The new law on electronic media in Croatia, Beta Film’s international premiere of new historical series Cardamom Coffee, TV technology, monetizing content, and different business strategies, and values were just the tip of the iceberg on the second day of NEM Dubrovnik 2022
Dubrovnik, June 8th, 2022 – The second day of NEM Dubrovnik 2022, held in Hotel Dubrovnik Palace, discovered what stands behind a successful year in the TV and streaming market. From ever-changing technology to different business practices, strategies, and legislative regulations - speakers and panelists tried to point fingers at the most important aspects of the industry. Everything with one question to be answered; how to push the bar further globally while staying top dog locally?
The ideal speakers for this topic were the experts who gathered for the much-anticipated panel View from the Top in TV Industry moderated by Kasia Madera (BBC World News Presenter). It brought the European media elite: Hans Troelstra (CEO, M7 Group), Christoph Limmer (Executive Vice President, Video Services and Regional Vice President Eastern and Central Europe, Eutelsat) and Tonko Weissmann (Executive Vice President, RTL Croatia). Decision-makers discussed practices, values, and approaches in the turbulent TV business and shared their experiences, situations, and decision that defined them through years of working in the industry. The panel also announced the completion of CME’s acquisition of RTL Croatia which was just recently reported.
„In this industry, you constantly need to adapt but the essence stays the same – that is creation of content. I think CME is going to be a perfect match because we can jointly continue this path. TV is not dead, it's alive, people still want to watch quality content but it's shifting towards the digital side and this is where we are starting a new chapter“, spoke Weissmann of the acquisition.
PRESENTING NEW LAW IN CROATIA
NEM Dubrovnik 2022 became a unique stage for the presentation of new legislative regulations in a special program New Law in Croatia, sponsored by the Croatian Audiovisual Centre (HAVC), Agency for Electronic Media in Croatia (AEM), and the Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia.
Croatian Minister of Culture and Media Nina Obuljen Koržinek introduced the program and presented the new Law on Electronic Media in Croatia and the EU Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD).
Minister explained “the newly introduced obligation for operators to provide 10 % of annual gross revenue for works of Croatian independent producers. Media service providers on-demand, which are targeting Croatia, were introduced the obligation to contribute 2% of annual gross revenue for the implementation of the national program for the audiovisual creation and to directly invest 2% – either into production or purchase of audiovisual works of Croatian independent producers.”
Panelists and speakers focused on how the new law affects operators, streaming companies, Croatian national televisions, Croatian audiovisual institutions, and other AV professionals and highlighted the importance of investing in Croatian audiovisual works and connecting with different European productions.
EXCELLENT SPEAKERS AND THE SCREENING OF A NEW PERIOD DRAMA CAPTURED THE AUDIENCE
During the entire day, participants could have listened to various panel room sessions. During the panel When I Grow Up, I Want to Be a Studio: Leveraging the Global Content Opportunity the question was raised how companies can keep up and make a profit in the age of global content boom.
Canon also took the stage with a presentation Professional Imaging Solutions Designer in which Jean Mazel (Professional Imaging Expert, Canon CEE) presented innovating professional imaging solutions in the audiovisual landscape and Chiara Mckee (Vice President of Love Nature EMEA and Board Director for the Global Love Nature Business) spoke about Love Nature channel in a presentation Love Nature's Position in a Changing Media Landscape.
Sanja Božić-Ljubičić, CEO and owner of marketing agency Mediavision behind NEM Dubrovnik 2022 and companies Pickbox and Mediatranslations, welcomed to the stage Anahita Kheder (EVP EMEA, Formats & Licensing, Fremantle International) in an engaging Q&A session TV, Women and Beer. Participants then relished summer cocktails with a view organized by Pickbox.
Visitors interested in the technological aspects of media and TV had the opportunity to listen to the TV Tech Showcase. This set of presentations focused on dynamic changes in TV technology. Vionlabs, a respectable AI company, Brightcove, a software company that continues to showcase the power of video, and Whip Media, leading enterprise software presented their solutions on how to monetize content in the creative jungle that market became.
Beta Film, a leading European independent film & television group, hosted the second night of NEM Dubrovnik. Well-known for premiering the most exciting new series, NEM Dubrovnik 2022 brought the new Ukrainian period drama Cardamom Coffee, based on a bestselling book by Natalia Hurnytska. Veronika Kovacova (EVP International Sales & Acquisitions Eastern Europe and Turkey, Beta Film) introduced it to the audience along with Asia Bataieva (Head of International Sales and Co-Productions, StarLight Media Group) and the main actress and producer of the series, Olena Lavrenyuk: “I’m thrilled that the world will be able to see how beautiful our culture is with the help of this series.”
When asked how the Ukrainian premiere was received, Bataieva shared: “The premiere was great, we reached out to 7.4 million people, especially the first and last episode which were emotionally intense.”
Visitors watched the series in an impressive Vala Beach Club and then commented on it together while enjoying snacks and cocktails.
After screening, the fabulous Beta Night continued with dancing and socializing at one of the most beautiful locations in Hotel Dubrovnik Palace.
Indispensable B2B event in the CEE region
NEM Dubrovnik is a B2B event, every year focusing on the TV industry development in the CEE region. Regular visitors are key representatives of pay-tv channels, FTA channels, streaming services, telecom operators, and other television services providers, but also actors, producers, directors, writers, and other participants in the audiovisual industry.
Thus far, NEM Dubrovnik was supported by more than 180 influential companies on the global and local level, some of which are Eutelsat, Deutsche Telekom, A1 Telekom Austria Group, United Group, Comcast, Irdeto, Global Agency and HBO Adria, as well as BBC Studios, ViacomCBS, All3Media International, NBCUniversal, Warner Bros., Fremantle, Sony Pictures Television, Pickbox, MGM, ITV Studios Global Entertainment, Viasat World, Telekom Srbija Group, ZDF, BETA Film, HRT, Nova TV, RTL Croatia, RTL Hungary and many others.
