• CHARLIE KOUKA

    DIRECTOR

    Charlie Nawel Kouka was born in Tunisia where she studied optometry before the cinema changed her life. She moved to France in 2015 to study Directing at the Fémis. While studying, she made several short films including Le Retour which was bought by ARTE. She is currently working on her first feature film, Leïla’s Trial.

    SYNOPSIS

    In Cité Nour, a dilapidated district of a small Tunisian town, a young girl of 14 who performs miracles divides the neighborhood: is she a witch or a saint?

    Leïla, a 14-year-old girl lives in Cité Nour – a decrepit neighborhood in a small Tunisian town, which is about to be razed to the ground. Here, religion plays a significant role. After performing several miracles, Leïla is either championed or rejected by the people around her: is she a witch or a saint? Can this strange girl really save the neighborhood?

    En savoir plus

    DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT

    The story behind Leila’s Trial is very dear to my heart because it brings me back to my hometown. I grew up in Sidi Bouzid, a small town in the center of Tunisia that saw the birth of the 2011 revolution. However, like many other Tunisian cities, it has been neglected by state authorities for years. As a result, marginalization has become the norm and religious faith now plays a large role in people’s lives.

    When people would say Islam was going through its medieval period, I was struck by this, and immediately thought of Joan of Arc. What would Joan of Arc’s life be like if she were living in our times – and, more particularly, if she were a Muslim? This is how Leila’s story was born: a girl who uses religion as a path to self-emancipation.

    En savoir plus

    CYRINE SELLAMI - NOMADIS IMAGES

    PRODUCER

    Nomadis Images is a Tunisian production company founded by Dora Bouchoucha in 1995. Nomadis has produced several feature films, short films and documentaries that have been selected and awarded prizes in many prestigious festivals. These include films by Raja Amari such as Foreign Body (2016), Buried Secrets (2009) and Red Satin (2002). Nomadis also produced Mohamed Ben Attia’s first two feature films, Weldi (2018) and Hedi (2016), awarded the Best First Feature Award and the Silver Bear for Best Actor at the Berlinale. His third film, Behind the Mountains, is in post-production.

    FICTION / DRAMA / COLOUR / ANALOG

    First feature film
    Produced by

    Nomadis Images (Tunisia)

    Language

    Arabic / Tunisian

    Shooting locations

    Sidi bouzid (Tunisia)

    Estimated budget

    1 583 586 €

    Funding in place

    358 586 €

    Research partners

    Co-producers (Belgium), Distributors, sales agents, International Funds

    Actual status

    In development

    VIDEO PITCH

    DIRECTOR

    Charlie Kouka / saintecharlie@gmail.com / +33 7 54 12 16 25

    PRODUCER

    Cyrine Sellami / sellamicyrine@gmail.com / +216 53 511 339

    CO-PRODUCERS

    Dora Bouchoucha – Nomadis Images (Tunisia)
    Lina Chaabane – Nomadis Images (Tunisia)
    Caroline Nataf – Unité (France)

  • LUCILA MARIANI

    DIRECTOR

    Lucila Mariani studied filmmaking at Universidad del Cine. She made several shorts that screened in festivals such as: Wekwaindu (2018 - BFI's Future Film Festival), Resonancias (2019 - IFFR, New Directors/New Films at MoMA and Lincoln Center, BAFICI) and Luna que se quiebra sobre la tiniebla de mi soledad (2022 - Locarno, Mar del Plata). She’s finishing her latest short, Magopelusa_1028 (Rendez-vous Industry - SFC - Cannes 2023).

    SYNOPSIS

    A little girl has to find her way through a city that is full of disappointed adults. She finds different characters online who contribute to her never-ending imagination and feed her desire to escape reality. But things will take an unexpected turn.

    During Buenos Aires’ summer heat, 10-year-old Begonia must assimilate a national financial crisis. Her parents are in between-jobs and taking second jobs to make ends meet. They can’t afford to go on vacation, so they send Bego to a public summer day camp where she’ll be challenged by the economic inequalities between herself and her peers. Back at home she spends most of her time watching Tik Tok videos and that’s how she finds out about a magician and a community that opens a dark magic world to her, transforming (or escaping from) her reality and the reality of those around her.

