Thirty years have passed since the Fall of the Iron Curtain. This is a good opportunity to question, through some  lmmakers’ point of view, the ways in which profound changes have taken place since 1989 in Hungarian, Polish, Slovak and Czech societies.Thirty years have passed since the Fall of the Iron Curtain. This is a good opportunity to question, through some  lmmakers’ point of view, the ways in which profound changes have taken place since 1989 in Hungarian, Polish, Slovak and Czech societies.The event will o er a series of screenings and debates in the presence of many guests with diverse backgrounds and will take place from October 18th to October 20th 2019 in di erent venues in Paris. This program is a unique opportunity to discover talented and multi-award-winning artists, as well as the newest  lmmaking trends in Central Europe. With the support of Visegrad International Fund and the Paris City Hall - Label Paris Europe.

PROGRAM:

October 18th from 3pm to 6pm - House of Europe (29, avenue de Villiers, 75017 Paris)

Debates: Cinema as a cultural challenge in uni ed Europe

With the presence of: Andor F. Dávid (General Director of the Visegrad International Fund), Julien Ezanno (Department of European and International A airs of the CNC), Szabolcs Hajdu (Filmmaker, Hungary), Markéta Hodouskova (Creative Europe Expert and Czech-In Festival), Catherine Horel (Historian, CNRS), Isabella Kiszka-Ho ik (International Sales, former director of PISF, Poland), Jana Kluková (Producer, Slovakia), Sophie Mirouze (La Rochelle Film Festival and Weekend of East) and Ariel Schweitzer (critic in the Cahiers du cinéma).

Film Screenings:

October 18th at 7pm - Auditorium of the Cityof Paris (5, quai de l'Hôtel de ville, 75004 Paris) Film: Rabbit à la Berlin / Królik po berlińsku, director Bartosz Konopka, Poland,52 minutes, 2009— Screening followed by a cocktail

October 19th at 7pm - Hungarian Institute of Paris (92, rue Bonaparte, 75006 Paris)Film: It’s not the time of my life / Ernelláék Farkaséknál, director Szabolcs Hajdu, Hungary, 81 minutes, 2016— Screening followed by a meeting with the director and a cocktail

October 20th at 4pm - Cinéma Les 3 Luxembourg (67 Rue Monsieur le Prince, 75006 Paris)Film: When the war comes / Až přijde válka, director Jan Gebert, Czech Republic,76 minutes, 2018

October 20th at 6:30pm - Czech Center of Paris (18, rue Bonaparte, 75006 Paris)Film: Cooking History / Ako sa varia dejiny, Director Péter Kerekes, Slovakia, 88 minutes, 2009 — Screening followed by a cocktail

More information: http://kino-visegrad.fr/

The ninth edition of the US in Progress co-production forum will be held from the 6th-8th of November 2019, as a part of the 10th anniversary edition of the American Film Festival in Wrocław (November 5th-11th).

The event aims to facilitate professional networking among European and Polish film professionals and independent filmmakers from the United States. It is held twice yearly (June edition takes place in Paris during Champs-Elysees Film Festival). Invite-only screenings will feature six projects selected from numerous submissions of independent American feature-length films in the final editing stages. 

Congratulations to the 2019 US in Progress Wrocław participants:

• Aleph by Iva Radivojevic 

• In a Silent Way by Collin Levin

• My Heart Can’t Beat Unless You Tell It To by Jonathan Cuartas

• The Unknown Country by Morissa Maltz

• Tiger Style! by Cory Santilli

• Time Now by Spencer King

The directors and/or producers will attend the presentations as well as one-on-one meetings with top European festival programmers and buyers (Cannes, Tribeca, Venice, Berlinale, Bankside Films, Film Republic, WTFilms, among others). 

The 2019 US in Progress Wrocław partners provide in-kind awards of post-production service packages of combined value amounting to $50,000. They are leading Polish sound and image studios:

• Orka (http://www.orkafilm.pl/about/)
• Coloroffon (http://coloroffonfilm.pl/index.php/o-nas/)
• Fixafilm (http://www.fixafilm.pl/en/)

• a score composed by Maciej Zielinski from Soundflower Studio (http://www.polishcomposer.com/

• Platige Image (https://www.platige.com)   

Other awards include an acquisition offer from Ale Kino + and a free pass to Cannes Producers' Network next year and a round trip ticket up to the cost of $1000 USD for post-production in Poland.

