EAVE announces 14 new National Coordinators!

press release

         

 

EAVE is proud to announce several new appointments as EAVE country and continent representatives. 

With great film industry experience and careers, the following 14 players in the international film industry will become part of the EAVE National Coordinators’ Network.

 

“EAVE Producers Workshop was probably the biggest step in my journey from producing a film - to being a producer. Mentorship of such wonderful people and professionals was inspiring, empowering experience, while friendships with fellow producers only got stronger in time. Every once in a while, I wish I could go back and do it again.

Being appointed as the National Coordinator in my country is such a great honor, that I'm honestly humbled by it. I'm grateful I'll be able to contribute and be an ambassador to what I feel is a family to me. And I very much look forward to working with the amazing EAVE team, as well as with the fellow producers in Serbia.”

Milan Stojanovic, Sense Production, Serbia

 

NEW in 2020: EAVE has selected ambassadors from Africa, Asia and Latin America representing the growing and dynamic new producer generation outside of Europe and to foster international co-productions between these continents and Europe.

 

"EAVE was so instrumental in my career development and I could only pay it forward by encouraging other producers and help grow the brand in Africa." 

Bongiwe Selane, Blingola Media, South Africa

 

A warm welcome to our new EAVE ambassadors!

 

AFRICA

Bongiwe SELANE, Blingola Media, South Africa

Bongiwe Selane is an award-winning producer who has produced across several mediums, including commissioned serial content for Africa’s largest pay TV broadcaster, multiple short films, a feature film and a documentary series. Her credits and accolades include Culture Shock, the 2013 SAFTA winner for best reality show; Best South African Short Film at The Durban International Film Festival in 2015 for uNomalanga and The Witch, Great Africans – a documentary series for Africa Magic Entertainment, and she was the first recipient of the NFVF’s Female Only Filmmakers Project, which saw her produce a series of 26 short narrative films by women filmmakers.  Happiness is a Four-Letter Word is her debut feature film which was released in February 2016 is the best performing local film of 2016 in S.A. She is an alumna of the Durban Film Mart, La Fabrique Cinema de l’Institut Français in Cannes, as well as Produire au Sud and the Venice Biennale Cinema College. In 2018, she was awarded a full scholarship by Creative Europe Media to participate in the EAVE Producers Workshop (European Audiovisual Entrepreneurs).

 

ASIA

Bianca BALBUENA, Epicmedia, Philippines

Bianca Balbuena is a Philippine-based producer, writer and CEO of Epicmedia Productions Inc. which has produced over 30 feature films and series most notably Venice Film Festival 2009 Lion of the Future and Orrizonti Best Film “Engkwentro" by Pepe Diokno and Berlinale 2016 Silver Bear "A Lullaby To The Sorrowful Mystery" by Lav Diaz. Currently a mentor at Locarno Open Doors and a group leader at EAVE Ties That Bind, she is also the recipient of the 2018 Busan’s Asian Film Commissions (AFC) Network Producer of the Year and the youngest awardee of the Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) FIAPF Award for outstanding contribution to Asia Pacific cinema.

 

LATIN AMERICA

Fernanda DEL NIDO, Setembro Cine, Spain

She was born in Buenos Aires and develops her professional career in Spain. Member of EAVE, she has been in the profession for almost twenty years producing and fostering Iberoamerican talents. Among her productions are: the Oscar winner Best Foreign Film "A Fantastic Woman" by Sebastián Lelio, "Rosa's Wedding" by Iciar Bollain (2020), “Princesita" by Marialy Rivas, “Neruda" by Pablo Larraín, "18 comidas" by Jorge Coira, "Tralas Luces" by Sandra Sánchez and "Cold Water of the Sea" by Paz Fábrega.

