+++ almost 1.000 accredited participants from 25 countries +++ over 200 projects submitted for pitching from 26 countries +++ 10 years later 79 film projects from 17 countries were presented, of which 21 projects were realised +++ 5 projects were being produced and 24 were in development (2008) +++ more

1999 An idea is born

The first “Networking meeting with the Eastern European film-and TV industry” took place during the 9th FilmFestival Cottbus. The day-long conference aimed to provide information about the situation of filmmaking in Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic as well as in Germany. Founding fathers: Ministry of Economics State of Brandenburg, and the regional film funding institution Filmboard Berlin-Brandenburg (called Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg since 2004)

2000 A name is found

One year later, not only a name, but also a tool is found: Connecting Cottbus. Approximately 50 participants from Russia, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Germany use the opportunity to improve working relationships.

more: The years 2001 - 2007

In recent years, a number of film projects were successfully pitched in Cottbus. Producers, funders and broadcasters came together after the first contacts made during Connecting Cottbus to co-produce for the European film and television market.

KLOPKA – THE TRAP, by the Serbian director Srdan Golubovic, a film which was feted at numerous international festivals, is just one successful example of a project presented in Cottbus. Golubovic’s psychological thriller was one of the projects selected for Connecting Cottbus in 2004. The Serbian-German-Hungarian co-production has since received awards at numerous film festivals. Thus, the East-West co-production market for television and feature films has already borne fruit and made interesting co-productions possible as well as building up a lively network between Eastern and Western Europe.

Filip Gabracz gets for his Role as Tomek in the film PIGGIES a Special Jury Mention at the 44th Karlovy Vary International Filmfestival. In the german-polish Coproduction Garbacz plays the 15 years old Tomek, who slip into the prostitute scene. The film from Widark Ltd. (Warschau) und 42film GmbH (Halle/S.) was financially supported by Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung and the Polish filminstitute.

BALTIC EVENT
CINELINK
CZECH FILMCENTER
EAVE
BERLIN BRANDENBURG FILM COMMISSION
GWFF
KIPA
MAGYAR FILMUNIO
MEDIA ANTENNE BERLIN-BRANDENBURG
MEDIA PROGRAMME
MEDIENBOARD BERLIN-BRANDENBURG (FORMER FILMBOARD)
MINISTRY OF ECONOMICS STATE OF BRANDENBURG
MDM
MOONSTONE
NATIONAL BULGARIAN FILM CENTRE
NIPKOW PROGRAMME BERLIN
ROBERT BOSCH STIFTUNG
SOFIA MEETINGS
TIFF ROMANIA
FILM TV SERVICES INTERNATIONAL

“THE TRAP was first presented as a project at Connecting Cottbus in 2004. After the pitch we had very successful meetings where we met our co-production partners. Also in Cottbus we had our first meeting with our sales agent Bavaria Film International. We can proudly say that THE TRAP is in every way a Cottbus BABY.”

Jelena Mitrovic, producer of THE TRAP, pitched in 2004

Kirsten Niehuus, Ellis Driessen and more