• MAROUAN OMARA & TOM ROSENBERG

    DIRECTORS

    MAROUAN OMARA is a filmmaker based in Cairo. His films drift in the unmarked territory between fiction and documentary. His last feature, Dreamaway, was selected by The Egyptian Critics Association as The Best Egyptian film of 2019.
     
    TOM ROSENBERG is a filmmaker based in Berlin. He makes films about people trying to manage the anxieties arising from trauma and extreme violence. His work has won awards and been screened at international film festivals. Tom is also a licensed private investigator.

    SYNOPSIS

    The missing planet is a journey through the surreal landscapes and fragmented memories of another world that mirrors our own.

     

    In a distant world, dotted with the crumbling remnants of a once vast city, an anonymous investigator searches for information about a missing person named Nour. When the investigator is almost ready to abandon his search, he encounters a dream-like apparition of Nour, who describes his disappearance.

    En savoir plus

    STATEMENT OF INTENT

    We first met in early 2018 at a residency program in Germany. Our friendship developed from conversations about films and filmmaking and life in the US and Egypt. Marouan had just premiered his feature-length film Dreamaway and was looking for new projects to kick out. After getting to know Tom’s body of work, Marouan suggested a collaboration that could draw on the backgrounds of both filmmakers to examine themes of loss and memory.

    The Missing Planet tries to tell stories that can’t be told, to visit the hidden places, to find the memories of people who do not exist. This contradiction is at the heart of our collaboration. Approaching these challenges, we draw on our previous work - for example, in the use of composite characters, reenactments, and performance. In this project we want to find a voice that is more than the sum of its parts, to make a film that neither of us would be able to do on our own. 

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    MARK LOTFY - Fig Leaf Studios (Egypte)

    PRODUCTION

    Mark is an Alexandrian producer/director. He established Fig Leaf Studios in 2005, where he produced award- winning films selected in renowned festivals such as Cannes, Berlinale, Karlovy Vary, San Sebastian, and BFI.

    DOCUMENTARY/ SCIENCE-FICTION / 90' / COLOUR / DIGITAL

    SECOND FEATURE FILM
    Produced by

    Mark Lotfy, Fig Leaf Studios (Egypt) et Michael Henrichs, Die Gesellschaft DGS (Germany)

    Language

    Arabic

    Shooting locations

    Egypt, everywhere & nowhere

    Estimated budget

    280 000 €

    Funding in place

    35 000 €

    Research partners

    European co-producers (France)

    Actual status

    In development

  • MATTHYS BOSHOFF

    DIRECTOR

    Matthys Boshoff’s short film Flesh of my flesh premiered in competition at Clermont Ferrand, played at over 30 festivals and won numerous awards. He co-wrote his feature directorial debut Rachel de Beer which enjoyed a successful theatrical release, won 3 SAFTAS, 4 SSF awards, best film at Kids Eye and signed distribution deals for Latin America, North America and Europe (HBO).

    SYNOPSIS

    After a car accident renders his wife quadriplegic, Magnus, a fast rising lawyer, brings free-spirited Annelie home from hospital. As lover becomes caretaker and grand dreams crumble into mediocrity, will the family survive?

    An intimate narrative about the strength of love amid changing dynamics within the Basson family and household, when they deal with collective loss as the mother is rendered quadriplegic. Set against the backdrop of a country’s transition to democracy; lovers, parents, child, dependant and helpers have to continually reinvent themselves in order to survive and thrive over the course of a lifetime.

    En savoir plus

    STATEMENT OF INTENT

    When I was four I was in a car accident that claimed my sister’s life and left my mom quadriplegic. This film is inspired by my family and the caretakers who helped us to function.

    97% of men file for divorce within 5 years after their partner becomes quadriplegic. My dad stayed with my mom until he died of a heart attack 24 years after the accident. With this story I investigate the tension between masculinity and fragility in the shadow of a woman’s transformation from being rendered disabled to becoming differently abled.

    Set against the background of South Africa’s transition to democracy, the films spans 35 years from the early 90s into the present day serving as a metaphor for a country that’s dealing with its own complexities. Passing time is set in five seasons, each with its unique colour palette and weather patterns, that reflect the relationships of the characters.

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    JOZUA MALHERBE - Make Stuff Machine (Afrique du Sud)

    PRODUCTION

    Make Stuff Machine exists to tell stories that allow audiences to see the world around them in a different light. Through kindness, tenacity and passion, the company continues to carve out a niche for themselves as entrepreneurs, artists and filmmakers.