New Europe Market
New Europe Market (NEM) is a collective name for several events organized by the marketing and TV industry agency Mediavision. With an already traditional NEM Dubrovnik, 2019 saw the introduction of a winter edition called NEM Zagreb, dedicated to the creative side of the TV industry. During the challenging 2020, the new platform NEM Network was introduced, so that the professionals could stay connected regardless of the physical traveling restrictions.
You can find all the information about the event and the cost of participation fees on the official NEM Dubrovnik 2022 site.
NEM DUBROVNIK 2022: WHAT IS THE NEW LAW IN CROATIA BRINGING TO AUDIOVISUAL PROFESSIONALS?
Festivals 08-06-2022This year, TV market NEM Dubrovnik served as a platform for a presentation of new regulations in Croatian Law on Electronic Media in a special program
Dubrovnik, June 8th 2022 - The special program New Law in Croatia, sponsored by the Croatian Audiovisual Centre (HAVC), Agency for Electronic Media in Croatia (AEM), and the Croatian Ministry of Culture and Media, became one of the most influential ones in this year’s edition of NEM Dubrovnik. Panels, presentations, and examples from practice presented and explained key aspects of the new legislation to the public.
Croatian Minister of Culture and Media, Nina Obuljen Koržinek, opened the program: “We all recognize the importance of content produced in Europe for our diversity, and identity but also for the media industry. Electronic Media Act came into effect in October last year and introduced several changes related to the contribution of market stakeholders, local production, and development of the audiovisual sector as a whole.”
During NEM, panelists from Europe and Croatia gave an in-depth look at the new law and highlighted how it will affect different AV organizations such as national televisions, operators, streaming services, and other audiovisual professionals in Croatia.
Minister Obuljen Koržinek explained “the newly introduced obligation for operators to provide 10 % of annual gross revenue for works of Croatian independent producers. Media service providers on-demand, which are targeting Croatia, were introduced the obligation to contribute 2% of annual gross revenue for the implementation of the national program for the audiovisual creation and to directly invest 2% – either into production or purchase of audiovisual works of Croatian independent producers.”
The first part of the program, Operators in Local Production, focused on the importance of local production. Decision-makers from different companies such as Movistar Plus+ International Division, Nadcon Film, yes Studios and Ampere Analysis pointed to business practices in different media markets that proved the effectiveness of investing in local production.
Krešimir Partl, Secretary of State in Croatian Ministry of Culture and Media, moderated the following panel as Danijel Pek (TV and film producer, Antitalent), Siniša Đuranović (Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Procurator, Croatian Telecom), Nikola Klisović (Director of Legal Affairs and Wholesale, A1 Croatia) and Christopher Peter Marcich (CEO, Croatian Audiovisual Center) joined him on stage. Gathered experts explained how crucial it is to integrate investing in local production and audiovisual products through business strategy.
Panel Co-production Among Players in Europe explained how new co-production models and deals between FTA's, streamers, and others are coming our way. Jonathan Broughton (Head of Strategy, EBU), Robert Franke (Vice President Drama, ZDF Studios), Nebojša Taraba (Producer and Partner, Drugi Plan), Rahela Štefanović (Editor in Chief HTV, Croatian Radiotelevision), Krisztina Gallo (Director International Television Production CEE, Sony Pictures Television International Studios) and Monika Kłosińska (Content Acquisition Director, CANAL+) debated how streamers must present their viewers about 30 percent of European content and then reinvest a certain percentage into local production. NEM's program New Law in Croatia accentuated the importance of connecting different European productions and their joint action in audiovisual activities.
NEM Dubrovnik also brought a private networking event that gathered speakers and representatives of the most prominent operators, streamers, national televisions, and other AV professionals and institutions. During lunch at Lenga restaurant, participants exchanged contacts, shared their experiences, and discussed future collaborations, in line with changes that the new law will bring to domestic audiovisual bodies.
The special program New Law in Croatia successfully brought together key Croatian media and TV players faced with changes and connected them with prominent foreign companies and leading media experts.
Indispensable B2B event in the CEE region
NEM Dubrovnik is a B2B event, every year focusing on the TV industry development in the CEE region. Regular visitors are key representatives of pay-tv channels, FTA channels, streaming services, telecom operators, and other television services providers, but also actors, producers, directors, writers, and other participants in the audiovisual industry.
Thus far, NEM Dubrovnik was supported by more than 180 influential companies on the global and local level, some of which are Eutelsat, Deutsche Telekom, A1 Telekom Austria Group, United Group, Comcast, Irdeto, Global Agency and HBO Adria, as well as BBC Studios, ViacomCBS, All3Media International, NBCUniversal, Warner Bros., Fremantle, Sony Pictures Television, Pickbox, MGM, ITV Studios Global Entertainment, Viasat World, Telekom Srbija Group, ZDF, BETA Film, HRT, Nova TV, RTL Croatia, RTL Hungary and many others.
New Europe Market
New Europe Market (NEM) is a collective name for several events organized by the marketing and TV industry agency Mediavision. With an already traditional NEM Dubrovnik, 2019 saw the introduction of a winter edition called NEM Zagreb, dedicated to the creative side of the TV industry. During the challenging 2020, the new platform NEM Network was introduced, so that the professionals could stay connected regardless of the physical traveling restrictions.
You can find all the information about the event and the cost of participation fees on the official NEM Dubrovnik 2022 site.
Most influential TV leaders have once again arrived in Dubrovnik for exclusive screenings, networking events, panel sessions, and presentations.
The day was reserved for the exclusive screening of the big-budget Spanish series Boundless which will premiere on Amazon Prime on June 10th.
