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Mohammed Latrèche
Director
“A portrayal of contemporary Algeria and the lengths residents go to in order to live freely. “
Mohammed Latrèche was born in 1973 in Sidi Bel-Abbès in western Algeria. He moved to Paris in 1993 to study political science. Today he lives between Algeria and France. He directed Rumors, etc. in 2003, On the Trail of Emir Abd El-Kader in 2005, Return Grant in 2009 and Ugema in 2013.
SYNOPSIS
Zino is an ordinary forest ranger, no more corrupt than the next man. After being elected employee of the year, he wins a pilgrimage to Mecca. Despite his initial indignation at being singled out for this honour, he ends up resigning himself to the task that awaits him. Zino begins the long purification process necessary for the trip.
Ziani Boualem
Producer
Libre Image, which is based in Algiers, is directed by Ziani Boualem, a journalist and trained lawyer. In 2003, the company co-produced Cousins by Lyès Salem (winner of the César award for best short film) and Rumors, etc. by Mohammed Latrèche, which was successful in international film festivals. The company has distributed approximately fifteen films to theatres around Algeria, including Bamako by Abderrahmane Sissako, Volver by Pedro Almodovar, and The Secret of the Grain by Abdellatif Kechiche.
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Joanna Arong
Director
« The sigbin is a creature that is both feared and coveted in the Philippines. It is known to have the ability to go anywhere in the world, taking its owner along. »
Joanna Vasquez Arong directed several documentaries in Beijing, including Neo-Lounge(2007) and Yugong Yishan (2008), before returning home. Her film Sunday School (2010), filmed in Zambia, was commissioned by the Rotterdam Film Festival. Prior to film, she worked in various fields including finance and economic development. She studied at Boston College and the London School of Economics with an exchange at Sciences Po in Paris.
SYNOPSIS
The Sigbin Chronicles is a black fairy tale about overcoming fear. The sigbin, a timeless mythological creature, loosely links three main characters. The hitman on his last job and the artist stuck in his corporate job lay the pulse for modern Cebu; however, it is the fate of the revolutionary, Leon Kilat, who inspired his men to fight only to be betrayed by them, that hints at how fear is so deeply rooted.
Old Fool Films
Producer
Old Fool Films has offices in Cebu, Bangkok and Beijing. Formally established in 2008 by Joanna Vasquez Arong and her business partners in Bangkok and Beijing, the company focuses on film and video projects around Asia. Old Fool Films has also worked on projects around Europe, in the US and in Southern Africa. The company has produced documentaries filmed in China – Neo-Lounge (2007) and Yugong Yishan (2008) – and in Zambia – Sunday School (2010). At the moment, they are concentrating on producing their first feature project, The Sigbin Chronicles, set in the Philippines.
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Joël Karekezi
Director
« The mercy of the jungle is a road movie that deals with wars in Congo through the eyes of two lost soldiers by showcasing their struggle, weakness and hope.»
Joel Karekezi graduated in 2008 with a diploma in film directing from Cinecours. In 2009 he directed his short film The Pardon, which won the Golden Impala Award at the Amakula Film Festival in Uganda and the 2010 award for Best Short Film at the Silicon Valley African Film Festival. He received a development award from the Göteborg International Film Festival Fund for his first feature film Imbabazi: The Pardon, which is being screened at different festivals around the world. In 2012 his script The Mercy of the Jungle won the CFI Award for the Most Promising Audiovisual Project at Durban FilmMart.
SYNOPSIS
At the outbreak of the Second Congo War, Sergeant Xavier is sent into the vicious depths of the Congolese River Basin to hunt down those who perpetrated genocide in his native Rwanda four years ago. When he and a young private are accidentally left behind in the jungle, their bid for retribution turns into a struggle for pure survival. With only each other to count on, they embark on an odyssey across the most violent forest on earth, facing the depths of their own war-torn souls and the spiritual consequences of saving and taking lives.
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Monica Bravo
Director
« Jota believes that to become an adult he just needs to get rid of his virginity. He doesn’t know that to truly grow he must learn to live with the bitter taste of his mistakes. »
Mónica Bravo graduated in social communications and journalism from the Universidad del Valle in Colombia. She worked as a freelance documentary filmmaker for five years before attending the London Film School. She lived in Estonia for four years and worked in different areas related to filmmaking. Her short films and documentaries have been screened in various festivals including the Premier Plans Festival in Angers and the International Short Film Festival in Clermont-Ferrand.
SYNOPSIS
Jota, Nacho, Carla and Dolores plot revenge against an abusive teacher while they conduct their own sexual quests and prepare to enter the adult world. As their friendship grows, Jota is seduced by a mysterious woman over the telephone. His first sexual encounters take place on a night during which Jota finds himself confronted with the dark side of the game of desire.
Jhonny Hendrix Hinestrosa
Producer
Antorcha Films is a Colombian film production company led by the producer and director Jhonny Hendrix Hinestroza. The company has produced several films such as Dog Eat Dog(2006) directed by Carlos Moreno, Dr. Alemán (2007) directed by Tom Schreiber, Hiroshima(2008) directed by Pablo Stoll, No Autumn, No Spring (2010) and Chocó (2012) directed by Johnny Hendrix, released at the 62nd Berlinale film festival.
