This year, coco presents an exciting line-up of feature film projects from 19 countries in wider Eastern Europe, which will be pitched and compete for a variety of awards. Their producers and directors will take part in the cocoLAB in-depth feedback sessions with industry experts, while all participants can join networking events and a focused framework programme on current co-production topics.
We are proud of our impact as a market, which has supported highly successful 2021 festival titles like Berlinale Generation 14+ Crystal Bear winner STOP-ZEMLIA by Kateryna Gornostai (Ukraine), Best International Film in Tribeca BRIGHTON 4TH by Levan Koguashvili (Bulgaria, Georgia, Monaco, Russia, USA), winner of the Special Jury Prize at the East of the West Competition in Karlovy Vary SISTERHOOD by Dina Duma (North Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro), and critically acclaimed LEAVE NO TRACES by Jan P. Matuszyński (Poland, France, Czech Republic) which premiered in competition in Venice.
Our cocoPITCH selection offers eco dramas, intimate stories about sisterhood and female sexuality as well as an investigation into toxic masculinity. Precise political moments are also captured, as in the Latvian far-right terrorism of the 90s, the current opposition movement in Belarus and a look back at Crimean Tatar history. A majority of female protagonists from a broad range of backgrounds and professions are depicted. Debut feature projects are set alongside highly anticipated new work by award-winning filmmakers like Nariman Aliev, Assel Aushakimova and Darya Zhuk.
The line-up of cocoWIP is equally diverse: coming-of-age amidst a zombie apocalypse, stories about gay love and female empowerment, plus a look at the aftermath of war and displacement, both in historical and contemporary times.
Producers, sales agents, commissioning editors and other industry representatives active in East-West European co-production can apply to attend as potential partners by 17 October.
cocoPITCH Selected Projects 2021:
BIKECHESS | France, Kazakhstan | dir: Assel Aushakimova
prod: Antoine Simkine, Almagul Tleukhanova | Les Films de Antoine / Alma Pictures
Midpoint - coco Award (Midpoint Feature Launch)
THE BOMBER | Latvia | dir: Pauls Ķesteris
prod: Inese Boka-Grūbe | Film Office Latvia
CHINA SEA | Lithuania | dir: Jurgis Matulevičius
prod: Elena Rožukaitė, Stasys Baltakis | Film Jam
HAPPINESS | Poland | dir: Marta Minorowicz
prod: Izabela Kiszka-Hoflik | IKH Pictures Production
Special Pitch Award FilmFestival Cottbus
HYSTERIA | Russia | dir: Ivan I. Tverdovsky
prod: Katerina Mikhaylova, Konstantin Fam | Vega Film
ORTALAN | Ukraine | dir: Nariman Aliev
prod: Vladimir Yatsenko, Anna Sobolevska | ForeFilms
SHE | Poland | dir: Agnieszka Zwiefka
prod: Izabela Igel | Harine Films
SMARAGDA | Cyprus | dir: Emilios Avraam
prod: Tonia Mishiali | Bark Like A Cat Films
THIS BEAUTIFUL NIGHT | Turkey | dir: Ozan Yoleri
prod: Alara Hamamcıoğlu, Ilgım Coşar | Vigo Film
TUNDRA BLUES | Russia | dir: Andrey Redkin
prod: Vladislav Ketkovich | LCC Ethnofund Film Company
VIRGINS | Croatia, North Macedonia | dir: Dora Šustić
prod: Maja Pek-Brünjes, Marija Dimitrova | Antitalent / List Production
Transilvania Pitch Stop - coco Award
THE WAYS WE LOOK AT THE SUN | Romania | dir: Ioana Țurcan
prod: Ana Maria Pirvan | Studioset Production / Anchor Films
WE HAVEN’T MET UNTIL THIS SUMMER | Belarus, Russia, Poland | dir: Darya Zhuk
prod: Iva Stromilova, Ewa Puszczynska | Kairos Films / Exteme Emotions
THE WHITE MARE | Slovakia | dir: Teodor Kuhn
prod: Miroslav Gerbel | Filmaari
cocoWIP Selected Projects 2021:
AIR BLUE SILK | Georgia | dir: Irine Jordania
prod: Elene Margvelashvili | Parachute Films
THE ART OF FALLING | Bulgaria | dir: Orlin Milchev
prod: Pavlina Jeleva | Geopoly
KLONDIKE | Ukraine, Turkey | dir: Maryna Er Gorbach
prod: Sviatoslav Bulakovskyi, Maryna Er Gorbach, Mehmet Bahadir Er | Kedr Film / Protim
LIUBEN | Spain, Bulgaria | dir: Venci Kostov
prod: Antonio Hens, Vanya Rainova, Miguel Torrente |
Malas Compañías / Portokal / Balance Media
M | North Macedonia, Croatia, Kosovo, France | dir: Vardan Tozija
prod: Darko Popov, Anita Juka, Valon Bajgora, Patrice Nezan |
Focus Pocus Films / 4 Film / In My Country Postproduction/ Les Contes Modernes
THE WORD | Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia | dir: Beata Parkanová
prod: Vojtěch Frič, Přemysl Martinek | love.FRAME
connecting cottbus is supported by:
Thanks to our partners and sponsors: D-Facto Motion, HAVC Croatian Audiovisual Centre, Avanpost, Midpoint Institute, Marché du Film Producers Network, Stadt Cottbus, Transilvania International Film Festival, New Horizons International Film Festival, eave, CineLink, Filmarket Hub, Meetings on the Bridge, When East Meets West, Coprocity, Berlinale World Cinema Fund.
Organiser:
pool production GmbH
www.poolproduction.de
