Italy’s TorinoFilmLab (Tfl) has selected 10 projects for the 2024 edition of its FeatureLab training programme, for first or second film projects at an advanced development stage.
The 2024 edition comprises nine fiction features and one documentary feature. Seven of the projects are debut features, with three second films.
In total, FeatureLab will host 21 participants, of whom 14 are women and seven are men. They come from 11 countries - Azerbaijan, Belarus, Brazil, France, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, South Korea, Switzerland, Ukraine.
Scroll down for full list of projects
Among the 10 projects is Versorgen by Swiss writer and director Nora Longatti whose latest short...
The 2024 edition comprises nine fiction features and one documentary feature. Seven of the projects are debut features, with three second films.
In total, FeatureLab will host 21 participants, of whom 14 are women and seven are men. They come from 11 countries - Azerbaijan, Belarus, Brazil, France, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, South Korea, Switzerland, Ukraine.
Scroll down for full list of projects
Among the 10 projects is Versorgen by Swiss writer and director Nora Longatti whose latest short...
- 4/30/2024
- ScreenDaily
Vincenzo Bugno, who heads the Berlinale World Cinema Fund and is curator of the Torino Film Feature Lab, became artistic director of South Tyrol’s Bolzano Film Festival Bozen last year.
In this guise, the veteran industry expert is putting his know-how behind a new program called Maso, dedicated to fostering the production of European shorts in tandem with the Idm-Film Commission Südtirol. The shorts lab launched earlier this week in Bolzano, with a panel also comprising Berlinale Shorts chief Anna Henckel-Donnersmarck and the Torino Short Film Market’s Enrico Vannucci.
Below, Bugno speaks to Variety about why he got the urge to foster the production of short films shot in South Tyrol that can travel around the world.
How did Maso germinate?
When I started working for this festival last year, I got to thinking about the specificity of this particular territory. South Tyrol is an extremely interesting film...
In this guise, the veteran industry expert is putting his know-how behind a new program called Maso, dedicated to fostering the production of European shorts in tandem with the Idm-Film Commission Südtirol. The shorts lab launched earlier this week in Bolzano, with a panel also comprising Berlinale Shorts chief Anna Henckel-Donnersmarck and the Torino Short Film Market’s Enrico Vannucci.
Below, Bugno speaks to Variety about why he got the urge to foster the production of short films shot in South Tyrol that can travel around the world.
How did Maso germinate?
When I started working for this festival last year, I got to thinking about the specificity of this particular territory. South Tyrol is an extremely interesting film...
- 4/18/2024
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Fund to invest a total of €360,000 in latest funding of financing
The Berlinale’s World Cinema Fund (Wcf) is to provide a total of €360,000 in funding for 14 international projects.
In its latest funding round, the Wcf has recommended production funding for 11 projects and distribution grants for three films.
The 14 independent projects hail from Argentina, Chile, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ecuador, Egypt, Iran, Israel, Mozambique, Nigeria, the Republic of Belarus, Rwanda, Senegal and Thailand.
The production funding recipients include Demba by Senegalese writer-director Mamadou Dia, whose feature debut Nafi’s Father won the best first feature prize Locarno in...
The Berlinale’s World Cinema Fund (Wcf) is to provide a total of €360,000 in funding for 14 international projects.
In its latest funding round, the Wcf has recommended production funding for 11 projects and distribution grants for three films.
The 14 independent projects hail from Argentina, Chile, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ecuador, Egypt, Iran, Israel, Mozambique, Nigeria, the Republic of Belarus, Rwanda, Senegal and Thailand.
The production funding recipients include Demba by Senegalese writer-director Mamadou Dia, whose feature debut Nafi’s Father won the best first feature prize Locarno in...
- 11/24/2023
- by Tim Dams
- ScreenDaily
2023 edition has received a record number of applications.
Italy’s TorinoFilmLab (Tfl) has selected 10 projects for the 2023 edition of its FeatureLab training programme, for first or second film projects at an advanced development stage.
The 2023 iteration received a record 172 applications, from which one animation, one documentary and eight fiction projects have been chosen. Seven of the projects are debut feature, with three second films.
Scroll down for the selected projects
Two of the projects have previously participated in Tfl programmes: Irene Moray’s debut Sealskin, a Spanish feature set in a world where women are vanishing; and Francesco Romano’s debut The White House,...
Italy’s TorinoFilmLab (Tfl) has selected 10 projects for the 2023 edition of its FeatureLab training programme, for first or second film projects at an advanced development stage.
The 2023 iteration received a record 172 applications, from which one animation, one documentary and eight fiction projects have been chosen. Seven of the projects are debut feature, with three second films.
Scroll down for the selected projects
Two of the projects have previously participated in Tfl programmes: Irene Moray’s debut Sealskin, a Spanish feature set in a world where women are vanishing; and Francesco Romano’s debut The White House,...
- 5/5/2023
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
The Berlinale’s World Cinema Fund (Wcf) is expanding its distribution offering to European territories beyond Germany.
The Berlinale’s World Cinema Fund (Wcf) is expanding its distribution offering to European territories beyond Germany.
Wcf was formed in 2004. It has around €1m a year, with backing from the German Federal Cultural Foundation and the German ministry of foreign affairs, that stretches to support the production and distribution of films from areas of the world with limited filmmaking infrastructure.
“We always had distribution support for films coming from Wcf regions in Germany, but now, under the framework of Wcf Europe, we...
The Berlinale’s World Cinema Fund (Wcf) is expanding its distribution offering to European territories beyond Germany.
Wcf was formed in 2004. It has around €1m a year, with backing from the German Federal Cultural Foundation and the German ministry of foreign affairs, that stretches to support the production and distribution of films from areas of the world with limited filmmaking infrastructure.
“We always had distribution support for films coming from Wcf regions in Germany, but now, under the framework of Wcf Europe, we...
- 2/20/2023
- by Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
Four previously backed films are screening at Venice this year.
The Berlinale’s World Cinema Fund (Wcf) is to provide a combined €344,000 in finance to seven international projects.
In its latest funding round, the Wcf has recommended production funding for six projects from Burkina Faso, Chile, Egypt, Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal and Colombia. The fund has also recommened providing distribution funding for the August 25 German release of Sudanese film You Will Die At Twenty.
The Berlinale’s funding initiative was set up in 2004 to help diversify German cinema and support projects from areas of the world with less filmmaking infrastructure.
The Berlinale’s World Cinema Fund (Wcf) is to provide a combined €344,000 in finance to seven international projects.
In its latest funding round, the Wcf has recommended production funding for six projects from Burkina Faso, Chile, Egypt, Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal and Colombia. The fund has also recommened providing distribution funding for the August 25 German release of Sudanese film You Will Die At Twenty.
The Berlinale’s funding initiative was set up in 2004 to help diversify German cinema and support projects from areas of the world with less filmmaking infrastructure.
- 8/16/2022
- by Ellie Calnan
- ScreenDaily
Germany, US, India among countries represented.
Italy’s TorinoFilmLab (Tfl) has selected 10 fiction feature film projects at an advanced development stage for its 2022 FeatureLab, which will run from June to November this year.
The projects include six debut features and four second features; there are 21 participants across the 10 creative teams, including 14 women, six men and one non-binary person. They were selected from 134 applications from 60 countries.
Scroll down for the full list of projects
Among the selection are Mexican writer-director Marta Hernaiz Pidal with Straight Ahead, On Your Right. The film centres on the meeting between a group of posh teenage...
Italy’s TorinoFilmLab (Tfl) has selected 10 fiction feature film projects at an advanced development stage for its 2022 FeatureLab, which will run from June to November this year.
The projects include six debut features and four second features; there are 21 participants across the 10 creative teams, including 14 women, six men and one non-binary person. They were selected from 134 applications from 60 countries.
Scroll down for the full list of projects
Among the selection are Mexican writer-director Marta Hernaiz Pidal with Straight Ahead, On Your Right. The film centres on the meeting between a group of posh teenage...
- 4/29/2022
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
The six-month programme kicks off with a workshop in May.
The TorinoFilmLab (Tfl) has unveiled the 10 projects at an advanced stage by first or second-time international directors selected for this year’s FeatureLab.
The prestigious six-month programme kicks off with a workshop in May – held online due to the pandemic - and will be followed by second one in September to be held physically in Austria, if possible. The Austrian Film Institute and the Comunidad de Madrid and Ayuntamiento de Madrid are partnering on this iteration of the Lab.
Scroll down for the list of projects
The FeatureLab is led...
The TorinoFilmLab (Tfl) has unveiled the 10 projects at an advanced stage by first or second-time international directors selected for this year’s FeatureLab.
The prestigious six-month programme kicks off with a workshop in May – held online due to the pandemic - and will be followed by second one in September to be held physically in Austria, if possible. The Austrian Film Institute and the Comunidad de Madrid and Ayuntamiento de Madrid are partnering on this iteration of the Lab.
Scroll down for the list of projects
The FeatureLab is led...
- 5/6/2021
- by Gabriele Niola
- ScreenDaily
Funding sees a 50% boost on previous round to support projects “in times of crisis”.
