Rotterdam backed titles in Venice & Toronto

Rotterdam backed titles in Venice & Toronto
International Film Festival Rotterdam

PRESS RELEASE August 29, 2006

• CineLink project receives Hubert Bals Fund Award
• Rotterdam backed titles premiere in Venice and Toronto festivals
• Hubert Bals Fund receives over 300 grant applications

August 24th, the Hubert Bals Fund Award at Sarajevo Film Festival’s CineLink was awarded to the film project THE DAY WHEN THE WINTER BEGAN by Nedzad Begovic from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Venice and Toronto festivals will screen a total of 22 feature films originating from Rotterdam’s co-production market CineMart, or backed by its Hubert Bals Fund (HBF).
For the HBF Fall 2006 round, a record number of 314 new projects have applied for script development, post production and distribution grants. The results will be announced in October.

The Venice line up comprises world premieres of eight Rotterdam supported titles. Among them Venezia 63 competitor DARATT by Mahamat Saleh Haroun as well as films by other long time Rotterdam favorites Paul Leduc (EL COBRADOR) and Garin Nugroho (OPERA JAWA). A younger Rotterdam protégé, Ho Yuhang, brings RAIN DOGS to Venice. His previous feature film SANCTUARY was selected for the Tiger Awards Competition 2005. Algerian film-maker Tariq Teguia’s feature début ROMA WA LA N’TOUMA was presented as CineMart Project and also received support from the Hubert Bals Fund.

In Toronto ANTONIA by Tata Amaral and A FEW DAYS LATER by Niki Karimi, both supported by the Hubert Bals Fund, will see their world premieres. Among the eighteen Rotterdam backed titles selected for Toronto are Tiger Award 2006 winner THE DOG POUND by Manuel Nieto Zas, Rotterdam 2006 discovery GLUE by Alexis Dos Santos, Golden Bear 2006 winner GRBAVICA by Jasmila Zbanic and Cannes 2006 selections CLIMATES by Nuri Bilge Ceylan and HAMACA PARAGUAYA by Paz Encina. From the seven films in the New Crowned Hope project three were supported by CineMart (DARATT and HAMACA PARAGUAYA) and the Hubert Bals Fund (OPERA JAWA).
(See full list of Rotterdam titles in Venice and Toronto below)

While these Hubert Bals Fund and CineMart backed films continue their succesful international careers, 314 new applications for HBF grants were send to Rotterdam. At CineLink, the Sarajevo co-production market modelled after CineMart, the Hubert Bals Award for Best Project of Euro 10,000 went to THE DAY THE WINTER BEGAN, written and to be directed by Bosnian film-maker Nedzad Begovic. The CineLink Awards Jury was “impressed with the almost minimal way by which author brings to life the personage in this compelling and intimate story about hope and goodness.”

An international role model for other funding bodies, the Hubert Bals Fund of the International Film Festival Rotterdam continues to play a crucial role in supporting film-makers and film industries in developing or southern countries. The fund’s grants (for script development, post production or distribution in the country of origin) act as seal of approval, making it easier to attract additional co-producers and financiers.

Rotterdam’s CineMart remains the largest co-production market where a selection of independent film-makers and producers can launch their ideas and projects to the international film industry. CineMart was the first of its kind and has since its inception more than twenty years ago, served as example for other co-production markets worldwide, including Pusan, Mannheim, Berlin and more recently Rome. The entry deadline for CineMart 2007 is October 1, 2006.


