29 March - 1 April 2022
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BUDAPEST DEBUT FILM FORUM
Table of Contents Welcome
3
Tutors
4
Workshop program outline
5
Feature Films Bearwoman Graffiti on the Wall Inertia The Origin of the World The World According to Klara
6 7 8 9 10 11
Series Alchevsky’s Mystery Cocoa with Water Killswitch The Great Trial Unconditional
12 13 14 15 16 17
Schedule
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Imprint:
Design: Zoltán Bukovics BDFF TEAM: Project Coordinator: Kata Untsch Producer: Gábor Osváth Head of Studies: Balázs Zachar Founder: Dániel Deák Supporters:
Partners:
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Dear Participants, dear Guests, Welcome to Budapest on the occasion of the Budapest Debut Film Forum! We could not be happier to make this event happen, in person, in real-life physical form.
5 feature film projects and 5 series concepts will be discussed, developed and presented in Budapest at a spectacular location on Margaret Island which is a perfect venue for an in-depth focused work. Besides the intense groupworks and personal consultations there will be case studies and panel talks open to the public as well about co-productions, distribution, marketing and series development by world class lecturers (Ada Solomon, Boris Pugnet, Marcin Luczaj, Klaudia Smeija and Viktória Petrányi just to mention a few.) We sincerely hope that the days that you spend here in Budapest will contribute to your professional success: to find fresh ideas, useful feedbacks, courage to challenge yourself and nevertheless future collaboration opportunities.
Dániel Deák Founder
Balázs Zachar Head of Studies
Budapest Debut Film Forum
Making the step to the first feature length film or series is the biggest challenge for a young filmmaker. It’s thrilling and frightening at the same time, moreover the road that leads there seems often endless. BDFF is organised third time to enhance the thrilling part of it, minimise the frightening elements and explore the shortcuts in order to realise your dream project as soon as it is possible.
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Tutors Ada Solomon is a Romanian producer and the founder of Hi Film Productions and microFILM. Working in the film sector for almost 30 years, her name can be found on the credits of over 70 titles. She has produced films presented and awarded in the most prestigious festivals such as Cannes, Berlin, Locarno, Venice and Sundance. Ada has co-produced with over 15 European countries and her films were released in over 50 territories. She has been in charge of production services for projects such as Franco Zeffirelli’s “Callas Forever” and is the executive producer of Maren Ade’s EFA Award winner & Oscar-nominated “Toni Erdmann”.
BUDAPEST DEBUT FILM FORUM
Nebojša Taraba is a Croatian producer and co-founder of independent production company, Drugi plan. Since its 2004 establishment Drugi plan has worked with all three Croatian national TV stations (HRT, Nova TV, RTL) and created and produced more than 15 original formats in all genres. For the last 8 years, Drugi plan has specialized in documentary and high-end drama productions. Their TV series The Paper was picked up by Netflix, and now is available for streaming in 190 countries. Cyril Tysz is a French screenwriter and head writer. He wrote, adapted for the screen or supervised the scripting of more than 40 TV IPs such as Marvel’s Fantastic 4 and Iron Man, Casper, Code Lyoko, Gormiti, Le Marsupilami, Warner’s Xiaolin Chronicles, Luc Besson’s Arthur & Les Minimoys, Playmobil’s Super4, Nils Holgersson and successfully adapted the hit series SKAM for France Television. Cyril has recently developed new shows and co-written episodes of series for various international production companies and broadcasters like France TV, Rai, Canal+, Netflix.
Zsuzsi Bánkuti
Started to work as head of acquisition and programming for an independent cinema and head of distribution in Budapest in 2000. In the beginning of 2012 she moved to Cologne to start as head of acquisition at The Match Factory for 8 years. Currently she is head of the Cutting Edge Talent Camp which is focusing on new German talents during the Mannheim IFF and working for the Open Doors section at the Locarno IFF as a Talent Development Manager, besides working as a consultant for Doha Film Institute, Torino Film Lab and Cinemart.