 

EUROPE

AUSTRIA

Michael KITZBERGER, NGF Geyrhalterfilm

Michael Kitzberger graduated in history, philosophy and film theory and worked as journalist and researcher. In 2003 he founded NGF Geyrhalterfilm in Vienna together with Nikolaus Geyrhalter, Markus Glaser and Wolfgang Widerhofer. An EAVE alumni of 2006, he has produced and coproduced more than 30 feature documentaries, 30 TV docs, 5 feature fiction films and 3 TV doc series (with several seasons) so far. NGF documentaries (OUR DAILY BREAD, HOMO SAPIENS, EARTH, MASTER OF THE UNIVERSE, THE VISIT, …) have been shown in festivals all over the world (Sundance competition, IDFA competition, Berlinale Forum, …) and won numerous awards (a.o. European Film Award, Millenium Award, Grimme Award). Feature fiction films (THE ROBBER, MICHAEL, MADEMOISELLE PARADIS …) have been premiered in Berlinale, Cannes, San Sebastian and Toronto competitions and sold worldwide.

 

DENMARK

Marie SCHMIDT OLESEN, Northern Souls / Autonomi Ltd.

Marie Schmidt Olesen is a creative producer and film consultant working internationally between Scotland and Denmark. An EAVE graduate, Marie is currently developing the feature THE MAN ON THE BEACH, in production with the documentary BALLOON WARS and the cross media hybrid LEGACY OF AN INVISIBLE BULLET as well as collaborating with independent films, organisations and schemes.

 

FINLAND

Elli TOIVONIEMI, Tuffi Films

Elli Toivoniemi is an award-winning producer-director from production company Tuffi Films based in Helsinki, Finland. She has been working as a producer since 2009 and has produced and co-produced films and series in all forms and lengths, including six feature films. Toivoniemi is an EAVE & ACE producer graduate, and is a co-founder-owner of the production company Tuffi Films, and behind acclaimed films like the Academy Award nominated short fiction Do I Have to Take Care of Everything? (2014). Films produced by her have been distributed all over the world and awarded at festivals for instance at Sundance (The Date 2013) and Chicago (The Good Son, 2011), one of the latest productions, Stupid Young Heart (2018) is Berlinale Crystal Bear Winner and Finland’s official Oscar Entry 2019. The newest project she is behind is anthology series Force of Habit, exploring how women are discriminated against because of their gender in public and private life. This all-female production covers 11 episodes and a single feature film by fifteen writers and directors, including herself.

Currently she is working as a producer on live action fantasy family feature film Sihja (2021) as well as the second season of Carpe Fucking Diem TV-serie.

 

NETHERLANDS

Frank HOEVE, BALDR Film

Frank Hoeve is producer and co-owner of Amsterdam-based BALDR Film.

He (co-)produced several award-winning films that were selected to A-Festivals around the world such as Window Boy would also like to have a Submarine by Alex Piperno (Berlinale Forum 2020) and Sick, Sick, Sick, Sick, Sick by Alice Furtado (Cannes Directors Fortnight 2019, KVIFF), Gold by Rogier Hesp (IFFR 2020), Etgar Keret:based on a true Story by Stephane Kaas(International EMMY Award) and Those who feel the fire burning by Morgan Knibbe (IDFA).  

Frank graduated from the Haarlem Business School with a Bachelor of Economics and studied at the Pompeu Farba University in Barcelona.

Besides his producer work he has been vice-president of the New Filmmakers Association, board member for the Go Short International Film Festival and is currently member of the Supervisory Board of Movies that Matter Film Festival.

He has participated in both ACE and EAVE Producer Workshops.

Frank was selected as Producer on the Move during the Cannes Film Festival 2018.

 

IRELAND

Katie HOLLY, Blinder Films

Katie Holly is co-owner and Managing Director of Blinder Films, where she has produced several award winning and critically acclaimed features including One Hundred Mornings (2009), Sensation (2010), Citadel (2012) and The Pervert’s Guide to Ideology (2012) which have screened at festivals including Sundance, Berlinale, Tribeca, SXSW, Toronto, London, Rotterdam, Karlovy Vary and Sydney. Her most recent projects include Come To Daddy (2019); Extra Ordinary (2019); A Dog Called Money (2019); Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami (2017); Vita & Virginia (2018); TV drama Striking Out; Whit Stillman’s Love & Friendship (2016 and The Queen of Ireland (2015). She is currently in post-production on French Exit, an Irish/Canadian co-production directed by Azazel Jacobs and starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Lucas Hedges; and has recently completed The Racer, directed by Kieron J. Walsh, starring Louis Talpe, Tara Lee, and Iain Glen which was due to premiere at SXSW 2020. She is a graduate of EAVE, Inside Pictures, was a former Producer on the Move at Cannes, and is a board member of the Screen Ireland and Irish Film Institute and former co-Chair and a founding member of Women in Film and Television Ireland.  She is a member of the Irish Film and Television Academy, BAFTA, BIFA and the European Film Academy; and also founder and co-creative director of X-Pollinator, a cross-disciplinary training and networking initiative for female creative talent.  