    FICTION / DRAMA / 110' / COLOUR / DIGITAL - FILM

    SECOND FEATURE FILM
    Produced by

    Jozua Malherbe - Make stuff machine (South Africa)

    Language

    Afrikaans, Zulu, English

    Shooting locations

    South Africa

    Estimated budget

    1 000 000 €

    Funding in place

    580 504 €

    Research partners

    Sales agents, financiers, co-producers (France, Germany and the Benelux Countries)

    Actual status

    Development, 4th version of the script. Actively financing

    CONTACT

    DIRECTOR

    Matthys Boshoff / matthys@airfilms.co.za / +6585300671

    PRODUCER

    Jozua Malherbe / jozua.malherbe@gmail.com / +27765825642 / https://makestuffmachine.com/

    CO-PRODUCER

    Verona Meier / Ape&Bjørn (Norvège) /verona@apeogbjorn.no/ +47 968 177 22 / www.apeogbjorn.no

  • DAMIAN SAINZ EDWARDS

    DIRECTOR

    Filmmaker and visual artist born in Cuba. Damian Sainz Edwards has directed several short films, which have been selected and awarded in prestigious film festivals worldwide. His films explore the relationship between race, gender, family and nation. He studied in Cuba, Canada and Switzerland and teaches at the EICTV. His latest short film, The fugitives, is a character study of his debut film Fallen.

    SYNOPSIS

    An old macho man returns to his hometown upon his daughter’s death. There he will have to choose whether to be part of a family he long abandoned due to his prejudices or continue living his lonely life.

    Orestes’ world crumbles when his daughter, whom he abandoned when she came out as a transwoman, is found dead. He refuses to bury her in the family vault and tries to return to his lonely life. Yet when Orestes finds out that his daughter had a son, he dreams of having a family again. Fighting his own biases, Orestes will make peace with his grandson, with his daughter’s ghost and with himself.

    En savoir plus

    STATEMENT OF INTENT

    Fallen takes us on a journey into the traumas of the Afro-Cuban machos. The film depicts the hegemonic masculinity in crisis, the macho seeking his way out of the labyrinth of machism, dealing with the emotive weight of his own violence. Fallen is an intimate film, mostly shot on handheld camera and set in Regla, a town in Havana Bay.  A place full of mysticism, where the living and the dead coexist. It is also the hometown of Yemayá, an important figure in Afro-Cuban religion. I want to create a cinematic universe both phantasmagorical and realistic, based on the imagery of Afro-Cuban myths, where our protagonist loses his sense of reality and embraces a different kind of truth. These myths go beyond binaries: our deities are female and male, good and evil, nothing and everything at the same time. This symbolic framework creates a pathway to imagine a national landscape where dissident bodies and desires may enjoy beauty and freedom.

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    VIANA GONZÁLEZ, Autonauta films (Cuba-Mexico)

    PRODUCTION

    Autonauta Films was founded by producer Viana González. Initially based in Cuba, it has since expanded to Mexico. The company’s goal is to produce and co-produce authentic and provocative films with international potential. Most recently the company produced Between dog and wolf (Irene Gutiérrez, 2020), which premiered in Berlinale Forum and the short film The fugitives (Damian Sainz Edwards, 2021), which premiered in Cinélatino Rencontres de Toulouse.

    FICTION / DRAMA / 90' / COLOUR / DIGITAL

    FIRST FEATURE FILM
    Produced by

    Viana González, Autonauta films (Cuba, Mexico)

    Language

    Spanish

    Shooting locations

    Havana (Cuba)

    Estimated budget

    650 000 €

    Funding in place

    20 000 €

    Research partners

    Co-producers from Europe (France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway)

    Actual status

    In development, 4th version of the script

    CONTACT

    DIRECTOR

    Damian Sainz Edwards / dami.sainz@gmail.com / +34 6 5874 4390

    PRODUCER

    Viana González / viana@autonautafilms.com / +52 55 5173 8479 / www.autonautafilms.com

  • KIM TORRES

    DIRECTOR

    Costa Rican screenwriter and director born in 1993. She took part in Berlinale Talents Guadalajara and directed the short films Suncatcher (2021) and The champion (2015). She is a screenwriter in two Netflix series as well as several feature films. Currently she is working on her debut feature film If we don’t burn, how do we light up the night which has been supported by Ibermedia, selected at MAFF (Malaga Film Fund & Co-production event) where the project received an award and was part of Torino Film Lab Next.

