In the context of the 74th Venice International Film Festival, the second edition of the Venice Production Bridge focuses in particular on the presentation and exchange of original projects for films and works in progress, so as to foster their development and production.
In fact, in recent years, in the initiatives addressed to the industry professionals at the major international film festivals, attention has shifted from finished films to works in progress, to meet the needs of the industry professionals who are increasingly interested in opportunities for meetings that will lead to co-productions. Today there is a growing need at festivals for a “market for projects”, and not just for finished products.
Venice Production Bridge: not just films (internet, series, virtual reality)
The Venice Production Bridge also focus on one of the major new trends in contemporary production, which is the co-existence of a diversity of platforms fostered by the digital revolution: television series, web-series and, above all, the new frontier represented by VR/Virtual Reality, which are currently attracting major investment and the most advanced technological research. The Venice Production Bridge intends to attract industry professionals active in these fields.
The idea of building an opportunity for networking for all the professionals involved in production, not only in cinema but across all the audiovisual sector, has shown its relevance in the huge success of the first edition of the Venice Production Bridge in 2016, with a 35% increase of accredited professionals and an enthusiastic feedback from all participants.
The Venice Production Bridge is providing the producers with a unique possibility of meeting the multiple categories of financiers who are participating in the creation of the necessary financial package to create a film. Distributors, sales agents, banks, private and public investment funds, regions and film commissions, broadcasters, video aggregators and Internet platforms…
Confirming its worldwide uniqueness, the Venice Production Bridge will propose the following events:
- Venice Gap-Financing Market (Sept. 1-3):
The Venice Gap-Financing Market is dedicated to works in progress, to meet the needs of the industry professionals who are increasingly interested in opportunities for meetings that will lead to co-productions.
The number of international projects will increase from 40 to 47 and will include the Biennale College Cinema Virtual Reality projects. During 3 days, the VGFM offers to the producers of feature films and documentaries, TV series, Web series, Interactive and VR projects the possibility to encounter financiers through 30-minute one-to-one meetings.
47 Selected Projects:
- 25 feature-length fiction film and documentary projects
– Fiction Films: 17 projects (8 from Europe and 9 from outside of Europe) for feature-length fiction films from around the world that need to complete their funding package with minority shares in the co-production, having at least 70% of the funding in place.
– Documentaries: 8 projects (7 from Europe and 1 from outside of Europe) for narrative or creative documentaries (fulfilling the same requirements as the fiction films above)
- 15 Virtual Reality & Interactive, Web – and TV Series projects
- 7 Biennale College – Virtual Realityprojects
FICTION
Europe
1 – “All the Pretty Little Horses” by Michalis Konstantatos (Greece, Germany, Netherlands), Horsefly Productions
2 – “Bodyguard of Lies” by Charles Matthau (Spain, United States), Babieka Films
3 – “Brighton 4” by Levan Koguashvili (Georgia, Bulgaria, Greece), Kino Iberica
4 – “Cook, Fuck, Kill” by Mira Fornay (Czech Republic, Slovakia), Cineart TV Prague
5 – “Delphine D.” by Lara Fremder (Italy), Falest Film
6 – “The Dream Girl” by Maurizio Braucci (Italy, Ireland, Belgium, UK), Mir Cinematografica
7 – “The Guest” by Duccio Chiarini (Italy, Switzerland, France), Mood Film
8 – “The Veins of the World” by Byambasuren Davaa (Germany, Mongolia), Basis Berlin Film Produktion
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Outside of Europe
9 – “Fig Tree” by Alamork Marsha Davidian (Israel, Germany, France), Black Sheep Film Production
10 – “Inzomnia” by Luis Tellez Ibarra (Mexico), Inzomnia Animación
11 – “ Irene” by Celina Murga (Argentina), Tresmilmundos Cine & Cepa Audiovisual
12 – “Rafiki” by Wanuri Kahiu (South Africa, Germany, France, Netherlands, Lebanon, Norway, Kenya), Big World Cinema
13 – “Road Kill” by Yuichi Hibi (United States), DViant Films
14 – “Shan Shui” by Xiao Yong (China), Way Good Entertainment
15 – “The Day I Lost My Shadow” by Soudade Kaadan (Syria, France), KAF Productions
16 – “The Reports on Sarah and Saleem” by Muayad Alayan (Palestine, Netherlands, Germany, Mexico), PalCine Productions
17 – “The Science of Fictions” by Yosep Anggi Noen (Indonesia), Angka Fortuna Sinema
DOCUMENTARIES
Europe
18 – “Cassandro, the Exotico” by Marie Losier (France, Guatemala), Tamara Films
19 – “Mitra” by Jorge Leòn (Belgium, France), Thank You and Good Night Productions
20 – “Story of B , the Disappearance of My Mother” by Beniamino Barrese (Italy), Nanof
21 – “The Hidden City” by Victor Moreno (Spain, France), El Viaje Producciones
22 – “ The Village” by Claire Simon (France), Petit à Petit Production
23 – “What Walaa Wants” by Christy Garland (Denmark, Canada), Final Cut for Real
24 – “When the War Comes” by Jan Gebert (Czech Republic), Pink Productions
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Outside of Europe
25 – “Bisbee ‘17” by Robert Greene (United States), 4th Row Films
– Virtual Reality and Interactive Projects: 10 VR projects (7 from Europe and 3 from outside of Europe), including fiction, documentary, animation film and other interactive installation based experiences. The projects include both original concept and adaptations. All projects have secured 30% of its budget and have this financing in place.
