The International Co-Production Forum Regiofund will be held in Katowice from 4th through 7th October. The event is visited by film producers, representatives of European film funds, financial institutions, regional film funds, and local authorities, as well as private investors, television broadcasters, distributors, sales agents, and film distributors.

From among the projects submitted to Regiofund Forum from all over the world, the organizers have chosen 10 carefully selected film and TV series projects with international co-production potential. The qualified projects come from Poland, Albania, Romania, Italy, Austria, and Great Britain.

The pitching session is scheduled for the 6th of October and will be conducted before an international group of Regiofund’s guests who represent various areas of film industry, from financial institutions and regional film funds to film distributors and sales agents. Regiofund’s participants, who will present their projects during the pitching session, had a say in preparing the list of guests, as they were asked by the organizers about their demands and expectations. The session will be moderated by Karolina Lidin, a representative of Nordisk Film&TV Fund.

The following fiction and documentary films and animated TV series will be presented in Katowice:

• Film Odyssey – an inventive feature film for children, directed by Piotr Stasik and produced by Telemark, Poland
• Flesh – director Marcin Koszałka’s documentary attempt at facing the inevitability of death, produced by Szarobiuro Production, Poland
• Mediterrencee – an animated TV series focused on a number of important European women, directed by Bepi Vigna and produced by Zena Film, Italy
• Sirena (Hear The Whisper) – a surreal feature film about a certain graphic novel artist, directed by Giorgio Borgazzi and produced by Topanga, Austria/Italy
• Squeek – an animated TV series about the struggle of Maya’s gang of mice against the totalitarian rule of Julius, directed by Łukasz Kacprowicz and Marcin Wasilewski, and produced by GS Animation, Poland
• The Anselins – a suspenseful feature film by Dan Radu Mihai, described by the filmmakers as a project about duality. Produced by Anchor Films, Romania
• The Deathless Woman – an experimental documentary feature film about the poignant history of the Roma in Europe, directed by Roz Mortimer and produced by Animate Projects Productions, Great Britain
• The Gingers – a Christmas musical about a singing-loving family who own a gingerbread shop. Produced by Artcore, Poland
• The War Has Ended – Hagar Ben-Asher’s feature film set after World War II and telling a story about the meeting of 13-year-old Lily with master marionettist Joseph. Produced by Madants, Poland/Israel
• Three Lions Heading Venice – a story of filmmakers whose journey to the Venice Film Festival is a truly wild ride, directed by Jonid Jorgji and produced by EJF Production, Albania

All presentations are scheduled for Friday and will be preceded by two days of intense training course lead by Regiofund’s pitching experts: Maggie Ellis and Katrin Nandelstädt.

Maggie Ellis has been co-operating with the organizers for several years now, and she has almost 30 years of experience in running film trainings and schemes. As Film London’s Head of Production and Talent Development, she has commissioned hundreds of films from new and emergent talent. Katrin Nandelstädt, however, will train the participants in the art of presentation by exploring such areas as body language, voice training, managing the emotions, working on beliefs and attitudes, stage presence as well as formulating core messages and storytelling.

This year’s edition of Regiofund Forum will be held in Katowice from 4th through 7th of October. Its organizer, Silesia Film Commission, is a part of Silesia Film Institute, a cultural institution of the Silesian voivodeship.

You can still purchase Regiofund’s Observer Pass that enables participation in pitching session, discussion panels, workshops, and network meetings.

You can find more information on the event’s website: http://forumregiofund.pl/en/acreditation/

 

 

Part of the tradition of CAMERIMAGE Film Festival is to help young filmmakers and film school students to improve their skills through numerous workshops and seminars led by recognised film professionals. To support student attendance at the Festival, the organizers offer a special price for STUDENT Entry Cards and free accommodation for students as part of the Homestay Program. 

Homestay was established in 1997. According to its guidelines, students from all over the world can find free of charge accommodation at the private flats and houses of Bydgoszcz host families who, in return, take part in the festival events. This initiative often proves to be a great opportunity to start an unbreakable friendship and learn more about Polish culture, tradition and hospitality. 

To enrol for the Homestay Program:

• purchase your Student Entry Card online (registration and payments available HERE)
• fill out the Homestay entry form (HERE)
• wait for your Homestay offer* (will put you in touch with your host)
• arrange your arrival and stay with the host

  *Please note:

• We can only provide accommodation offered by those Bydgoszcz families that decided to take part in the program.
• Since there are always more students than families interested, we cannot guarantee that accommodation will be found for everyone.
• Accommodation will be granted on a "first come first served" basis.

Deadline for Homestay student applications: 6 October 2017.

 

Digital Single Market
25/09: European Audiovisual Observatory publishes results of its Brussels SATCAB workshop – EAO website
The publication summarises the main points of the discussion during the round-table workshop,which was held on 21 June in Brussels in order to explore certain aspects of the Regulation Proposal. The workshop was organised, and the discussion facilitated by the European Audiovisual Observatory (Strasbourg) upon request of the European Commission. 
15/09: Expert Survey Shows Direct Injection as the Principal Form of Broadcasting in Europe – SAA
The Ampere Analysis economic survey of channel distribution in the EU confirms that broadcast signals, whether domestic or cross-border, are overwhelmingly transmitted to retransmission platforms such as cable using a method known as Direct Injection.