The Berlinale’s World Cinema Fund (Wcf) has awarded a combined €592,000 to 12 projects in its latest funding round.
The level of funding allocated is up nearly 50% on the previous round in July. Organisers said it intended to “support independent cinema even more strongly in times of crisis”.
Projects receiving support hail from Brazil, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominican Republic, Guinea, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Kyrgyzstan, Mozambique, Senegal and Turkey.
Selected directors that previously participated in Berlinale Talents include Melisa Önel (Aniden), Nelson Makengo (Rising Up At Night), Edwin,...
The Berlinale’s World Cinema Fund (Wcf) has awarded a combined €592,000 to 12 projects in its latest funding round.
The level of funding allocated is up nearly 50% on the previous round in July. Organisers said it intended to “support independent cinema even more strongly in times of crisis”.
Projects receiving support hail from Brazil, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominican Republic, Guinea, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Kyrgyzstan, Mozambique, Senegal and Turkey.
Selected directors that previously participated in Berlinale Talents include Melisa Önel (Aniden), Nelson Makengo (Rising Up At Night), Edwin,...
- 12/11/2020
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
A total of €395,000 awarded to projects from Argentina, Burkina Faso, Colombia, Egypt, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, the Philippines, Senegal, Turkey and Venezuela.
Berlinale’s World Cinema Fund (Wcf) has awarded a combined €395,000 ($455,000) to 14 projects in its latest funding round.
The recipients hail from Argentina, Burkina Faso, Colombia, Egypt, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, the Philippines, Senegal, Turkey and Venezuela.
Selected directors that previously participated in Berlinale Talents include Amanda Nell EU (Tiger Stripes), Laura Citarella (Trenque Lauquen), Khavn de la Cruz (Love Is A Dog From Hell) and Katy Léna Ndiaye (Une Histoire Du Franc Cfa).
The latest funding round includes...
Berlinale’s World Cinema Fund (Wcf) has awarded a combined €395,000 ($455,000) to 14 projects in its latest funding round.
The recipients hail from Argentina, Burkina Faso, Colombia, Egypt, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, the Philippines, Senegal, Turkey and Venezuela.
Selected directors that previously participated in Berlinale Talents include Amanda Nell EU (Tiger Stripes), Laura Citarella (Trenque Lauquen), Khavn de la Cruz (Love Is A Dog From Hell) and Katy Léna Ndiaye (Une Histoire Du Franc Cfa).
The latest funding round includes...
- 7/22/2020
- by 1101184¦Orlando Parfitt¦38¦
- ScreenDaily
14 projects from four continents received prizes in Pitching du Réel, Rough Cut Lab and Docs in Progress, and three shorts in the Opening Scenes section were awarded by Idfa, Tënk and Slon. The Industry section of the 51st Visions du Réel, which took place online from 25-30 April, has announced its award winners. The Industry jury, comprising Vincenzo Bugno, head of the Berlinale World Cinema Fund, Debra Zimmerman, executive director of Women Make Movies, and filmmaker Sergei Loznitsa, gave out seven prizes in the Pitching du Réel segment and another three in Docs in Progress. The Party Film Sales Award, consisting of the acquisition of international rights for a documentary film, went to the French-Russian co-production Paradise by Alexander Abaturov. Norwegian filmmakers Petter Aaberg and Sverre Kvamme received the Rts Award for Nightcrawlers, which means their film will be pre-sold to Swiss Radio Television. Argentinian actress-writer-director Lola Arias received.
Teenagers struggling with sexual identity, women fighting to reconcile their multi-faceted roles in society, and men grappling with the destructive constraints of masculinity are among the themes to be explored in the 2020 edition of the TorinoFilmLab’s FeatureLab, an intensive annual workshop focused on first and second feature film projects at advanced stages of development.
The 10 projects selected to participate include seven debut features, spanning the globe from the sweltering jungles of the Amazon to the sun-soaked islands of Greece, from the mountains of Montenegro to the shores of Australia.
“We are proud to present a very diverse selection,” said TorinoFilmLab curator Vincenzo Bugno. “Ten projects with an original artistic identity coming from very different parts of the world, all of them representing somehow the complexity of this planet (and) the state of things in a challenging political-cultural situation.”
Bugno heralded a selection that features a new generation of filmmakers...
The 10 projects selected to participate include seven debut features, spanning the globe from the sweltering jungles of the Amazon to the sun-soaked islands of Greece, from the mountains of Montenegro to the shores of Australia.
“We are proud to present a very diverse selection,” said TorinoFilmLab curator Vincenzo Bugno. “Ten projects with an original artistic identity coming from very different parts of the world, all of them representing somehow the complexity of this planet (and) the state of things in a challenging political-cultural situation.”
Bugno heralded a selection that features a new generation of filmmakers...
- 4/27/2020
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
TorinoFilmLab’s Mercedes Fernandez Alonso and Violeta Bava talk about the new structure.
Around 100 international first- and second-time filmmakers are gathering to pitch their projects to some 200 distributors, sales agents and festival representatives at this weeend’s showcase of TorinoFilmLab (Tfl) on November 21-23 at the Turin Film Festival in Italy. It is the culmination of a year of expansion and reorganisation at the prestigious year-round project and talent development initiative.
Artistic director Matthieu Darras stepped down in January to be replaced by two curators in newly created roles: Bosnian producer Amra Baksic Camo and Berlinale World Cinema Fund project...
Around 100 international first- and second-time filmmakers are gathering to pitch their projects to some 200 distributors, sales agents and festival representatives at this weeend’s showcase of TorinoFilmLab (Tfl) on November 21-23 at the Turin Film Festival in Italy. It is the culmination of a year of expansion and reorganisation at the prestigious year-round project and talent development initiative.
Artistic director Matthieu Darras stepped down in January to be replaced by two curators in newly created roles: Bosnian producer Amra Baksic Camo and Berlinale World Cinema Fund project...
- 11/22/2019
- by 1100976¦Gabriele Niola¦0¦
- ScreenDaily
The Fund has awarded production and distribution funding of €386,400 to 13 films.
Thirteen projects from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Iran, Nigeria, the Philippines, Senegal and South Africa have received production or distribution support from the latest funding round of the Berlinale World Cinema Fund (Wcf).
The Fund is run by the German Federal Cultural Foundation and the Berlin International Film Festival, in cooperation with the German Federal Foreign Office, with further support from the Goethe-Institut, Creative Europe - Media programme and the German Federal Foreign Office.
The 30th session jury was composed of curator Anna Hoffmann (Germany), documentary producer Marta Andreu...
Thirteen projects from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Iran, Nigeria, the Philippines, Senegal and South Africa have received production or distribution support from the latest funding round of the Berlinale World Cinema Fund (Wcf).
The Fund is run by the German Federal Cultural Foundation and the Berlin International Film Festival, in cooperation with the German Federal Foreign Office, with further support from the Goethe-Institut, Creative Europe - Media programme and the German Federal Foreign Office.
The 30th session jury was composed of curator Anna Hoffmann (Germany), documentary producer Marta Andreu...
- 7/12/2019
- by Tofe Ayeni
- ScreenDaily
Seven of the selected projects are debut films this year, with four directed by women.
The TorinoFilmLab (Tfl) has revealed the 11 new projects selected for the 2019 FeatureLab training programme.
Seven of the projects are debut films this year, with four directed by women and nine women producing.
For the first time a documentary project is in the line-up: Cristina Picchi’s About The End.
Focusing on first and second feature films, the lab selects projects at an advanced stage of production and helps a team of directors, scriptwriters and producers get their ideas on screen.
This year’s line-up has...
The TorinoFilmLab (Tfl) has revealed the 11 new projects selected for the 2019 FeatureLab training programme.
Seven of the projects are debut films this year, with four directed by women and nine women producing.
For the first time a documentary project is in the line-up: Cristina Picchi’s About The End.
Focusing on first and second feature films, the lab selects projects at an advanced stage of production and helps a team of directors, scriptwriters and producers get their ideas on screen.
This year’s line-up has...
- 4/30/2019
- by Gabriele Niola
- ScreenDaily
One of the major winners at last year’s Berlin Film Festival — and widely distributed worldwide — was a quiet, intimate Paraguayan drama, “The Heiresses,” one of the latest fruits of the World Cinema Fund, a program nurtured by festival chief Dieter Kosslick.
Kosslick is being honored at the Berlin Film Festival with Variety‘s Achievement in International Film Award.
This year there are a record six Wcf-supported films in the Berlin festival, including South Africa’s “Flatland,” which opens the Panorama section. In addition, nine Wcf films will screen at the European Film Market as part of the Wcf Screenings.
Films supported by the fund are not obliged to premiere at Berlin, nor do they receive preferential treatment at the festival. Many premiere at other events, such as Thailand’s “Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall his Past Lives,” which won the Palme d’Or at Cannes.
When Kosslick set up...
Kosslick is being honored at the Berlin Film Festival with Variety‘s Achievement in International Film Award.
This year there are a record six Wcf-supported films in the Berlin festival, including South Africa’s “Flatland,” which opens the Panorama section. In addition, nine Wcf films will screen at the European Film Market as part of the Wcf Screenings.
