The 10th edition of German - Turkish Co-production Development Fund supports 3 new film projects

The German-Turkish Co-Production Development Fund, established by the Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, the Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein and the Istanbul Film Festival - Meetings on the Bridge with the support of the Republic of Turkey's Ministry of Tourism and Culture, has selected the following projects in the 2020 selection session.

The fund has supported German-Turkish co-productions with 873,500 Euros until now.

The selection committee consists of representatives from the three institutions. 3 out of the 12 submitted projects were awarded with a total amount of 40.000 Euro.

The full list of funded projects:

• Melisa Önel – Suddenly - 10.000 EURO
  Co-producers: Alara Hamamcıoğlu- Vigo Film Yapımcılık, Anette Unger- Leitwolf Filmproduktion
• Tolga Karaçelik- The Shallow Tale of A Writer Who Decided to Write About A Serial Killer- 15.000 EURO
  Co-producers: Diloy Gülün- Karaçelik Film, Jan Krüger – Port Au Prince Film
• Ziya Demirel- Two Eyeds- 15.000 EURO
  Co-producers: Annamaria Aslanoğlu – İSTOS Film, Linus Günther- Klinker Film

The Medienboard, the Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein Film Fund and the Istanbul Film Festival - Meetings on the Bridge established the German-Turkish Co-Production Development Fund in 2011 with the aim of strengthening and supporting the cooperation between German and Turkish filmmakers.

From among the 53 supported films, Sisters premiered in Berlinale Main Competition, Albüm (Mehmetcan Mertoğlu) premiered in Cannes Film Festival Semaine de la Critique, All of a Sudden (Aslı Özge) premiered in Berlinale Panorama, Until I Lose My Breath (Emine Emel Balcı) premiered in Berlinale Forum, Blue Bicycle (Ümit Köreken) and Come to My Voice (Hüseyin Karabey) premiered in Berlinale Generation and My Father’s Wings (Kıvanç Sezer) premiered in Karlovy Vary Film Festival Main Competition, Brothers (Ömür Atay) premiered in Karlovy Vary Film Festival Main Competition. When I’m Done Dying (Nisan Dağ), Zuhal (Nazlı Elif Durlu), Ela and Hilmi and Ali (Ziya Demirel), Geranium (Çağıl Bocutoğlu), Whitewash (Ahmet Necder Cupur) and Snow and the Bear (Selcen Ergun) are in post-production.

For your questions: onthebridge@iksv.org

Meetings on the Bridge Cinema Talks are held online this year!

Following the declaration of World Health Organisation about COVID-19 as pandemic, the international co-production, training and networking platform organised within the scope of the İstanbul Film Festival, Meetings on the Bridge (MoB) took the necessary precautions and performed its programme online on 14-17 April with the support of Anadolu Efes, taking into consideration the urgent timeline of the filmmakers attending the MoB workshops with their films and projects.

For the first time this year, cinema talks introducing the festival, market directors and representatives of funds information about the festivals and funds took place on digital platforms. Martina Bleis (Berlinale Co-Production Market), Amra Baksic Camo (Cinelink Torino Film Lab and Cinelink), Fay Breeman (Rotterdam Film Festival, Cinemart and Hubert Bals Fund), Theresa Hoefert de Turegano (Medienboard Berlin Brandenburg), Ana Souza (Sundance Film Festival) and Jarod Neece (SXSW) met the filmmakers and answered their questions online.

MoB included a drama series project and a book in the selection for the first time in Turkey.

After making a focus on book adaptations in the past years this year MoB introduced award winning author Burhan Sönmez’s novel Istanbul Istanbul to be presented by Kalem Agency.

The border between cinema and series is shifting as award winning directors are bringing high quality productions to our homes. This edition of MoB presented a drama series project, Shadow Hotel, written by Hakan Bıçakçı, Ramin Matin, Emine Yıldırım.

2020 Meetings on the Bridge announced award winners of its online 15th edition

Following the declaration of World Health Organisation about COVID-19 as pandemic, the international co-production, training and networking platform organised within the scope of the İstanbul Film Festival, Meetings on the Bridge (MoB) took the necessary precautions and performed its programme online on 14-17 April with the support of Anadolu Efes, taking into consideration the urgent timeline of the filmmakers attending the MoB workshops with their films and projects.

