We are pleased to inform you that this years 8th edition of European Work in Progress (EWIP) has a new strong cooperation partner at its side: The long-standing distribution company OneGate Media. OneGate Media is an ARD (German public broadcaster) sales subsidiary and part of the Studio Hamburg Group. Based in the Hanseatic city, the company is one of the most important German distribution and license trading companies for film and television productions. OneGate Media now awards one of EWIP's three most important prizes. 

As part of this collaboration, the new EWIP OneGate Media Award will be launched. It includes a license purchase offer for television rights for Germany + Austria in the amount of 20,000 euros, which means that EWIP will be awarding prizes worth 140,000 euros this year. This new cooperation signals a further step for EWIP to expand its position as a pioneering industry event. 

 Tania Reichert-Facilides, CEO OneGate Media:  

“At OneGate Media, we believe in powerful stories – and in strong partnerships. European Work in Progress brings both together: exceptional projects at crucial stages of production and an environment that fosters both creative and commercial success. With the EWIP OneGate Media Award, we are committed to ensuring that outstanding European film ideas reach their audience." 

Tania Reichert-Facilides, Geschäftsführerin von OneGate Media 

This year, EWIP is able to unite further important cooperation partners. The “Northern Stars – Hamburg Film Partners” company, consisting of Loft Tonstudios, CineGate, Zeigermann_Audio, Optical Arts and Zeitkostüm GmbH, will also be joining as a sponsor in 2025. Other new sponsors include post production specialists The Post Republic and VFX experts D-Facto Motion. EWIP will also be supported by longstanding partners K13 Studios, Gruvi, Wayfilm and mm filmpresse.

For the first time EWIP will be held in Hamburg. In cooperation with FILMFEST HAMBURG and MOIN Film Fund Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein, EWIP will present outstanding European film projects and bring filmmakers into contact with important industry partners as part of FILMFEST HAMBURG INDUSTRY DAYS from September 29 to October 1, 2025. 

Supported by Creative Europe MEDIA up to 30 European film projects, encompassing fiction, documentary and animation, will once again be competing on the EWIP stage for the numerous awards. Projects can now be submitted for this year's EWIP edition. The “Call for Entries” runs until August 14, 2025. 

Participating films need to be close to completion or in postproduction and have at least one producer or co-producer from Europe. Feature, animation and documentary films are equally eligible. The best projects will be selected by a jury of international film industry experts. The members of the jury will be officially presented at a later date. 

For any further questions regarding EWIP please contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

EWIP offers a valuable insight into the newest and most promising European late stage film projects to international film sales, distributors, film festivals, TV commissioning editors, potential co-producers and other buyers. The opportunity to invest and license film projects this early provides a unique time advantage to EWIP participants.  

Many former EWIP participants have premiered at Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Sundance, San Sebastián, Rotterdam, Toronto and other highly renowned international film festivals, where they were able to secure important deals with world sales and distributors. Among them are A USEFUL GHOST by Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke and SLEEPLESS CITY by Guillermo Galoe, which were part of last year’s EWIP and both just premiered at the Cannes Film Festival Critic’s Week, where A USEFUL GHOST has been awarded with the Grand Prize. The feature film WHAT MARIELLE KNOWS by Frédéric Hambalek had its premiere in competition of this year’s Berlinale and the documentary film I WANT IT ALL by Luzia Schmid celebrated its premiere in Berlinale’s Panorama Section. Both were selected for EWIP in 2024. 

For further information and enquiries please contact the press agency mm filmpresse, Sylvia Mueller, Tel. 030 – 41 71 57 22, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and Claudia Hegner, Tel. 03741 – 55 03 414, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

The World’s Largest Arthouse Initiative Is Set to Return on 23 November 2025 

With its record-breaking 2024 edition bringing together 90 000 spectators in over 600 cinemas from 46 countries worldwide, the upcoming 10th European Arthouse Cinema Day will make a global statement for (film-)cultural diversity, equity and dialogue across borders 

One global day of action that unites arthouse cinemas and their audiences from Ukraine to Bangladesh, from Venezuela to South Korea: The European Arthouse Cinema Day (www.artcinemaday.org) is the oldest, largest and most significant film-political initiative in the world. Its 10th edition will return on 23 November 2025 and bring together audiences, arthouse cinemas, and film professionals worldwide to take a stand for the values of independent cinemas. 

CICAE President Dr. Christian Bräuer: “The European Arthouse Cinema Day is a brilliant global initiative that unites the diverse facets of the arthouse scene. It showcases our collective strengths and reminds the world that arthouse cinemas are vital cultural pillars, embodying the values that make our societies unique. On this day, we not only celebrate the diversity of independent filmmaking and cinema as a unique collective and discursive space. The day also serves to strengthen the competitiveness of this unique ecosystem of independent filmmakers, producers, festivals, world sales, distributors and cinemas.” 

In its ten-year history, the European Arthouse Cinema Day, initiated by the global non-profit International Confederation of Arthouse Cinemas - CICAE, has brought together over 500 000 spectators, filmmakers, and arthouse cinemas from more than 50 countries on all continents. 

In times of global crises and societal polarisation, in which the pluralist democratic order seems increasingly under threat in many places across the world, on European Arthouse Cinema Day, the globe’s independent cinemas join hands to make a clear statement in defence of pluralist democracy, equity, and cross-cultural cooperation. For this unique joint film cultural action, hundreds of participating cinemas collaborate across borders to organise special screenings and bespoke programmes, events and Q&As for audiences of all backgrounds to highlight the diverse cultural power and economic resilience of European film. Supported by dozens of prominent ambassadors over the years that include Wim Wenders, Ruben Östlund, Celine Sciamma, Agnieszka Holland or Levan Akin as well as political patrons such as the French and German ministers for culture and the First Vice President of the European parliament, Sabine Verheyen, they make it clear that arthouse cinemas stand in defence of film-cultural liberty; anytime, anywhere.

Contact Details and Further Information 

Founded in 1955, the CICAE (Confédération Internationale des Cinémas d’Art et d’Essai) is a non-profit association and the global representative of arthouse cinemas; bringing together over 2400 independent movie theatres with more than 4400 screens in 45 countries through the collaboration of twelve national and regional arthouse cinema networks (in France, Germany, Italy, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Venezuela and the Network of Arab Alternative Screens), as well as individual cinemas, not yet represented by a national network, and festivals across the world. www.cicae.org. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the CICAE and, with it, seven decades since the birth of the global arthouse movement. 

You can find visual elements, videos, the trailer and pictures of the EACD 2024 here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/10AKsTfr-uYvdfNT_JwFKtzU-T5XXiKOh?usp=sharing 

For further information on last year’s European Arthouse Cinema Day, facts and figures, its political goals, events, ambassadors and patrons, testimonials and useful links please see the information below. 

For questions or interview requests with Cinema Day stakeholders, please contact 

Sebastian Naumann and Quentin Bucher at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

or +49 30 439 710 150. 

Everything on European Arthouse Cinema Day 

European Arthouse Cinema Day 2024 Breaks Records: Facts and Figures 

In its largest edition to date on 17 November 2024, 3000 screenings of European films took place in over 600 cinemas in 46 countries on all continents, accompanied by more than 250 international, national or local events. More than 300 different films from a total of 70 countries of production were shown, a third of them international coproductions and 40% films brought back to the cinemas for the occasion. 20 Premieres took place in 5 countries, many of which – e.g., GIRL WITH THE NEEDLE (Poland, France, Germany) and CROSSING (France, Poland) – featured bespoke video interviews with their filmmakers that were shown during the screening. 

