WORLD OF YOUNG CINEMA
the berlin 2016 issue
a magazine for emerging filmmakers published by daazo.com – the European Shortfilm Centre
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CO NTENTS 5
The rise and shine of shorT film makers – Berlinale Shorts and Talents Maike Mia HöHne’s welcoMe, page 7 THe iron lady wiTH THe suffrageTTe HearT – this year’s head of Jury, Meryl streep, page 9 aTTracT, reJecT and provoke THy friend – an interview with last year’s silver Bear winner Joanna arnow, page 10 Mapping your Mind, page 12 Berlinale TalenTs – the highlights by christine Tröstrum and florian weghorn, page 26 THe TalenTs speak – then and now, page 29 in realiTy, iT’s all down To JusT TalenT and luck – an interview with Berlinale residency participant ella Manzheeva, page 32
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leT The young one in! – young cinema and the EFM pusHing filMMakers To geT THeir Hands dirTy – an interview with the executive director of eurimages, roberto olla, page 36 More THan JusT a MarkeT – tips on what and how to visit a film market, page 40 efM info pack – an overview of the european film Market, page 42 Training opporTuniTies – entering the feature doc-market - a selection of workshops, page 44 Hearing THe voices of THe young proTagonisTs – an interview with the head of the generation programme, Maryanne redpath, page 46
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firsT Time’s already a charm – all about first features son of saul – a remarkable debut feature success story, page 50 THe rigHT age for a firsT feaTure – find out with our game! page 52 docuMenTary feaTure deBuTs – following the instincts, page 54 THe firsT feaTure HigHligHTs of europe in 2015, page 58 THe piTcH page, page 62
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fesTival life never sTops – festival reviews and a panorama Blue is THe color of growing up – a prize-winning short film, page 76 expanding THe filM fesTival dosage in warsaw, page 77 sTranger THan ficTion – Jihlava international documentary film festival, page 78 daazo fesTival disTriBuTion porTfolio – finding a way out of the maze of festivals, page 81 fesTival panoraMa, page 82
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THE ILLUSTRATOR AND OUR NEW EDITOR Meet two important minds behind the Berlinale issue of World of Young Cinema.
Eugenia Loli
Janka Pozsonyi
eugenia is a modern vintage collage artist. Before art took over her life, she was in the technology sector. she is originally from greece, but she has lived in california for many years now.
Janka, world of young cinema’s new editor is based in Budapest. she works as a journalist, photographer and editor at daazo.com. she adores the film festival rush and cinema in general.
What comes to mind when you hear “Berlin”? 1989
What comes to mind when you hear “Berlin”? e flying statue in wolfgang Becker’s Good Bye Lenin. and the endless subway tickets.
Greenaway or Ridley Scott? ridley scott. i'm a sci-fi girl looking for avenues and experiences that go further than humanity's existence and understanding. dramas (like greenaway's) usually concentrate on humans, what it means to be human, and things like that. it might be shocking to some readers, but i'm not interested in humans that much. ere's much more in the universe than just us. Who would direct the film of your life? i hope no one. it would be yet another boring human drama for the first 30 years of my life, and then it would be completely non-dramatic and flat for the rest of the time. definitely not a blockbuster! Your secret crush? food. Your favourite film of 2015? i don't like most movies, i find them naive or patronizing. e Martian was probably the best of the last year, for trying to be as realistic as possible. Which film would you watch on an important first date? e Matrix. if the guy doesn't get its deeper meaning, then there's no reason for a second date.
Greenaway or Ridley Scott? Why? ridley scott, but only until the 2000s. almost everything before is greatness, almost everything aer is a bore. Who would direct the film of your life? Joe swanberg, the duplass brothers or anyone else from the ex-mumblecores, dealing with the lives of the imperfect people. Your secret crush? who am i kidding, it’s Michael fassbender. i get him, and i’m pretty sure he would perfectly get me. Your favourite film of 2015? Why? Force Majeure by ruben östlund. Humorous, dramatic and painfully smart. again, those defected humans need to be shown more and more. Which film would you watch on an important first date? anything from a woody allen retrospective. To see what gets the laughs.
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words by Zsuzsanna Deák
DEar FriEnDS in BErLin, Welcome to our brand neW magazine, World of Young cinema! after five years of concentrating exclusively on short films, we decided that it was time for a little change. short films are still very dear to us, but since we started writing about them in 2010, many of the filmmakers we interviewed and praised then have made the big leap and shot their first (and even second!) features. and we are eager to follow their journey. so, besides shorts, we will discuss everything about young cinema and emerging filmmakers in this Berlinale issue and our future editions. This made it necessary to change the name of the magazine, too: world of shorts has become world of young cinema. and we are here, in Berlin again!
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of course, we still dedicate a whole section of the new magazine to Berlinale shorts and Berlinale Talents. starting on page 5, you can read all about the films, the people behind them, the talents, and the organisers of these extraordinary programmes and most of all, the creativity that radiates all over Berlin in february. The other focus of woyc is the business side of it all: the labyrinth of the european film Market (efM), development and funding tips for first features, and success stories. read our interviews, reports and articles on these subjects from pages 34 and 52. The pitch page – this time for first features – returns: prepare to marvel at the creative power behind the selected film plans, starting on page 62. as always, we have visited and reviewed festivals, and prepared a useful festival panorama for your convenience – with a special focus on first features. find daazo’s news and experiences in the festival life section starting on page 75. we hope you will enjoy the renewed magazine – and if you are in Berlin in february, please come and raise your glass with us on young cinema at our young filmmakers’ party on the 15th!
berlinale ShortS and talentS:
THE RISE
AND SHINE OF SHORT FILM MAKERS Welcome back filmmakers and film enthusiasts to the golden scene of short films, and the 5th Berlinale edition of World of Shorts! Once again we take a look at our favourite selection, the competing Berlinale Shorts, and the inspiring networking platform of the Berlinale Talents. By reaching out for the Selector, the Winner, and the Talent, we are covering all the basics of what’s happening in the short film scene around you in the next couple of days. Let’s dive into it, shall we? Collage by Eugenia Loli
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WELCOME The curator of Berlinale Shorts, Maike Mia Höhne has sent us her thoughts on this year’s selection, and a few photos that illustrate them perfectly.
placed together, the films at Berlinale shorts 2016 constitute one body of work, a cinematic essay. reaching beyond the individual film, it provides scope for a greater endeavour: the longing to land. while some return, others will never arrive. inspired by a picture from photographer Juan Medina, director ronny Trocker re-enacts a refugee’s arrival on a spanish beach. e memory of war remains, buried recollections infiltrate the now – like a fata Morgana the pictures materialize, then disappear, overlap. christine rebet depicts the psyche. How are the various time planes represented? celluloid is implemented, was from the past and directly refers to a representative’s nostalgic stance. Today, reversal is generated through successive composition interlacing. How will it show tomorrow, when flaws in the digital image are no longer visible – what will the time machine of 2020 look like? it remains fascinating. we look forward to welcoming you!
is article is published as submitted by the author, without changes.
portrait by Simone Scardovelli, photos: Maike Mia Höhne
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text by Janka Pozsonyi
iron lady with The suffragette heart The
she is considered to be the greatest living actress of our age, with her record breaking awards and nominations, and her versatile method acting – whether she’s a ruthless boss, a giggly cook or an elderly rock star, her talent always stands out. she’s also a great humanitarian, a constant advocate of women’s rights, and just so it happens, she’s also the president of this year’s Jury at the 66th Berlinale. That’s right, meryl streep has taken over the seat of the head of Jury for the first time. We wondered what her most important “firsts” have been in her career.
although she starred in a couple of high school plays and acted on stage during a course at yale school of drama, she landed her first theatre role in 1975, when she moved to new york. Her debut on the television screen was a 1977 Tv movie called e Deadliest Season where she played the wife of an aggressive hockey player, which was followed by her first feature appearance at the side of Jane fonda in Julia that year. it was a very small role, with only a few sentences to say. Two short years later she landed the part of linda in e Deer Hunter, which brought her the first oscar nomination, which was followed by 18 more over the years. is number made her a record breaker in the countdown of academy award and golden globe nominations (which is standing at 27 times at the moment). she’s still at the top of both lists. of course, she didn’t have to wait long for the actual golden statue – only one year later, in 1979, she won the Best supporting actress for Kramer vs. Kramer. Her dramatic talent was already undeniable at the time, but she had to wait almost 10 years for her first comedy role in the She-Devil, and ironically – according to the critics then – she was the “one reason” to watch that average black comedy. Photo: Brigitte Lacombe
she gave her voice to many documentaries and animated shorts as a narrator, even her first noted role is a small voiceover from 1975 for an animated feature. e first and sadly the last live action short film on her filmography is a 40 minutes long musical from 2006 called the Music of Regret. in this half animated / half live action film, Meryl plays a female ventriloquist who is singing with her 5 dummies about the failures of attachment and communication. The film was created by the artist laurie simmons (mother of the multitalented lena dunham). But it is not just her cinematic achievements that have made her one of the most acknowledged persons in the film industry – her wide range of charity work involves healthcare, environmental causes, funding art projects, and most often, she is actively supporting women’s rights in as many areas as possible. last april she funded a special programme for a special cause that no one has supported before: she helped organise a screenwriting lab for the new york women in film and Television and iris films, called the writers lab. it was a creative screenplay development programme, designed for women over the age of 40. she’s a real life “suffragette” – one of a kind. WOYC by Daazo.com 9
interview by Janka Pozsonyi
ATTRACT, REJECT and provoke thY friend Last year at the 65th Berlinale Film Festival, the Brooklyn based director and cinematographer Joanna arnow’s explicit and funny sort of coming-of-age short film Bad at Dancing won the Silver Bear Jury Prize. Joanna’s fresh and honest point of view on female sexuality and self impression has been travelling around the world ever since. We were curious about the effect the prize had on her life, the characters that made the Bear possible, and of course, whether her dancing skills got any better in the passing year.
How has winning last year's Silver Bear changed your life and your career? it was an incredible honor to receive this award, and meant a lot to me. it brought Bad at Dancing to the attention of a lot of festivals, and helped give the film an exciting festival run. i hope it will help make it easier to get my next films made. In some opinions, your style and your personality at certain points recalls the style of Lena Dunham: the topics, the awkwardness, the nudity and explicit sexuality. What do you think about that comparison? it’s not a comparison that i would make. But on another note, it is exciting to see lena dunham’s success in an industry where so few women reach high levels, and not enough multidimensional stories about women are being told. i hope that Bad at Dancing, by showing the complexities and sexual intrigue in the friendship between my character and eleanore’s, adds to the diversity of women represented on screen.