    En savoir plus

    DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT

    This film summarizes some themes and concerns that I have explored in my films before, such as the female childhood, the Latin American identity and our relationship with technology. It was born out of my own experience during Argentina's financial crisis in 2001. Years later, I can reflect on how it shaped me into the person I am. The hypothesis is how those experiences are crucial for a person's growth. The fact that the film is led by Bego, allows it to open in different directions, navigating different genres and at the same time keeping a strong political background.

    I believe that this film is necessary from a social point of view as it explores the dynamics of a middle-class family in Latin America but also from a cinematographic point of view, as this film bets towards a playful way of storytelling.

    En savoir plus

    PAULA ZYNGIERMAN - MARAVILLACINE

    PRODUCER

    MARAVILLACINE is a production company based in Argentina, created in 2016 by Paula Zyngierman and Leandro Listorti after years of work in the area of ​​film and TV production, and vast experience in the fields of archive and film programming, respectively. It focuses on developing and co-producing daring, author-driven features and documentaries screened at festivals such as Berlinale, IFFR, San Sebastian, Cannes Docs, Visions du Reel, BAFICI, Mar del Plata among others. They have a strong presence co-producing with Latin America and a predilection for first time and female directors.

    FICTION / COMING OF AGE / MAGIC REALISM / COLOUR / DIGITAL

    First feature film
    Produced by

    MaravillaCine (Argentina)

    Language

    Spanish

    Shooting locations

    Buenos Aires (Argentina)

    Estimated budget

    514 000 €

    Funding in place

    124 000 €

    Research partners

    Financing, co-producers (France, Belgium, Switzerland, Spain), sales agents

    Actual status

    Late development

    EXTRACT

    Wekwaindu (2018)

    EXTRACT

    Moon that cracks over the darkness of my loneliness (2022)

    VIDEO PITCH

    DIRECTOR

    Lucila Mariani / marianilucila@gmail.com / +54 11 6981 3488 / +336 29 89 81 21 (Cannes Phone Number)

    PRODUCER

    Paula Zyngierman / paulazyn@gmail.com / +54 11 4400 3474 / http://maravillacine.com.ar / +336 26 95 63 10 (Cannes Phone Number)
    Leandro Listorti - MaravillaCine (Argentina)

    CO-PRODUCER

    Persona Non-Grata (Brasil)

  • SOFIA QUIRÓS UBEDA

    DIRECTOR

    Sofía Quirós Ubeda is an Argentine-Costa Rican director. Her debut feature film Ceniza Negra premiered at the 58th Critics' Week, becoming the first Costa Rican feature to compete in the Cannes Film Festival. Ceniza Negra received the award for Best Film at the Critics' Week of the Cairo Film Festival and represented Costa Rica at the 93rd edition of the Oscars and the 35th edition of the Goya Awards. Awaiting birds is her second feature film.
     

    SYNOPSIS

    In the wake of his mother's illness, a boy becomes attached to a neighbour onto whom he projects the fantasy of a new mum.

    Oliver (7) lives with his older brothers in an arid, coastal town in northern Costa Rica. While his parents travel to the capital to receive treatment for his mother's illness, Oliver builds a strong friendship with Paloma (28), a neighbour onto whom he projects the fantasy of a new mother. With his parents' return, Oliver will face his mother's illness and the rejection he feels towards her up close, but his relationship with Paloma and his connection with birds will help him find his own way to say goodbye.

    En savoir plus

    DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT

    This film delves into my inner depths. After the death of my mother, just two years ago, my little sister asked me to become her new mom. This made me feel a lot of guilt and a sense of self imposition, but in the end, I told her I couldn't fulfil that role. In this movie, I'm exploring my decision. 