In a joint statement, organisations representing over 5000 cinemas and film professionals called for the protection of artistic freedom, peaceful dialogue, and pluralist democratic values. An impact study by Comscore found that “The EACD showed a positive impact on the number of European titles screened on November 17th for all key countries” and “positively influenced the tickets sold for European titles” in its sample countries France and Germany. More on the findings in this article : https://arthousecinemahub.com/best-practices/turning-nine-looking-back-on-the-2024-edition-of-the-european-arthouse-cinema-day 

The “European Cinema Day” rightly sees itself as the “Global Day of Action for the arthouse movement.” For me, it is the day when we must understand ourselves as cinema activists to collectively advocate across all geographical, political, and social boundaries for the expansion of our horizons and viewpoints. 

Wim Wenders for EACD 2024 read the full statement here: https://cicae.org/news/wim-wenders-is-the-first-ambassador-for-this-years-european-arthouse-cinema-day 

Empowering the arthouse world, highlighting European Cinema: Objectives of European Arthouse Cinema Day 

The arthouse sector’s Global Day of Action is the showcase of the collective power of independent cinemas. The European Arthouse Cinema Day aims to … 

• foster and drive collaboration between independent cinemas across borders and cultures to develop and disseminate best practices and increase the competitiveness of this uniquely innovative sector
• drive the interest, attendance and circulation of European films beyond their countries of productions
• help the sector grow by streamlining efforts, encouraging knowledge-sharing as well as spotlighting innovative and high-value projects
• using the initative’s substantial collective bargaining power to enable cinemas in lower capacity regions to attain streaming rights for films they would otherwise not have been able to share with their audience
• shine a light on the crucial role of arthouse cinemas in democratic societies and advocating for the continued and reinforced support necessary to fulfil their role of fostering open-mindedness, information, curiosity, tolerance and dialogue.

“It is a great honour for me to be the patron of the ninth European Cinema Day, which will be celebrated on 17 November 2024. This year's theme 'Democracy and Diversity' is of particular importance as it reflects the important role that cinema plays in promoting tolerance, supporting open dialogue and fostering intercultural exchange” 

Sabine Verheyen - First Vice President of the European Parliament - for European Arthouse Cinema Day 2024 

30 Filmmakers Supporting the Global Arthouse Day of Action 

The European Arthouse Cinema Day is supported by some of Europe's most prominent filmmakers and actors who serve as its ambassadors. So far, 30 ambassadors hailing from 10 different European countries have lent the Event their support, among others Ruben Östlund (Sweden, 2017), Alice Rohrwacher (Italy, 2018), Céline Sciamma (France, 2019), Agnieszka Holland (Poland, 2020), Ildikó Enyedi (Hungary, 2021), Lukas Dhont (Belgium, 2022), Matteo Garonne (Italy, 2023) and Wim Wenders (Germany, 2024). 

Return in 2025 for Its Largest Edition Yet 

The 10th edition of European Arthouse Cinema Day will take place on 23 November in over 50 countries, feature the largest group of ambassadors ever and contain many other new projects and initiatives. In the face of war, increasing populism and nationalist isolationism threatening peaceful cross-cultural dialogue everywhere, the 2025 European Arthouse Cinema Day will amplify its political stance even further. Registrations will open in June on www.artcinemaday.org. 

As Sabine Verheyen, First Vice-President of the European Parliament and Patron of the EACD 2024 said, “Film and cinema are not just entertainment, but reflect our society and culture, shaping and influencing how we see others and ourselves”. Accordingly, as the Hungarian parliament banned Pride parades, the European Arthouse Cinema Day highlighted the work of Romanian filmmaker Emanuel Pârvu and his latest film THREE KILOMETERS TO THE END OF THE WORLD showing the damages of conservative attitudes on queer individuals. As filmmakers across the world face increasing danger and reprisals for the simple act of creating art, Iranian filmmaker in exile Sepideh Farsi joined us to create the initiative’s central visual design. 

5.000 Industry Stakeholders from Across the World Sign Joint Statement for Democracy and Diversity 

On European Arthouse Cinema Day, the CICAE, together with organisations representing over 5000 industry stakeholders worldwide published a call to “Defend Democracy, Equity and Cross-Cultural Dialogue”, calling among others for the protection of free speech and artistic expression, for dialogue and exchange across communities, cultures, and borders, for the safety of audiovisual artists and cultural workers and for the support to essential cultural venues, such as independent cinemas. 

The list of countries and territories that have signatories is: Armenia, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Iraq, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Rwanda, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey, U.S.A., United Kingdom and Mayotte. 

The Call can be found here : https://arthousecinemahub.com/best-practices/join-the-arthouse-movements-call-to-defend-for-democracy,-diversity-and-cross-cultural-dialogue. 

Wim Wenders on Why We Need Cinema Activism 

For European Arthouse Cinema Day 2024 ambassador and European filmmaking legend Wim Wenders delivered a powerful message on “Why We Need (Arthouse) Cinema Right Now”. He reminds us that while “We are politically in a precarious situation (…) If there is anything that can protect us from cheap and dangerous populism, it is education and culture” and calls on professionals across the sector to “understand ourselves as cinema activists to collectively advocate across all geographical, political, and social boundaries for the expansion of our horizons and viewpoints: with the intelligent, exciting, and moving stories, and the history that (arthouse) cinema has to offer”. 

Find the Full message here: https://cicae.org/news/wim-wenders-is-the-first-ambassador-for-this-years-european-arthouse-cinema-day. 

250 Cinema Day Events Worldwide 

European Arthouse Cinema Day is the occasion for innovative events highlighting the diversity of European film. Examples n 2024 include 

• a unique “blind” screening of the classic French film noir ELEVATOR TO THE GALLOWS using only audio description, offering an immersive experience for the hearing and visually impaired (in Berlin, Germany).
• In Dhaka, Bangladesh, a country with a virtually non-existent arthouse sector, a full day of screenings introduced over 1000 visitors to European films they might never have encountered otherwise.
• In Kyiv, Ukraine, screenings of DAHOMEY, EMILIA PEREZ, and PARADIS PARADIS provided a much-needed cultural reprieve.
• In Vienna, Austria free screenings of environmental films were organized as part of the EU Youth Cinema: Green Deal initiative.
• In Seoul and Daegu, South Korea, a four-day European cinema showcase featured 16 different European titles, attracting over 2,100 cinemagoers.
• In Barcelona, a special screening of BIRD was moderated by the Young Programmers of Moving Cinema, a group of 17- to 23-year-olds who meet regularly to curate and discuss films.
• Across Europe, an exclusive partnership with MUBI enabled the distribution of video interviews with major filmmakers like Levan Akin and Magnus von Horn, that were played alongside their films.

Read a full summary of events here: 

https://arthousecinemahub.com/best-practices/turning-nine-looking-back-on-the-2024-edition-of-the-european-arthouse-cinema-day 

One Day, All Year Long: The Arthouse Cinema Hub 

Initiatives surrounding European Arthouse Cinema Day extend all year round. The free digital platform Arthouse Cinema Hub (www.arthousecinemahub.com) serves to showcase the results and outcomes of the European Arthouse Cinema Day, as well as the findings and best practices gathered through its year-long activities and the best practices and initiatives partnering or associated with the project. 

For Arthouse Cinema Day, 2024 six specialised workshops with leading industry experts were held - three online and three at various industry events - bringing together over 200 exhibitors from over 45 countries, on topics such as marketing for independent cinemas, data gathering and young audience programming. 

“The European Arthouse Cinema Day is a powerful tool of collective bargaining power for arthouse cinemas, especially in countries where the Arthouse industry is still growing and advocating for more recognition. The EACD is also precious for its role as a platform for knowledge sharing and peer-to-peer transmission, by facilitating dialogue and relationships between arthouse professionals from different countries to learn from one another and translate successful initiatives into one’s own national context”. 