Dubrovnik 7th June 2022 – The biggest TV industry event, located in one of the most fascinating Croatian coastal cities, once again gathered its top-tier leaders. The best media experts, panelists, and keynote speakers arrived to Dubrovnik to discuss new trends, strategies, and changes in the TV industry for the ninth edition of TV market NEM Dubrovnik. Starting yesterday, and for the next three days, various networking opportunities and relevant events will take place in Hotel Dubrovnik Palace.
TV market, organized by Croatian marketing and TV industry agency Mediavision, started with meetings and gatherings. Followed by networking events in beautiful restaurants, day one set the right tone.
ZDF Studios, a key production-distribution component of Germany's public broadcaster powerhouse ZDF, was hosting the grand opening of NEM Dubrovnik. They specialize in the implementation of international co-productions, license purchasing, and merchandising of ZDF program brands. After welcoming attendees with drinks in a relaxed atmosphere, Robert Franke (Vice President Drama, ZDF Studios) and Mirela Nastase (Director Drama, ZDF Studios), took over for the opening speech and presented the audience with an exclusive screening of new Spanish miniseries Boundless centered around the revolutionary explorer Ferdinand Magellan. It follows the first epic voyage that changed man’s perception of the world. “Such an iconic discoverer and seafarer like Magellan is in itself a brand”, explained Franke. The high production series, premiering on Amazon Prime on June 10th, was filmed in Dominican Republic, Basque Country, Madrid, and Seville.
Before showing the series, the audience met Susanne Frank (Director Drama, ZDF Studios) and actors Gonçalo Diniz, and Niccolò Senni through a Q&A while Miguel Menéndez de Zubillaga (Executive Producer) joined virtually. Álvaro Morte (Money Heist) and Rodrigo Santoro (Westworld) star in lead roles.
“It was the right decision for the producers to stay true to the origin of the story and leave it in the language those people spoke. Lot of things otherwise get lost in translation and you lose a lot of the performance. Especially nowadays with all the streaming platforms bringing content in native languages, there is a much greater acceptance among audiences to really appreciate original language. We always prefer to have something in native language because its more authentic and it will better resonate with the audience”, said Robert Franke.
NEM Dubrovnik 2022 opening day ended with partying on Rooftop Terrace overlooking the Adriatic, with food and drinks, chatting and dancing. It established the mood for the rest of the exciting panels, speakers, and networking we expect in days to come. More information about NEM Dubrovnik can be found on the official agenda as well as the list of confirmed sponsors and attending companies.
Indispensable B2B event in the CEE region
NEM Dubrovnik is a B2B event, every year focusing on the TV industry development in the CEE region. Regular visitors are key representatives of pay-tv channels, FTA channels, streaming services, telecom operators, and other television services providers, but also actors, producers, directors, writers, and other participants in the audiovisual industry.
Thus far, NEM Dubrovnik was supported by more than 180 influential companies on the global and local level, some of which are Eutelsat, Deutsche Telekom, A1 Telekom Austria Group, United Group, Comcast, Irdeto, Global Agency and HBO Adria, as well as BBC Studios, ViacomCBS, All3Media International, NBCUniversal, Warner Bros., Fremantle, Sony Pictures Television, Pickbox, MGM, ITV Studios Global Entertainment, Viasat World, Telekom Srbija Group, ZDF, BETA Film, HRT, Nova TV, RTL Croatia, RTL Hungary and many others.
New Europe Market
New Europe Market (NEM) is a collective name for several events organized by the marketing and TV industry agency Mediavision. With an already traditional NEM Dubrovnik, 2019 saw the introduction of a winter edition called NEM Zagreb, dedicated to the creative side of the TV industry. During the challenging 2020, the new platform NEM Network was introduced, so that the professionals could stay connected regardless of the physical traveling restrictions.
You can find all the information about the event and the cost of participation fees on the official NEM Dubrovnik 2022 site.
Television industry professionals shared experiences proving television is here to stay and presented us with their vision of the media landscape and TV in the future AMC Networks International announced the launch of the streaming service AMC+ in Central and Eastern Europe in 2023
Dubrovnik, June 9th, 2022 - After two days of discussing new trends, powerful strategies in TV, and premieres of the newest TV series, the third day of NEM brought attention back to the global and regional media industry, the future of TV experience, the importance of television in times of crisis as well as the impact of supporting Ukrainian content industry. Telekom Srbija presented two new series from their production.
FROM TV IN TIMES OF CRISIS TO THE UKRAINIAN AUDIOVISUAL INDUSTRY
The day started with coffee and networking on NEM Terrace organized by SPI International/FilmBox and continued with one of the most exciting panels. FTA'S Key Role In a Crisis, gathered prominent TV decision-makers: Robert Šveb (General Director, Croatian Radiotelevision), Matthias Settele (General Director TV Markíza and Member of the Editorial Board, CME), Grégoire Polad (Director General, Association of Commercial Television and Video on Demand Services in Europe) and Natalija Gorščak (Vice-chair, EBU TV Committee) with moderator Chris Dziadul (Editorial Director and Chief East European Analyst, Broadband TV News). Their dialogue brought a discussion on the challenging but crucial role of FTA to spread true information in intense times of crisis. “We need to invest in journalism. In the push to be first and the best we focus on the wrong things”, warned Gorščak and added how EBU research from 2016 The role of public service media in democracy has shown that countries with very strong public service media have a very high level of democracy.
“Public service is a very important player in the market. Commercial television should be aware that if they lose public service television, they will lose a role model, it’s a cohabitation”, spoke Gorščak.
