The ESP Coproduction Forum concludes another successful edition
Photo by Gwendal Le Flem
The 17th European Short Pitch Coproduction Forum was a resounding success, boasting an impressive turnout and a range of engaging pitches. This year's event saw the participation of over one hundred professionals from the industry, marking it as the third hybrid edition, incorporating both physical attendance as part of the Festival Travelling and virtual participation through the ESP online platform and had around 300 meetings. The Forum commenced with the Pitching and Q&A Live Event on February 26th, leading to three days of intensive networking and 1:1 meetings between ESP participants and industry guests. The latter part of the Forum fully transitioned to ESP's digital platform, offering panel discussions on key topics like financing and finding your audience, signifying a forward-looking direction for ESP attendees.
Throughout the journey from the Development Workshop in November 2023 to the Coproduction Forum, ESP was bolstered by a dedicated cadre of industry professionals. These experts lent their knowledge and guidance at various stages of the programme and played pivotal roles in nurturing the selected projects with their insights and expertise. This year, ESP was honoured to be able to include: Erica Barbiani (script), Anna Ciennik (script), Mikko Myllylahti (script), Jennifer Sabbah-Immagine (production), Cǎtalin Cristuțiu (editing), Wim Vanacker (pitching), and Flavio Armone (distribution).
Under the adept guidance of Julie Marnay (Head of Programme) and Olga Lamontanara (Head of Coproduction Forum), the initiative reinforced its mission to foster emerging European talent, featuring an eclectic mix of film formats including experimental, live-action, documentary, and animation spanning a vast geographical and thematic spectrum. A significant portion of these projects boasted female directors or co-writers at their helm, highlighting ESP's commitment to promoting gender diversity within the film industry.
Supported by the Creative Europe MEDIA Programme of the European Union and by the Région Bretagne, the ESP initiative's blend of mentorship, development workshops, and a hybrid networking forum underscored its essential role in nurturing the next wave of European filmmaking talent, setting a dynamic stage for the evolution of the continent's cinematic landscape.
Projects in development:
Bitch by Nadia Parfan, produced by Phalanstery Films / Margaryta Kulichova - Ukraine / Portugal
Bus Station by Vlad Petri, produced by Manifest Film / Monica Lăzurean-Gorgan & Elena Martin - Romania
Chained by Sara Klimoska, produced by Unita Film / Vardan Tozija - North Macedonia / Serbia
Dancing Pigeons by Christofer Nilsson, produced by Råttunge Produktion / Annegret Kunath - Sweden / France
Hole by Danilo Stanimirović, produced by Inkubator Rezon / Nikola Spasić - Serbia
Joy by Agata Wieczorek, produced by Futur Antérieur Production / Aymeric Isnard - France / Poland
Night Shift by Ívar Erik Yeoman, writer: Stella Carneiro, produced by Skýlið / Bia Tafner - Iceland / Portugal
Push by Sven Spur, co-writer: Fran Demeulemeester, produced by Animal Tank / Brecht Van Elslande - Belgium
Tears of Stardust by Vilma Razmutė, produced by Akis Bado / Giedrė Burokaitė - Lithuania
The Figure’s Fall by Mathilde Supe, produced by La Cellule Productions / Soyo Giaoui - France (Focus Brittany)
They Made You Into a Weapon and Told You to Find Peace by Roxana Stroe, produced by Mosaïc Pictures / Louis Jousselme - United Kingdom / France / Romania
Tropic of the Mourning Gecko by Stavros Markoulakis, produced by Atalante Productions / Ioanna Bolomyti - Greece
Works in progress:
Duty Free by Hilke Rönnfeldt, produced by Heimathafen Film / Virginia Martin - Germany / Sweden / Denmark
Masterpiece Mommy by Dorothy Sing Zhang, produced by Iconoclast Films / Lily Ashton - United Kingdom / China
Spot by Sara Alavanić, produced by Academy of Dramatic Art in Zagreb / Lucija Perić & Roza Medvešek - Croatia
The Veil of Senses by Elisa Baccolo, produced by Sayonara Film / Olga Torrico (Focus Switzerland) - Switzerland / Italy
Read more about each project and the respective creative team via our Book of Projects, which can be downloaded here. European Short Pitch congratulates all of the participants on their powerful pitches and looks forward to seeing which potential collaborations will be born off the back of this year’s edition!
ESP 2023|24 Awards
The Jury comprising Ana David, (Portugal / Germany, Batalha Centro de Cinema / Berlinale Panorama), Thomas Guentch (France, Blue Hour Films) and Triin Tramberg (Estonia, PÖFF Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival / Punch Drunk Films) awarded the:
European Short Pitch Award, granted by Région Bretagne, consisting of a € 3.000 development grant to The Figure’s Fall by Mathilde Supe.
“For its ambitious vision of storytelling and daring formal approach, paired with a desire to offer a counter perspective to the dominance of the male gaze.”
The Jury also announced a Special Mention to Tropic of the Mourning Gecko by Stavros Markoulakis.
“We really felt attracted to a very evocative project with a clear vision of how to tell a story, and feel compelled to highlight it by giving a special mention to 'Tropic of a Mourning Gecko'.”
Three additional prizes were also awarded at the Coproduction Forum:
Chained by Sara Klimoska, was presented with the Music & Cinema Award, granted by Music & Cinema - Festival International du Film à Marseille
Bus Station by Vlad Petri, was presented with the Distribution Award, granted by Radiator IP Sales
Duty Free by Hilke Rönnfeldt, was presented with the Mastering-in-kind Award, granted by The Pack
The Coproduction Forum also included dynamic panel discussions:
ESP 2023|24 Coproduction Forum Speakers:
Short Films Meeting Their Audience - How to Navigate the Festival Circuit:
Carla Vulpiani (Short Film Advisor - Venice Film Festival); Juliette Canon (In Charge of Short Films - Film Department - Semaine de la Critique, Cannes); Emilie Poirier (Head of Short Films - Festival du Nouveau Cinéma, Montreal); Niv Fux (Festival Director - Leiden Shorts)
Financing Opportunities for Short Film Minority Coproduction in Europe:
Speakers: Céline Lanfranco (Project Manager - French MEDIA Desk Relais Culture Europe); Axel Petersén (Short Film Commissioner - Swedish Film Institute); Martina Petrovic (Head of Creative Europe MEDIA Desk Croatia); Claire Rattier-Hamilton (Creative Industries and Cinematographic Mission Manager - Région Bretagne)
Short Films Meeting Their Audience - The Streaming Platform Experience:
Speakers: Céline Roustan (Senior Programmer & Industry Relations Manager - Short of the Week); Eva Krenner (Project Coordinator - This Is Short); Alessandro Raja (CEO & Co-Founder - Festival Scope/Festival Scope Pro)
With thanks once again to the partners and collaborators of ESP 2023|24: Creative Europe MEDIA, Région Bretagne, Institut Français, Rennes Villes et Métropole, Festival Travelling, Internationale Kurzfilmtage Winterthur, Procirep, b.square, Films en Bretagne, Festival International Music & Cinema - Marseille , RADIATOR IP Sales, The Pack, Pustnik Screenwriting Residency, Festival Scope Pro, Short Film Corner / Rendez-vous Industry.