Meetings on the Bridge is providing an opportunity for filmmakers to hold the first international presentations for their new film projects at Film Development Workshop and Neighbours Platform and films in post-production at Work in Progress. Meetings on the Bridge aims to pave the way for co-productions for cultural exchange and financial support. On the 15th edition of MoB, supported by Anadolu Efes, 17 fiction and 2 documentary projects and 7 fiction and 1 documentary films from Turkey, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Iran, Georgia, Greece, Kazakhstan and Romania are presented at the Film Development Workshop, Neighbours Platform and Work in Progress.

Meetings on the Bridge Awards were announced on 17 April at the online session with the participation the filmmakers and jury members. After the speech of Head of Meetings on the Bridge Gülin Üstün in which she thanked the Meetings on the Bridge team, supporters, award sponsors, jury member and all the participants, and video messages from director of the Istanbul Film Festival Kerem Ayan and MoB sponsors, the Film Development Workshop and Work in Progress jury members announced the awards.

>> Click here to watch the video.

Work in Progress awards

This year 8 films from Turkey and neighbouring countries attended Work In Progress. The Work in Progress jury members Cedomir Kolar (ASAP Films), Daniela Persico (Locarno Film Festival), Yohann Comte (Charades) has decided on the award winning films after watching 7 films and the meetings held with the filmmakers.

Cedomir Kolar and Yohann Comte have announced the award winning films at Work in Progress are:

30.000 TL Anadolu Efes Award was presented to the director Selman Nacar and producers Burak Çevik and Diloy Gülün of the film Between Two Dawns. Jury’s deliberation: For a film that tells the moral questions of a new generation of sons, struggling with a society that keeps them on the sidelines. For the wisdom of a simple direction and at the same time able to choose the right images and the enveloping breath of a battle that concerns us, the 30. 000 TL Anadolu Efes Award goes to Between Two Dawns.

Color Up Award was presented to the director Nazlı Elif Durlu and producer Anna Maria Aslanoğlu of the film Zuhal.  Jury’s deliberation: For its way of whispering a screaming loneliness and meowing to our ears the importance of trusting yourself, the award for Color Up Post Production Award goes to Zuhal.

Daire Creative Key Art Design Award was presented to the director Ahmet Necdet Çopur and producer Nadir Öperli of the film Whitewash.  Jury’s deliberation: For the courage to face a personal story that tells of a strong and shocking social reality, having the ability to articulate reality in an intimate and always respectful language, the Daire Creative Key Art Design Award goes to Whitewash.

The Başka Sinema Distribution and Promotion Award was presented to director Cem Özay and producer Ömür Güner of the film Forgiveness. Jury’s deliberation: To a heartbreaking work of cinema whose images are as strong as the message it conveys, served by three incredible performances. The Başka Sinema Distribution and Promotion Award goes to Forgiveness.

Following the declaration of World Health Organisation about COVID-19 as pandemic, Meetings on the Bridge took the necessary precautions and performed its program online taking into consideration the urgent timeline of the filmmakers attending the MoB workshops with their films and projects.

On the 15th anniversary Meetings on the Bridge, supported by Anadolu Efes 17 fiction and 2 documentary projects and 7 fiction and 1 documentary films from Turkey, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Iran, Georgia, Greece, Kazakhstan and Romania are presented at the Film Development Workshop, Neighbours and Work in Progress.

This year MoB is collaborating for the first time with the Turkish Radio and Television Corperation (TRT) to present the 50.000 TL TRT Special Award to a project in development.

The Film Development Workshop jury members Jamila Wenske (Achtung Panda) Nicos Panayotopoulos (Mediterranean Film Institute) Marcin Luczaj (New Europe Film), Oana Giurgiu (Libra Film), Faruk Güven (TRT) and Yael Fogiel (Les Films du Poisson) selected the award winning projects after pitchings.

The awards winners are announced by the jury members after the speech of Head of Meetings on the Bridge Gülin Üstün in which she thanked the Meetings on the Bridge team, supporters, award sponsors, jury member and all the participants and video messages from director of İstanbul Film Festival Kerem Ayan and MoB sponsors.

>> Click here to watch the video.

Film Development Workshop awards

The directors Gözde Yetişkin and Emre Sert and the producers Suzan Güverte and Şebnem Kitiş of the project Grace received the TRT Special Award of 50.000 TL. Jury’s deliberation: The story has a statement that being intoxicated with greed and fear of deceit ends up with losing the real values. On the other hand, besides the story shows us the picture of humanity who asks for more, it promises us to be moral in the end. Besides these aspects, the story’s usage of sarcasm and humorous situation contrast makes it interesting as well.

