20/06/2019 - A raft of upcoming films from the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, the Balkans, the former Soviet Union, the Middle East and North Africa will be presented in Karlovy Vary

I Never Cry by Piotr Domalewski, one of the projects selected for the Works in Progress section (© Piotr Sobocinski Jr)

The industry programme of the 54^th edition of Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (28 June – 6 July) unveiled the projects that will be presented at pitching sessions during the KVIFF Eastern Promises Industry Days between 30 June and 2 July.

In the Works in Progress section, producers and directors from the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, the Balkans, the former Soviet Union, the Middle East and North Africa will present their projects set to premiere after KVIFF, while the best project will receive an award in the total value of €100,000 combining post-production services and cash money. The jury picking the winner will consist of Khalil Benkirane of Doha Film Institute, producer Aija Berzina and Virgini Devesa from Alpha Violet.

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Docs in Progress will see producers and directors from the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, the Balkans, the former Soviet Union, the Middle East and North Africa introduce their latest documentary projects that will premiere after KVIFF. The most promising projects will receive a cash award in the total value of €5,000. The members of 2019 Docs in Progress Jury are Pierre-Alexis Chevit who runs the Doc Corner & Doc Day industry programme at the Marché du Film, Lejla Dedić who has been working in the Program Department of Al Jazeera Balkans, and creative producer and film development consultant Patricia Drati.

For the fourth time, the Eurimages Lab Project Award of €50,000 will be handed to the most promising projects that cross to other art forms. The experimental projects will be judged by the Albanian representative at Eurimages, Majlid Tafa, Slovakian filmmaker Tereza Nvotová and Frank Peijnenburg of Dutch Film Fund.

The KVIFF Eastern Promises Industry Days will include First Cut Lab (read the news) and Works in Development – Feature Launch, a platform organised with MIDPOINT, When East Meets West and Trieste Film Festival, showcasing projects from Central and Eastern Europe now seeking co-production partners. Selected projects will be awarded the KVIFF & MIDPOINT Development Award, the Connecting Cottbus Award, and the Rotterdam Lab Award respectively.

Here is the full list of selected projects for KVIFF Eastern Promises:

Works in Progress

After the Winter – Ivan Bakrac (Montenegro/Serbia)
Writer: Ivan Bakrac
Producer: Ivan Djuroivić (ARTikulacija)

Atbay’s Fight – Adilkhan Yerzhanov (Kazakhstan)
Writer: Adilkhan Yerzhanov
Producer: Asel Sadvakasova, Olga Khlasheva (Short Brothers)

I Never Cry [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Piotr Domalewski
film profile] – Piotr Domalewski (Poland)
Writer: Piotr Domalewski
Producer: Jan Kwieciński (Akson Studio)

Intervention – Ksenia Zueva (Russia)
Writer: Ksenia Zueva
Producer: Marika Mikhareva, Oleg Evdokimenko (Atlant)

Looking for Venera [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Norika Sefa
film profile] – Norika Sefa (Kosovo)
Writer: Norika Sefa
Producer: Besnik Krapi (Circle Production)

Otar’s Death – Ioseb Bliadze (Georgia/Germany)
Writers: Elmar Imanov, Ioseb Bliadze
Producer: Eva Blondiau (Color of May)

Pigeon’s Milk – Eugen Maryan (Russia/Moldova)
Writer: Eugen Maryan
Producers: Roman Borisevich, Alexander Kushaev, Anna Shalashina (Koktebel Film Company)

Siege on Liperti Street – Stavros Pamballis (Cyprus/Greece)
Writer: Stavros Pamballis
Producers: Panos Papahadzis, Simos Manganis (Argonauts Productions s.a., Green Olive Films)

The Forgotten – Daria Onyshchenko Gold (Ukraine/Switzerland)
Writer: Daria Onyshchenko
Producers: Igor Savychenko (Directory Films)

Eurimages Lab Project Award

Bottled Songs 1 - 4 [+see also:
trailer
film profile] – Kevin B Lee, Chloé Galibert-Laîné (Germany/France/USA/Finland)
Writers: Kevin B Lee, Chloé Galibert-Laîné
Producers: Kevin B Lee, Chloé Galibert-Laîné

The Dam – Ali Cherri (France, Sudan, Serbia, Portugal)
Writer: Ali Cherri
Producer: Janja Kralj (KinoElektron)

If It Were Love [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Patric Chiha
film profile] – Patric Chiha (France/Germany/Switzerland/Netherlands)
Writer: Patric Chiha
Producer: Charlotte Vincent (Aurora Films)

Iguana Tokyo – Kaan Müjdeci (Turkey/Germany/Japan)
Writer: Kaan Müjdeci
Producers: Kaan Müjdeci, Ryohei Tsutsui (Coloured Giraffes)

Ivana the Terrible [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ada Solomon
film profile] – Ivana Mladenovic (Romania/Serbia)
Writers: Ivana Mladenovic, Adrian Schiop
Producers: Ada Solomon, Ivana Mladenovic (microFILM, Dunav 84)

Playdurizm – Gem Deger (Czech Republic/Germany/France/United Kingdom/USA/Turkey)
Writer: Morris Stuttard
Producers: Martin Raiman, Steve Reverand (The LAB – a Media Production Company s.r.o.)