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Why did you choose to play the main character yourself? What is the difference between you and her? The story is not based on real events, but i do see the character i play as a distorted version of myself. The film is a fictionalized composite inspired by several friendships i’ve had. i’m often friends with people who are more outgoing than i am – i was interested in exploring the leader/follower dynamic, and what each side got out of the friendship. since i wrote my character as a version of myself, it seemed like i was the best fit for the part, although i did consider other options. Did you use any improvisation in the script? with the exception of one scene, there wasn’t improvisation. e film’s narrative has absurd elements, and i wanted to minimize feelings of ordinariness and casual naturalism. But i also wanted the two singing scenes to stand in contrast to the rest of the film, since they most clearly show the closeness between my character and eleanore’s and the second one
still photos from Bad at dancing
of these has some improvisation. eleanore is terrific at improvisation, so it was great to work with her on this. (she’s in a comedy dance troupe called cocoon central dance Team, which sometimes uses elements of improve in their multidisciplinary performances.) How would you describe the relationship between these girls and the boy? e film is about how my character inserts herself into the relationship of her more charismatic roommate isabel – and then the two women test each other’s emotional and sexual boundaries. i see the friendship between the characters as one that cycles between jealousy, attraction, rejection and provocation – my hope is that the fluidity shown here challenges traditional ideas about relationships. i also wanted to take the idea of being a third wheel, and push it to the extreme in order to more fully explore that situation. You work as a cinematographer too. What do you prefer: directing or cinematography? for my work, i am a cinematographer – i shoot documentaries, fiction films and corporate content. it would be great
to also be hired to write and direct, but this hasn’t happened yet. it’s hard to say which i like more, because they both inform the way i approach my films. But i consider myself a director first, because i want to have autonomy over the stories i tell. What is your next film project? Do you ever see yourself making feature films? i have a feature screenplay in the works. i made a documentary feature i hate myself :) and plan for my next films to be narrative features. Have you seen anything inspiring lately? Short or feature? Jennifer reeder’s films are exciting, badass and one of a kind. i recently saw a programme of her films that included earlier works, and i enjoy seeing the recurring motifs and props, the modes of resistance that come in different forms – it felt very rich to watch. All in all, do you think you have become better at dancing? a little bit.
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YOur MinD To illustrate better the relationship between directors and their work, the filmmakers whose short films have been selected for the Berlinale shorts programme were asked to draw spontaneously something about their film, using a pencil and a piece of paper – or any other medium they could think of. anything would do – a symbol, a landscape, fresh and raw, straight from their imagination.
Turn the page to find a selection of daazo’s choice of eight images – you can view all mapping your mind pictures in the online version of World of young cinema magazine. Collage by Eugenia Loli
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hoppTorneT ten meter toWer
a ten meter diving tower. people who have never been up there before have to choose whether to jump or climb down. î ˘e situation itself highlights a dilemma: to weigh the instinctive fear of taking the step out into the thin air against the humiliation of having to climb down. Ten Meter Tower is an entertaining study of the human in a vulnerable position.
maximilien van aertryck & axel danielson Sweden
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in The soldier’s head
In the Soldier’s Head gives her viewer an intensely personal perspective on historical traumas, reinterpreted through the lands, bodies and minds that are subject to them. The film depicts the delusions flowing from a mind ravaged by violence: a vision grown from the inside out. like a mirage amidst a blank, desert expanse, spectres are conjured as the inanimate comes to life. whirring machines sputter, gears turn and levers crank as ceaselessly firing synapses of a hyperactive psyche pour out. christine rebet USA/France
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relucTanTly Queer
î ˘is epistolary short film invites us into the unsettling life of a young ghanaian man struggling to reconcile his love for his mother with his love for same-sex desire amid the increased tensions incited by same-sex politics in ghana. focused on a letter that is ultimately filled with hesitation and uncertainty, Reluctantly Queer both disrobes and questions what it means to be queer for this man in this time and space.
akosua adoma owusu Ghana/USA
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six cenTs in The pockeT
a young man – with a small and diminishing supply of money – apartmentsits for friends as talk of a plane crash ominously lingers in the air.
ricky d’ambrose USA
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a man reTurned
reda is 26 years old. His dreams of escaping the palestinian refugee camp of ain el-Helweh ended in failure after three years trapped in greece. He returned with a heroin addiction to life in a camp being torn apart by internal strife and the encroachment of war from syria. against all odds he decides to marry his childhood sweetheart; a love story, as bittersweet as the camp itself.
mahdi fleifel United Kingdom / Netherlands / Denmark drawing by Maartje alders, producer assistant, fellow filmmaker
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die unzugänglichkeiT der griechischen anTike und ihre folgen the inacceSSibilitY of ancient greece and itS impact
a group of high school students are followed through an abandoned modernist arne Jacobsen school building. e eight protagonists are shown preparing various material throughout the corridors, cafeteria, hall, gymnasium, library and classrooms. The use of typical theatrical apparatus helps to feed a self-sufficient production, which manifests as a kind of seance of cultural professionalisation.
gerrit frohne-Brinkmann & paul spengemann Germany drawing by actor konrad könig
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TsomeT haruhoT WindS Junction
Bat-elle and zohar drive to the sinai peninsula for a vacation and vanish on their way. î ˘eir camcorder footage reveals their last day. They get into a clash with a temperamental pickup truck driver, and as they drive deep into the remote desert, they find the truck ruthlessly preying on them. rotem murat Israel
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love
LOVE is a short film describing affection in 3 different chapters, through an impact on a distant solar system. abstract haiku-like situations reveal the change in atmosphere on one planet, caused by the change of gravity and light. is pulsing planet makes the inhabitants become one with each other in various ways.
réka Bucsi Hungary
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anoTher ciTy
“a drenched middle-aged woman taking off her wig, gazing out of the glass windows. a young man bursting into tears in a karaoke room surrounded by tropical landscape wallpaper. a young woman trying to wipe a smear off of the wedding dress she's wearing. each predicament is woven seamlessly together by a familiar asian refrain…” pham ngoc lan Vietnam
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esTaTe / summer
on a sunny Mediterranean beach, time seems to be frozen. a black man, utterly exhausted, painfully crawls to leave the beach. all around him, the usual mix of people enjoying the beach seem not to notice him. freely inspired by a photo taken by Juan Medina on the beach of gran Tarajal in spain, in 2006. ronny Trocker France/Belgium
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el Buzo the diver
Julio cĂŠsar cu cĂĄmara is the chief diver in the Mexico city sewerage system, his job is to repair pumps and dislodge garbage that flows into the gutters to maintain the circulation of sewerage waters.
esteban arrangoiz Mexico
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BERLINALE TALENTS the highlightS interview by Zsuzsanna Deák World of Young Cinema asked Christine Tröstrum, project manager of Berlinale Talents, and Florian Weghorn, programme manager of Berlinale Talents of their most memorable moments over the years and what they expect from the 2016 edition.
the biggest surprise Christine: we had a breakfast with wong kar-wai when he was the Jury president of the festival. we decided this very late with the guest management and informed the Talents only on short notice that we would bring a surprise guest to their hostel in the morning. the greatest challenge Christine: To find partners and sponsors every year who support Berlinale Talents. Florian: e greatest joy and challenge for a programmer is to always remain sensitive to the many perspectives of a group of 300 Talents from almost 80 countries and even more cultures. ere is no right or wrong, there are only ideas to share and discuss. a reason to be proud Christine: our continually growing alumni network. Florian: i am always very happy when filmmakers of Berlinale Talents work together for one of their projects. we have several of those 26 WOYC by Daazo.com
photo by Peter Himsel
talent-tagged teams every year. and when you see them reunited in Berlin or at another festival to present the film, we always feel like it is a homerun for us. the most touching memory Christine: i remember many touching moments. last year i met a documentary filmmaker from sudan who won with his first film a price at the durban film festival. i encouraged him to apply to Berlinale Talents and he was invited. last week he told us about having difficulties getting to to Berlin. first we didn’t understand what happened but then we received another email from him. He wrote that he was in the middle of a war zone and tried to reach a refugee camp. from there he will try to get an un flight and will hopefully reach an international airport in africa to catch a flight to Berlin. we support him wherever we can of course. Florian: for me, last year’s on-stage encounter between documentary filmmakers Marcel ophüls and Joshua oppenheimer stands out. it was the first time they met. e session was
filled with their respective interest into each other’s approach to work and their mutual courage to search for truth in the aftermath of history’s darkest episodes. the happiest thing Christine: every year, it is the first morning at Berlinale Talents when you welcome the 300 selected filmmakers from around 80 countries. Florian: and of course the last evening of Berlinale Talents when the 300 participants and the same number of very exhausted experts and festival guests conclude the week together at the legendary Talents closing party. the most exciting moment Christine: in 2007, when shah rukh khan was at the Berlinale for the first time. on a sunday morning he was on a panel at Berlinale Talents and the fans raged on the street in front of the theatre. i’ve never seen so many women and children crying. e fans were so happy when shah rukh khan came out for a moment to talk with the people and sign autographs. Florian: attending our international initiative “Talents Beirut” last fall, the atmosphere in the city was marked by demonstrations and protests provoked by a garbage strike and the generally difficult situation in the region. To be there with a group of editors, sound designers and cinematographers from all over the arab world during that time and to feel their respect and openness towards each other was an unforgettable experience for me.
Florian: Highlighting the various natures of their relations, there will be a lot of team spirit in the air this year. we’ll bring together Mexican hot shots Michel franco and gabriel ripstein to celebrate their producer-director friendship on stage. experts who consider storytelling as a “gesamtkunstwerk” of all fields will create links between the writing and the editing processes for a drama series. and because i am a big fan of short film as the perfect genre-bender, testing field and invitation to break with habits, i also look forward to the pep talk given by the short film programmers of Toronto, Tampere and Berlinale. a remarkable thing about Berlinale Talents 2016 Christine: around 50 of the invited Talents have already had films in the past years at the festival. Florian: and over 100 former participants return to the Berlinale with new films they have recently worked on. Making use of this huge pool of experience, Talents alumni join our programme as experts now and rub shoulders with their fellows from this year’s edition. furthermore it’s a lucky year for our short film station: no less than three of their lately developed projects will celebrate their premieres in the official Berlinale programmes.
the saddest part (if there is such a thing) Christine: yes, every year, when it’s over. most anticipated in 2016 Christine: we will have Meryl streep, omas vinterberg and roy andersson among our experts this year. WOYC by Daazo.com 27
compiled by Zsuzsanna Deák
BERLINALE TALENTS ThEn & now World of Young Cinema asked two Berlinale Talents alumni about their experience from last year, and spoke with two current Talents who are getting ready to immerse themselves in the world of this amazing programme. The keywords were: intense, improve, meeting and creating.
««««««««««««««««««««««««« THE ALumNi JALAL MAGHout Jalal is an animation filmmaker from syria. He participated in Berlinale Talents in 2015. Jalal produced and directed a variety of short animated films that were screened at festivals around the world, including his most recent film Suleima, an animated documentary. AINA CALLeJA aina is a film editor. she was born in spain but has lived in Mexico city since 2005. she has edited several full length films and documentaries, which have been awarded in many festivals. aina was a Berlinale Talent in 2014.
«««««««««««««««««««« THE 2016 TALENTS VICtoRIA SCHuLz victoria is an actress and short film maker from Berlin.
FReDeRIk NICoLAI frederik is a producer who started his career producing fiction series, feature and short films in Belgium and the netherlands. now he dedicates himself to author documentaries.