Klaudia ŚmiejaRostworowska together
with Beata Rzeźniczek founded MADANTS, Warsaw-based production company in 2015. Since the moment of establishment it has become one of the most active Polish production outlets involved in such films as Claire Denis’ HIGH LIFE, Agnieszka Holland’s CHARLATAN, Icelandic hit LAMB by Valdimar Jóhannsson or OTHER PEOPLE, a dark rap musical produced in association with Warner Bros Poland. Currently Madants is working on Agnieszka Smoczyńska’s first English language film SILENT TWINS and James Napier Robertson’s JOIKA starting Talia Ryder and Diane Kruger.
Pavel Marek currently works
as a Professor in the Department of Directing at FAMU, as Head of Studies of MIDPOINT Shorts and a script consultant. During the communist era he co-founded an underground film association “Bulsitfilm” in which he cooperated primarily with the late cinematographer Roman Vcelak and music composer Milan Gustar. In 1998 his full-length graduation film Dead Beetle premiered at the Rotterdam IFF (Main Competition, Volkskrant Critics Award). Later he focused mainly on documentary films and writing scripts for the animation series Pat and Mat. At present, he teaches at FAMU and cooperates with European filmmakers as a script consultant on feature-length and short films.
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Workshop program outline
Group A (feature film projects)
Group B (series projects)
The World According to Klara (Czechia) D: Jiri Matousek P: Pavel Vácha
Unconditional (Germany) W: Natascha Zink, Lusia Nöllke P: Lea Neu
Graffiti on the Wall (Georgia) D: George Varsimashvili P: Nino Devdariani, George Varsimashvili
Cocoa with Water (Hungary) W: Lalita Kalmár, Zsófi Liter P: Gerzson Szántó
Inertia (Greece) D: Alexandros Kostopoulos P: Ioanna Soultani, Romanna Lobach
The Great Trial (Hungary) W: Anita Németh, Diana Groó P: Julianna Ugrin, Diana Groó
Bearwoman (Hungary) D: Anna Gyimesi P: Kocsó Ábel
Killswitch (Slovakia) W: Anastasia Hoppanová P: Lukáš Teren
Origin of the World (Germany, Hungary) D: Borbála Nagy P: Margarita Amineva-Jester
Alchevsky’s Mystery (Ukraine) W: Maryna Dymshyts P: Natalia Yakovleva, Tetyana Timshyna
Tutors and experts: Group “A” leader: Ada Solomon Script consultant: Pavel Marek Group “B” leader: Nebojsa Taraba Script consultant: Cyril Tysz Sales, festivals and pitching: Zsuzsi Bánkuti Financing and coproductions: Klaudia Smieja-Rostworowska
Budapest Debut Film Forum
Budapest Debut Film Forum 29 March – 1 April 2022
BUDAPEST DEBUT FILM FORUM
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Feature Films
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Bearwoman (Hungary)
Synopsis: After state care Orsolya moves to her distant relative’s in Transylvania. From the rape she suffered by Kelemen, the major’s son she decides to go into the nearby forest to be killed by wild animals. Miraculously, a bear keeps her warm. She decides to go in search of it but the bear has been shot. She only finds the bear’s fur. She returns to the village constantly wearing the fur. Seeing that, Sara, Kelemen’s abused wife knowing what happened with Orsolya in the village asks her for help. Orsolya is being turned into a symbol of marital violence so the village women can rally behind a movement to take revenge on their husbands. After the movement is crushed, they again withdraw from her. Years pass and Orsolya becomes an activist in the city. But adoration cannot replace her desire for love. When tempers flare in the village, the villagers know they have nowhere else to turn but the Bearwoman. Orsolya returns to Erdőfüle out of duty, but deep inside she knows she must confront the reasons for her outcast status. Contact info gyimesianna85@gmail.com
Feature Films
Genre: Mockumentary Writer: Fruzsina Klára Danszki, Anna Gyimesi Director: Anna Gyimesi Producer: Ábel Kocsó Production company: TBD Language: Hungarian with English subtitles Estimated budget: 300,000 EUR
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Graffiti on the Wall (Georgia)
BUDAPEST DEBUT FILM FORUM