Rest in Greece – Florian Gottschick (Germany/Greece)
Writers: Florian Gottschick, Carsten Happe
Producers: Caroline Erikson, Margarita Siotou, Angelo D’Agostino (Penny Lane Film)

Yoyogi Haiku – Max Golomidov (Estonia/Japan)
Writers: Max Golomidov, Volia Chajkouskaya
Producers: Volia Chajkouskaya, Ivo Felt (Volia Films, Allfilm)

Docs in Progress

Caught in the Net [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] – Vít Klusák, Barbora Chalupová (Czech Republic/Slovak Republic)
Writers: Barbora Chalupová, Vít Klusák
Producers: Vít Klusák, Filip Remunda (Hypermarket Film s.r.o., Peter Kerekes Film)

Colectiv (working title: Project C) – Alexander Nanau (Romania/Luxembourg)
Writer: Alexander Nanau, Antoaneta Opriș
Producers: Alexander Nanau, Bianca Oana (Alexander Nanau Production, Samsa Films, HBO Europe)

Invisible to the Eye – Zeynep Dadak (Turkey/Germany)
Writer: Zeynep Dadak
Producer: Zeynep Dadak (Fenafilm, elemag pictures GmbH)

Ivan’s Land – Andrii Lysetskyi (Ukraine/Latvia/Germany)
Writer: Andrii Lysetskyi
Producers: Gennady Kofman, Olga Beskhmelnytsina (MaGiKa Film Company), Uldis Cekulis (VFS Films), Dirk Simon (Boxee Media UG)

Their Algeria – Lina Soualem (France/Algeria)
Writer: Lina Soualem
Producer: Marie Balducchi (AGAT Film & Cie)

The Silhouettes – Afsaneh Salari (Iran/Philippines)
Writers: Afsaneh Salari, Jewel Maranan, Giles Gardner
Producers: Afsaneh Salari, Jewel Maranan (Docmaniacs, Cinema is Incomplete)

Wolves on the Borders! – Martin Páv (Czech Republic)
Writers: Martin Páv, Adéla Kabelková
Producer: Zuzana Kučerová (Frame Films)

Women in Kiosk – Daniel Stopa (Poland)
Producer: Małgorzata Staroń (Staron-Film)

First Cut Lab

After the Winter – Ivan Bakrac (Montenegro/Serbia)
Writer: Ivan Bakrac
Producer: Ivan Djurović (ARTikulacija)

January [+see also:
film review
film profile] – Andrey Paounov (Bulgaria/Portugal)
Writer: Alex Barrett
Producer: Vanya Rainova (Terratreme Filmes)

Mica [+see also:
trailer
film profile] – Ismaël Ferroukhi (Morocco/France)
Writer: Ismaël Ferroukhi
Producer: Lamia Chraibi (La Prod)

Works in Development – Feature Launch

A Sensitive Man – Tomáš Klein (Czech Republic)
Writers: Tomáš Klein, Kateřina Traburová
Producer: Tomáš Michálek (Masterfilm)

Grey Skies – Ekaterine Chelidze, Konstantine Kalandadze (Georgia)
Writers: Ekaterine Chelidze, Konstantine Kalandadze
Producer: Elene Mergvelashvili (Parachute Film)

Horia – Ana-Maria Comănescu (Romania)
Writer: Ana-Maria Comănescu
Producer: Carla Fotea, Ada Solomon (microFILM)

How is Katia [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Christina Tynkevych
film profile] – Christina Tynkevych (Ukraine)
Writer: Julia Gonchar
Producer: Veronika Stepanchuk (Evos Film)

Rattlesnakes – Nikola Ljuca (Serbia)
Writer: Vuk Boskovic
Producer: Maja Ilic (Biberche Productions)

Riviera – Orfeas Peretzis (Greece)
Writer: Orfeas Peretzis
Producer: Konstantinos Vassilaros (StudioBauhaus)

Some Birds – Daniel Héver (Hungary)
Writer: Zsanett Kertész
Producer: László Dreissiger (Filmfabriq Cinemart Ltd.)

Traces – Dubravka Turić (Croatia)
Writer: Dubravka Turić
Producer: Ira Cecić (Kinorama)