HBF Plus links Dutch co-producers to Adrián Biniez and Martín Rejtman

International Film Festival Rotterdam / The Netherlands Film Fund

PRESS RELEASE 16 May 2012

HBF Plus links Dutch co-producers to Adrián Biniez and Martín Rejtman

Dutch companies Topkapi Films and Waterland Film have been selected for Hubert Bals Fund Plus. Each receives a grant of 50,000 Euro from The Netherlands Film Fund for co-producing a Hubert Bals Fund-supported film. Topkapi co-produces Adrián Biniez’ THE MIDFIELDER (Uruguay) and Waterland co-produces Martín Rejtman’s TWO GUN SHOTS (Argentina).

Now in its seventh year, the successful HBF Plus programme of The Netherlands Film Fund and the International Film Festival Rotterdam gets Dutch producers involved in Hubert Bals Fund-supported, international co-productions. For example: Gonzalo Tobal’s VILLEGAS, now screening in Cannes’ Official Selection (Special Screenings), has been supported through HBF Plus. VILLEGAS is produced by Rei Cine (Argentina) and co-produced by NFI Productions (The Netherlands).
Four nearly completed HBF Plus selections are expected to premiere later this year: Jazmín Lopéz’ LEONES (Dutch co-producer: Viking Film/Lemming Film), Guillermo Rocamora’s SOLO (Dutch co-producer: Volya Films), Saodat Ismailova’s 40 DAYS OF SILENCE (Dutch co-producer: Volya Films) and Ana Guevara and Leticia Jorge’s TANTA AGUA (Dutch co-producer: Topkapi Films).

Adrián Biniez’ successful début feature, equally HBF Plus-supported film GIGANTE (GIANT) won three awards, including the Silver Bear, at the Berlinale 2009. His second feature film EL 5 DE TALLERES (THE MIDFIELDER) received a script development grant from the Hubert Bals Fund in 2011. That same year, the project was selected for Boost!, the new joint talent development initiative of Hubert Bals Fund, CineMart and Binger Filmlab. After taking part in the Binger On Demand programme, Biniez presented his project at CineMart 2012.
By now an international co-production of Fernando Epstein’s Mutante Cine (Uruguay), Morocha Films (Argentina), Pandora Film Produktion (Germany) and Topkapi Films (The Netherlands), THE MIDFIELDER tells about a 35-year old football captain who realizes his active sports career has come to an end. This means the end of a world he has known since he was a child. His last months as a professional force him to think about his life in a new way. Together with his wife Ale the sportsman looks for a fresh new start.

Back in 1990, the Hubert Bals Fund supported Martín Rejtman in developing and producing his début feature project RAPADO. The film screened in IFFR 1992. A few years later, Rejtman received Hubert Bals Fund support for LOS GUANTES MÁGICOS (THE MAGIC GLOVES) that was presented at CineMart 2002 and screened in IFFR 2004. His fourth feature in development, DOS DISPAROS (TWO GUN SHOTS), has again been supported by the Hubert Bals Fund.
Rejtman’s producer for TWO GUN SHOTS is Ruda Cine (Argentina) along with international co-producers Jirafa (Chile), Pandora Film Produktion (Germany), Alina Film (Switzerand), Fortuna Films (The Netherlands) and Waterland Film (The Netherlands).
In TWO GUN SHOTS, 16 year-old Mariano finds a gun in his house and, in a thoughtless impulse, shoots himself twice. But he survives. TWO GUN SHOTS is the story of how his family copes with this event.

Hubert Bals Fund Plus
Since 2006 The Netherlands Film Fund has yearly made € 200,000 available for Hubert Bals Fund Plus, set up in collaboration with the International Film Festival Rotterdam to encourage Dutch producers to get involved internationally and to support HBF-projects in their production stage.
Applications can be granted with a maximum of € 50,000 for a Hubert Bals Fund project that already received script and project development support, co-produced by a Dutch producer. The next selection round takes place October 2012.

The Hubert Bals Fund of the International Film Festival Rotterdam supports filmmakers from developing countries with contributions in the stages of script development, post-production and distribution. Annually 20 to 40 film productions are realized with the support of the Hubert Bals Fund.

Approximately half of the films realized with support of the Hubert Bals Fund are made in cooperation with European co-producers. The International Film Festival Rotterdam offers Dutch producers the opportunity to participate in international and artistically acclaimed productions through the extensive network of the Hubert Bals Fund and at the same time further support projects that were selected by the HBF.

More information:
www.filmfestivalrotterdam.com
www.filmfonds.nl

(End of press release)

Press information:
IFFR Press Office, Bert-Jan Zoet, [email protected], +31 10 8909090
The Netherlands Film Fund, Jonathan Mees, [email protected], +31 20 5707681