Author: Al Williams

ACE Producers’ Films in Locarno 2019

Piazza Grande

“Instinct” by Halina Reijn
Produced by Laurette Schillings (ACE NL)

“The Girl with a Bracelet” by Stéphane Demoustier
Produced by Jean des Forêts (ACE FR)
Co-produced by Jean-Yves Roubin (ACE BE)

Concorso Cineasti del presente

“Ivana the Terrible” by Ivana Mladenović
Produced by Ada Solomon (ACE RO)

“Love Me Tender” by Klaudia Reynicke
Produced by Tiziana Soudani (ACE CH)

Pardi di domani: Concorso nazionale

“Aline” by Simon Guélat
Produced by Elena Tatti (ACE CH)

Fuori concorso

“Baghdad in my Shadow” by Samir
Co produced by Christine Kiauk (ACE DE), Herbert Schwering (ACE DE) and Christine Alderson (ACE UK)

“Giraffe” by Anna Sofie Hartmann
Produced by Jonas Dornbach (ACE DE) and Janine Jackowski (ACE DE)

Fuori concorso: Shorts

“Sapphire Crystal” by Virgil Vernier
Produced by Jean des Forêts (ACE FR)

Histoire(s) du cinéma: Premio Raimondo Rezzonico Komplizen Film

“The Forest for the Trees” by Maren Ade
Produced by Janine Jackowski (ACE DE)

“Western” by Valeska Grisebach
Produced by Jonas Dornbach (ACE DE) and Janine Jackowski (ACE DE)

Retrospettiva: Black Light

“Rude” by Clement Virgo
Produced by Damon D’Oliveira (ACE CA)

ACE Producers’ Films in Sarajevo 2019

Competition Programme Feature Film

“A Tale of Three Sisters” by Emin Alper
Produced by Nadir Operli (ACE TR)
Co-produced by Jonas Dornbach (ACE DE), Janine Jackowski (ACE DE) and Yorgos Tsourgiannis (ACE GR)

“Take Me Somewhere Nice” by Ena Sendijarević
Produced by Iris Otten (ACE NL) and Amra Baksic Camo (ACE BH)

Kinoscope

“Fire Will Come” by Olivier Laxe
Produced by Mani Mortazavi (ACE FR)

“Synonyms” by Nadav Lapid
Co-produced by Jonas Dornbach (ACE DE) and Janine Jackowski (ACE DE)

“The Orphanage” by Shahrbanoo Sadat
Produced by Katja Adomeit (ACE DK)
Developped during the ACE 24 Workshop

In Focus

“God Exists, Her Name is Petrunija” by Teona Strugar Mitevska
Produced by Zdenka Gold (ACE HR)

“Half Sister” by Damjan Kozole
Produced by Jelena Mitrovic (ACE RS)

“Ivana the Terrible” by Ivana Mladenović
Produced by Ada Solomon (ACE RO)

“Little Joe” by Jessica Hausner
Produced by Bertrand Faivre (ACE FR/UK)

“The Whistlers” by Corneliu Porumboiu
Co-produced by Jonas Dornbach (ACE DE) and Janine Jackowski (ACE DE

TeenArena

“Stupid Young Heart” by Selma Vilhunen
Produced by Elli Toivoniemi (ACE FI)

Dealing with the Past

Born in Evin by Maryam Zaree
Co-produced by Arash T. Riahi (ACE AT)

BH Film – Feature Films

“Heroes Don’t Die” by Aude Léa Rapin
Co-produced by Amra Baksic Camo (ACE BA)

“I act, I am” by Miroslav Mandic
Co-produced by Amra Baksic Camo(ACE BA)

“Stiches” by Miroslav Terzic
Co-produced by Amra Baksic Camo (ACE BA) and Zdenka Gold (ACE HR)

Open Air

“It Must Be Heaven” by Elia Suleiman
Produced by Thanassis Karathanos (ACE DE) and Serge Noël (ACE CA)

ACE Producers’ Films at Karlovy Vary 2019

Official Selection – Competition

“Half-Sister” by Damjan Kozole
Produced by Jelena Mitrović (ACE RS)

“Patrick” by Tim Mielants
Produced by Bart Van Langendonck (ACE BE)
Co-produced by Jacques-Henri Bronckart (ACE BE)
and Laurette Schillings (ACE NL)

“Lara” by Jan-Ole Gerster
Produced by Marcos Kantis (ACE DE)

“Let There Be Light” by Marko Škop
Produced by Marko Škop (ACE SK) and Pavel Strnad (ACE CZ)