– TV – and Web Series: 5 TV- Series projects (4 from Europe and 1 from outside of Europe) for fictional drama, including both original concepts and adaptations (fulfilling the same requirements as the VR projects above).
VIRTUAL REALITY PROJECTS
1 – “7 Lives” by Jan Kounen (France), Red Corner
2 – “Amrita” by Rithy Panh (France, Cambodia, Netherlands, Germany), CDP
3 – “Bloody Sunday” by Andrius Lekavicius (Lithuania), Gluk Media
4 – “Escape Vroom” by Sean O’Reilly (Canada), Arcana Studios
5 – “Kinshasa Now” by Marc-Henri Wajnberg (Belgium, Congo), Wajnbrosse Productions
6 – “Lights” by Julien Mokrani (France), Okio-Studio
7 – “Melita part 2” by Nicolas Alcala (United States), Future Lighthouse
8 – “Passenger” by Romain Chassaing (France), Haut et Court, Solab
9 – “Tornado” by Guy Shelmerdine (United States), Dark Corner
10 – “Whitehats” by Ricard Gras (Germany), Ricard Gras
TV SERIES AND WEB SERIES
11 – “Father’s Day” by Pavel Vesnakov (Bulgaria), Agitprop
12 – “The Red Virgin” by Paula Ortiz (Spain), Avalon
13 – “Narcoamerica” by Danny Gavidia (Mexico), Albricias Producción
14 – “Of a Different Nature” by Mamdooh Afdile and Tone Andersen (Norway), Klar Film AS
15 – “Trauma” by Miłosz Sakowski and Agnieszka Smoczyńska (Poland), Telemark Sp. Z o.o.
7 projects, that have been developed during the first workshop of the Biennale College Cinema VR, 1st edition, and that have reached different stages of development, pre-production and post-production.
1 – “A Day With Hope” by E. del Mundo (USA, Philippines), VRSmile
2 – “Ice cave” by Maja Friis (Denmark), Makropol
3 – “My Girl Matryoshka” by Nir Saar (Israel, UK), Independent
4 – “ON/OFF” by Camille Duvelleroy and Isabelle Foucrier (France), Bachibouzouk
5 – “Spomenik” by Ivan Knezevic (Serbia), Black Box
6 – “The Little Black Pawn” by Quentin de Cagny (France), French Touch Records
7 – “The Neighbour” by Rudolf Romero Borgart (Netherlands), Rots Filmwerk
A tailor-made initiative of this kind requests a real confidentiality for the producers and the partners already in place and the Book of Projects detailing each project will then be emailed to the registered professionals, to entitle them to request 30-minute one-to-one meetings with the producers of the selected projects.
- Final Cut in Venice (Sept. 3-5):
The Venice Production Bridge will organize the 5th edition of its workshop programme, Final Cut in Venice, which will take place from September 3th to 5th in collaboration with Laser Film, Mactari Mixing Auditorium, Titra Film, Sub-Ti Ltd, Sub-Ti ACCESS Srl, Rai Cinema, El Gouna Film Festival, Festival International du Film d’Amiens, Festival International de Films de Fribourg, MAD Solutions, Eye on Films, and Institut Français.
The Festival’s purpose is to provide concrete assistance in the completion of films from Africa and from Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine and Syria; and to offer producers and directors an opportunity to present films still in the production phase to international film professionals and distributors in order to facilitate post-production and promote co-production partnerships and market access.
The workshop consists of 3 days of activities, in which the working copies of the six selected films are screened to producers, buyers, distributors and film festival programmers. Networking, encounters and meetings will allow directors and producers to interact directly with the workshop participants.