The director Ziya Demirel and the producer Annamaria Aslanoğlu of the project Two Eyeds received the Meetings on the Bridge Award of 30.000 TL. Jury’s deliberation: The meetings on the bridge award goes unanimously to the project Two Eyeds, as we were intrigued by director’s vision and his awareness of cinematic form, challenging narratives and his ability to jigsaw the puzzles of this multilayered project.

The Film Development Workshop and the Neighbours Platform projects were all eligible for the 8000 Euro CNC Award. The award was presented to Sahar Salahshoori, Bahar Shoghi, the directors and Mina Kesheveraz , the producer of the project Chronicle of a Winter: Tehran 1979. Jury’s deliberation: This project reveals an important but completely forgotten historical event. We are convinced that it can have a very strong echo today for Iranian women, women around the world, and anyone who struggle for freedom and rights.

Melodika Sound Award was presented to Ali Özkul, the director, Fırat Sezgin and Ceylan Özgün Özçelik, the producers of the project One of Those Creatures. Jury’s deliberation: We admire the team’s connection and vision to challenge a close relative on a screen, challenge a man and the raise important questions about the image, manhood and they take us on a difficult journey full of extreme physical and emotional experiences, which may need a beautiful touch of sound in order to immerse fully in this fascinating world.

The producers Alara Hamamcıoğlu and the director Melisa Önel of the project Suddenly received the GeniusPark Special Effects Award. Jury’s deliberation: Offers a very unique and strong point of view, we decided to support this project also for its strong formal ambitions.

The Mediterranean Film Institute (MFI) Script and Development Workshop Award was presented to the director Ali Vatansever and the producer Selin Vatansever and Oya Özden of the project Agony. Jury’s deliberation: For the bold exploration of a father-son's relationship and the overwhelming description of family ties being tested to the limit, as death challenges their expectations, the MFI Script Workshop Scholarship is awarded to Agony.

Se-yap Award, was presented to the director Salih Demir and producer Çekdar Erkıran for their project Treasure. Jury’s deliberation: The jury appreciated the courage to mix surreal-symbolic and realistic style and the idea of inserting the music in the narrative, not only for the illustration, but to provide meaning. All these elements setting up the promise of an original approach of cinema. But as we consider this can only be achieved with an understanding of the European market we decided that the SE-YAP Award will go for the producer of Treasure.

Transilvania Pitch Stop Award was given to the director Michael Önder and producer Jozef Amado of the project Pastoral. Jury’s deliberation: Transilvania Pitch Stop, the coproduction platform of the Transilvania International Film Festival that invites feature film projects of first and second time directors from Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Georgia, Moldova, Hungary, Greece, the Ukraine, Russia and Turkey. The event was supposed to be held 5-6 June 2020, but it might be postponed for the beginning of August, and will be organized in accordance with the restrictions existing then, which might transform it also in an on-line event. This year’s award will go for the family drama that promises comic elements Pastoral.

Postbıyık Sound Production Award, specific for the Neighbours selection was presented to the director Hussen Ibraheem and the producers Lara Abou Saifan and Tania El-Khoury, of the project Tide. Jury’s deliberation: Tide is a phenomenon, which is not limited to oceans. It can occur in any other system whenever a gravitational field that varies in time and space is present. After the tragic loss of their child the parents Zeina and Hassan are facing the impossibility of mourning in a field of gravity and a ticking clock. Like a wave of emotions the plot cought our attention because of the absurd but realistic scenario in a multi-national country and we hope that the sound post-production award in Istanbul opens the possibility for a co-production with Turkey.

Neighbours Platform awards

The Film Development Workshop and Neighbours Platform jury members Jamila Wenske (Achtung Panda), Nicos Panayotopoulos (Mediterranean Film Institute), Marcin Luczaj (New Europe Film), Oana Giurgiu (Libra Film) and Yael Fogiel (Les Films du Poisson) selected the award winning projects after pitchings.

Yael Fogiel and Jamila Wenske announced the award winning Neighbours projects.

The Film Development Workshop and the Neighbours Platform projects were all eligible for the 8000 Euro CNC Award. The award was presented to Sahar Salahshoori, Bahar Shoghi, the directors and Mina Kesheveraz , the producer of the project Chronicle of a Winter: Tehran 1979.

