The Creative Europe MEDIA Desk Offices from Croatia, Georgia, Greece, and Serbia together with the Malta Producers Association and Deputy of Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Cyprus jointly organised the workshop and pitching forum 'Let's Pitch Some Shorts!' which took place from 1-4/7/2024 in Zagreb, and in partnership with the VERN' University and Kaptol Boutique Cinema.
The focus of the workshop was to guide professionals and provide adequate answers to questions about the most effective ways of preparing and presenting one's project to the professional public - producers, distributors, and sales representatives, but at the same time to the public.
The experienced and renowned German film producer Roshanak Behesht Nedjad, whose recent films 'Mission Ulja Funk' (2021) and 'Delegation' (2023) premiered at Berlinale Generation, oversaw implementation of the workshop. Behesht Nedjad is a member of the European and German Film Academy and an alumna and mentor at the most famous European training program for film producers, EAVE – European Audiovisual Entrepreneurs.
After the end of the workshop with the pitching forum as the event culmination, the jury consisting of Morana Ikić Komljenović (producer / Little Red Dot), Laurent Crouzeix (Head of Euro Connection / Clermont – Ferrand International Short Film Market), Kenan Musić (producer and director of Youth Film Sarajevo Festival) and Chiara Bardella (Sayonara Film) decided on the awards respectively:
The main prize for the best pitch in the amount of 3,000 EUR was awarded to the short fiction project 'Dandelion' by the Maltese screenwriter Cassi Camilleri, with the following explanation:
The main award goes to a project whose strong artistic vision organically serves the purpose of a story exploring female control and body autonomy. The quality of the pitch reflected the work of a strong team of writer, director and producer who promise to deliver an impactful film.
The award in the amount of 1,500 EUR under the auspices of OFF Pro Film Market Sarajevo, a project of the Sarajevo Youth Film Festival, was awarded to the short fiction project 'Apollon Club' by screenwriter and director Kruno Trninić and producer Maja Gros (ATL Media) from Croatia with the following explanation:
For the idea and the need to focus on the topic of toxic masculinity as a social phenomenon that leads to problems, an anomaly in the relationship, and the fact that it is a film by a young author who grapples with a serious socially engaged topic, co-production funds in the amount of 1500 EUR are awarded to the film 'Apollon Club'. We believe that such strong commitment to the project and author's passion will deliver a powerful film.
The award for creating a festival and distribution strategy under the auspices of Sayonara Film was awarded to the short fiction project 'Punishment' by the Croatian screenwriter and director Mila Božičević with the following explanation:
For the noble intent to deal with the delicate topic of generational trauma, through the experience of childhood in a marginalized environment, the award goes to' Punishment'.
The prize in the context of direct participation as part of this year's edition of the Baltic Pitching Forum was awarded to the short fiction project 'Just One Thing' by the Croatian screenwriter and director Daria Stilin with the following explanation:
For its heartfelt and bitter-sweet portrayal of intergenerational love and acceptance, and its touching exploration of the desire for redemption and human connection, the award goes to 'Just One Thing'.
The prize in the context of consulting services under the auspices of the European Short Pitch was awarded to the short fiction project ‘The Oak Tree’ screenwriter and director Kyriakos Ghikas and producer Marina Danezi (Laika Productions) from Greece with the following explanation:
The ESP consulting award goes to a project that shows remarkable potential in terms of story and aesthetic choices, with a solid filmmaker-producer team at the helm.
The outstanding award for direct participation as part of this year's Sunny Shorts Film Market / Hvar FF is awarded to the project 'The Commandments of Line 18' by the German screenwriter and director Alexander Marcel Hövel with the following explanation:
There are films and projects in development that you simply fall in love with at first sight and simply believe that with good pre-production and dedication to development, it can lead to an exceptional project. That is why the project 'The commandments of line 18' deserves another pitch and further development, which is why the Sunny Shorts Film Market (Hvar Film Festival) is awarding it an invitation and accreditation for this year's market.
"Hereby, we would like to thank all the participants of the workshop for their active engagement and dedicated work, the partners: Creative Europe MEDIA Desks in Georgia, Greece and Serbia, as well as the Malta Producers’ Association and the Deputy of Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Cyprus, VERN' University and Kaptol Boutique Cinema, who helped jointly in providing a safe space for exchange, networking and empowerment of young and emerging talents from Croatia, Cyprus, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Malta, and Serbia.", highlighted the Creative Europe MEDIA Desk Croatia.
Also, a big thank you to all the members of the jury for their participation, to the sponsors of the awards, and especially to Roshanak Behesht Nedjad who, with her approach and ease of teaching, and especially with her selfless sharing of knowledge, gave every participant of the workshop the opportunity to present themselves and their film stories in the best possible way.