 

ITALY

Alessandro GROPPLERO, Fondo Audiovisivo FVG

Alessandro Gropplero graduated in Communication Studies at the Trieste University, he started his working experience in 2003 with the Italian production company PIDGIN; later he moved on to collaborate at the London based company NUMBER 9 FILMS and in 2005 he returned to Italy and started working for the UDINE FAR EAST FILM FESTIVAL.

Since May 2007 he is the head of international relations of the FVG AUDIOVISUAL FUND and in this capacity he has planned the international policy of the fund and managed a variety of initiatives, such as “WHEN EAST MEETS WEST Co-production Forum”, “TIES THAT BIND Asia Europe Producers Workshop” (both supported by the Creative Europe Programme) and RE-ACT Co-development Fund”.

He is an EAVE graduate, board member of EURODOC, and member of the EUROPEAN FILM ACADEMY.

 

LUXEMBOURG

Bernard MICHAUX, Samsa Film

Bernard, born and raised in Luxembourg, has studied film production at the University of Television and Film Munich. In 2006 he founded Lucil Film, that merged in 2015 with Samsa Film. Bernard Michaux is a EAVE and ACE Graduate and a member of the European Film Academy. He has produced several award-winning international production like “Tel Aviv On Fire” by Sameh Zoabi or "Collective" by Alexander Nanau.

SERBIA

Milan STOJANOVIC, Sense Production

Milan Stojanovic produced BARBARIANS (2014, KVIFF) by Ivan Ikic and co-produced HER JOB (2018, TIFF) by Nikos Labot and MALMKROG (2020, Golden Bear Plaque, Berlinale) by Cristi Puiu. Milan is an EAVE alumni and a member of the European Film Academy. Together with Maja Popovic and Marija STojanovic, he runs Belgrade-based Sense Production.

 

SLOVAKIA

Katarina KRNÁČOVÁ, Silverart

Katarína Krnáčová is an EAVE graduate and Producers on the Move participant, Vice-President of the Slovak Film and Television Academy and a voting member of European Film Academy. She produced LITTLE HARBOUR, the Crystal Bear-winner at Berlinale, and is currently producing BUNKER, the upcoming film of director György Kristóf (previous film premiered at Cannes' Un Certain Regard) and a debut feature FLOOD by Martin Gonda (short film premiered at Cannes’ Cinéfondation). Next to children family film SUMMER REBELS, Silverart‘s current slate includes a road-movie STAND UP (the first Slovak film shot green), a Czech co-production SAVING THE ONE WHO WAS DEAD directed by Václav Kadrnka and Serbian co-production children film HOW I LEARNED TO FLY.

 

SWEDEN

Julia GEBAUER, Way Creative Films

German, living in Sweden, Julia has a university diploma and is an EAVE graduate (2016). She has been working in the film industry for 15 years producing feature films, documentaries and TV-series - always with an eye for the story that crosses borders. Her recent film Breaking Surface (2020) has sold to 70+ countries.

 

SWITZERLAND

Francine LUSSER, Tipi’mages Productions

Francine Lusser holds a Master's degree in economics from the University of Berne, Switzerland. Attracted by the world of cinema, she worked as location and production manager on national and international films before setting up her own company TIPI’MAGES PRODUCTIONS in Geneva. Francine is a member of the EAVE Network, of the boards of SUISSIMAGE, of the SFP (Swiss Film Producers Association), of the selective film commission of the Canton of Berne, of the board and of the producer experts group the SWISSPERFORM Foundation, and was a member of the Federal Film Commission until the end of 2019.

 

The 14 new National Representatives are joining the other players of the European film industry who have been selected from the EAVE network to represent and promote EAVE in their respective countries.

 

Find the complete list of the 38 EAVE ambassadors on our website.

 

 

Page published 30 July 2020. Updated 13 August 2020.