Marlena Gabryszewska, CICAE Vice President and President of the Polish Arthouse Association Stowarzyszenie Kin Studyjnych 

JANUARY

EVENT	WEBSITE	DATE
MIDPOINT Feature Launch	Link	Online Feedback Session: 6-10 January 2025 Script-Consultant Seminar: 24-25 February 2025 Workshop 1: 13-20 March 2025 (Prague, Czech Republic) Online Consultations: April-June 2025 Workshop 2: 3-6 May 2025 (Online) Workshop 2 + Works in Development: 2-9 July 2025 (Prague & Karlovy Vary) Workshop 3: 16-22 September 2025 (Plzeň, Czech Republic)
EAVE On Demand, Change Co-production Training Course	Link	Co-production: 13-17 January 2025 (Tbilisi, Georgia) Encounter: 22-26 March 2025 (Copenhagen)
TFL Extended Audience Design Lab	Link	Mid-January – mid-March 2025 (Residential session in February, Berlin)
Green Production Lab – El Prat de Llobgregat, Spain	Link	Preparatory session: 16-17 January 2025 Residential workshop: 28 January - 1 February 2025
EAVE On Demand, The Global Media Makers Residency	Link	16-22 January 2025
MIDPOINT Shorts, Workshop 2, Trieste, Italy	Link	16-22 January 2025
MIDPOINT Cold Open, Workshop, Trieste, Italy	Link	19-22 January 2025
When East Meets West (WEMW), Trieste Film Festival, Italy	Link	19-22 January 2025
EAVE On Demand, Sámi Producers Lab (Online)	Link	27-31 January 2025 3-4 February 2025
EAVE Creative Producer Indaba	Link	Workshop 2: 25-31 January 2025 (Rotterdam) Online sessions: 7-11 April 2025
Rotterdam IFF Pro, Netherlands	Link	IFFR Pro Days: 31 January – 5 February 2025 CineMart: 2 – 5 February 2025

FEBRUARY

EVENT	WEBSITE	DATE
Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Market	Link	3-5 February 2025
Doc Forward Co-production Workshop	Link	First part: 3-6 February 2025 (Helsinki)
European Film Market, Berlinale, Germany, Online	Link	13-19 February 2025
Berlinale Co-production Market	Link	15-19 February 2025
MIP London	Link	23-27 February 2025
CEE Animation Workshop	Link	Two modules online and two modules in person: March - October 2025

MARCH

EVENT	WEBSITE	DATE
MIDPOINT Feature Launch. Workshop 1, Prague, Czech Republic	Link	3-9 March 2025
MIDPOINT Series Launch	Link	Project Pre-Training for All Participants, and Pre-Training for Development Executive Participants, Online: 5-7 March 2025 Workshop 1: Series Concept, Prague, Czech Republic: 13-20 March 2025 Online Consultations: April-June 2025 Workshop 2: Season Arc and Mini-Bible, Czech Republic: 15-22 June 2025 Online Consultations: July-November 2025 Workshop 3: Pitching and Acquiring Partners, in collaboration with Series Beats-Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event: November 2025
MIDPOINT Focus Queer	Link	Workshop 1, Prague, Czech Republic: 3-9 March 2025 Online Consultations: April-June 2025 Workshop 2, Prague & Karlovy Vary in collaboration with KVIFF: 2-9 July 2025
Cartoon Movie, Pitching & Co-Pro Event, Bordeaux, France	Link	4-6 March 2025
Co-Production Booster, East Doc Platform, Online	Link	5-6 March 2025
EAVE Producers Workshop	Link	Workshop 1 in Luxembourg: 7-14 March 2025 Workshop 2 in Vitoria Gasteiz, Spain: 23-30 June 2025 Workshop 3 in Thessaloniki, Greece: 27 October-3 November 2025
LatAm Content Meeting, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	Link	10-12 March 2025
East Doc Forum, within the East Doc Platform, Prague, Czech Republic	Link	Preparatory Workshop: 13-17 March 2025 (Feature Docs) and 15-17 March 2025 (Docuseries) Pitch presentations: 18 March 2025 Prescheduled individual meetings: 18–19 March 2025
EAVE on Demand, Access BIPOC Producers	Link	Workshop 1 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada: 19-24 March 2025 Workshop 2, Online: 17-18, 21-25, 28-31 July 2025 Workshop 3 (Location TBC): 20-25 October 2025
Czech Docs, within the East Doc Platform, Prague, Czech Republic	Link	17 March 2025
East Silver Market, within the East Doc Platform, Prague, Czech Republic	Link	17 March 2025
East Doc Market in Prague, East Doc Platform, Prague, Czech Republic	Link	18-19 March 2025
Meeting Point (MPV) including Work in Progress – Development and Work in Progress – Production, Vilnius, Lithuania	Link	17-20 March 2025
Work in Progress and In Development Projects at Hong Kong – Asia Film Financing Forum, Hong Kong IFF	Link	17-19 March 2025
Sofia Meetings, Sofia IFF, Bulgaria	Link	19-23 March 2025
Cinélatino Rencontres de Toulouse, France	Link	21-30 March 2025
ComedyLab, TorinoFilmLab	Link	Four residential modules and a few sessions online: March-November 2025

APRIL

EVENT	WEBSITE	DATE
VdR – Industry with: Work in Progress, Pitching, Rough Cut Lab, Development Lab at Visions du Réel IFF, Nyon, Switzerland	Link	6-9 April 2025
Cartoon Next, Marseille, France	Link	23-24 April 2025
dok.incubator, CZ & SK	Link Link	1st workshop in Banská Štiavnica, Slovakia: 25 April – 2 May 2025 2nd workshop in Olomouc, Czech Republic: end of June 2025 3rd workshop online: beginning of September 2025
MIDPOINT Homecoming. Alumni Reunion & Networking Platform	Link	24-26 April 2025
EAVE+, Luxembourg	Link	25-30 April 2025
Green Film Lab in Budapest, Hungary	Link	25-27 April 2025
EAVE Ties that Bind, Workshop 2, Udine, Italy	Link	27 April-1 May 2025
MIDPOINT Series Launch, Online Consultations	Link	April-June 2025
ScriptLab and ScriptLab Story Editing at TFL (TorinoFilmLab)	Link	Three residential and two online modules: April-November 2025

MAY

EVENT	WEBSITE	DATE
Animation Production Days (APD), Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film, Germany	Link	6-8 May 2025
Producers on the Move in Cannes, France, during the Cannes Film Festival	Link	13-24 May 2025 (festival dates)
Marché du Film (Producers Network, Doc Corner, Industry Workshops), Cannes Film Festival, France, online	Link	13-21 May 2025

JUNE

EVENT	WEBSITE	DATE
Rise & Shine, a collaboration between Animafest Zagreb, Animateka IAFF and CEE Animation	Link	Scriptwriting and Development Lab at Animafest Zagreb: 2-7 June 2025 (festival dates) Online training: October 2025 Pitching Lab and Competition at Animateka IAFF Ljubljana: December 2025
EAVE PUENTES, Latin Americ – Europe Co-production Workshop	Link	1st Workshop in Basilicata, Italy: 2-8 June 2025 2nd Workshop in Uruguay: September 2025
TFL Next Green Narratives	Link	1st session: 9-13 June 2025 2nd session: 30 June-4 July 2025 3rd session: 1-5 September 2025
International Animation Film Market (MIFA), Annecy Animated FF, France	Link	10-13 June 2025
Transilvania Pitch Stop, Full Moon Creative Lab, Transilvania Talent Lab, Drama Room within the Transilvania IFF, Cluj-Napoca, Romania	Link	13-22 June 2025 (festival dates)
Sunny Side of the Doc, La Rochelle, France	Link	23-26 June 2025
SeriesLab and Series Lab Story Editing, TorinoFilmLab	Link	Three residential modules and some online sessions: June-November 2025
FeatureLab, TorinoFilmLab	Link	Two residential module and one online session: June-November 2025

JULY

EVENT	WEBSITE	DATE
MIDPOINT Feature Launch, Workshop 2+ Works in Development-Feature Launch, Prague and Karlovy Vary in collaboration with KVIFF	Link Link	2-9 July 2025
Eastern Promises – Industry Days with: Works in Progress, KVIFF Talents, First Cut+ Works in Progress and First Cut Lab at Karlovy Vary IFF, Czech Republic	Link	4-12 July 2025 (festival dates)