Genre: Drama Writer: George Varsimashvili Director: George Varsimashvili Producer: Nino Devdariani, George Varsimashvili Production company: Alamdary Films, Vars-Studio Language: Georgian Estimated budget: 400,000 EUR Synopsis: Lisa, a fourty years old actress discovers a piece of graffiti, which reads « Lisa is a Whore ». Couple of days later, the same tag appears in front of the theatre and a week after, in front of the school where she takes her kid. Slowly these graffities spread in town and attract the attention. The slogan « Lisa is a Whore » becomes a popular phrase almost everywhere from social media to the daily life. Street artists start improvising, a music band writes the song, even a sex shop is called « Lisa ». Theatre shows are sold out, mostly by teenage boys who expect an erotic show. This new cultural trend has a severe consequence on Lisa, who gradually loses everything. She has problems in the theatre, at home and in the society. The only way to stop this viral spread, is to find who is making graffiti. Contact info: vars-studio@hotmail.com
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Inertia (Greece)
Synopsis: A workaholic father who loses his 7-year-old son in a festival crowd, feeling unbearably guilty, struggles to “rebuild” his family. The father, the main protagonist, cannot accept this tragic event and he constantly hopes that someday he’ll find his child. His hope is transformed to persistence; he is treated as eccentric, since he searches for his son on his own for many years. However, this unrealistic hope gives him the power to reinvent a new life goal: create the Formula-1 car he promised to his son. On the other hand, the mother lingers deeply in a state of mourning and grief, having lost all hope. Although after many years, she tries to stand on her own feet, making a fresh start with her new family, she cannot stand her world as it is. Inertia is a drama film about how people react to change. In physics, inertia is the resistance of a physical object to any change in its velocity. After a sudden braking, the car driver tends to move forward. His body resists. Change is hard. Contact info: alexkosto@gmail.com info@soulproductions.gr rom.lobach@gmail.com
Feature Films
Genre: Drama, sports Writer: Alexandros Kostopoulos Director: Alexandros Kostopoulos Producers: Ioanna Soultani, Romanna Lobach Production company: SOUL Productions Language: Greek, English Estimated budget: 700,000 EUR
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The Origin of the World (Germany / Hungary)
BUDAPEST DEBUT FILM FORUM
Genre: drama Writer: Borbála Nagy Director: Borbála Nagy Producer: Margarita Amineva-Jester Production company: Voices Films Language: Hungarian, German, French, English, Hebrew, Polish Estimated budget: 675,000 - 995,000 EUR Synopsis: Childless Maya (39) is informed by the social worker that there is a little girl for adoption she and her husband could meet the next morning. The relationship between Maya and her husband has been marred by the countless attempts to get pregnant. Maya has one night to understand if her marriage is stable enough to take in a new life. Single Becky (42) plans the invitro alone. Parallely her family arrives from Israel to celebrate the Jewish New Year together in Berlin. Becky hopes that they will support her decision. When she drops the news as a bomb at the dinner table, everyone is shocked. For the first time in her life, Becky stands up for herself. Pregnant Jola (41) is given a day by her doctor to decide about an abortion pill. She moves around Paris doing her errands, weighing all pros and cons. The Polish-born Jola just relocated herself to France to teach gender politics. Now she is confronted with the reality that is more complex than any theory. Contact info: contact@voicesfilms.com
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The World According to Klara / Svět podle Kláry (Czechia)
Synopsis: “When Pavel falls head over heels in love with a girl on a dating site, he has no idea that it’s really his colleague Klára hiding under Gabriela’s false profile. A shy loner living half in a virtual world, she creates false identities. It doesn’t take long and Klára manages to impress Pavel in the real world as well. It appears all is well with the relationship, however, as time goes on the initial deceit begins to take its toll. Both Klara and Pavel are forced to work on a seemingly contented relationship that keeps them trapped for fear of facing the truth of their relationship.” Contact info: jirkamatousek92@gmail.com pavelvacha@gmail.com
Feature Films