East of the West – Competition

“A Certain Kind of Silence” by Michal Hogenauer
Co-produced by Alise Gelze (ACE LV)

Horizons

“Rojo” by Benjamín Naishtat
Co-produced by Marleen Slot (ACE NL)

“Ghost Town Anthology” by Denis Côté
Produced by Ziad Touma (ACE CA)

“Oleg” by Juris Kursietis
Produced by Alise Gelze (ACE LV)

“System Crasher” by Nora Fingscheidt
Produced by Jonas Weydemann (ACE DE)

“The Traitor” by Marco Bellocchio
Produced by Simone Gattoni (ACE IT)

“Wherever You Are” by Bonifacio Angius
Produced by Andrea Paris (ACE IT)

“A White, White Day” by Hlynur Pálmason
Co-produced by Eva Jakobsen (ACE DK)

Another View

“Sick, Sick, Sick” by Alice Furtado
Co-produced by Frank Hoeve (ACE NL)

“Dogs Don’t Wear Pants” by Jukka-Pekka Valkeapää
Produced by Aleksi Bardy (ACE FI)
Co-produced by Alise Gelze (ACE LV)

“Fire Will Come” by Olivier Laxe
Produced by Mani Mortazavi (ACE FR)

“Gold Is All There Is ” by Andrea Caccia
Produced by Marco Alessi (ACE IT)

“The Miracle of the Sargasso Sea” by Syllas Tzoumerkas
Produced by Maria Drandaki (ACE GR)
Co-produced by Ellen Havenith (ACE NL) and Titus Kreyenberg (ACE DE)
Developed during the ACE 24 Workshops

“Monos” by Alejandro Landes
Co-produced by Leontine Petit (ACE NL and Claudia Steffen (ACE DE)

“Tommaso” by Abel Ferrara
Produced by Simone Gattoni (ACE IT)

Czech Films 2018–2019

“On the Roof” by Jiří Mádl
Produced by Monika Kristl (ACE CZ)

CENTRAL EUROPE FOCUS TRAINING DAYS 2019

Taking place from the 28th to the 30th of June at FAMU – Film and TV School of Academy of Performing Arts in Prague – ACE Producers has selected 19 upcoming producers at relatively early stages in their careers from the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland to take part in the first ACE Training Days.

Scheduled over two-and-a-half days, the workshop is provided with the help of ACE producers and consultants who have notably strong track-records in international project financing and distribution, and who will share their knowledge and international expertise with the participants.

“The Essentials of Reaching an Audience – From the Development Process to the Release of a Film” will include plenary sessions, group meetings, a case study and an interactive workshop. These will explore packaging projects for funds and partners, VOD business models, rights and windows and finding the right communication strategy.

The Prague Training Days are supported by the Czech Film Fund and the Audiovisual Producers Association (APA).

Training Days in Prague 2019 Participants

Radka Babincová – Bright Sight Pictures – Slovakia

Martin Barták – GoodieBaddie – Czech Republic

Lukasz Bluszcz – Vision House – Poland

Kateřina Buzková – Darq Studio – Czech Republic

Anna Fam – Freelance – Poland

Marta Gmosińska – Lava Films – Poland

Jan Hubáček – Gnomon – Czech Republic

Ludka Kierczak – Kosmonaut – Czech Republic/Poland

Jakub Košťá – Bionaut – Czech Republic

Petr Kratochvíl – Bedna Films – Czech Republic

Steve Reverand – The Lab Studios – Czech Republic

Anna Rózalska – Match&Spark – Poland

Krystof Safer – Bull Film – Czech Republic

Andrea Shaffer – Mindset Pictures – Czech Republic

Hana Šilarová – Frame Films – Czech Republic

Barbora Šonková – Dawson Productions – Czech Republic

Marian Varga – Protos Productions – Slovakia

Aneta Zagórska – Krakow Film Klaster – Poland

Klára Zaloudkovà – Background Films – Czech Republic

Screen Scotland – ACE Annual Reunion Partnership

The ACE Annual Reunion 2020 will be held in Scotland thanks to a new partnership with Screen Scotland. It will be the first time that an ACE Workshop or Annual Reunion has been held in the UK since the association’s inception in 1993.

