23 Producers on the move: European programme in Cannes

Ten years ago saw European Film Promotion (EFP) bring ambitious up-and-coming producers together for the first time from various European countries for the PRODUCERS ON THE MOVE programme in Cannes. The goal was to support them in their networking on a European level and attract the attention of the international film industry and press. The programme, which is funded by the MEDIA Programme of the European Union, the EFP member organisations and sponsors, has since been established as a label and is successfully used by the participants at the film festival in Cannes as a platform to make new contacts.

This year, the EFP members have selected 23 up-and-coming, independent producers who have already made a mark with their outstanding productions in their home countries and at film festivals, but are still at the beginning of their international careers. A representative from Croatia is also taking part for the first time. A total of 196 PRODUCERS ON THE MOVE were selected in the ten years (including 2009).

From May 16-19, the 2009 PRODUCERS ON THE MOVE will have the chance in various roundtables to discuss the themes, planning and financing of current projects as well as future works. Moreover, EFP is inviting all of the participants from the previous years to the traditional Producers Lunch. The selected producers will take home many ideas and new contacts from the diverse meetings with colleagues and thanks to the spotlights in the international festival publications in Cannes.

Like, for example, Daniele Mazzocca of the production company Verdeoro, Italian PRODUCER ON THE MOVE in 2008, who says looking back: "The event was extraordinary for networking and stimu-lating from a creative point of view. Being one of the participants in 2008 has increased my international value as a producer in and after Cannes.ö And Laura Hastings-Smith, participant from UK in 2008, adds: "I feel I've benefited - or will benefit - by now having a friendly contact in each country in Europe, so when the time is right, I can act with some confidence.ö

For many producers, the conversations with colleagues from all over Europe have led to concrete co-productions. For instance, Macdara Kelleher of Fastnet Films, PRODUCER ON THE MOVE 2008 from Ireland, will produce The Runway by Ian Power in July with Bernard Michaux of Lucil Film (Luxembourg) and Nothing Personal by Urszula Antoniak with Reinier Selen of Rinkel Film & TV Productions (The Netherlands).

Complete line-up of PRODUCERS ON THE MOVE 2009 see below.

"We are definitely expecting that this year's group will also profit from the event", says Renate Rose, EFP Managing Director. "There are again some very interesting producers travelling with us to Cannes who have worked on a broad spectrum of films, from feature films through animation films to documentaries.ö They include, for example, the young German Janine Jackowski of Komplizen Film. Her production Everyone Else (Alle Anderen, dir: Maren Ade) won the Grand Jury Prize (Silver Bear) at this year's Berlinale, and the FIPRESCI and "Best Directorö at the Buenos Aires International Film Festval. Another participant will be the Croat Ankica Jurić Tilić of Kinorama, whose audience success Kino Lika (dir: Dalibor Matanić) has just won the Golden Olive Award for "Best Filmö at the Festival of European Cinema in Lecce/Italy.

Further background information on PRODUCERS ON THE MOVE 2009 will be published at the end of April at www.efp-online.com.


The following producers were selected by EFP member organisations:
PRODUCER / COUNTRY COMPANY / FILM EFP MEMBER ORGANISATION
Alexander Glehr
(Austria) Novotny & Novotny Filmproduktion
Kleine Fische by Marco Antoniazzi Austrian Film Commission
Ilian Djevelekov
(Bulgaria) Miramar Film
Zift by Javor Gardev National Film Centre Bulgaria
Ankica Jurić Tilić
(Croatia) Kinorama
Kino Lika by Dalibor Matanić Croatian Audiovisual Centre
Monika Kristl
(Czech Republic) Dawson Production
3 Seasons in Hell by Tomás Masín Czech Film Center
Christian Potalivo
(Denmark) M&M Productions
The Lost Treasure of the Knight's Templar: The Mystery of the Snake Crown by Giacomo Campeotto The Danish Film Institute
Katrin Kissa
(Estonia) Homeless Bob Production
Autumn Ball by Veiko Ounpuu Baltic Films
Matti Halonen
(Finland) FS Film Oy
8 Days to Permier by Perttu Leppä Finnish Film Foundation
Emmanuel Agneray
(France) Bizibi
Jaffa by Keren Yedaya Unifrance
Janine Jackowski
(Germany) Komplizen Film GmbH
Everyone Else by Maren Ade German Films
Gábor Sipos
(Hungary) Laokoon Filmgroup
Happy New Life by ¬rpád Bogdán Magyar Filmunió, Hungary
Gudrún Edda
Thorhannesdottir (Iceland) Spellbound Productions
Country Wedding by Valdís ¬skarsdóttir Icelandic Fim Centre
Andrew Freedman
(Ireland) Venom Film
His & Hers by Ken Wardrop Irish Film Board
Giorgia Priolo
(Italy) Film Kairòs
Black Sea by Federico Bondi Filmitalia
Carmen Cobos
(The Netherlands) Cobos Films b.v.
El Olvido by Heddy Honigmann Holland Film
Yngve Sæther
(Norway) Motlys AS
The Man Who Loved Yngve by Stian Kristiansen Norwegian Film Institute
Andrzej Jakimowski
(Poland) Zjednoczii Artystów i Rzemieślników (ZAiR)
Tricks by Andrzej Jakimowski Polish Film Institute
Rodrigo Areias
(Portugal) Bando ¬ Parte
Tebas by Rodrigo Areias ICA, Portugal
Daniel Mitulescu
(Romania) Strada Film
How I Celebrated the End of the World by Catalin Mitulescu Romanian Film Promotion
Peter Kerekes
(Slovak Republic) Peter Kerekes
Cooking History by Peter Kerekes Slovak Film Institute
Eva Rohrman
(Slovenia) Forum Ljubljana
Landscape No. 2 by Vinko Moderndörfer Slovenian Film Fund
Koldo Zuazua
(Spain) Alicia Produce, S.L.
Me Too by Antonio Naharro & Alvaro Pastor ICAA, Spain
Erik Hemmendorff
(Sweden) Plattform Produktion AB
Involuntary by Ruben Östlund Swedish Film Institute
Adrian Sturges
(United Kingdom) Picture Farm
The Escapist by Rupert Wyatt British Council