    This story is a reminder that we can accompany parenting without becoming the mother. But it honours our freedom of decision as well. In Awaiting birds the characters build imaginary motherhoods to get through their loneliness. Oliver clings to his neighbour in order to face the parting of his mother, discovering his own way of saying goodbye in the process. It is not the farewell they expect of him, but the only one he can do: in his time, with his games, his lies and fantasies.

    En savoir plus

    MARIANA MURILLO QUESADA - Sputnik Films

    PRODUCER

    Sputnik Films was founded in 2011. Since its creation it has specialised in developing and producing personal and profound art house films by emerging Costa Rican filmmakers. In 2016, The Sound of Things, by Ariel Escalante, premiered in the Official Competition of the Moscow International Film Festival.
    Short film Selva, by Sofía Quirós Ubeda, a delicate prelude of the feature film Ceniza Negra, both premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2017 and in 2019.
    Both feature films represented Costa Rica at the Academy Awards and the Goya Awards.

    FICTION / DRAMA / COLOUR / DIGITAL

    Second feature film
    Produced by

    Sputnik Films (Costa Rica)

    Language

    Spanish

    Shooting locations

    Guanacaste province (Costa Rica)

    Estimated budget

    650 000 €

    Funding in place

    185 000 €

    Research partners

    Co-producers, especially from Europe, investors and sales agents, scriptwriting residencies and international funds

    Actual status

    In development

    VIDEO PITCH

    DIRECTOR

    Sofía Quirós Ubeda / sof.quiros@gmail.com / +506 89476081 / +336 14 21 82 68 (Cannes Phone Number)

    PRODUCER

    Mariana Murillo Quesada / marianamq@sputnikfilms.org / +506 83681385 / +336 14 21 26 79 (Cannes Phone Number)

    CO-PRODUCER

    Cecilia Salim - Murillo Cine (Argentina)

  • NADA RIYADH

    DIRECTOR

    Nada Riyadh is an Egyptian director and screenwriter. Her debut documentary film, Happily Ever After, had its premiere at Idfa, in 2016. Her short fiction film Fakh (The Trap) was selected for the official competitions of the Semaine de la Critique at the Festival de Cannes and the Toronto International Film Festival in 2019.  She is now in post-production of her second feature documentary, Land of Women, co-directed with Ayman El Amir.

    SYNOPSIS

    12-year-old Nour escapes Cairo after stabbing her sexually abusive father, and becomes Badr, an androgynous teenager who assists a blessed healer in an isolated village in cleansing young girls with mysterious illnesses in the river. 

    12-year-old Nour must leave Cairo after stabbing her sexually abusive father. Finding refuge on an island upstream of the Nile, she becomes Badr, an androgynous teenager. Badr serves a blessed healer, Safiya, who cleanses young girls with mysterious illnesses in the river. Badr, who is only allowed to do menial tasks and is forbidden from dealing with Safiya's patients, struggles to continue obeying orders. Badr then meets Salma, a new patient. The two secretly connect intimately. When a girl drowns during Safiya's sacred ritual, Badr is consumed with rage and promises to protect Salma no matter what.

    En savoir plus

    DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT

    Moonblind is a story of burgeoning freedom: that of the body, of sexual assignment and of the replication of violence. The story takes us out of civilization, away from the city to delve deep into the post-traumatic self. After being sexually assaulted, Badr, the young protagonist, escapes from one nightmare to the next. In order to cope with the unhealthy attachment patterns they have experienced as children, survivors of childhood sexual abuse often find themselves as adolescents in similar situations that are familiar to them. They recreate their own worst nightmares. Moonblind is a visceral examination of uncomfortable grounds of assault, traumatic memory and parent-child relationships. The film poses the question: is redemption possible after a past riddled with violence?

    En savoir plus

    AYMAN EL AMIR - FELUCCA FILMS

    PRODUCER

    Felucca Films is a production company based in Cairo, Egypt, aiming to help filmmakers explore and shape their own personal voices and to produce unique and original fiction and documentary films, with a special focus on fresh and new talents and contemporary social issues. Felucca’s latest work includes the fiction, Fakh, selected for the official competition of Semaine de la Critique, Cannes Film Festival 2019 and the documentary Happily Ever After, Idfa 2016.