Films supported by the fund are not obliged to premiere at Berlin, nor do they receive preferential treatment at the festival. Many premiere at other events, such as Thailand’s “Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall his Past Lives,” which won the Palme d’Or at Cannes.
When Kosslick set up...
- 2/4/2019
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Matthieu Darras to step down, to be replaced by two curators, three heads of studies.
The TorinoFilmLab (Tfl), the year-round initative that supports first and second time international filmmakers through training, development, funding and distribution activities, has unveiled a major expansion and reorganisation of its staff.
After three years in the role, artistic director Matthieu Darras is stepping down to be replaced by the newly-created roles of two curators and three heads of studies. The curators are Bosnian producer Amra Bakšić Čamo and Berlinale World Cinema Fund project manager Vincenzo Bugno. They will take up their roles in January 2019.
Camo...
The TorinoFilmLab (Tfl), the year-round initative that supports first and second time international filmmakers through training, development, funding and distribution activities, has unveiled a major expansion and reorganisation of its staff.
After three years in the role, artistic director Matthieu Darras is stepping down to be replaced by the newly-created roles of two curators and three heads of studies. The curators are Bosnian producer Amra Bakšić Čamo and Berlinale World Cinema Fund project manager Vincenzo Bugno. They will take up their roles in January 2019.
Camo...
- 11/6/2018
- by Gabriele Niola
- ScreenDaily
Focusing on film support funds in Europe and Latin America, a European Film Forum conference was held on Monday at San Sebastian.
After a keynote from E.U.’s Creative Europe Media Program head, Lucía Recalde, the roundtable tok in two panels, moderated by producer Pablo Iraola (Florbela).
Recalde emphasized a current state of flux: “Change is here to stay and it’s accelerating at an unprecedented pace. We have challenges of digital, globalization, reaching audiences who get content from everywhere, but there are opportunities emerging.”
First panel members included Rotterdam’s Hubert Bals fund manager Fay Breeman, the Berlinale’s World Cinema Fund head Vincenzo Bugno, and France’s Aide Aux Cinemas du Monde project manager Nathalie Streiff.
The second panel featured Recalde, Eurimages’ Sergio García de Leániz, and Ibermedia chief Elena Vilardell.
Panelists specified details about philosophy, terms and payment conditions, and requirements of the funds they represented.
Freeman...
After a keynote from E.U.’s Creative Europe Media Program head, Lucía Recalde, the roundtable tok in two panels, moderated by producer Pablo Iraola (Florbela).
Recalde emphasized a current state of flux: “Change is here to stay and it’s accelerating at an unprecedented pace. We have challenges of digital, globalization, reaching audiences who get content from everywhere, but there are opportunities emerging.”
First panel members included Rotterdam’s Hubert Bals fund manager Fay Breeman, the Berlinale’s World Cinema Fund head Vincenzo Bugno, and France’s Aide Aux Cinemas du Monde project manager Nathalie Streiff.
The second panel featured Recalde, Eurimages’ Sergio García de Leániz, and Ibermedia chief Elena Vilardell.
Panelists specified details about philosophy, terms and payment conditions, and requirements of the funds they represented.
Freeman...
- 9/25/2018
- by Emilio Mayorga and Jamie Lang
- Variety Film + TV
The event will take place on September 24 as part of the festival.
The European Film Forum will hold a conference on international funds on September 24, as part of the 66th San Sebastian Film Festival (September 21-29).
Promoted by the Creative Europe Media programme, the event will bring industry execs together to discuss international funding opportunities.
Lucia Recalde, head of the Media unit in the Creative Europe Programme will give a keynote address on ‘International funds, mediation in film production and distribution and future trends’.
There will also be two case study panels at the event. The first will look at Marcelo Martinessi’s The Heiresses,...
The European Film Forum will hold a conference on international funds on September 24, as part of the 66th San Sebastian Film Festival (September 21-29).
Promoted by the Creative Europe Media programme, the event will bring industry execs together to discuss international funding opportunities.
Lucia Recalde, head of the Media unit in the Creative Europe Programme will give a keynote address on ‘International funds, mediation in film production and distribution and future trends’.
There will also be two case study panels at the event. The first will look at Marcelo Martinessi’s The Heiresses,...
- 9/14/2018
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
The 13th edition of Meetings on the Bridge took place this week.
The 13th edition of Meetings on the Bridge, the industry section of the Istanbul Film Festival, has presented a series of cash prizes to a raft of projects in development and in post-production to features by new and estblished filmmakers from Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran and Syria.
Nearly 100 international industry professionals attended the event’s Film Development Workshop that showcased 17 feature projects and the Works In Progress event that provided a platform for six features in post-production.
They included Film Development Workshop jury members Vincenzo Bugno (Berlinale / World...
The 13th edition of Meetings on the Bridge, the industry section of the Istanbul Film Festival, has presented a series of cash prizes to a raft of projects in development and in post-production to features by new and estblished filmmakers from Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran and Syria.
Nearly 100 international industry professionals attended the event’s Film Development Workshop that showcased 17 feature projects and the Works In Progress event that provided a platform for six features in post-production.
They included Film Development Workshop jury members Vincenzo Bugno (Berlinale / World...
- 4/20/2018
- by Louise Tutt
- ScreenDaily
Dea Kulumbegashvili, Maya Dreifuss also scoop awards from Jerusalem lab.
Israeli actor-filmmaker Pini Tavger’s debut feature Pinhas has won the top $50,000 prize at the final pitching event of the 6th edition of the Sam Spiegel International Film Lab.
The tale of a young Russian immigrant coming to terms with life with his single mother in a small Israeli town is produced by Haim Mecklberg of 2-Team Productions, whose recent credits include Elite Zexer’s Sand Storm, which won the Sundance World Cinema Grand Jury Prize in 2016.
“The presentation of Pinhas provided the jury with a powerful experience: a fascinating, sensitive and conflictual script based on semi-autobiographic hardships beautifully presented through a scene for the upcoming film,” said Hengameh Panahi, Celluloid Dreams founding chief and Sam Spiegel jury chair.
It is Tavger’s first feature after two short films: 10 Weitzman Street and Pinhas, which sowed the seeds for the feature. He also directed...
Israeli actor-filmmaker Pini Tavger’s debut feature Pinhas has won the top $50,000 prize at the final pitching event of the 6th edition of the Sam Spiegel International Film Lab.
The tale of a young Russian immigrant coming to terms with life with his single mother in a small Israeli town is produced by Haim Mecklberg of 2-Team Productions, whose recent credits include Elite Zexer’s Sand Storm, which won the Sundance World Cinema Grand Jury Prize in 2016.
“The presentation of Pinhas provided the jury with a powerful experience: a fascinating, sensitive and conflictual script based on semi-autobiographic hardships beautifully presented through a scene for the upcoming film,” said Hengameh Panahi, Celluloid Dreams founding chief and Sam Spiegel jury chair.
It is Tavger’s first feature after two short films: 10 Weitzman Street and Pinhas, which sowed the seeds for the feature. He also directed...
- 7/15/2017
- ScreenDaily
The second edition of Qumra, March 4 - 9, organized by the Doha Film Institute has wrapped. Through a series of one-on-one meetings, consultations and tutorials, delegates at Qumra - the producers and directors associated with the 33 projects from 19 countries selected for the industry program - are provided with deep insights on how their films can find their voice in the global film market.
Only 100+ people, all working hard and all meeting every day is especially appealing. Seen in light of mega-events as Berlin, Cannes, Tiff and Sundance, the intimacy of everyone sharing meals, attending the same party, staying at the same hotels within the famed souk and in walking distance to the incredibly beautiful Museum of Islamic Art, designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect I.M. Pei where morning events, classes and screenings take place makes this event forever memorable.
Mentoring is a natural result of the rich mix of people from all levels of the industry sharing themselves along with their expertise.
In my closing conversation with Doha Film Institute CEO Fatma Al Remaihi, Qumra Deputy Director Hanaa Issa and Artistic Advisor for the Doha Film Institute, filmmaker Elia Suleiman, I had quite pointed questions to ask but in fact, they were too pointed because as Elia said, “While the Qatar film industry is still in its infancy, we are all discovering and learning about the region and Qatar, the power of the filmmakers’ voices. We have no target to hit, because that would be too confining.”
What is the objective of all the activity of Dfi?
Fatma : Qumra marks the beginning of new collaborations, new creative partnerships and new friendships. At its heart, the mission of this event is to support emerging filmmakers. The program has been designed with the constant goal of creating a supportive and productive space for projects by emerging filmmakers to be nurtured and to provide maximum opportunities for our filmmakers to benefit from the wisdom of the most experienced industry experts in the world.
“Last year, we launched Qumra and embarked on an ambitious journey to provide emerging talent with an industry platform to help them build their skills and foster meaningful industry connections. In its second edition, we are excited to see it define its own niche with experts from across the world taking part in the discussions and asserting their commitment to supporting young filmmakers. We thank them for being here in Qatar and sharing their experience with the spirit of generosity that has come to embody this event.”