The 6 selected projects are:
FICTION
1 – “A Kasha” by hajooj kuka (Sudan, South Africa, Qatar)
2 – “Joint Possession” by Leila Kilani (Morocco, France)
3 – “Our Madness” by João Viana (Mozambique, France, Qatar)
4 – “The Harvesters” by Etienne Kallos (South Africa, France)
DOCUMENTARIES
5- “Freedom Fields” by Naziha Arebi (Libya, UK)
DOCUFICTION
6- “Dream Away” by Marouan Omara and Johanna Domke (Egypt, Germany)
The workshop will be concluded with the awarding of prizes, in kind or in cash, for the financial support of the films in their post-production phase:
This year the Biennale will give a prize of € 5,000 for the best film in post-production. The prize will be attributed by a jury composed of three members named by the Festival Director, while the other prizes will be awarded by final and irrevocable decision of the Festival Director, in conjunction with the project partners, the heads of the institutions, and the service companies providing the awarded prizes.
- € 15,000 for the color correction of a feature-length film, offered by Laser Film (Rome) for up to 50 hours of work (technician included);
- up to € 15,000 offered by Mactari Mixing Auditorium (Paris) for the sound mixing of a feature-length film (up to 12 days of work, sound re-recording mixer not included);
- up to € 5,000 for the production of a DCP master, French or English subtitles (translation not included), i-Tunes, Google or Netflix files + a discount of € 5,000 for digital color correction (technician not included) offered by Titra Film (Paris);
- up to € 7,000 for the production of the DCP master and Italian or English subtitles, offered by Sub-Ti Ltd. (London);
- up to € 7,000 for the accessible contents of the film for audiences with sensory disabilities: subtitles for the deaf and hearing impaired and audio description for the blind and visually impaired, with audio subtitles, in Italian or English, offered by SUB-TI ACCESS Srl (Turin). The SDH file and the audio described soundtrack for DCP will be provided;
- € 5,000 for the purchase of two-year broadcasting rights by Rai Cinema;
. $ 5,000 awarded to one of the Arab projects, offered by the El Gouna Film Festival;
- A 35mm print (without subtitles) or the participation in the production costs of a DCP (€ 2,000), offered by the Festival International du Film d’Amiens;
- A 35mm print (without subtitles) or the participation in the production costs of a DCP (€ 2,000), offered by the Festival International de Films de Fribourg;
- Marketing, publicity and distribution in the Arab World for one Arab project, offered by MAD Solutions (except for projects already attached to MAD Solutions);
. One of the selected films will have the possibility to benefit from the Eye on Films label, that will present the film to distributors and festivals affiliated to EoF and will contribute to the communication of the film for a value of € 2,000 during its world premiere in an A-category festival.
The fifth edition of this workshop will present a selected number of quality rough cuts coming from all African countries, Iraq, Jordan, Palestine, Syria and Lebanon and will give them the opportunity of finding the post-production financing through our partners and the participants.
- Book Adaptation Rights Market (Sept. 1-3):
For this second edition, the Book Adaptation Rights Market will offer to 19 international and renowned publishers or publishing houses a dedicated area within the Venice Production Bridge, that with this event renew its vocation to foster the development and production of international and European projects across a range of audio-visuals forms.
A public pitch presentation done by each publisher will be organized the first day and during the two following days, one-to-one meetings between those publishers and producers will be set up thus allowing them to foster long relationships and of course to make deals around the adaptations of novels, drama, children, short story, comic, graphic novel, essay, biography.
This event is giving the publishers and the producers a unique opportunity of getting to know each other and thus to build a long term relationship.
- European Film Forum (Sept. 3-4):
In association with the EU Media program, La Biennale will organize the third edition of the EFF with new themes and as last year with the coming of European Commissioners and key industry leaders.
the European Commission will be co-organising two events, on September 3rd and 4th, 2017.
The first will be a European Film Forum event, focused on Virtual Reality and titled Virtual gets real: exploring the industrial and societal effects of Virtual Reality. This will be taking place on Sunday 3 September, 3-6 pm at the Excelsior Hotel, Venice Lido, Sala Stucchi.
The second event will devoted to the EU’s support to the audiovisual industry, and will be specifically focused on Shaping together the MEDIA Programme of the future. It is expected that the newly appointed Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society, Mariya Gabriel, will be sharing her perspective on the current and future MEDIA Programme during the event. The event will be taking place on Monday 4 September, 10 – 11:45 am at the Excelsior Hotel, Venice Lido, Sala Stucchi.
The Venice Production Bridge will be held in Venice, at the Hotel Excelsior during the 74th Venice International Film Festival, from 31 August to 5 September 2017, offering traditional services such as the Industry Club, to support networking among the participants, an Exhibition Area, the VPB Market Screenings, the Digital Video Library, a Business Centre, equipped with secretarial services, computers, copy machines, Internet access and Wi-Fi, and numerous international panels and networking events.