SARAJEVO: Ten projects were selected at CineLink Work in Progress sessions and will compete for three major awards. The announcement has been made on 26 July 2017. CineLink takes place within the Sarajevo Film Festival (11-18 August 2017).
TALLINN: Klaus Härö’s Finnish / Estonian coproduction The Fencer is currently in the U.S. distribution and will be screened in 16 cinemas across the country until 1 September 2017.
WARSAW: Film agents from Poland, Estonia, Georgia and Serbia are among the seven agents selected for the 5th edition of SOFA (School of Film Agents). The first part of the workshop will be held in Warsaw from 27 August to 1 September 2017, while the second one will take place in Tbilisi from 22 to 28 April 2018.
Czech State Cinematography Fund announced production grants for eleven documentaries with major Czech participation on 25 July 2017.
STRASBOURG: German / Bulgarian / Austrian coproduction Western, directed by Valeska Grisebach, is among the three finalists at the 11th LUX FILM PRIZE. The winner will be announced at the formal sitting of the European Parliament in Strasbourg on 15 November 2017.
ZAGREB: The White Crow,a film focusing on the Russian ballet dancer and choreographer Rudolf Nureyev, will start shooting in Croatia in September. Ralph Fiennes will direct.
GDYNIA: The 3rd edition of the Common Baltic Short Film Contest, focusing around the Baltic Sea region, is launching call of applications. The deadline is 11 August 2017.
They act as agents to the industry and as ambassadors to the audience. Regardless of how film agents are introduced, their aim is one: bringing film and audience together.
Turning an idea into a film is a long way and even longer to reach an audience. Who is following that road? Directors, screenwriters, producers, actors, sound engineers and many more. But what makes their work possible at all? And, how does the film eventually reach not only great festivals but, most importantly, the viewer? This is a specialty of film agents, the participants of the SOFA workshop.
SOFA exactly stands for
- a professional workshop for up-and-coming film professionals who support, finance and promote film culture in the country of their origin
- creating a dialogue between the film industry and the audience
- turning ideas into innovative projects
- providing consultations with professionals
- establishing international cooperation
- helping in finding financial support for projects’ development and implementation
For all above reasons SOFA – School of Film Agents has established a tailor-made workshop for “agents“ – the ambassadors of film culture. It is this year being held from August 27 to September 1 for the 5thtime (and for the 1st time in Polish capital Warsaw).
Who are this year’s participants and what kind of projects do they bring with them?
* Agnieszka Sękowska, Poland → Producer’s MAP (Mentoring Action Plan)
A mentorship programme dedicated to emerging producers that guides them through film festivals and trainings fitted to their career profile and projects.
* Nikolai Lavreniuk, Belarus → Belarusian Film Promotion Centre
Promotion Centre that empowers the Belarusian film industry and makes it more visible on the global cinema map.
* Liina Maria Lepik, Estonia → Tallinn Film Wonderland
Initiated by the Estonian producers, film hub with region’s biggest studio complex situated on the territory of a historical cotton factory.
* Nino Chichua, Georgia → Film/TV Production Cost Calculator for Georgia
An online tool for international producers that estimates budgets when considering filming in Georgia.
* Angelos Tsaousis, Greece → DocRepublic
A documentary film centre that aims at creating platform for expressing ideas, initiating public dialogue and making social changes through film.
* Gitit Wainer, Israel → Cine-Reflection – Films as a Reflection of Life
A first Israeli project presented at SOFAorganizes educating film programmes for the local youth.
* Tara Karajica, Serbia → Fade to Her – Center for Women in Film
Creating an institution that focuses on supporting women in the Serbian film industry.
5thSOFA workshop in 2017 and 2018
The workshop will consist of two parts. The first one will be held in Warsaw, Poland between 27 August and 1 September 2017. The second one in Tbilisi, Georgia (22 – 28 April 2018). Being assisted by experienced film industry professionals the participants will focus in Warsaw on developing their projects that give structural support to the local film industry. The period between Warsaw and Tbilisi will be dedicated to implementing gained knowledge and experience into action. The final part in Georgia will concentrate on follow-ups as well as on lectures on aspects of financing and promotion.
The list of participants and their projects were announced by SOFA director Nikolaj Nikitin featuring Tara Karajica (this year’s SOFA participant from Serbia) assisted by SOFA’s Greece advisor Amanda Livanou, SOFA’s friend Katrin Kissa from Tallinn at Miroslav Mogorović’s (producer, programme director of the European Film Festival Palić and SOFA mentor) European Film Festival Palić on 20 July 2017.
SOFA – School of Film Agents is a joint project of Filmplus gUG (Cologne), Institute for Democratic Changes (Tbilisi) and Takes Film (Tbilisi), funded by German Federal Foreign Office and Creative Europe – MEDIA Programme of the European Union. The 2017 Georgian workshop was funded also by Ministry of Culture and Monument Protection of Georgia, Tbilisi City Hall, Georgia National Film Centre and Film in Georgia. The 2017 Polish workshop will be also funded by: Polish Film Institute, Foundation of Polish-German Cooperation and Mazovia Warsaw Film Commission. The organisers wish to thank also the other partners: Meeting Point Vilnius, Karlovy Vary IFF, European Film Festival Palić, Goethe-Institut, Mozinet, EAVE and Israel Film Fund.