AUGUST

EVENT	WEBSITE	DATE
MIP Africa, Cape Town, South Africa	Link	1-3 September 2025
CineLink Industry Days with: Co-production Market, Drama, Docu Rough Cut Boutique, CineLink Talks, Avant Premiere Lab, Docu Talents from the East, Talents Sarajevo Pack&Pitch at Sarajevo IFF, Bosnia and Herzegovina	Link	16-21 August 2025
New Horizons Studio +, T-Mobile New Horizons FF, Wroclaw, Poland	Link	17-27 August 2025 (festival dates)

SEPTEMBER

EVENT	WEBSITE	DATE
Co-financing forum of international documentary projects, Baltic Sea Docs, Riga, Latvia	Link	2-7 September 2025
Cartoon Forum, TV pitching event for animated TV series projects, Toulouse, France	Link	15-18 September 2025
MIDPOINT Feature Launch, Workshop 3, Pilzen, Czech Republic in collaboration with Finále Plzeň	Link Link	16-22 September 2025
Industry section with: WIP Europa, WIP Latam, Europe-Latin American Co-production Forum, Ikusmira Berriak, Lau Haizetara, Zinemaldia Startup Challenge at San Sebastian FF, Spain	Link	19-27 September 2025 (festival dates)
Nordisk Panorama Market with segments including Work-in-Progress and The Nordic Short Film Pitch, Nordisk Panorama FF, Malmö, Sweden	Link	19-23 September 2025
Holland Film Meeting, Netherlands FF, Utrecht, the Netherlands	Link	26 September-3 October 2025 (festival dates)
Young Horizons Industry, Warsaw, Poland	Link	28 September-8 October 2025

OCTOBER

EVENT	WEBSITE	DATE
TFL Next TV Series	Link	1st session: 6-10 October 2025 2nd session: 3-7 November 2025
Cent East Market, Warsaw Film Festival, Warsaw, Poland	Link	10-19 October 2025 (festival dates)
MIP Junior, the International Kids Screening & Co-production Market, Cannes, France	Link	11-12 October 2025
MIPCOM, Cannes, France	Link	13-16 October 2025
Nebulae, Docslisboa, Lisbon International Documentary FF, Portugal	Link	16-26 October 2025 (festival dates)
DOK CO-PRO Market, Dok Leipzig, Germany	Link	23 October-2 November 2025
Ji.hlava New Visions Forum: Europe, Ji.hlava New Visions Forum: US Docs, Ji.hlava New Visions Forum: East and Southeast Asia, Emerging Producers edition 2026, Visegrad Accelerator, Conference Fascinations, Jihlava Academy, Festival Identity, and Matchmaking Accelerator at Ji.hlava International Documentary FF, Czech Republic	Link	24 October-2 November 2025 (festival dates)
Cartoon Springboard, Madrid, Spain	Link	28-30 October 2025

NOVEMBER

EVENT	WEBSITE	DATE
CEE Animation Forum in Pilzen, Czech Republic	Link	4-6 November 2025
Connecting Cottbus, Cottbus IFF, Germany	Link	5-7 November 2025
Mannheim Meeting Place, Mannheim IFF, Germany	Link	6-16 November 2025 (festival dates)
Docs for Sale, IDFA DocLab, IDFA Forum, IDFA DocLab Forum at IDFA (International Documentary FF Amsterdam), the Netherlands	Link	12-23 November 2025 (festival dates)
MIP Cancun, Content and Co-production Market for Latin America and US Hispanic Television Industry, Cancun, Mexico	Link	18-21 November 2025
TFL (TorinoFilmLab) Co-Production Fund, at TFL Meeting Event, Turin, Italy	Link	Online consultancies: October-December 2025 Participation in TFL Meeting Event: November 2025
Baltic Event, Tallinn Black Nights FF, Estonia	Link	November 2025

DECEMBER

EVENT	WEBSITE	DATE
Coproduction Village at Les Arcs Film Festival	Link	December 2025

 