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Nora Martirosyan
Director
« A child, a young girl and a foreigner meet in Nagorno-Karabakh, a frozen conflict zone. They all want to travel through time and cross borders, but are unable to because of the region’s paradoxical present. »
The Armenian artist and filmmaker Nora Martirosyan graduated from the Yerevan Academy of Fine Arts before studying at Le Fresnoy film school in Tourcoing, France, and the Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten in Amsterdam. Her short- and medium-length films have won several prizes at international festivals. She has been selected to take up residency at the Villa Medici in Rome for the 2013-2014 year.
SYNOPSIS
A ceasefire maintains an illusion of peace in this region. Three people are brought together by their shared desire to leave: Alain, a foreigner trapped in a country linked to the outside world by a single road; Edgar, a child watching the aeroplane that could take him across the border; and Manu, a young girl forced to leave the country like we leave behind childhood.
20 Years Later Films, Heolfilms
Producer
The Armenian production company 20 Years Later Films was founded in 2011 by Jeff Kalousdian. It produces innovative fiction films, animated films and documentaries for local and international audiences. In 2012, 20 Years Later Films joined forces with Anniko Films (based in Armenia and Russia) to share fifteen years of experience in film production. Thanks to its extensive network, 20 Years Later Films also provides production services to filmmakers in the region.
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Wanuri Kahiu
Director
« It is a story about all that is good and difficult about being in love, so that for those fortunate moments we are lifted above our prejudices. »
In 2008, Wanuri Kahiu completed her first feature film From A Whisper, which won several awards including Best Director and Best Picture at the Africa Movie Academy Awards. Shortly after she completed a documentary about the life of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Wangari Maathai entitled For Our Land (2009). In 2010, she completed an award-winning science-fiction short film Pumzi that was partially funded by Focus Features and the Goethe-Institut and screened at Sundance.
SYNOPSIS
A nerdy head girl at a Catholic school falls in love with the rich, popular girl. When her feelings are reciprocated, the couple must choose between love and safety.
Steven Markovitz
Producer
Big World Cinema was established in 1994 and is owned by Steven Markovitz. It has produced and co-produced a number of award-winning fictions and documentaries including Viva Riva! (Toronto, Berlin), Proteus (Toronto, Berlin), Husk (Cannes), Inja (Oscar-nominated), Congo in Four Acts (Berlin, Hotdocs, IDFA), Project 10 (Sundance, Berlin, IDFA, Hotdocs) and Pumzi (Sundance). Since 2007 the company has focussed on coproducing, distribution and training across Africa. It is currently the executive producer of a short fiction series in seven cities called African Metropolis. The company distributed Viva Riva! in an unprecedented 18 countries across Africa.
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Michel K.Zongo
Director
« I remember the elders who used to say, “Can’t you hear the siren of Faso Fani?” »
Michel K. Zongo directs, produces, shoots and writes scripts for films. In 2012, he won the New Talent award at the Doclisboa documentary film festival for his first feature-length television documentary Voyage of Hope, co-produced by his company Diam Production and Cinédoc Films (France). This film also won the prize for Best Documentary at the Colours of the Nile film festival in 2012.
SYNOPSIS
Featuring former employees of Burkina Faso’s famous cotton factory, Faso Fani, this film shows the disastrous consequences of pursuing a global economic policy that failed to take into account local conditions at Koudougou.
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Gustavo Pizzi
Director
« It is a depiction of a family transition through love and people who are learning how to deal with unexpected situations, creating new meanings for life and their worldview.»
Gustavo Pizzi has worked in the film business since 1996. In 2010 he produced the short film Ivan’s Distraction, selected for Critics’ Week at the Festival de Cannes. The same year he released his first feature film Craft, which has been screened in over forty international film festivals, including South by Southwest, Cartagena, Havana and Guadalajara. Lovelingwill be his second feature-length film.
SYNOPSIS
Irene has been married to Klaus for a long time. They work hard to raise their three children and are finally building a new house. Fernando, the eldest son, is invited to join a professional handball team in another city. At the age of 16, he is moving out sooner than expected, which affects the whole family, especially Irene. The boy has grown up.
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Pierre Lucson Bellegarde
Director
“Making dreams reality despite differences in contemporary Haitian society.”
Pierre Lucson Bellegarde became interested in the arts when he was seven years old and recovering from an operation. Thanks to his training at Haiti’s Ciné Institute, he was able to become a director. His work mainly deals with the critical situation marginalised communities and handicapped people face.
SYNOPSIS
A young deaf-mute Haitian woman wants to take part in a folk dancing competition. She manages to convince Eric, a homosexual ex-dancer who withdrew into himself after an assault, to train her.
Nou Production (Haïti)
Producer
NOU Production was founded in 2010, five months after the Haitian earthquake, by a group of Ciné Institute’s first graduates. This company, which has recently been recognised by the Haitian government, works in the field of contemporary audiovisual production while taking into account the country’s precarious socio-economic situation and unique legal framework. It aims to revive the seventh art in Haiti while educating, sharing and strengthening the island’s culture.
