A total of 147 feature film projects from 24 countries were pitched from 2001 to 2010 within the framework of Connecting Cottbus' annual presentation of brand new projects. 47 of these projects have since been produced, while another nine projects are still being made. We are pleased that more than a third of the submitted project ideas were realised – including such successful films as WHITE WHITE WORLD (dir. Oleg Novkovic), IF I WANT TO WHISTLE I WHISTLE (dir. Florin Serban) or TILT (dir. Viktor Chouchkov), the Bulgarian Official Entry for Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film 2012.

Feature film projects from Turkey and the Czech Republic were 2011 award winners at Connecting Cottbus. The East-West Co-Production Market that was held in its 13. edition on November 3 and 4 in parallel to the FilmFestival Cottbus presented 13 feature film projects from 11 countries looking for European co-production partners. The award winners represented the wide range of the 2011 selection: The Turkish screen writer Emre Özdur presented his first project as director with the drama Pitch Black. pictures & press release

The pitching session was opened on November 3rd, 2011 by the winner of the CoCo Special Pitch Award 2010, a prize underscoring the synergies between the film festival and the co-production market by enabling the main prize-winner of the FilmFestival Cottbus to pitch their newest project at Connecting Cottbus the following year. Last year saw Vladimir Perisic presenting the idea for his new film THE WORKER'S SEA (producer: Trilema Film).

The main prize of the 2010 FilmFestival Cottbus went to WHITE, WHITE WORLD, directed by Oleg Novkovich (Serbia, Germany, Sweden, 2010) In emulation of an antique tragedy and with powerful impact, director Oleg Novkovic tells a fatal love story set in the Serbian mining town of Bor.

So Oleg Novkovich was invited as the winner of the CoCo Special Pitch Award to pitch his newest project in Cottbus 2011. (Claritta Kratschowil from the German co-producing film production firm OSTLICHT, Weimar accepted the award on behalf of the director.)

The 2011 edition of Connecting Cottbus is now behind us. 140 participants from 25 countries, including many familiar faces from the past years, met during the filmfestival – this time not only to present and discuss new projects, but also to offer a review of the results from the previous pitching events. Held for the first time in 2007, the One2One meetings have been established as a permanent fixture. The One2One meetings confirm the wide-ranging interest in the presented subjects, stories and narrative forms. This great response also confirms that the project jury had a good feeling for potentially successful stories when they selected the 13 final participants for the pitching session at their sitting in September 2011.

"A vibrant two-day industry event, Connecting Cottbus, provides a venue for project pitching and dealmaking between producers from across Europe's old divides." Nick Holdsworth, Variety* read more

*(variety.com, 20 Oct 2011)

The 2011 programme can be found here

With projects in development by Czech director Petr Zelenka and the Croats Vinko Bresan and Dalibor Matanic, three new ventures by popular and multi-award winning directors are represented. Genres range from Mediterranean comedy, political satire, and urban love and family stories to social drama - univeral topics from the heart and the borders of Europe, from the Polish shore of the Baltic to the Irish capital Dublin, from the Croat limestone plateaus to Georgia. press release

From 24th to 27th September, Connecting Cottbus took part in the Pristina Film Festival. Bernd Buder visited the festval's industry forum and met film professionals from Kosovo and it’s neighbouring countries. Together with Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg which was represented by Brigitta Manthey, Connecting Cottbus hosted a reception at the 26th September.

13 projects from 11 countries belong to the CoCo Pitching Projects 2011. The meeting of the jury to select projects for the pitching session within the scope of Connecting Cottbus took place in Potsdam-Babelsberg on the 9th September. 2011 saw again the jury being composed of representatives from Connecting Cottbus, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung (MDM), MEDIA-Antenna Berlin-Brandenburg, the Nipkow Programme, Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (RBB), Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk (MDR) and German Films. The following 13 projects from 11 countries were presented at the 2011 co-production market - incl. the newest project by the winner of the 2010 CoCo Special Pitch Award Oleg Novkovich.

The deadline for the submission of projects was the 15 July 2011. The selection jury has received over 113 projects from 30 countries. 12 projects were selected and a Special Pitch will also be presented in Cottbus.  The pitching session took place on the 3 November 2011 in Cottbus.

Between July 26th and 29th Connecting Cottbus was present at the 11th New Horizons IFF in Wroclaw. Amongst other events, the festival organised a Polish-Norwegian Co-production Forum. 

From 26th to 30th July, Connecting Cottbus, took part in the Sarajevo Film Festival Film Festival. Bernd Buder visited the festval's co-production market „CineLink“ which is one of Connecting Cottbus' partner markets. Together with Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, the Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung and the FilmFestival Cottbus, Connecting Cottbus hosted a reception at the 29th July. Buder also moderated a „Coffee with ... “ talk with the film team of Joshuas Marstons „The Forgiveness of Blood“ at the 29th.