SOFA School of Film Agents,
Nikolaj Nikitin, c/o Filmplus gUG, Venloer Straße 214, 50823 Köln, Germany
Press Contact:
oliver bernau pr, Oliver Bernau, mobile +49 176 2020 2909, email:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
We already know the selection results for the Short Film Competition of the 42nd Polish Film Festival.
The Short Film Competition was created as a combination of two earlier competitions held as part of the Gdynia Festival – the Short Film Competition and the Young Cinema Competition. Films that have been qualified for the competition have been made by four film schools, a theatre academy and numerous producers, including those debuting as part of the “30 minutes” project implemented by the Munk Studio of the Polish Filmmakers Association.
SHORT FILM COMPETITION OF THE 42ND POLISH FILM FESTIVAL:
- 60 Kilos of Nothing, directing: Piotr Domalewski, production: Munk Studio of the Polish Filmmakers Association, executive producer: Silver Frame
- Badylok, directing: Karolina Kłapkowska, production: Silesian University in Katowice, Krzysztof Kieślowski Radio and Television Faculty
- Play-Off, directing: Tomasz Gąssowski, production: Munk Studio of the Polish Filmmakers Association, executive producer: Odeon Film Studio
- Casting, directing: Katarzyna Iskra, production: Gdynia Film School
- F63.9, directing: Jarosław Sztandera, production: Munk Studio of the Polish Filmmakers Association, executive producer: Absolut Media
- Dregs, directing: Kordian Kądziela, production: Silesian University in Katowice, Krzysztof Kieślowski Radio and Television Faculty
- Heimat, directing: Emi Buchwald, production: Łódź Film School
- Me and My Father, directing: Aleksander Pietrzak, production: Munk Studio of the Polish Filmmakers Association, executive producer: Aurum Film
- Jerry, directing: Roman Przylipiak, production: Munk Studio of the Polish Filmmakers Association, executive producer: Haka Films
- Stone Bread, directing: Sandeep Balhara, Klaudiusz Chrostowski, Taras Dron, Nastazja Gonera, Daniel Howlid, Kamil Krukowski, Robin Lipo, Aleksandra Maciejczyk, Justyna Mytnik, Eugeniusz Pankov, Joanna Satanowska, Marcin Strauchold, Maciej Rotowski, Mo Tan, production: Łódź Film School
- Time to go, directing: Grzegorz Mołda, production: Gdynia Film School
- Short distance, directing: Giovanni Pierangeli, production: Łódź Film School
- Lev, directing: Tymur Jaszczenko, production: Munk Studio of the Polish Filmmakers Association, executive producer: MKK Film Service
- Silence of the Polish Lambs, directing: Maciej Stuhr, production: Akademia Teatralna im. A. Zelwerowicza w Warszawie
- The Best Fireworks Ever, directing: Aleksandra Terpińska, production: Munk Studio of the Polish Filmmakers Association
- My Name Is Julita, directing: Filip Dzierżawski, production: Munk Studio of the Polish Filmmakers Association, executive producer: Rubber Room Films
- Nothing New Under the Sun, directing: Damian Kocur, production: Silesian University in Katowice, Krzysztof Kieślowski Radio and Television Faculty
- Pars pro toto, directing: Katarzyna Łęcka, production: Munk Studio of the Polish Filmmakers Association
- Pola, directing: Edyta Rembała, production: Gdynia Film School
- Wasteland, directing: Jakub Michnikowski, production: Łódź Film School
- Spitsbergen, directing: Michał Szcześniak, production: Munk Studio of the Polish Filmmakers Association, executive producer: 34Film!
- Total Harmony, directing: Roman Jarosz, production: Munk Studio of the Polish Filmmakers Association, executive producer: Alter Ego Pictures
- Sweet Home Czyżewo, directing: Jakub Radej, production: Silesian University in Katowice, Krzysztof Kieślowski Radio and Television Faculty
- W grudniu po południu, directing: Filip Bojarski, production: Łódź Film School
- Liberation, directing: Veronica Andersson, production: Warsaw Film School
- The Frog King, directing: Arek Biedrzycki, production: Silesian University in Katowice, Krzysztof Kieślowski Radio and Television Faculty
The 42nd Polish Film Festival will be held from 18th to 23rd September 2017.
The Adam Mickiewicz Institute, Polish Film Festival, Pomeranian Film Foundation & Gdynia Film School have announced the 3rd edition of the Common Baltic Short Film Contest, centred around the universal theme of the Baltic Sea region.
The organisers invite participants to engage in creative pursuits and answering the questions: how has the Baltic Sea region been changing in terms of arts, society, politics and economy? Is there a common identity shared by the countries from the Baltic Sea region? Does the Baltic Sea unite or perhaps divide the nations living at its coasts?
The authors of four best films will be awarded a video camera each and an invitation to the Polish Film Festival.
The contest is open to all participants, both professionals and amateurs aged 18 and over from Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany and Poland. Films one to five minutes long may be submitted. Films may be submitted by no later than 11 August 2017 via an online submission form available on the Adam Mickiewicz Institute website.
More information, the submission form and terms & conditions available at:
http://culture.pl/en/article/common-baltic-short-film-contest-3rd-edition
or HERE.