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THE ALumNi
i wanted to meet professionals in my field in order to improve and empower my experience. it is definitely possible through the Berlinale Talents programme which offers plenty of meetings, master classes, and labs on different topics like distribution, financing and rights. i also wanted to discuss my upcoming projects with professionals from different artistic backgrounds as well as finding collaborators for my new film project. all of this i managed to achieve, and as a result i’ll present my project Have a Nice Dog! in the framework of the robert Bosch stiung during the Berlinale 2016.” Jalal “a more direct effect of Talents on my works was ‘Beyond the Boundaries: worlds yet untold’, a two days production design workshop in which i participated and where we had to create and shape a completely imaginary city on many levels: history, society, beliefs, architecture, costumes, politics and so on. at the end of the second day i had the feeling that this place definitely exists – you could hardly believe that everything was created from zero. is way of building totally new worlds is somehow related to my new projects.” Jalal “My best memory? e beautiful tiredness i felt at the end of every day!” Jalal “for me, the connections i made at Berlinale Talents are the most important. i met a lot of nice people, some of them are now friends, and with some of them there is a possibility of a kind of collaboration in the future.” Jalal “i was very excited to attend one of the most important film festivals in the world. one part of me wanted to see as many films as possible in the festival, the other wanted to get in contact with the other Talents in order to open up possibilities for future collaborations.” aina “aer the Berlinale Talents experience, i continued editing and collaborated with a mate from Berlinale Talents, Joaquin del paso, in his first film Maquinaria Panamericana, which will be screened in the forum section at the Berlinale.” aina “when you are in your country, city or behind your desk working on your projects, sometimes you tend to forget that the world is full of people that are in the same situation as you are. ey are working on a creative process, looking for funding to complete the process, looking for opinions and points of view to advance in their work and reach the people, the audience. when you arrive at a place like the Berlinale Talents you feel that someone is there for you during these processes. you learn from others’ experiences and you know that you can go to other people to continue advancing in the process.” aina
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THE 2016 TALENTS
last year i played the main characters in two feature films. ey were very difficult, ambivalent parts, so i think that was the reason why i was chosen: that it's hard to recognize me in both films because i act so differently.” victoria “i have the need to learn and to become inspired by new adventures inside of me. as an actress it is very important to keep the balance between practising and getting control of your body and mind but on the other hand always being ready to fail, that means to cross the borders. at Berlinale Talents, i hope to get overwhelmed by new, strange and inspiring inputs, tasks and people to get into that state of pure acting and being.” victoria “i would like to meet people from all the different departments of filmmaking. it's so interesting to hear other perspectives and thoughts about filmmaking than just the familiar actor’s view. But it's also interesting to meet actors from other countries and to hear what it is like to be actor somewhere else, for example how the political situation influences you.” victoria “i hope i will stay in touch with young international filmmakers and that i will get new ideas for new film projects and also refresh my way of acting.” victoria “Being able to show who you are and what your work and passion is about, has to be an easy evidence for me.” frederik “e Berlinale is just my favourite film festival. all genres find their place, young talents get the opportunity to show their work, and it is very accessible and democratic towards the industry. you feel as welcome as george clooney is.” frederik “i’m always very keen on expanding my international network. i want to meet people working in the different divisions of documentary film production, to see how we can share our knowledge and experiences, how we can make the documentary film industry stronger. How we can escape from the ‘niche’ that is oen allocated to the genre of documentary film. How we could make crossover between genres and platforms.” frederik “Berlinale Talents will bring me in contact with people and organizations i haven’t known before. i never chase people, desperately looking for funding for my actual projects. at doesn’t work, in my opinion. e best and most durable contacts come out of the blue, based on longterm trust, and even friendship.” frederik “i have the ambition to work more internationally. i believe in developing 'documentary formats’, which are adapted to an ever changing distribution world.” frederik
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IN REALITY, IT’S ALL DOWN TO JUST TALENT AND LUCK Berlinale residency is a 3 month long fellowship programme offered by the festival to 3 talented directors, to help them work on their upcoming feature film projects. From September 1st until november 30th, directors Ella Manzheeva, Daniel Borgman and Fernando Eimbcke had the chance to concentrate fully on their screenplays and projects already in development. They are also attending the Berlinale Co- Production market right now, presenting their works to the industry and maybe in the search of production partners. The last few weeks were an incredibly busy time for them, but we were able to catch Ella for a few words.
interview by Janka Pozsonyi
How was your experience at the Berlinale Residency? Berlinale residency provides an amazing opportunity to plunge into your script for three long months; i couldn’t afford such a luxury during my ordinary life! each of the participants had an individual script mentor, with whom they developed the story, its structure and characters. we also each had an industry mentor, who helped us understand the intricacies of working with potential partners and distributors, and explained in full the possible production schemes. is enabled us to understand the specifics of our films and their audiences; it also gave us the opportunity to present the films at the Berlin co-production market. What was a typical day like during your stay there? we did not have a fixed timetable during the residency, and we were free to do what we liked and to plan out our own writing time. 32 WOYC by Daazo.com
every day was different. e organisers trusted and cared for us completely and we felt no outside pressure. roughout the whole period we had three sessions with the mentors, during which we discussed all our changes, new ideas and thoughts. ere were also different meetings and workshops with interesting professionals from the world of cinema. What is the most useful thing you have learned during these last 3 months? e Berlinale residency as a whole is a really useful lesson. on the one hand, it provides contacts and an atmosphere of importance; on the other hand, there is the responsibility that comes with this. you can know all the schemes off by heart and have numerous contacts within the industry, but this will be pointless without a genius script. is is probably the main thing i learned – when you are not familiar with the intricacies of the film industry, you believe the success of a film is hidden somewhere behind the scenes;
in reality it is all down to the author, their ideas and, undoubtedly, talent. e rest is a combination of luck and technique. Your previous feature film e Gulls made a powerful statement on womanhood under pressure, and also had a very strong visual style. What is the main concept for your next film project? Tachal is nothing like e Gulls. eir only common factor is that both are kalmyk stories. Tachal, however, is more dynamic and emotional. e protagonist is a successful young man, whose Mother dies. Tachal arises between them; this is the kalmyk word for the painful connection between the dead and the living, which occurs between those who were close during life. How do you prepare for the Berlinale CoProduction market? i am currently working on the final version of the script – aer the giant flow of information i received, i need to actually understand what will or will not compliment the script. i am also preparing to cast, which should help understand the film’s atmosphere and the actor’s levels. i am also interviewing people who personally experienced Tachal. i need this for myself, but it will also help envisage visual and mental references for potential partners. How is it different to prepare for a second feature? What did you learn from the first time that you can use now? on the one hand, it is easier as you are more experienced and knowledgeable. at the same time, however, the complexity of this experience and knowledge can intimidate you. e first time round, i was nearly blinded by my belief in myself, which gave me the energy to work. it’s like jumping into a lake for the first time – you don’t know whether the water is
hot or cold, whether it is deep or not. you simply jump, and work everything else out aerwards. But once you know quite how cold and deep the lake is, it takes you a little while to make the jump, as you know of all the difficulties lying in wait. you try and work everything out, but fate isn’t a machine or a computer, and sometimes you just need to believe. and blind faith only comes once. now i need to get used to these new conditions and refuel my energy. i’m yet to find out which is harder. How is the situation of support programmes for first and second feature directors in your home country? e russian Ministry of culture of the russian federation supports newcomers. ey hold a contest, as a result of which several debuts are funded, to the sum of 70% of the budget. Besides debut films, they also support auteur and children’s films. we won the ‘film in the language of the people of russia’ category, thanks to which making e Gulls became possible. e script for Tachal was developed in the kultburo script lab, an educational programme that lasts a whole year. we received a development grant from roskino for Tachal after it was chosen for the Berlinale residency, since roskino is the only organisation that represents russian cinema abroad. ere are also workshops and pitches, which are platforms for the presentation of various, not necessarily debut, projects. Is there a film, a director or any sort of artform that inspires you when it comes to filmmaking? while i enjoy lots of different cinema, i think the director closest to me is sergei parajanov. inspiration, however, comes from nature itself, from observing the world around me, observing suffering, compassion and experience. it is difficult to live with an open wound, but i think this is the sole privilege of a true creator. WOYC by Daazo.com 33
Let the young one Young cinema and EFM
in!
For this edition we have decided to add new elements to our perspective and renewed this magazine with a new title: the world of young cinema! The European Film Market is a dynamic and useful event for promising directors (short and feature alike) to share their vision and learn to deal with the financial side of filmmaking. Learn all about the market with the help of our useful infographic, meet the director of Eurimages and the head of the Berlinale's Generation – the selection that focuses on young talents and even younger audiences, and find out about training opportunities and workshops for young filmmakers!
Collages by Eugenia Loli
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PUSHING FILMMAKERS TO GET THEIR HANDS DIRTY
an inTervieW WiTh roBerTo olla, execuTive direcTor of eurimages interview by Daniel Deák
We have seen its logo a few thousand times during the end credits of our favourite European films, among the supporters of film festivals and cinemas, but there are just a few occasions when we have the chance to get to know what exactly Eurimages is. Eurimages is the cultural support fund of the Council of Europe, the most important human rights association (which is often often confused with the European Commission, which is the executive body of the European union). Established in 1989, it currently has 36 member states, and it is based in Strasbourg. its main aim is to promote European cinema: the member states together contribute 25 million dollars which goes to support the production, distribution and exhibition of European artworks. They have now announced a new initiative, the lab project, which is meant to support 5 experimental works. We wanted to know more about it: this is why we asked roberto olla, the executive director of eurimages to explain the idea behind it.
Why did you decide to launch the Lab Project? we see that sometimes, not necessarily always, but sometimes public funds in general, both international and national or local, by trying to professionalise the industry and by trying to make their best to select the best project (whatever that means), push filmmakers to make films according to the classic rules of filmmaking. it means that these films should be well written and the script has to be professionally developed. we are all armed with the best intentions, of course, but by doing this we do not necessarily allow filmmakers to try new things. anything that is not easily understandable is considered to be unprofessional – and therefore
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not accepted. one of the functions of the public funds is to help filmmakers (producers, directors, etc.) to take risks, because the market alone does not allow that. The market wants films which sell tickets, so they do not want to take risks. The idea of the lab project is to allow filmmakers to try new things and to take risks. we don’t know exactly what directions they are going to take, because if we knew, that creativity and experimentation would not happen. so we cannot define exactly what kind of artworks we expect. we try to support non-conventional projects, and if someone defines what a non-conventional project is, it becomes conventional.
Does it mean that a project does not necessarily have to be scripted or the script-development phase would not be included?
but also from a production point of view – noncommercial. i think we will adapt project by project and we will see how we can help them making the film, and on the other hand we will have to be sure that the money we pay will be used exclusively for the project and not for other purposes.
if the project is non-scripted because of the artistic concept it is putting forward, it can be still eligible for funding – this will not play against supporting it, which is the case right How to do you see the distribution now in most of cases at funds we know, includ- possibilities of these projects? ing eurimages until now. But of course, we still Right now you support theatrical allow a traditional script version of the idea of distribution and cinema exhibition. the film they are proposing to us. is problem will not come up in practical terms, because the This is a difficult question and we do not have lab project will be judged on the moving im- a very clear answer for that. eurimages support cinema films. so both the dramaages they have already proturgy and the technical side have duced. so the money will be to be ready for that. it cannot be used either to finish shooting or audiovisual in general. How films to post-produce. in both cases, “The lab project are exploited and enjoyed by people we are not going to judge the will be judged – that is another story. you can proprojects on paper (scripts, drawduce a film which will be seen on ings, written concepts) – we are on the moving a mobile phone in theory, but it has going to judge the projects on images they to be conceived essentially for cinwhat they have already shot ema, and we will keep that. in the and on what they are going to have already traditional support scheme the matell us at oral pitchings, how produced” jority co-producer has the obligathey imagine the final version of tion to show the film in cinema the film. theatres. That obligation is softer for minority co-producers. if, for whatever Is there a certain kind of development reason, the film cannot be shown in theatre, phase aer these decisions you made? they have to show us how they plan to spread we are a kind of pioneer, because nobody has the film to the audience; there must be a stratdone this before, so we will learn more now egy for vod, festivals, dvd, Tv, whatever. by doing it. for the time being we will give That is for the traditional scheme. for the lab 50 percent of the grant upon selection, so project we are going to be a little bit more €25,000 will be paid upfront. e rest of the flexible knowing that the concept of co-profunding will be held back until the film has been duction is not going to be as strict as in the case finished. in the meantime, the filmmakers will of the traditional films. when they pitch the have to show us how things are moving on. project to us, they have to talk about the audiwe cannot be too tough with them, because ence: who they are and how they are going to these projects are – both from a dramaturgical bring the films to them.