“The key word is trust. If you look at the statistics across the EU, TV and radio come up as the most trusted sources of information, with over 50%. Way down the line you have social media and search engines. During the pandemic, the viewers came back massively because viewers know they have regulated media in front of them. There is a very strong aspect that with regulation comes trust. We see how viewers appreciate that. The key challenge is when you are challenged by social media that blurred the lines between the information that has been verified and hearsay, and rumors. In order to maintain trust, the media needs to strive to keep a balanced view of events. It’s not always easy but that’s our role and we need to be supported”, explained Grégoire Polad.
In times of crisis, people turn to television, this was shown during the pandemic and war in Ukraine, and our ratings went higher. We try to be as objective as possible and professional.
Kasia Madera, (BBC World News Presenter), also spoke about trust in media in a Q&A The Role of Trust In an Evolving News Landscape moderated by Zbigniew Pruski (Commercial Director, Branded Services, BBC Studios) and Kasia Madera (BBC World News Presenter).
The topic of political influences on the audiovisual industry was a part of a presentation Stand With Ukrainian Content Industry as well. This was an opportunity for the NEM community to discover Ukraine Content Club, a joint initiative by Ukrainian and worldwide media companies created to help Ukraine's audiovisual industry. Kateryna Vyshnevska (Head of Development and Co-Productions, Producer, FILM.UA Group), took the stage to call for new global partners as well as to spread the awareness of sustaining creative industries and workers in Ukraine.
TRENDS AND SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS MODELS
The panel room was once again the place of all panels and presentations that gathered a large audience. Panel Pay TV: Global Trends vs. CEE Trends, sponsored by AMC Networks International, brought together TV veterans who discussed how trends such as the increasing presence of streaming platforms are changing Pay TV's position on a global scale in comparison specifically with the CEE region. On the panel, Levente Málnay (EVP/MD, AMC Networks International Central, and Northern Europe) announced the launch of the streaming service AMC+ in Central and Eastern Europe in 2023. He explained how the streaming service will be different from others and that the company’s goal is to work with various distributors such as cable and satellite operators.
The third day of NEM Dubrovnik 2022 raised an important question in a panel Are FTAs Still the Best Way to Reach a Mass Audience? Sponsored by Prva TV, the panel brought Katarina Pavlović (Program Director, Prva TV and B92), Jan Rudovský (Director of Content Acquisition and Sales, FTV Prima), Hartwig Rademacher (Vice President, National Sales and Content Management & Senior Project Manager Business Development, RTL Germany), Matej Lončarić (Director of Video Operations and Media Brands, JoomBoos & miss7), as well as Kateryna Edelshtein (SVP East Europe Area Leader, Nielsen) to the panel room. Experts debated ‘threats’ to FTAs in the CEE region and predicted the new trends that might soon take place.
In an overwhelming world of content it becomes difficult to attract new users and for consumers to find the content they want to watch. Panel Media Game for Customer Attention dug up the answers on how to monetize content in contemporary media landscape.
Jörg Meyer (Chief Commercial Officer, Zattoo) held a presentation Five hypotheses on IPTV platform concepts for network operators that highlighted the complexity of IPTV platforms which continuously have to adapt and find profitable business models. Also, Haymi Behar (CMO & CDO, SPI International (a Canal+ Company) shared how media companies can thrive in a constantly transforming industry during the presentation Rethinking the TV Experience: What's Next?
Martin Webb (Senior Product Manager, Cloud TV, Comcast Technology Solutions) shared how TV platforms could work from the cloud and what effects this practice could have on broadcasters in a presentation Navigating Your Digital Transformation Journey to Broadcast Cloud TV. Everyone who wanted to network went for a coffee break organized by Comcast Technology.
LEADING OPERATOR IN SERBIA PRESENTED NEW TV SERIES
The third night was dedicated to Telekom Srbija, the leading Serbian operator regions which strongly invests in audiovisual production. Jasmina Lakobrija (Head of Production, Telekom Srbija) and Marina Garović (Head of Content Sales Department, Telekom Srbija) presented projects Telekom Srbija is currently working on.
„We are glad that viewers from the region love and appreciate the stories we are bringing to life. What we want to highlight is that thanks to the vision and efforts of our CEO Vladimir Lučić, we have sold our content and it's now available to millions of viewers“, said Lakobrija. Garović added that their series are available on all continents. The audience had the opportunity to enjoy international premieres of two new Serbian series Golden Boy and Walking With a Lion.
After the screening, Eutelsat prepared refreshing cocktails, just before participants headed to a closing party of Telekom Srbija in Lazareti club in Dubrovnik Old City. Many will remember NEM Dubrovnik 2022 by the final night that left them with plenty of memories.
Guests gathered the next morning for a Goodbye Coffee by NBCUniversal at Sunset Lounge. Many visitors exchanged contacts, made plans for future meetings, and began counting the days until gathering again next year.
Indispensable B2B event in the CEE region
NEM Dubrovnik is a B2B event, every year focusing on the TV industry development in the CEE region. Regular visitors are key representatives of pay-tv channels, FTA channels, streaming services, telecom operators, and other television services providers, but also actors, producers, directors, writers, and other participants in the audiovisual industry.
Thus far, NEM Dubrovnik was supported by more than 180 influential companies on the global and local level, some of which are Eutelsat, Deutsche Telekom, A1 Telekom Austria Group, United Group, Comcast, Irdeto, Global Agency and HBO Adria, as well as BBC Studios, ViacomCBS, All3Media International, NBCUniversal, Warner Bros., Fremantle, Sony Pictures Television, Pickbox, MGM, ITV Studios Global Entertainment, Viasat World, Telekom Srbija Group, ZDF, BETA Film, HRT, Nova TV, RTL Croatia, RTL Hungary and many others.
New Europe Market
New Europe Market (NEM) is a collective name for several events organized by the marketing and TV industry agency Mediavision. With an already traditional NEM Dubrovnik, 2019 saw the introduction of a winter edition called NEM Zagreb, dedicated to the creative side of the TV industry. During the challenging 2020, the new platform NEM Network was introduced, so that the professionals could stay connected regardless of the physical traveling restrictions.
