ACE Producers is delighted to announce a new partnership with the Roma Lazio Film Commission. A three-year agreement has been set up between the two institutions which will support ACE’s international network activities and encourage Italian producers, and those of the Lazio region, to benefit from ACE’s programmes and network.

Jacobine van der Vloed, Director and Head of Studies at ACE Producers, said of the partnership, “We are thrilled to be working with the Roma Lazio Film Commission, a foundation which has a long history of supporting international productions and encouraging cross-county collaboration. We look forward to working with such an iconic region for European cinema.”

Cristina Priarone, RLFC’s Director General affirmed “We are delighted to develop our relationship with ACE Producers through this partnership. Over the next three years we will improve our mutual opportunities. Strong collaborative European relationships, such as this one, are key to increase the amount of co-productions and to tighten good creative synergies among European producers. Roma Lazio Film Commission always values this kind of initiatives that brings knowledge and shared experience. We look forward to collaborating with all the valuable people at ACE to open up new ways for European producers to work together creatively and commercially, in the future.”

The Fondazione Film Commission di Roma e del Lazio works for the development of the audiovisual sector, for the promotion of the territory and for the development of coproduction, serving as a point of contact between the principal national and international companies and Lazio, the traditional land of great cinema. It offers support and guidance regarding the financial resources of the Lazio regions available to the audiovisual industry. The Foundation, as member of major international networks and in connection with major institutions, is committed to taking care of key issues for the industry like creativity development, professional training, sustainability and audience and film culture development.

ACE Producers has selected 10 outstanding up-and coming producers for the ACE Mentoring Programme EU 2023 from Europe and beyond. The programme aims to support emerging producers in reaching the next level of their careers and extending their international network by providing them with the opportunity to learn from established mentors from the ACE Producers Network actively working within the European film industry.

ACE Producers’ main goal is to strengthen experienced producers, however, the ACE Mentoring Programme intends to share the collective knowledge of the ACE Network with a new generation of producers. Mentors have been matched according to the specific needs of the selected producers and their projects. The mentorship includes meetings throughout the year at international festivals and events as well as online.

The programme is supported by the Creative Europe MEDIA Programme and the Netherlands Film Fund.

SELECTED PRODUCERS FOR ACE MENTORING PROGRAMME 2023:

Reece Cargan, UK, Bombito Productions
Mentor: Anna Maria Kantarius (ACE 30), Garagefilm International AB – Sweden 

Leeona Duff, Ireland, Up On Blue Bridge Productions
Mentor: Oliver Simon (ACE 12), K5 Film – Germany 

Anna Gawlita, Poland, Kijora Film
Mentor: Jamila Wenske (ACE 24), Achtung Panda! Media GmbH – Germany 

Thomas Hakim, France, petitchaos
Mentor: Thanassis Karathanos (ACE 17), Twenty Twenty Vision – Germany 

Maria Ibrahimova, Azerbaijan, Cinex Productions
Mentor: Dries Phlypo (ACE 20), A Private View – Belgium 

Tonio Kellner, Germany, Neopol Film
Mentor: Paul Miller (ACE 10), Escape Pictures – Greece 

Zsofi Lili Kovacs, Germany/Hungary, Fiskultura
Mentor: Lisa Marie Russo (ACE 11), Fly Film Company Limited – United Kingdom 

Ilona Tolmunen, Finland, Made Film
Mentor: Oliver Neumann (ACE 23), Freibeuter Film – Austria 

Alise Rogule, Latvia, Mimafilms
Mentor: Stienette Bosklopper (ACE Series), Circe Films BV – The Netherlands 

Sahar Yousefi, Canada, NAVA Projects
Mentor: Sarah Sullick (ACE 18), Bright Pictures – United Kingdom 

Together with ACE Training Days, the ACE Mentoring Programme is part of ACE Springboard, a combination of programmes focusing on emerging independent producers to strengthen careers at an early stage. ACE Springboard provides participants with the tools needed to be adaptable and innovative in an ever-changing film industry – for a successful new generation of independent producers!

