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 Hungary, represented by producer Judit Stalter.

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 Istra, Croatia. Nowadays, the main company activity is film production.

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 Tbilisi, Georgia. The studio's main activity is to produce and/or take part in different stages of documentary, fiction or video advertisement productions. As a result of his good work at EEFA TN 2011, Alexander Kvatashidze was also invited by our partner and visiting expert producer Dorota Roszkowska to participate with SEE YOU IN CHECHNYA at the final pitching session of Dragon Forum International Academy of Document to be held in Krakow in summer 2012.

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.

www.ses.fi/en

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.

www.wajdaschool.pl | www.wajdastudio.pl

Seeking 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.

www.filmcenter.cz

European films under one flag


A new idea was born and a new flag flown for films from across Europe when European Film Promotion (EFP) was founded 15 years ago. On February 16, 1997, ten European promotion and export organisations joined forces during the Berlin International Film Festival, to demonstrate the wealth of films from various individual countries and to bring them onto the screen for audiences around the globe.

>>> read press release on www.efp-online.com

Best Intentions is the 7th film getting cinema release in Hungary out of the 13 domestic premieres from Jameson CineFest`s 2011 competition program. Awarded with the Best Director and Best Actor prizes in Locarno, "Romanian writer/director Adrian Sitaru`s... talky, family-centered drama relies on subjective, point-of-view camerawork to an extent seldom matched since Robert Montgomery's 1947 noir The Lady in the Lake.", writes The Hollywood Reporter reviewer. The Hungarian co-production (with Emőke Vágási`s Cor Leonis Film) started countrywide on 20 January.