Postbıyık Sound Production Award, specific for the Neighbours selection was presented to the director Hussen Ibraheem and the producers Lara Abou Saifan and Tania El-Khoury, of the project Tide. Jury’s Deliberation: Tide is a phenomenon, which is not limited to oceans. It can occur in any other system whenever a gravitational field that varies in time and space is present. After the tragic loss of their child the parents Zeina and Hassan are facing the impossibility of mourning in a field of gravity and a ticking clock. Like a wave of emotions the plot cought our attention because of the absurd but realistic scenario in a multi-national country and we hope that the sound post-production award in Istanbul opens the possibility for a co-production with Turkey.

MEETINGS ON THE BRIDGE IS GOING ONLINE ON THE 15TH YEAR

WORK IN PROGRESS SELECTION IS COMPLETED!

Following the declaration of World Health Organisation about COVID-19 as pandemic and taking into consideration of the pressure on the filmmakers necessary measures were taken to perform the activities of MoB online. Film Development Workshop will hold one to one and jury meetings with international industry guests at online platforms.

Work in Progress supports feature films and documentaries in post-production stage from Turkey and its neighbouring countries. Work In Progress will take place between 14-17 April with the support of Anadolu Efes at online platforms.

The producers and directors of the selected films will make online presentations open only to film professionals (distributors, sales agents, representatives of festivals and funds, broadcasters) with the collaboration of Festival Scope. Upon watching the rough cuts of the films online, the international jury will determine to whom they will be presenting the awards.

This year 7 feature and 1 documenatry films were selected for Work In Progress.

Work In Progress Selection:

• Between Two Dawns (Director: Selman Nacar, Producers: Burak Çevik, Diloy Gülün – Kuyu Film, Karma Film)
• Ela and Hilmi & Ali (Director: Ziya Demirel, Producer: Annamaria Aslanoğlu – İstos Film)
• Foregiveness (Director: Cem Özay, Producers: Cem Özay, Ömür Güner – ABC Film)
• Ghosts (Director: Azra Deniz Okyay, Producer: Dilek Aydın – Heimatlos Films)
• Pennybank (Director: Ferit Karol , Producer: Nefes Polat – Nefes Films)
• Whitewash (Director: Ahmet Necdet Çopur, Producers: Anke Petersen, Delphine Morel, Nadir Öperli – Jyoti Films, TS Productions, Liman Film)
• Zuhal (Director: Nazlı Elif Durlu, Producer: Annamaria Aslanoğlu – İstos Film)

One film from the neighbouring countries of Turkey is selected for Work In Progress Neighbours Selection:

• Sughra and Her Sons (Director: Ilgar Nejaf, Producer: Ilgar Nejac – Buta Film) / Azerbaijan

Work In Progress Awards:

• 30.000 TL Anadolu Efes Award
• Color Up Post Production Award: Covers the color correction and online editing of the film.
• Başka Sinema Award
  The film chosen by the jury will be granted distribution through Başka Sinema, will be screened without being charged the distributor’s commission and get promotional support.
• Daire Creative Key Art Design Award
  This award covers the special photoshoot, in case of necessity, concerning the keyart design Project.

NEIGHBOURS PLATFORM SELECTION IS COMPLETE!

Following the declaration of World Health Organisation about COVID-19 as pandemic and taking into consideration of the pressure on the filmmakers necessary measures were taken to perform the activities of MoB online. Film Development Workshop will hold one to one and jury meetings with international industry guests at online platforms.

Meetings on the Bridge has launched Neighbours Platform in 2015 in order to initiate new collaborations and enhance communication between filmmakers from Turkey and its neighbouring countries. Selected through methods of scouting and interviewing from the neighbouring countries, the filmmakers make the presentation of their projects to the international producers, financiers and buyers after the intensive two days pitching training.

24 feature film projects from 7 countries have participated at the Neighbours Platform and amongst them Entwined (Minos Nikolakakis), Smuggling Hendrix (Marios Piperides- Cyprus), Ava (Sadaf Foroughi- Iran), Neighbours (Grigol Abashidze- Georgia), Radiogram (Rouzie Hassanova- Bulgaria) and My Favorite Fabric (Gaya Jiji- Syria) have made their premieres at major festivals including Cannes, Toronto, Tribeca, Sofia and Dubai.

The filmmakers selected for Neighbours Platform will digitally present their projects to the international jury and have online one to one meetings.