The screenings will be complemented by Polish-American co-production meetings, a networking opportunity for Polish producers seeking partners from the US and US producers willing to work in/with Poland. Our event will consist of presentations of Polish production incentives, a scouting trip in Lower Silesia and panel talks about transatlantic collaboration. Guest speakers will include: Andrew Hevia (Moonlight, Leave the Bus Through the Broken Window) and Jay Van Hoy (American Honey, The Witch, The Lighthouse). 

Number of selected Polish producers and filmmakers attending will pitch their ideas to the US producers. Other local professionals are invited to network and learn more about the differences in European and American film production systems.   

This year, for the sixth instalment of the Riga International Film Festival all industry events will be gathered under the name RIGA IFF FORUM. By taking a look into the festivals guest list, one can feel captivated – FORUM will welcome board members of the European Film Academy, Baltic animation industry experts, and virtual reality enthusiasts. It will serve as a platform for foreign guests of the festival and Latvian film professionals to meet and exchange their experiences and ideas.

It's time! After today's press conference at Kinoteka, we are happy to share the list of titles which will battle it out in this year's International Competition and Competition 1-2 of first and second films. As well as some other surprises including the special participation of Gérard Depardieu and the last King of the Belgians, or should we say the first Emperor of Europe?

As the press accreditation for the 23rd  Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival and the affiliated audiovisual industry platform Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event is already underway we thought we might offer you some insight into the programme of 2019. Please note that a big part of the programme is still to be confirmed so this is a very early overview. You can follow our Pro newsletter and press releases at the bottom of this letter to stay updated.

We can offer foreign press a limited amount of rooms in our hotels and provide transport, but these will not last forever...

23rd Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival | 15 Nov - 1 Dec 2019

As one of the leading film festivals in Northern Europe and the only FIAPF-accredited competitive feature film festival in the region, Black Nights aka PÖFF strives to present our audiences and international guests a comprehensive selection of world cinema in its cultural, geographic and genre diversity, with a special emphasis on discoveries from countries that are comparatively lesser highlighted on the global film markets, mixing them with this year’s highlights from the global festival circuit.

FESTIVAL FACTS

• 1200 international filmmakers, industry professionals and journalists from more than 60 different countries;
• 80000 attendances;
• The festival, along with the two sub-festivals screens approximately 250 feature-length films  and over 250 short films and animations;
• over 50 world and international premieres;
• over 150 journalists in 2018;
• potential global media reach of over 1.5 billion people.

WATCH THE FESTIVAL TEASER

The main programme of the festival will be announced throughout October and November, with the full programme being announced at the press conference taking place on the 6th of November. The programme of the main festival includes the following:

• Official Selection - the major international competition of the festival screening films from all over the world having their world, international or European premieres. Runs from the 21st until the 29th of November;
• First Feature Competition - the international competition for up and coming directors presenting the world or international premiere of their first feature film. Runs from the 21st until the 29th of November. 
• Rebels With A Cause, an international competition showcasing the experimental film-making and bold artistic statements from all over the world, pushing the boundaries of the art of film
• Baltic Film Competition screening the year’s finest films made in the three Baltic countries.
• The festival has several non-competitive programmes, combining a selection of recent highlights of world cinema, including thematic sections for documentaries, genre films, sports and fashion/ urban culture, etc.
• Focus region: Arabia. Every year the festival puts a country or a region in a special spotlight. 2019 will see 15 feature films covering the last 10 years from the Arab filmmakers’ production (Inside of the Arab countries and the diaspora), screening films from Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, UAE.

You've probably never heard of a place called Narva or Kohtla-Järve. That's ok, they haven't heard of you either. But these two wonderful towns in Eastern Estonia are the place where we will launch a new side-festival of Black Nights called KinoFF this year! As the majority of the population of this region in Estonia are Russian, the festival will have a focus on Russian-language cinema, screening selected films from the main programme of the festival. We are organising a tour for foreign journalists in the area on the 22nd of November to visit the area and attend the opening of KinoFF in Kohtla-Järve.

Both of the towns have been a source of some controversy in the past years. Narva, literally on the border of Estonia/ the European Union and Russia, was swarmed with the international press a few years ago as it was speculated that this will be the next Donbas (Ukraine), where Russia will test NATO's unity and organise a hybrid war of some kind. Among the places of interest is the massive czarist era factory called Kreenholm, the biggest clothing manufactury back in the czarist empire.

