Bobo Jelčić's unconventional Croatian feature on the fierce dilemma forced upon a man by the funeral of a friend, A Stranger (www.spiritus-movens.hr), swept seven of the main competition awards as the Pula IFF (http://pulafilmfestival.hr) wrapped this weekend.

PRAGUE: Strikingly original documentary Fortress by Czech filmmakers Lukáš Kokeš and Klára Tasovská, will compete in the Lux Prize, marking the second time a Czech nonfiction film has had the honor, following the nomination of 2008's Citizen Havel.

Applications for Latvia's first cash incentives for productions close Friday, the country's National Film Center has announced. The program, announced 25 June, is a first for the Baltic countries, aimed at keeping Latvia competitive for foreign shoots using its locations.

PRAGUE: The Czech Republic's venerated Barrandov Studios has announced a four-fifths decrease in net profit from last year but reports sales of 463 million CZK, up 11 percent, according to news agency ČTK.

Three finalists for the European Parliament's LUX prize for 2013 reflect a range of stories and voices that span art filmmaking approaches throughout the continent.

The Georgian National Film Center has announced the winning entry in its race for local full-length feature best suited to go into international co-production in 2013. Competition, directed by Dito Tsintsadze, is a follow-up to his thriller, Invasion, which was also international in scope, with a German cast. 

PRAGUE: Marijke Rawie offers insight and inspiration for docu makers and producers in an interview from the Ex Oriente project development sessions in Rijeka. Read the full story on Dokweb. Read the full story on Dokweb.

European Commission officials have announced that countries bordering the union, including Georgia, could fully participate in the Creative Europe arts and culture funding program as soon as January if they meet criteria such as most favored nation status with the World Trade Organization.

Five promising projects have been chosen by the Georgian National Film Center for development assistance in the form of training at the Microschool International, a three-day program run by the center, Film London and the Batumi International Art House Film Festival.