Berlin

Dear Berlinale/EFM Journalist – 

​We invite you and welcome your coverage at the NEFTI Awards presentation at the Berlinale/European Film Mart on Monday, 20 February 2023 where the final three (3-5 minute) films in the Third Annual N.E.F.T.I. (NEFT Emerging Film Talent International) competition will be screened and the winner announced. All the guests present at the event will also be able to cast a vote for the Viewers Choice Audience Award. The presentation will be held at the Gropius Bau Cinema from 17:00 to 19:30 with drinks and hors d'oeuvres following the presentations.

​NEFT Vodka in collaboration with The International Emerging Film Talent Association (IEFTA), the Berlinale/EFM & Durban Film Mart have forged a collaboration to challenge filmmakers in emerging economic regions, internationally, to showcase their innovative and creative skills, expand the filmmaker's reach into regions that may otherwise not have been available to them and to showcase the diverse creative process of filmmakers from a variety of backgrounds and environments.

Contestants were selected to participate by IEFTA, from international submissions and from among their Global Film Expression (GFE) Alumni. At present, GFE Alumni come primarily from the Horn of Africa, Middle East and Asia including Ethiopia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Mongolia, Palestine, Egypt, Lebanon, and Morocco. Applicants also came from the Berlinale/European Film Mart and Durban Film Mart network of filmmakers. 

Of those many applicants, 10 were selected to present a zoom pitch of the concept for their film to a panel of judges consisting of 3 leading film industry professionals - Acclaimed Actress Vivica A Fox, Academy and Tony Award winning producer Bruce Cohen, and President of Post Production 21st Century Fox/Disney Ted Gagliano - and the previous year’s competition winner - MinenhleLuthuli. These 10 were then narrowed down to 3 finalists who will have had 30 days to complete and submit their film. The three finalists are young filmmakers from Algeria, Eritrea, and The Philippines. The story does not have to be about NEFT but NEFT Vodka must be included in a way other than product placement. There are no storyline requirements except that it must be non-violent and non-political.

This year the 3 winning films will be screened at the Berlinale EFM, followed by a live viewing of the judges’ deliberation, and choosing of the winner of the $5,000 prize. There will also be and opportunity for the audience and greater community to vote online for an additional award, the viewer’s choice award, to which the winner will receive $2000. All three finalists will receive an Adobe Creative Cloud license courtesy of Adobe.

NEFTI has used a format called NEFTI Give Me 5, which is a real-time episodic approach to NEFTI. Everyday starting from the 10 pitches, a 5-minute episode documenting the progress of this year’s competition was released. Give Me 5 continued through the judges’ deliberation to choose the 3 finalists, notification to the 3 finalists that they had been chosen and through the 30 days they have had to make their films. Give me 5 will end with the EFM screening. Give Me 5 will be viewable on Youtube, and the Nefticompetition site, with a link to the site also being forwarded by EFM and IEFTA.

Upcoming NEFTI Competitions include NEFTI Africa 6/1/2023-7/26/2023, with applications opening on 5/1/2023. NEFTI Africa will only be open to applicants that live on the continent or African territories. For NEFTI All-Stars, the winners from the NEFTI Competitions, will create new films to compete for the NEFTI All-Stars prize (Prize tbd). One winner will be chosen. The format will be the same as the other NEFTI Competitions, with Give Me 5. The judges for both NEFTI Africa and NEFTI All-Stars include Vivica Fox, Bruce Cohen, Ted Gagliano, and another regional guest judge.

ABOUT NEFT VODKA

Crafted in the Rhaetian Alps of Austria for its oxygen-rich spring water, NEFT combines four different types of non-GMO ancient rye grains, and uses a triple, copper-pot distillation process with carbon-layer filtering to produce a vodka with a refined flavor profile. Since debuting in the U.S., NEFT has received multiple accolades and awards, including a 98-point rating from The Tasting Panel magazine; won Double Gold medals at the prestigious San Francisco World Spirits Competition, becoming one of only two vodkas to win that recognition consecutively for two years and significantly, in the same competition, won “Best Vodka”.

NEFT Vodka is an ultra-premium Austrian vodka brand that embraces art, creativity, and the belief that life is a story worth telling. We believe that every story is a learning experience and enhances us in some way, especially ones that are foreign to our everyday life. We created this competition to give filmmakers in emerging economies an opportunity to create stories and spotlight them on an international platform.

Press Contact: Gary Springer, Springer Associates Inc, +1.914.659.4802, gary@springerassociatespr.com