Held in a different European country each year at the beginning of April, the ACE Annual Reunion is the climax of the year-long training programme for the 18 producers that will attend the ACE 29 session. The event is the chance for them to meet the established members of the ACE Network. All of ACE’s alumni from the association’s 26 years will be invited to reunite for the long weekend in Scotland to participate in special sessions, exchange news and set-up new collaborations. The Annual Reunion gathers, each year, between 70 and 90 ACE producers and consultants from all over the world.

The ACE Annual Reunion in Scotland in 2020, will be a unique chance for the ACE Network to get to know Scottish professionals, visit Scottish facilities and locations, and learn about the shooting and financing opportunities available to them. The event will also enable local accredited professionals to network with ACE members and to benefit from confidential content.

Speaking of the partnership, ACE Director and Head of Studies, Jacobine van der Vloed, highlighted the importance of holding the event in the UK. Speaking of the association’s British ties she said: “ACE has always been intrinsically linked to the UK: Co-founded by British producers, initially run by a Scottish director and overseen for years by a long serving British president. It seems incredible that no major ACE events have been held there. We are delighted by the welcome offered to us by Screen Scotland and look forward to working together.

Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs said: “It is a testament to Scotland’s flourishing screen sector that ACE Producers has chosen to hold its annual reunion on our shores.

“I look forward to welcoming the opportunities this event will present to further put Scotland on the map for screen, in the same year we host the 2020 Creative Cities Convention.

“The Scottish Government has put in place the funding and support to seize emerging opportunities to enable further growth, and with an increasing number of high-profile films and network TV drama being made in Scotland, this is an exciting time for the industry.”

Isabel Davis, Executive Director at Screen Scotland said: “We’re very excited to be welcoming the ACE Annual Reunion to Scotland, and can’t wait to show off our amazing country, whilst bringing Scottish producers into the fold of this unique and prestigious network of European producers and film professionals. Scotland has a strong relationship with co-production partners across Europe and we look forward to strengthening our ties with European partners through this project.”

The ACE Annual Reunion in Scotland will be held from the 3rd to the 5th of April 2020.

SCREEN SCOTLAND is the dedicated partnership for screen in Scotland. With £20 million from Scottish Government and the National Lottery, Screen Scotland is driving the cultural, social and economic development of all aspects of the sector in Scotland, through enhanced funding, services and support. Screen Scotland sits within Creative Scotland and is a partnership with Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Skills Development Scotland, Scottish Funding Council, working in close collaboration with the sector to ensure its success.
www.screen.scot
@screenscots

ACE Producers’ Films in Cannes 2019

COMPETITION

“Atlantique” by Mati Diop
Co-produced by Jean-Yves Roubin (ACE BE)

“Frankie” by Ira Sachs
Co-produced by Diana Elbaum (ACE BE)

“It Must Be Heaven” by Elia Suleiman
Produced by Thanassis Karathanos (ACE DE) and Serge Noël (ACE CA)

“Little Joe” by Jessica Hausner
Produced by Bertrand Faivre (ACE FR/UK)

“Sibyl” by Justine Triet
Produced by David Thion (ACE FR) and Philippe Martin (ACE FR)

“The Traitor” by Marco Bellocchio
Produced by Simone Gattoni (ACE IT)

“The Whistlers” by Corneliu Porumboiu
Co-produced by Jonas Dornbach (ACE DE) and Janine Jackowski (ACE DE)

“The Wild Goose Lake” by Yi’nan Diao
Produced by Shen Yang (ACE CN)

Special Screenings

“Tommaso” by Abel Ferrara
Produced by Simone Gattoni (ACE IT)

UN CERTAIN REGARD

“Chambre 212” by Christophe Honoré
Produced by David Thion (ACE FR) and Philippe Martin (ACE FR)

“La femme de mon frère” by Monia Chokri
Produced by Sylvain Corbeil (ACE CA)

“O Que Arde” by Olivier Laxe
Produced by Mani Mortazavi (ACE FR)

Critics’ Week – Competition

“A White, White Day”
by Hlynur Pálmason
Co-produced by Eva Jakobsen (ACE DK)

“Vivarium” by Lorcan Finnegan
Produced by Brendan McCarthy (ACE IE) and John McDonnell (ACE IE)
Co-produced by Jean-Yves Roubin (ACE BE)

CRITICS’ WEEK – SPECIAL SCREENING

“Heroes don’t Die” by Aude Léa Rapin
Co-produced by Amra Baksic Camo (ACE BA)

Directors’ Fortnight

“Dogs Don’t Wear Pants” by Jukka-Pekka Valkeapää
Produced by Aleksi Bardy (ACE FI)
Co-produced by Alise Gelze (ACE LV)