Works in Progress, which presents films in production or post-production looking for sales agents or festivals for international premieres, presents 17 projects in three categories: Baltic Event Works in Progress, International Works in Progress and Just Film Works in Progress. The selected projects include first features by Student Academy Award winners and a European Film Award winner and new titles by established directors.  All projects will be screened during Industry@Tallinn &; Baltic Event on 21-22 November in the cinemas of the Coca-Cola Plaza. Marge Liiske, head of Industry@Tallinn &; Baltic Event, described this year’s selection as very strong, exciting, and diverse, with a record number of submissions making the selection process more competitive than ever. 'We have slightly fewer projects from the Baltics this year, as many international co-productions faced delays due to longer financing periods, but we hope to see those catching up next year,' she noted. Across all categories, we decided to select fewer projects this year, allowing us to give each one double the presentation time compared to previous years. This change ensures that sales agents and festival programmers gain a deeper understanding of each film’s visual style and tone.” International Works in Progress The International Works in Progress selection features seven film projects, including four debuts. Among them is the Greek social drama Late Shift by Stefanos Tsivopoulos, a Greek film director, screenwriter, and video artist with over 30 short and medium-length films made across various countries. Wolves, a Swiss social drama, marks the first feature by Jonas Ulrich, whose short film People on Saturday (2020) won the Golden Leopard at the 73rd Locarno Film Festival and was shortlisted for the European Film Award 2020. The German thriller, reflecting on the festival’s Focus Country,  Interior is the debut feature from Pascal Schuh, whose bachelor’s film Auf Platte was a finalist at the 2022 Student Academy Awards. Rounding out the slate of debuts is Aquarium by Tornike Bziava, an actor-director-writer from this year’s spotlight country, Georgia, known for his award-winning short films. The showcase also presents the German road movie Balance by Björn Schürmann, which tells a very heartfelt story of an estranged father and daughter who take an unexpected journey together. The Panama-Spain-Uruguay co-production Papers, directed by award-winning Arturo Montenegro, takes audiences to the heart of the Panama Papers scandal that shook the world.   Baltic Event Works in Progress This year's Baltic Event Works in Progress showcase presents four powerful social dramas that touch on the common theme of societal expectations and reveal the paradoxical reality of our times - are we allowed to live freely, regardless of age, time and place?  Our Erika, a co-production of Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia, is the first feature film by German Golub, winner of the Student Academy Award in the International Short Film category for My Dear Corpses. The story is inspired by the life of young Estonian track cyclist Erika Salumäe, who became a 1988 Olympic gold medallist and "light of the nation".  Another co-production, Call me Calendar (Latvia, Lithuania), is a tragicomedy based on the bestselling Latvian debut novel. The film is directed by acclaimed director Juris Poškus and produced by Madara Melberga, whose interest lies in stories balancing on the edge and her favourite theme - the dilemma.  The programme also includes two titles from Lithuania. The drama Sand in Your Hair explores whether love can overcome loneliness and resist social taboos, following the love story of the elderly couple Malvina and Kipras. The film is the second feature by director Mantas Verbiejus, whose first, the romantic comedy Divorce, was well received by audiences in Lithuania. Renovation, a debut feature by Lithuanian writer-director-editor Gabrielė Urbonaitė, was part of the EKRAN+ and Mediterranean Film Institute's Script 2 Film training programme. The story explores themes of identity, questioning social expectations and the pressure to conform to traditional roles through the eyes of 29-year-old Ilona. The film is produced by Uljana Kim, whose productions have premiered at major international film festivals and enjoyed domestic box office success. Just Film Works in Progress Just Film Works in Progress presents six children and youth films that tell stories about people in different places and times – two of them are created for children. Little Elephant in the Woods is a Dutch-Belgian co-production directed by Belgian-Dutch filmmaker Meikeminne Clinckspoor, known for her Emmy-nominated toddler series Doopie (2020) and dedicated to making cinema for the young. In 2024, the European Children’s Film Association published her manifesto on why the youngest audience is the most important. Another children’s film, the hilarious Finnish family comedy Ella and Friends: Nature Calls is the debut feature from Elin Grönblom, who has written and directed several children's and youth TV series.  Award-winning filmmaker Luis Campos comes to Tallinn with his debut feature Dirty Land, which follows a 12-year-old boy, Joao, who lives with his troubled father and caring female neighbours. An adventurous youth film, Secret Delivery, is based on a true story of great heroism by little heroes. The film is directed by Slovak director Ján Sebechlebský, who has made more than a dozen documentaries and series. South America is represented by the Argentinian-Uruguayan co-production Emi, directed by Ezequiel Erriquez Mena, which tells the story of 18-year-old Emi, who lives with his adoptive parents but wants to know more about his biological family. The selection concludes with another South American title, The River, a debut feature by Cristóbal García about five adolescents who lose their shack to rising waters during a winter in Santiago, prompting them to embark on an adventure along the Mapocho River to see the ocean. Jurys and Awards The jury of Baltic Event and international Works in Progress includes Casey Baron, US Programming Lead of Tribeca Film Festival, Julie Marnay, Program Manager at First Cut Lab and head of European Short Pitch in 2019 and  Alexis Cassanet, EVP International Sales & Distribution at Gaumont Film Company. The best projects both in the Baltic and International Works in Progress, will be granted 7000 euros, consisting of 6000 euros worth of services by Studio Beep, together with 1000 euros travel allowance. The jury of Just Film Works in Progress includes Janne Vierth, Commissioner of feature films, short films, and documentaries for children and youth at the Swedish Film Institute, Film and TV Scriptwriter, Teresa Lima, Co-founder, programmer, and director of PLAY - International Film Festival for Children and Youth and Eva-Maria Schneider-Reuter, Media Educator and Artistic Director of the Sehpferdchen Film Festival for the generations. The best project of Just Film Works in Progress will receive 1000 euro monetary prize to help the film gain visibility by covering promotion and publicity costs.  International Works in Progress 1. Title: Aquarium Original title: Akvariumi Countries: Georgia Genre: Drama, Thriller, Mystic Written by: Tornike Bziava Directed by: Tornike Bziava Produced by: Tornike Bziava, Elia Pharsadan, Nino Shengelaya Production company: Reactormonkey Films, Buni Productions, 29plus7pictures, Shengelaya Productions Arebato Films   2. Title: Balance Original title: Balance  Country: Germany  Genre: road movie, drama Directed by: Björn Schürmann Produced by: Björn Schürmann Production company: projekt:::film Languages: German, Dutch, English 3. Title: Face to Face Original title: A la cara Country: Spain, Belgium  Genre: drama Directed by: Javier Marco Produced by: Odile Antonio-Baez Written by: Javier Marco, Belén Sánchez-Arévalo Production company: Pecado Films Languages: Spanish 4. Title: Interior Original title: Interior  Country: German Genre: thriller, psychological drama Written by: Timo Ackermann, Pascal Schuh Directed by: Pascal Schuh  Produced by: Timo Ackermann, Katrin Haase, Oliver Arnold Production company: U5 Filmproduktion GmbH & Co. KG, Film University Babelsberg, KONRAD WOLF Language: German 5. Title: Late Shift Original title: Late Shift Country: Greece Genre: social drama Written by: Nikos Smpiliris Directed by: Stefanos Tsivopoulos  Produced by: Nikos Smpiliris Production company: Boo Productions Languages: Greek, Romanian 6. Title: Papers  Original title: Papeles  Countries: Panama, Spain, Uruguay Genre: crime film, drama, thriller Written by: Arturo Montenegro Directed by: Arturo Montenegro Produced by: Andry José Barrientos Production company: Andry José Barrientos Language: Spanish, English, Turkish 7. Title: Wolves Original title: Wolves  Country: Switzerland Genre: drama, social drama Directed by: Jonas Ulrich Produced by: Nicole Ulrich Production company: Dynamic Frame GmbH Language: English, Swiss, German Baltic Event Works in Progress    1. Title: Call Me Calendar Original title: Kalendārs mani sauc Countries: Latvia, Lithuania Genre: adaptation, tragicomedy Directed by: Juris Poškus Produced by: Madara Melberga Production company: Aigars Sermukss Language: Latvian 2. Title: Our Erika Original title: Meie Erika Countries: Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia Genre: biographical, drama Directed by: German Golub Produced by: Marju Lepp Production company: Filmivabrik Language: Estonian, Russian 3. Title: Renovation Original title: Renovacija Countries: Renovacija Genre: Lithuania Directed by: Gabrielė Urbonaitė Produced by: Uljana Kim Production company: Studio Uljana Kim Language: Lithuanian, Ukrainian, English 4. Title: Sand in Your Hair Original title: Smėlis tavo plaukuose Country: Lithuania Genre: drama Directed by: Mantas Verbiejus Produced by: Živilė Gallego Production companies: Creative Europe MEDIA, Lithuanian Film Centre, Fralita Films Language: Lithuanian Just Film Works in Progress 1. Title: Dirty Land Original title: Terra Vil Countries: Portugal, Italy Genre: drama Written by: Luis Campos Directed by: Luis Campos Produced by: Luis Campos Production companies: Matiné, dispàrte Language: Portuguese 2. Title: Emi Original title: Emi Countries: Argentina, Uruguay Genre: drama, youth film Directed by: Ezequiel Erriquez Mena Produced by: Laura Mara Tablón Production companies: Rita Cine, El Cielo Cine Language: Spanish 3. Title: Ella and Friends: Nature Calls Original title: Ella ja kaverit menevät metsään Country: Finland Genre: children's film, comedy Written by: Katri Manninen Directed by: Elin Grönblom Produced by: Aleksi Hyvärinen Production company: Don Films Language: Finnish 4. Title: Little Elephant in the Woods Original title: Olifantje in het Bos Countries: The Netherlands, Belgium Genre: live-action children’s film Written by: Tijs van Marle, Meikeminne Clinckspoor Directed by: Meikeminne Clinckspoor Produced by: Gijs Kerbosch, Guusje van Deuren, Ingmar Conjarts Production company: 100% Language: Dutch or English 5. Title: The River Original title: El Eio  Countries: Chile, Argentina Genre: drama, road movie Written by: Cristóbal García Directed by: Francisco Bisañez Produced by: Cristóbal García Production company: Vórtice Films Language: Spanish 6. Title: Secret Delivery Original title: Ticha Posta Countries: Czechia, Slovakia Genre: family film, adventure, historical film Written by: Jiří Stránský Directed by: Ján Sebechlebský Produced by: Julietta Sichel Production company: 8Heads Productions Languages: Czech, German

Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event, taking place on 15-22 November, is a week-long summit for film and audiovisual industry professionals held during the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival. In 2024, the summit will provide a whole line of events covering the most sizzling questions in the sector.

INFORMATION For additional information please contact: Egle Loor Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event communications coordinator This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. +372 56 906 376 More information about talents, projects and programme on Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event webpage.