Kohtla-Järve, on the other hand, is the centre of Estonia's oil shale mining - the country's chief source of energy and a dirty energetic secret for Estonia's reputation, allegedly one of the cleanest countries in Europe. The area is covered with enormous areas of artificial landscapes, equally awe-inspiring and scary examples of Anthropocene.

READ MORE

Black Nights film festival has two sub-festivals that are taking place concurrently with the main festival, exploring the many faces of cinema.

PÖFF Shorts | 19-27 Nov, 2019
PÖFF Shorts is the festival section showcasing short films and animations. With four competition programme and exciting specials, a growing number of international guests and a short film market - this is a festival ideal for someone looking for inspiring creative bursts (and has a short attention span). 

Visit HOMEPAGE!

Youth and children's film festival Just Film | 15 Nov - 1 Dec, 2019

A mirror reflection of the main festival with a focus on the younger audiences, Just Film has it all: an international competition programme, juries of all ages and a workshop for youngsters teaching them how to become a future startup founder.

Visit HOMEPAGE!

Audiovisual industry summit Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event - 25-29 Nov 2019

A vital part of any A-category film event, I@T &; BE is an evergrowing platform of the audiovisual industry with a co-production market, project showcase, the European Film Forum conference, TV drama industry, talent labs, young actors showcase, film music mentorship sessions and much more.

One of the highlights is the European Film Forum Tallinn conference on the 27th of November, held for the fourth time in Tallinn in cooperation with the European Commission.

VISIT HOMEPAGE

We would like to invite you to attend the festival and its side-evens this November, offering a limited number of travel and accommodation packages for the journalists and social media content producers. You can find our contacts at the bottom of this newsletter to discuss this further.

If you want to stay in the loop and find out more, we invite you to join our mailing lists for press and for the audiovisual industry professionals. Just click on the button below to subscribe! 

CLICK HERE TO JOINT OUR PRESS LIST

CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE PRO NEWSLETTER

 

Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA) is pleased to invite you to the

Magnetic Latvia Film Conference taking place on 18–19 October 2019, in Riga.

During the first day of the Conference, dedicated to film market development in Northern Europe, speakers will address the challenges and factors, which relatively small countries should consider for international marketing, entering major global markets and highlighting the value of local production on the global arena.

On the second day of the Conference, we invite our guests to make a fabulous experience and enduring memories on locations tour

Program: http://rigafilmforum.lv/program/

Join: https://rigaiff.filmchief.com/request-accreditation/mlfc-2019

 

From   15   to   24   September,   we   will   meet   again   for   the   14th   edition   of   Film   Spring   Open   in   Cracow's     Przegorzały.   As   in   previous   years,   the   workshop   days   will   surely   be   a   very   intense   unexceptional   time,   which   will     probably   result   in   little   sleep.   Among   us,   there   are   no   viewers   -­‐‐   we   are   all   creators.   Our   festival   is   about   making     films   and   projects.   About   learning   from   the   best   and   meeting   future   creative   partners.   This   year   over   60     remarkable   technology   companies   will   support   us   with   equipment   worth   over   PLN   12.5   million.   Film   Spring   Open     2019   will   also   be   attended   by   notable   guests   from   Poland   and   aboard.    

One   of   our   special   guests   is   Andrey   Zvyagintsev,   a   prominent   world-­‐‐famous   director,   two-­‐‐time   Academy     Award   and   BAFTA   nominee,   winner   of   the   Venice   and   Cannes   film   festival   awards,   the   Cesar's   Award   and   many     other   international   festivals.   He   is   best   known   for   his   films   Leviathan,   Loveless   and   The   Return.     

Another   guest   is   Ollie   Rankin   from   Canada,   visual   effects   expert   who   worked   for   legendary   Hollywood     productions   such   as   Matrix,   Transformers,   X-­‐‐Men,   Star   Wars,   Lord   of   the   Rings. He   has   been   a   virtual   reality   pioneer     since   the   1980s.     

We   will   also   be   honoured   to   welcome   Tomasz   Kot,   a   brilliant   actor   who   received   acclaim   in   Poland   and     abroad.   He   was   nominated   for   Best   Actor   by   the   European   Film   Awards   for   his   role   in   the   Oscar-­‐‐nominated   Cold     War.     

