FESTIVALS: Al Jazeera Balkans Documentary FF Annnounces Call for Applications
Bosnia-Herzegovina 26-02-2019SARAJEVO: Admissions are open for the second edition of Al Jazeera Balkans Documentary Film Festival. The festival will focus on documentaries intended for television broadcasting and it will take place in Sarajevo from 20 to 24 September 2019.
The FilmFestival Cottbus and connecting cottbus kick off a festival year full of innovations
Festivals 13-02-2019The FilmFestival Cottbus (FFC) and the East-West co-production market connecting cottbus (coco) celebrated the official start of a new festival year with their traditional East European Brunch at the 69th Berlinale. The international industry meeting serves as stage for presenting the GWFF Promotion Prize and the Special Pitch Award, as well as a preview of the upcoming 29th edition of the festival (5 to 10 November 2019), which has some innovations in store.
FFC Programme Director Bernd Buder announced at the East European Brunch in the Representation of the Federal State of Brandenburg to the Federation in Berlin, that films from Finland, Greece and Turkey will enrich the festival programme as of this year. "We want to highlight the cultural and historical connections that exist between the countries that have been present at the FFC so far and those that are now being added," explained Bernd Buder. "Expanding the geographical diversity allows us to take a new and closer look at Eastern Europe and its eastern neighbours.“
Once again, an expert team of curators will be responsible of selecting the films for the FFC programme. From this year on, Nikolaj Nikitin will join the team. Since 2002 he has been a delegate of the Berlinale for Central and Eastern Europe, Russia, the Baltic States, the Caucasus republics, Central Asia, Mongolia, Finland, Norway and Sweden. In 2013 Nikitin also initiated "SOFA – School of Film Agents", a training project for film mediators.
"I look forward to joining the renowned FFC team," says Nikolaj Nikitin. "Over the years, I have closely observed the development of this highly professional festival with a clear profile and for me it is one of the most important, focused meeting points between East and West, not only in the German-speaking area but also in a pan-European context.“
Larisa Glebova from Russia received the EUR 4,500 Promotion Prize of the Gesellschaft zur Wahrnehmung von Film- und Fernsehrechten mbH (GWFF). Dr. Gertraude Müller-Ernstberger, Managing Director of GWFF, presented the prize to the 23-year-old production student from the St. Petersburg State University of Film and Television. Glebova produced BEDROOM TOWN (Director: Stanislav Malkov), which screened in the short film competition of the FilmFestival Cottbus in 2017.
The Special Pitch Award went to Sergey Dvortsevoy. This award enables the Russian director to participate in the 21st East-West co-production market connecting cottbus, where he will pitch his new project. At the 28th FilmFestival Cottbus, Dvortsevoy won the Main Prize for Best Film and the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury with his film AYKA.
The 21st East-West co-production market connecting cottbus will take place from 6 to 8 November 2019. Important industry representatives such as film producers, sales agents and distributors from all parts of Europe will come together to inform themselves about new ideas and trends in international co-productions and to promote exciting film projects in their initial stage as well as works in post-production. For the first time there will be an additional official preparation day, where the project participants will receive intensive, tailor-made feedback and advice about pitch, financing, sales and marketing.
About the FilmFestival Cottbus
The 29th FilmFestival Cottbus will take place from 5 to 10 November 2019. In four competitions and numerous side sections, the FFC will show around 200 films competing for prize money of more than EUR 80,000 and the coveted prize sculpture LUBINA (Sorbian: the Lovely).
Over 22,000 spectators attended the Festival of Eastern European Film in Cottbus in 2018.
The 29th FilmFestival Cottbus is decisively supported by the Federal State of Brandenburg, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg GmbH, the city of Cottbus, the Federal Foreign Office and the Creative Europe programme of the European Union.
For further information as well as for broadcast- and print-quality images, please contact our PR and Marketing Manager Anne-Kathrin Rensch.
Mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Telefon: +49 (0) 355/4310714
EMERGING PRODUCERS 2020, 8th Edition October 24 –29, 2019 / 23rd Ji.hlava IDFF / Czech Republic February 17 – 22, 2020 / Berlin / Germany
Promotional and networking project presenting a new generation of talented European documentary film producers.
The aim of the project is to introduce an up-and-coming generation of talented European producers to professionals from various fields of the film industry. The project creates a platform for meetings of film professionals with an emphasis on documentary cinematography.
The project is organised and curated by Ji.hlava IDFF. The selection of producers will be announced during summer 2019.
SELECTION CRITERIA
- A producer with a several years’ experience in the local market (i.e. not a student or recent graduate) with a capacity for professional growth and with ambitions to be active on the European market - At least one realized film (fiction or documentary, mid-length or feature) which has entered theatrical distribution, has been screened at a festival etc. - Producers from all European countries are eligible. The guest country of the Emerging Producers 2020 edition is Taiwan.
More information at: www.emergingproducers.com
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: March 15, 2019 Contact: Jarmila Outratová / Head of Industry Office / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
SIBIU: Admissions for the competition sections of the 26th edition of Astra Film Festival are open till 25 March 2019. The most important event dedicated to non-fiction cinema in Romania will take place in Sibiu from 14 to 20 October 2019.
BUCHAREST: The Sisters Brothers by Jacques Audiard won four French César Awards, including best director. The awards were announced on 22 February 2019.