(end of press release)

Notes to the Editor (not for publication)

Rotterdam delegation attending Toronto 2006 (Courtyard Marriott)
• Sandra den Hamer, IFFR Director
• René van der Giessen, IFFR Programme Manager
• Gerwin Tamsma, IFFR Programmer
• Marit van den Elshout, IFFR’s CineMart Coordinator
• Marnix van Wijk, IFFR Head of International PR
• Bert-Jan Zoet, IFFR Press Officer

For more information, please contact:
IFFR Press Office, Bert-Jan Zoet (in Toronto Sep 7 -13, cell +31.6.5050.8615)
Tel +31.10.890.90.90, Email press@filmfestivalrotterdam.com,
Festival website: www.filmfestivalrotterdam.com




Hubert Bals Fund supported films and/or former CineMart projects within the programme of 63rd Venice Film Festival, August 30 - September 9, 2006:

Venezia 63 - In Competition:
• DARATT by Mahamat Saleh Haroun, Chad/France 2006
CineMart Project 2005

Horizons:
• RAIN DOGS by Ho Yuhang, Malaysia/Hong Kong 2006
Hubert Bals Fund support 2004
• EL COBRADOR by Paul Leduc, Mexico 2006
CineMart Project 2002
Hubert Bals Fund support 2003
• OPERA JAWA by Garin Nugroho, Indonesia 2006
Hubert Bals Fund support 2006
• ROMA WA LA N’TOUMA – Tariq Teguia, Algeria 2006
Hubert Bals Fund support 2003 & 2005
CineMart Project 2004

Venice Days:
• WWW: WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD by Faouzi Bensaidi, France/Morocco 2006
CineMart Project 2004
• KHADAK – Peter Brosens & Jessica Woodworth, Belgium 2006
CineMart Project 2004
• MIENTRAS TANTO by Diego Lerman, Argentina 2006
Hubert Bals Fund support 2002
CineMart Project 2004

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Hubert Bals Fund supported films and/or former CineMart projects within the programme of
31st Toronto International Film Festival, September 7-16, 2006:

Contemporary World Cinema
• ANTONIA by Tata Amaral, Brazil 2006
Hubert Bals Fund support 2005
• BORN AND BRED by Pablo Trapero, Argentina 2006
CineMart Project 2006
• THE DOG POUND by Manuel Nieto Zas, Uruguay/Argentina 2006
Hubert Bals Fund support 2005 & HBF 2006
Tiger Award Competition and - winner 2006
• A FEW DAYS LATER by Niki Karimi, Iran 2006
Hubert Bals Fund support 2005
• GRBAVICA by Jasmila Zbanic, Bosnia-Hercegovina/Austria/Croatia 2006
Hubert Bals Fund support 2001
• RAIN DOGS by Ho Yuhang, Malaysia/Hong Kong 2006
Hubert Bals Fund support 2004
• SUMMER PALACE by Lou Ye, China 2006
CineMart Project 2004
• WAITER by Alex van Warmerdam, The Netherlands
CineMart Project 2005

Discovery
• GLUE by Alexis dos Santos, Argentina 2006
Hubert Bals Fund support 2004 & 2005
Tiger Awards Competition 2006

Mozart’s Visionary Cinema: New Crowned Hope
• DARATT by Mahamat Saleh Haroun, Chad/France 2006
CineMart Project 2005
• HAMACA PARAGUAYA by Paz Encina, Paraguay/France/Argentina 2006
CineMart Project 2005
• OPERA JAWA by Garin Nugroho, Indonesia 2006
Hubert Bals Fund support 2006

Vanguard
• SUBURBAN MAYHEM by Paul Goldman, Australia 2006
CineMart Project 2005

Visions
• CLIMATES by Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Turkeye 2006
Hubert Bals Fund support 2005
• DAY NIGHT DAY NIGHT by Julia Loktev, USA/Germany 2006
CineMart Project 2004
• INVISIBLE WAVES by Pen-ek Ratanaruang, Thailand 2006
CineMart Project 2004
• KHADAK by Peter Brosens & Jessica Woodworth, Belgium 2006
CineMart Project 2004
• TAXIDERMIA by Györgi Pálfi, Hungary 2006
CineMart Project 2004

(end of title list)

For more information, please contact:
IFFR Press Office, Bert-Jan Zoet (in Toronto Sep 7 -13, cell +31.6.5050.8615)
Tel +31.10.890.90.90, Email press@filmfestivalrotterdam.com,
Festival website: www.filmfestivalrotterdam.com