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

Muayad Alayan – Palcine Productions – Palestine
“O Little Town of Bethlehem” directed by Muayad Alayan

Jacqui Davies – Primitive Film – United Kingdom
“After London” directed by Ben Rivers

Stefan Eichenberger – Contrast Film – Switzerland
“Good Boy” directed by Matthias von Gunten

Brian J. Falconer – Out of Orbit – United Kingdom
“Harvesting” directed by Michael Lennox

Jessie Fisk – Feline Films – Ireland
“So, Perfect” directed by Nathalie Biancheri

Erik Glijnis – Lemming Film – The Netherlands
“Sweet Dreams” directed by Ena Sendijarevic

Lauren Grant – Clique Pictures – Canada
“Mush Hole” directed by Lisa Jackson

Anna-Maria Kantarius – Garage Film International – Sweden
“The Land of the Fern” directed by Ester Martin Bergsmark

Marta Lewandowska – Friends with Benefits Studio – Poland
“Symetry of the Island” directed by Anna Kazejak

Patrice Nezan – Les Contes Modernes – France
“War with the Salamanders” directed by Catherine Maximoff

Sébastien Onomo – Special Touch Studios – France
“Mami Wata” directed by Askia Traoré

Evelin Penttilä – Stellar Film – Estonia
“Beatrice” directed by Ain Mäeots

Giovanni Pompili – Kino Produzioni – Italy
“The Beautiful Summer” directed by Laura Luchetti

Radim Prochazka – Kuli Film – Czech Republic
“In a Storm and Winds” directed by Lukáš Masner

Marija Razgutė – M-FILMS – Lithuania
“Fake News” directed by Karolis Kaupinis

Milan Stojanovic – Sense Production – Serbia
“When the Kids Sing the Hits” directed by Mina Djukic

Joanna Szymańska – Shipsboy – Poland
“Politics of Love” director TBD

Vladimir Yatsenko – Limelite/Forefilms – Ukraine
“U are the Universe” directed by Pavlo Ostrikov

ACE Producers is pleased to announce the eighteen producers selected to participate in the 30th ACE Session (2020/2021) who will go on to join the ACE Network.

The selection committee was made up of members of the ACE board, ACE consultants, president Antoine Simkine and director Jacobine van der Vloed. Of the selection, Jacobine van der Vloed said, “We were overwhelmed by the number of applications this year. Faced with a year of unprecedented disruption and change, it’s heartening to see that producers are determined to forge forward, concentrating on training and development. We’re confident that the selected producers will learn a lot from each other and will be excellent additions to the ACE Network”.

The selected producers will attend three workshops with a project in development. Fifteen different territories are represented in the selection: Canada, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Palestine, Poland, Serbia, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom.

Four events make up the core of the training. The first workshop, dedicated to content development, will take place online in early October with carefully tailored sessions which will aim to stimulate and engage the producers in an online environment. The Content Development Workshop will include group sessions and individual meetings, analysing the concepts, dramaturgy, and target audiences of producers’ projects.

In November, the second workshop, which offers the producers advice on possible financing strategies for their projects, will take place in Belgrade, Serbia, with the support of Film Center Serbia. The week-long workshop will be made up of interactive sessions exploring international financing opportunities and strategies through detailed analysis of the producers’ finance plans, with input provided by high-grade professionals from across the industry. The sessions offer 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.

The third workshop will look at the producers’ business strategies, providing them with models of sustainable company management and ways to build businesses that have real value. The workshop will integrate new elements specifically for this year, to help producers adapt their business models to face the challenges brought forward by the global pandemic. The Business Prospects Workshop will take place in Amsterdam with the kind support of the Netherlands Film Fund and is immediately followed by the ACE Annual Reunion, were the new producers will be officially welcomed into the ACE Network.

The Annual Reunion 2021 will be held in Edinburgh, with the support of Screen Scotland, after the postponement of the 2020 edition which was due to be held there.

ACE Producers is supported by Creative Europe MEDIA, The Netherlands Film Fund, Procirep, Téléfilm Canada, German Films, Screen Ireland and Focal.

ACE Producers is pleased to announce the 19 producers and projects selected for the ACE Series Special 2.

