Rome 2015

Project development workshop for Italian producers and writers/directors

ROME, September 29 – October 2, 2015

EAVE ON DEMAND project development workshop in Rome

MIA – INTERNATIONAL AUDIOVISUAL MARKET, together with EAVE in partnership with ANICA announce a call for applications for developing Italian film projects and scripts.  

Organised by MIA and EAVE, the EAVE ON DEMAND in Rome will consist of one four day workshop and online sessions taking place in Rome from September 29th  – October 2nd, 2015. 

Training Methodology 

The workshops will consist in a four day workshop consisting of a mix of group work, plenary sessions and individual meetings, followed by online feedback via SKYPE. 

Group work: The 5 participating producers (plus their writers/-directors) form one group. This group is led by an experienced producer/production tutor and much of the work during the workshops takes place within the group. Experts are present during the group work to discuss and analyse the projects from particular perspectives – e.g. financial, sales, script. During the workshop within the group the participants get to know each other and the projects extremely well and these relationships invariably continue into the future beyond the workshop. 

One to one meetings and consultations between the script expert and participant-producer and writer/author/director are one of the cornerstones of the workshop; one to one sessions in order to develop a sales strategy of the respective projects. Each of the attending experts will be available for individual meetings. 

Online feedback: For the selected 5 projects, there will be a feedback session via SKYPE for the script and production consultant to comment on the assignments done after the workshop and the progress made. 

Language

The working language of the workshop is English. At least one member of the writer-producer teams should be fluent in English.   

Target Group 

Italian feature film producers and their writers with  a full-length feature film project (for theatrical release) in the development stage. To be eligible, projects must have a budget under 1M euros with a main Italian producer already attached. 

Experts of the Training 

• Script Consultant: Jacques Akchoti (France)
• Head of Studies/Production Tutor: Danijel Hocevar (Slovenia)
• Sales / international market: Didar Domehri (France) 

EXPERTS PROFILES:

Production tutor: EAVE group leader Danijel Hocevar – Emotion Film (SI)

Born in 1965. Managing director of Vertigo, a Ljubljana (Slovenia)-based  production company with a distinctive track record, is a film producer with extensive working experience on international co-productions  and narrow budget films. Since 1987, when he started his professional carrier as producer, Danijel has produced or co- produced more than 40 feature films, as well as more than 10 documentaries  and 50 short films and TV production, among which the most well-known are An Episode in the Life of the Iron Picker by Danis Tanovi? (Berlinale 2013: 2 Silver Bears, Shortlisted for Foreign language Oscar); Circles by Srdan Golubovi? (Sundance 2013: Special Jury Award, Berlinale 2013: Ecumenical Prize); Woman who brushed off her tears by Teona Mitevska (Berlin IFF Panorama  Special 2012), Alexandrians by Metod Pevec ('feature doc, Trieste FF 2012 Best documentary award), Slovenian Girl Girl by Damjan Kozole (Toronto IFF 2009, Les Arcs FF: Best Actress Award, Sales in more than 40 territories); Besa / Solemn promise by Srdjan Karanovic (Moscow IFF Competition 2010, Trieste FF 2011 - Grand Prix), The world is big and salvation lurks around the corner by Stephan Komandarev (Moscow IFF Gala 2008, Shortlisted for Foreign language Oscar), Borderpost by Rajko Grli? (San Sebastian IFF Competition 2006), Beneath Her Window by Metod Pevec (Karlovy Vary IFF Competition 2003), Spare Parts by Damjan Kozole (Berlinale Competition 2003), Bread and Milk by Jan Cvitkovi? (Venice 2001: Lion of the Future)...

Danijel has been selected among Variety’s Ten Producers To Watch in 2001. He is a voting member of European FIlm Academy and since 2011 the president of the Association of Slovenian Film Producers. He is also, since 2005, actively involved with several European training initiatives such as EAVE (Group Leader between 2009-13), Nipkow Program, Midpoint Central European Script Center and Maia Workshops. He is also an advisor and member of the selection committee of When East Meets West project market since 2012.

Script consultant: EAVE expert Jacques Akchoti (FR)

After his studies at the NYU film school, Jacques Akchoti has worked in different areas of film production with directors such as R.Bresson, JJ. Beineix, L. Von Trier. He then became a screenwriter, script consultant, and headed the development of many French and international films for cinema and television, which obtained selections and awards at major film festivals.Most recently, “A Screaming Man” by Haroun Mahamat Saleh, recipient of many awards, notably the Jury Prize at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival.He has directed a feature film for television and written several screenplays. One of his latest script, “Don’t Look back”, a film by Marina De Van featuring Sophie Marceau and Monica Bellucci was part of the Official Selection of the 2009 Cannes Film Festival.Jacques has been teaching writing and directing at the Femis (National French Filmschool) since 1988 and has facilitated many international screenwriting and development workshops, among which EAVE, Sud Ecriture, DV8 films, Vision Cinema, Ekran, Interchange, Jerusalem Film Lab, etc. 

Market consultant: EAVE expert Didar Domehri, Maneki Films / FULL HOUSE (FR)

Didar Domehri, French producer and former sales agent at FILMS DISTRIBUTION has created the Paris-based production company Maneki Films in 2009. Some recent titles produced by Didar are PAULINA, RETURN TO ITHAKA, BROTHERHOOD OF TEARS and ELEFANTE BLANCO. Didar is a member of Aides au Cinéma du Monde and teaches at the a Masters in Cinema at the University Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne and at the French film School ESRA.

Application Documents

Applicants must submit the following application documents:

1. synopsis (1000 word limit.)

2. bio-filmography of the writer and director of the project (500 word limit.)

3. bio-filmography of the project’s producer (500 word limit.)

4. producer’s and writer's statement (1000 word limit.): a description of the vision for the material, giving the sense of where the director is in the creative process and the producer in building the package. (Here’s an example of the type of information needed: What do you want an audience to take away from your film? How do you envision the realisation of this script in terms of story, character, tone, and/or visual style? Is there a budget level you have in mind, and who is the audience you most want to reach? Why should they be passionate about this story?)

5. motivation letter (750 word limit.): an introduction of the project. There are no strict requirements for this letter, but we’d like to get a brief idea of who the applicant is, what the project is about, and how the applicant thinks the workshop process could be helpful to him/her.

6. (where applicable) previous work(s) by the director of the project (short/long - feature/documentary films) in the original language with English subtitles; such materials should be made available online on streaming platform (such as Vimeo) or sent through a filesharing system (such as Wetransfer).

7. treatment (max. 15 pages) 

Scripts (if available) are to be sent only on request. 

All documents except for pictures must be submitted in one file (Word format) in the English language.

Incomplete applications will not be considered. 

Selection  

Projects should be at least at treatment stage, with a potential of international theatrical release.

The selection will be done by EAVE. A maximum of 5 projects in development will be selected in order to be developed further through this workshop. The names of the training participants will be known by the 15th of September 2015.                                                

Deadline for Submissions 

The deadline for submitting applications is: 28th August 2015.  

Applications must be submitted to Al Williams a.williams@miamarket.it. Please indicate “EAVE ON DEMAND” in the subject line of the e-mail.  

Page last updated 13 August 2015