    SYNOPSIS

    A restless teenager tests the frontiers between womanhood, sexuality and the secretive world that surrounds her.

    Amidst the heat of summer in Costa Rica, fourteen-year-old Laura has to move to a conservative mountain town where rumor has it that a creature from the forest killed a woman. As her friendship with Daniela grows into something special in an environment that sexualizes their adolescent bodies, she finds the courage to save her from an abusive relationship.

    En savoir plus

    STATEMENT OF INTENT

    While I was growing up in Costa Rica, I began to notice a hostile atmosphere that seeped through every crack as soon as my body started developing. This awareness of the body made it hard to see oneself, the image always seemed to be fragmented: through a mirror, through the gaze of the other, through secrets. I’m interested in exploring how painful, beautiful, exciting and dangerous growing up can be. This will intertwine with the folktale in the film where a supposed creature killed a woman in the forest. Even though it seems surreal, in Latin American culture it is common to have these beliefs to avoid talking about harsh truths.

 This is a story that speaks of the violent and conservative culture in Costa Rica where we still live in a confessional state. It is a small but rebellious act to redeem our bodies.

     

    En savoir plus

    ALEJANDRA VARGAS CARBALLO, Noche negra producciones (Costa Rica)

    PRODUCTION

    Noche Negra is an emerging Costa Rican production company. Our main goal is to find new talents and create unique stories with compelling creative proposals. We work with honest stories and exceptional characters. Most importantly, we support the stories of women and dissident voices.

    FICTION / DRAMA / 95' / COLOUR / NUMERIQUE

    FIRST FEATURE FILM
    Produced by

    Alejandra Vargas Carballo, Noche negra producciones (Costa Rica)

    Language

    Spanish

    Shooting locations

    Quepos (Costa Rica)

    Estimated budget

    710 000 €

    Funding in place

    82 000 €

    Research partners

    Sales agents, co-producers, distributors in Europe

    Actual status

    In development, financing, 5th version of the script. Planned shooting in September 2022

    CONTACT

    DIRECTOR

    Kim Torres / kim.torres.ch@gmail.com / +52 55 4897 4313

    PRODUCER

    Alejandra Vargas Carballo / ale@noche-negra.com / +506 88892727 / www.noche-negra.com

    COPRODUCERS

    Nicole Maynard /Cine Feral (Mexique)
    Lucile Ric et Charles Philippe / Les Films du Clan (France)

  • SUMAN SEN

    DIRECTOR

    Born and raised in Kolkata, Suman Sen is a writer, director and producer living in Mumbai, India. He studied Business, Design & Communication and is the co- founder of Fickle Formula, a content studio specialized in social communication. He recently completed his short film The silent echo set in Nepal. His debut feature film, Solo, was programmed at Film Bazaar 2019 and Torino Next 2020.

    SYNOPSIS

    Solo /Eka explores the degeneration of the core social fabric of India, moving towards a fragile future and failing aspirations. The film reflects the time I have lived in for the last couple of years: a time of hatred, intolerance, and violence.

    The President is about to inaugurate a "Common Man’s statue" at the main city square in Kolkata. Biplap, a retiring, diabetic insurance agent, seethes with rage about the economic, political, and cultural failures of the city. Disregarded by both family and society, he decides to vent out his inner turmoil by standing motionless in front of the colossal statue. His act of defiance turns into a worldwide movement...

     

    En savoir plus

    STATEMENT OF INTENT

    I believe that the failure of today is the burden of the past. I see the world through my father’s eyes. Our father’s generation has failed us entirely, in every sense. We have become intellectually bankrupt, emotionally isolated, and politically paralyzed because of their indifference to society and to the nation.

     

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    ARIFUR RAHMAN, Goopy Bagha productions (Bangladesh)

    PRODUCTION

    Since 2011, Goopy Bagha, owned by Arifur Rahman and Bijon, has produced narrative feature films, short films, documentaries in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Afghanistan, Korea and Japan, which have been screened at Berlin, Venice, Rotterdam, Busan, Seattle, Singapore, Shanghai, Stockholm, Cinequest, and Sheffield among many other international film festivals worldwide.

