Romania Launching Balkan Channel
BUCHAREST: The National Audiovisual Council of Romania approved licence for two new channels, the news channel Realitatea Plus and Black Sea TV.
PRODUCTION: Epic Begins Shooting in Tbilisi
TBILISI: Epic, a UK/German/Russian/Georgian coproduction directed by Ben Hopkins, began principal photography in Tbilisi in late January.
FESTIVALS: Malta Accepting Short Film Submissions
The Malta Film Foundation announced it is accepting applications for the 5th Malta Short Film Festival taking place between July and September 2013.
PRODUCTION: Krakow Documentary in Development
KRAKOW: Magdalena Piekorz is developing a City(W)rites documentary with the working title Krakow Adama Zagajewskiego (Adam Zagajewski's Krakow).
Strong Foreign Sales for TVN Shows
WARSAW: Polish private broadcaster TVN told FNE that it has sold eleven of its original productions to 25 countries in Europe and Asia.
PRODUCTION: Little Crushes in Production
WARSAW: Independent Polish art-house production company Koi Studio is in production with its first fiction feature film Little Crushes (Małe stłuczki).
A Month in Thailand Begins Sales
BUCHAREST: Paul Negoescu's first feature A Month in Thailand has been sold by MPM Film to France, where it will be distributed by Epicentre Films in the second half of…
PRODUCTION: TVN in Production with Medical Drama
KRAKOW: Private broadcaster TVN is increasing its more original Polish content with the addition of a new series, Szpital (The Hospital).
PRODUCTION: Lonely Valentin Completes Postproduction
VILNIUS: Four directors have teamed up on the feature film Lonely Valentin (Valentinas Vienas) which is completing postproduction in advance of a pan-European premiere on 8 February 2013.
Polish and Chilean Directors Launch Crowdfunding Campaign
WARSAW: Acclaimed young, female directors, Dominga Sotomayor and Katarzyna Klimkiewicz have launched an Indiegogo campaign to finance their joint short film project The Time Before.
Lithuania Introduces Baltic Shorts to Clermont-Ferrand
VILNIUS: Lithuania will host the first Baltic presence at the Clermont-Ferrand IFF running 1-9 February 2013.
TVP Plans Childrens Channel
WARSAW: Polish public broadcaster TVP is preparing to launch TVP ABC, a thematic channel for the 4-12 age group, in April 2013.
In the Shadow Dominates Czech Critics Awards
PRAGUE: David Ondříček’s impressive and moving historical drama set in the dark Stalinist days of the early 1950’s In the Shadow took five awards at the third annual Czech Film…
Bulgaria Takes Center Stage at FIPA
BIARRITZ: A seven-film Bulgarian focus was the Central European highlight of the 26th International Festival of Audiovisual Programs (FIPA) held 22-27 January 2013.
FNE at FIPA 2013: Prix winners
BIARRITZ: The 26th edition FIPA – the International Festival of Audiovisual Programmes (22-27 January 2012) was its first under the new leadership team of President Didier Decoin and former ARTE…
Beyond the Hills Wins Top Romanian Prizes
BUCHAREST: Romanian film critics and journalists named Cristian Mungiu’s Beyond the Hills/După dealuri (www.mobrafilms.ro) as the best Romanian film, best European film and best film in the Romanian cinemas in…
CEE Films Take Sundance Awards
Three films were among the winners at the Sundance IFF awards ceremony on 26 January.
Hungarian Audiences Reject Mid-Budget Movies
BUDAPEST: Blockbuster films are taking a greater share of the box office, and art house films are stable, but Hungarian audiences are disappearing for mid-budget films.
Czechs and Balances in March Film Lineup
PRAGUE: Following a quiet January and February, Czech film releases will dominate the March 2013 cinema schedules, with at least seven films, including a trio of potential crowd-pleasers, opening over…
Production: Mundruczo in Preproduction with The White God
BUDAPEST: Hungarian director Kornel Mundruczo (Delta, Tender Son - The Frankenstein Projekt) has begun working on his new project The White God (Fehér Isten).