Another   foreign   guest   will   be   Sophie   Kyriacou,   a   3D-­‐‐animation   artist   with   over   20   years   of   experience   in     BBC,   member   of   BAFTA,   author   of   animation   for   prize-­‐‐winning   feature   films and   documentaries   which   received     worldwide   acclaim.      

During   the   14th   edition   of   Film   Spring   Open   debuting   filmmakers   will   work   in   21   dedicated   groups,     included   below:    

Writing:     

•   Scriptwriting   group   (Jagoda   Szelc)   

Feature   Films:

•   Kids   and   Family   Film   Group   (Dorota   Kędzierzawska)
•   Sport   Film   Group   (Mateusz   Wajda,   Jarosław   Barzan)
•   Criminal   Film   Group   (Paweł   Dyllus)  
•   Actors   Previs   Group   (Sławomir   Idziak)   

Short   movie   formats:

•   Animation   Film   (Kamil   Polak)
•   Commercial   Film   (Marcin   Zębiński)
•   Music   videos   (Kobas   Laksa)  
•   Documentary   Film   (Wojciech   Staroń)  
  

Innovative   Audiovisual   Narration:

•   Film   Close-­‐‐up   (Artur   Reinhart)  
•   Movement   in   film.   Modern   Storytelling   Language   (Michał   Sobociński)  
•   Visual   Mood   Group   (Martin   Demmer)   

Future   and   new   film   formats:

•   VR   and   AR   Group   (Konrad   i   Gabriel   Ziaja)  
•   Virtual   Reality   HP   (Gabriel   Ziaja)
•   Internet   Filmmakers   (Konrad   Kruczkowski)
•   Selfie   TV   (Tomasz   Saliński   i   Łukasz   Kościółek)   
•   Interactive   Movie   Group   (Florent   Pallares)   

Production   and   Post-­‐‐production:

•   SFX   make-­‐‐up   (Wanda   i   Marcin   Kędzierzawscy)
•   CGI   and   modern   editing   (Kuba   Sobek)
•   CGI   w   programie   Nuke   (Agata   Nawrocka)
•   Off   Master   (Wiktor   Obrok)     

This   year   we   want   to   put   emphasis   on   cooperation   between   workshop   groups:    

The   Previs   Group   is   going   to   stage   a   murder   scene   which   will   be   shot   by   the   Crime   Film   Group and   the   SFX   Group     will   be   responsible   for   SFX   make-­‐‐up.   The   CGI   Editing   and   Nuke   Visual   Effects   Groups   are   going   to   deal   with     postproduction.   The   Children   and   Family   Film   Group   will   cooperate   with   the   Art   of   Close   Up   Group   to   jointly     organise   an   audition   for   child   actors.   The   Selfie   TV   Group   will   try   to   create   a   television   with   automatic   video-­‐‐ streaming   to   the   Cinebus,   with   the   use   of   the   Selfie   TV   app   for   Android   and   iPhone.   The   participants   will   have   the     chance   to   watch   the   edited   films   on   our   website.      

The   newest   models   of   movie   equipment   and   software   will   be   presented   by:   Arri,   Canon,   Cinema   4D,   Sony,   HP,     Movie   Bird,   Nikon,   Black   Magic,  SYRP,   Ronin,   Avid,   Edelkrone,   Foton,   ColorChecker,   Kauposil.    

Guest   from   various   innovative   companies   will   share   their   experience   from   the   modern   audiovisual     industry:     

•   Bloober   Team,   a   game   dev   studio   -­‐‐   Piotr   Babieno
•   Kissinger   Twins,   a   creative   duo   -­‐‐   Katarzyna   Kifert   i   Dawid   Marcinkowski  
•   Cinema   4D,   a   software   -­‐‐   Sophia   Kyriacou
•   Unit   9,   an   interactive   production   studio   -­‐‐   Jakób   Brzózka,   Jakub   Jakubowski

  In-­‐‐between   the   group   work   sessions   the   participants   can   attend   excellent   lectures...     