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i am pretty sure that the problem will not appear in the classic terms: is this a film for Tv or cinema? e selection of the projects we will look at will be made by festivals. when the four festivals in question: karlovy vary, les arcs, Haugesund and essaloniki organise the lab project session, they will filter by selecting the best 10 or 15 projects. ose films – in their concept and film language – will be projects for cinema.
pushing the boundaries of their own territory, to try new ideas, to dirty their hands doing new things. whatever art forms they are going to decide to get inspirations or learn from, it’s up to them and we will be happy to see if they are very colourful.
Do you plan to support other audiovisual formats? For instance the game industry?
What other ways do you want to reach young filmmakers? Sometimes we see that they are unaware of the funding opportunities and the structures of these are hard to understand.
e game industry and the cinema industry have been completely separated until recently. ey had completely different ways of making their own films and games. now these two worlds are slowly but surely merging: there is a lot of creativity in the gaming industry and characters developed in games become heroes in films.
for the lab project, the idea is to let anybody apply: first timers and established directors alike. a lot will depend on what young filmmakers can show us as materials they have already shot. we try to explain to them that the way we are going to decide is not on paper, which guarantees that our understanding of the project is as close as it is possible to the project itself.
for the time being, eurimages is not going to put money in the game industry. we do not have the concept, and more importantly, we do not have the money for that. However, if the film or the project which is proposed to us derives from films or the concept the producers provide to us is part of a bigger picture with other audiovisual projects – that would not be a problem for us, because we are happy to see that these two worlds are more and more interconnected.
are young filmmakers targeted in this new support scheme? yes, but not only them. if you can provide footage you have already made and the above mentioned four festivals select you, nothing else matters. ey will judge based on what they see and not on the names. funnily enough, the four festivals all take place in the second part of the year, so there is still time to be prepared.
We can also see that the young generation of artists is thinking in transmedia. So there is a chance that there will be such works among the Lab Projects. i really hope so. e idea of the lab project is toencourage filmmakers to try new things by
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in my opinion it makes the process a lot more democratic. i really hope that these four festivals will go towards the right direction over the next years and the support scheme proves to be good and maybe my Board of Management will authorise me to put more money into this. at that point there will be other festivals in more regions, which would mean more opportunities for the filmmakers.
MORE THAN JUST A MARKET tipS on What and hoW to viSit What is a film market? Why are we even on the market if cinema is the Seventh art? is a film market just like the shop around the corner where we buy our fruit and vegetables? Or is it more like a building expo where brand new types of ferro-concrete are presented? and why should we go?
text by Daniel Deák
e world of cinema is a special universe, where hybrid forms of art and business are oen in conflict with each other, as managers have to understand artists and vice versa. everyone is a decision-maker, but each with a different point of view; all in the same boat, but sometimes rowing in different directions.
so do not miss your chance: go and visit festivals with markets. in this article we suggest a couple of very different markets that could help you become a more prepared filmmaker.
not much is said about these markets in film school, which is why young, recently graduated professionals ask such questions. in an ideal world, it would not even be possible to graduate without having visited a market. The World of Young Cinema magazine is committed to helping young talents be orientated in the film industry, so now we want to share why we think film markets are important platforms – and not just from the business point of view.
What does it look like?
of course, at first glance, these places may appear to be too sterile, where a creative soul could get lost only seconds aer having entered. even just as an impression, though, a film market can be a very important experience for a filmmaker, as it is where they can see how many people wish to reach the same goal of making films and delivering them to an audience. is confrontation could force one to be unique as opposed to simply accept the first and easiest choices and solutions, since they have most probably already been made by someone else.
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CLErMOnT-FErranD international Short Film Market
out of the most significant markets, this one has the strangest dimensions, as it is both very small and very big at the same time. small, because the venue is just a high school basketball court, and big, because the entire space is tightly packed with stands that are branded mainly by national film promotion agencies. Taking place within the framework of the famous clermont-ferrand international short film festival, all of the important players in the short film industry can be found in this maze: distributors, sales agents, festival programmers, etc. Why should I go? if you have your own short film or are working with shorts, then this is the perfect place to be. it is very easy to approach and meet someone thanks to its relatively small size. as soon as you enter you become a member of its community, as it is much less formal than the larger, feature
film-oriented markets. at an extra cost, you can access an easy-to-use online database of participants; professional events also take place; and among smaller presentations and round tables there is a pitching forum called euro connection, which is a marketplace for european short co-production. What to pay attention to? come prepared! is is advice for visitors of any market but is especially true for clermontferrand. it occurs just before the Berlinale, so most participants only have a few working days to spend. use the online database to know who are you looking for and contact them.
BErLinaLE The European Film Market
elevates the atmosphere of the market so that you get the feeling you’re dealing with art as opposed to fuel injection systems, drain tanks or other. Why should I go? everybody goes – that is the ultimate reason. whatever you do, you will find something relevant. if you have a feature film plan that you would like to make into an international coproduction, then head to the co-production Market, where producers, film distributors, sales agents and Tv channels come together to find interesting projects to work on. filmmaking is a very segmented industry, so it isn’t too difficult to lose sight of the bigger picture: why am i doing what i do and what are my long-term goals? e efM debates can help figure out the answer to these questions: it’s a chance to talk about strategy and to discover the latest trends and influences. e drama series days programme reflects on the recent success of Tv series, and as being a successful Tv producer or director is a great career plan for young talents, this programme is definitely worth keeping an eye on. en of course there’s classic film sales and distribution activity going on in the pavilions. However, the efM is more than just a give-and-take market: it’s a real platform to observe and to have an influence on the world’s film industry.
What does it look like? What to pay attention to? given that we talk about it a lot in this issue of World of Young Cinema, the Berlinale is one of the most prestigious and significant film festivals. is is also true for its market. since 2006 it has been taking place in Martin gropius Bau, which is a stunning museum building from the 19th century. its zigzagged spaces create a kind of intimacy and the aura of the museum
e efM is one of the biggest and most professionally organised film events, so make sure you prepare yourself professionally. know what you want to achieve and who you want to meet – and do everything in time. its programme is very rich, so it’s quite easy to get lost and waste valuable hours trying to find the right direction.
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EFM, the European Film Market, part of the 66th berlin international Film Festival, will open its doors on February 11, 2016. the exhibition spaces at the Martin-gropius-bau and the Marriott Hotel at Potsdamer Platz constitute an industrial event within the berlinale.
EFM INFO PACK The complexity of the European Film Market fits perfectly the film and audiovisual industry's needs.
FACTS AND FIGURES ABOUT THE EFM The European Film Market 2015, which took place between 5–13 February during the 65th Berlin International Film Festival, had its strongest year to date. Look at the facts and figures which sum up the number of participants, screenings, exhibitors and more. It is obvious that the moment you have the chance to enter the MartinGropius-Bau or the Marriott Hotel, you enter one of the most significant international trade fairs for film and audiovisual content in the world.
8,628
EFM ParticiPants
98
nationalitiEs
748
nuMbEr oF FilMs
1,014
nuMbEr oF MarkEt scrEEnings
533
nuMbEr oF MarkEt PrEMiErEs
1,568
nuMbEr oF buyErs
179
EFM stands & oFFicEs (Martin-gropius-bau & Marriott Hotel)
489
ExHibitors
(source of data*efm-berlinale.de)
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INDUSTRY PROGRAMMES, NEW INITIATIVES AND MORE What does the EFM consist of ?
The EFM does not only signify the name of the international fair but also designates a venue for various programmes, discussions, panels, debates about and for the international film industry. Here is the list of the sub-programmes which attract professionals.
BERLINALE CO-PRODUCTION MARKET FEBRUARY 14–16, 2016 Experienced producers from around the world, projects have to be budgeted between one and twenty million euros.
Berlinale Talents Market Hub ten selected professional distribution and world sales talents will have the opportunity to present themselves within the frame of “talent Project Market”.
Books at Berlinale
CoPro Series
on February 16, eleven new literary works with outstanding potential for adaptation to the big screen will be presented at a pitching session.
on February 16, the berlinale co-Production Market is hosting the second edition of its exclusive “coPro series” event: seven selected series projects will be looking for co-production and financing partners.
NETWORKING EFM IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS, DEBATE, EXCHANGE IDEAS EFM Industry Debates
Drama Series Days
EFM Producers Hub
international experts will again discuss current perspectives of the film and entertainment industry.
Panel discussions, market screenings and various networking events, a selection of high-quality drama series within the framework of the berlinale special series.
six days on the 2nd floor of the Martin-gropius-bau, offers space for meetings and advisory sessions. Plus daily short talks on innovative themes specific to all aspects of production.
American Independents in Berlin
Meet the Docs
EFM Asia bridging the dragon network, plus a sino-European seminar, at which 35 selected European producers will spend a whole day with chinese experts in order to gain a deeper insight into the chinese market.
EFM Startups a networking opportunity designed for new audiovisual business ideas.
independent us filmmakers come together again in the Martin-gropius-bau. organised by the independent Filmmaker Project (iFP) and the sundance institute.
a networking platform dedicated to the international documentary film industry, together with the European documentary network.
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TRAInInG oPPoRTUnITIES for entering the feature-doc market
A SELECTION OF WORKSHOPS
text by Rita Balogh
Most workshops require an impressive track record from the applicants, making the kick-off intensely difficult for the freshmen. Let’s take a look at the exceptions open to talented beginners!