    FICTION / DRAMEA/ 90' / COLOUR / DIGITAL

    FIRST FEATURE FILM
    Produced by

    Arifur Rahman, Goopy Bagha productions (Bangladesh)

    Language

    Bengali, Hindi

    Shooting locations

    Kolkata (India)

    Estimated budget

    787 268 €

    Funding in place

    300 000 €

    Research partners

    European co-producers, United States, United Kingdom, South East Asia partners, sales agents

    Actual status

    5th version of the script, scouting and financing

    CONTACT

    DIRECTOR

    Suman Sen / suman@fickleformula.com / +91 9433441937

    PRODUCER

    Arifur Rahman / arifur.rahmann@gmail.com / +8801711235465

    CO-PRODUCERS

    Suman Sen - Fickle Formula (India) / suman@fickleformula.com /+91 943 344 1937
    Dominique Welinski - DW (France) / dwelinski@gmail.com / +33607788136

  • XEPH SUAREZ

    DIRECTOR

    Xeph Suarez is a Mindanaoan filmmaker based in Manila, Philippines. He has directed a number of short films including Si Astri maka si Tambulah, which won Best Director and received a Jury Citation at the Cinemalaya 2018. The film was screened in several international film festivals, including PÖFF Shorts and Tampere.

    SYNOPSIS

    A Muslim transwoman from a community of “sea gypsies” is torn between living blissfully with her boyfriend and following her tribe’s customs by marrying a woman betrothed to her at birth.

    Astri, a Muslim transwoman and her boyfriend, Tambulah, are blissfully living together in their conservative Sama Badjao (“sea gypsy”) community. As Astri turns 16, her father reminds her that as a “man”, she must honor their tradition by marrying Sitti, the girl betrothed to Astri. Torn between love and tradition, Astri and Tambulah befriend Sitti in their attempt to stop the wedding.

    En savoir plus

    STATEMENT OF INTENT

    Telling the story of  Dancing the tides is very important for me as a gay Mindanaoan. I want to highlight the courage of the queer people in my hometown in expressing themselves and their love despite the circumstances they are in. Ultimately, this film is about sacrifice. Because I believe that our love is measured by what we are willing to do and give up for the people we love. After learning about the plight of the real-life Astris, Tambulahs, and Sittis, I am humbled and inspired. By focusing the spotlight on them, even for just a moment, and putting this story of love and sacrifice on the big screen – hopefully, we can inspire dialogue on religion, tradition, and gender.

     

    En savoir plus

    ALEMBERG ANG, Daluyong Studios (Philippines)

    PRODUCTION

    Daluyong Studios (formerly vy/ac Productions) aims to produce films that are sensitive to the ethical handling of third-world issues and to give a voice to cultural minorities in world cinema. Working with new and young filmmakers, it has addressed various social causes, such as violence against women, LGBTQI+ rights, mental health, and social justice. These productions have won numerous awards and critical acclaim. In recent years, the company has successfully participated in various markets, labs, and workshops, such as Cinemart, Cannes Cinefondation Atelier, Cannes Docs, Berlinale Talents Project Market, and Locarno Open Doors.

    FICTION / DRAMA / 100' / COLOUR / DIGITAL

    FIRST FEATURE FILM
    Produced by

    Alemberg Ang, Daluyong Studios (Philippines)

    Language

    Sinama Badjao

    Shooting locations

    Zamboanga (Philippines)

    Estimated budget

    560 000 €

    Funding in place

    28 170 €

    Research partners

    France, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Norway, Sweden, Luxembourg

    Actual status

    Late development, 5th version of the script

    CONTACT

    DIRECTOR

    Xeph Suarez / xephsuarez@gmail.com /+639053322279

    PRODUCER

    Alemberg Ang - Daluyong Studios / alem@daluyong.ph / +6387250217 / https://daluyong.ph/

  • AMÉDÉE PACÔME NKOULOU

    DIRECTOR

    His first short fiction film, Moane Mory (2014), was chosen, among other festivals around the world, in the official selection of the FESPACO. Boxing Libreville, his first creative documentary film, world premiered at the prestigious Visions du Réel film festival (2018). The film won the Best Documentary Film Award at the Tarifa African Film Festival and the Jury Prize at FIDADOC in Morocco the same year. He is currently working on the post-production of his second short film The king’s court and is at present developing the script for his first feature film Frescos of the forgotten, which won the Idrissa Ouedraogo prize at the Ouagafilmlab (writing residency at the Moulin d’Andé).