    FICTION / DRAMA / COLOUR / DIGITAL

    Second feature film / First fiction
    Produced by

    Felucca Films

    Language

    Arabic

    Shooting locations

    Egypte

    Estimated budget

    680 000 €

    Funding in place

    30 000 €

    Research partners

    Co-producers, sales agents, funders

    Actual status

    In Development

    VIDEO PITCH

    DIRECTOR

    Nada Riyadh / nadariyadh107@gmail.com / +201143589962 / +336 46 04 92 57 (Cannes Phone Number)

    PRODUCER

    Ayman El Amir / aymmad11@yahoo.com / feluccafilms.egypt@gmail.com / +201224437372 / +337 77 66 70 28 (Cannes Phone Number)

  • DANIA BDEIR

    DIRECTOR

    Dania Bdeir is a Lebanese-Canadian filmmaker. In White, her NYU graduate thesis film, received the Spike Lee Production Fund and had its world premiere at Clermont-Ferrand. Bdeir's latest short film Warsha won the Jury Prize for the Best International Fiction Short at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival and has been selected at over 250 festivals. Selected as one of ScreenDaily's Arab Stars of Tomorrow, Bdeir is currently developing her first feature film Pigeon Wars, which received development financing from Telefilm Canada and was selected for Cine Qua Non, Le Groupe Ouest, Atlas Workshops (Marrakech) and the 2023 Sundance Screenwriters Lab.

    SYNOPSIS

    Rana, a college student trying to reconcile a difficult secret from her past, becomes obsessed with conquering the male-dominated Pigeon Wars of Beirut and beating the local "Pigeon king".

    In the politically charged atmosphere of Beirut, a fiercely independent young woman, Rana (20), infiltrates the male-dominated world of “Pigeon Wars”, where rival trainers compete to capture each other's prized birds in the sky. Determined to avenge her past by winning the elusive Nicobar pigeon and defeating the reigning "Pigeon King", Rana forms an unlikely bond with Hassan (20), a gentle, duty-bound young man with dreams of his own. As they navigate the rooftops of a divided city and learn from each other's strengths and vulnerabilities, the two ultimately transform each other's lives in profound and unexpected ways.

    En savoir plus

    DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT

    I created Rana to reconnect to a feeling of invincibility I had when I was 20: wanting to fight the world and take on the patriarchy but the patriarchy also hurts men. My father’s story is an example: he moved to the US for his undergraduate studies and developed a passion for photography. When he graduated, he had to come back to Beirut and take over his father’s business. On his deathbed, he shared with me his regrets in living a life that was expected of him instead of the life he wanted. Since Rana’s anger is targeted at all men, she develops a friendship with a man who, himself, struggles from the pressure of patriarchy. Rana and Hassan are freest when they're on the rooftops above Beirut. 

    En savoir plus

    PIERRE SARRAF - NÉ À BERYOUTH FILMS

    PRODUCER

    Deeply rooted within the Lebanese movie scene, the producers of Né à Beyrouth Films have been producing films since 2009. Our production company has been striving to find new grounds for producing films in a country that does not offer the ideal infrastructure. However, by adapting our financing and production strategies to every project we produce, we have been able to break boundaries and bring the films to life: 12 Feature Films, 12 Short Films and 8 Documentaries have been produced since we first started.

