EAVE Producers Workshop 2025: the second week kicks off in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain

press release

Vitoria-Gasteiz in Basque Country is the unique location of the second session of the EAVE Producers Workshop 2025 from June 23 - 30, bringing together 56 participants from 38 countries and 8 scriptwriters with a selection of 20 top industry experts.

Participants will dive deep into script analysis, development, production financing, legal aspects of co-production, marketing, pitching, packaging and more during the second week of the year-long training programme.

The second workshop will take place in Europa Congress Palace, and it will be an Erronka Garbia certified green event. This certificate acknowledges the commitment to the environment and adherence to the principles guiding this initiative: taking action, measuring, and reporting, along with efforts concerning mobility, energy, water, waste, procurement, and infrastructure. EAVE is strongly committed to host workshops in partnership with ecologically responsible companies.

Spotlight on the Basque Country

The possibilities of Producing with the Basque Country will be presented in a special session by Ione Feijóo (Basque Audiovisual) and audiovisual and entertainment lawyer Silvia Ruiz Moruno. The session will be opened by welcome words by Ibone Bengoetxea (Basque Government, Department of Language Policy and Culture), María Nanclares (Department of Economic Promotion, Employment, Trade, and Tourism of Vitoria-Gasteiz), and Saray Zárate (Provincial Council of Álava).

EAVE offers specialized tailor-made training to the local industry. We welcome 6 producers from around the Basque Country (see complete list below) who will join the EAVE group for two intensive days of group work and script consultancies on their own projects, as well as plenary sessions and networking with the EAVE participants.

In addition, further local producers are invited to join the open plenary sessions of the week.

Workshop Highlights

Balancing Co-productions by EAVE Finance expert Jennifer Sabbah-Immagine (Scale & Scope, FR) and EAVE participant Amil Shivji (Kijiweni Productions, TZ)
Producing for Tomorrow – IP and Impact Producing by EAVE graduate Mathivanan Rajendran (Stray Factory, IN)
Making the Impossible Possible (in co-production financing) – case studies by EAVE Company management expert Sophie Erbs (Gaijin, FR) and EAVE Finance expert Jennifer Sabbah-Immagine (Scale & Scope, FR)
The Human Factor – Navigating Creative Relationships by EAVE graduate Konstantin Kontovrakis (GR)
session for scriptwriters: Producers and Writers – a Love-Hate Relationship? by EAVE script consultant Arash T. Riahi (Golden Girls Filmproduktion, AT)

Round Tables Sessions: An opportunity to share and discuss topics like industry building, new narratives, company constellations and the future of funding.

Special for Career Participants: Participants focusing on career development will discuss their companies and career trajectories in group sessions led by Petri Kemppinen (Good Hand Film & TV, FI).

Other regular sessions include Digital Marketing by EAVE Marketing Expert Espinar Gabriel (The Film Agency, ES), Legal Aspects of Co-production by EAVE Legal Expert Pierre-Emmanuel Mouthuy (Mouthuy Avocats, BE) and Lobbying Strategies by EAVE Group Leader Didar Domehri (Maneki Films, France), EAVE Head of Studies Lise Lense-Møller (Magic Hour Films, DK) and EAVE Group Leader Joanna Szymanska (Shipsboy, PL).

The EAVE 2025 core pedagogical team present at workshop 2 consists of EAVE Head of Studies Lise Lense-Møller (Magic Hour Films, DK), the four group leaders Didar Domehri (Maneki Films, France), Ankica Jurić Tilić (Kinorama, HR), Michael Kitzberger (NGF Geyrhalterfilm, AT) and Joanna Szymanska (Shipsboy, PL); the script consultants Jacques Akchoti (FR), Nayeem Mahbub (EE), Géraldine Ohana (FR) and Arash T. Riahi (Golden Girls, AT); documentary expert Sylvia Stevens (Faction Films, UK); pitching expert Sibylle Kurz (DE); marketing expert Espinar Gabriel (The Film Agency, ES); legal expert Pierre-Emmanuel Mouthuy (Mouthuy Avocats, BE); finance expert Jennifer Sabbah-Immagine (Scale & Scope, FR) ; company management expert Sophie Erbs (Gaijin, FR) and CP minigroup leader Petri Kemppinen (Good Hand Film & TV, FI).

The group of the Basque participants will have Oliver Neumann (FreibeuterFilm, AT) as their Group Leader and Esther Springer (UK) as their script consultant.

This workshop promises to be an inspiring and transformative experience for all international and Basque participants, offering a fertile ground for new collaborations and connections.

Special Thanks and Recognition

We are grateful to our partners that made this workshop possible: Basque Government, Department of Language Policy and Culture; Provincial Council of Álava; Department of Economic Promotion, Employment, Trade, and Tourism of Vitoria-Gasteiz and Basque Audiovisual.

The selected 6 Basque participants for the EAVE Producers Workshop 2025 are:

Ana Angulo, Gariza Films with project YERMA
Julen Clarke, Txintxua Films with project SPIKED BRACELET
Diego Herguera Acosta, Sultana Films with project MY DAD THE TRUCK
Kevin Iglesias Rodríguez, Amania Films with project MUGA
Carmen Lacasa, Señor y Señora with project ZURIA
Mary Alexandra Malavé Fernández, Orlok Films with project BRAMBLE

EAVE is supported by the Creative Europe - MEDIA sub-programme of the European Union, Film Fund Luxembourg, Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung, Centre National du Cinéma et de l’Image Animée, Fondo Audiovisivo Friuli Venezia Giulia, PACT – the Producers Alliance for Cinema and Television, Doha Film Institute, Telefilm Canada, SODEC, Projeto Paradiso, Film Centre of Montenegro, PROCIREP and Berlinale Co-Production Market, as well as the partners who have hosted the workshops since 1988.