For the fourth time in a row since 2005, European sales agents and production companies are making good use of Film Sales Support (FSS) for their European films at Sundance. FSS, European Film Promotion’s (EFP) initiative to help increase the visibility of European film in the Americas offers grants up to €5,000 per film to top up promotional campaigns. The support allows for extra sales activities, for example, hiring a publicist or a scout to target local press and buyers more effectively. FSS is supported by the MEDIA Programme of the European Union since 2004.
Four of the supported films run in World Competition sections, which are eligible for the World Cinema Jury Prizes. Two of the films screening in World Dramatic Competition are from Germany: Veit Helmer’s, Absurdistan and Dennis Gansel’s, The Wave. Another German film, Alone in Four Walls by Alexandra Westmeier, and Dutch film, Recycle by Mahmoud al Massad, are vieing for prizes in World Documentary Competition.
For the first time this year, World Cinema Competition films are eligible to receive the same range of awards presented to U.S. films screening in competition, including Directing Awards, Excellence in Cinematography Awards, and Documentary Editing Awards.
Other supported films screen in New Frontier such as cutting edge animated stories, Fear(s) of the Dark, by various comic book artists and Eat for this is my Body (Michelange Quay). Park City at Midnight shows Oliver Blackburn’s Donkey Punch and Sean Ellis‘, The Broken. Transsiberian, a thriller by Brad Anderson, is part of Premieres, Sundance’s showcase of contemporary independent cinema. The UK-Irish co-production, The Escapist (Rupert Wyatt) screens in the same section. Former EFP Shooting Stars have roles in various supported films: Melvil Poupaud (The Broken), Eduardo Noriega (Transsiberian), Jürgen Vogel and Max Riemelt (The Wave).
Supported films and companies
Beta Cinema (Germany)
ABSURDISTAN by Veit Helmer, Germany/Azerbaijan 2007
Celluloid Dreams (France)
FEAR(S) OF THE DARK (PEUR(S) DU NOIR) by various directors, France 2007 (Animation) THE WAVE (DIE WELLE) by Dennis Gansel, Germany 2007
Filmax (Spain)
TRANSSIBERIAN by Brad Anderson, Spain/Germany/UK/Lithuania 2007
Gaumont (France)
THE BROKEN by Sean Ellis, UK/France 2007
Goalpost Film (UK)
THE ESCAPIST by Rupert Wyatt, UK/Ireland 2007
iSee Film (The Netherlands)
RECYCLE by Mahmoud al Massad, The Netherlands/Germany/France/Jordan 2007
Linger on Filmproduktion (Germany)
ALONE IN FOUR WALLS (ALLEIN IN VIER WÄNDEN) by Alexandra Westmeier, Germany 2007
Lumina Films (UK)
DONKEY PUNCH by Oliver Blackburn, UK 2007
Memento Films International (France)
EAT FOR THIS IS MY BODY by Michelange Quay, France 2007
15.01.2008 | Sundance's blog
Cat. : Absurdistan Absurdistan Gansel Alexandra Westmeier Americas Azerbaijan Brad Anderson Cinema of Germany Cultural policies of the European Union Culture Dennis Gansel Eduardo Noriega (Transsiberian) European Film Promotion European Union Film Films France Germany Ireland Jordan Jürgen Vogel Lithuania Lumina Films Mahmoud Al Massad Max Riemelt MEDIA Programme Michelange Quay Netherlands Oliver Blackburn Rupert Wyatt Rupert Wyatt Sean Ellis Spain Sundance Sundance Film Festival The Escapist The Escapist the World Cinema Jury Prizes Transsiberian United Kingdom United States Veit Helmer Visual arts