13-10-2015

Connecting Cottbus Unveils Pitching Line-up

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    COTTBUS: The 17th edition of the East-West coproduction market Connecting Cottbus cast a wide net in selecting its ten feature films pitches under new director Rebekka Garrido. Participants hail from territories as diverse as The Netherlands, this year’s guest country, to Israel and Cyprus. The forum, known as coco, takes place 5-6 November 2015.

    The jury considered 75 submissions for the available slots, with four of the spots going to films by women directors.

    Romania was guaranteed a spot with the coco Award winner at the Transilvania IFF pitching forum, 1985 with director Bogdan Muresanu. Israel also had a pre-selected slot, with The Swamp to be directed by Evgeny Ruman. The Netherlands took the third slot with When Fucking Spring is in the Air directed by Danyael Sugarawa. The 150 attendees at this year’s coco will include a contingent of Dutch producers under a collaboration with Nederlands Filmfonds.

    The remaining seven slots go to Slovakia (The Disciple by Ivan Ostrochovský); Cypriot director Tonia Mishiali with Menopause; Bosnia Herzegovina (The Son by Ines Tonovic); Georgia (Venice by Rusudan Chkonia); Serbia (Domino Effect by Radoslav Pavkovic and Christina Hadjicharalambous); the Ukraine (Tank by Max Ksondja); and Macedonia (Sugar Kid by Igor Ivanov).

    Coco will also launch a new sector think tank #FEEDback led by Simon Perry and addressing the topics of digital single market territories, VOD platforms and the use of new social medial. It will continue to offer workshops in partnership with Torino Filmlab and Maia Workshops. FNE will profile the pitches at the coco East-West coproduction market.