 

Music Meets Film, part of Discovery Campus, the international education programme at Industy@Tallinn &; Baltic Event, welcomes eight emerging film music composers and producers from around the world to its programme.  Music Meets Film has been running for over a decade, bringing together film music professionals worldwide. Since its upgrade last year, the programme has focused on young film composers - the next generation of film music talent. A total of 28 talents applied for this year's edition.  The eight selected talents for Music Meets Film 2024 edition include a French film composer Agathe Lavarel, who recently received Honorable Mention at the European Talent Awards at Soundtrack Cologne, a French multi-instrumentalist musician and a composer Célyne Baudino, an experienced Finnish media composer Mikko Aaltio, German-Czech film composer, arranger and musician Natalie Schäfer, composer, Brooks Leibee from USA and music producer and composer Kristjan Ruus together with composers Villem Rootalu and Lauri Kadalipp from Estonia.   The four-day programme, which takes place from 19 to 22 November, includes lectures and masterclasses by award-winning professionals and industry-leading companies and partners. These workshops offer practical tools and guidance for the participants’ careers and help them navigate the industry in the filmmaking process. There will also be various networking opportunities.  One of the main themes of this year's programme is co-production and collaboration through music. The panel discussion closely examines two award-winning films Driving Mum and Smoke Sauna Sisterhood, successful co-production projects between Estonia and Iceland. The discussion shedding light to these projects welcomes Driving Mum team including Hilmar Oddsson (director), Tõnu Kõrvits (composer), Matis Rei (sound designer) and Hendrik Mägar (editor), and Anna Hints (director) as well as Eðvarð Egilsson (composer) from Smoke Sauna Sisterhood. The programme includes a creative competition workshop as practical skills are an important part of Music Meets Film. This time the participants will work with the music supervisor Kathleen Wallfisch, whose latest works include Gladiator 2 which will be released in 2024, Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves (2023), Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022) etc. The workshop will take place at Selektor Studio in Tallinn, where the participants create a piece of score according to a sample brief. During this workshop, participants will experience what it's like to work with a music supervisor, and how to read and create for a brief in a fixed timeframe. The winner of the workshop will receive a recording session for the next day with selected musicians. The programme also contains a workshop "Navigating the Industry", created by Tier Music Publishing and Orchestral Tools. Thea Zaitsev and Sandra Perens (Tier Music Publishing) with Graham Ball (Orchestral Tools) create a navigation map of suggested networks for the participants for them to find their next partners and projects. In this workshop the document will be introduced as well as practical exercises will be done on topics such as how to pitch yourself and your music. In addition, there is a one-on-one discussion "Dialogue on Contracts: Before and After Signing" between film composer Liina Sumera and attorney and partner at TGS Baltic Priit Lätt, attorney at law, covering the tender topics of rights, negotiations and contracts, which are essential for everyone in the film industry.  Check the full list of events here

Music Meets Film 2024 participants: Agathe Lavarel, a film composer, flutist and singer who combines orchestral writing with vocal and electronic textures. Her work has been featured in short films, video games and virtual reality exhibitions. In 2024, she won an honourable mention at the European Talent Awards at Soundtrack Cologne for her collaboration with sound designer Nicolas vön Moreau. In 2023, she won the French New Wave Award for "Exploration". In 2022, she received the 1st ALLIA Award for Inspiring Female Artists in Canada. Brooks Leibee born in South Carolina, USA,  found an early love for film and the music within the screen. He went on to pursue his interests in film, creating projects behind the camera and score. He performed in grade school orchestras for eight years before competing in All-County and All-State Orchestras. In undergrad, he began writing soundtracks for he and his friends' short films. Science then he has built his professional portfolio as a composer for film and media. Célyne Baudino is a French multi-instrumentalist musician and composer who has written music for film, live entertainment, orchestral scores and radio. Her artistry has already enriched several short and animated films, as well as a first feature-length documentary. One of these, Kill the Horse, recently won the Best Animation Short Film Award at the 2024 Shanghai International Film Festival. Her musical works combine vocal, acoustic and electronic textures to create a rich and powerful universe. Kristjan Ruus, Estonian music producer, composer, writer, artist and lifelong cinema fan. He has been making music for himself for years. Recently he has worked with or participated in writing camps for Universal Music Group, Roc Nation, Atlantic Records, Epic Records, The Hello Group, Loudkult, Soave Records, Nova Wav. He has also done some work in sync, working with Nissan, TBWA, NFL, placing music on ESPN+. Lauri Kadalipp, Estonian composer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist, is the founder and current artistic director of the New Wind Jazz Orchestra. He has arranged music for Estonian pop artists, such as Anett, NOËP, Angus, Gameboy Tetris, Smilers and many more. His first bigger film music work for Vanamehe film (2019) received a nomination for the best film composer award in 2020 at EFTA (Estonian Film and TV Awards).  Mikko Aaltio, former multi-instrumentalist for Finnish rock band Tiisu, Mikko Aaltio has become a media composer. His scores include YLE's drama series No Shame. His music can also be heard in the indie video games Birds Organised Neatly, Feed All Monsters and Dealer's Life Legend. As an arranger and orchestrator, Mikko has worked on many high-profile projects such as Netflix's Finding 'ohana, the Finnish F2P mega-hit mobile video games Clash of Clans and Merge Mansion, and BossLady, the musical for Jyväskylä City Theatre. Natalie Schäfer is a German-Czech film composer, arranger, musician and teacher. She is currently studying composition for film and media with Nicklas Schmidt and Daniel Fjellström at the Malmö Academy of Music (Lunds Universitet). From September 2024 to June 2026 she will complete her concert exam in classical composition with Prof. Bent Sørensen at the Malmö Academy of Music. Her compositions are inspired by composers such as Karin Rehnqvist and John Williams. Villem Roosalu studied jazz bass guitar at Otsakool and TÜVKA. He has been playing the bass for 18 years and has been a performing musician for about 15 years. During his studies he learned about sound engineering and started doing a lot of studio work, which led to working on theatre shows. Soon he was asked to compose for a show himself. For the last 8 years he has been composing for theatre shows, but has also worked on sound design and music for games and short films.

Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event, taking place on 15-22 November, is a week-long summit for film and audiovisual industry professionals held during the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival. In 2024, the summit will provide a whole line of events covering the most sizzling questions in the sector.

Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event, the business summit for film and audiovisual professionals, together with PÖFF Shorts, an Academy Award, BAFTA and EFA-qualifying short film festival, are launching Shorts Industry Shortcut, a guiding platform for emerging filmmakers. 

The two-day event, which takes place during the Black Nights Film Festival in Tallinn, aims to support the careers of a new generation of filmmakers in the short film industry, while at the same time taking a closer look at current trends in (short) film and strengthening ties between the Baltic and international short film communities. The event will be filled with masterclasses, inspiring panel discussions with industry leaders and networking opportunities. 

Tara Karajica, head of Shorts Industry Shortcut, described the inaugural programme as the epitome of a film industry shortcut: "The PÖFF Shorts Competition programmes have always been strong, so it was high time the festival got its industry arm to guide emerging filmmakers and give them a nudge in the right direction. Whether you're just starting out in the film industry with your first short film or you've already moved on to feature films, the Shorts Industry Shortcut will provide you with the necessary tools, people and pointers to navigate the (short) film circuit in the easiest and coolest way possible. The Shorts Industry Shortcut is the perfect stepping stone not only for the festival circuit in general, but also for PÖFF and Industry@Tallinn &; Baltic Event. I hope everyone comes away with something useful, a handful of business cards and wonderful memories!"

Shorts Industry Shortcut's busy programme starts with a masterclass by Croatian filmmaker and artist Martina Meštrović, who will explore her extensive work in sculpture and animation, organised in collaboration with EKA. The "In Conversation" session will feature Anna Hints and Tonia Mishiali, two of today's most acclaimed directors, who will discuss their respective careers as women in today's film industry and moving between formats. The programme also includes the panel discussion "Short Films, a Click Away" with Sari Volanen from Yle, Amos Geva from T-Port and Alexandra Gramatke from the Hamburg Short Film Agency, focusing on the exhibition of short films in cinemas, on television and on streaming platforms. The presentation "Festival Ecosystem 101" will demystify the short film circuit in the presence of five movers and shakers from the short film industry, 

The Shorts Industry Shortcut programme also includes a speed-dating session between short film professionals and filmmakers. During the "Would You Buy This?" session, selected short film directors will be invited to screen the first three minutes of their films (already in competition at PÖFF Shorts) and receive live feedback from short film distributors and sales agents who will assess their market potential. This event simulates a realistic situation in the film industry and demonstrates how professionals evaluate films submitted to them.