Copyright
21/09: Hidden European Commission's study copyright study leaked – Netzpolitik 
The study ‘Estimated displacements rates of copyrighted content in the EU’ commissioned by the European Commission explores the relation between online copyright infringement (digital piracy) and sales of copyrighted content.
12/09: The urgent for a reform of EU copyright law by MEP Axel Voss – EP Magazine  

‘The proposal is a great opportunity not only to adapt the legal situation, but also to generate economic success for European works within the EU. In this connection, we need to strive for a good balance between all players. Ultimately, we are protecting cultural diversity in the EU and thus our European identity, thereby helping to make sure that it is still worthwhile to be creative’ stated MEP Axel Voss.  

European Commission
13/09: Juncker’s full 2017 State of the Union speech – European Commission
The President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, delivered his annual State of the Union speech and presented the EU plan on a number of institutional, economic and political reforms.

Events 
27/09: European Audiovisual Observatory Conference on media convergence – Brussels 
29/09: Workshop on the Promotion of European Works in Audiovisual Media Services – Brussels
27-28/11: Estonian Presidency conference on audiovisual content, technology and policy – Tallinn – more information here 

 

The line-up is to include the world premieres of Zaza Urushadze's The Confession and Once Upon a Time in November by acclaimed Polish filmmaker Andrzej Jakimowski

Balkan Noir (En Balkan Noir), dir. Dražen Kuljanin, Sweden 2017, 74', World Premiere
It has been five years since Nina's daughter went missing and only during the cigarette breaks do we get to follow her hunt for the perpetrator as she returns to Montenegro for one last time.

To Kill a Watermelon (Sha Gua), dir. Gao Zehao, China 2017, 88', International Premiere
One hot summer day, A pedestrian, his wife, a village head, a murderer, an official of the county, and a policeman took turns showing up at the main character Chen's melon shed. For the first time in his life, this quiet and obedient man realizes the meaning of his own existence. 

The Confession (Beri), dir. Zaza Urushadze, Georgia, Estonia 2017, 89', World Premiere
Priest Giorgi, a former film director, is sent to serve the small parish in the mountain village. To bring villagers closer to church he starts showing films there. After the screening of the first picture – Some Like It Hot – the audience imply that the local music teacher Lili looks exactly like Marilyn Monroe. 

The Anniversary (Aniversarea), dir. Dan Chisu, Romania 2017, 87', International Premiere
At Radu Maligan's 94th anniversary the family members and the former colleagues of the old man come to his birthday party. Everything gets complicated when half of the guests try to convince Radu to confess his sins to a priest, while the others think that no one should be forced to do something beyond their will.

Sella Turcica (Tureckoe sedlo), dir. Yusup Razykov, Russia 2017, 75', International Premiere
Ilyich is a former "mole" – an external observation agent in the KGB, then FSB. Now retired, he continues to watch those who catch his attention and curiosity. The doctor diagnoses him with the empty sella syndrome, which he claims poses no danger to the society… 

Beyond Words (Pomiędzy słowami), dir. Urszula Antoniak, Poland, Netherlands 2017, 85'
Young Berlin lawyer’s life is about to change – in a way he could not possibly have imagined. Faced with his long-buried past, his perfect exterior starts to crumble. 

Once Upon a Time in November (Pewnego razu w listopadzie…), dir. Andrzej Jakimowski, Poland 2017, 92', World Premiere
Warsaw, 2013. Son and his mother suddenly find themselves on the streets in a society in which extremist nationalism is developing at top speed.

Sideway (Yol Kenari), dir. Tayfun Pirselimoğlu, Turkey, Greece, France 2017, 119', World Premiere
Poetic black and white film contemplating life and its cruelty, slowly revealing a stagnating society which doesn't react to injustice. 

2557, dir. Roderick Warich, Germany 2017, 111', European Premiere
A young Thai woman gets sucked right into a violently escalating conflict between her Thai and expat friends.

The Bomb (Bomba), dir. Ralston Gonzales Jover, Philippines 2017, 94', World Premiere
In order to survive and provide for the people he cares about, hearing-impaired Pipo will do just about everything he can. That is, until he reaches the breaking point. 

Be Prepared (Czuwaj), dir. Robert Gliński, Poland 2017, 95'
Teenagers from two entirely different worlds suddenly have to face each other. What was supposed to be a valuable learning experience, quickly spins out of control. 

If You Saw His Heart (Si tu voyais son coeur), dir. Joan Chemla, France 2017, 86'
Daniel is cast out of his community after the death of his best friend. He finds refuge in a hotel for castaways and broken souls and drifts into violence. An unexpected ray of light enlivens his existence when he meets Francine. Inspired by the novel Halfway House by Guillermo Rosales.

The Miner (Rudar), dir. Hanna Slak, Slovenia, Croatia 2017, 101', International Premiere
Mehmedalija Alić has been working as a miner for over 30 years. Having been assigned to open a walled-in pit, he finds much more than just another deserted mine, exposing the country's dark underbelly. 

Boarding Pass (Kart– e Parvaz), dir. Mehdi Rahmani, Iran 2017, 88', World Premiere
In Iran, there are people who swallow drugs and then transport them to other countries. They are called the "body packers".  But it's not the arrests that they fear the most. 

Of Skin and Men (L'Amour des hommes), dir. Mehdi Ben Attia, France, Tunisia 2017, 105', World Premiere
Present-day Tunis. Amel lives with her husband Nabil in the apartment owned by her parents-in-law. But her happy life is devastated when Nabil is killed in an accident. 

Contact: Marta Bałaga, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Warsaw Film Foundation /33nd Warsaw Film Festival, October 13-22, 2017