Please find more information here:
https://ace-producers.com/springboard

For more information please contact:
ace@ace-producers.com

Twelve emerging producers have been selected for the upcoming ACE Training Days NL. Taking place from March 27 – 29, 2023 in Amsterdam, the workshop will focus on “The Essentials of International Co-Production, Sales and Distribution”.

Aiming to emphasise the importance of international collaboration at an early stage in producers’ careers, half of the selected participants are from the Netherlands while the other half are from companies based in neighbouring Germany, Belgium, and Luxembourg. They are all at relatively early stages in their careers, looking to expand their network and learn more about the international context of the audiovisual industry.

This interactive workshop will include plenary sessions and case studies, as well as group meetings provided with the help of ACE consultants and producers who have notably strong track-records in marketing and promotion of international co-production projects, and who will share their knowledge and international expertise.

The ACE Training Days NL was set up in collaboration with the Netherlands Film Fund – a key funder of ACE Producers.

PRODUCERS SELECTED FOR THE ACE TRAINING DAYS NL 2023:

Ewoud Bon, Provider Films – The Netherlands/Curaçao

ACE Producers is pleased to launch the call for applications for the third edition of the ACE Animation Special, supported by Creative Europe MEDIA.

The workshop is for experienced producers that plan to diversify their activities to include animation production – primarily ACE Network members but also other producers/production companies with a similar intention and experience. Participants may also be already familiar with animation but looking to internationalise their network and knowledge.

16-18 producers will be selected for the workshop, with a long form/feature length/series animation project at concept stage. Focusing primarily on the creative and financial aspects of feature and longform animation production, the ACE Animation Special will offer sessions on animatic story development, international production workflows, the creative dynamics of animation production, financing strategies and international distribution. The workshop will also include one or more sessions on physical line production as well as case studies on completed animation projects and an insight into animation series production. Group sessions, plenary sessions and one to one meetings will together build a workshop where producers learn from each other’s experiences and those of key industry guests.

Topics covered include:

• Story development and defining the rules of the world of your story;
• Visual world building and asset creation;
• International production workflows in multi-country co-productions;
• Financing strategies;
• Strategically integrating an animation department into an existing (film-) production company;
• Marketing and sales on animation projects.

DEADLINE
24 February 2022
Up to 18 spaces available

DATES
30 May – 4 June 2022

LOCATION
European city, tbd.

ELIGIBILITY CONDITIONS

• To be an owner, partner or associate of an independent film/animation/TV production company;
• To be an ACE member or producer with a similar level of experience;
• To have a long form or feature length animation project at idea or concept stage; producers without a project are also welcome to apply but must demonstrate a clear motivation.

FEES
€2.500 (€2.250 for ACE Network Members).
The fee covers full board, accommodation and training during the workshops. Travel costs are not included.

HOW TO APPLY
For more information or to request an application form, please contact info@ace-producers.com

WORLD CINEMA DRAMATIC COMPETITION

THE COW WHO SANG A SONG INTO THE FUTURE by Francisca Alegría
Produced by Tom Dercourt (ACE France)
Co-produced by Bruno Bettati (ACE Chile) and Viola Fügen (ACE Germany)

DOS ESTACIONES by Juan Pablo González
Co-produced by Claire Charles-Gervais (ACE France)

GENTLE by Anna Eszter Nemes and László Csuja
Co-produced by Jonas Dornbach (ACE Germany) and Janine Jackowski (ACE Germany)

GIRL PICTURE by Allli Haapasalo
Produced by Leila Lyytikäinen (ACE Finland) and Elina Pohjola (ACE Finland)

WORLD CINEMA DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION

A HOUSE MADE OF SPLINTERS by Simon Lereng Wilmont
Executive producer Signe Byrge Sørensen

THREE MINUTES: A LENGTHENING by Bianca Stigter
Produced by Floor Onrust (ACE Netherlands)

SPOTLIGHT

THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD by Joachim Trier
Co-produced by Eva Jakobsen (ACE Denmark)
Executive producer Dyveke Bjørkly Graver

EUROPEAN FILM

COMPARTMENT NO.6 by Juho Kuosmanen
Produced by Jussi Rantamäki (ACE Finland)
Co-produced by Jamila Wenske (ACE Germany)