    FICTION / DRAMA / COLOUR / DIGITAL

    First feature film
    Produced by

    Né à Beyrouth Films (Liban)

    Language

    Arabic

    Shooting locations

    Liban

    Estimated budget

    1 850 000 €

    Funding in place

    47400€

    Research partners

    Co-producer (France), Sales agents

    Actual status

    Advanced Development

    EXTRACT

    Warsha

    VIDEO PITCH

    DIRECTOR

    Dania Bdeir / daniabdeir@gmail.com / +9613876566

    PRODUCER

    Pierre Sarraf / pierre@neabeyrouth.org / +9613850587 / +33611491055 / www.neabeyrouth.com

    CO-PRODUCER

    Sahar Yousefi - Nava Projects (Canada)

  • ARVIN BELARMINO

    DIRECTOR

    Arvin Belarmino is a Filipino filmmaker who was raised both in provincial Cavite and the urban capital of Manila. Arvin directed several experimental and narrative short films that garnered critical acclaim both on the local and international stage. He was selected for the 2022 Festival De Cannes Cinéfondation La Residence for his first feature project, Ria and won the Centre National du Cinema (CNC) award. Arvin is an alumnus of Talents Tokyo, Locarno Filmmakers Academy, and Produire Au Sud Workshop Nantes.

    SYNOPSIS

    With a chronically-ill foster mother and their community in peril, an orphaned folk-punk musician meddles in the illegal porn industry to make ends meet.

    Ria is a 25-year-old punk woman who lives in Vachel's Cave, a punk commune in the middle of Sitio Rosario, a resettlement area under threat of demolition. The commune is owned by Olga, a 52-year-old woman with diabetes. Due to the financial difficulties caused by Olga's illness, Ria works at Rayon Hotel as a housekeeper. 

    As Olga’s condition worsens and as intimidation from authorities closes in on Sitio Rosaio, Ria subjects herself to harder labor and is forced to work in an underground porn in the same hotel. Before long, the community comes to ruin as they fall victim to a ruthless demolition. Ria learns to radicalize her anger and lead the punks of Vachel's Cave into taking a stand against the violence surrounding them.

    En savoir plus

    DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT

    The punk scene has been alive in the Philippines since the late 1970s. It is a radical response to the country's inequities that persists to this very day. As a FIlipino punk woman, Ria lives a life of resistance against a violent system that pushes the underprivileged down to the brink of survival. While pursuing her art, she works as a cleaning lady and soon a production assistant for porn - just to provide for her foster mother's medical needs.

    My friend, Pong, who started this story with me, also fell victim to the failed medical system, which led to his death. It is a life that many Filipinos are familiar with, an experience that drives anyone towards defiance.

    Anyone can resist violence. Anyone can be punk.

    En savoir plus

    KRISTINE DE LEON - MUD STUDIOS

    PRODUCER

    Media Underground (MUD) is a Filipino independent platform that produces a wide spectrum of visuals — from short films, to animation, documentaries, and more. We aim to showcase the original works of visionary filmmakers who are eager to share the world through their lenses. MUD is a subsidiary company of Clayshop. Clay is a coalition of great talent and fresh ideas, honed to perfection by 14 years of industry experience.

    FICTION / DRAMA / PUNK / FEMINISM / COLOUR / DIGITAL 4K

    First feature film
    Produced by

    MUD STUDIOS

    Language

    Filipino

    Shooting locations

    Philippines

    Estimated budget

    524 994 €

    Funding in place

    42 135 €

    Research partners

    Equity Investors, Co-Producers, Sales Agents

    Actual status

    Late Development

    VIDEO PITCH

    DIRECTOR

    Arvin Belarmino / arvinbelarminoph@gmail.com / +639568847425 / +336 23 90 70 92 (Cannes Phone Number)

    PRODUCER

    Kristine De Leon / kristinejadeleon@gmail.com / +63 9178961042 / +336 26 95 66 72 (Cannes Phone Number)

    CO-PRODUCERS

    Alemberg Ang – Daluyong Studios (Philippines)
    Dominique Welinski - Sasha & Co. (France)
    Isabelle Glachant - Sasha & Co. (France)

  • RIDHAM JANVE

    DIRECTOR

    Ridham Janve trained as a communication designer before finding his calling in the medium of moving images. His debut film, The Gold-Laden Sheep and the Sacred Mountain, featured at leading international film festivals and won several awards. Apart from making films, he writes, paints and sculpts, pushing the boundaries of form and often landing in unexplored territories.

