UNIC

12/06: UNIC Annual Report  -   Access the report in full here 

UNIC is delighted to announce the publication of its 2018 Annual Report, examining key cinema trends across the 37 territories represented by the association.

18/06: UNIC launched the second edition of Women’s Cinema Leadership Programme – UNIC

The International Union of Cinemas (UNIC), the European Cinema trade grouping, launched the second edition of its Women’s Cinema Leadership Programme, a 12-month mentoring programme for women in cinema exhibition.

Global Cinema Federation

11/06: Global Cinema Federation releases position papers - GCF

The Global Cinema Federation (GCF) today released five position papers on key areas of concern and interest to cinema operators worldwide.

EU Copyright Directive

11/06: Publishers back controversial EU copyright proposals – The Parliament Magazine

Publishers strongly support the directive, saying it is an attempt to reshape copyright for the internet, in particular rebalancing the relationship between copyright holders and online platforms.

18/06: Getting closer to the finishing line? – SAA Blog

MEPs have been exceptionally and forcefully lobbied from all directions on this file. We therefore appreciate the time and effort MEPs, from across the political spectrum, have taken to listen to us and support our call. We trust them to vote this week for the best option for directors and screenwriters to obtain fair and proportionate remuneration for the exploitation of their works online.

19/06: Copyright: Realities & Myths - ACT

An overview of Article 13 - what's it about?

Digital Single Market

05/06: Mariya Gabriel: The future of Europe and of the world is inevitably digital – The Parliament Magazine

This Commission is entering the final year of its mandate. Where do you believe progress needs to be made to achieve a genuine digital single market? Three years after its launch, the digital single market is becoming a reality. In total, 29 legislative proposals have been presented by the Commission.

07/06: Digital Single Market: Updated audiovisual rules – European Commission

The media landscape has shifted dramatically in less than a decade. Instead of sitting in front of the family TV, millions of Europeans, especially young people, watch content online, on demand and on different mobile devices.

LJUBLJANA: Slovenian production company Invida is producing a 13-episode animated series for Slovenia’s public TV RTV SLO, How It Grows.

SARAJEVO: Five documentary projects in post-production from the Southeast Europe will be presented at Docu Rough Cut Boutique at the CineLink Industry Days during the Sarajevo Film Festival, which runs 10 – 17 August 2018.

A short Ukrainian documentary is the newest addition to East Silver Caravan.

Celebrating a new initiative between MIDPOINT and Karlovy Vary IFF, the 2018 edition will present 9 exciting projects being developed within the current Feature Launch program.  
The 9 projects have been carefully refined and further developed during the previous 2 workshops of the program, visiting the Trieste FF in Italy in January 2018 and Belgrade, Serbia in May 2018. 
 
The Works in Development - Feature Launch presentation, which brings together projects from Azerbaijan, the Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia and Ukraine, will take place on Monday, July 2, 2018 at 11 am, at theČas Cinema.  
 
The presented projects are: 
Brazil - Director/Writer Thelyia Petraki, Producer Kostas Tagalakis
Balaur – Director/Writer Octav Chelaru, Producer Livia Radulescu  
Clouds On Leashes – Director/Writer Gunel Eva, Producer Maria Ibrahimova
Erasing Frank – Director/Writer Gabor Fabricius, Producer Miklos Havas
Homeward – Director/Writer Nariman Aliev, Writer Marysia Nikitiuk, Producer Vladimir Yatsenko
Leave No Traces - Writer Kaja Krawczyk-Wnuk, Director Jan P. Matuszynski, Producer Leszek Bodzak
Sirin - Writer Claudia Bottino, Director/Writer Senad Sahmanovic, Producer Velisa Popovic
The Myth of a Real Man – Director/Writer Lee Filipovski, Producer Adi Dizdarevic  
The Ugly Mandarine – Director/Writer Piaoyu Xie, Producer Veronika Kuhrova    

Read more about the projects here

The tutors that have been conducting the training sessions for these projects were: 
Danijel Hocevar (SI) - Head of Studies and Producer Tutor
Anne Gensior (DE) - Core Tutor
Pavel Jech (US) - Core Tutor
Ivo Trajkov (CZ/MK) - Core Tutor
Gabriele Brunnenmeyer (DE) - Pitching Tutor
Alessandro Gropplero (IT) - Guest Tutor
Christina Liapi (GR) - Guest Tutor
Olimpia Pont Chafer (ES) - Guest Tutor
Inke Van Loocke (NL) - Guest Tutor  
Oceane Portal (FR) - Guest Tutor
Stefan Arsenijevic (RS) - Guest Tutor
Manfred Schmidt (DE) - Guest Tutor 
Stefano Tealdi (IT) - Pitching Tutor
Thanos Anastopoulos (GR) - Guest Tutor
Cedomir Kolar (HR) - Guest Tutor
Elma Tataragic (BA) - Guest Tutor 

Read more about these tutors here

Thanks to our partners, selected MIDPOINT Feature Launch projects will receive the following awards on July 3, 2018 in Karlovy Vary: 

connecting cottbus Award  
A selected project from MIDPOINT Feature Launch will be granted the opportunity to pitch itself at connecting cottbus, the East-West co-production market during the Cottbus Film Festival.  

Rotterdam Lab Award
One producer will be selected to participate in the professional training program for producers, Rotterdam Lab, which takes place during IFFR/International Film Festival Rotterdam. 

Art Department Masterclass Award 
The Art Department Masterclass Award will enable the participants from one Feature Launch project to work on the production design of their project with up-and-coming European art directors within the framework of a practical assignment workshop during this fall. 

To complete the cycle of the one-year platform, the When East Meets West co-production market invites selected Feature Launch 2018 producers to offer them a chance to follow up with their potential artistic and financing partners during the Feature Launch Spotlight in January 2019

The documentary Elsewhere / Inde is part of the Slovak Season section at the 26th Art Film Fest, running through 23 June 2018 in Kosice.

PRAGUE: Slovak producer Juraj Krasnohorsky of Artichoke and Czech producer Martin Vandas of Maur Film are coproducing the animated film Of Unwanted Things and People along with Slovenia’s ZVVIKS and Poland’s WJTeam/Likaon.

PRAGUE: The Karlovy Vary IFF, which runs 29 June – 7 July, has unveiled its complete industry programme.

BRATISLAVA: The Slovak Audiovisual Fund has announced the establishment of its new Slovak Film Agency / Slovak Film Commission. Zuzana Bielikova has been named the manager of the film agency.

PRAGUE: Director Ondrej Pecha is developing the animated film Jack Russell the Planet Rescuer with Bio Illusion producer Miroslav Smidmajer.