19-01-2009

Slovenian co-production film plans March shoot start

By Matevz Rudolf

    Slovenian production company Staragara (www.staragara.com) will begin filming Circus Fantasticus by writer /director Janez Burger on March 2.

    {mosimage}The €2 million film is co-produced by Fastnet Films of Dublin (www.fastnetfilms.com) and minority co-producer Cine Works from Helsinki (www.cineworks.fi). Production of the film was financially and technically supported by the Slovenian Film Fund (www.film-sklad.si), Viba Film studio (www.vibafilm.si) and TV Slovenia (www.rtvslo.si). International funding comes from the Irish Film Board (www.irishfilmboard.ie) and the Finnish Film Foundation (www.ses.fi)), with support from Eurimages and the EU programme Media Plus.

    Fortissimo Films from Amsterdam (www.fortissimo.nl) is handling world rights, and Slovenian distribution is through Cinemania group (www.creativa.si). The film will premier in 2010.

    Producer Jozko Rutar said Circus Fantasticus will be a large-scale co-production in collaboration with many countries. "The creative team consists of internationally recognized film artists. Director of photography Marek Divis is from the Czech Republic, the costume designer is Slovenian Alan Hranitelj, the film's producers are are myself, Morgan Bushe from Ireland, and Petri Rossi from Finland. The actors are top-quality circus artists from Slovenia, Finland, Russia, Netherland, France, China, Germany and Canada. The leading male role will be in hands of Croatian actor Leon Lucev."

    Circus fantasticus explores the question of survival in wartime though a group of circus artists who arrive at a place destroyed by war and intermingle with the locals who are marked by the consequences of war. "The film is structured around nine chapters; each tackles one of the essential elements of human existence: Fear, Fire, Life, Air, Love, Water, Death, Earth, and God. This is a film about feelings, atmosphere, sensibility, and surreality. My intention is to make an audio-visually fascinating film without any dialog. Words in war just don't have any sense." said Burger.

    Rehearsals for the film began in late 2008.

    Production Credits:

    Circus Fantasticus

    Production Company: Staragara (www.staragara.com)

    Co-production: Fastnet Films (www.fastnetfilms.com) and Cine Works (www.cineworks.fi)

    Co-funding: Slovenian Film Fund (www.film-sklad.si), TV Slovenia (www.rtvslo.si), Viba Film (www.vibafilm.si), Irish Film Board (www.irishfilmboard.ie), Finnish Film Foundation (www.ses.fi), EURIMAGES and Media Plus.

    World sales: Fortissimo Films (www.fortissimo.nl)

    Slovenian distribution: Cinemania group (www.creativa.si)

    Director: Janez Burger

    Screenwriter: Janez Burger

    Producers: Jozko Rutar, Morgan Bushe, Petri Rossi

    Director of Photography: Marek Divis

    Film Editor: Milos Kalusek

    Art director: Vasja Kokelj, Andraz Trkman

    Costume design: Alan Hranitel

    Cast:

    Leon Lucev

    Ravil Sultanov