On February 16, 2011, the WCF Day will once again provide an opportunity to learn more about the programme, successes, funding strategies, films, initiatives and partners of the World Cinema Fund (WCF).

On this occasion the World Cinema Fund will present its new cooperation partners, the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, and the Deutsche Welle/DW Akademie. Through the support of these new partners, it will be possible to launch a new WCF programme in a number of African countries: WCF Factories are to contribute in the near future to the greater creative and structural autonomy of African cinema. Special thanks go to Dirk Niebel, Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, and to Erik Bettermann, Director General of Deutsche Welle.

Also on February 16, the WCF invites all its friends and fans as well as representatives of the industry and press to a panel discussion on suppporting film production and funding in Africa.

World Cinema Fund Day Focus: Film Production and Funding in Africa.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011, 11:00 am-2:00 pm in the Filmhaus, Potsdamer Str. 2, 4th floor

11:00 am - 2:00 pm

Welcome and news about the World Cinema Fund

Dieter Kosslick, Festival Director

Sonja Heinen & Vincenzo Bugno, World Cinema Fund

Panel discussion - Supporting Film Production in Africa

"Realities, Pragmatism and Dreams: WCF Approach and Strategy"

The term "African Cinema" is often a vague and somewhat rhetorical one. What is our task in Africa? It is actually possible to support film production there? Without doubt it is indispensable to differentiate potential funding measures and adapt them to the realities of production that vary regionally. Efforts to develop and adapt the former Nollywood model in African countries outside Nigeria have shown that so-called normal production conditions hardly play a role/exist in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Panellists:

Djo Tunga Wa Munga, director and producer (Congo)

Jeremy Nathan, producer (South Africa)

Abraham Haile Biru, general manager/head of the Blue Nile Film and Television Academy (Ethiopia)

Gaston Kaboré, director and founder of the Film Training Institute Imagine (Burkina Faso)

Dorothee Wenner (Berlinale delegate for Central and Southern Africa)

Host: Vincenzo Bugno, World Cinema Fund

The World Cinema Fund was founded in October 2004 as a joint initiative of the German Federal Cultural Foundation and the Berlinale. The Goethe Institute came on board as a partner two months later. As of 2011, the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and the Deutsche Welle /DW Akademie have also become new cooperation partners.

The WCF established itself almost immediately as one of the leading institutions funding outstanding international productions and rapidly gained recognition from those in the industry.

Since its founding, the WCF has awarded production and distribution funding to a total of 80 projects chosen from 1411 submissions from 83 countries. All of the WCF films completed so far have screened in cinemas and/or in the programmes of renowned international film festivals, and are proof of the international success of the initiative.