You can find all the information about the event and the cost of participation fees on the official NEM Dubrovnik 2022 site.
World Festival of Animated Film – Animafest Zagreb 2022 ended June 12 with the award ceremony at the SC Cinema.
The jury of the Grand Competition Short Film consisting of Paul Driessen, Les Mills, Alex Dudok de Wit, Ana Nedeljković and Igor Grubić decided to award the Grand Prix to the Portuguese film Garbage Man (O homem do lixo) directed by Laura Gonçalves, produced by Bando à Parte and BAP. The jury’s explanation reads: Many things impressed us in this film. The naturalism of the dialogue. The warmth and intimacy of the family setting. But most of all, the tenderness with which it tells its story of generosity in the midst of political and economic hardship in Portugal. And also, the monkey.
The same jury gave the Golden Zagreb Award for Creativity and Innovative Artistic Achievement to Hugo Covarrubias for the Chilean film Bestia (produced by Trebol 3 Producciones and Maleza Estudio). Many films at the festival touched on the subject of political violence. But nowhere was the coldness of state brutality more memorably expressed than in the hard, still face of the puppet in this film, whose story evokes the horror of Chile's fascist dictatorship – the jury wrote.
The Zlatko Grgić Award for the best first film made outside an educational institution went to the French-Israeli film Letter to a Pig by Tal Kantor (produced by Miyu Productions and The Hive Studio). We counted many pigs among this year's films. A pig can be repulsive and sweet, brutal and smart, and this film places this complex animal at the heart of a richly ambiguous, elegantly designed story with an unusual perspective on the Holocaust – the jury says.
The members of the jury decided to award special mentions. Igor Grubić awarded the Polish-Canadian film Impossible Figures and Other Stories I by Marta Pajek (produced by Animoon and NFB) because this film takes us on a journey through a post-apocalyptic, deserted city, in which the protagonist reflects on her personal and collective history in the twilight of her life. The theme and the minimalist style, which achieves a strong poetic effect, together raise issues that are becoming even more relevant in the current socio-political time. Have we learned anything as a civilization, or are we going around in circles? – Grubić wondered.
Alex Dudok de Wit was particularly impressed by the conciseness and fine malice of Malte Stein’s German Thing (Ding), created in the author’s independent production, which didn’t make me think so much as feel: disgust, even revulsion; acute anxiety; and elation as I burst out laughing at the end, Dudok de Wit explained.
Les Mills presented his special mention to the French film Swallow the Universe by Colombian author Nieto (produced by Autour de Minuit). I’ve never taken acid but I imagine that this is what it would be like. The film is an amazingly vivid journey through a bizarre jungle landscape, very skilfully executed – it is an astonishingly intense and memorable experience – said Mills.
Ana Nedeljković, on the other hand, chose the Slovenian-German-French film Steakhouse by Špela Čadež, produced by Finta Film, Fabian & Fred, RTV Slovenia and Miyu Productions. This film found an effective and visually strong way to talk about domestic and verbal violence, topics that many people went through, but were never able to talk about – said Nedeljković.
Finally, Paul Driessen gave his special mention to Joachim Hérissé’s French film Skinned (Écorchée) (Komadoli Studio) because this gruelling story about two sisters attached to each other by the leg. The scary patched-up dolls reminded me of Caroline Leaf’s The Two Sisters. I loved the scene where one of the sisters cuts off her leg and the way the dripping blood is depicted in the style of the overall design – said Driessen.
According to the decision of the jury of the Grand Competition Feature Film consisting of Olga Pärn, Aya Suzuki and Anastasiya Verlinska, the Grand Prix went to the Czech-French-Slovak film My Sunny Maad by Michaela Pavlátova, produced by Negativ, Sacrebleu Production and BFILM – a masterfully directed story that blurs the lines between despair and hope, making one live through the pain of rejection and warmth in acceptance.
The same jury decided to award two special mentions. The first goes to the Japanese-French film Dozens of Norths (Ikuta no kita) by Koji Yamamura (Yamamura Animation and Miyu Productions), a stand-out feature portraying surrealist streams of consciousness, never seen before in drawn animation. A masterfully painted canvas of dreams and fears, disturbing us both with visuals and music – the jury said. The second special mention was given by the jury to the French-German-Czech film Crossing (La traverse) by Florence Miailhe (produced by Les Films de l'arlequin, Balance Film GmbH, Maurfilm S.R.O., XBO Films), an outstanding showcase of the true potential of animation, accentuating the story through this powerful art form, which emotionally connects its audience with the characters on their journey towards freedom.
The combined jury of the Student Film Competition and the Croatian Film Competition consisting of Alexandra Ramires, Jelena Popović and Igor Prassel decided to award the Dušan Vukotić Award for Best Student Film to the French-Taiwanese film Butterfly Jam (La Confiture de papillons) by Shih-Yen Huang, made at ENSAD -u (École nationale supérieure des Arts Décoratifs), for a daughter’s personal story using a metaphor of endless deaths of domestic animals to illustrate a relation with her careless father. Shih-Yen Huang led us skilfully on a hypnotising journey through lifeless spaces of their home. The financial prize in the amount of EUR 1,000, which belongs to the winner of the Student Film Competition, is awarded by Zagrebačka banka.
According to the decision of the same jury, special mentions went to the films Mom, What’s up with the Dog? (Maman, il a quoi le chien?) by Lola Lefevre (France, Atelier de Sèvres) for a coherently executed intriguing story about wild instincts of blooming sexuality clashing with unnatural moral taboos of our society and The Immoral (L’immoral) by Ekin Koca (France, La Poudrière) because it shows us how damaging the passiveness and aggressiveness can be in a human condition. Using a very efficient minimalistic animation for the theme approached, it tells us a story full of black humour which represents a very common way of being in our daily lives.