    SYNOPSIS

    In this epic tale of survival, self-discovery and sacrifice, a slave-turned-stable boy participates in an ancient conquest ritual led by a powerful king, only to realize the propaganda and violence surrounding the sacrificial horse he is assigned to protect.

    In ancient India, a slave-turned-stable-boy Shirimbita hopes to raise his status by participating in a conquest ritual led by a powerful Indo-Aryan king. Through the act of a sacrificial horse claiming all territories it traverses for the king, the kingdom expands exponentially until two native boys are killed for unknowingly impeding the horse, causing a deadly backlash. Shirimbita manages to escape with the horse and rides on a survival spree, chased by vengeful natives and other Indo-Aryan tribes, developing a paradoxical relationship with the sacrificial horse he is trying to protect.

    En savoir plus

    DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT

    The outlandish idea of a white horse wandering in the wild, followed by soldiers, priests, nobility and slaves, claiming new territories simply by walking across them intrigued me, and yet this 3000-year-old conquest ritual bears a close resemblance to nation building and claiming of territory that we witness today.

    I'm interested in understanding the inevitable human quest for more land, resources and power, and the cost that the pawn pays for it. I envision this film as a (Vedic) western where I depict the action in a minimal yet stylistic manner, focusing on the philosophy and politics of violence rather than glorifying the act. The relationship between man and animal, as well as man's relationship with nature, are important themes I want to explore with this film.

    En savoir plus

    KARTIKEYA SINGH - THE FILM CAFE

    PRODUCER

    The Film Cafe is an Indian production company that specializes in producing films that showcase emerging and alternative voices in Indian cinema. The company has produced critically acclaimed films, including Alms for a Blind Horse, The Seventh Walk, The Fourth Direction, Soni, and Uljhan, which have been showcased at prestigious international film festivals such as Cannes, Venice and Busan.

    FICTION / WESTERN / PERIOD / COLOUR / DIGITAL

    Second feature film
    Produced by

    The Film Cafe (Inde)

    Language

    Hindi, Vedic Sanskrit, Munda

    Shooting locations

    Inde

    Estimated budget

    998 750 €

    Funding in place

    267 500 €

    Research partners

    Co-Producers (France, Germany, The Netherlands, others), Distributors, Sales Agents, International Funds, Financiers

    Actual status

    In development, Financing

    VIDEO PITCH

    DIRECTOR

    Ridham Janve / ridham.janve@gmail.com / +91 99988 48595 / +336 14 21 03 86 (Cannes Phone Number)

    PRODUCER

    Kartikeya Narayan Singh / kartikeyanarayansingh@gmail.com / +91 98208 99166 / www.thefilmcafe.xyz

  • THOMAS WOODROFFE

    DIRECTOR

    Thomas is a Chilean filmmaker focusing on the esoteric and technology. He directed and wrote the short film Austral Fever (2019 - Venice, TIFF, Special Mention at San Sebastian). He also was the cinematographer for The Summer of The Electric Lion (2018 - first prize Cinéfondation, Panavision Award at San Sebastian). He was part of the Locarno Filmmakers Academy 2022 and the Pop Up Film Residency.

    SYNOPSIS

    A lost soul wanders through the fjords of Patagonia seeking his lost film.

    After a long time trapped in the glaciers of Patagonia, the ghost of cameraman Lucien Le Saint breaks free. Lost in his wanderings, he repeats the navigation route he had travelled through a century ago, stopping in the places where he once filmed the Kawésqar and Yagán native peoples. On this new journey, he is confronted by the change in the territory, crossing paths with the new inhabitants of a technocratic society and the vestiges of an indigenous past.

    En savoir plus

    DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT

    In 1925, Lucien Le Saint and Paul Castelnau travelled to Patagonia to film La Terre de Feu, the only ethnographic documentary about the Kawésqar and Yagán peoples. After almost a century, an incomplete copy was found at the Cinémathèque de Toulouse: three film reels that survived the passage of time.

