Producers, television commissioning editors, distributors, and financiers could apply for participation without a project. The deadline will be the 1 October 2012. The Deadline for the submission of projects will be the 15 July 2012. The jury will meet in the September 2012 for its selection.The pitching session will be on the 8 November 2012 and 12 projects will be selected, a 13th project will be presented as the Special Pitch.

2012

DATE AND PLACE

Founded in 1999, connecting cottbus had been founded as an East West co-production market. It takes place annually in Cottbus, Germany, parallel to the FilmFestival Cottbus. The 13th edition will be held from 8th to 9th November 2012. The aim is to enhance European co-production with a special focus on East-West-co-productions – to connect producers with potential co-producers.

PROGRAM AND AWARDS

connecting cottbus presents twelve fiction feature projects selected by a jury to an international industry audience in the framework of a closed pitching event. An additional project presented will be the new project by the winner of the main prize of last year's FilmFestival Cottbus („Special Pitch Award“). The projects will be pitched in front of an audience of potential co-producers, commissioning editors, sales agents, distributors, representatives of film funds and financiers. The pitching time for each project is ten minutes. The presenters of the projects (the producer and one member of the creative team – director or author) will be coached before pitching. One2One-meetings at the following day offer opportunities for detailed talks between the representatives of the projects and potential co-production partners. Panel discussions, workshops and lectures will inform on and discuss recent issues of the European film industry.

The „Special Pitch Award“ will be given for the new project of this year's winner of the main prize („Best Film“) of the FilmFestival Cottbus.

The „Best Pitch Award“ will be given to the best public presentation of a project during the pitching session. The winner is chosen by secret acclamation among the participants of connecting cottbus of whom each will have one vote. The award of € 1500,-- goes to the producer of the awarded project.

connecting cottbus aims to offer a friendly, focussed business atmosphere to connect project partners and address as well as discuss current topics of the European film industry. There is no guarantee or legal right for project representatives to be connected with co-production partners.

ELIGIBLE PROJECTS

connecting cottbus is limited to fiction features which include feature-length films with an essay character. Eligible are projects:

A by producers based in an East European, East Middle European or South East European country (including all successor states of the former Soviet Union)

or

B with an Eastern European, East Middle European or South East European subject or connection, preferably by European producers.

The submission must be done by the producer of the project who should be experienced in international co-productions. The projects must be in development and financing stages, and should be looking for international co-production and financing partners.

PROJECT – ENTRY

The deadline for project-entry is July 15th, 2012. The projects must be submitted by using the application forms available at the connecting cottbus website. The applications must bear full information requested within the application forms. Data about the project and address data of the representatives of the project will be published in the Pitch Book and in the Guide as specified in the application forms.

SELECTION

The projects will be selected by a jury which decides on the participation by the end of September, 2012. If a project is selected, connecting cottbus will invite the producer and one creative project representative (either director or author) to present the project in the pitching session at connecting cottbus. connecting cottbus covers accommodation and part of the travel costs for the representatives of the selected projects. There is no legal right to participate at connecting cottbus.

PARTICIPANTS WITHOUT A PROJECT

Industry representatives (Producers, commissioning editors, sales agents, distributors, representatives of film funds and financiers) without a project are invited to apply for an accreditation. Access for the press is limited to selected journalists only. As the number of participants is limited to 140, connecting cottbus reserves the right not to accept all applications. There is no legal right to participate at connecting cottbus.