CONNECTING COTTBUS GOES INTO ITS 13TH ROUND: Project selection started – Receptions in Karlovy Vary and Sarajevo – New award for postproduction

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Press relations for Connecting Cottbus are being coordinated by the Berlin-based company claudiatomassini & associates. Press enquiries can continue to be directed via presse(at)connecting-cottbus.de or directly via office(at)claudiatomassini.com

In the meantime, it has become a good tradition: every year, the FilmFestival Cottbus and Connecting Cottbus join forces with Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg to host the East European Brunch in Karlovy Vary. Colleagues, friends and interested professionals of the international festival come together at the Grand Hotel Pupp during the film festival held in the Czech Republic at the beginning of July. The guests were greeted on 4 July, 2011 by the director of Connecting Cottbus Bernd Buder, festival director Roland Rust and Brigitta Manthey from Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg GmbH. There was also an address from István Szabó, this year’s president of the festival jury in Karlovy Vary. For Bernd Buder, who became the new director of Connecting Cottbus at the beginning of the year, it was another opportunity to make himself known and forge interesting new contacts as part of the preparations for the co-production market to be held in the autumn.Photos can be found here.

From June 22 to 24, Martina Bleis represented Connecting Cottbus at the Forum on the promotion of Upcoming Slovak Films as well as at the Midpoint workshop during the Art Film Fest in Trenčianske Teplice, Slovakia. From June 27 to 29, Connecting Cottbus was present at the Moscow Co-Production Forum at Moscow International Film Festival.

From 8th to 12th June, Connecting Cottbus took part in the 'Romanian Days' which shown and discussed recent trends of Romanian cinema. The event was part of the Transilvania International Film Festival from the 3rd to 12th June in the city of Cluj, Romania for the 10th time, thus being an important meeting point for the national film scene as well as for international film professionals. Bernd Buder, director of Connecting Cottbus, was in Cluj from 8th to 12th June, and took part in the roundtable „Romania on the Movie Map“, organised by the Romanian film critic's association, which discussed the evolvement and future perspectives of the Romanian New Wave, 10 years after it's start. Please see also: www.tiff.ro

From 12th to 19th May, Connecting Cottbus took part in the „Marché du film“ in Cannes. The visit was to research for projects as well as to contact our partner institutions. Bernd Buder, director of Connecting Cottbus, was in Cannes from 12th to 15th May, 2011.

From 12th to 16th April, Connecting Cottbus took part in the „EU XXL“-Forum which was organised in cooperation with the „Crossing Europe“ film festival in Linz, Upper Austria (12th April- 17th April). The forum's focal point „Think Small – Medium – Large in Cultural Spaces and Markets“ explored chances and challenges of regional coproductions. Among the guests were the Hungarian director Ágnes Kocsis („Pál Adrienn“), Hrvoje Hribar, director of the Croatian Audiovisual Centre, and Sasha Wieser, EastWest Filmdistribution Vienna. Bernd Buder, director of Connecting Cotbus, took part in the panel „International coproductions – Tried and Tested or Room for Improvement?“ at 13th April. For more info on the Linz events please check: www.eu-xxl.at / www.crossingeurope.at

The East-West co-production market Connecting Cottbus grants the CoCo Special Pitch Award to the main award winner of the 20th FilmFestival Cottbus, WHITE WHITE WORLD (Serbia, Germany, Sweden 2010). In emulation of an antique tragedy and with powerful impact, director Oleg Novkovic tells a fatal love story set in the Serbian mining town of Bor. Claritta Kratschowil from the German co-producing film production firm OSTLICHT (Weimar) accepted the award on behalf of the director. It includes an invitation to pitch the next project at this years 13th East-West co-production market Connecting Cottbus.

The FilmFestival Cottbus together with Connecting Cottbus and .CHB Collegium Hungaricum Berlin invited to the Cottbus Lounge on February 16th in the Collegium Hungaricum Berlin. Guests had the opportunity to meet the teams of FilmFestival Cottbus and Connecting Cottbus and got a glimpse of the upcoming 21th anniversary of the festival.

The Cottbus Lounge took place during the fourth edition of Cinema Total, a series of events hosted by the .CHB for international filmmakers. The lounge was preceded by the "Pitch Stop" on February 16th, the alternative pitch event, in which 6 projects from the regions in this year’s Cinema Total focus: Austria, Hungary, Romania, Serbia and Slovakia are presented to an internatinal audience. Moderated by Simon Perry of ACE (Ateliers du Cinéma Européen) and the Irish Film Board .

The FilmFestival Cottbus – Festival of East European Cinema together with Connecting Cottbus invited on the occasion of the 61st Berlin International Film Festival to partake in a brunch serving delicacies from the Spreewald region on 16th February, 2011 in the Federal Office of the State of Brandenburg in Berlin. more

2010 saw the artistic director Gabriele Brunnenmeyer ending her successful work for the East-West Co-production Market Connecting Cottbus which took place for the 12th time during the FilmFestival Cottbus. After more than a decade, she will now be devoting herself to other projects. The organiser is very grateful for the outstanding work in the past years and wishes her continued success for the new projects. read more