Prague, February 3, 2012 - Czech cinematography will be represented in several areas at this year’s International Film Festival in Berlin (9 – 19 February 2012). The Czech Film Center will be representing Czech cinematography for the tenth time at the European Film Market. Under the umbrella Central European Cinema the CFC will be representing national cinematography together with the Slovenian Film Center and the Slovak Film Institute. The stand will offer Czech representatives of the film industry, i.e. distributors, producers, festival representatives, etc., facilities for business meetings and negotiations. The stand’s partners this year are the Karlovy Vary IFF and Barrandov Studios.
Altogether eight Czech films or co-productions will appear in this official programme of this year's Berlinale and the European Film Market.
The film A Royal Affair (En kongelig affære/Královská záležitost), selected for this year's international competition, was produced by Zentropa in co-production with, among others, the Czech production company Sirena Film. The filming took place mostly at Czech locations. Around 39% of the total budget was spent in the Czech Republic. This epic period film starring Mads Mikkelsen was made in the Czech Republic from March to May 2011. Zentropa is the renowned company most often connected with its founder, the world-famous director Lars von Trier and the Dogma 95 film movement.
The film A Night Too Young is among the 38 films presented in the Forum programme. It is the graduate work of Slovenian director Olmo Omerzu, who lives in Prague, for the FAMU film school.
Jiří Konečný, the film's producer, thinks highly of the invitation to the distinguished Berlin section. "I am very glad that a graduate film by a starting director was selected for the prestigious festival in Berlin. And I am grateful for the support that the Czech Film Center, who we have been cooperating with since the beginning of its existence, provided to us for the festival. It would definitely be more difficult for Czech films to get into foreign festivals without such an organisation,” stated Jiří Konečný from Endorfilm, which produced the film. Czech Television, Studio FAMU and the Slovenian company Arsmedia are co-producers.
A Night Too Young will have its world premiere in Berlin on 13 February 2012 at 10 p.m. It should be released to Czech distribution on 22 March 2012
“Czech films are already a traditional part of the Forum programme. They have the courage to tell sensitive stories and, as this case has shown, they touch on the essential ethical themes of our time. We want to provide room for such films in the Forum programme and thus to offer the director and producer of A Night Too Young the public space they deserve at Berlinale,” remarked Christoph Terhechte, the Director of the FORUM section at Berlinale.
Screenings of Czech films will also be taking place at the European Film Market. This year 6 titles are heading to Berlin – Gypsy by director Martin Šulík, Perfect Days by director Alice Nellis, Sláma’s Four Suns, Vorlíček’s fairy tale Saxana, Innocence by Jan Hřebejk and Tomáš Luňák’s Alois Nebel.
“Five of the six films being shown already have international sales, which goes to show that foreign sales companies see commercial potential for Czech films. Plus most of the films shown at the film market originated in international co-production and that also indicates a path that leads to the international market,” stated Jana Černík from the Czech Film Center.
Contact:
Tel: +420 221 105 398
e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Lenka Sindelarova
Czech Film Center - Film Promotion
{mosimage}WARSAW: Filmbox channel in Poland has recorded impressive growth of over 90% (0,17% SHR) in November 2011 and 58,4% in December 2011, according to data produced by Nielsen Audience Measurement for the Polish web portal wirtualnemedia.pl.
Between January 19 - 21, EEFA Training Network was present at WHEN EAST MEETS WEST Co-production event during Trieste Film Festival through four film projects whose representatives benefitted from specialized training at the East European Film Alliance workshops throughout 2011, along with other 11 promising film projects from European and non-European countries: Script Development for Documentaries (Zagreb, March 3-7, with Croatian Audiovisual Center support), Script Development for Fiction Projects (Sofia, June 9-13, with Bulgarian National Film Center support), Management of Film Production (Kyiv, October 27-31, in partnership with Molodist International Film Festival), Legal and Distribution Matters (Tallinn, November 25 – 28, in partnership with PÖFF Black Nights Film Festival).
The status of EEFA Training Network at WHEN EAST MEETS WEST was one of partnership, as the four projects
invited at the Co-production event were
awarded after the final pitching session, at the end of EEFA TN 2011, by our
partners at WHEN EAST MEETS WEST.
In the final line up section, CIRCLE fiction feature project from Turkey was represented by director-writer-producer Atil Inac,
from Lacivert Film, an experienced
Turkish film production company emerging today with new projects, prestigious
film awards and international collaboration initiatives.