Genre: comedy, drama, thriller Writer: Jiří Matoušek, Jaroslav Miška Director: Jiří Matoušek Producer: Pavel Vácha Production company: Bratři s.r.o. Language: czech, slovak Estimated budget: 809,000 EUR
BUDAPEST DEBUT FILM FORUM
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Series
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Alchevsky’s Mystery (Ukraine)
Synopsis: May 7, 1901. Warsaw railway station in Saint Petersburg, Russia. A mutilated body is found on the rails. The deceased is identified as Oleksiy Alchevsky - a renowned banker, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, one of the richest people of the Russian Empire’s South. A note, found on the body, attests that was a suicide. Rumors, that Alchevsky was killed, start spreading all over the empire. Realizing that this can potentially lead to a scandal, the St. Petersburg Police Department decides to investigate Alchevsky’s death and entrusts the case to a young detective, Vasily Yanovsky. The investigator does not disclose to anyone, that his father was well acquainted with the deceased - so this is personal, and this is a matter of honor. Vasily understands, that in order to solve this case, it is necessary to know everything about Alchevsky. He begins to dig and delve. Interrogating each suspect (wife, children, competitors) he makes a psychological profile of Alchevskiy, and it helps him to find answers to the main questions - was it suicide? And who has ruined Alchevsky’s empire? Contact info: ukrstar2017@ukr.net
Series
Genre: detective, historical drama, biopic Format: 8x45 Writer: Marina Dymshyts Director: Taras Dron Producer: Yakovleva Natalia Production company: LLC Ideas Bank Language: Ukrainian-Russian Estimated budget: 2,191,000 EUR
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Cocoa with Water (Hungary)
BUDAPEST DEBUT FILM FORUM
Genre: limited series, dramedy Format: 6x50’ Writer: Lalita Kalmár, Zsófi Liter Director: Zsófi Liter Producer: Gerzson Szántó Production company: Language: Hungarian Estimated budget: 1,800,000 EUR Synopsis: After accidentally eating from a birthday cake with unknown magical powers, four parents – 3 mums and one dad, who are strangers to each other and follow different parenting styles – swap bodies. In this surrealistic situation they have the opportunity to look at their problems from a totally new perspective and realize that the solutions what may at first seem antipathetic could be actually good ones. The four parents are trying to find a solution to get back to their “old” lives during which they become friends. They share funny and difficult moments, while trying to navigate in the absurd reality of everyday life. The good-looking single dad trapped in the body of a six months pregnant, quirky woman, a real mother han-type woman living as a single dad, the pregnant woman trapped in a pretentious woman’s life, and the woman of appearances as a mother in a loving and caring, but poor family. After two months they fail to remove the spell, but make progress in their lives. Contact info: gerzson.szanto@gmail.com kalmar.lalita@gmail.com zsofi.liter@gmail.com
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Killswitch (Slovakia)
Synopsis: Killswitch tells a story of a global cyber war between the West and the East, and two different women who fight their battles in it. It’s a David and Goliath story, with two female Davids, taking it up with the giant that is the system. Lea is a jaded expat hacker in an Eastern European country, trying to save her best friend, Nina is a conservative journalist who is trying to prove her colleague didn’t commit suicide, he was murdered. Their journeys connect when they realise both of these men were trying to expose the corruption of the current Prime minister in the upcoming elections. They have to overcome their differences and work together to get what they want. In the process, they realise that the dark money behind the Prime minister’s campaign is attached to a dangerous plan to take over the country’s democracy and free speech. Both women will be forced to forget everything they believe in and take a stand to stop the cyber war from plunging the whole world into chaos. Contact info: lukasterenson@gmail.com a.a.rudakova@gmail.com
Series
Genre: Thriller Format: 6x55 Writer: Anastasia Hoppanova Director: Anastasia Hoppanova, Lukas Teren Producer: Lukas Teren Production company: Teren s.r.o. Language: Slovak, English Estimated budget: 2,500,000 EUR