PrinCiPaLLY FOr uP-anD-COMinG FiLMMaKErS:
iDFa Summer School linked to the international documentary festival of amsterdam framework, the IDFAcademy Summer School is open exclusively to projects by directors making their first or second feature documentaries. Ten creative documentary projects get selected in the script development phase and six projects in the rough-cut phase. e workshop has two streams: script development and editing consultancy. SuBMISSIoN DeADLINe / March 1, 2016 Emerging Producers, Jihlava as its name suggests, this workshop is for up-and-coming european producers who have capacity for future professional growth and ambitions to be active on the european market. within the framework of the institute of documentary films (idf), Emerging Producers is not project based – it is the people who get selected. its main objective is to connect european producers with film professionals. e main benefit for the participants gaining access to information in the audiovisual field, and helping to establish contacts with producers from other countries, and thus increase the potential of future european co-production projects. SuBMISSIoN DeADLINe / March 31, 2016 Talents Sarajevo sarajevo film festival’s networking and training platform for emerging film professionals from Southeast europe and the Southern Caucasus was founded in collaboration with Berlin international film festival and Berlinale Talents. it is a venue for meeting and training, but also includes project labs. for documentary filmmakers, the pack&pitch programme provides an opportunity to learn how to analyze and prepare projects for written and verbal presentations. selected talents will be mentored by two project consultants/pitching trainers who work with them on how to pitch, which they can also practice at the end of the programme in front of the jury and the audience of colleagues and industry professionals. SuBMISSIoN DeADLINe / to be confirmed
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THOuGH MOST inDuSTrY PrOGraMS arE nOT ParTiCuLarLY DESiGnED FOr FirST FEaTurES, in THE PaST FEW YEarS, SOME HaVE HELPED FOSTEr a GrEaT nuMBEr OF SuCCESSFuL DEBuTS. DEPEnDinG On THE rEQuirED FOCuS OF THE PrOJECTS anD THE STaGE OF PrODuCTiOn, a FEW SELECTED EXaMPLES THaT WE rECOMMEnD:
Ex Oriente Film ex oriente film is a training programme for documentary professionals from Central and eastern europe with the goal of supporting film development and funding. e participants are given a tailored guidance in developing the subject, narrative and visual style of their projects, making dras of a financing and distribution strategy, and finding international partners. e course culminates in pitching sessions at the east european forum co-production meeting in prague, featuring a final pitch in front of commissioning editors and independent producers, distributors, buyers and film fund representatives from europe north america. SuBMISSIoN DeADLINe / to be confirmed TriBECa Documentary StoryLab for uS filmmaking teams with documentary projects in development or production, this three-day session held in nyc provides in-depth assistance. e programme aims to help position commercially-viable documentaries for the big screen by providing one-on-one mentoring, pitch training and a pitch forum, master class discussions, case studies, screenings, and networking opportunities for feature length documentary filmmakers. SuBMISSIoN DeADLINe / to be confirmed ESoDoc – European Social Documentary esodoc is for european documentary or transmedia project centering on social, political or human rights issues, and aims to help the participating filmmakers develop their projects and find new financing, production and distribution strategies and opportunities. e workshop is also open for professionals without a project, who can team up with a participant with a project. esodoc offers three intense one-week residential sessions held over a period of six months, combined with online sessions with project tutoring, international coproduction and networking at festivals and other market events. SuBMISSIoN DeADLINe / to be confirmed DOK.inCuBaTOr is workshop is for feature docs in the rough-cut stage. over a six month period it aims to help production teams in eight selected european films, each represented by three team members (producer, director, editor), to work intensively in the editing room. e teams, under the tutorship of professional filmmakers, are supported to formulate a coherent and tailor-made distribution plan and marketing strategy, as well as offered opportunities to meet important international distributors. e programme contains three week-long meetings. SuBMISSIoN DeADLINe / February 22, 2016
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oF ThE yoUnG PRoTAGonISTS interview by Janka Pozsonyi maryanne redpath has been involved in the youth programme of the Berlinale since 1993, and in the last 8 years, she has been the head of selection of both of the generation programmes. The kplus and 14+ selections represent the unique voice of youth through shorts and feature films, and offer a wide range of films for children from the very early age of four. maryanne highly enjoys the great weirdness of the films, and of course seeing a cinema full of excited children.
What is the most challenging task when you create a selection about youth, or when you narrow it for a younger audience? curating short or feature film programmes for the younger audiences is actually not much different than selecting films for adult audiences. for shorts, i’m looking for a rich harvest of style and content with a running length of maximal 20 minutes, then i curate the selected films into five tight short film programmes and make recommendations according to which age you could begin to watch, enjoy and get the most out of a particular film. of course i always have to consider the generation audiences, their interests and concerns and whether a film could be relevant. ankfully the audiences are also very diverse and the age recommendations are open upwards. if there is a difficulty it is because there are too many wonderful films to choose from and we only have a small window to select for. it’s sometimes difficult explaining to sales agents that we oen select films which have not primarily been made for young people and that we are 46 WOYC by Daazo.com
very careful with the classification “children’s film” – which is loaded as we all know. e topics of this year's short film selection are truly diverse – dealing with grief, the first overwhelming love and the absence of a father, all told in various genres and with interesting techniques too. We praise the short film format in general, but why do you think it's important to focus on shorts too at the generation, and not only on the promising features? one of my favourite screenings during the festival is the premiere of the shortfilm programme recommended for four years and up. a cinema full of excited children, for many of whom it is the first time. it’s oen difficult to find something suitable and outstanding for the very young ones, but not in the short film arena. Take for example those russian animators, i call them the last of the Mohicans, busy animating their films at five seconds a day over many months and years. i am proud to be able to give them a platform
Photo by Ali Ghandtschi
HEARING THE VOICES
You have seen a great number of feature and short film selections over the past years. What do you think are the most popular topics, patterns or maybe techniques that are returning almost every year? What seems to be the most common topic this year? i oen see well made narratives which give me the impression the director would have rather made a featurelength film. it’s hard to fit those into the generation shorts programmes – not only because of their length but because of their narrative form. over the years i have increasingly looked for fresh shorts which explore less conventional structures, oen rather abstract or purely atmospheric – and which surprise me personally. ere are some real discoveries in this year’s lineup. i like to be entertained, made to think, made to laugh and cry in a short amount of time. That’s what cinema is all about – for young and old. isis the real challenge for the filmmakers. for generation it is important that voices of the young protagonists are transported in a form, fitting the content. is year there are indeed several shorts dealing with young and tender love, gender, family relationships, grief and illness but also more abstract conceptual films with titles like e Body is a Lonely Place to Be or Lécheznous, Miaou, Miaou!. i must admit to having a predisposition towards films with a certain factor of weirdness. Humour is also important, as seen in several films in this year’s programme.
How short was the shortest film you've ever selected? And which one had the most memorable story or technique? Do you have a personal favourite short or feature from the last years? The shortest film was a swedish animation many years ago. as far as i can remember, it was only 70 seconds long and was called Leaning Backwards. no favourites, sorry. i regard programming holistically. My passion is the way in which films talk and relate to each other when they are side by side. is is particularly relevant when regarding the way a short film programme flows and ebbs with all its different elements. World of Young Cinema focuses on shorts and first and second features. Based on your observations, what would be your advice for a young filmmaker who is just about to switch from short film to feature? Try and stay true to and keep exploring your original voice – and at the same time develop your knowledge of audience and marketing.
Collage by Eugenia Loli
at the Berlinale, their films must be seen! Then if i consider the short films in the 14plus programmes i see them as complementing the features’ programme in a myriad of ways and vice versa. it’s all about the mix. ey are of course much more ‘hardcore’ than the kplus films but generally the short format is pleasing for younger audiences because it’s so contrasting and diverse. no time to be bored because you know something exciting could be just around the corner.
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Collage by Eugenia Loli
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firSt filmS
First time’s
already a Besides introducing emerging short ďŹ lm makers, we have decided to highlight directors who are already making their first or second feature films, too. We changed the rules of our popular Pitch Page project a bit, and upgraded it to first and second feature pitches! You can find their visuals and production details below, and some success stories of first-feature directors, like the currently Oscarnominated director of Son of Saul.
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SON OF SAUL hungarY’S World-claSS export Young and emerging artists often strive to renew their genre with innovative ways of working. it’s less common to see these efforts succeed, and succeed so resoundingly they produce almost immediate and global recognition. With Son of Saul we have witnessed a remarkable exception, where talent, hard work, and luck have combined to produce something extraordinary. text by Géza Csákvári
lászló nemes has become a record breaker in Hungarian film history with his debut feature Son of Saul. last year, he made it into the official competition programme of the cannes film festival as the first Hungarian firstfeature filmmaker aer a 46-year hiatus. while still at cannes, he went on to receive the grand prix du Jury, led by Joel and ethan coen. Son of Saul has gone on become the first Hungarian film to win the second most important award of cannes. (in 1984, fellow Hungarian Márta Mészáros won the grand prix spécial du Jury award for her film Diary for My Children, only slightly less prestigious than the grand prix of the Jury which was introduced in 1995). lászló nemes has received the most significant film award since the end of the communist regime. a moment to be genuinely proud of. But this is only the beginning of the journey for Son of Saul. it has since become the most awarded Hungarian film overseas. aer its american premiere in Toronto and other successful festival screenings, the american distributor, sony classics carefully started building the film’s international campaign. e company hasn’t been doing anything special other than making sure that all the voting members of the academy see Son of Saul. e rest depends on the film. 50 WOYC by Daazo.com
e hopes are indeed high. of course, as we are oen reminded, there is no direct connection between certain prizes and awards, but it is definitely a promising sign that, not only was nemes nominated for the first ever golden globe award in Hungarian history, but on the 10th of January he also received it for the Best foreign film. a few days aer that came the oscar nomination. even if Son of Saul does not receive an academy award, the nomination alone is highly significant, since the last time Hungary was considered was with istván szabó’s Hanussen some 29 years ago. even more important, is that both the industry and cinéphile community around the world are talking about a debut feature from a small country like Hungary. ey are fascinated by a film which is both a work of art and also, with an innovative visualisation, depicts the Holocaust in a way that no fiction film has done before. e triumph of Son of Saul is like a cinematic fairytale, and the success story of the director has been like a dream, too. lászló nemes certainly did not choose an easy route to become adirector. even in cannes, he pointed out more than once that Son of Saul is a Hungarian film. not because he insisted on it being made in Hungary, but to highlight the fact that everywhere else he had sought
portrait by Lenke Szilágyi, still photo: Laokoon Filmgroup
a central element of this innovation is that funding had rejected him, asserting his no previous film (with the epic exception of concept was not feasible. germany, france claude lanzmann’s Shoa) has been made about and even the israeli national fund rejected the sonderkommando, a german euphemism to grant financial support for Son of Saul. for “special unit” referring to the Jewish prisononly the Hungarian film fund was brave ers forced to dispose of gas chamber victims. enough to support the film with 321 million The main character, saul – played by géza Huf (approx. €1,020,000). The complete röhrig – doesn’t fight to survive the horror budget was 450 million Huf (approx. (although there are several characters who do). €1,430,000), which made it one of the one cannot easily imagine a fate more tragic “cheapest” Holocaust films of all time. than his. Being a member of the sonderkomBy way of comparison, steven spielberg’s mando at Birkenau had its advantages – his life Schindler’s List had a budget of 22 million dolconditions were better than other prisoners, he lars, and another Hungarian production, lajos received some food and alcohol – but he had to koltai’s Fateless was made out of 3 billion Huf haul the bodies of murdered people (approx. € 9,500,000) – almost seven all day long. The members of the times the budget for Son of Saul.) “We are not sonderkommando had become geniuses, tools in mass murder before they Son of Saul is Hungary’s most valuthemselves were also liquidated. able contemporary cultural export. we just lászló nemes doesn’t care about To date, more than 80 countries have worked the “action” or the visualisation bought the screening rights. in retroa lot” of brutality, he’s more interested spect, it is even more baffling why the in what’s happening inside of international investors hadn’t seen its a person’s soul. and to do that, he operates potential. e director suggested that they with a brave visual concept; the camera only just didn’t understand that it is still important follows saul. sometimes we see what he sees, or relevant to change the dogma of a film set sometimes we are right behind his neck, as in 1944. at the same time, it’s undeniable, the director notes; “the camera is with him, the film has been celebrated around the whole and then it opens up rhythmically.” world not only because of its original view on the topic, but also because of its unique Based on the formula, it’s not obvious whether cinematic realisation. the director has been inspired by the films of stanley kubrick, but looking at his artistic Most so-called Holocaust dramas talk first of vocation, the similarity is almost trivial, all about survival, about the lucky minority every piece is in its “right place”. “We are who miraculously survived the second world not geniuses, we just worked a lot”, said lászló war and the death camps. lászló nemes has nemes answering a question aer his oscar a very strong opinion about that; according to nomination about how a first feature director him, almost all previous Holocaust films have had come so far so quickly. of course, distorted history. He thinks that several eurohe needed a little bit of luck, but the fact is, pean countries – including germany – need this is a profoundly moving and provocative to face the cruel reality of their past, because film which richly deserves the recognition what they consider a reality right now is only it is receiving. a rose-tinted version of what really happened. WOYC by Daazo.com 51
THE
riGHT aGE
FOr a
but iS there one? Making his/her debut feature is the turning point in every director’s life. But how old were the greatest when their first features were released? Try and guess below – and find the correct numbers on page 61.
