Cinéfondation has unveiled the 15 feature film projects it has selected for this year’s workshop – the 15th – which will take place during the Cannes Film Festival from May 16th to 23rd. Accompanied by their producers, the directors of the projects are invited to meet potential co-producers from around the world.
The workshop has a special place within the Cannes Film Festival. Not only as a talent scout, but since its creation in 2005 it has helped 198 films. Of these, 157 have had cinema release and 27 are in pre-production. So while its mission is to bring out a new generation of film-makers, it has become a springboard for those film-makers, allowing them to access the funding necessary for quality productions.
For example, in 2010 Moroccan director Nabil Ayouch’s project for God’s Horses was selected – and since then he has made Much Loved and Razzia. In 2011 Turkish film-maker Deniz Gamze Ergüven was given help for her project The Kings, which then developed into Mustang.
This year, of the 15 films chosen, six are from Mediterranean countries: Sinjar by Anna Maria Bofarull (Spain), Broadway by Christos Massalas (Greece), Over time and distance by Yotam Ben David (Israel), Rift in the Ice by Maja Milos (Serbia), Nzeouh by Soudade Kaadan (Syria), and New Dawn Fades by Gurcan Keltek (Turkey).
Created in 1998, Cinéfondation also selects about fifteen short and medium-length films every year made by film schools around the world. It also offers residencies for foreign directors to develop a project for a first or second feature film.
Sources: https://information.tv5monde.com, https://www.artcotedazur.fr, http://ecrannoir.fr/