In addition, Shorts Industry Shortcut joins forces with Go Long! to offer a lecture by script consultant Anna Ciennik, who will discuss important aspects of script development. 

Finally, the success stories of the Baltic short film industry will be highlighted - Rimantė Daugėlaitė (Lithuanian Shorts), Diāna Trope (Latvian Short Film Agency), Laima Graždanoviča (2ANNAS Short Film Festival) and Mirjam Mikk (Estonian Film Institute) will discuss some of the most successful Baltic short films of recent years, examine how the Baltic states have positioned themselves globally and explore the future of new Baltic talent.

The Shorts Industry Shortcut panel discussions and masterclasses will take place from 14 to 16 November. Check out the programme here. The events are open to everyone with a PÖFF badge, an Industry@Tallinn &; Baltic Event accreditation or a day ticket. 

 TV Beats Forum, the drama series strand of Industry@Tallinn &; Baltic Event, will launch the Honorary TV Beats Producer Award, which will be presented in 2024 to Ukrainian independent producer Kateryna Vyshnevska.  

“This award is meant to spotlight a prominent and inspiring figure from our region, covering the Nordics, Baltics and Central Eastern Europe, who has made a significant impact in the field of TV Drama production. Kateryna Vyshnevska’s role in building and growing the internationalisation of Ukraine’s Film.UA has been remarkable, culminating in executive producing the show Those Who Stayed, a contemporary landmark series co-produced and financed with several European countries,” Petri Kemppinen and Roosa Toivonen, Co-Heads of TV Beats Forum say.

Kateryna Vyshnevska is an independent producer and consultant specialising in international co-productions. She recently served as Head of Development and Co-productions at FILM.UA (Ukraine). Her credits alongside the award-winning TV series Those Who Stayed (co-produced with SVT, YLE and NRK) include Moloch (Czechia/Slovakia/Ukraine for Canal+), now in post production, Citizens at War (UK/Ukraine/Australia) and Koza Nostra (Ukraine/Italy). 

"I am deeply honoured to receive the first-ever Honorary Award from TV Beats. This recognition holds special significance for me. It highlights the growing impact of global TV drama production in our region and acknowledges what has truly been my life’s mission: getting the remarkable creators from Ukraine, the Baltics and CEE to work together more, to push the boundaries of CEE storytelling, and put our region on the global map. I am hugely thankful to the team at TV Beats and Black Nights FF, who once again prove that they have cold nights, but warm hearts, and look forward to celebrating this milestone together with them in Tallinn," Kateryna Vyshnevska says.

The award will be presented at the opening of the TV Beats Forum on 18 November, followed by a fireside chat between Kateryna Vyshnevska and Marike Muselaers. The discussion will cover successes and challenges, the do's and don'ts of co-production and understanding the market.  

After the talk, the two-day conference TV Beats Forum will continue with its programme that addresses several burning issues in the drama series industry such as challenges in financing, audience engagement and takes a closer look at the case studies of many series to be screened during the TV Beats Screening Day. 

To tackle one of the biggest challenges in drama series production — securing necessary financing — industry experts including Patrick Fisher (Creativity Capital), Meg Thomson (Global Gate), and Sebastien Janin (Media Musketeers) will join the panel discussion, “State of Play in Series Financing” that focuses on funding options and emerging models. “They will look for answers to the questions like how to pivot agilely, nurture creativity and serve the needs of audiences and commissioners, and how to maintain sanity as you seize opportunities and ride out the ups and downs of the market," says Toivonen.

The programme also includes some future-oriented sessions. One of those, "Future Is Here - AI You Can Use (& Abuse?)", allows us to witness a face-off between AI and professional scriptwriter, real-life TV executive Steve Matthews to find out which one can create a better series pitch? Another forward-looking session, "The Future Is Here: Practical Tools" will present the new equality tool for audiovisual productions and the European VR Writers' Room programme. 

One of the highlights of the programme is a panel discussion "Writing for Diverse Platforms: Engaging Audiences In a World of Endless Choices” by the European Writers Club will focus on bridging generations and its importance in today's storytelling emphasising why it’s more crucial than ever to create shared stories between generations and across formats. Two industry experts from different storytelling worlds – acclaimed Norwegian director Per-Olav Sørensen (Nobel, Quicksand, The Playlist), and Jim Ashilevi, an Estonian actor and game writer known for Disco Elysium share their unique perspectives. They will explore how their different experiences in television, film, and gaming converge to create powerful stories, providing practical lessons for creators navigating diverse storytelling platforms. 

Reflecting the festival's focus on Germany, the TV Beats Forum programme includes two presentations. The first will focus on the Apple TV+ series Constellation, exploring the highs and lows of making the psychological sci-fi thriller. The second country-specific event is a panel discussion led by Johanna Nunnu Karppinen on Germany's identity as a hub for series development and production.

The TV Beats Forum also includes two masterclasses. Five pre-registered writers will be invited to participate in Words Across Europe's 1,5 hour hands-on VR writers' room session, with VR headsets for the experience. “Working in VR Writers' Room” masterclass will be led by Joachim Friedman, an experienced screenwriter and serial storytelling expert. In the masterclass "The Art of Developing Compelling Stories for a Broad International Audience", acclaimed director, writer and producer Per-Olav Sørensen will share his expert storytelling process, honed over years of experience creating several hit series. 

Check out the full programme here

TV Beats Forum takes place on November 18th & 19th in Tallinn in Nordic Hotel Forum and also online, as part of Industry@Tallinn &; Baltic Event, North Europe’s busiest platform for audiovisual professionals, where professionals from the Baltics, Central Eastern Europe and the Nordic converge to collaborate. On 18 November, TV Beats Co-Production Market will showcase exciting new drama series projects with international sales and distribution potential. The first ever TV Beats Screening Days, occurring on 19 & 20 November will showcase five fresh drama series to sales agents, distributors and local TV and film industry professionals.

 

The second edition of Frame Within a Frame, a tailor-made programme for talented cinematographers, welcomes eight young professionals across the world in Tallinn in November. During the four days, attendees can learn from acknowledged cinematographers Roberto Schaefer and Ville Penttilä and show their works to industry professionals.  The talented cinematographers joining the Frame Within a Frame 2024 are Ariel Navarro (Cuba), Ema Diehelová (Slovakkia), Karla Budišćak (Croatia), Kārlis Bergs (Latvia,) Laura Köhler (Germany), Paul Sonntag (Germany), Rishi Selvam,( Sri Lanka) and Tomas Lipsky (Czech).  The exhaustive programme from 19 to 22 November includes masterclasses and workshops for the selected talents, film screenings followed by case studies, and panel discussions open to everyone. In the closed masterclass "Cinematographic Mastery: Elevating Visuals with Limited Resources, from The Paperboy to The Red Sea Diving Resort" acclaimed cinematographer Roberto Schaefer (ASC, AIC), will explore strategies for maintaining high artistic standards in cinematographic visuals despite budget limitations. At the masterclass "Lighting the Vision: The Gaffer's Art in Shaping Cinematic Imagery," Ville Penttilä (FSC, ICLS) will present a case study exploring his work as a gaffer and his collaboration with various cinematographers.  Frame Within the Frame Talent Screenings section showcases the works of the talents attending in this year’s edition. Through a selection of short films, music videos, and scenes from feature films, these artists will present their cinematographic vision to industry professionals, fostering future collaboration. At the presentation and demo: "From Tungsten to SkyPanel X: ARRI’s Century of Lighting Innovation" the technical partner of Frame Within the Frame, ARRI celebrating 100 years of ARRI Lights this year will present their latest lighting technology to the eight talents of FWF and industry technicians. The public events in the programme feature two outstanding film screenings. The first is The Kite Runner, a globally acclaimed film highlighting the expertise of cinematographer Roberto Schaefer ASC, AIC. After the screening, Schaefer will lead an in-depth case study on the film’s cinematography, with the session moderated by Elen Lotman ESC, President of the Estonian Society of Cinematographers. The second master screening focuses on The Eternal Road, a celebrated Finnish cinematic work. Following the screening, cinematographer Rauno Ronkainen FSC and gaffer Ville Penttilä FSC, ICLS, will conduct a detailed case study and discussion on their distinctive collaboration, which earned them the Finnish Society of Cinematographers' award. In collaboration with the Black Room program, Frame Within a Frame will host the session “Crafting Visual Texture: The Art of Bringing Depth and Detail to the Screen”. This session brings together cinematographers and production designers to explore the techniques, materials, and digital effects that help create immersive, textured visuals. Check out the full programme here  The open events of the programme are accessible with an accreditation or a day ticket. Read more here Frame Within a Frame, is a part of the Discovery Campus educational programme, taking place within Industry@Tallinn &; Baltic Event and the Black Nights Film Festival. Frame Within a Frame is developed closely with ARRI, the Estonian Society of Cinematographers (ECS) and the Baltic Film, Media and Art School of Tallinn University (BFM).

Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event, taking place on 15-22 November, is a week-long summit for film and audiovisual industry professionals held during the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival. In 2024, the summit will provide a whole line of events covering the most sizzling questions in the sector.

INFORMATION For additional information please contact: Egle Loor Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event communications coordinator This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. +372 56 906 376 More information about talents, projects and programme on Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event webpage.

The 34th FilmFestival Cottbus offers exceptional cinema from Central and Eastern Europe in three exciting competitions from November 5-10.

In the feature film competition, twelve titles from 19 (co-)production countries will compete for the prestigious Lubina prizes, including the main prize for the best film (EUR 15,000, donated by Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg), the special prize for the best director (EUR 7,500, donated by Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg rbb) and the prize for an outstanding individual acting performance (EUR 5,000, donated by Sparkasse Spree-Neiße).

   

This year's competition once again showcases the stylistic and thematic breadth of Central and Eastern European cinema. Stories and experiences that reflect the challenges of life between family and society - between hope and grief, nature conservation and “turning point”, historical film and science fiction. Bittersweet screen adventures, realistic and touching, that leave nobody unmoved.

DWELLING AMONG THE GODS (RS/HR/IT 2024) by Vuk Ršumović is a modern-day Antigone drama about an Afghan family in Belgrade. The protagonist Fereshteh is faced with an almost impossible decision: should she continue her journey to the West, to a supposedly better future, or stay and give her brother, who died on the run, a proper burial? Magical suburban realism: in RIVIERA (GR/FR 2024), Orfeas Peretzis' debut, 17-year-old Alkistis faces a summer between loss and a new beginning. In UNDER THE VOLCANO (PL 2024) by Damian Kocur, a family from Kyiv struggles with the news of a war of aggression against their homeland during an involuntary vacation in Tenerife. The sci-film U ARE THE UNIVERSE (UA/BE 2024) by Pavlo Ostrikov tells of a destroyed Earth, togetherness in space and the last hope for a human encounter.

U R THE UNIVERSE

In BIKECHESS (Assel Aushakimova, KAZ/FR/NO 2024), a female journalist is confronted with the limits of freedom of expression and attacks on women's rights in an authoritarian state. In the gripping thriller DEAL AT THE BORDER (Dastan Zhapar Ryskeldi, KG 2024), two smugglers in the mountains of Central Asia help a young woman to escape slavery, putting her own life in danger. GOOD CHILDREN (Filip Peruzović, HR 2024 2024) portrays the difficult emotional journey of a brother and sister who, after the death of their mother, have to break up the family home and come to terms with their past and their estranged relationship. In OUR LOVELY PIG SLAUGHTER (CZ/SK 2024) by Adam Martinec, a rural family tradition becomes the starting point for a sensitive, ironic portrait of morality reminiscent of the films of the Czechoslovakian New Wave.

SOUTHERN CHRONICLES (Ignas Miškinis, LT/EE 2024) is a touching coming-of-age story about two young people from different social classes in the Lithuanian province of the 1990s who fall in love despite all their social differences. The world premiere THE TOWER OF STRENGTH (Nikola Vukčević, ME/RS/HR/DE 2024) is set during the Second World War. A Muslim-Albanian family hides a Christian child and becomes the target of an Albanian SS division - a gripping historical film about courage and humanity. In THE TRAP (Nadejda Koseva, BG/DE 2023), the fierce Yovo fights against environmental destruction in an idyllic river delta, while WHEN THE PHONE RANG (RS/US 2024) by Iva Radivojević takes a deeply moving look at the war years in the former Yugoslavia, when a young girl is confronted with the loss of her grandfather and her country.

UNDER THE VOLCANO

The international festival jury decides on the award winners. This year's jury consists of Sonora Broka, artistic director of the Riga International Film Festival and editor, Cristina Groşan, Romanian-Hungarian filmmaker and director of the film ORDINARY FAILURES, which is screening in the Specials section, Anja Matković, Croatian theater and film actress and screenwriter, who is also the lead actress and screenwriter of the opening film MY LATE SUMMER, Inna Sahakyan, director and producer from Armenia, whose films AURORA'S SUNRISE and MEL are both screening in Close-Up: Armenia, and Xavier Henry-Rashid, French-British sales agent and former Executive Director of the Raindance Film Festival. Rashid is representing, among others, the food comedy TASTY from the Spectrum section, which is celebrating its world premiere at the festivals in Cork, Cottbus and Tallinn.

The short film competition brings a wide variety of films to the screen, from quirky humor to moving fates. AGE OF THE DRAGON (Marcell Farkas, HU/AT 2024) by Marcell Farkas takes us into a dystopian world full of fantasy, while CHRISTMAS DAY (EE 2022) by Alexandra Pärn tells a bizarre Christmas story. ALMOST CERTAINLY FALSE (TR/BG 2024) by Cansu Baydar sheds light on the life of a Syrian refugee in Istanbul. And @TIKTOK_COWBOY (RO 2024) by Anastaseu Ștefan is about a young Roma influencer during the lockdown. All short films in the program can be found here.

@TIKTOK_COWBOY

A main prize (EUR 2,500, donated by Druckzone Cottbus) and the special prize for the best director (EUR 1,500, donated by Tiede+) will be awarded. The winners will be selected by the short film jury, which consists of Szilárd Bernáth (Hungary), Eglė Vertelytė (Lithuania) and Magdelena Ilieva (Bulgaria).

The U18 competition for the best youth film (EUR 5,000, donated by the city of Cottbus) focuses on themes such as identity, freedom and rebellion against social expectations. DORMITORY (TR/DE 2023) by Nehir Tuna depicts the life of a 14-year-old searching for belonging and freedom in an Islamic boarding school, while GOTTESKINDER (DE, 2024) by Frauke Lodders shows the challenges of faith and falling in love for the first time in an evangelical family. TOXIC (LT 2024) by Saulė Bliuvaitė shows two teenage girls fighting for their place in a world characterized by toxic friendships in the midst of bullying and beauty mania. An EXPLANATION FOR EVERYTHING (HU/SK 2023) by Gábor Reisz tells the story of a high school graduate who triggers a national scandal with a small lie - a biting satire on social and political grievances. The U18 jury is made up of students from Teplice (CZ) and Cottbus. You can view the complete U18 section here.

DORMITORY

The film lists and matching film stills for each film can be found in the PressLogin on our website. The login is available on request.

Accreditations for the festival week are possible online here and are free of charge for reporting press.

 If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

 
The FilmFestival Cottbus is supported by Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, the State of Brandenburg and the City of Cottbus. We are also very grateful for the support of Creative Europe Media, the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, Sparkasse Spree-Neiße and the Federal Agency for Civic Education. Our media partners are radioeins, radio3 and the Lausitzer Rundschau.