In the freshly launched “warm-up” section, the other three EEFA
TN 2011 graduate projects participated: two documentaries FAR ENCOUNTERS from Croatia, represented by producer Dijana Mladenovic and SEE
YOU IN CHECHNYA from Georgia, represented by producer-writer-director-D.O.P. Alexander Kvatashidze and one fiction project LEMON JUICE AND INDIGO from
Producer Dijana Mladenovic is the founder of Kinematograf production company which
was established in 1999 first as a cinema exhibitor. For almost a decade, it
was a leading cinema exhibitor in
Producer Judit Stalter represented the project through Laokoon Filmgroup, a young generation
production company founded by Gabor Sipos and Gabor Rajna, which focuses on the
development and production of high-quality auteur feature films, creative
documentaries and shorts.
Producer-writer-director-D.O.P. Alexander Kvatashidze founded Lokokina production studio in 2009,
together with his filmmaking and business partner Nikoloz Tarielashvili in
EEFA is looking forward to contributing
to the further development of the above mentioned film projects in 2012.
East European Film Alliance is a consortium of eleven countries coordinated by the Romanian Film Sector and has for 2011
the following partners: HAVC
(Croatian Audiovisual Center)– Croatia, IFF
Molodist (Kyiv International Film Festival Molodist) – Ukraine, ALTFilm (ALTFilm) – Moldova, ASA (Ankara Cinema Association) –
Turkey, BNFC (Bulgarian National
Film Center ) and GEOPOLY (Geopoly
Film) – Bulgaria, IFF Moscow (Moscow
International Film Festival) – Russia,
PÖFF Tallinn (PÖFF – Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival ) – Estonia, LNFC – National Film Centre of Latvia, Georgian National Film Center – Georgia
and State Film Fund from Ministry of
Culture and Tourism Azerbaijan.
Alongside our partners, the
initiative has been supported in 2011 by
Media
Mundus
For all other information, please
access http://eefa-eu.org/
or contact: Ruxandra
Cernat (Project Manager, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
Sorina Diaconu (Online
manager, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
Submit your film for the 11th edition of Transilvania Film Festival!
TIFF will take place between 1st and 10th of June 2012. The deadline for submissions is February 15, 2012, for films submitted in the Official Competition and the Shadows competition and March 15, 2012, for films submitted in the Romanian Days competition.
Paris / Los Angeles - 27 January. Basic Lead, the organizer of DISCOP ISTANBUL today announced that close to 300 companies will be attending the upcoming second edition of the event, which takes place from 28 February to 1 March.
Held at the INTERCONTINENTAL CEYLAN HOTEL, DISCOP ISTANBUL will draw together over 120 international suppliers of television content and buyers representing broadcasters, pay-tv operators, mobile networks, alternative content distribution platforms and territorial agents operating in Eurasia and Northern Africa, a half-a-billion viewer world region set to phenomenally grow in the years to come.
Exhibitors selling content include ZODIAK RIGHTS, BANIJAY, ITV STUDIOS GLOBAL ENTERTAINMENT, TURNER BROADCASTING SYSTEM, AETN INTERNATIONAL, TELEMUNDO, TELEVISA, DISCOVERY, VENEVISION, NBCUNIVERSAL, VIACOM, SPARKS, ZEE TELEFILMS, MONDO TV, TRT, GLOBAL AGENCY, MBC, MEDIASET, MBC, to name a very few.
Sellers taking part in DISCOP ISTANBUL will also include the largest contingent, ever, of Turkish producers and distributors of world renowned Drama Series !
France’s programs export arm, TV FRANCE INTERNATIONAL, will also be in attendance with a contingent of 30 companies including ARTE, AB INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION, MEDIATOON, INA, and others.
DISCOP ISTANBUL will offer a vibrant program of informative sessions and briefings, featuring a selection of renowned industry speakers and three days respectively dedicated to Central Asia’s booming television industry, to the renaissance of Arabic television content focusing on the reasons why Middle Eastern and North African home-grown tales do so well at home and abroad and to the future of content distribution.
DISCOP ISTANBUL will also feature a generous agenda of social functions and networking opportunities.
Patrick Jucaud, General Manager of Basic Lead commented today, “The inaugural edition of DISCOP ISTANBUL in 2011 exceeded all our expectations and this year’s market is showing all the signs of being even more successful. We look forward to welcoming buyers from Eurasia and Northern Africa who very seldom travel to other international markets, alongside the large contingent of international attendees looking to do business in this rapidly growing region.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION
www.discop.com // This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. // TEL + 33 1 42 29 32 24.
Social networks: Facebook // Twitter
Jussi Awards
The winners of Jussi Awards (“Finnish Oscars”) were announced in a
gala in Helsinki on January 29th , 2012.
The highest amount of Jussi Awards (six) went to Le Havre by Aki Kaurismäki.