1.
STanLEY KuBriCK a. 18 b. 25 c. 40
2.
3.
4.
5.
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WOODY aLLEn a. 20 b. 26 c. 31
SErGEi EiSEnSTEin a. 22 b. 27 c. 35
MiKLóS JanCSó a. 23 b. 37 c. 42
aLEJanDrO GOnzáLEz iñárriTu a. 18 b. 24 c. 37
FirST FEaTurE 6.
7.
MarTin SCOrSESE a. 19 b. 25 c. 38
anG LEE a. 17 b. 22 c. 38
8.
9.
CLinT EaSTWOOD a. 22 b. 38 c. 41
FEDEriCO FELLini a. 25 b. 30 c. 35
10.
11.
12.
DaViD LYnCH a. 19 b. 22 c. 31
STEVEn SPiELBErG a. 18 b. 23 c. 31
aLFrED HiTCHCOCK a. 26 b. 29 c. 41
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FOLLOWinG THE inSTinCTS
DocUMEnTARy FEATURE DEBUTS Making one’s first feature film is a challenging project, especially if the production is likely to take a number of years – as is the case for most documentaries. Despite all difficulties, however, some can achieve the highest standards. This article takes a look at three inspiring stories about successful feature -length documentary debuts. We try to make some conclusions – but no recipe is promised.
e international documentary festival of amsterdam, idfa, is certainly one of the largest and most important documentary festivals of the world – we could call it the cannes of the documentary world. every year, it gives a first appearance award for the best feature debuts. in 2015, the winner was a georgian film by three artists (salome Machaidze, Tamuna karumidze, david Meskhi) aged around 40, When the Earth Seems to be Light, while in 2016, the Hungarian filmmaker, gábor Hörcher (34) was awarded for his film, Drier. an award is certainly an important asset to the launch of one’s career, as is the grand Jury prize for documentaries at sundance, won by crystal Moselle (35) for her feature-length debut, e Wolfpack in 2015. When the Earth Seems to be Light is a 75-minute-long germangeorgian co-production that won the idfa first appearance award in 2015. e film is about young georgian skaters who feel trapped between the powers of the church and the political world. instead of searching for answers, they create their own open spaces and do nothing really, but skate. winner of the idfa award for the Best first appearance documentary in 2014 many other prizes, Drier is a close-up portrait of a rebellious race car driving teenager trying to cope with the twists and turns of life in rural Hungary. e film is a 72-minutelong Hungarian-german co-production. e Wolfpack is about six bright teenage brothers who spent their entire lives locked away from society in a Manhattan apartment. all they know of the outside is gleaned from the movies they watch obsessively (and recreate meticulously). yet as adolescence looms, they dream of escape, ever more urgently, into the beckoning world. e us film is 90 minutes long.
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words by Rita Balogh
THE inSTinCT ||| DEvEloPMEnT as neither of our protagonists had prior extensive experience in directing feature-length documentaries, when getting started with their projects, none of them had a definite goal of making a feature film about a particular subject. instead, it was the main characters and their stories that caught the attention of the soon-to-be award-winning directors, and the decision on the form was only secondary. as crystal recalls the first encounter with the characters of e Wolfpack, she says it was pure chance: she was walking down the streets of nyc when the angulo brothers run past her with their long hair, weaving through the crowd. she immediately felt that she might have found something extraordinary, so she chased aer them catching up at a stoplight. still without a particular idea of the final form, she started getting to know and documenting them. one of When the Earth Seems to be Light trio, photographer david Meskhi, had been working with youngsters of georgia for many years. He had an exhibition from the photos on the subject that included portraits of the characters of the future film. e director-trio had known one another for a while and they had other art projects together. inspired by david’s pictures and the characters, aer the exhibition, they decided to make a film about their story adding a narrative layer to the photographs but keeping the cinematic attitude. when gábor Hörcher found the main character of Drier, ricsi, he had already made a couple of short fiction films. He felt right away that ricsi and his story is great material for a film, but the decisionon the genre came only later aer many weeks spent with him and his family and friends, observing their lives and their drives. in all three cases, the main drive to make their films was curiosity and the aim to discover and reveal more about what they had found. as it turns out, the success of these inspirational films is also related to the amplitude of the “extraordinary” factor in the stories: the more extreme they are, the more they tend to attract viewers.
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THE FirST MiLESTOnES ||| production at first, aer the idea was born, the strategy of the financing and the production was totally vague in all three cases. what they all needed was a stepping stone. during most of the production period, Drier was financed without any national support. (it was at a very late stage when the Hungarian national film fund financially contributed to the project.) e first boost came from abroad: aer a year of shooting alone, the core crew participated in the sarajevo Talent campus, where they met their future german co-producer and together they successfully applied to the robert Bosch stiung. for the first time, the story was pitched and well received as a film project. it won the robert Bosch co-production prize, so Drier was on the right track. e whole production took 4 and a half years, and the budget was around 130,000 euros. e national situation of documentary films did not make the launch of the production easy for the georgian team of When the Earth Seems to be Light either. Moreover, the subject was also problematic as decision makers would have preferred more socially or politically serious topics than the story of young skaters without clear goals in life. in this case as well, a georgia-based international professional event and a german co-producer stepping on board became the first important milestone. at pitch-doc (a session open for creative documentary projects in development within the framework of Tbilisi international film festival) the project won a prize of 1000 eur. for the majority of the production period, the budget was around 50,000 euros making the process overly difficult and creating breaks in the editing process. e team was searching for financing until the very end when a total budget of 80,000 euros made the completion of the film finally possible. aer three years of shooting alone, the first official presentation of e Wolfpack as a film was also a turning point in the process. it took place at the story lab of the Tribeca institute. according to the director, the professional event was extremely helpful, mostly because it was the first time they were able to show footage to people completely unfamiliar with the story, and their reactions were really encouraging. e 5 year-long making of the film was realised from a budget below 400,000 dollars.
nEW TErriTOriES TO COnQuEr ||| DISTRIBUTIon aer their kick-off success at the biggest festivals of the world, all three filmmakers were ready to enter the international market with experienced distributors by their side. after the selection for sundance, Magnolia pictures, one of the most important independent us film distributors added e Wolfpack to their portfolio. with the industry-giant on its side, the main award of sundance in the pocket and an extreme yet not too far-fetched story the film conquered the world. what was really extraordinary about its career, not all typical in case of a documentary, is that not only did festivals select and screen e Wolfpack but it also had a successful cinema release in australia, new zealand, south-america, Mexico, uk, germany, france, spain, and italy among other places.
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When the Earth Seems to Be Light was first screened in georgia, at the Tbilisi international film festival, in a country where there had been no culture or interest at all in watching documentaries. However, according to the filmmakers, at the premier, the cinema was full and the reaction of the viewers was packed with surprise and passion. so the film made an important step towards revolutionizing the georgian attitude towards documentaries. Then came the news of the selection to idfa, where london-based Taskovski films (distributor of creative documentaries) came on board. Thus, the festival career of the film landed in safe hands, but the team has a very important additional goal: promoting their work as a cult film for skaters and organizing screenings for them in particular, by finding events related to the skater community and co-operating with them. in the case of Drier, the national career also needs to be pointed out. in Hungary, very few documentaries make it to the cinema, and their reputation is very low – not comparable to other european countries. (in this respect, Hungary is probably closer to the above-mentioned georgia than for example, to the neighbouring czech republic.) e team of Drier launched a cinema release, and they also created a campaign around it – a necessary element for a film to get out of the box. aer idfa, ierry detaille became the international distributor, and the film screened in sarajevo, fünfsee, Bogota (where it was the opening film), Mexico, among many other places. e team was also keen to go for new ways of distribution. as an example, they organized screenings in prisons for the inmates who were said to be very enthusiastic viewers. once again, the alternative ways contribute a lot to the widening of the documentary-viewer community, doing a massive favour for the industry. ough all three films have important international distributors, with Drier and When the Earth Seems to Be Light their distributors were not able to arrange cinema distribution. knowing the difficulties and the small profit foreseen, distributors are likely to stay with festivals and Tv sales. one can question if these films are suited for cinema release at all, or is it only the most extreme stories the viewers are attracted to. e subject certainly matters but the communication and the marketing strategy makes the real difference in all cases – a huge amount of work with a relatively low and risky profit. so it seems to be up to the filmmakers if they want to put the time and effort into giving cinema distribution a try anyway, and thus, doing a long-term favour for the documentary industry.
EnD noTES although probably unintentionally, the newcomers of the documentary world breathe new life into the genre and the production process and make very important steps towards making the films accessible to a wide range of viewers. so once you have your idea and the access, go and start shooting. your passion and the endurance can make things work.
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firST fEATurE HigHLigHTS through europe 2015 These kinds of lists are meant to highlight good and outstanding films and help them to be watched by a lot of people.
united kingdom TheeB naji abu nowar venice ’14 – venice horizons award for best director; best film from the arab World and fipreSci award asia pacific Screen awards ’14 – Jury prize for best cinematography and artistic direction camerimage ’14 – best directorial debut palm Springs ’14
Belgium keeper guillaume senez
netherlands prince sam de Jong berlinale generation
68° festival del film locarno label europa cinemaS; 40th toronto international film festival; film festival hamburg Young talent award; torino film festival grand prix / meilleur film
czech republic road movie martin Jelínek france musTang deniz gamze erguven
tallin black nights film festival – first features competition
lux prize, 2016 academy award nominee, best foreign language film
spain crumBs miguel llansó bafici focus 2015 2015, durban 2015, fantasia ff 2015 – best debut, new horizons – poland 2015, vancouver iff 2015, Stockholm iff 2015 – twiglight zone, rotterdam iffr 2015 – bright futures
italy BanaT adriano valerio film critics’ Week section of venice
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You might already have chosen your own “best films in 2015”. The following lineup, however, is slightly different. We wanted to shine a spotlight on the first European features from 2014–15: films which have achieved success, awards or public acclaim. Check out these incredible debuts directed by young filmmakers. The list of the festivals and awards we show here is a selection – of course, there are many more!
sweden The garBage helicopTer Jonas selberg augustsén bfi london film festival, international film festival rotterdam
estonia secreT socieTy of soupToWn margus paju poland klezmer piotr chrzan
the film has beaten the all-time opening weekend record for estonian children's films, with over 17,000 admissions.
venice film festival – competitive section giornate degli autori; Warsaw film festival – competitive section first and second features
ukraine The TriBe myroslav slaboshpytskiy cannes – la Semaine de la critique – grand prix, visionary award, gan foundation Support; milano ff – competition – best feature film award; london bfi – best first feature award – Sutherland award and Young Jury award
hungary son of saul lászló nemes
cannes official competition 2015, grand prix 2016 golden globe Winner, best foreign film 2016 oscar nominee, foreign language film international film critics' award (fipreSci), cannes 2015
Bosnia & herzegovina our everyday life ines Tanović
romania The World is mine nicolae constantin Tanase karlovy vary international film festival
bosnia and herzegovina's entry for the 88th academy awards; Sarajevo film festival 2015; tuzla film festival 2015 – best feature film; raindance film festival 2015
montréal 2015
venice ’14 – audience award (critic’s Week), fipreSci prize, fedeora award for best Screenwriter palm Spring ’14 – new voices/new visions grand Jury prize
karlovy vary international film festival; pula film festival - 4 golden arena awards; Sarajevo film festival; avvantura film festival – grand prix for best feature film
San Sebastian – new directors competition (2015) – World premiere; golden rose, bulgaria – awarded for best debut film & best cinematography; Warsaw, competition 1-2
macedonia Three days in sepTemBer darijan pejovski
serbia no one’s child vuk rsumovic croatia–montenegro you carry me ivona Juka
Bulgaria ThirsT svetla Tsotsorkova
Turkey moTherland senem Tüzen 72nd venice film festival, critics’ Week; 56th thessaloniki international film festival; Warsaw international film festival, fipreSci award (international critics’ prize), netpac award (best asian film), Warsaw international film festival, fipreSci award (international critics’ prize), netpac award (best asian film)
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FinD BELOW THE anSWErS TO THE Quiz On PaGE 52–53 anD MarVEL!