•  "How   to   live   a   good   life   as   a   creator   and   producer?   Psychological   tips   for   young   filmmakers"   -­‐‐   dr   Jacek Santorski     
• "Sound   production   in   feature   films   in   its   esthetic   and   technological   aspect.   About   the   sound   from   script   to the   screen"   -­‐‐   dr   hab.   Jacek   Hamela    
• "Crime   in   film   versus   crime   in   real   life"   -­‐‐   Police   staff   ensigns   Krzysztof   Marek   and   Wacław   Serwin   of   the Cracow's   Regional   Criminal   Police   Headquarters     
• "Become   a   stock   creator   and   earn   money!   Practical   tips   on   how   to   make   videos   for   the   Internet,   sign contracts   with   the   actors,   and   prepare   and   sell   stocks"   -­‐‐   Adam          Strzelecki     
• "Green   Film   Open:   ecology   in   film.   Innovation   for   sustainable   film   and   TV   production"   -­‐‐   Benoit   Ruiz,   Jagoda Szelc,   Sławomir   Idziak    

   ...   and   never-­‐‐ending   film   screenings   await   at   night!     

•   Loveless,   Andrey   Zvyagintsev
•   Sid,   Neil   Corbould,   a   film   created   during   last   year's   Film   Spring   Open
•   Dawn,   Laila   Pakalnina,   cinematography   by   Wojciech   Staroń
•   Cold   War,   Paweł   Pawlikowski,   with   remarkable   Tomasz   Kot,   who   will   deliver   a   lecture   on   his   view   on acting      
•   Sword   of   God,   Bartosz   Konopka
•   Volhynia,   Wojciech   Sarzowski,   sound   editing   by   Jacek   Hamela
•   Crows,   Dorota   Kędzierzawska,   cinematography   by   Artur   Reinhart,
•   Dziwor,   Paweł   Dyllus
•   Atlas,   M.   Kawalski,   cinematography   by   P.   Dyllus,   featuring   Tomasz   Kot
•   Pelé:   Birth   of   a   Legend,   Jeff   Zimbalist,   Michael   Zimbalist,   visual   effects   by   Ollie   Rankin
•   Aside   from   the   above-­‐‐mentioned   titles,   I   encourage   our   participants   to   show   their   films   in   the   "Can   Do" section.   Personally,   I   recommend   F   for   Freaks   created   in   the        Babelsberg   film   school   by   one   of   our     participants,   Sabine   Ethrl,   and   Don't   Change   the   Topic,   a   film   by   Hubert   Patynowski   awarded   this   year   at     the   Gdynia   film   festival.”       

See   you   on   15   October   in   Cracow!    

More   information:     https://filmspringopen.eu/en/ | https://www.facebook.com/filmspringopen.eu/    

Dofinansowano   ze   środków   Ministra   Kultury   i   Dziedzictwa   Narodowego   pochodzących   z   Funduszu   Promocji   Kultury,   Polskiego     Instytutu   Sztuki   Filmowej,   Miasta   Krakowa,   Stowarzyszenia   Filmowców   Polskich. Projekt   realizowany   przy   wsparciu   finansowym   Województwa   Małopolskiego.         

The Festival of Slovenian Film traditionally features a series of events targeted at film professionals, which are bound to appeal to a wider audience. In the 22nd festival edition, the industry programme will span five days from Wednesday, 18 September, to Sunday, 22 September 2019. All events will be held in the Green Hall of Avditorij Portorož.

If the film programme showcases the Slovenian cinema, the industry programme is increasingly looking across the national borders: after focusing on Austrian and Serbian cinema in the previous two editions, this edition is highlighting Italy as the country ‘In Focus’ for the main event in the industry programme, the Coproduction Meeting (CPRM). The event will feature a rundown of Italian institutions making up the funding network for film production and cultural exchange (MIBAC, ANICA, regional funds, the Italian Cultural Institute in Ljubljana, the Italian Trade Agency in Slovenia) and pitching sessions for selected projects in development and postproduction to facilitate co-productions between the two countries. 

The tradition of working with Italy in film co-productions goes back to the late 1950s and 1960s, but was long limited mostly to technical input and supporting roles by Slovenian actors. In the last ten years, there has finally been a shift towards cross-cultural co-productions. Nine majority and nine minority co-productions with Italy, including Feed Me with Your Words, Stories from Chestnut Woods, A Comedy of Tears, Zoran, My Nephew the Idiot, indicate an organic cross-cultural exchange that is rooted in the cultural environment. This year’s festival line-up is clear evidence that after collapsing on the border, the increasingly draughty iron curtain has finally fallen in the minds of people. The Competition Programme features films that attest to the wealth of thematic, historical and cultural connections: the previously mentioned Stories from Chestnut Woods, as well as Identity Dilemma, Daughter of Camorra, Rosa and the short film Stoj! To these, we have added Menocchio the Heretic by Alberto Fasulo who is joining us as a guest of honour to speak about his minimalist drama set in the time of counter-reformation, when a simple miller is persecuted by the Inquisition for his unorthodox religious views. The film premiered at the 2018 Locarno festival. The screening in Portorož will be followed by a Q&A with the director about his universal tale of timeless commitment to human values.