Jussi Awards are annual film awards for the best achievements within
Finnish cinema. The awards are given by Filmiaura, an association of
Finnish film professionals. The Jussi Awards cover altogether 14
categories: best film, direction, actress in a leading role, actor in
a leading role, actress in a supporting role, actor in a supporting
role, script, cinematography, music, editing, sound design, set
design, costume design and documentary. The first Jussi Awards were
given in 1944.
THE WINNERS ARE:
Best film
Le Havre / producer Aki Kaurismäki
Best direction
Le Havre / director Aki Kaurimäki
Best actor in a leading role
Silence (Hiljaisuus) / Joonas Saartamo
Best actress in a leading role
The Good Son (Hyvä poika) / Elina Knihtilä
Best actor in a supporting role
Silence (Hiljaisuus) / Ilkka Heiskanen
Best actress in a supporting role
Le Havre / Elina Salo
Best script
Le Havre / Aki Kaurismäki
Best cinematography
Le Havre / Timo Salminen
Best music
Silence (Hiljaisuus) / Timo Hietala
Best sound design
Silence (Hiljaisuus) / Olli Huhtanen and Pietari Koskinen
Best editing
Le Havre / Timo Linnasalo
Best set design
Hella W / Kari Kankaanpää
Best costume design
Hella W / Anu Pirilä
Best documentary
Forever Yours (Ikuisesti sinun) / director Mia Halme
Conrete Jussi (life achievement award)
Elina Salo
Audience Award
The Storage by Taru Mäkelä
Kati Nuora
International information
The Finnish Film Foundation
Kanavakatu 12
FI-00160 Helsinki, FINLAND
Tel +358-9-62203017
Fax +358-9-62203050
Mobile +358-50-5689191
Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
During the Film and MusicFestival "Küstendorf", which ended on Monday, and which was foundedby Emir Kusturica, the Piotr Subbotkofilm entitled "Glasgow"was awarded the Bronze Egg prize. This is the fifth award won by the shortfeature produced under the "30 minutes" programme, a joint initiativeof the Studio Munka Polish Film Association, the Wajda Studio, the TVP and the PolishFilm Institute.
The Chairperson of the 5th edition of theSerbian festival's jury was actress Leila Hatami, known from the film "ASeparation" by Asghar Farhadi and she was the one to hand the award to Piotr Subbotko. The justification of the verdictreads: "The movie went into the story of a mother and a child withhumorous and surprising moments, which were always unpredictable."
The Silver Egg was awarded to the film"Boys Where Are You?" by Jelena Gavrilović (Serbia), and the GoldenEgg went to Fernando Pomares and his film "Alto Sauce" (Spain). It isworth noting that the Critics Prize was awarded to the Polish film"Barbacan", directed by Bartłomiej Żmuda.
"Küstendorf" takes place in MokraGora [Wet Mountain]. In its programme, in addition to the competition section,there are also retrospectives (this year Kim Ki-duk's retrospective and NuriBilge Ceylan's one), the festival also presents the latest trends in worldcinema and the newest authors. The audience also has an opportunity to seefilms featuring the winners of lifetime achievement awards (this year there wasa retrospective of Isabelle Huppert).
So far, "Glasgow" has won awardsat the following festivals: "Tous Courts" in France, the "GoldenApricot" in Armenia, "Message to Man" in Russia and in Cottbusin Germany.
"Glasgow" is the directorialdebut of Piotr Subbotko, writer,graduate of the "DevelopmentLab" fiction programme at the Wajda School. His film tells the storyof 12-year-old Damian, who lives in the belief that his father is a famousfootballer for the Glasgow Celtic club. During one summer vacation, in order toraise money for a trip to Scotland, Damian works on house renovation with hisretired friend Miecio. Having fallen in love with 15-year-old Monika, who ispregnant, he wants to take care of her child and to take them both to a betterworld. The film features performances by Rafał Garnecki, Sandra Korzeniak,Zygmunt Malanowicz, Adam Graczyk, Filip Garbacz, Jowita Budnik and MarcinTyrol.
WAJDA SCHOOL | WAJDA STUDIO
more than a filmschool | more than a film studio
“Fromscript to screen” – this was the main idea when Andrzej Wajda andWojciech Marczewski founded the film school in 2001 in Warsaw, Poland.Since 2011 they have also started the production company - Wajda Studio, whichaims to support projects with strong artistic vision.
We offer a unique combination ofproduction and education for film professionals at international level.
In our filmography we have more than50 documentaries and short fictions, more than 200 students shorts. We havehad screenings and awards such as film festivals such as Berlinale, San Sebastian, Karlovy Vary, Hot Docs, IDFA and DokLeipzig.