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The Great Trial (Hungary)
BUDAPEST DEBUT FILM FORUM
Genre: mini-series, limited Format: 6X45’ Writer: Anita Németh, Diana Groó Director: Diana Groó Producer: Julianna Ugrin, Diana Groó Production company: Éclipse Film Language: hungarian, yiddish, polish, russian, english/french/german Estimated budget: 1,250,520 / 208,420 EUR per episode Synopsis: 12 years before the Dreyfus Affair, in 1882, a 14-year-old Hungarian peasant girl from village Tiszaeszlár heads out to the store, never to return home. 15 Orthodox Jews, that fled to Hungary from the Russian pogroms, are arrested by authorities under the accusation of ritual murder. Móric Scharf a 13 years old Jewish boy became the key witness, who intimidated and tortured was forced into testifying falsely against his parents and coreligionists. The role of defense attorney is assumed by Károly Eötvös, who doesn’t rest until the truth comes to light and manages to destroy the forged and xenophobic accusations. The international press follows the events from close. The series shows the trial from the indictment until the verdict, having Károly Eötvös and a Western-European woman correspondent as main characters. Each episode focuses on a different layer of the story, has a different perspective. This miniseries tells a story from the past that is very much relevant, even more today. Contact info: zsofia.zurbo@eclipsefilm.hu groodiana@gmail.com
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Unconditional (Germany)
Synopsis: A dating agency with a dark secret: With the help of a drug, people’s feelings are manipulated and love is “manufactured”. WHO WOULD SAY NO TO SUCH A DRUG? - BUT WHO COULD SAY YES IN GOOD CONSCIENCE? Johanna’s new job at a dating agency sounds promising. She is supposed to match couples who will fall in love with each other. Her new employer expects a lot - 100% success rate is what the dating agency promises and delivers. But Johanna soon finds out that she has no influence whatsoever on the fact that the lovers are inseparable. She begins to investigate - without suspecting that she will soon get caught up in a deep tangled web of intrigue and manipulation. Contact info: lea@kalekone-film.com
Series
Genre: Mystery Format: 6x45’ Writer: Lea Neu, Luisa Nöllke, Natascha Zink Producer: Lea Neu Production company: kalekone film Language: German Estimated budget: tba
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Schedule March 29 9.00 – 14.00
Arrivals
17.00 – 19.00
Group work, introduction (Group A and B)
19:00 – 21:00
Welcome drink and snack (hosted by BDFF)
March 30 9.00 – 11.00
Group A: groupwork with script consultant (P. Marek) Group B: packaging for markets and festivals (Zs. Bánkuti and N. Taraba)
11.15 – 13.15
Group A: packaging for markets and festivals (Zs. Bánkuti and A. Solomon) Group B: groupwork with script consultant (C. Tysz)
Lunchbreak 15:00 – 16:45
Plenary session: case studies on marketing strategies - Boris Pugnet
17:00 – 18:15
Plenary session: case studies on international coproduction - Ada Solomon
19:00 – 20:30
Exclusive free screening of The Informant (ep. 1-2.), original Hungarian HBO series (Cirko Gejzir cinema)
BUDAPEST DEBUT FILM FORUM
March 31 9.00 – 11.00
Group A: pitch prep in groupwork (Zs. Bánkuti) Group B1 (producers): financing and coproduction strategies (N.Taraba and K. Smieja) Group B2 (writers): groupwork with script consultant (C. Tysz)
11.15 – 13.15
Group A1 (producers): financing and coproduction strategies (A. Solomon) Group A2 (writers,directors): groupwork with script consultant (P. Marek) Group B: pitch prep in groupwork (Zs. Bánkuti)
Lunchbreak 15:15 – 16:30
Plenary session: panel talk on new ways of financing European works (Marcin Luczaj, Klaudia Smieja, Jakub Viktorin)
16:50 – 18:00
Plenary session: case study on Informant - original Hungarian HBO series – Anna Závorszky, Viktória Petrányi
20:00
Dinner for participants and guest experts (hosted by BDFF)
April 1 13:00 – 15:00
Plenary session – pitch forum
15:00 – 17:00
One to one meetings
17:00 – 18:00
Award ceremony
21:00
Closing party
BUDAPEST DEBUT FILM FORUM
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The whole BDFF team stands with Ukraine. Cinemas are destroyed. Talents are destroyed. The darkest fiction has become reality.
Peace, freedom and cinema for Ukraine!