connecting cottbus, the East-West Co-production Market at the FilmFestival Cottbus, is currently accepting project submissions for its 2012 pitching session. Furthermore, producers, sales agents and other industry representatives interested in East-West projects are invited to participate without projects. Until 15th July 2012, experienced producers can apply with a fiction feature project that either originates from or is related to Eastern Europe and shows potential for an East-West co-production. Please find further information, regulations and the application forms here

As the preparations of connecting cottbus 2012 are about to start, you can meet us at the following markets and film festivals in April and May 2012:

Meetings on the Bridge/Istanbul Film Festival, Istanbul
Martina Bleis: 10th – 13th April

Filmfestival goEast, Wiesbaden
Bernd Buder: 21st – 24th April

Crossing Europe Filmfestival, Linz/Austria
Bernd Buder: 24th – 29th April

Polish Film Festival, Gdynia
Bernd Buder: 7th – 11th May

Cannes Film Festival/Marché du Film, Cannes
Bernd Buder: 16th – 23rd May
Martina Bleis: 17th – 23rd May

Please feel free to ask us for meetings.

By way of awarding a total of three prizes, connecting cottbus (coco) together with the FilmFestival Cottbus, launched itself into the new festival season on 15th February, 2012. During the traditional East European Brunch hosted at the federal representation offices of the Federal State of Brandenburg in Berlin, the “coco Special Pitch Award 2011” went to the main award winner of the 21st FilmFestival Cottbus, TWILIGHT PORTRAIT (Russia 2011). The award, which includes the invitation to pitch her next project at connecting cottbus 2012, was accepted by the successful Russian producer of arthouse and mainstream films Alexander Rodnyansky on behalf of the director. press release

In the context of the Cinema Total /CT5 programme connecting cottbus and FilmFestival Cottbus together with the .CHB host the "Cottbus Lounge" in the rooms of the Collegium Hungaricum Berlin (.CHB). All guests had the opportunity to meet the teams of connecting cottbus (Bernd Buder, director and Dietmar Haiduk, project manager among others) and of the Filmfestival and got a glimpse of the upcoming events.

We hope that we will again be able to welcome you to an new edition of Connecting Cottbus in 2012. Remain loyal to our co-production market. And please make a note of the new deadline 15th July 2012 for the submission of pitch projects.

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 this year's 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 represent the wide range of this year's selection: The Turkish screen writer Emre Özdur presented his first project as director with the drama Pitch Black. pictures & press release

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)