04-07-2019

First Cut Lab program to be enriched with MEDIA supported First Cut+

    First Cut Lab, the workshop for fiction feature films in editing phase run by Tatino Films, will enhance its support through a new program addition called First Cut+ with the support of the Access to Market scheme of Creative Europe’s MEDIA program. First Cut+ will promote a portfolio of 16 fiction feature films in post-production from low production capacity countries with a focus on Central & Eastern Europe. First Cut+ is the only brand-new action to receive financial support from the Access to Markets scheme this year.

    So far 30 films have been supported through First Cut Lab, mostly from the CEE region. To further assist the films to reach their audiences, First Cut Lab director Matthieu Darras has created First Cut+. The program will provide additional support to First Cut Lab alumni projects as well as from partners MIDPOINT “Feature Launch” and Groupe Ouest’s “LIM” by offering them marketing and promotion consultancy and visibility at the region’s leading industry events KVIFF Eastern Promises and When East Meets West co-production platform.

    The feature films in the portfolio will take part in several activities to further increase their competitiveness and marketability; a series of tailor-made individual consultations with industry experts on marketing, promotion, audience design and social media followed by a Work-in-Progress presentation. After this they will be offered one-to-one meetings, to increase opportunities of sales and international circulation. Industry consultants that will be part of the First Cut+ program include for example international publicists Laurin Dietrich and Michael Arnon of WOLF, Alexis Hoffman of BAC Films, and festival strategist Ilaria Gomascara of Pyramide International.

    Fitting seamlessly into the already established frame of First Cut Lab’s international hubs Trieste and Karlovy Vary, 8 films - half of the portfolio - will be promoted during the winter session in Trieste in January 2020, and another half during the summer session in Karlovy Vary in July 2020, in addition to the regular First Cut Lab workshops.

    Through the whole trajectory of selecting projects in very early editing phase and support them all the way to their release and after, makes the complete First Cut Lab and First Cut+ program unique in the film industry. The combined program now provides fundamental support through the whole postproduction process and is the first complete preparation for a Work-In-Progress screening that currently exists. The First Cut+ portfolio will contain the most exciting new names and projects from the CEE region in 2020!

    The First Cut+ initiative will be officially launched and presented at the Karlovy Vary IFF at 5 p.m. on July 2, 2019 at the Press Room.