looking back ... 2005

In 2005 Connecting Cottbus has made focusing on themes at the FilmFestival Cottbus a hallowed tradition. For that reason,  Hungary‘s film and television landscape was in the spotlight at the 2005 forum. Since this country located at the heart of Europe now belongs to the European Union, a new political unity is creating new possibilities for collaboration within the film industry. Hungary is increasingly becoming attractive as a co-production partner. In 2004, the forum presentation by the Hungarian TV broadcaster, MTV whetted appetites for more information. But in 2005 there were also projects that were suitable for co-production with other Eastern, Central and Western European countries. And with the slogan, Come and pitch it!, producers and authors were invited to come to Cottbus again in 2005 to present their latest projects. more

November 10, 2005

• Focus Hungary: How about Financing? Keynotes on the Hungarian Tax Incentive System as well as the possibilities of film funding for co-productions in Hungary and Germany

Guests: Dr. Krisztina Endrényi (Motion Picture Public Foundation, Hungary), Balázs Zachar (Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Hungary), Kirsten Niehuus (Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, Germany), Manfred Schmidt (Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung - MDM, Germany)

• Focus Hungary: A Case in Point? The making and distribution of the Hungarian-Romanian-Austrian-German Co-production “Dallas Pashamende” (Director: Robert Adrian Pejo / 2005) 

Presentation: Dr. Martin Blaney, Guests: László Kántor (Filmmax, Hungary), Wigbert Moschall (mdc int., Germany), Robert Adrian Pejo (Romania, USA), Nikolaus Prediger (FilmFernsehFonds Bayern, Germany), Dr. Peter Zawrel (Filmfonds Wien, Austria)

• Come and pitch it! Pitching of the selected projects 

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

• Let’s talk! Networking reception

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

X

November 11, 2005 

• What next? The Do's and Don’ts for starting a co-production - Q&A for the Pitching Representatives only 

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

• CoCo special: The German-Polish Co-development Fund An outlook on recent developments in the Polish-German-film-relations 

Guests: Agnieszka Odorowicz (Polish Film Institute, Poland), Dariusz Jablonski (Polish Audiovisuel Producers´ Chamber of Commerce, Poland), Kirsten Niehuus (Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, Germany), Manfred Schmidt (Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung-MDM, Germany)

• Let’s get an audience! Part 1 - How can broadcasters support international co-productions? 

Moderation: Dr. Martin Blaney, Guests: Heinrich Ambrosch (ORF, Austria), András Monory Mész (MTV, Hungary), Martin Novosad (CT, Czech Republic)

• Let’s get an audience! Part 2 - What can world sales companies do to make movies travelling? 

Moderation: Dr. Martin Blaney, Guests: Marta Lamperova (mdc int, Germany), Roman Paul (Celluloid Dreams, Germany), Thorsten Ritter (Bavaria Film International, Germany), Sasha Wieser (Eastwest Distribution, Austria)

• Farewell Lunch

hosted by the MEDIA Antenna Berlin-Brandenburg and the Nipkow Programme

selected projects for the pitching session 2005

The jury for the pitching session at Connecting Cottbus met on September 16, 2005 in Potsdam. The jury was made up on representatives of the Medienboard Berlin–Brandenburg, the Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung (MDM), the television channel RBB/Arte, the Nipkow Programme Berlin, the MEDIA Antenna Berlin-Brandenburg and Connecting Cottbus.

The following projects were selected for presentation:

• Conversation With Serafim (Libra Film, Romania)
• Dau (Phenomen Films, Russia)
• Darkness (Filmstudio Gatteo, Czech Republic)
• Egill (Lichthof Production / Szimpla Film Consort, Hungary)
• Fluke (Extreme Film, Hungary)
• Lara (Studio Arkadena, Slowenia)
• Nowhere (Beomedia Marketing, Serbia and Montenegro)
• Overnight (Katapult Film, Hungary)
• Piggies (Widark - Film & Television Productions Ltd, Poland)
• The Shoes (Art Fest ltd Bulgaria)
• The Two Of Us (Mainframe Procuction, Croatia)
• The Wild Swans (Filmax, Hungary)