The objective of supporting Arab voices is being met faster than expected as shown by the success of ‘ Theeb’.
Editor: “Theeb” has won numerous awards in festivals including its debut in Venice where director-writer Naji Abu Nowar won for Best Director, winning the U.K.’s top BAFTA Award for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer by Naji Abu Nowar and Rupert Lloyd and reaching the level of nominee for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
This coproduction between Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Qatar and U.K. was funded by Doha Film Institute, Visions Sud Est and Anad of Abu Dhabi and it has been sold by top international sales agent Fortissimo to Australia (Jiff Distribution), Belgium (ABC), Middle East (Mad Solutions), Netherlands (ABC – Cinemien), Norway (As Fidalgo), Switzerland (trigon-film) U.K. (New Wave) and U.S. (Film Movement).
Hanaa Issa : “In many ways, Qumra is the culmination of the work we have been doing at the Doha Film Institute over the past five years. It builds on the existing support we give to filmmakers through our education and development programs, our funding programs, and our screenings and film appreciation initiatives. Our first edition showed us that the format worked and provided meaningful results to all those who participated, and we are confident that the second edition has contributed to extending further support to our talents.
I notice how many young filmmakers are here, and how shorts seem to be a strong suit right now for them. How does this objective apply specifically to Qatar?
Hanaa : The Dfi is making Qatar voices heard by traveling, bringing a package of films and selected participants to Berlin, Cannes, Dubai and Clermont-Ferrand, the world’s first and still most prestigious short film festival.
Elia: Qumra is for the young filmmakers and to inspire them, especially at a time when fences and borders are being built all around, and new ones are springing everywhere in the world. The imagination and poetry of our young filmmakers serve as a resistance to these borders. The fact that we are here at Qumra shows our confidence in our filmmakers in breaking down these barriers.
Are you getting any feedback yet?
Elia : I mix among everyone and am hearing very positive things from the filmmakers, the experts and festival programmers.
I heard James Schamus say it is unique. I’ve had several conversations with young women filmmakers that go beyond the subject of filmmaking.
Elia: There are more women here than last year, perhaps because the doors are so recently opened.
How do you evaluate all that has happened here?
Fatma: Very soon after the event, all together, every person involved in the event reviews every step and we forecast trends from what we see has taken place so far. We plan how to fulfil the needs of the filmmakers as we grow.
How do you see the future?
Hanaa: Many more people want to come and some want to come at their own expense. We want to meet the demands and also to keep the integrity of Qumra and insure that projects develop with follow up by all participants. We want to keep the format and avoid getting too big, to keep it relevant…We want to see the evolution of the projects here.
I myself love the intimacy and fear its loss as more people become aware of how great this program is. As press, I hesitate to write to tell more people about it because I want to keep it small as a participant.
Elia: In ten years perhaps one of the Masters will be someone who began here.
Fatma: The returnees from the first year are here with passion. And yet we need to guard the windows for new comers.
Hanaa: I would say Qumra is “elastic”.
Those are good closing words. “Elastic” defines Qumra now. Thank you for this look at what has happened so far at Qumra. I hope to remain a part of the Qumra family now that I have participated with the short filmmakers myself and have experienced the people’s warm hospitality!
From the official press notes:
Doha Film Institute CEO Fatma Al Remaihi said: “Qumra offers audiences highly engaging film experiences presenting new insights into the language of cinema and the process behind the creation of compelling films. They will also be educational and inspirational, underlining our commitment to strengthening film culture in Qatar by promoting access to and appreciation of world cinema.”
Masters and master classes with James Schamus, Joshua Oppenheimer, Naomi Kawase, Aleksandr Sokurov and Nuri Bilge Ceylan interested all participants and much of the public.
The Masters screenings, accompanied by Q&A sessions with the visiting Qumra Masters linked to each film were “The Look of Silence” (Denmark, Indonesia, Finland, Norway, UK / Indonesian, Javanese /2014) by Qumra Master Joshua Oppenheimer, “Once Upon a Time in Anatolia” (Turkey, Bosnia and Herzegovina / Turkish / 2011) by Qumra Master Nuri Bilge Ceylan; “Russian Ark” (Russian Federation, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Japan / Russian / 2002) by Qumra Master Aleksandr Sokurov; “The Mourning Forest” (Japan, France / Japanese / 2007) by Qumra Master Naomi Kawase; and “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (Taiwan, Hong Kong, USA, China / Mandarin / 2001) by Ang Lee, co-written and produced by Lee’s longtime collaborator and Qumra Master, James Schamus.
The ‘New Voices in Cinema’ screenings included two feature films granted by the Doha Film Institute: “ Mediterranea” (Italy, France, Germany, Qatar/ Arabic, English, French, Italian; 2015) by Jonas Carpignano being sold internationally by Ndm and Wme; “ Roundabout in my Head”/ “Fi rassi roun-point” (Algeria, France, Qatar/Arabic/2015); and two award-winning short films “Waves 98” by Ely Dagher (Lebanon, Qatar / Arabic / 2015), winner of the Palme d’Or for Best Short Film at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival and “The Palm Tree ” (Qatar, No Dialogue, 2015) by Jasim Al Rumaihi, winner of the 2015 Ajyal Youth Film Festival Made in Qatar Award for Best Documentary.
Many of the industry guests included returnees as well as the new guests which count Bero Beyer, Rotterdam; Tine Fisher, Cph Dox; Christophe Le Parc, Director’s Fortnight, Cannes; Vincenzo Bugno, World Cinema Fund, Berlinale; Cameron Bailey, Tiff and Carlo Chatrian, Locarno here for their second time; Sundance for its first year; Matthijs Wouter Knol, European Film Market; Mike Goodridge, Protagonist; Memento Films, Arte; Michael Werner, Fortissimo; Alaa Karkouti, Mad Solutions and Selim El Azar, Gulf Films.
Also attending for the first time was Netflix who picked up “Under the Shadow” an elevated horror/ thriller partially funded by the Doha Film Institute, Film Movement and the Ford Foundation.
The closing night party was a sumptuous affair held in the desert, an homage to the tent dwellings of the Doha Bedouins, grandparents of those who are now forging a new urban and international identity.
Only 100+ people, all working hard and all meeting every day is especially appealing. Seen in light of mega-events as Berlin, Cannes, Tiff and Sundance, the intimacy of everyone sharing meals, attending the same party, staying at the same hotels within the famed souk and in walking distance to the incredibly beautiful Museum of Islamic Art, designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect I.M. Pei where morning events, classes and screenings take place makes this event forever memorable.
Mentoring is a natural result of the rich mix of people from all levels of the industry sharing themselves along with their expertise.
In my closing conversation with Doha Film Institute CEO Fatma Al Remaihi, Qumra Deputy Director Hanaa Issa and Artistic Advisor for the Doha Film Institute, filmmaker Elia Suleiman, I had quite pointed questions to ask but in fact, they were too pointed because as Elia said, “While the Qatar film industry is still in its infancy, we are all discovering and learning about the region and Qatar, the power of the filmmakers’ voices. We have no target to hit, because that would be too confining.”
What is the objective of all the activity of Dfi?
Fatma : Qumra marks the beginning of new collaborations, new creative partnerships and new friendships. At its heart, the mission of this event is to support emerging filmmakers. The program has been designed with the constant goal of creating a supportive and productive space for projects by emerging filmmakers to be nurtured and to provide maximum opportunities for our filmmakers to benefit from the wisdom of the most experienced industry experts in the world.
“Last year, we launched Qumra and embarked on an ambitious journey to provide emerging talent with an industry platform to help them build their skills and foster meaningful industry connections. In its second edition, we are excited to see it define its own niche with experts from across the world taking part in the discussions and asserting their commitment to supporting young filmmakers. We thank them for being here in Qatar and sharing their experience with the spirit of generosity that has come to embody this event.”
The objective of supporting Arab voices is being met faster than expected as shown by the success of ‘ Theeb’.
Editor: “Theeb” has won numerous awards in festivals including its debut in Venice where director-writer Naji Abu Nowar won for Best Director, winning the U.K.’s top BAFTA Award for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer by Naji Abu Nowar and Rupert Lloyd and reaching the level of nominee for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
This coproduction between Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Qatar and U.K. was funded by Doha Film Institute, Visions Sud Est and Anad of Abu Dhabi and it has been sold by top international sales agent Fortissimo to Australia (Jiff Distribution), Belgium (ABC), Middle East (Mad Solutions), Netherlands (ABC – Cinemien), Norway (As Fidalgo), Switzerland (trigon-film) U.K. (New Wave) and U.S. (Film Movement).
Hanaa Issa : “In many ways, Qumra is the culmination of the work we have been doing at the Doha Film Institute over the past five years. It builds on the existing support we give to filmmakers through our education and development programs, our funding programs, and our screenings and film appreciation initiatives. Our first edition showed us that the format worked and provided meaningful results to all those who participated, and we are confident that the second edition has contributed to extending further support to our talents.
I notice how many young filmmakers are here, and how shorts seem to be a strong suit right now for them. How does this objective apply specifically to Qatar?