    The name of the project comes from a geological formation: the erratic boulders. These large rocks travelled inside glaciers for thousands of years. When the glaciers melted, the rocks were stranded, far away from their islands of origin. Scientists can reconstruct the history of the glaciations by studying them.

    If the history of the planet can be understood from these remnants, what conclusions can we draw from the distant images of La Terre de Feu?

    En savoir plus

    RODRIGO DÍAZ - FIEBRE

    PRODUCER

    Fiebre was founded to produce the film Erratics by Thomas Woodroffe. It is a partnership between Rodrigo Díaz, Pascual Mena, and Thomas himself. The three had previously participated in the production of the short film Austral Fever. They like to work from a logic of horizontal creative collaboration, with arthouse pursuits that challenge cinematographic forms. The company will produce other films with similar values in the future.

    FICTION / HYBRID / FANTASTIC / DIGITAL

    FIRST FILM FEATURE
    Produced by

    Fiebre (Chili)

    Language

    Spanish, French

    Shooting locations

    Terre de Feu (Chili), Ushuaia (Argentina), Toulouse (France)

    Estimated budget

    790 000 €

    Funding in place

    300 746 €

    Research partners

    Sales Agents, Broadcaster, Producers, International Funds, Festivals

    Actual status

    Pre-production

    EXTRACT

    Austral Fever

    VIDEO PITCH

    DIRECTOR

    Thomas Woodroffe / thomaswoodroffe@gmail.com / +56 9 8269 8615 / +336 26 95 37 09 (Cannes Phone Number)

    PRODUCER

    Rodrigo Díaz / rodztp@gmail.com / +351 926 784 416

    CO-PRODUCERS

    Pascual Mena / Fiebre (Chili)
    Jérôme Blesson / La Belle Affaire Productions (France)
    Jerónimo Quevedo / Un Puma (Argentina)

  • YORO MBAYE

    DIRECTOR

    Yoro Mbaye is a Senegalese filmmaker who films modern-day society in his country through short fiction films and documentaries. Black Day, a film about police violence, was selected in several international film festivals including Clermont-Ferrand. Yoro took part in the Ouaga Film Lab 2021 with Fagadaga, receiving four awards: Sud Ecriture, Groupe Ouest, Ateliers de l’Atlas and the ALCA Nouvelle Aquitaine Award. He has also been given support for screenwriting from the CNC and was part of the Cité Internationale des Arts residency 2022 with the support of IF Dakar.

    SYNOPSIS

    When a man is forced to harm others in order to survive and protect his family, and chooses honour over the good of his community.  

    Yen is a fishing village devastated by industrial overfishing. Former fisherman Ousseynou sells stale bread, a trade that provides him with a livelihood. He lives with his wife Fatou and son Alioune. However, the stability of his family life is threatened by his sister-in-law Nafi, who returns to the village and decides to open a traditional bakery. Ousseynou looks for a way to thwart the project without breaking up the family’s unity.

    En savoir plus

    DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT

    With Fagadaga, I want to depict situations, places and events that are familiar and dear to me: the relationships between city-dwellers and villagers, rich and poor, men and women, but also the fragility of family ties when they are put to the test of the law and morality. I aim to observe Senegalese society through the prism of second-hand bread, fagadaga, stale bread that has known many lives before ending up on the tables of the most destitute.

    Beyond its social and economic commentary, Fagadaga is above all an intimate story of a family tearing itself apart. Between survival, morality and legality, everyone stands up for their project without wanting to provoke the inevitable conflict. To protect one’s family by hurting others, this is the moral dilemma I want to illustrate with the story of Ousseynou.

    En savoir plus

    SOULEYMANE KEBE - ASTOU PRODUCTIONS

    PRODUCER

    Astou Productions is a production company based in Senegal. It has produced short and feature films, documentaries and series. Its productions include Astel, the award-winning short film by Ramata-Toulaye Sy, receiving prizes at Tiff, Clermont-Ferrand, Namur, Aama, Carthage…., Goufdé, the documentary by Oumar Ba, and Banel and Adama, the feature film by Ramata-Toulaye Sy, selected for the official competition at the 76th Cannes Festival.