The best film of the Croatian Film Competition was 11 by Vuk Jevremović’s independent production for its relentless filigree of lines and colours morphing in wild synchrony with the pressure from the bloodstream and from the stands, for its masterful kinetic exploration of the human, the animal and the ball within the angst of a penalty kick. He is also entitled to a financial award in the amount of 1,000 euros awarded by the Croatian Film Directors’ Guild.
Special mention went to Jelena Oroz for Letters from the Edge of the Forest produced by Bonobostudio for the originally beautiful art style, smooth animation, perfect editing and rhythmic music accompaniment, but first of all for making kids learn to write, eat a lot of yummy fruits and vegetables and, most importantly, not to be greedy and instead be a good comrade. Special mention for the best Croatian minority co-production goes to Tomasz Siwiński’s Love in Times of Coal-Based Economy (Miłość w czasach gospodarki opartej na węglu), co-produced by Letko and Adriatic Animation for its visual coherence and the way it approaches the themes with an aesthetic that helps us understand human warmth in the middle of a cold winter, this film leads us to reflect on the weight of an industrial landscape in our evolution.
The winner of the VR Animation Competition was chosen by a jury consisting of Eva Cvijanović, Milen Alempijević and Franziska Bruckner. The award was given to the Taiwanese work Samsara by Hsin-Chien Huang (produced by the Virtual and Physical Media Integration Association of Taiwan) because this immersive journey through time and space took us to breathtaking parallel universes and expanded our consciousness, creating an exceptionally crafted experience. A special mention was given by the jury to the Canadian-Belgian project Marco & Polo Go Round by Benjamin Steiger Levine (Item 7 and Belga Productions), because some events turn your world upside down.
The winner of the Films for Children Competition was chosen by a jury consisting of Ema and Jakov Barbarović, Gita Gugo, Lala Spremo and Nika Vrbanić. The jury awarded the main prize to the Korean film Piropiro by Miyoung Baek, created in her independent production, a film with magnificent visuals and animation technique that are well connected: 2D animation and digital drawing. The central message of the film that really impressed us speaks about how the only thing stopping us in life is fear and ourselves, while the important thing is to try – said the jury. By the decision of the same jury, a special mention in the Films for Children Competition went to the French-Georgian film Franzy’s Soup Kitchen (La Soupe de Franzy) by Ana Chubinidze (produced by Folimage and Pocket Studio), a film with an important message: that it’s more beautiful to share than to keep everything to yourself. The film has stunning character design, attractive colours, elements of humour and accentuated visual aesthetic – the jury concluded.
The Audience Award Mr. M for the film from the programme of the Grand Competition Feature Film goes to the film The Crossing (La traverse) by Florence Miailhe.
The Audience Award Mr. M for the film from the programme of the Grand Competition Short Film also goes to the film Garbage Man by Laura Gonçalves – for the fifth time in the half-century history of Animafest, the Grand Prix of the professional jury and the Audience Award coincided, which is an irrefutable proof of high competence and demanding festival visitors.
The 33rd World Festival of Animated Film - Animafest Zagreb will be held from 5 to 10 June 2023.
The shooting of the feature The Last Hero by the director Žiga Virc begins
Press releases 14-06-2022On Saturday, 11 June, the shooting of the Slovenian live-action feature The Last Hero by the director Žiga Virc started in Medvode. The screenplay was written by Iza Strehar and Žiga Virc. The estimated duration of the shooting is twenty-five days.
The Last Hero is a drama with comic elements. It tells the story of France, who attempts to prevent a German shopping mall chain from tearing down the statue of his father, a national hero, and erecting a store in its place. While trying to preserve the memory of the heroism of the resistance movement during the Second World War, France is unwittingly ruining the life of his daughter Vida, who is merely trying to look to the future and raise a family. In just twenty-four hours, the lives of everyone involved get turned upside down.
The director says the following about the new film: “The co-writer Iza Strehar and I started developing the screenplay in 2017. The filming kept being pushed back due to the pandemic and funding problems. However, this gave us more time to reflect on the project and its production. Of course, I am glad that the shooting is finally about to begin.”
Starring Primož Pirnat, Eva Jesenovec, Bine Matoh, Jurij Drevenšek, the renowned Greek actress Angeliki Papoulia, and others.
Featuring the work of the director of photography Fabris Šulin, production designer Gregor Nartnik, makeup designer Lea Bratušek, costumes designer Tina Hribernik, and production manager Tadej Koren Šmid.
The film is a Slovenian-Greek co-production under the auspices of the production company Studio Virc. At the start of the film shoot, the producer Boštjan Virc stated the following: “With the support of the Greek ERT television, Greece approached the project in a very natural way, as Greeks and Slovenians share a similar recent history, political divisions, and a sense of humour that resonates with our film. One of the main roles is played by the actress Angeliki Papoulia, one of the most recognisable faces of the Greek cinema both nationally and internationally. She has starred in many renowned films, including the multi-award-winning The Lobster by the Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos.”
The Greek co-producer is Minos Nikolakakis. The film was co-financed by the Slovenian Film Centre, RTV Slovenija, the Greek television broadcaster ERT, and Creative Europe – MEDIA, in cooperation with Viba Film Studio.
Žiga Virc was born in 1987 in Novo mesto. His debut feature Houston, We Have a Problem! (2016) won the Vesna Award for Best Feature at the Festival of Slovenian Film and the 2017 Štiglic Gaze Award for Directing, given annually by the Directors Guild of Slovenia. In 2017, the film, which had also been the 2016 Slovenian foreign-language Academy Award candidate, was included in the programme of the world’s largest streaming company Netflix.