But to set the industry programme in motion, FSF will start by building bridges between cinema and literature on Wednesday, 18 September, with Shoot a Book! Connecting literature and film, a set of two events aimed at linking the film and book industries for a more creative exchange. Devised by the Slovenian Film Centre and the Slovenian Book Agency, the set includes a round table on book adaptations with guests from the book and film industries, chaired by the renowned film critic Marcel Štefančič Jr. After a short break, this will be followed by a pitching event in which editors and publishers will have 10 minutes to pitch, for an audience of film producers, notable literary works that lend themselves perfectly to adaptation for the screen. Inspired by Cannes’ Shoot the Book! and Berlin’s Books at Berlinale, our aim is to encourage adaptations of books by Slovenian authors for the screen. As Slovenia was selected to be the 2022 guest of honour at the prestigious Frankfurt Book Fair, who is also a partner to the two programmes in Cannes and Berlin, there will be ample opportunity for Slovenian authors to showcase their books with filmic potential. This is a chance for Slovenia to establish a platform that can create a market for adaptations of Slovenian literary works and motivate Slovenian and international filmmakers.

Both events on Wednesday will be in English.

On Thursday, 19 September, the main industry event of the 22nd FSF, the Coproduction Meeting (CPRM) – In Focus: Italy, will start with a brief introduction to the festival and the main Italian and Slovenian film financing institutions. The Festival of Slovenian Film will be presented as the event that provides an overview and critical evaluation of the latest Slovenian cinema, and awards the most prominent achievements and artists with national film awards. The Slovenian Film Centre will be presented as a public agency that encourages creativity in the film and audiovisual fields by creating suitable conditions, and the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities as the main audiovisual public funding institution in Italy.

This introduction will be followed by pitches by Italian and Slovenian projects in development. Selected Slovenian and Italian projects in development and pre-production, seeking potential partners in one of the countries, will have a chance for a public presentation. In cooperation with the Motovila Institute (Creative Europe Desk Slovenia), an organisation promoting international and cross-sector cooperation in the cultural and creative sectors, projects will also be given an opportunity to better prepare their presentation strategies with the help of the experienced international AV consultant and scriptwriter, Alejandro de la Fuente.

On Thursday afternoon, the programme will continue with REACT Masterclass about the possibility of saying “maybe”. In times of unprecedented environmental crises and constant abuses of the most essential rights, of limitless precariousness and extremism, creation seems to be assuming the role of forceful denunciation and decisive action. But how can this responsibility be taken without renouncing the reflexive and poetic approach to reality? How can this ethical commitment be elaborated without neglecting the fertile and lucid space extended between doubt and contradiction? Marta Andreu, a documentary producer and workshop specialist, will be there to provide answers.

Wrapping up the busy Thursday schedule is an XR Workshop hosted by Marko Cafnik. Cafnik will discuss the virtual world brought about by VR glasses and other so-called immersive technologies which serve to expand the experience of cinema, adding new dimensions to the actualities of life. The expanded reality (XR) workshop will provide an insight into the technology as well as other dimensions and potentials of the virtual, augmented and mixed reality.

The working language of all events on Thursday except the XR Workshop is English.

On Friday, 20 September, the day will start with the Work in Progress Market, an event showcasing Slovenian and Italian projects in postproduction for sales agents and distributors with the screenings of selected scenes, mood images and short excerpts. 

Later that day, the Actors Guild of Slovenia (DSI) is organising a round-table discussion in collaboration with AIPA. Entitled Actor and their right, the event aims to start a public debate about the issue of copyright protection for actors in Slovenia. Compared to other countries, Slovenian actors are distinctly discriminated in terms of copyright and related rights. Under the applicable law from 1995, actors have the right to remuneration for private copying only. But is an actor today really just a “performer” as stated in the 25-year-old law? Joining the debate to critically address the issue are the President of DSI, Sebastian Cavazza, and members Katarina Čas, Branko Završan, Jurij Drevenšek, Ludvik Bagari, and Maja Sever, and a guest from the Belgian organization PlayRight, Ioan Kaes. Chaired by actor Matej Zemljič.