    FICTION / DRAMA / COLOUR / DIGITAL (HD)

    First feature film
    Produced by

    Astou Productions (Senegal)

    Language

    Wolof

    Shooting locations

    Senegal

    Estimated budget

    980 000 €

    Funding in place

    30 000 €

    Research partners

    Co-producers, sales agents, funders

    Actual status

    In development

    VIDEO PITCH

    DIRECTOR

    Yoro Mbaye / mbayeyoro2@gmail.com / +221775365818 / +33749275518
    +337 77 94 17 43 (Cannes Phone Number)

    PRODUCER

    Souleymane Kebe / Astouprod1@gmail.com / 221775627859 / +336 14 21 27 86 (Cannes Phone Number) / www.astouproductions.com

    CO-PRODUCER

    Yoro Mbaye - Nafi Films (Senegal)

  • MICHAEL OMONUA

    DIRECTOR

    Michael Omonua is a Nigerian - British film director and screen writer based in Lagos, Nigeria. He has made several short films and one feature film. His last short film Rehearsal (2021) had its world premiere in competition at the 71st Berlinale. It screened at over 30 film festivals including Kurzfilm Winterthur.
    He directed a short 27-minute segment in the supernatural anthology feature film Juju Stories (2021) that was in competition at the 74th Locarno Film Festival (Boccalino d’Oro award).

    SYNOPSIS

    Through a series of well-crafted miracle healings and exorcisms, a fake Pastor develops a large following; but his livelihood is threatened when the church that hired him decides to expose him.

    Lagos-based ‘Mama’ runs a thriving performing arts company. One day she is approached by a church to help stage a miracle healing.

    Mama eventually decides to start up her own Pentecostal church. They hire actors as staff members including budding actor Julius to play the role of the Pastor. Through a series of well-crafted miracle healings the church sees explosive growth.

    As Julius' star grows so does his ego to match it and Mama finds it increasingly difficult to control him. This sets them both up on a destructive collision course.

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    DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT

    As a child I spent a significant amount of time attending Sunday service. Being young and impressionable, I believed everything that occurred on stage. But as I grew older, I realized that these church services had many similarities to theatre and performance art.

    Additionally, I found there was a lot of controversy surrounding the promises of wealth and miracle healings made by some churches. I became interested in exploring the complexities of such institutions and investigating instances of corruption within them, and that’s how this project was born.

    Galatians is a  darkly humorous and satirical look at a corrupt church using actors to rehearse for and perform miracle healings. A meta narrative blurring the lines of what is performance art and  what is religion. A compelling story about a Mother and Daughter and their rivalry with an Actor, playing the role of a Pastor that they happened to create.

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    ABBA T. MAKAMA - POLKA DOT FILMS LTD

    PRODUCER

    Abba T. Makama is a Nigerian film producer and co-founder of Polka Dot films.  Abba has produced films that have screened at TIFF, BFI London Film Festival and Locarno Film festival. His films have also been released on Netflix, Prime Video, Canal Plus and have been reviewed and featured in publications such as The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, The New York Times and IndieWire. 

    FICTION / DRAMA / SATIRE / COLOUR / DIGITAL

    Second feature film
    Produced by

    POLKA DOT FILMS LTD (Nigeria)

    Language

    Pidgin, English, Bini

    Shooting locations

    Lagos (Nigeria)

    Estimated budget

    370 000 €

    Funding in place

    65 000 €

    Research partners

    International Co-Producer, Sales agent, Distributor

    Actual status

    Financing

    EXTRACT

    Rehearsal

    VIDEO PITCH

    DIRECTOR

    Michael Omonua / cine9ja@gmail.com / +234 8163520720 / +336 26 95 74 15 (Cannes Phone number)

    PRODUCER

    Abba T. Makama / abbamakama@gmail.com / +234 8086090956

Official partners

Sponsor

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