QUO VADIS, AIDA? by Jasmila Zbanic
Co-Produced by Roman Paul (ACE DE), Eric Vogel (ACE Norway)

THE FATHER by Florian Zeller
Produced by Philippe Carcassonne (ACE France)

TITANE by Julia Ducournau
Produced by Jean-Christophe Reymond (ACE France)
Co-produced by Jean-Yves Roubin (ACE Belgium)

EUROPEAN DOCUMENTARY

FLEE by Jonas Poher Rasmussen
Produced by Signe Byrge Sørensen (ACE Denmark)

EUROPEAN ANIMATED FEATURE

FLEE by Jonas Poher Rasmussen
Produced by Signe Byrge Sørensen (ACE Denmark)

EUROPEAN DIRECTOR

BAD LUCK BANGING OR LOONY PORN by Radu Jude
Produced by Ada Solomon (ACE Romania)

QUO VADIS, AIDA? by Jasmila Zbanic
Co-Produced by Roman Paul (ACE DE), Eric Vogel (ACE Norway)

THE FATHER by Florian Zeller
Produced by Philippe Carcassonne (ACE France)

TITANE by Julia Ducournau
Produced by Jean-Christophe Reymond (ACE France)
Co-produced by Jean-Yves Roubin (ACE Belgium)

EUROPEAN ACTRESS

Jasna Đuričić for
QUO VADIS, AIDA? by Jasmila Zbanic
Co-Produced by Roman Paul (ACE DE), Eric Vogel (ACE Norway)

Seidi Haarla for
COMPARTMENT NO.6 by Juho Kuosmanen
Produced by Jussi Rantamäki (ACE Finland)
Co-produced by Jamila Wenske (ACE Germany)

Renate Reinsve for
THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD by Joachim Trier
Co-produced by Eva Jakobsen (ACE Denmark)
Executive producer Dyveke Graver (ACE Norway)

Agathe Rousselle for
TITANE by Julia Ducournau
Produced by Jean-Christophe Reymond (ACE France)
Co-produced by Jean-Yves Roubin (ACE Belgium)

EUROPEAN ACTOR

Yuriy Borisov for
COMPARTMENT NO.6 by Juho Kuosmanen
Produced by Jussi Rantamäki (ACE Finland)
Co-produced by Jamila Wenske (ACE Germany)

Anthony Hopkins for
THE FATHER by Florian Zeller
Produced by Philippe Carcassonne (ACE France)

Vincent Lindon for
TITANE by Julia Ducournau
Produced by Jean-Christophe Reymond (ACE France)
Co-produced by Jean-Yves Roubin (ACE Belgium)

Franz Rogowski for
GREAT FREEDOM by Sebastian Meise
Produced by Oliver Neumann (ACE Austria)

EUROPEAN SCREENWRITER

Radu Jude for
BAD LUCK BANGING OR LOONY PORN by Radu Jude
Produced by Ada Solomon (ACE Romania)

Joachim Trier and Eskil Vogt for
THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD by Joachim Trier
Co-produced by Eva Jakobsen (ACE Denmark)
Executive producer Dyveke Graver (ACE Norway)

Jasmila Žbanić for
QUO VADIS, AIDA? by Jasmila Zbanic
Co-Produced by Roman Paul (ACE DE), Eric Vogel (ACE Norway)

Florian Zeller and Christopher Hampton for
THE FATHER by Florian Zeller
Produced by Philippe Carcassonne (ACE France)

EUROPEAN DISCOVERY 2021 – Prix FIPRESCI

PLEASURE by Ninja Thyberg
Produced by Erik Hemmendorff (ACE Sweden)
Co-produced by Erik Glijnis (ACE The Netherlands) and Leontine Petit (ACE The Netherlands)

EUROPEAN UNIVERSITY FILM AWARD

APPLES by Christos Nikou
Produced by Angelos Venetis (ACE GR), Mariusz Wlodarski (ACE Poland) and Associate producer Antoine Simkine (ACE France)

FLEE by Jonas Poher Rasmussen
Produced by Signe Byrge Sørensen (ACE Denmark)

GREAT FREEDOM by Sebastian Meise
Produced by Oliver Neumann (ACE Austria)

QUO VADIS, AIDA? by Jasmila Zbanic
Co-Produced by Roman Paul (ACE DE), Eric Vogel (ACE Norway)

Application deadline: 3 May 2021

Every year ACE Producers accepts 18 experienced film producers into the exclusive / renowned ACE Network after completing the ACE’s Annual Programme of executive education. Interested producers are asked to submit a project in development that is suitable for co-production and aimed at the international market along with their application.