“Oleg” by Juris Kursietis
Produced by Alise Gelze (ACE LV)

“The Orphanage” by Shahrbanoo Sadat
Produced by Katja Adomeit (ACE DK)
Developped during the ACE 24 Workshop

“Sick Sick Sick” by Alice Furtado
Co-produced by Katja Draaijer (ACE NL) and Frank Hoeve (ACE NL)

ACID

“Take Me Somewhere Nice” by Ena Sendijarević
Produced by Iris Otten (ACE NL) and Amra Baksic Camo (ACE BH)

“Solo” by Artemio Benki
Co-produced by Arash T. Riahi (ACE AT)

“Rêves de jeunesse” by Alain Raoust
Produced by Tom Dercourt (ACE FR)

ACE 29 CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

The call for applications for the ACE 29 Session is now open.

Deadline: 12th June 2019

Every year ACE selects 18 experienced film producers, each with a project in development that is suitable for co-production and aimed at the international
market, to take part in ACE’s annual programme of advanced training and then
join the ACE Network.

Four events make up the core of the training programme:

OCTOBER – CONTENT DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP

Individual meetings analysing the concepts, dramaturgy, target audiences and financing of producers’ projects; Plenary sessions on managing talents and maintaining creative dialogues with writer-directors; Discussions on marketing during the early stages
ofdevelopment and examining new forms and formats for audiovisual storytelling. This workshop includes an intensive three day course in the use of story development tools.
7th – 12th October 2019, Helsinki, Finland

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.
18th – 23th November 2019, Prague, Czech Republic

APRIL – BUSINESS PROSPECTS WORKSHOP

Panel discussions, case-studies and interviews designed to provide film producers with models of sustainable company management and ways to build businesses that have real value: keener application of marketing techniques, direct online distribution, diversified commercial activities – all options are assessed.
30th March – 1st April 2020, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

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, production company showcases and insider information sessions allow producers to keep up to date with the developments in the international film industry.
3rd – 5th April 2020 Location soon to be announced

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 in Amsterdam 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 ACE to organise either a meeting during Cannes or a conference call.
Contact: alwilliams@ace-producers.com

Producers will be informed if they have been shortlisted on the basis of their written application before the end of July 2019.

Visit the Workshops section of the ACE website for more information on the programme and application process.

ACE SERIES SPECIAL

ACE Producers is pleased to announce a new workshop specialising in TV series production. In collaboration with VAF (Flanders Audiovisual Fund) and supported by Flow Postproduction, Casa Kafka Pictures and Creative Europe MEDIA Desk Flanders, the 6-day workshop will be held at the beginning of November 2019. The ACE Series Special is aimed at experienced producers who want to integrate a series division into their companies and/or deepen their knowledge of developing and producing TV drama series for an international audience.

16 producers will be selected for the workshop, each with a series in development. Focusing primarily on the creative and financial aspects of TV series production, the ACE Series Special will also offer sessions on marketing, audiences, international approaches and business strategies, with a two-day course in the use of story development tools for TV drama. The workshop will give producers a chance to work on their projects with a personal mentor and network with their peers, while online follow-up sessions will allow them to continue the training during the following year.

WORKSHOP DATES
4th – 9th of November 2019

LOCATION
Brussels, Belgium

ELIGIBILITY CONDITIONS
• To be an owner, partner or associate of an independent film/TV
production company;
• To be an ACE member or producer with a similar level of experience;
• To have a TV drama series in development that is at a relevant stage and suitable for co-production.

APPLICATION DEADLINE
1st of June 2019

FOR MORE INFORMATION
For more information please email series@ace-producers.com.

ACE Producers’ Films at the Berlinale 2019

Competition

“A Tale of Three Sisters” by Emin Alper
Produced by Nadir Operli (ACE TR)
Co-produced by Jonas Dornbach (ACE DE), Janine Jackowski (ACE DE) and Yorgos Tsourgiannis (ACE GR)

“Ghost Town Anthology” by Denis Côté
Produced by Ziad Touma (ACE CA)

“God Exists, Her Name is Petrunija” by Teona Strugar Mitevska
Produced by Zdenka Gold (ACE HR)

“Synonyms” by Nadav Lapid
Co-produced by Jonas Dornbach (ACE DE) and Janine Jackowski (ACE DE)

“System Crasher” by Nora Fingscheidt
Produced by Jakob D. Weydemann (ACE DE)

Panorama

“All My Loving” by Edward Berger
Produced by Jan Krüger (ACE DE)