Hanaa : The Dfi is making Qatar voices heard by traveling, bringing a package of films and selected participants to Berlin, Cannes, Dubai and Clermont-Ferrand, the world’s first and still most prestigious short film festival.
Elia: Qumra is for the young filmmakers and to inspire them, especially at a time when fences and borders are being built all around, and new ones are springing everywhere in the world. The imagination and poetry of our young filmmakers serve as a resistance to these borders. The fact that we are here at Qumra shows our confidence in our filmmakers in breaking down these barriers.
Are you getting any feedback yet?
Elia : I mix among everyone and am hearing very positive things from the filmmakers, the experts and festival programmers.
I heard James Schamus say it is unique. I’ve had several conversations with young women filmmakers that go beyond the subject of filmmaking.
Elia: There are more women here than last year, perhaps because the doors are so recently opened.
How do you evaluate all that has happened here?
Fatma: Very soon after the event, all together, every person involved in the event reviews every step and we forecast trends from what we see has taken place so far. We plan how to fulfil the needs of the filmmakers as we grow.
How do you see the future?
Hanaa: Many more people want to come and some want to come at their own expense. We want to meet the demands and also to keep the integrity of Qumra and insure that projects develop with follow up by all participants. We want to keep the format and avoid getting too big, to keep it relevant…We want to see the evolution of the projects here.
I myself love the intimacy and fear its loss as more people become aware of how great this program is. As press, I hesitate to write to tell more people about it because I want to keep it small as a participant.
Elia: In ten years perhaps one of the Masters will be someone who began here.
Fatma: The returnees from the first year are here with passion. And yet we need to guard the windows for new comers.
Hanaa: I would say Qumra is “elastic”.
Those are good closing words. “Elastic” defines Qumra now. Thank you for this look at what has happened so far at Qumra. I hope to remain a part of the Qumra family now that I have participated with the short filmmakers myself and have experienced the people’s warm hospitality!
From the official press notes:
Doha Film Institute CEO Fatma Al Remaihi said: “Qumra offers audiences highly engaging film experiences presenting new insights into the language of cinema and the process behind the creation of compelling films. They will also be educational and inspirational, underlining our commitment to strengthening film culture in Qatar by promoting access to and appreciation of world cinema.”
Masters and master classes with James Schamus, Joshua Oppenheimer, Naomi Kawase, Aleksandr Sokurov and Nuri Bilge Ceylan interested all participants and much of the public.
The Masters screenings, accompanied by Q&A sessions with the visiting Qumra Masters linked to each film were “The Look of Silence” (Denmark, Indonesia, Finland, Norway, UK / Indonesian, Javanese /2014) by Qumra Master Joshua Oppenheimer, “Once Upon a Time in Anatolia” (Turkey, Bosnia and Herzegovina / Turkish / 2011) by Qumra Master Nuri Bilge Ceylan; “Russian Ark” (Russian Federation, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Japan / Russian / 2002) by Qumra Master Aleksandr Sokurov; “The Mourning Forest” (Japan, France / Japanese / 2007) by Qumra Master Naomi Kawase; and “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (Taiwan, Hong Kong, USA, China / Mandarin / 2001) by Ang Lee, co-written and produced by Lee’s longtime collaborator and Qumra Master, James Schamus.
The ‘New Voices in Cinema’ screenings included two feature films granted by the Doha Film Institute: “ Mediterranea” (Italy, France, Germany, Qatar/ Arabic, English, French, Italian; 2015) by Jonas Carpignano being sold internationally by Ndm and Wme; “ Roundabout in my Head”/ “Fi rassi roun-point” (Algeria, France, Qatar/Arabic/2015); and two award-winning short films “Waves 98” by Ely Dagher (Lebanon, Qatar / Arabic / 2015), winner of the Palme d’Or for Best Short Film at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival and “The Palm Tree ” (Qatar, No Dialogue, 2015) by Jasim Al Rumaihi, winner of the 2015 Ajyal Youth Film Festival Made in Qatar Award for Best Documentary.
Many of the industry guests included returnees as well as the new guests which count Bero Beyer, Rotterdam; Tine Fisher, Cph Dox; Christophe Le Parc, Director’s Fortnight, Cannes; Vincenzo Bugno, World Cinema Fund, Berlinale; Cameron Bailey, Tiff and Carlo Chatrian, Locarno here for their second time; Sundance for its first year; Matthijs Wouter Knol, European Film Market; Mike Goodridge, Protagonist; Memento Films, Arte; Michael Werner, Fortissimo; Alaa Karkouti, Mad Solutions and Selim El Azar, Gulf Films.
Also attending for the first time was Netflix who picked up “Under the Shadow” an elevated horror/ thriller partially funded by the Doha Film Institute, Film Movement and the Ford Foundation.
The closing night party was a sumptuous affair held in the desert, an homage to the tent dwellings of the Doha Bedouins, grandparents of those who are now forging a new urban and international identity.
- 3/24/2016
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Qumra, the annual industry event by the Doha Film Institute designed to nurture the development of emerging filmmakers, will welcome more than 100 industry professionals, including international film festival directors, producers, fund managers, script consultants, distributors and other experts during its second edition to be held from March 4 to 9, 2016.
A number of industry leaders who attended the inaugural edition last year have confirmed their participation for the second time alongside many new organizations represented for the first time at the annual gathering dedicated to supporting first- and second-time filmmakers on both a creative and practical level. The delegates come from as far afield as Argentina, Australia, India, Germany, France, The Netherlands, Egypt and the Us.
Fatma Al Remaihi, Chief Executive Officer of the Doha Film Institute, said: “Qumra presents a very important component in nurturing a film industry in Qatar and the Arab world and the participation of international industry experts is integral to this initiative. I would like to thank each of these seasoned professionals for lending their expertise to benefit the participating projects and for being part of the unique creative network that we have cultivated through Qumra.”
She added: “We have seen many productive and tangible outcomes for the projects that were developed in the first edition of Qumra and I am confident that the connections made between emerging filmmakers and industry mentors in the coming week will contribute to the growth of a more robust regional film industry and benefit the participants far into the future.”
The Qumra industry program is centered around 33 projects from Qatar, the Arab region and the rest of the world at various stages of development. The industry sessions are presented in two strands: tutorials, workshops, consultations and one-on-one meetings for projects still in development; and a series of work-in-progress and ‘picture lock’ screenings and feedback sessions for projects in post production. I am proud to be a part of the tutorials and one-on-one sessions with the filmmakers working on short films.
Among the leading industry names to attend the event this year are: David Parfitt, Academy Award-winning producer, Chairman of Film London and ex-Chairman of BAFTA; Christophe Leparc, Managing Director, Programmer at Director’s Fortnight Cannes Film Festival and recently appointed Festival Director of Cinemed; Cameron Bailey, Festival Director, Toronto International Film Festival; Carlo Chatrian, Artistic Director of Festival Del Film Locarno; Vincenzo Bugno, Project Manager of Berlinale World Cinema Fund and member of the Berlinale Competition Selection Committee; Matthijs Wouter Knol, Director of the European Film Market at the Berlin International Film Festival; Remi Burah, Senior Executive Vice President, Arte France Cinéma; Cara Mertes, Director of the Ford Foundation’s JustFilms; Mike Goodridge, CEO of Protagonist Pictures; Alexandre Mallet-Guy, President of Memento Films; Michael J. Werner, Managing Director & Chairman of Fortissimo Films; and first-time representatives from Netflix, AMC / Sundance Channel Global and the Sundance Institute.
Strong representation from programmers and directors of the world’s leading film festivals and institutes includes: Cph:dox Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival; Morelia Film Festival in Mexico & San Sebastian Film Festival, Spain; International Film Festival of Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Busan International Film Festival, South Korea; Latin Arab International Film Festival in Argentina; Melbourne International Film Festival, Australia; Tribeca Film Institute, USA; International Istanbul Film Festival; Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Film Festival; Berlinale Shorts at International Film Festival of Berlin; Sarajevo Film Festival; and the Dubai International Film Festival.
High profile regional distributors and international sales agents and distributors include representatives from Wild Bunch of France; Film Movement of USA; Memento Films, France; Tricon Films, Canada; Urban Distribution International of France; The Match Factory of Germany; Gulf Films of UAE; Mad Solutions, Egypt ; Front Row Filmed Entertainment, UAE; Moving Turtle, Lebanon and Mc Distribution, Lebanon.
International film funds and commissions represented at Qumra 2016 include: Idfa Bertha Fund of the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam; the Hubert Bals Fund of the International Film Festival of Rotterdam; Medienboard Berlin Brandenburg; the Robert Bosch Stiftung, Berlin; The Royal Film Commission, Jordan; the Arab Fund for Arts & Culture; Screen Institute Beirut; the Netherlands Film Fund and Gulf funds Sanad Film Fund and Enjazz, UAE as well as regional financiers Image Nation and Mbc Group.
Qatar-based organizations are represented by Innovation Films and the Al Jazeera Media Training & Development Centre in Qatar along with 120 Qatar-based film, media and entertainment delegates who will also participate in the program, further building on the event’s aim to connect local, regional and international industry for the benefit of emerging talent.
