TIES THAT BIND Workshop and Labs Kicked Off in Udine

press release

The 17th edition of the TIES THAT BIND Asia-Europe Co-Production Workshop continues with its second workshop (April 26–30, 2026) in Udine.

Guided by group leaders Bradley Liew (Epicmedia Productions, PH) and Jonas Weydemann (Weydemann Bros., DE), participants continue developing their projects, companies, and careers in group work sessions.

The programme features two co-production case studies, moderated by TTB Head of Studies Christophe Bruncher, and presented in collaboration with FOCUS ASIA, the industry section of the Udine Far East Film Festival:

FOUR SEASONS IN JAVA, produced by Ifa Isfansyah (Forka Films, ID) and directed by Kamila Andini
FILIPIÑANA, by TTB alumni Bradley Liew and Jeremy Chua (Singapore International Film Festival, SG), directed by Rafael Manuel, and premiered at Sundance 2026

Participants also engage in a series of industry sessions, including The Vertical Factor, moderated by Roger Garcia with speakers such as Pengnan Hu, Bryce Tsao, Katy Kim, Kunlin Wang, and LeeYein Teng, alongside discussions on European and Asian distribution strategies in partnership with Europa International and Europa Distribution, and Mind the Gap, presented by Patrick Frater.

Participants also receive expert feedback on the distribution potential of their projects from leading European and Asian distributors, including Bruce D. Lee, Stephan Holl, Vincent Quek, Albert Yao, Monica Felea, and Florestan La Torre, as well as sales agents such as Valeska Neu, Marta Ravani, and Cinthya Calderón.

The programme offers tailored individual consultations, covering script development (Clare Downs), pitching and communication training (Sibylle Kurz), and career, company, and project guidance (Christophe Bruncher). Participants further benefit from insights into Europe–Asia co-production opportunities through exchanges with TTB alumni, including Alemberg Ang, Diana Paroiu, Flavia Oertwig, and Martin Horyna.

Alongside the workshop, Udine hosts two complementary programmes:

Distribution Lab, welcoming 15 European and Asian distributors for case studies, group work, and screenings, focused on cross-market release strategies
Sales Lab, bringing together over 10 European sales agents to explore the circulation of European films in Asia

Both Labs are organised in collaboration with Europa Distribution, Europa International, and FOCUS ASIA, and connect with the workshop through joint plenary sessions, fostering exchange across a wide international industry network.

We are happy to announce that TIES THAT BIND project TITANIC OCEAN by Konstantina Kotzamani - a story about identity, desire, and transformation -, developed at the 2019 edition of the workshop, was selected for Un Certain Regard at the Cannes Film Festival this year! We congratulate the producers: EAVE and TTB graduates Maria Drandaki, Radu Stancu (Romanian National Coordinator), EAVE graduates Luisa Romeo, Nina Frese, and executive producer: EAVE graduate Amy Gardner.

TIES THAT BIND is organised by the Friuli Venezia Giulia Audiovisual Fund, EAVE, the Udine Far East Film Festival, and the Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA), with the support of the Creative Europe – MEDIA programme of the European Union.

For more information, please contact:

EAVE Project Manager - Tanika Sajatovic: tanika@eave.org

www.eave.org, www.tiesthatbind.eu