In solidarity with Ukraine
At the 24th Gala of Eagles Awards of the Polish Film Academy, at which the winner of Eagles for Best Film, Best Directing and Best Script was AIDA by Jasmila Žbanić, the movie about Srebrenica massacre, with strong Polish artistic participation, Polish Film Academy again protested against the Russian invasion on Ukraine.
Last year I promised you Eagles in normal times. Next time I will refrain from promises - Dariusz Jabłoński, President of Polish Film Academy, started his speech. - Life seems normal. Cinemas are open. But in fact we are aware the situation is not normal. 300 kilometers from here a terrifying war is going on as the aftermath of the Russian aggression against Ukraine. Mass deportations, mass rapes and murders. This is genocide. Our brothers and sisters in Ukraine, including filmmakers, are fighting with cameras and weapons in order to defend our democracy, democracy against totalitarian regime, and our common future.
During the gala a video message was shown recorded by Oleh Sentsov, Ukrainian director, once sentenced in a forged Russian trial to twenty years of Gulag. For six years Polish Film Academy was constantly appealing to free Sentsov. Finally, under pressure of international opinion, he was released but now is fighting on the front line in Donbas.
I am very grateful to the Polish colleagues for the support they offer us. I am grateful to the whole Polish people, the government and the president. Poles have become our closest, brotherly nation. Whereas Russia turned out the enemy wanting to destroy our statehood. However we will not let them do that. We will fight for our lives and culture, for our existence. Thank you for being with us. - Sentsov said.
Then the audience gathered in the Polski Theatre in Warsaw raised yellow-blue cards with STOP RUSSIAN WAR! written on them. "Red Cranberry", a folk Ukrainian song that became the war hymn was played.
During the gala Mariusz Wilczyński entered the scene, holding the STOP RUSSIAN WAR! banner. Wilczyński is the director of "Kill it and leave this town" feature length animated movie awarded all over the world which won Best Film Eagle last year.
- Never in my life hell has not been that close. I fear this volcano that got awaken and spits smoke. None of us can tell what will happen. So far this fear I have only known from the stories my grandparents told me. On the other hand, I feel like I have never lived in a more beautiful Europe - beautiful with its unity. And this consolidation gives us security. We are part of this Europe so let no one try to withdraw us from it.
Since the very first days of war Polish Film Academy and all Polish film organizations actively support Ukrainian fellow filmmakers.
Europa Distribution "Film Distribution Innovation Hub" Karlovy Vary International Film Festival 3 - 6 July 2022
Press releases 28-06-2022After a short pause due to the pandemic, Europa Distribution is finally back in Karlovy Vary (CZ) to organise its distribution workshop in the scope of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.
About 25 independent distributors, coming from all around Europe, will participate in the first edition of the “Film Distribution Innovation Hub” and take part in the KVIFF’s activities.
As distributors need to stay flexible and curious about the latest technological and digital tools that can boost their acquisition and release strategies, ED is launching this very first Film Distribution Innovation Hub, a dedicated space where innovative tools with a clear potential application for film distribution will be presented by tech companies’ representatives.
On Tuesday July 5 2022, a public showcase accessible to all accredited participants will present five different innovative digital tools, developed by Artinii, Cascade8 NFT Lab, Largo.ai, Usheru and Zoan. All have in common to propose solutions aimed at film distributors and consisting in potential supports for the release and promotion of European and international films.
This public showcase will be followed by a private session where the different tools presented will be discussed by the tech companies and the distributors only. This will give the possibility for distributors to understand how they could practically implement these tools in their daily work, and for the tech companies to receive direct feedback from potential users. This session will then be completed with the presentations of innovative projects put in place by independent film distributors members of Europa Distribution
After the workshop in Karlovy Vary, Europa Distribution will continue to discuss independent publishing and distribution and the circulation of European independent films through its next events in Haugesund, San Sebastian, Rome and Amsterdam. Articles on all our events are published on Europa Distribution’s socials and blog: http://www.europa-distribution.org/blog/
AG Kino-Gilde invites you to Cinema Vision 2030: the conference on innovation for cinema on 22-23 June - Discount promotion for online participants
Press releases 15-06-2022With Cinema Vision 2030, an innovation conference on 22 and 23 June 2022, the three German cinema associations AG Kino - Gilde, Bundesverband kommunale Filmarbeit and HDF Kino are providing important impulses for the relaunch of cinemas after the pandemic.
The conference, which will take place on site at Kino International in Berlin, and will be streamed live, focuses entirely on international best practice examples. "During the pandemic, cinemas showed amazing adaptability. But two lockdowns and a harsh Corona winter are beyond what we could have imagined. With the Cinema Vision 2030 conference, we want to discuss innovative approaches for the cinema of the future in order to further develop our business model and master the challenges of the future," says AG Kino - Gilde and CICAE president Christian Bräuer, who initiated the conference.
The Programme of Cinema Vision 2030
The programme has now been finalised and more speakers have been added. You can find everything at www.cinemavision2030.de.
Thematically, the CINEMA VISION 2030 conference will focus on three main areas:
- Cinema as a cultural venue and collective space: with its entire infrastructure.
- Cinema as a temple for films: With the aspects of programming, profile building, alternative content and events.
- People in the cinema: with the focus on audience development, young audiences, marketing and communication, but also staff recruitment and management.
You can also download the programme in English here.
Online live access to the conference with English translation
100% of all panels will be broadcast online and can be watched live and afterwards. A unique opportunity to see and hear cinema experts from 10 countries in two days. In addition, the conference app also allows you to participate in the discussions and questions, so you can really be there.
The venue is the Kino International near Alexanderplatz in Berlin. The conference main language is German, but English translation will be available for all the guests attending both in person and online.
