Berlin FIlm festival brings new Funding Nominations - artistically, structurally and geographically diverse

At the 25th jury session of the World Cinema Fund (WCF), the juries recommended contributing to the funding of eleven film projects.

 

Four film projects from Algeria, Argentina, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Israel were nominated for production funding. In the additional WCF Europe funding programme, three projects from Iraq / Lebanon, South Africa, and Tunisia were nominated for production funding. In the special programme WCF Africa, two projects from Rwanda and Kenya / South Africa were nominated for funding.

 

Two films were nominated for distribution funding by WCF Europe, including the Tunisian film Hedi, which received the Best First Feature Award and a Silver Bear for Best Actor at the Berlinale in 2016.

 

Since its establishment in October 2004, the WCF has awarded production and distribution funding to a total of 160 projects chosen from 2,888 submissions from Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, Central and Southeast Asia, the Caucasus, as well as from the countries Mongolia, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. All WCF-funded films produced to date have screened in cinemas and/or the programmes of renowned international film festivals, and are evidence of the initiative’s worldwide success.

 

Production and Distribution Funding

 

The WCF jury made their selection based on 132 submissions from a total of 50 countries. Their funding recommendations amount to 395,000 euros. The jury members are film scholar and curator Viola Shafik (Germany / Egypt), documentary producer Marta Andreu (Spain), distributor and producer Jan De Clercq (Belgium), and WCF project manager Vincenzo Bugno. For WCF Africa, they are joined by the additional jurors Jahman Oladejo Anikulapo (Nigeria), a journalist, film critic, author and actor; and Dorothee Wenner (Germany), the Berlinale delegate to Sub-Saharan Africa.

 

“We’re pleased about the ambitious nominations for funding made by the WCF jury, and we’re especially pleased that a total of four Sub-Saharan African projects were nominated. It’s a testament to the creative potential of the region, and to the success of the new special programme WCF Africa,” comments Dieter Kosslick, director of the Berlinale.

 

Production Funding WCF

 

Brief Story from the Green Planet, director: Santiago Loza (Argentina). Production: Constanza Sanz Palacios Films (Argentina) and Autentika Films (Germany). Feature film. Funding: 40.000 euros.

 

Back to Kinshasa, director: Dieudo Hamadi (Democratic Republic of Congo). Production: Kiripi Films (Democratic Republic of Congo) and Bärbel Mauch Films (Germany). Documentary. Funding: 40.000 euros.

 

The Nature of Time, director: Karim Moussaoui (Algeria). Production: Prolégoménes (Algeria), Les Films Pelléas (France) and Niko Films (Germany). Feature film. Funding: 40.000 euros.

 

Fig Tree, director: Alamork Masha Davidian (Israel). Production: Black Sheep Productions (Israel) and Av. Medien Penrose (Germany). Feature film. Funding: 40.000 euros.

 

WCF Europe

 

WCF Europe has been made possible with the support of the European Commission’s Creative Europe MEDIA Programme. Production funding has been recommended for:

 

Daoud’s Winter, director: Koutaiba Al-Janabo (Iraq). Production: Orjouane Productions (Lebanon) and Oak Motion Pictures (Netherlands). Feature film. Funding: 55.000 euros.

The Wound, director: John Trengove (South Africa). Production: Urucu Media (South Africa) and Riva Films (Germany). Feature film. Funding: 30.000 euros.

Director John Trengove is a Berlinale Talents alumnus.

 

Beauty and the Dogs, director: Kaouther Ben Hania (Tunisia). Production: Cinetelefilms (Tunisia) and Tanit Films (France). Feature film. Funding: 20.000 euros.

 

WCF Africa

 

The new special programme WCF Africa, which grants funding for projects from Sub-Saharan Africa, was launched in 2016 thanks to additional funding from the German Federal Foreign Office. Recommendations for production funding:

 

The Mercy of the Jungle, director: Joel Karekezi (Rwanda). Production: Karekezi Production (Rwanda) and Perfect Shot Films (Germany). Feature film. Funding: 38.000 euros.

Director Joel Karekezi is a Berlinale Talents alumnus.

 

Rafiki, director: Wanuri Kahiu (Kenya). Production: Big World Cinema (South Africa). Feature film. Funding: 38.000 euros.

 

Distribution Funding

 

WCF Europe

 

Hedi, director: Mohamad Ben Attia (Tunisia) – Best First Feature Award and Silver Bear for Best Actor at the Berlinale 2016. Distribution: Golem Films (Spain), Cine Colombia (Colombia) and Mantarraya Distribución (Mexico). Feature film. Funding: 27.000 euros.

 

Oscuro Animal, director: Felipe Guerrero (Colombia). Distribution: Ost for Paradis (Denmark), Mutokino (Colombia) and Obra Cine (Argentina). Feature film. Funding: 27.000 euros.