looking back ... 2004

Connecting Cottbus 2004 is behind us. The journey was worth it: There were informative discussions and exciting project presentations. More participants than ever before came to Cottbus to attend the market forum for film. In the meantime, Connecting Cottbus has become a fixture in the appointments book of film and tv producers as well as financiers and television editors. This year one met again to find co-production partners for their own projects or to gather information about possibilities of financing, tv station profiles and global distribution strategies.

The free access to the venues in the immediate vicinity of the FilmFestival Cottbus enabled through Connecting Cottbus accreditation was extensively utilised by forum participants in order to gain an overview of the broad range of films from the various film series and competitions, not the least also about current production of this year’s focus country — the Czech Republic.

November 4, 2004

• When films travel … panel: global distributors

moderation: Martin Blaney (Screen International, Germany) Guests: Helge Köhnen (Bavaria Media, Germany), Wigbert Moschall (MDC International, Germany), Roman Paul (Celluloid Dreams, Germany)

• Something like happiness ... A Czech-German Case Study

moderation: Martin Blaney (Screen International, Germany) Guests:Thanassis Karathanos (Twenty Twenty, Germany), Manfred Schmidt (MDM, Germany), Pavel Strnad (Negativ Film, Czech Republic)

• Come and pitch it! - pitching 

moderation: Gabriele Brunnenmeyer (Connecting Cottbus, Germany) Uta Ganschow (Nipkow Programme, Germany)

• Networking Reception - hosted by the Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg and the Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung (MDM)

November 5, 2004

• Eyes on Broadcast Slots The German Case – A System in Change?!

Keynote: Dr. Dietmar Schiller (RBB, manager’s office, Germany)  Moderation: Michael Strauven (Germany), Guests: MTV - Hungary, Andres Monory Mesz and Gabor Kovacs, RBB Arte – Germany, Sören Schumann, Ceska Televize - Czech Republic, Martin Novosad, Telewizja Polska – Poland, Miroslaw Michalcziak

• Farewell Dinner - reception hosted by MEDIA Antenna Berlin-Brandenburg and the Nipkow Programme Berlin

• Festival Screening at the FilmFestival Cottbus: Ruka Netleska / One Hand Can't Clap 

(CZ 2003, 102 min) Dir: David Ondricek, (participant at Connecting Cottbus Pitch 2004 with the project The Grand Hotel)