To take into account the special situation in Berlin, with the city being overbooked, and to enable as many people as possible to participate, AG Kino is now offering a 50% online discount. Simply enter the discount code LASTMINUTEONLINE.
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Although Fest Anča is an animation festival, it is also a place where animation meets the other art forms. The festival will present a high-quality and contemporary accompanying programme consisting of concerts, DJ sets, and discussions about this year's festival theme – women. As per tradition, concerts and parties will take place at Stanica Žilina-Záriečie and the New Synagogue. The accompanying programme will also include two exhibitions: a photography exhibition by Juraj Starovecký, mapping the previous editions of Fest Anča, and an exhibition in cooperation with Stanica Žilina-Záriečie—Všetko dookola by Marcel Onisko about the current events in Ukraine.
On Wednesday evening, the festival will open with a DJ set by Seafur which crosses cultures and continents, seeking to find connections between seemingly unrelated genres and musical eras.
Thursday
On Thursday, you can listen to Isama Zing (Jonatán Pastirčák/Pjoni) who is a producer, DJ, and member of the Mäss collective and SHAPE platform. His contemporary work is at the crossroads between deconstructed club music and experimental pop production. He will present his project Blurry AF full of a surprising variety of creative approaches and its cultural and genre fusion. You will also hear recontextualised traditional Roma "halgato" ballads, and pop vocal tracks with noise production, drone, and euphoric synthesisers.
Fest Anča will also present Ima Teva with her atmospheric musical world—steadfast and resilient on one hand, but vulnerable and painfully intimate on the other. Ima Teva uses electronics and synthesisers representing the wounded ghosts of the past, whose laments will keep you awake at night.
Another name on Thursday's programme is OIEE, the electronic solo project by Bence Kocsis. His work combines instrumental sounds with tropical and not-so-tropical house, techno, nudisco, dance, R&B, disco, trance elements, and modern soul vocals, creating a very original and uncompromising sound.
Friday
The home scene will be represented by w y m e, a Bratislava-based DJ and musician prized for her distinctive electro hybrid sound. She has recently started with Xeno club nights where she supports the Bratislava experimental club scene and offers a safe space for diversity where various communities can come together. She described her sets to a2alarm: "I like music with irregular and complex rhythms, as well as music with repetitive structures and overlapping genres. I also enjoy darker reggaeton or baile-funk, contemporary and old electro. I like using pop fragments."
We will also welcome Sofia Nøt, the Bratislava-based DJ known for her project IAmNøt. She likes to alternate between straight and broken beats in her tracks. She has recorded music videos for most of her songs, which were directed by Simon Seriš. Her DJ sets include her own production as well as a mixture of techno, industrial, darkwave and breakbeat.
Artist and rapper Arleta uses her femme poetry to challenge toxic masculinity and casts all misogynistic beings to darkness. She then navigates the darkness with her whispery delivery, which is gaining ever more attention in the contemporary scene. Hypnosis, drive, and introversion demolish all intimate boxes and redefine themselves aesthetically and lyrically against the ingrained rules of Czech rap.
Saturday
On Saturday evening, you can listen to the ambitious music collective Fairycore Syndicate who present their vision of the ideal club experience by merging genres such as gabber, hyperpop, breakcore, and trance. They also aim to create a platform and space for artists whose work stands out from the crowd.
Bratislava-Košice project Berlin Manson knows a thing or two about uniqueness. They sing/rap about Depeche Mode, spaceships, and soundcloud trends, but their work goes way beyond boundless fun. They uniquely update post-synth punk and serve as a testament to absolute creative freedom.
Although Ukrainian acid/trance/techno DJ and producer Miklei has been Slovakia-based for some time, she started performing only recently. Her fresh sets are inspired by Slovak techno and represent a wide spectrum of the Eastern European underground club scene. Her hard techno is guaranteed to wake you up from any lethargy. Fest Anča will also present Ukrainian producer Karaoke Tundra (Viktor Tverdochlibov) who has been part of the Czech and Slovak scene from its beginnings. With his trans-genre freedom, he combines impulses from hip hop with experimental electronica.
Other
Visitors can also enjoy other events in the accompanying programme. This year's jury member Kate Jessop will have a presentation on the portrayal of female sexuality in animated films, while Peter Budinský will talk about the production of his newest film Journey to Yourland during his masterclass. Slovak female animators from three generations will host a discussion about their work, and as a conclusion, the festival invites all children aged 0 to 100 to a group reading. We will read from children's books by popular female authors or stories with a female protagonist.
About Fest Anča
Fest Anča International Animation Festival – the only Slovak multimedia festival focused on
animated film – is based in the New Synagogue and in the cultural centre Stanica Žilina-Záriečie, both venues being vibrant cultural centers in the city of Žilina. The festival aims to showcase contemporary, progressive animated films, and commemorate the cream of the genre. The long-term vision is to approximate well-known international festivals by uniquely showcasing this art form in Slovakia.
The festival features an international competition of animated short films and music videos, as well as non-competitive screening sections. Attendees can additionally enjoy presentations, exhibitions, workshops, film screenings for children, and numerous accompanying events.
Fest Anča International Animation Festival 2022 is financially supported by the Slovak Audiovisual Fund and LITA Fund. The event was supported from public funds by the Slovak Arts Council. Women in Animation, Fest Anča’s 2022 thematic focus, is an implementation of the Student Forum Fest Anča.
The Student Forum Fest Anča benefits from a EUR 120,609 grant from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through EEA Grants. The project has received co-financing from the State Budget of the Slovak Republic of EUR 18,091. The aim of the project is to work with attendees, promote international mobility and cooperation between European schools, share knowledge and skills, and compare animation teaching methods across Europe.
Further info at:
festanca.sk
facebook.com/festanca
twitter.com/festanca
www.instagram.com/fest_anca
Photos from previous years