The Studio’s mission is tosearch for new talents among debutants. We are looking for author- drivenfeature, documentary and short film projects which bring up contemporaryissues. We focus on development stage and support our directors with artisticsupervision from the best Polish and European filmmakers.
CALL FOR APPLICATIONS LAUNCHES FOR CLOSING THE GAP: EQUITY INVESTMENT TRAINING COURSE
Press releases 30-01-2012Seeking funding for your film or TV project? Interested in pitching to equity investors? Want to learn how to close your project's budget gap?
Closing The Gap is a MEDIA-supported training course for film and TV producers run by film financing consultancy peacefulfish in association with the pan-European investor network Media Deals, the Apulia Film Commission, and the Mallorca Film Commission.
The course trains producers on how to identify, approach, and pitch to private equity investors, teaching business skills that producers can use to find new sources of financing in the current financial climate. Investors participating in the training both as experts and on the pitch panel include:
> venture capital funds
> business angel networks
> public/private funds
> mediatech financiers
Through the course, producers learn innovative financing and transmedia marketing and distribution strategies, prepare a business plan and pitch presentation targeted to an equity investor audience, have a range of networking opportunities, receive extensive one-to-one feedback and pitch coaching and-at the course's conclusion-pitch their projects to a panel of investors, who will vote on and award a cash prize to the best pitch.
Producers should apply with a specific project (live action, animation, documentary). Financial assistance is available. Application deadline is: 15 March 2012
For additional information and application forms, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Or visit: http://www.closing-the-gap.net/
###
peacefulfish offers strategic consulting services to public institutions, policy makers, content producers, digital distributors, financiers, and other individuals and companies active in
the creative industries. http://www.peacefulfish.com/
MEDIA Programme is the European Union support programme for the audiovisual industry.
http://ec.europa.eu/culture/media/index_en.htm
Apulia Film Commission is the film commission of the Apulia region based in Bari, Italy.
http://www.apuliafilmcommission.it/
Mallorca Film Commission is the film commission for Mallorca based in Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
http://mallorcafilmcommission.com/
Media Deals is a pan-European investor network based in Paris and Berlin. http://www.media-deals.org/
This year sees the first edition of East European Forum taking place in Prague within the new East Doc Platform. It also features the new selection of East European projects taking part in the Forum workshop, Public presentation and Feedback Round Tables. The pick of the final 16 has been made. Take a look at the list!
Prague, 25 January 2012 – The grand unveiling of the new DVD representing the best of Czech short works in 2011 will take place in the Oko cinema on Thursday, January 26th from 8 p.m. The DVD Czech Short Films 2012, Vol. III is being issued by the Czech Film Center and it contains a selection of 12 films from Czech film schools – Prague’s Film and TV School of Performing Arts (FAMU), the Film Academy of Miroslav Ondříček in Písek (FAMO) and Tomáš Bata University in Zlín (TBU), and 1 film created as an independent production.
The films on the DVD were chosen by a professional commission comprised of Kateřina Fričová, who worked for a long time in television and now is involved in media consulting and educational activities, film journalist Vojtěch Rynda, the Program Director of the Prague International Short Film Festival Karel Spěšný, Czech Television dramaturge Kristián Suda and Petr Horák, the creator of the iShorts Nights project. This time around the jury had 160 films to choose from. The thirteen best include feature, animated and documentary films. The idea behind this collection is primarily to draw attention to young film personalities and to help them find their way to the international film market. This will be the third DVD with short films to be released (the first coming out in 2010). Both of the previous DVD collections were presented at several international festivals and film markets and were an important part of the continuous promotion of Czech short films that the Czech Film Center is systematically involved in.
“There is a huge tradition of animated film in Czech cinematography. Some computer animation appears here, though the overwhelming majority are classic techniques - marionettes, drawn animation. I think that the ratio of animation is far greater among Czech short films compared to film schools abroad. And then there is the humour, the best being a refined, Czech, slightly subversive humour. Czechs are afraid of being completely serious, so they always sneak humour into their films,” stated journalist Vojtěch Rynda, one of the jury members, in an attempt to characterise the specific qualities of current Czech short films.
“As far as feature short films are concerned, this year’s production seemed to me to be somewhat more interesting than last year,” added the Director of the Prague International Short Film Festival, Karel Spěšný. “This can ultimately be seen in the fact that this year our festival finally, after some time, also chose a Czech film for the international competition. And it should be added that we were choosing between two right up to the last minute.”
