16-09-2021

Women in revolt and other stories: the coco line-up 2021

    Connecting cottbus, the East-West co-production market at the FilmFestival Cottbus, presents this year’s selection of projects in development and works in progress. 

    On 3-5 November, the 23rd edition of connecting cottbus (coco) will take place as a hybrid event with online and on-site components and we look forward to welcoming industry guests in Cottbus physically this year. As we continue to monitor the pandemic situation, more details about the programme will be available in the upcoming weeks.

    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


    JOIN COCO 2021

    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

    Last modified on 17-09-2021