Anamaria Antoci – Romania – Tangaj Production
“Hooked” written by Adrian Sitaru

Daniel Bekerman – Canada – Scythia Films  
“Lisa Howard” writers TBD

Pavel Bercik – Czech Republic – Evolution Films 
“Astronomer” written by Zdeněk Jecelín and Jan Hanzlík

Pandora da Cunha Telles – Portugal – Ukbar Filmes 
“Number 61” written by Kalaf Epalanga

Trish Dolman – Canada – Screen Siren Pictures 
“Bones of Crows” written by Marie Clements

Jean-Marc Fröhle – Switzerland – Point Prod 
“Winter Palace” written by Lindsay Shapero and Stéphane Mitchell

Viola Fügen – Germany – Match Factory Productions 
“The Report” written by Ben Bräunlich

Danielle Guirguis – The Netherlands – Smarthouse Films 
“Philips” written by Bart Oudshoorn and Bart Koene

Alexandra Hoesdorff – Luxembourg – Deal Productions 
“Hologrammatica” writers TBD

David Keitsch – Germany – Komplizen Serien 
“La Huaka” written by Ruì Díaz, J.I.M. Wels, Juan Ortiz and Elena Manzo

Ivan Madeo – Switzerland – Contrast Film Zurich 
“Davos” written by Adrian Illien, Julia Penner, Thomas Hess
and Michael Sauter

Sarah Marks – Belgium – MARKS 
“29” written by Charlotte De Bruyne, Sophie Kurpershoek and Anemone Valcke

Leontine Petit – The Netherlands – Lemming Film
“Augustus” written by Marco van Geffen & Philip Delmaar

Elli Toivoniemi – Finland – Tuffi Films 
“Copper Country” written by Ulla Heikkilä and Jenni Toivoniemi

Joris van Wijk – The Netherlands – Le Boxeur 
“The Man Who Stole the Bomb” written by Nadeem Rajwani

Pierpaolo Verga – Italy – o’Groove 
“Traitors for All” written by Edoardo De Angelis, Barbara Petronio and Michele Pellegrini

Jakob Weydemann – Germany – Weydemann Bros 
“Champions” written by Paul Salisbury and Friederike Jehn

Marijke Wouters – Belgium – De Mensen 
“Capturing Big Mouth” written by Hans Van Nuffel, Ahsan Naeem

Cristina Zumarraga – Spain – Tandem Films 
“Pleasure Spot” written by Alicia Luna

The selected producers will begin the programme with an online workshop on script development late October followed by a residential workshop in Brussels in March. The aim of the programme is to equip producers who have a strong track record in feature film production with the tools to transfer their skills into the world of series production.

The Series Special is supported by the VAF (the Flanders Audiovisual Fund) and CFAP.

With a record number of applications, the selection committee selected projects which had strong co-production possibilities, a unique pitch with potential to gather an international audience and producers who would be able to bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the group. Of the selection, Head of Specials Al Williams said, “We were overwhelmed by the quality of the applications this year and we feel that the final selection represents the high level of series development coming out of Europe and Canada at the moment.”

Previously scheduled to be held at the VAF in Brussels in October, the residential element of the workshop has been postponed due to the continuing Covid-19 crisis. The participants will now participate in October in an online portion of the programme, with group sessions and a development workshop by development expert Emmanuel Oberg. This will help them fine-tune their bibles and pitches before the main element of the programme which will be held from the 1st to the 6th of March in Brussels, gathering experts in series productions, financing, distribution and sales.

ACE held its first Series Special workshop in October 2020, emerging from the needs of the industry and the clear trend for producers diversifying their activities and moving towards series production. On setting up the progamme ACE director Jacobine van der Vloed reflected “It really is amazing the number of established feature film producers we are currently seeing, turning their sights towards series. With the ever-growing call for more content this doesn’t seem to be a trend that is diminishing, so we’re happy to be able to provide a space to guide these knowledgeable producers in the right direction”.

The 19 selected producers come from 12 different countries with female producers outnumbering their male counterparts. 13 of the producers are ACE Network members.

Due to the recent measures put in place internationally to combat the spread of Covid-19, ACE Producers will be holding the ACE Animation Special online from Wednesday the 18th of March until Saturday the 21st of March 2020.

Due to take place in Dingle, Ireland this week, a devised timetable and online system have been set up in order to hold a revised version of the workshop online. This has been made possible thanks to the invaluable help of ACE’s vice-president Martin Pope (Magic Light Pictures) as well as the programme’s incredibly supportive consultants and enthusiastic participants.