Qumra has three main elements: Masterclasses by the Qumra Masters, which will be led this year by James Schamus (Us), Joshua Oppenheimer (Us), Naomi Kawase (Japan), Nuri Bilge Ceylan (Turkey) and Aleksandr Sokurov (Russia); industry meetings and screenings. All projects selected by the Doha Film Institute will benefit from the industry meetings with the experts to take their work to the next stage.
The screenings are in two categories: Master Screenings & New Voices in Cinema. The Masters Screenings this year include "The Look of Silence" (Denmark, Indonesia, Finland, Norway, UK / Indonesian, Javanese /2014) by Joshua Oppenheimer,Once Upon a Time in Anatolia (Turkey, Bosnia and Herzegovina / Turkish / 2011) by Nuri Bilge Ceylan; "Russian Ark" (Russian Federation, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Japan / Russian / 2002) by Aleksandr Sokurov;"The Mourning Forest" (Japan, France / Japanese / 2007) by Naomi Kawase; and " Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" Taiwan, Hong Kong, USA, China / Mandarin / 2001) by Ang Lee.
In the New Voices in Cinema segment, are: "The Palm Tree" (Qatar, No Dialogue, 2015) by Jasim Al Rumaihi; "Mediterranea" (Italy, France, Germany, Qatar/ Arabic, English, French, Italian; 2015) by Jonas Carpignano; "Roundabout in my Head" (Algeria, France, Qatar/Arabic/2015), and "Waves 98" by Ely Dagher (Lebanon, Qatar / Arabic / 2015).
All screenings will take place at the Museum of Islamic Art Auditorium and tickets are now on sale at www.dohafilminstitute.com...
A number of industry leaders who attended the inaugural edition last year have confirmed their participation for the second time alongside many new organizations represented for the first time at the annual gathering dedicated to supporting first- and second-time filmmakers on both a creative and practical level. The delegates come from as far afield as Argentina, Australia, India, Germany, France, The Netherlands, Egypt and the Us.
Fatma Al Remaihi, Chief Executive Officer of the Doha Film Institute, said: “Qumra presents a very important component in nurturing a film industry in Qatar and the Arab world and the participation of international industry experts is integral to this initiative. I would like to thank each of these seasoned professionals for lending their expertise to benefit the participating projects and for being part of the unique creative network that we have cultivated through Qumra.”
She added: “We have seen many productive and tangible outcomes for the projects that were developed in the first edition of Qumra and I am confident that the connections made between emerging filmmakers and industry mentors in the coming week will contribute to the growth of a more robust regional film industry and benefit the participants far into the future.”
The Qumra industry program is centered around 33 projects from Qatar, the Arab region and the rest of the world at various stages of development. The industry sessions are presented in two strands: tutorials, workshops, consultations and one-on-one meetings for projects still in development; and a series of work-in-progress and ‘picture lock’ screenings and feedback sessions for projects in post production. I am proud to be a part of the tutorials and one-on-one sessions with the filmmakers working on short films.
Among the leading industry names to attend the event this year are: David Parfitt, Academy Award-winning producer, Chairman of Film London and ex-Chairman of BAFTA; Christophe Leparc, Managing Director, Programmer at Director’s Fortnight Cannes Film Festival and recently appointed Festival Director of Cinemed; Cameron Bailey, Festival Director, Toronto International Film Festival; Carlo Chatrian, Artistic Director of Festival Del Film Locarno; Vincenzo Bugno, Project Manager of Berlinale World Cinema Fund and member of the Berlinale Competition Selection Committee; Matthijs Wouter Knol, Director of the European Film Market at the Berlin International Film Festival; Remi Burah, Senior Executive Vice President, Arte France Cinéma; Cara Mertes, Director of the Ford Foundation’s JustFilms; Mike Goodridge, CEO of Protagonist Pictures; Alexandre Mallet-Guy, President of Memento Films; Michael J. Werner, Managing Director & Chairman of Fortissimo Films; and first-time representatives from Netflix, AMC / Sundance Channel Global and the Sundance Institute.
Strong representation from programmers and directors of the world’s leading film festivals and institutes includes: Cph:dox Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival; Morelia Film Festival in Mexico & San Sebastian Film Festival, Spain; International Film Festival of Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Busan International Film Festival, South Korea; Latin Arab International Film Festival in Argentina; Melbourne International Film Festival, Australia; Tribeca Film Institute, USA; International Istanbul Film Festival; Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Film Festival; Berlinale Shorts at International Film Festival of Berlin; Sarajevo Film Festival; and the Dubai International Film Festival.
High profile regional distributors and international sales agents and distributors include representatives from Wild Bunch of France; Film Movement of USA; Memento Films, France; Tricon Films, Canada; Urban Distribution International of France; The Match Factory of Germany; Gulf Films of UAE; Mad Solutions, Egypt ; Front Row Filmed Entertainment, UAE; Moving Turtle, Lebanon and Mc Distribution, Lebanon.
International film funds and commissions represented at Qumra 2016 include: Idfa Bertha Fund of the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam; the Hubert Bals Fund of the International Film Festival of Rotterdam; Medienboard Berlin Brandenburg; the Robert Bosch Stiftung, Berlin; The Royal Film Commission, Jordan; the Arab Fund for Arts & Culture; Screen Institute Beirut; the Netherlands Film Fund and Gulf funds Sanad Film Fund and Enjazz, UAE as well as regional financiers Image Nation and Mbc Group.
Qatar-based organizations are represented by Innovation Films and the Al Jazeera Media Training & Development Centre in Qatar along with 120 Qatar-based film, media and entertainment delegates who will also participate in the program, further building on the event’s aim to connect local, regional and international industry for the benefit of emerging talent.
Qumra has three main elements: Masterclasses by the Qumra Masters, which will be led this year by James Schamus (Us), Joshua Oppenheimer (Us), Naomi Kawase (Japan), Nuri Bilge Ceylan (Turkey) and Aleksandr Sokurov (Russia); industry meetings and screenings. All projects selected by the Doha Film Institute will benefit from the industry meetings with the experts to take their work to the next stage.
The screenings are in two categories: Master Screenings & New Voices in Cinema. The Masters Screenings this year include "The Look of Silence" (Denmark, Indonesia, Finland, Norway, UK / Indonesian, Javanese /2014) by Joshua Oppenheimer,Once Upon a Time in Anatolia (Turkey, Bosnia and Herzegovina / Turkish / 2011) by Nuri Bilge Ceylan; "Russian Ark" (Russian Federation, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Japan / Russian / 2002) by Aleksandr Sokurov;"The Mourning Forest" (Japan, France / Japanese / 2007) by Naomi Kawase; and " Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" Taiwan, Hong Kong, USA, China / Mandarin / 2001) by Ang Lee.
In the New Voices in Cinema segment, are: "The Palm Tree" (Qatar, No Dialogue, 2015) by Jasim Al Rumaihi; "Mediterranea" (Italy, France, Germany, Qatar/ Arabic, English, French, Italian; 2015) by Jonas Carpignano; "Roundabout in my Head" (Algeria, France, Qatar/Arabic/2015), and "Waves 98" by Ely Dagher (Lebanon, Qatar / Arabic / 2015).
All screenings will take place at the Museum of Islamic Art Auditorium and tickets are now on sale at www.dohafilminstitute.com...
- 3/6/2016
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
The second edition of Qumra, March 4 - 9, the industry development event organized by the Doha Film Institute to nurture emerging voices in cinema with a focus on first and second-time filmmakers, will include as Masters, James Schamus and Joshua Oppenheimer along with Naomi Kawase, Aleksandr Sokurov and Nuri Bilge Ceylan participating in a series of master classes and one-on-one sessions with selected Qumra filmmakers and their projects along with screenings and Q&A sessions for Doha audiences throughout the week.
Read about previously announced Qumra Masters.
Held at the incredibly beautiful Museum of Islamic Art, designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect I.M. Pei, and a cultural partner of the Doha Film Institute, Qumra supports the development of emerging filmmakers from Qatar, the Arab region and around the world. Dfi has arranged a “rainbow of colors in a bouquet of participants and masters”. Elia Suleiman, Artistic Advisor for the Doha Film Institute says, “each master is very different and the event looks like an edition of poetry.”
Due to unforeseen circumstances, previously announced Qumra Master Lucrecia Martel is no longer able to participate this year.
Directors and producers attached to up to thirty three projects in development or post-production are invited to participate in Qumra, named from the Arabic term ‘qumra’ popularly said to be the origin of the word ‘camera’ and used by the scientist, astronomer and mathematician Alhazen (Ibn al-Haytham, 965-c.1040 Ce), whose work in optics laid out the principles of the camera obscura.
Qumra includes a number of emerging filmmakers from Qatar, as well as recipients of funding from the Institute’s Grants Program. The robust program features industry meetings designed to assist with propelling projects to their next stages of development, master classes, work-in-progress screenings, matchmaking sessions and tailored workshops with industry experts. This creative exchange takes place alongside a program of public screenings curated with input from the Qumra Masters.