The Czech Film Centre has also begun cooperation with the Czech Lion awards with the Magnesia Award for the best student film – apart from the films for the DVD, the jury also chose 20 student short films for the short list for the Magnesia Award, from which the Academy chose five films for the nomination, one of which will then obtain the Magnesia Award for the best student film along with a prize of one hundred thousand crowns.
The films included on the DVD Czech Short Films 2012, Vol. III
A Small Circle of Attention (FAMU, dir. Josef Tuka) feature, 25 minutes
An intimate story of a man who has to decide between his feelings and his own moral imperatives. Přemek, an actor, falls suddenly in love with a younger colleague from the theatre. He is, of course, married, and his wife of many years is seriously ill. Přemek fights against this love he feels and tries to recall moments of happiness with his wife in an illusive attempt to enhance their once strong feelings. Jut when Přemek actually does overcome his affections, there is an unexpected turn of events.
TUMOURrow Never Knows (Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague, dir. Pavel Soukup) animation, 6 minutes
An animated film about a lonely old lady who paradoxically sees a tragic illness as her “close” and only friend…
Meat Jihad (FAMU, dir. Natálie Císařovská) documentary, 15 minutes
The film looks at Czech people’s relationship to Muslims, juxtaposing Valentin Kusák, President of the Anti-Mosque association, with Muneeb Hassan Alrawi, Chairman of the Main Office of Muslim Associations in the Czech Republic. The fight over a mosque in Hradec Králové would be a slapstick comedy if it didn’t reflect the difficult co-existence between a Christian-atheist society and other religions.
Shining Tony (Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague, dir. Filip Posivač) animation, 3 minutes
A short animated tale of a boy with an unusual trait. Tonda shines, and because he is entirely different from other children he gets bullied around. But Tonda is ultimately not the only one who is different…
Non-Swimmers (FAMU, dir. Jakub Šmíd) feature, 23 minutes
A student film that tells the story of Vendula, a sixteen-year-old girl who finds herself spending the holidays at her grandmother’s in an abandoned holiday resort as punishment. Nothing ever happens in this village in the middle of nowhere, just a clique of local teenagers drinks and kills time in the empty pool. Wendy experiences a bittersweet summer love affair while waiting for the moment when the pool is finally filled with water.
The Last of the Dodos (TBU Zlín, dir. Jiří Novák) animation, 10minutes
An animated adventure about the inglorious fate of a castaway, some cute dodos, greedy monks and divine punishment for human greed.
Cosmic Songs (FAMU, dir. Katarína Dědičová) feature, 10 minutes
Despite its routine appearance, Adam's and Mr. Reisz's mission is much more important than it seems. The film captures the desire to answer the question of whether life actually exists in the universe, yet poetically portrays universal human feelings of love and friendship and shows that fiction is rooted in the contemporary reality that surrounds us.
Helga L-520 (dir. Miloš Zvěřina) animated documentary – production: Via Lucis, Jiří P. Miška, Nelly D. Jenčíková, Miracle film, 20 minutes
The artistic animated documentary film “Helga L-520” is inspired by the true story of Helga Weiss-Hošková during her interment in the Terezín ghetto. This “Terezin Diary” is dedicated to the memory of many thousands of children murdered in the concentration camps during the Second World War. The film is the second in the planned “Terezín Triptych“ project, and is a sequel to the M. Zvěřina’s award-winning student film “Imprisoned Dreams.”
Dessert (Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague, dir. Anna Mastníková) animation, 4 minutes
A short animated film about three forms of love, where the partners limit each other, play with each other or eat each other up.
5 CZK (FAMO, dir. Marek Ciccotti) documentary, 14 minutes
A documentary film as a probe into the world of public WCs near a Prague metro and the people we regularly overlook and do not consider to be important. But who is that person we give the money to? Who is hidden behind the window through which we can hear “Pay up! Five crowns!” Three women tell us their life stories.
Mr. Late (FAMO, dir. Jiří Sádek) feature, 15 minutes
Aneta's beloved partner has a rare disease which prevents him from leaving their home. But the authorities try to seize the house and plan to throw the young pair out of the building. Aneta is faced with a choice. She and her partner must and simultaneously cannot leave the house. What will win out? Common sense? Chance? Compassion?
Evolution? (FAMO, dir. Michal Dubnický) animation, 12 minutes
Wasmy estranged great-grandfather a humanor fish?
Pit-Hole – (TBU Zlín, dir. Jiří Stejskal) documentary, 23 minutes
A documentary depicting the life of a Ukrainian family that refuses a contemporary lifestyle. There, where the old clashes with the new, where something unique is being transformed, conflict arises. The film focuses on the family and the difficult living conditions caused by a Kiev construction project.
Contact:
Tel: +420 221 105 398
e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