1.b
stanley kubrick was born in 1828 and made his first feature, Fear and Desire at the age of 25 in 1953.
2.c
31-year-old Woody allen (born 1935) took and recut and redubbed a Japanese action film to make it into his first opus – about a secret egg salad recipe. What’s Up, Tiger Lily? opened in 1966. (This was technically his first feature but the first film where he was actually present at shooting was Take the Money and Run, three years later.)
3.b
Strike was sergei eisenstein's first full length feature film, which he made when he was 27. it was released in april 1928, and eisenstein went on to make The Battleship Potemkin later that year.
4.b
miklós Jancsó – born in 1921, and having made 21 short films between 1950 and 1958 – created The Bells Have Gone to Rome in 1958. he was 37 at the time.
5.c
alejandro gonzález iñárritu (born in 1963) directed a couple of shorts in 1995 and ‘96, but waited a while to make his 154 minute first feature. Love’s a Bitch wasn’t ready before 2000 – when the director was 37.
6.b
martin scorsese was a young 25-year-old in 1967 when his psychological drama I Call First opened.
7.c
ang lee’s Pushing Hands was released in 1992, when the director was 38.
8.c
having done a lot of acting from 1955 to perfect his trade, clint eastwood (born in 1930) waited until he was 41 before he made his debut feature Play Misty for Me (1971)
9.b
federico fellini apparently enjoyed round numbers: he was born in 1920 and made The Lights of Variety at the age of 30, in 1950.
10.c
The fun-sounding horror-fantasy Eraserhead, david lynch’s first feature about the poor father of a mutant baby, was made by the 31-year-old director in 1977.
11.a 12.a
at the tender age of 18 and over 50 years ago, steven spielberg made his first film Firelight in 1964. alfred hitchcock was born back in the 19th century and directed his debut feature, The Pleasure Garden when he was 26 in 1925.
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THE
PITCH PAGE “be creative, visual and personal!” This was daazo’s advice for filmmakers applying for the pitch page section of World of young cinema – our first pitch page dedicated exclusively to feature films after the success of the short pitches of past years. The pitch page offers an innovative opportunity for filmmakers to present their film plan without having their heart in their throats, using visual creativity instead of an overwhelming acting appearence. We received a huge number of groovy pitches: here is our shortlist of seven. Collage by Eugenia Loli
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Behold the first features of the future!
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THE
Projects WHiTE PLaSTiC SKY
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
in the near future, all fertile soil disappears from earth. Before the final extinction of the floraand fauna, scientists create an exceptional plant with incredibly nutritious leaves. is plant is only able to feed on human flesh, living in deadly symbiosis with the host body using it like a mushroom bag. following the story of a young couple, we unfold the layers of this brutal world. could this world survive somehow or does planet earth need a total “reboot”?
HEarT OF a TOWEr a little boy named riki has just moved to a new place with his mom. But the day before christmas he escapes from home and gets to the mysterious yourland. with a new friend ema, they will have to reveal the secret of Metal Man. if they succeed, the magical Heart of a Tower will save yourland and also riki's home.
JuMBO lost amidst her dysfunctional relationship with her eccentric mother, Joy, a mysterious young woman, will have to face alone her peculiar romantic feelings for the endearing JuMBo, a carnival ride that strangely comes to life at night...
THE SOuTHErnEr a scandinavian peninsula is invaded by a group of decadent, nouveau-riche teenagers. southerner, Magne (38), a seaplane pilot, falls in love with a young millionaire’s daughter almost half his age. e luxurious facade of the teenagers’ lives conceals a destructive world of sex, drugs and violence. Magne is lured into their debauchery, without realizing the consequences until it’s too late. He is shunned, and his quest for redemption leads to the ultimate revenge.
WHEn THE War COMES peter drives a new suv, has a beautiful girlfriend and just started studying archaeology. But his real life is elsewhere: in his own militia, one of the largest independent military organizations in eastern europe. He believes we are heading to a clash of civilizations. and it's time to get ready.
MY FirST TiME a young girl travels back in time 10,000 years to the 21st century in order to repair the faltering life of the young boy who will one day grow into the scientist who will discover the secret that makes time travel possible and set him on the path to greatness.
a FuCKED uP TriBuTE TO MOTHErLY LOVE e absurd music film A Fucked up Tribute to Motherly Love blends the tragedy of miscommunication with the humour of our perpetual coming of age. it tells the tale of a piano tuner who at age 52 struggles to climb out of the maternal cooking pot, with ultimately fatal consequences.
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animated sci-fi
WHiTE PLaSTiC SKY 1
Contact: sipos@saltofilm.com
Hungary WOYC 65
animated feature film for kids
HEarT OF TOWEr 2
Contact: barbora@gmail.com
Slovakia WOYC 66
fantasy drama
JuMBO 3
Contact: insolence.prod@gmail.com
France WOYC 67
nordic discomfort
THE SOuTHErnEr 4
Contact: post@pihlmann.com
Norway WOYC 68
documentary
WHEn THE War COMES 5
Contact: viktoria@pinkproductions.cz WOYC 69
Czech Republic
sci-fi / family / drama
MY FirST TiME 6
Contact: info@myfirsttimemovie.com WOYC 70
united States
a FuCKED uP TriBuTE TO MOTHErLY LOVE
Music film
7
Contact: esther@rotsfilmwerk.nl
Netherlands WOYC 71
THE SOuTHErnEr Director: Bjørn erik pihlmann sørensen Producers:Bjørn erik pihlmann sørensen Country: norway Contact: post@pihlmann.com, +47 920 18 140 Production company: pihlmann films estimated Budget: €2,200,000 Covered: €0 Needed: €2,200,000 estimated length: 120 minutes Genre: nordic discomfort
PRODUCTION
4
Fact Sheet
1
WHiTE PLaSTiC SKY Director: sarolta szabó, Tibor Bánóczki Producers: József fülöp, orsolya sipos Country: Hungary Contact: sipos@saltofilm.com, +36 20 5219879 Production company: salto film estimated Budget: €680,000 Covered: €340,000 Needed: €340,000 estimated length: 90 minutes Genre: animated sci-fi
2
HEarT OF TOWEr Director: peter Budinský Producer: Barbora roháčová Country: slovakia Contact: barbora@gmail.com, +421911692391 Production companies: plutoon • BfilM • Bekke films estimated Budget: €2,700,000 Covered: €80,000 Needed: €2,620,000 estimated length: 80 minutes Genre: animated feature film for kids
3
JuMBO Director: zoé wittock Producer: anaïs Bertrand Country: france Contact: insolence.prod@gmail.com, +33 680 083 041 Production company: insolence productions estimated Budget: €2,600,000 Covered: €130,000 Needed: €2,470,000 estimated length: 100 minutes Genre: fantasy drama
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WHEn THE War COMES Director: Jan gebert Producer: radovan síbrt, viktória Hozzová Country: czech republic Contact: viktoria@pinkproductions.cz, +420 608 666 007 Production company: pink productions • HBo europe estimated Budget: €205,750 Covered: €95,000 Needed: €110,750 estimated length: 80 minutes Genre: documentary – current affairs / portrait / society / politics
5
MY FirST TiME Director: Hank isaac Producer: Hank isaac, Joe andolina, Helen wheels, larry Mcconnell Country: united states Contact: info@myfirsttimemovie.com, +1 425 478 1633 Production company: andolina • isaac entertainment estimated Budget: $250,000 Covered: $0 Needed: $250,000 estimated length: 90 minutes Genre: sci-fi / family / drama
6
a FuCKED uP TriBuTE TO MOTHErLY LOVE Director: dan geesin Producer: Hugo rots, esther rots Country: netherlands Contact: esther@rotsfilmwerk.nl Production company: rots filmwerk estimated Budget: €1,000,000 Covered: €68.125 Needed: €931.875 estimated length: 90 minutes Genre: Music film
7
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Festival life
never stops attending the Berlinale is always the best way to start the year, but we can’t help thinking about what’s ahead of us in the film festival world. We’ve put together our regular festival panorama again, sorting out the best festivals for first feature filmmakers. We also highly enjoyed a great number of the festivals we attended last year. you can read about two incredible events we were lucky to be a part of: Jihlava documentary festival, and Warsaw film festival. 2016, here we come!
Collage by Eugenia Loli WOSH by Daazo.com 69
Blue
ThE coloR oF GRowInG UP IS
a few months ago Daazo.com organised a short film contest with the currently popular topic of ‘Coming of age’. The submitted films discussed this subject on many levels – different ages and problems were captured, in very interesting and unique ways. We wanted the winner to be not just a growing up story, but a film that was playing with the context, the ages, the problems and the trial of maturity, too.
lewis Black’s e Blue Dress turned out to be the winner in this competition. e story with no dialogue is about a morose woman who finds a stunning blue dress one day in a clothes store run by a drag queen. she is desperately trying to buy it but she needs to defeat all the other customers before she can succeed. e woman’s effort to get her hands on this dress is strange and comical at the same time, but everything makes sense when she arrives home and wraps the gi – for her son. e film moves around an extremely relevant topic of our age: the acceptance of the transgender and transsexual society, both outside and inside the family. watch e Blue Dress in the selection of the coming of age film contest at daazo.com! http://www.daazo.com/film/6702a2ce691111e5989b06c8248f24ce
Expanding the film festival dosage in warsaw text by Janka Pozsonyi
photo by Bartek Trzeszkowski
in the middle of October i had the great pleasure to travel to the capital of Poland and attend at the 31 st Warsaw Film Festival. For 10 days everything was about Cinema, with a capital C – shorts and features day and night, in the wide range of genres like experimental, thrilling dramas, documentaries and sensitive coming-ofage stories. But the purpose of my travel was not just to sit down and relax – i was participating in the FiPrESCi Warsaw Critics Project, an inspiring and instructive workshop for young film journalists.