    SYNOPSIS

    Set in a fictional African country, Frescos of the forgotten tells the story of a young street artist who tries to rebuild himself after being incarcerated for two years.

    Broken and with a fractured hand, Kinga manages to find solace with Makoto, an old artist who tirelessly paints the city walls every day, as they are erased every night by agents of the regime. One day, Makoto tells him the story of the mysterious unfinished frescos of the forgotten, an old urban legend that says whoever finishes it will free the country. As Kinga nurses himself back to life, reconnecting with the world, he becomes obsessed with finding and finishing the frescos.

    En savoir plus

    STATEMENT OF INTENT

    The movie is about hope and breaking the barriers of fear. Makoto’s paintings on the city walls and Kinga’s drawing bring beauty and poetry to a gruesome reality. It depicts the solace that art can represent and how it can give courage.

    The idea of the frescos and its ability to change the country’s fate addresses the theme of politics and our relationship to it, whether or not we believe in its power to make an impact. But what this movie is really about is what happens when you realize that fear is just a state of mind and that you are the only one who can free yourself from it.

    En savoir plus

    SAMANTHA BIFFOT, Princesse M Production (Gabon)

    PRODUCTION

    Princesse M Productions was founded in 2010 by Samantha Biffot and Pierre-Adrien Ceccaldi in Gabon. In 2012, their series L’œil de la cité, won Best Series at the 24th FESPACO. The company produces documentaries, such as The african who wanted to fly, nominated at the Trophées Francophones du Cinéma 2015 and the Africa Movie Academy Awards 2016. The highly acclaimed Boxing Libreville by Amédée Pacôme Nkoulou, which premiered at Visions du Réel International Film Festival, was awarded Best Documentary at Tarifa and Agadir and broadcast on Arte and TV5MONDE. Princesse M is currently in post- production for a series for Canal + Afrique, set for release in September 2021.

    FICTION / DRAMA / 90' / COLOUR / NUMERIQUE

    FIRST FEATURE FILM
    Produced by

    Samantha Biffot, Princesse M Production (Gabon)

    Language

    French

    Shooting locations

    Gabon, Côte d’Ivoire

    Estimated budget

    1 150 000 €

    Funding in place

    10 000 €

    Research partners

    Sales agent and European co-producers (Norway and Germany)

    Actual status

    In development, 3rd version of the script

    CONTACT

    DIRECTOR

    Amédée Pacôme Nkoulou / apnkoulou@gmail.com / +241 04 03 82 56

    PRODUCER

    Samantha Biffot - Princesse M production / samantha.biffot@yahoo.fr / +241 07 77 14 27

    CO-PRODUCERS

    Eugénie Michel Villette - Les films du Bilboquet (France) / eugeniemichelvillette@lesfilmsdubilboquet.fr / +33 6 60 54 90 68/ www.lesfilmsdubilboquet.fr
    Germen Boelens - Revolver Films (Netherlands) / germen@revolver.nl / +31 6 526 968 08/ / www.revolver.nl

  • SAHRA MANI

    DIRECTOR

    Sahra Mani is a multiple award-winning filmmaker. Her full-length documentary film, A thousand girls like me (2019) was screened at many film festivals such as HotDocs, Sheffield, IDFA and won more than 25 awards worldwide including: Three GOLD Awards at New York Festivals TV & Film, One World Media Award 2019, Full Frame Film Festival, San Francisco Film Festival... She works as a producer and director focus on human rights, equality and justice. She has organized several film festivals; training and mentoring in Afghanistan.

    SYNOPSIS

    Teenage girls Madina and Negin are studying music at the only music school in Kabul. They navigate their way between family criticism and Taliban threats. As a new European tour is coming up, both girls suddenly vanish. One day I receive a phone call. Madina wants to share her story.

    In the past four decades, Kabul has never been free of violence. Yet, sounds of poetry and melodies escape from a music school in the war-ridden city. Behind barbed wire, we meet Madina, the oboe-player, and Negin, Afghanis- tan’s first female orchestra conductor. As girls are forbidden from playing music in public in Afghanistan, they are braving threats – whether they come from the Taliban or from their own families – to bestow their melodies on the city. After five years of a journey between music, harmony and violence, in July 2019, the two girls were reported missing during a European tour. This event made us rethink the whole story.