“Flatland” by Jenna Bass
Co-produced by Titus Kreyenberg (ACE DE)

“Monos” by Alejandro Landes
Co-produced by Leaontine Petit (ACE NL)

“O Beautiful Night” by Xaver Böhm
Produced by Jonas Dornbach (ACE DE), Janine Jackowski (ACE DE)

Generation Kplus

“Cleo” by Erik Schmitt
Produced by Fabian Gasmia (ACE DE)

“Just Me And You” by Sandrine Brodeur-Desrosiers
Produced by Christine Falco (ACE CA)

Generation 14plus

“The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open” by Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers and Kathleen Hepbur
Produced by Alan Milligan (ACE NO)
Co-produced by Dyveke Bjørkly Graver (ACE NO)

“Stupid Young Heart” by Selma Vilhunen
Produced by Elli Toivoniemi (ACE FI)

ACE Producers’ Films at IFFR 2019

Bright Future

“Introduzione all’oscuro” by Gastón Sonicki
Produced by Gabriele Kranzelbinder (ACE AT)

“The Load” by Ognjen Glavonic
Produced by Sophie Erbs (ACE FR)
Co-produced by Tom Dercourt (ACE FR) and Ankica Juric Tilic (ACE HR)

“The Man who Surprised Everyone” by Natasha Merkulova and Aleksey Chupov
Produced by Katia Filipova (ACE RU)
Co-produced by Katrin Kissa (ACE EE)

“Nocturne” by Viktor van der Valk
Co-produced by Dries Phlypo (ACE BE)

“Sophia Anipolis” by Virgil Vernier
Produced by Jean-Christophe Reymond (ACE FR)

“Take Me Somewhere Nice” by Ena Sendijarević
Produced by Amra Baksic Camo (ACE BH) and
Iris Otten (ACE NL)
Tiger Competition

Voices

“A Land Imagined” by Yeo Siew Hua
Co-produced by Denis Vaslin (ACE NL)

“The Beast in the Jungle” by Clara van Gool
Produced by Hans de Wolf (ACE NL)

“The Best of Dorien B.” by Anke Blondé
Produced by Dries Phlypo (ACE BE) and Jean-Claude Van Rijckeghem (ACE BE)
Co-produced by Marleen Slot (ACE NL)
Big Screen Competition

“Birds of Passage” by Cristina Gallego and Ciro Guerra
Produced by Cristina Gallego (ACE CO)
Co-produced by Nicolás Celis (ACE MX) and Eva Jakobsen (ACE DK)

“Coureur” by Kenneth Mercken
Produced by Eurydice Gysel (ACE BE)

“Dirty God” by Sacha Polak
Produced by Marleen Slot (ACE NL)
Co-produced by Dries Phlypo (ACE BE) and Conor Barry (ACE BE)

“Entre Dos Aguas” by Isaki Lacuesta
Produced by Paco Poch (ACE ES)

“Genèse” by Philippe Lesage
Produced by Galilé Marion-Gauvin (ACE CA)

“Happy as Lazzaro” by Alice Rohrwacher
Produced by Carlo Cresto-Dina (ACE IT), Francesca Andreoli (ACE IT)
and Tiziana Soudani (ACE CH)

“I Do Not Care If We Go Down in History as Barbarians”
Produced by Ada Solomon (ACE RO)
Co-produced by Jonas Dornbach (ACE DE) and Janine Jackowski (ACE DE)

“Our Wonderful Lives” by Fabienne Godet
Produced by Bertrand Faivre (ACE FR)

“Rafiki” by Wanuri Kahiu
Co-produced by Claire Gadéa (ACE FR)
and Roman Paul (ACE DE)

“Souvenir” by Miriam Gossing and Lina Sieckmann
Produced by Herbert Schwering (ACE DE)

“Tel Aviv on Fire” by Sameh Zoabi
Produced by Amir Harel (ACE IL), Bernard Michaux (ACE LU)
and Miléna Poylo (ACE FR)

“Transinistra” by Anna Eborn
Co-produced by Katja Adomeit
Big Screen Competition

Signatures

“God Only Knows” by Mijke de Jong
Produced by Laurette Schillings (ACE NL)

“Gold is All there Is” by Andrea Caccia
Produced by Marco Alessi (ACE IT)

“High Life” by Claire Denis
Produced by Claudia Steffen (ACE DE)

“Our Time” by Carlos Reygadas
Co-produced by Eva Jakobsen (ACE DK)