NEW CO-PRODUCTION MARKET AT THE BERLINALE FESTIVAL & MARKET 2004
The Berlinale has in recent years sought to develop and revitalise the festival as a major international film event. This saw the launch of another initiative ‘the Co Production Market, which is not unlike the format of the Galway Fleadh Market or Rotterdam's Cinemart, a ‘speed dating’ encounter which permits selected producers to pitch projects to a wide variety of international financiers.This year the Berlinale was attended by BSÉ/IFB CEO Mark Woods, Head of Production & Development Brendan McCarthy and Head of Marketing Moira Horgan who met with a wide variety of sales agents, distributors, festivals, financiers and state funders.
The objectives of BSÉ/IFB in attending the festival were to support Irish producers meeting international film community, seeking finance and co-producers; also to gain market intelligence and to strengthen existing relationships with the international industry.
BSÉ/IFB part-financed scripts were brought to the attention of sales agents as were completed BSÉ/IFB films without sales agents. Meetings included: Celluloid Dreams, Zentropa, Highpoint Films, Beyond, Fortissimo, Australian Film Commission, Hopscotch, Dendy, Flach Pyramide, Berlin-Brandenberg Film Fund, Hamburg Film Fund, ACE, Non-Stop, UK Film Council, Scottish Screen, Eurimages, European Film Agency Directors (EFAD), Trust, Lightning, Archlight, North by Northwest, Pathe, Renaissance, Bavaria Films, Media Luna, Sundance, Tribeca Film Festival, Locarno, The Works, European Film Promotion, Rialto and Momentum.
These meetings have already generated follow-up from a variety of sales agents.
Adding to Berlinale’s International competition, Panorama, Forum and Kinder festival categories has come Shooting Stars a pan European event to celebrate European actors in Films and the exciting new talent campus. Andrew Scott, who starred in Distinguished Features DEAD BODIES, was the Irish Shooting Star this year. In addition, due to her role in the latest Ken Loach film, Eva Birthistle was chosen as the UK Shooting Star. DEAD BODIES also screened at the Berlin market along with TIMBUKTU directed by Alan Gilsenan and David Gleeson’s COWBOYS & ANGELS.