian and curator
Marija Perović - Montenegrin director, professor, chairman of the board of the Herceg Novi Film Festival - Montenegro Film Festival; the 29th FFC shows Perović‘s film GRUDI | BREASTS as International Premiere in the section SPOTLIGHT: MONTENEGRO
Peter Badel - cinematographer and until 2019 professor of camera studies at the Film University Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF
CLOSING FILM
Following the award ceremony on Saturday, 9 November 2019, the FFC will present the Polish submission for the "Best Foreign Language Film" 2020: BOŻE CIAŁO | CORPUS CHRISTI by Jan Komasa (PL 2019). A young man who is difficult to educate dresses in a priestly garment, reconciles a divided village with his unorthodox view of Christian mission and sets – not without sacrifices – a sign of hope.
Original title | German title | English title
MOYI DUMKY TYKHI | DIE GEDANKEN SIND FREI | MY THOUGHTS ARE SILENT
ANTONIO LUKICH, UA 2019, 104 MIN
German Premiere
SHPIA E AGËS | AGAS HAUS | AGA’S HOUSE
LENDITA ZEQIRAJ, KO/HR/FR/AL 2019, 107 MIN
German Premiere
OSTRÝM NOŽOM | MIT EINEM SCHARFEN MESSER | BY A SHARP KNIFE
TEODOR KUHN, SK/CZ 2019, 90 MIN
German Premiere
JESTEM REN | ICH BIN REN | I AM REN
PIOTR RYCZKO, PL 2019, 75 MIN
German Premiere
GLAS | DIE STIMME | THE VOICE
OGNJEN SVILIČIĆ, HR/RS/MK 2019, 76 MIN
German Premiere
GORI | DAS SCHWEIN | PIG
GIGA LIKLIKADZE, GE 2019, 81 MIN
World Premiere
NÁRODNÍ TŘÍDA | NATIONALSTRAßE | NATIONAL STREET
ŠTĚPÁN ALTRICHTER, CZ/DE 2019, 90 MIN
German Premiere
REŽI | LOVE CUTS | LOVE CUTS
KOSTA ĐORĐEVIĆ, RS/HR 2019, 80 MIN
German Premiere
SESTRA | SCHWESTER | SISTER
SVETLA TSOTSORKOVA, BG/QA 2019, 98 MIN
German Premiere
PUN MJESEC | FULL MOON | FULL MOON
NERMIN HAMZAGIĆ, BA 2019, 85 MIN
World Premiere
MIN URDUBER KYUN KHAHAN DA KIIRBET | DIE SONNE ÜBER MIR GEHT NIE UNTER | THE SUN ABOVE ME NEVER SETS
LYUBOV BORISOVA, RU 2019, 108 MIN
German Premiere
TOPAL ŞÜKRAN'IN MACERALARI | DIE ABENTEUER VON SUKRAN DER LAHMEN | THE ADVENTURES OF SUKRAN THE LAME
ONUR ÜNLÜ, TR 2019, 80 MIN
German Premiere
Download film stills: www.filmfestivalcottbus.de/press
The 29th FilmFestival Cottbus will take place from November 5 – 10, 2019. In four competitions and eleven side sections, the FFC will show more than 200 films competing for prize money of more than EUR 75,000 and the coveted prize sculpture LUBINA (Sorbian: the Lovely).
Over 22,000 spectators attended the Festival of Eastern European Film in Cottbus in 2018.
The 29th FilmFestival Cottbus is decisively supported by the Federal State of Brandenburg, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg GmbH, the city of Cottbus, the Federal Foreign Office and the Creative Europe programme of the European Union.
Reporting press can now be accredited online here:
www.filmfestivalcottbus.de/accreditation
SIBIU: The Estonian documentary Immortal directed by Ksenia Okhapkina was awarded best film in the International Competition of the 26th edition of the Astra Film Festival (14-20 October 2019). A total of 46 documentary films vied for awards in the competitive sections: International, Central & Eastern Europe, Romania and DocSchool.
VALLETTA: The Italian Netflix Production The Incredible Story Of Rose Island is currently shooting in Malta at the water tank facilities from Malta Film Studios. The film is co-written by Sydney Sibilia and Francesca Manieri and stars Elio Germano. The cast includes Matilda De Angelis, Fabrizio Bentivoglio, Luca Zingaretti, François Cluzet and Tom Wlaschiha.
The Awards of Astra Film Festival 2019 go to France, Belgium, Israel, Estonia and Romania! The winners of the 26th edition of Astra Film - Sibiu International Film Festival 2019 were announced on Saturday, 19 October, during the AFF 2019 Awards held at Filarmonica de Stat Sibiu. The juries of the 4 competition sections had to choose from a final selection of 46 films.
The 9th edition of US in Progress Wrocław will be held from the 6th till the 8th of November as a part of American Film Festival and thanks to the support of Polish Film Institute and the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. We are also proud to announce our partnership with Polish Producers Alliance.

US in Progress aims to facilitate professional networking among European and Polish film professionals and independent filmmakers from the United States. It is held twice yearly (June edition takes place in Paris during Champs-Elysees Film Festival).
US in Progress Wrocław invite-only Polish pitchings will feature four projects with co-production potential. Polish producers selected to pitch their projects to the US producers and investors are:
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Lost Voice. Searching for Marcella Sembrich dir. Radka Franczak, prod. Dagmara Brodziak
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Naked Coast dir. Michał Krzywicki, prod. Dagmara Brodziak
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America in Your Footsteps dir. Łukasz Kowalski, Anna Tarnawska, prod.Łukasz Kowalski, Anna Mazerant
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Turkey Hunting in Mississippi dir. & prod. Bianca Lucas
Polish-American co-production meetings is a networking opportunity for Polish producers seeking partners from the US and US producers willing to work in/with Poland. American producers invited to talk on a round-table on Transcontinental Co-Production are as follows:
- Andrew Hevia (Moonlight, Leave the Bus Through the Broken Window)
- Zach Nutman (Short Term 12, It Follows, Paterson, Beach Rats)
- Monique Walton (Bull, We’re Still Together)
- Stephanie Wilcox (The Other Lamb, Whiplash, Drive)
- Jay Van Hoy (The Witch, The Lighthouse, American Honey)
The day will be complimented by presentations of Polish production incentives and the scouting tour of Wrocław and one-on-one meetings.
To learn more or contact US in Progress team please email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or check www.usinprogress.com