Friday afternoon will be dedicated to guests from Italy. Meet the Italians will bring an overview of the available funding opportunities for film in Italy, from national funds like MIBAC (Ministry of Culture) to regional funds like FVG (Friuli Venezia Giulia), Trentino or Apulia Film Commission, and examples of successful co-productions between Slovenia and Italy, as well as presentations of the Italian national film association, the Torino Film Lab training programme, the Ljubljana-based Italian Cultural Institute, and the Italian Trade Agency in Slovenia. The event will also inaugurate the new Audiovisual Co-production Agreement between the Government of the Italian Republic and the Government of the Republic of Slovenia.

Later that afternoon, this year’s Coproduction Meeting with partners from Italy will wrap up with one-to-one meetings between representatives of the presented projects and their potential co-production partners.

All events on Friday will be in English, except the Actors Guild of Slovenia round-table discussion, which will be in English and Slovene.

On Saturday, 21 September, visitors can attend the Emerging Producers lecture by Marcin Łuczaj. In its meeting in November 2016, the Producers Guild of Slovenia (DSP) established a division called ‘Emerging producers’. Its main purpose is to bring together up-and-coming Slovenian audiovisual producers, as well as provide a platform for an exchange of knowledge and experience in film and audiovisual production and for professional training and growth of its members.

The second event on Saturday morning is a round table to mark three years of the Scenarnica screenwriting workshop. Scenarnica is an intensive screenwriting workshop focusing on what could possibly be the most difficult stage of the creative process – turning an idea into the first version of the screenplay. Organised by the Directors Guild of Slovenia (DSR) and the Slovenian Film Centre (SFC), the fourth edition of Scenarnica started in Ljubljana and will continue in Portorož. Its artistic head Matevž Luzar will start by shortly outlining the method of the workshop and the opportunities provided by participation in the workshop. This will be followed by project pitches by some of the participants from previous editions.

After lunch, the day will continue with a round-table discussion by the Association of Postproduction Artists (DPPU) with a lecture by Miloš Kalusek. Entitled The power of film editing, the event will bring together Miloš Kalusek, Robert Černelč and Janez Dovč, who will share their thoughts on how elements of film editing, art and music come together in making a film. Chaired by Olga Toni.

The last event on Saturday is a lecture by Gregor Skender, a senior consultant at Deloitte, on Fiscal and Economic Impacts of Audiovisual Industry in Slovenia. In collaboration with the Producers Guild of Slovenia and AIPA, with financial input from AIPA and professional input from SFC, Deloitte has conducted an analysis of the economic and fiscal impacts of the audiovisual industry on the Slovenian economy, and the effect state grants have on the development of the industry. Results show that the importance of the audiovisual industry for economy is growing both at global and national levels, while indicating the need for further dialogue between the industry and competent public institutions. The presentation will be followed by a discussion.

The Emerging Producers lecture will be in English. The working language of all other Saturday events will be Slovene.

On Sunday, 22 September, the industry programme of the 22nd Festival of Slovenian Film will come to a close with a meeting of representatives of the main public film institutions in the region: HAVC, Montenegro FC, FC Serbia, and Kosovo Cinematography Center. The event will be in English.

Later that day, the Directors Guild of Slovenia (DSR) will hold its 5th annual Kosobrin Awards Ceremony to award below-the-line workers in filmmaking. This way, the Guild aims to honour less visible trades without whom directors cannot imagine either a good working process or a good end result. Previous award winners include grip Janez Petretič, colourist Emil Svetlik, documentation specialist/researcher Jožica Hafner, and script supervisor Petra Trampuž. 

The festival will also play host to aspiring film critics as part of ‘Sharpening the gaze with Slovenian cinema’, a film critics workshop for high school and college students as well as others with a keen interest in cinema.  In a relaxed creative atmosphere, a group of participants will meet for daily sessions to watch films, reflect on them, share their views, analyse the use and purpose of expressive means, and write short reviews under the guidance of the mentors: Dr Maja Kranjc, Editor-in-Chief of KINO! magazine, and film critic and writer Robert Kuret. The final products will be posted on ostrenjepogleda.wordpress.com, and a best-of will be published in the KINO! Magazine. The participants of the workshop run by the KINO! Society for Expanding Film Culture will also present their award for best student film of the festival.

The industry events are coordinated by Luka Venturin: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..