During the tumultuous year that the industry and wider world has been facing, the ACE Network has proved to be an incredibly valuable beacon for its producers. In this time of uncertainty, the need for establishing connections, building networks and learning new ways of adapting within an ever-changing audiovisual industry has proven to be more important than ever.

Four events make up the core of the training programme, held in four different locations. ACE Producers is currently still preparing these workshops to be held on site, however due to the current climate, ACE Producers is aware of the need to adapt to different forms of training if necessary.

OCTOBER – CONTENT DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP
Pitching practice, individual meetings and group sessions analysing the concepts, dramaturgy and target audiences of producers’ projects; Plenary sessions on managing talents and maintaining creative dialogues; Discussions on marketing during the early stages of development and examining new forms and formats for audiovisual storytelling.
4th – 9th October 2021

NOVEMBER – FINANCING STRATEGIES WORKSHOP
Interactive sessions exploring international financing opportunities and strategies through detailed analysis of producers’ finance plans, with input provided by high-grade professionals from across the industry. A uniquely open exchange of experience and ideas which sheds light on the evolution of co-production practices, of public and private funding schemes, and of the global marketplace in the digital age.
15th – 20th November 2021

APRIL – BUSINESS PROSPECTS WORKSHOP
Sessions on business growth, designed to provide producers with models of sustainable company management and ways to build businesses that have real value. Group sessions and panel discussions guide the producers through keener applications of marketing techniques and diversified commercial activities.
4th April – 6th April 2022

APRIL – ACE PRODUCERS ANNUAL REUNION
Held in a different country every year over a long springtime weekend, and open to all members of the ACE Network, this event is an occasion for experienced producers to share news, knowledge, opinion and practical advice in an informal but confidential environment. Warts-and-all case-studies, roundtable discussions, insider-information sessions, and more.
7th April – 10th April 2022

ELIGIBILITY CONDITIONS
• Be an owner, partner or associate of an independent production company;
• Have been the delegate producer (i.e. the principal responsible producer) of at least one theatrically-released feature film;
• Have a fiction feature film project in development which is designed to attract international finance and distribution – ideally in the form of a first draft screenplay or long treatment;
• Be available and make a commitment to attend a selection interview during the first week of September, the Content Development Workshop (October), the Financing Strategies Workshop (November), the Business Prospects Workshop and the Annual Reunion (both in April).

APPLY
If you are considering applying, please contact info@ace-producers.com to establish your eligibility and organise a meeting with producers’ liaison Al Williams.

Applications will primarily be evaluated on the producers’ track record and motivation, followed by the strength of the project and its co-production and collaborative potential.

Visit the Workshops section of the ACE Producers website for more information on the Annual Programme and application process.

PARTNERS
ACE Producers is supported by Creative Europe, the Netherlands Film Fund, Procirep, German Films, Téléfilm Canada, Screen Ireland, Focal and Rai Cinema.

Belgium
“Working Girls’ by Frédéric Fonteyne and Anne Paulicevich.
Produced by Jacques-Henri Bronckart (ACE Belgium) and Yael Fogiel (ACE France)

Bosnia and Herzegovina
“Quo Vadis, Aida?” by Jasmila Zbanic
Co-Produced by Roman Paul (ACE Germany)

 Chile
“The Mole Agent” by Maite Alberdi
Co-produced by Ingmar Trost (ACE Germany) and  Denis Vaslin (ACE The Netherlands)

Denmark
“Another Round” by Thomas Vinterberg
Co-produced by Laurette Schillings (ACE The Netherlands) and Frans van Gestel (ACE The Netherlands)