WARSAW: FNE has teamed up with the Brussels based team of the International Union of Cinemas (UNIC) to bring you regular updates on EU cinema policies that impact all industry professionals across Europe. Click here for FNE UNIC EU Cinema Policy Update.
EU Copyright Directive
13/02: Agreement reached on digital copyright rules – European Parliament
Creatives and news publishers will be empowered to negotiate with internet giants thanks to a deal reached on copyright rules which also contains safeguards on freedom of expression.
13/02: EU copyright rules adjusted to the digital age – European Council
The EU is amending its copyright legal framework to make it fit-for-purpose in today's digital environment. Representatives of the Romanian presidency of the Council reached a provisional agreement with the European Parliament on a draft directive that introduces changes to existing EU copyright rules as part of creating a true EU digital single market.
13/02: Digital Single Market: EU negotiators reach a breakthrough to modernise copyright rules – European Commission
The European Parliament, the Council of the EU and the Commission found a political agreement to make the copyright rules fit for digital era in Europe and bring tangible benefits to all creative sectors, the press, researchers, educators, cultural heritage institutions, and citizen.
EU Platform-to-Business Regulation
14/02: Online platforms required by law to be more transparent with EU businesses – European Parliament
EU lawmakers agreed on a set of measures to halt unfair practices in the digital market. More than a million EU enterprises trade via platforms to reach their customers.
14/02: Questions and answers – EU negotiators agree to set up new European rules to improve fairness of online platforms’ trading practices – European Commission
EU Elections 2019
18/02: First seat projections for the next European Parliament – European Parliament
Parliament released the first seat projections, based on a cross-section of national polls, for the composition of the next (9th) European Parliament.
Romanian Presidency of the Council of the EU
12/02: Romanian EU Council Presidency: Presenting a united front – The Parliament Magazine
The Romanian EU Council Presidency comes at a time of multiple challenges for Europe, writes Claudia Ţapardel.
Events
19-20 March: EP Creative Week
25 March: EU SatCab Directive - European Parliament plenary sitting
25-28 March: EU Single Use Plastics Directive - European Parliament plenary sitting
8-12 April: EUIPO Working Group meetings
Al Jazeera Balkans announces a Call to authors and production companies to participate in the second edition of the Al Jazeera Balkans Documentary Film Festival (AJB DOC), which will take place in Sarajevo from 20th to 24th September 2019. The Festival will focus on documentary films intended for television broadcasting.
Warsaw, 22nd February 2019 - The new Polish 30% cash rebate scheme that was announced last year is active now. The scheme is based on first come, first serve rule and the Polish Film Institute has just begun to accept applications.
After many years of effort by the local film industry, Poland finally got its own incentive scheme. From February 2019 the Polish Film Institute, the main funding body supporting film production in the country, provides access to a generous 30% cash rebate on productions, including feature films, animations, documentaries and series made in Poland.
The scheme is managed by the Polish Film Institute and offers reimbursement of production costs incurred in Poland in the amount of 30% of Polish eligible expenditures. The funds come directly from the state budget and are distributed throughout the year on the first come, first served basis. At least 10% of the annual budget is intended to support animated productions.
Reimbursement is available for feature films, animations, documentaries and series - fiction, animated and documentary. The return is available for the production of Polish and international co-productions and services provided for foreign productions. To apply for support a Polish partner or company registered in Poland is required.
To enter the scheme an applicant needs to pass the qualification test and meet minimum spending thresholds. The minimum spending levels are different for different genres – i.e. for feature films the threshold has been set at PLN 2.5 million (approx. EUR 600,000 for those applying in 2019 (increase to PLN 3 million / EUR 715,000 next year and PLN 4 million / EUR 950,000 from 2021), for feature animation on PLN 1 million (EUR 240,000) and documentaries on PLN 300,000 (EUR 70,000). The producers of series need to prepare to spend at least EUR 240,000 per episode in case of fiction live action series; and PLN 1 million (EUR 240,000) per season in case of documentary or animated series. There is a cap per project – PLN 15 million (EUR 3.33 million) and a cap per applicant per calendar year – PLN 20 million (EUR 4.76 million). The reimbursement is paid after the presentation and positive verification of the final report on production or the stage of work covered by the support.
Applications are submitted in Polish and can be made at the earliest 6 months before and at the latest 2 months before the start of the part of the production to which the application relates. The Polish Film Institute takes up to 28 calendar days to assess the application.
In addition to the new incentive scheme Poland offers extensive opportunities for film and TV productions, from a wide range of diverse locations, through an experienced pool of incredible local talents who have been responsible for a wealth of outstanding films including the Oscar nominated “Cold War” by Paweł Pawlikowski or the European Film Awards winner “Another Day of Life” by Damian Nenow and Raúl de la Fuente, up to state-of-the-art facilities and sound stages.
More information about the 30% cash rebate scheme is available at the Polish Film Institute website: http://en.pisf.pl/incentives.
The 26th edition of Astra Film Festival, the most important event dedicated to non-fiction cinema in Romania, held from October 14th-20th, 2019, awaits its film submissions in the competition sections of AFF 2019, the deadline for submitting entries being March 25th. Nonfiction film professionals have 4 weeks to complete the sign-up process.