Especially appealing about this event, seen in light of mega-events as Berlin, Cannes, Tiff and Sundance is the intimacy of everyone sharing meals, attending the same party, staying at the same hotel within the famed souk and in walking distance to the museum. Only 150 people, all working hard and all meeting every day as they work with 23 features, 11 of which are in development and 12 in post whose program has been guided by Elia Suleiman and Qumra Deputy Director Hanaa Issa. The Qumra team will also help us navigate the souk to find the best bargains in spices like saffron and sumac and tumeric, textiles and other middle eastern treasures from the silk road!
Qumra has come a long way in one year; where last year there was only one documentary, this year there are eight documentary features – four in development and four works-in-progress - and four short documentaries in development. Five of them are Qatari, five are from the Mena region and two international. There are 23 features of which five are from Qatar and 10 shorts, all from Qatar. Each Master will meet with four to five filmmakers formally but the collaboration among mentors and emerging filmmakers will extend far beyond such formal meetings.
There are also three great moderators of panels: Richard Pena, the longtime chief for the Film Society of Lincoln Center in New York, Jean Michel Poignet and Paolo Bertolini of the Venice Film Festival.
Also included is a highly engaging selection of movies by the five Qumra Masters and from a selection of emerging talent during daily screenings and Q&A sessions. The selection includes Academy Award, Cannes Film Festival and Ajyal Youth Film Festival award winners.
Doha Film Institute CEO Fatma Al Remaihi said: “This year, the Qumra Screenings will showcase the work of five esteemed masters of cinema alongside some tremendously talented emerging filmmakers. By presenting these two spectrums of cinematic works, Qumra will offer audiences highly engaging film experiences that will present new insights into the language of cinema and the process behind the creation of compelling films. They will also be educational and inspirational, underlining our commitment to strengthening film culture in Qatar by promoting access to and appreciation of world cinema.”
The Masters screenings, accompanied by Q&A sessions with the visiting Qumra Masters linked to each film are “The Look of Silence” (Denmark, Indonesia, Finland, Norway, UK / Indonesian, Javanese /2014) by Qumra Master Joshua Oppenheimer, “Once Upon a Time in Anatolia” (Turkey, Bosnia and Herzegovina / Turkish / 2011) by Qumra Master Nuri Bilge Ceylan; “The Russian Ark” (Russian Federation, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Japan / Russian / 2002) by Qumra Master Aleksandr Sokurov; “The Mourning Forest” (Japan, France / Japanese / 2007) by Qumra Master Naomi Kawase; and “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (Taiwan, Hong Kong, USA, China / Mandarin / 2001) by Ang Lee, co-written and produced by Lee’s longtime collaborator and Qumra Master, James Schamus.
The ‘New Voices in Cinema’ screenings include two feature films granted by the Doha Film Institute: “ Mediterranea” (Italy, France, Germany, Qatar/ Arabic, English, French, Italian; 2015) by Jonas Carpignano being sold internationally by Ndm and Wme; “Roundabout in my Head”/ “Fi rassi roun-point” (Algeria, France, Qatar/Arabic/2015); and two award-winning short films “Waves 98” by Ely Dagher (Lebanon, Qatar / Arabic / 2015), winner of the Palme d’Or for Best Short Film at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival and “The Palm Tree ” (Qatar, No Dialogue, 2015) by Jasim Al Rumaihi, winner of the 2015 Ajyal Youth Film Festival Made in Qatar Award for Best Documentary.
“We are privileged to have James Schamus and Joshua Oppenheimer participate as Qumra Masters this year,” said Doha Film Institute CEO Fatma Al Remaihi. “Both filmmakers, while very different in style, are truly ground-breaking in their fields and bring a wealth of experience to Qumra that will be invaluable for the young filmmakers participating.”
“We look forward to welcoming James and Joshua to the Gulf region for the first time and enabling our Qumra 2016 participants to establish a connection with these two leaders of independent filmmaking in the Us.”
Both Schamus and Oppenheimer were born in the Us and combine their acclaimed filmmaking careers with other roles within the industry: Schamus as a revered film historian and academic; and Oppenheimer as Artistic Director of the Centre for Documentary and Experimental Film at the University of Westminster in London.
Schamus, a multi award-winning screenwriter, director and leading Us indie producer, is best known for his long creative collaboration with Taiwanese director Ang Lee. He has worked with Lee on nine films, including “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (2000), which won four Academy Awards, including Best Foreign Language Film and Best Cinematography, and remains the highest-grossing non-English-language film in the Us. He was the screenwriter for Lee's “The Ice Storm”, for which he won the award for Best Screenplay at the Festival de Cannes in 1997 and co-wrote “Eat Drink Man Woman” (1994), the first of Lee’s films to achieve both critical and commercial success.
As a producer, Schamus co-founded the Us powerhouse production company Good Machine in the early 1990s, and then from 2002 to 2014 was CEO of Focus Features, the motion picture production, financing and worldwide distribution company whose films during his tenure included Wes Anderson's “Moonrise Kingdom” (2012), Michel Gondry's Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), Roman Polanski's “The Pianist “(2002), Henry Selick's Coraline (2009) and Sofia Coppola’s “Lost in Translation” (2003).
In 2014, Schamus turned his hand to directing with the short documentary “That Film About Money” (2014), and in 2016 made his feature directorial debut with an adaptation of Philip Roth's “Indignation," which had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2016 and is screening at this year’s Berlin International Film Festival in the Panorama section.
Schamus is also Professor of Professional Practice at Columbia University’s School of the Arts, where he teaches film history and theory, and is the author of 'Carl Theodor Dreyer's Gertrud: The Moving Word', published by the University of Washington Press.
Elia Suleiman , the Artistic Advisor to Doha Film Institute, recalls how he and James grew up together in New York as long-time friends. James introduced him to the Chilean master filmmaker Raul Ruiz. Schamus helped him with his short film while at Good Machine. He helped edit the script and was his guardian angel helping with his first contract. They even had a code for “urgent”. When Elia was in Jerusalem and James in London they used the code whenever Elia was overwhelmed by the paperwork needed. James would answer within 15 minutes. Now James has come full circle on his own, from being one of the most important producers of the decade to directing his own film. When asked by Qumra what was most important, he said first time filmmakers were the most important. And he has always been able to spot the most talented of emerging filmmakers.
Two-time Academy Award nominee Joshua Oppenheimer’s debut feature-length film, “The Act of Killing” (2012) was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature Film, named Film of the Year by The Guardian and the Sight and Sound Film Poll, and won 72 international awards, including a European Film Award, a BAFTA, an Asia Pacific Screen Award, a Berlin International Film Festival Audience Award, and the Guardian Film Award for Best Film.
His second film, “The Look of Silence” (2014) had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival, where it won five awards including the Grand Jury Prize, the Fipresci Prize and the Fedeora Prize. It was nominated for the 2016 Oscar for Best Documentary Film, and has received 66 international awards, including an International Documentary Association Award for Best Documentary, a Gotham Award for Best Documentary, and three Cinema Eye Honors for Nonfiction Filmmaking.
Oppenheimer is a partner at the Final Cut for Real production company in Copenhagen, and Artistic Director of the Centre for Documentary and Experimental Film at the University of Westminster, London.
Many of the industry guests include returnees as well as the new guests which count Bero Beyer, Rotterdam; Tine Fisher, Cph Dox; Christophe Le Parc, Director’s Fortnight, Cannes; Vincenzo Bugno, World Cinema Fund, Berlinale; Cameron Bailey, Tiff and Carlo Chatrian, Locarno here for their second time; Sundance for its first year; Matthijs Wouter Knol, European Film Market; Mike Goodridge, Protagonist; Memento Films, Arte; Michael Werner, Fortissimo; Alaa Karkouti, Mad Solutions and Selim El Azar, Gulf Films.
Also attending for the first time will be Netflix who picked up “Under the Shadow” an elevated horror/ thriller partially funded by the Doha Film Institute, Film Movement and the Ford Foundation.
Previous Qumra Masters include Mexican actor, director and producer Gael Garcia Bernal (“Amores Perros”; “No”; “Deficit”), Mauritanian director Abderrahmane Sissako (Timbuktu - nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2015 Academy Awards); Romanian auteur and Palme d’Or winner Cristian Mungiu (“4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days”; “Beyond the Hills”); and Bosnian writer/director Danis Tanović (“An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker”; “Tigers”, “No Man’s Land” - winner of Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2001).
Read about previously announced Qumra Masters.
Held at the incredibly beautiful Museum of Islamic Art, designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect I.M. Pei, and a cultural partner of the Doha Film Institute, Qumra supports the development of emerging filmmakers from Qatar, the Arab region and around the world. Dfi has arranged a “rainbow of colors in a bouquet of participants and masters”. Elia Suleiman, Artistic Advisor for the Doha Film Institute says, “each master is very different and the event looks like an edition of poetry.”
Due to unforeseen circumstances, previously announced Qumra Master Lucrecia Martel is no longer able to participate this year.