     

    En savoir plus
    STATEMENT OF INTENT

    Being a filmmaker in Afghanistan means being a social activist. In spite of it all, with Kabul melody I want to show hope and the emergence of free will among the women who will create Afghanistan’s future, by portraying the struggles of young female musicians. Behind their story, lies also mine: I know the meaning of being a citizen, a woman and an artist in my society.

    En savoir plus

    SAHRA MANI, Afghanistan Doc House (Afghanistan)

    PRODUCTION

    Afghanistan Doc House is a documentary film company based in Kabul, Afghanistan. It was founded by Kabul University Film Professor Sahra Mani in 2009. ADH has produced documentaries for 10 years. The company has developed an editorial focus on films about art and Middle Eastern culture, organizes Human Rights Film Festivals and provides mentoring and workshops around the country.

    DOCUMENTARY / DRAMA / 70' / COLOUR / DIGITAL

    SECOND FEATURE FILM
    Produced by

    Sahra Mani, Afghanistan Doc House (Afghanistan)

    Language

    Farsi

    Shooting locations

    Afghanistan, France

    Estimated budget

    312 459 €

    Funding in place

    68 958 €

    Research partners

    International funds and co-producers, broadcasters, sales agents

    Actual status

    In production

    CONTACT

    DIRECTOR & PRODUCER

    Sahra Mani / sahramanifilms@gmail.com / +33767814392 / www.afghanistandochouse.com

  • CECILIA KANG

    DIRECTOR

    Cecilia Kang studied Filmmaking at E.N.E.R.C.. She made several shorts that were screened at international film festivals, such as Videojuegos (Videogames), Berlinale 2015, Official Competition “Generation”. In 2016, Mi último fracaso (My last failure), her first documentary film, was released in the Argentinian” Competition of the BAFICI (2016).

    SYNOPSIS

    The film draws an emotional cartography based on a family’s migration from post- war South Korea to Argentina. They break traditions to go against what is expected of them, delineating unexplored paths through painful acts of freedom.

    A generational tale of a Korean family’s settling in Argentina, when the foolhardy Antonio gambles all for the promise of an immigrant’s dream. His wife decides to leave everything she loves behind, in search of a man who left her waiting for eight long years. Their grown-up teenage daughter has to navigate her displaced identity in a country of the free, but yet can never choose to belong.

    En savoir plus

    STATEMENT OF INTENT

    Some years ago, I interviewed my father in his kitchen with my camera and asked him to tell his story from the beginning. We looked at old photographs, identified locations and dates as we worked through the fog of what memories are made of. Something quite striking for me was the fact that I already knew the things he was telling me. They were the same stories I have heard my entire life, repeated over and over. A fiction mixed with elements of reality – from what one imagines of that real space and time, or what one decides to remember. Elder son is born of those memories. Partial and out of chronological time, delineated by the romantic trace of a man who decided not to choose the path imposed on him to seek a different one and how the path he has taken is inescapably the start of my own.

    En savoir plus

    JUAN PABLO MILLER, Tarea Fina (Argentina)

    PRODUCTION

    Films produced by Tarea Fina:
    - The sleepwalkers – Paula Hernández • World premiere, Toronto IFF, Platform section 2019
    - The good intentions – Ana García Blaya • World premiere, Toronto IFF 2019 / Young jury award, New Directors, San Sebastián IFF 2019
    - Incident light – Ariel Rotter World premiere, Toronto IFF, 2015
    - Natural sciences – Matías Luchessi / Best film, Generation Kplus, Berlin IFF, 2014 Guadalajara Film Festival 2014
    - Las acacias – Pablo Giorgelli / Caméra d’Or, Cannes Film Festival, 2011

    FICTION / DRAMA / 90' / COLOuR / DIGITAL

    FIRST FEATURE FILM
    Produced by

    Juan Pablo Miller, Tarea Fina (Argentina)

    Language

    Spanish, Korean

    Shooting locations

    Argentina, Paraguay, South Korea

    Estimated budget

    800 000 €

    Funding in place

    60 000 € + 200 000 € (INCAA work in progress)

    Research partners

    Co-producers, and financiers (France, South Korea, Germany)

