Created by filmmakers for filmmakers, the Pop Up Film Residency is a network founded and directed by Matthieu Darras, and it involves several experienced European film professionals, such as Katja Adomeit, Konstantinos Kontovrakis, Marija Razgute and Ada Solomon, among others.

Each residency is unique, with the host, the location, the timing and, naturally, the mentor selected to match the type, style or genre of the project. The main idea behind the Pop Up Film Residency is to offer the filmmaker the time and space they need to focus on nothing else but the project during a period of three weeks.

The Pop Up Film Residency has already hosted 28 residents, and half of the projects are by women filmmakers – among them are Greek writer-director Jacqueline Lentzou (Moon, 66 Questions [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Jacqueline Lentzou
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intervista: Carlota Pereda
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intervista: Cristina Grosan
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The Pop Up Film Residency has been actively promoting diversity and equal opportunities in the film industry, and with the support of the Council of Europe’s Eurimages fund, a special residency is being launched for women filmmakers developing their third or subsequent feature-film project. While maintaining the fundamental characteristics and the quality of a project for the viewer, the Pop Up Film Residency Eurimages deliberately aims to implement policies promoting gender equality. This comes quite naturally, as it reflects the stances of its personnel.

It is worth noting that the Pop Up Film Residency concept allows it to react flexibly and not to see the personal or family status of the resident as a hindrance, but rather as an aspect of the resident’s life to accommodate and support. The call for projects has been open since 30 August.

Programme manager Kristína Aschenbrennerová, who also works with initiatives promoting LGBTQ rights and gender equality, most notably through her activities related to the Slovak Queer Film Festival, stated: “Women have always been part of the industry. It has only been recently that they have started to get recognised for their hard work and talent. Now, it's the industry's turn, our turn, to prove we mean it. With this, the Pop Up Film Residency contributes its quantum.”

The first Pop Up Film Residency Eurimages will take place between winter 2021 and spring 2022, depending on the needs of the one selected resident.