Being present at a film festival – even as a visitor – has a certain vibe to it that nothing else does. e constant movement, the thrill before the lights go out, the sweeping crowd that comes out from one screening room and rushes into the next one to get a decent seat, and the necessary tiredness aer seeing a great number of hidden treasures, and some shocking pieces too. and even when the film is shockingly bad, the mutual outrage towards it just brings the crowd together perfectly. i constantly look for these moments, i crave them, i’m most certainly addicted to them. well, these moments are doubled, nay, tripled whenever i’m involved as sort of an “insider” at a festival, and warsaw was definitely one of these places. attending the critics project made me feel like an insider, on many incredible levels. for 8 days, a small group of us “eastern europeans” gathered together with the leading of two great tutors and had hours of sessions on film journalism. we started from scratch by writing reviews, reports, news and profiles, learning techniques on interview making, working on a tight schedule, jurying films, balancing with deadlines and then we received useful feedback by the end of each day. ough the days never really ended: aer watching countless hours of films and trying to write everything in the
limited time we had, each and every night was a new chance to meet the competing directors, producers, actors, jury members, journalists, festival directors and so on. Besides writing reviews and reports, we also had opportunities to interview people of our choice. i was over the moon when i heard that sean Baker, the director of Tangerine – which was one of the biggest hits at last year’s sundance – was present at the festival, so it was pretty obvious that i wanted to sit down and have a chat with him. e madly energetic story of two transgender working girls in the sunset of la was shot completely on an iphone 5, introducing a whole new level of filmmaking and discussing transgender equality in an honest and yet humorous way. i also had time for a short but great interview with rúnar rúnarsson, one of the most acclaimed icelandic directors of the last couple of years (oscar-nominated for his first short film e Last Farm), who also won an award here in warsaw with his second feature film, Sparrow. Ten days of hardworking and easy networking, sleeping almost nothing but watching almost everything instead – this is something i’m definitely looking forward to continuing in the future. as i said, i can’t help it, i’m an addict. WOYC by Daazo.com 77
Stranger than fiction Jihlava international documentarY film feStival words by Rita Balogh When i first visited Jihlava iDFF in 2014, the first edition of the international documentary festival i established in Budapest was just behind me so i was very aware of the backstage difficulties of such an event. Jihlava both stroke me and strengthened my belief: a documentary festival can be as cool and popular as any other film festival.
Who said documentaries were unpopular?! if one visited the oldest mining town of the czech republic between october 27 – november 1, 2015, it certainly wasn’t the early gothic architecture with the renaissance touch that stroke the guest, but rather the immense crowd of people aged between 20 to 40 who came from all over the country and europe with one shared goal and a common passion: watching the latest documentaries of the world – surprising as it may sound: indeed, not fiction! ose sceptical in the power of the genre to attract viewers, entertain and engage should definitely visit Jihlava idff filled with real film lovers, a curious, and demanding crowd for 6 days. e phenomenon is so striking for the newcomers that one must wonder: what is their special method, how can they achieve this? e answer of the director of the festival is surprisingly simple: their methods are rather conservative, mainly the high quality programming, selecting outstanding creative documentaries that oen use a distinctive film language. A coming of age story Marek Hovorka founded Jihlava 20 years ago with a couple of friends in love with film that came up with a crazy idea – to make a festival in a provincial city – let alone, a documentary one! 78 WOYC by Daazo.com
ey screened couple of films in the old Jihlava cinema hall. To their great surprise, the public seemed to love it a lot; they sold almost 300 accreditations! indeed, 20 years ago creative documentaries were only at the beginning of the process of becoming popular in europe as well, so the timing was perfect. e festival could develop with the trends, and thus, could become attractive also for the european viewers. Moreover, it became a cult place, in which respect also the mythic and unique spirit of the beautiful city of Jihlava is a factor as well. in 1999, the visit of renowned viktor kossakovsky was a milestone – according to Marek. He loved the event and started sharing with the world that there is this documentary festival in the middle of czech republic, that is worth watching and going to. it was a breakthrough. “you could say that he opened the doors for us”. Today, the festival has about 40,000 visitors every year. If you think it’s not for you, speak out! all festivals tend to have a focus. in the case of Jihlava, the viewer has the feeling that being provocative and experimenting is a key factor – occasionally even more important than a coherent and professional narrative. e attitude seems for the first sight, quite vulnerable for criticism. However, it seems to be working, as the audience loves getting involved in discussing and
criticizing. e regular visitors here are ready to be provoked and even outraged, while the newcomers are having their boundaries tested, much to their excitement in most cases. Focus on Young talents as the attitude towards experimental films suggests, Jihlava idff is not afraid to try and risk, and is ready to programme films that are new, different, fresh – very often true for the works of young documentary makers. unaware of any statistics, Jihlava seems to be a perfect place for debuts as the filmmakers appearing at the Q and a sessions are frequently below 40. in line with this approach, two years ago, a new award was established at the festival called first lights and is given to the best debut films. Both years, there have been excellent works in this category, in 2015, there were 15 of them. on top of that, the beginner filmmakers have a great opportunity to meet in Jihlava, in an informal atmosphere, with such legends as godfrey reggio, Manoel de oliveira or Jørgen leth.
festival, idfa, is 27). according to the team, it will definitely be a special edition in regards of the program, the sections, and the guests. during the past 20 years, the festival grew together with the popularity of creative documentaries, which resulted in a genuine and natural evolution of the idea of a couple of young friends, who ended up being revolutionaries. so keeping with the trends and adding new flavours proved to be a great strategy and the progression is not at all over yet. let’s see what the script of life will write for the future of Jihlava! (e author is the founder of Budapest International Documentary Festival) Collages by Eugenia Loli
year by year, as the industry programmes have been expanding, the focus on young talents remained strong. a real success and a truly unique programme, the emerging producers is aimed at the new generation of talented european documentary film producers. e goal of the workshop is to interconnect european producers, help them build their network and learn to navigate in the industry. e participants will also be present at the Berlinale where the programme will host an event dedicated to them. in 2016, Jihlava idff will celebrate an impressive 20th anniversary (europe’s biggest documentary WOYC by Daazo.com 79
DAAZO FESTIVAL DISTRIBUTION PORTFOLIO
FinDing a way out oF thE mazE oF FEStivalS
Two years ago we decided to give a hand to short film directors without a professional marketing background, and help them get along in the hectic festival circuit. From the final poster design to filling out dozens of submission forms and sending the DCP to the other side of the planet – Daazo’s Festival Distribution Portfolio offers all the help a director needs, especially when it comes to choosing the right festivals for each and every film. Here are three of the freshest shorts ‘strategised’ by Daazo – two of which have already caught the attention of some of the most significant and prestigious film festivals.
LOVE (2016) /// Director: réka Bucsi // 14 min. / animation Synopsis: LOVE is a short film describing affection in three different chapters, through an impact
on a distant solar system. Film festival: 66th Berlin film festival
EnD OF PuBErTY (2015) /// Director: Fanni Szilágyi // 13 min. / coming-of-age Synopsis: on a beautiful summer day, teenage twins meet a boy who acquaints them with sexuality,
jealousy, and a real anger that drives them apart. is moment marks the end of puberty. Film festival: 40th Toronto film festival, filmfestival cottbus
DiaLOGuE (2016) /// Director: Gábor Fabricius // 7min. / 35mm Synopsis: Moses the nigerian runs through water and land with his family; an east german couple rushes towards the horizon while radio free europe signals spread from abandoned east german cars laying in waste fields. Blacks and germans fuse though time and space to break through barbed wire. a discourse over humanity and amnesia in a fantasy piece, Dialogue is a fusion of two parallel stories: one in 1989, when Hungary was the first to open the iron curtain, and the other in 2015, when it erects a new barbed wire. Music by Béla Bartók, who emigrated from Hungary in 1941.
in post-production – waiting for a festival premiere.
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FESTIVAL panorama it has always been a tradition to finish this magazine with a festival panorama which meant to show filmmakers some unmissable upcoming deadlines. We keep our good habit but this time we focus on festivals dedicated to first features. Some of them are important because of their good reputation, but there are big awards, sometimes serious cash prizes to win as well. Once your first feature is ready, consider these major festivals which can rapidly help raise awareness about your movie. The Berlinale has been committed to supporting the next generation of filmmakers since 2006, when it introduced the best first feature award. the award is endowed with 50,000 euros, funded by gWff (gesellschaft zur Wahrnehmung von film- und fernsehrecht), a society dedicated to safeguarding film and television rights. the prize money is to be split between the producer and the director of the winning film. additionally, the director is awarded with a high-quality viewfinder as both a useful instrument and memorable trophy that should accompany them on their future road to success. debut feature films from the sections competition, panorama, forum, generation or perspektive deutsches kino compete for the award. a three-person jury decides on the best first feature. * source / berlinale official Website
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Collage by Eugenia Loli
special workshop for debut filmmakers
festival camp
submission deadline
date
entry fee
market
karlovy vary international film festival
February 29, 2016
July 1–9. 2016
€50
–
East of the west – Competition
zlín film festival – international film festival for children and youth
april 10, 2016
may 27 – June 03. 2016
no
–
international Competition of European First Feature Films
Jerusalem film festival
in april 2016
in July 2016
no
–
JFw Jerusalem Film workshop
Reykjavík talent lab
special first feature
FiPRESCi award for Best First Film new visions competitive category debut or sophomore efforts
reykjavík international film festival
in april 2016
august 29 – September 10. 2016
no
RiFF industry Days
filmfest münchen
no unsollicited submissions
June 23 – July 2. 2016
no
–
Cinevision
Bfi london film festival
around end of may, 2016
in october 2016
£45
–
First Feature Competition the Sutherland award
milano film festival
may 31. 2016
September 10–20. 2016
no
–
yes
festival del film locarno
June 1. 2016
august 5–15. 2016
yes
–
st.petersburg international festival of debut and student films Beginning
July 1. 2016
november 27 – December 1. 2016
no
–
venice days (a parallel programme of the venice film festival)
July 3. 2016
august 31 – September 10. 2016
€40
vFm industry office
locarno Summer academy
yes
First Feature Film Competition
“luigi De laurentiis” venice award for a Debut Film $100,000
Warsaw film festival
July 15. 2016
october 9–18. 2016
no
–
san sebastian international film festival
July 18. 2016
September 16–24. 2016
€70
Co-Production Forum
Competition 1-2 – for 1st and 2nd feature films (over 60 min) Films in Progress dedicated to latin american films
new Directors Section
Kutxabank-new Directors award carries a cash prize of 50,000 to be divided equally between the director of the winning film and its distributor in Spain.
Torino film festival
in September 2016
in november 2016
no
–
torino Film lab
torino 33: international Feature Films & Documentaries Competition
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WORLD OF YOUNG CINEMA publisher: Dániel Deák – danieldeak@daazo.com editor in chief: zsuzsanna Deák – zsuzsanna.deak@daazo.com editor: Janka Pozsonyi – jankapozsonyi@daazo.com art director and graphic design: Péter Flanek Daazo graphic design: Krisztina Jávorszki founding designer of WOSH: Cristina grosan World of Young Cinema authors: Dániel Deák, zsuzsanna Deák, genovéva Petrovits, Janka Pozsonyi contributors: Rita Balogh, géza Csákvári proofreading: Rosalie Callway, maia Christie, matthew wojcik thanks: maike mia höhne, anita libor, malte mau, Sarah Schlüssel, Christine tröstrum, Florian weghorn, Julia ziegler cover illustration: Eugenia loli illustrations by: Eugenia loli – http://eugenialoli.tictail.com/ photographs: ali ghandtschi, Peter himsel, maike mia höhne, Brigitte lacombe, Simone Scardovelli, lenke Szilágyi, Bartek trzeszkowski You can also find this magazine online at: http://issuu.com/daazo/docs/berlin2016
world of young cinema magazine is published by daazo film and Media ltd. published in Hungary, february 2016. all rights reserved. reproduction in whole or part is forbidden save with the written permission of the publishers. www.daazo.com | info@daazo.com issn 2064-2105 (online) – issn 2064-2113 (print)
daazo.com – the european shortfilm centre is supported by the Media programme of the eu. is material does not necessarily represent the views and opinions of the eu. is magazine was printed on recycled paper.
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FEAR IS NOT AN OPTION
13th International Festival for Short Film, Animation and Music Video 25 - 31 May 2016 viennashorts.com