    Actual status

    In late development, looking for financing, 7th version of the script

    CONTACT

    DIRECTOR

    Cecilia Kang / misbelovedones@gmail.com / +5491163739860

    PRODUCER

    Juan Pablo Miller / jpmiller@tareafina.com / +54 911 3891 3036 / www.tareafina.com

    CO-PRODUCER

    Gabriela Sabate  - Sabate Films (Paraguay) / gabriela@sabatefilms.com /+595 986 852590 / sabatefilms.com

  • CLARE WEISKOPF & NICOLAS VAN HEMELRYCK

    DIRECTORS

    A filmmaker and journalist, CLARE WEISKOPF has spent more than fifteen years working on various social issues, ranging from the armed conflict in Colombia and sexual violence as a weapon of war to the spread of cumbia music in Latin America and Europe. She was twice a winner of the Colombian National Journalism Award. She was selected for IDFAcademy, Dok.Incubator, Good Pitch and Campus Latino, and her projects have been supported by Ibermedia, Sundance, Catapult, the IDFA Bertha Fund, Tribeca and the Colombian Film Fund (Proimagenes).
     
    Filmmaker, architect and photographer. Cofounder of Casatarantula and DOC:CO. NICOLAS VAN HEMELRYCK’s films have competed at IDFA, Cinema du Reel, Dok Leipzig, Sheffield, Doc NYC and won awards at Torino, Bogoshorts and Docudays UA, and have been supported by Sundance, Catapult, Ibermedia, IDFA Bertha Fund, Proimagenes, Tribeca and RTVC. He has been selected for DokIncubator, EAVE, IDFAcademy, Good Pitch, IFP, Latin Campus.
     

    SYNOPSIS

    Teenage girls who lived on the streets of Bogotá dream up a fictional classmate. The soulful narrative reveals their perseverance to break the cycle of violence and embrace the future.

    How do you build a “new life” when you are born without opportunities? Can you leave despair behind and project another destiny? Eight teenage girls, who lived on the unforgiving streets of Bogota, close their eyes and dream up Alis, a fictional classmate. As reality prevails and fiction fades, the innocent game becomes a descent into hell. Their soulful narrative reveals an amazing perseverance to imagine a different life, break the cycle of violence and embrace the future.

    En savoir plus

    STATEMENT OF INTENT

    It’s easy to find examples of how, through discrimination, the seed of violence is sown at birth and transmitted from generation to generation. Although we don’t have the answer, we want to propose an approach to challenge those prejudices. We chose to work at the girls public boarding school as it provides an example of this situation. We found the perfect method to explore these reflections in a game where we invited them to imagine a story. We discovered that imagination says more about us than our biography. This led to an important understanding of the way that starring in their own creative performative game brings to light deeper truths that otherwise would remain hidden. During these years we’ve come to see that, despite what they have suffered, they have enormous potential if allowed to empower themselves and embrace their own destiny. This is a film about girls who are not asked what they want to be when they grow up, because it’s assumed that what they are today is already a sentence. As they listen to themselves tell the story of Alis, something intimate happens that can unlock the door to transformation.

    En savoir plus

    CLARE WEISKOPF & NICOLAS VAN HEMELRYCK, Casatarantula (Colombia)

    PRODUCTION

    Casatarantula is a Colombian film production company committed to creating films that challenge the way we understand life and reality.

    DOCUMENTARY / DRAMA / 75' / COLOUR/ DIGITAL

    SECOND FEATURE FILM
    Produced by

    Clare Weiskopf, Nicolas van Hemelryck, Casatarantula (Colombia)

    Language

    Spanish

    Shooting locations

    Bogotá (Colombia)

    Estimated budget

    335 000 €

    Funding in place

    179 000 €

    Research partners

    Funds, sales agents, distributors, co-producers in North America (United States, Canada)

    Actual status

    In production

    CONTACT

    DIRECTORS & PRODUCERS

    Clare Weiskopf /  cfeale@gmail.com / +57 3214904588
    Nicolas van Hemelryck / nicolasfelipe@gmail.com / +57 3132331717

    CO-PRODUCERS

    Radu Stancu - deFilm (Romania) / radu@defilm.ro / +40 740 226 054
    Alexandra Galvis - Pantalla Cines (Chile) / alexandra@bfdistribution.cl / +56 9 7887 4321
    Lise Lense-Moller -  Magic Hour Films (Denmark) / llm@magichourfilms.dk

Official partners

And contribution of