 Germany
“And Tomorrow the Entire World” by Julia Von Heinz
Produced by Fabian Gasmia (ACE Germany)

 Greece
“Apples” by Christos Nikou
Produced by Angelos Venetis (ACE Greece), Mariusz Wlodarski (ACE Poland) and Associate producer Antoine Simkine (ACE France)

Estonia
“The Last Ones” by Kaouther Veiko Õunpuu
Produced by Katrin Kissa (ACE Estonia), Co-Produced by Ellen Havenith (ACE The Netherlands) and Misha Jaari (ACE Finland)

 Finland
“Tove” by Zaida Bergroth
Produced by Aleksi Bardy (ACE Finland)

 Ireland
“Arracht” by Tom Sullivan
Executive producers Brendan McCarthy (ACE Ireland) and John McDonnell (ACE Ireland)

 Ivory Coast
“La nuit des Rois” by Philippe Lacote
Produced by Yanick Letourneau (ACE Canada)

 Kosovo
“Exile” by Visar Morina
Produced by Jonas Dornbach (ACE Germany) and Janine Jackowski (ACE Germany)
Co-produced by Jean-Yves Roubin (ACE Belgium)

 Lithuania
“Nova Lituania” by Karolis Kaupinis
Produced by Marija Razgute (ACE Lithuania)

Netherlands
“Buladó” by Éche Janga
Produced by Koji Nelissen (ACE The Netherlands)

 North Macedonia
“Willow” by Milčo Mančevski
Co-produced by Ildiko Kemeny (ACE Hungary)

Poland
“Never Gonna Snow Again” by Malgorzata Szumowska, Michal Englert
Produced by Mariusz Wlodarski (ACE Poland), Viola Fügen (ACE Germany)

 Romania
“Collective” by Alexander Nanau
Produced by Bernard Michaux (ACE Luxembourg)

 Saudi Arabia
“Scales” by Shahad Ameen
Produced by Paul Miller (ACE The Netherlands)

 Tunisia
“The Man Who Sold His Skin” by Kaouther Ben Hania
Produced by Thanassis Karathanos (ACE Germany)

 Ukraine
“Atlantis” by Valentyn Vasyanovich
Produced by Vladimir Yatsenko (ACE Ukraine)

Venezuela
“Once Upon a Time in Venezuela” by Anabel Rodríguez Ríos
Co-produced by Arash T. Riahi (ACE Austria)

ACE Producers is pleased to announce the call for applications for the second ACE Animation Special. The workshop, which will be held in Dingle* during the 2021 Animation Dingle festival, is organised in close collaboration with the festival, Screen Skills Ireland and with additional support from Screen Ireland, Animation Skillnet and Animation Ireland.

The workshop is aimed at experienced producers who want to diversify their activities to include, and/or deepen their knowledge of developing and producing long form/feature film animation production for an international audience (cinema, broadcast or streaming).

16 producers will be selected for the workshop, preferably with a long form/feature length animation project at concept stage. Focusing primarily on the creative and financial aspects of feature and longform animation production, the ACE Animation Special will offer sessions on anamatic story development, international production workflows, the creative dynamics of animation production, financing strategies and international distribution. The workshop will also include one or more sessions on physical line production as well as case studies on completed animation projects. Group sessions, plenary sessions and one to one meetings will together build a workshop where producers learn from each other’s experiences and those of key industry guests.

*ACE Producers and ACE Animation Special partners will be paying close attention to the ever-changing international situation and will make any adaptations to the workshop necessary to ensure the safety of participants and guests.

WORKSHOP DATES
21st – 26th of March 2021

LOCATION
Dingle, Ireland

ELIGIBILITY CONDITIONS

• To be an owner, partner or associate of an independent film/animation/TV production company;
• To be an ACE member or producer with a similar level of experience;
• To have a long form or feature length animation project at idea or concept stage; producers without a project are also welcome to apply but must demonstrate a clear motivation.

APPLICATION DEADLINE
1st December 2020
16-18 places available

HOW TO APPLY
Visit www.ace-producers.com/animation-special

FOR MORE INFORMATION
For more information please contact Head of Specials, Al Williams at
animation@ace-producers.com