Directors and producers attached to up to thirty three projects in development or post-production are invited to participate in Qumra, named from the Arabic term ‘qumra’ popularly said to be the origin of the word ‘camera’ and used by the scientist, astronomer and mathematician Alhazen (Ibn al-Haytham, 965-c.1040 Ce), whose work in optics laid out the principles of the camera obscura.
Qumra includes a number of emerging filmmakers from Qatar, as well as recipients of funding from the Institute’s Grants Program. The robust program features industry meetings designed to assist with propelling projects to their next stages of development, master classes, work-in-progress screenings, matchmaking sessions and tailored workshops with industry experts. This creative exchange takes place alongside a program of public screenings curated with input from the Qumra Masters.
Especially appealing about this event, seen in light of mega-events as Berlin, Cannes, Tiff and Sundance is the intimacy of everyone sharing meals, attending the same party, staying at the same hotel within the famed souk and in walking distance to the museum. Only 150 people, all working hard and all meeting every day as they work with 23 features, 11 of which are in development and 12 in post whose program has been guided by Elia Suleiman and Qumra Deputy Director Hanaa Issa. The Qumra team will also help us navigate the souk to find the best bargains in spices like saffron and sumac and tumeric, textiles and other middle eastern treasures from the silk road!
Qumra has come a long way in one year; where last year there was only one documentary, this year there are eight documentary features – four in development and four works-in-progress - and four short documentaries in development. Five of them are Qatari, five are from the Mena region and two international. There are 23 features of which five are from Qatar and 10 shorts, all from Qatar. Each Master will meet with four to five filmmakers formally but the collaboration among mentors and emerging filmmakers will extend far beyond such formal meetings.
There are also three great moderators of panels: Richard Pena, the longtime chief for the Film Society of Lincoln Center in New York, Jean Michel Poignet and Paolo Bertolini of the Venice Film Festival.
Also included is a highly engaging selection of movies by the five Qumra Masters and from a selection of emerging talent during daily screenings and Q&A sessions. The selection includes Academy Award, Cannes Film Festival and Ajyal Youth Film Festival award winners.
Doha Film Institute CEO Fatma Al Remaihi said: “This year, the Qumra Screenings will showcase the work of five esteemed masters of cinema alongside some tremendously talented emerging filmmakers. By presenting these two spectrums of cinematic works, Qumra will offer audiences highly engaging film experiences that will present new insights into the language of cinema and the process behind the creation of compelling films. They will also be educational and inspirational, underlining our commitment to strengthening film culture in Qatar by promoting access to and appreciation of world cinema.”
The Masters screenings, accompanied by Q&A sessions with the visiting Qumra Masters linked to each film are “The Look of Silence” (Denmark, Indonesia, Finland, Norway, UK / Indonesian, Javanese /2014) by Qumra Master Joshua Oppenheimer, “Once Upon a Time in Anatolia” (Turkey, Bosnia and Herzegovina / Turkish / 2011) by Qumra Master Nuri Bilge Ceylan; “The Russian Ark” (Russian Federation, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Japan / Russian / 2002) by Qumra Master Aleksandr Sokurov; “The Mourning Forest” (Japan, France / Japanese / 2007) by Qumra Master Naomi Kawase; and “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (Taiwan, Hong Kong, USA, China / Mandarin / 2001) by Ang Lee, co-written and produced by Lee’s longtime collaborator and Qumra Master, James Schamus.
The ‘New Voices in Cinema’ screenings include two feature films granted by the Doha Film Institute: “ Mediterranea” (Italy, France, Germany, Qatar/ Arabic, English, French, Italian; 2015) by Jonas Carpignano being sold internationally by Ndm and Wme; “Roundabout in my Head”/ “Fi rassi roun-point” (Algeria, France, Qatar/Arabic/2015); and two award-winning short films “Waves 98” by Ely Dagher (Lebanon, Qatar / Arabic / 2015), winner of the Palme d’Or for Best Short Film at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival and “The Palm Tree ” (Qatar, No Dialogue, 2015) by Jasim Al Rumaihi, winner of the 2015 Ajyal Youth Film Festival Made in Qatar Award for Best Documentary.
“We are privileged to have James Schamus and Joshua Oppenheimer participate as Qumra Masters this year,” said Doha Film Institute CEO Fatma Al Remaihi. “Both filmmakers, while very different in style, are truly ground-breaking in their fields and bring a wealth of experience to Qumra that will be invaluable for the young filmmakers participating.”
“We look forward to welcoming James and Joshua to the Gulf region for the first time and enabling our Qumra 2016 participants to establish a connection with these two leaders of independent filmmaking in the Us.”
Both Schamus and Oppenheimer were born in the Us and combine their acclaimed filmmaking careers with other roles within the industry: Schamus as a revered film historian and academic; and Oppenheimer as Artistic Director of the Centre for Documentary and Experimental Film at the University of Westminster in London.
Schamus, a multi award-winning screenwriter, director and leading Us indie producer, is best known for his long creative collaboration with Taiwanese director Ang Lee. He has worked with Lee on nine films, including “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (2000), which won four Academy Awards, including Best Foreign Language Film and Best Cinematography, and remains the highest-grossing non-English-language film in the Us. He was the screenwriter for Lee's “The Ice Storm”, for which he won the award for Best Screenplay at the Festival de Cannes in 1997 and co-wrote “Eat Drink Man Woman” (1994), the first of Lee’s films to achieve both critical and commercial success.
As a producer, Schamus co-founded the Us powerhouse production company Good Machine in the early 1990s, and then from 2002 to 2014 was CEO of Focus Features, the motion picture production, financing and worldwide distribution company whose films during his tenure included Wes Anderson's “Moonrise Kingdom” (2012), Michel Gondry's Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), Roman Polanski's “The Pianist “(2002), Henry Selick's Coraline (2009) and Sofia Coppola’s “Lost in Translation” (2003).
In 2014, Schamus turned his hand to directing with the short documentary “That Film About Money” (2014), and in 2016 made his feature directorial debut with an adaptation of Philip Roth's “Indignation," which had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2016 and is screening at this year’s Berlin International Film Festival in the Panorama section.
Schamus is also Professor of Professional Practice at Columbia University’s School of the Arts, where he teaches film history and theory, and is the author of 'Carl Theodor Dreyer's Gertrud: The Moving Word', published by the University of Washington Press.
Elia Suleiman , the Artistic Advisor to Doha Film Institute, recalls how he and James grew up together in New York as long-time friends. James introduced him to the Chilean master filmmaker Raul Ruiz. Schamus helped him with his short film while at Good Machine. He helped edit the script and was his guardian angel helping with his first contract. They even had a code for “urgent”. When Elia was in Jerusalem and James in London they used the code whenever Elia was overwhelmed by the paperwork needed. James would answer within 15 minutes. Now James has come full circle on his own, from being one of the most important producers of the decade to directing his own film. When asked by Qumra what was most important, he said first time filmmakers were the most important. And he has always been able to spot the most talented of emerging filmmakers.
Two-time Academy Award nominee Joshua Oppenheimer’s debut feature-length film, “The Act of Killing” (2012) was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature Film, named Film of the Year by The Guardian and the Sight and Sound Film Poll, and won 72 international awards, including a European Film Award, a BAFTA, an Asia Pacific Screen Award, a Berlin International Film Festival Audience Award, and the Guardian Film Award for Best Film.
His second film, “The Look of Silence” (2014) had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival, where it won five awards including the Grand Jury Prize, the Fipresci Prize and the Fedeora Prize. It was nominated for the 2016 Oscar for Best Documentary Film, and has received 66 international awards, including an International Documentary Association Award for Best Documentary, a Gotham Award for Best Documentary, and three Cinema Eye Honors for Nonfiction Filmmaking.
Oppenheimer is a partner at the Final Cut for Real production company in Copenhagen, and Artistic Director of the Centre for Documentary and Experimental Film at the University of Westminster, London.
Many of the industry guests include returnees as well as the new guests which count Bero Beyer, Rotterdam; Tine Fisher, Cph Dox; Christophe Le Parc, Director’s Fortnight, Cannes; Vincenzo Bugno, World Cinema Fund, Berlinale; Cameron Bailey, Tiff and Carlo Chatrian, Locarno here for their second time; Sundance for its first year; Matthijs Wouter Knol, European Film Market; Mike Goodridge, Protagonist; Memento Films, Arte; Michael Werner, Fortissimo; Alaa Karkouti, Mad Solutions and Selim El Azar, Gulf Films.
Also attending for the first time will be Netflix who picked up “Under the Shadow” an elevated horror/ thriller partially funded by the Doha Film Institute, Film Movement and the Ford Foundation.
Previous Qumra Masters include Mexican actor, director and producer Gael Garcia Bernal (“Amores Perros”; “No”; “Deficit”), Mauritanian director Abderrahmane Sissako (Timbuktu - nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2015 Academy Awards); Romanian auteur and Palme d’Or winner Cristian Mungiu (“4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days”; “Beyond the Hills”); and Bosnian writer/director Danis Tanović (“An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker”; “Tigers”, “No Man’s Land” - winner of Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2001).
- 2/24/2016
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
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