Selected projects for Neighbours:

• A Pair of Leather Clogs (Director: Olga Korotko, Producer: Etienne de Ricaud - Caracteres Productions) / Khazakhstan
• Chronicle of a Winter: Tehran 1979 (Director: Sahar Salahshoori, Bahar Shoghi Producers: Mina Kesheveraz ) / Iran
• Grey Skies (Director: Konstantine Kalandadze, Producers: Gary Crenner, Elene Margvelashvili – Chezville , Paraschute Films ) / Georgia
• Jeux Sans Frontieres (Director: Andrei Cretulescu, Producer: Cristian Nicolescu – Digital Cube) / Romania
• Maad (Director: Hussen Ibraheem Producer: Tania El-Khoury , Lara Abou Saifan – Placeless Films) / Lebanon
• Pearl Tears (Director: Levon Minasian , Producer: Ani Vorskanyan, Robert Guediguian, Marc Bordure – anEva Production, Agat Films) / Armenia
• Woof (Director: Yorgos Teltzidis)
• You Look Like Your Father ( Director: Levan Lomjaria, Producers: Vaku Kirkitadze – Georgian Film Cluster) / Georgia

Neighbours Platform Awards are:

• 8000 EURO CNC Award
• Postbıyık Sound Post-Production Award

The eligible countries are:

• Armenia
• Azerbeijan
• Bulgaria
• Cyprus
• Egypt
• Georgia
• Greece
• Iraq
• Iran
• Lebanon
• Romania
• Russia
• Syria
• Ukraine

2020 Meetings on the Bridge Film Development Workshop will be online!

Following the declaration of World Health Organisation about COVID-19 as pandemic and taking into consideration of the pressure on the filmmakers necessary measures were taken to perform the activities of MoB online. Film Development Workshop will hold one to one and jury meetings with international industry guests at online platforms.

Meetings on the Bridge (MoB) is the international co-production, training and networking platform, which will take place on 14-17 April with the support of Anadolu Efes.

MoB brings filmmakers from Turkey and its neighbouring countries together with the film professionals from Europe with the aim to initiate the first steps for future artistic and financial co-production at the Film Development, Neighbours and Work in Progress Workshops.

On the 15th edition of MoB we are introducing a new award with the contribution of Turkish Radio and Television Corperation (TRT). Film Development Workshop presents TRT Special Award amounting 50.000 TL.

This year 10 fiction and 1 documentary feature film projects are selected from among 112 applications to Meetings on the Bridge Film Development Workshop. International presentations of the projects and one to meetings will take place at online platforms between 14-17 April.

Projects selected for Film Development Workshop

• Agony (dir. Ali Vatansever, prod. Selin Vatansever, Oya Özden - Terminal Film)
• Blood and Rose (dir. Sinan Öztürk, prod. Yamaç Okur – Ay Yapım)
• Eternal Flame (dir. Emre Akay, prod. Ali özgür Baltacı – Emre Akay Films)
• Grace (dir. Emre Sert, Gözde Yetişkin prod. Suzan Güverte, Şebnem Kitiş – Ptot Film, Güverte Film, Emre & Gözde Film)
• One of Those Creatures (dir. Ali Özkul, prod. Ceylan özgün Özçelik, Fırat Sezgin – EHY Film Production, Institute of Time)
• Pastoral (dir. Michael Önder, prod. Joseph Erçelik Amado – Bluff Films)
• Peekaboo (dir. Aysim Türkmen, prod. Nesra Gürbüz – Monomit Films)
• Suddenly (dir. Melisa Önel, prod. Alara Hamamcıoğlu – Vigo Film)
• This Beautiful Night (dir. Ozan Yoleri, prod. Arda Çiltepe, Ilgın Coşar – Vigo Film)
• Treasure (dir. Salih Demir, prod. Çekdar Erkıran – Layen Film)
• Two Eyeds (dir. Ziya Demirel, prod. Anna Maria Aslanoğlu – İstos Film)

Directors and producers of the projects completed the script and production workshops between 9-13 March at Kadir Has University Communication Faculty, IKSV Nejat Eczacıbaşı Building and online platforms with trainers Signe Zeilich Jensen, Nazlı Elif Durlu, Dimitris , Anamaria Antoci and Kıvılcım Akay.

Pitching and marketing training will take place on 19-20 March.

The award winners will be selected by the international jury after the online presentations.

Awards to be presented to selected projects at the end of the workshops

• TRT Special Award – 50.000 TL
• Meetings on the Bridge Award - 30.000 TL
• CNC Award - 8000 EURO
• Melodika Sound Award
• Mediterranean Film Institute (MFI) Script Workshop Award
• GeniusPark VFX Award
• Transilvania Pitch Stop Award
• SE-YAP Award