ACE Producers is pleased to announce the Call for Applications for the Training Days SK 2026, taking place on 14 & 15 April, in Modra, Slovakia.

The ACE Training Days SK is themed around “How to Build a Sustainable Economic Foundation for Your Business” and is designed for emerging producers at relatively early stages in their careers. The programme welcomes producers working in fiction, animation and documentary and strives to make the industry more inclusive and diverse.

The world is changing fast and the world of film and television is no different. Just when you think you have everything under control, something changes. Ever-evolving technology, changing legislation, climate change, turbulent politics and so on. This has a huge impact on film production companies and the people who work for them, requiring a great deal of flexibility, adaptability and above all, the right strategy supported by accurate leadership.

In this workshop we will focus on two main pillars of building a sustainable business in this VUCA* times:

• Developing and implementing an agile and at the same time sustainable strategy;
• Effective leadership in a VUCA world.

*VUCA stands for:
Volatility: The nature and dynamics of change, and the speed at which things evolve.
Uncertainty: The lack of predictability and the inability to foresee future events.
Complexity: The multitude of interconnected and interdependent variables that can complicate decision-making and problem-solving.
Ambiguity: The lack of clarity about the meaning of an event or situation, making it hard to interpret and act decisively.

The ACE Training Days SK has been set up in collaboration with the Slovak Audiovisual Fund.

WORKSHOP DATES
14 & 15 April 2026

LOCATION
Modra, Slovakia

ELIGIBILITY CONDITIONS

• Emerging producers at a relatively early stage in their careers;
• Producers should have at least one credit on a short film;
• Producers will best benefit from the workshop when already working on feature-length projects in development;
• Producers would need to be committed to attend the entire workshop;
• Producers who were selected for previous editions of the Training Days are eligible to re-apply.

FEES

The participation fee for the workshop is €150 (excluding VAT, if applicable). This includes the workshop programme and subsistence during the workshop. Travel and accommodation expenses that may arise will not be covered by the organisation.

APPLICATION DEADLINE
6 March 2026, noon CEST (up to 6 places available)

HOW TO APPLY
You can apply by completing the application form. In the form, we request the following information:

• A one-page motivational letter;
• A company profile;
• Producer’s biography & filmography;
• List of current projects in development (with information and status on each project).

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Contact us at ace@ace-producers.com

ACE Producers has selected 18 experienced independent producers for the 7^th edition of the ACE Animation Special. The intensive workshop is designed to provide extensive knowledge of how to diversify business with developing and producing long form, feature film and series animation productions for an international audience including cinema, broadcast and streaming. Supported by Screen Ireland, the Netherlands Film Fund and Animation Ireland, the ACE Animation Special will take place from the 17^th to the 22^nd March 2026 in Dingle, Ireland, in collaboration with the Animation Dingle festival.

Focusing primarily on the creative and financial aspects of feature and long form 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 sessions on physical line production as well as case studies on completed animation projects.

SELECTED ACE ANIMATION SPECIAL PRODUCERS:

Agne Adomene – ART SHOT – Lithuania

Marine Arrighi de Casanova – Apsara Films – France

Brunella Cocchiglia – Lovely Productions – Ireland

Alexander Glehr – Film AG Produktions GmbH – Austria

David Keitsch – Komplizen Film – Germany

Felipe Lage – Zeitun Films – Spain

Natalia Libet – 2Brave Productions – Ukraine

Lillian Løvseth – Loev Film (LØV Film) – Norway

Heather Millard – Compass Films & Animation Studio Iceland – Iceland

Ed Moline – Lighthouse Studios – Ireland

Chantal Nissen – Cool Beans / Katuni – The Netherlands

Samuli Norhomaa – Just Republic Oy – Finland

Julia Ouston – Title Page Films – United Kingdom

Marta Reguera – Fox in the Snow – Sweden

Vicki Rock – Enter Yes – United Kingdom

Danae Spathara – HERETIC – Greece

Artem Vasyliev – Lazy Sunday – Ireland/Moldova

Bostjan Virc – Leavante Produzioni – Italy

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

BEST PICTURE

BUGONIA by Yorgos Lanthimos
Produced by Ed Guiney (ACE Ireland)

THE SECRET AGENT by Kleber Mendonça Filho
Co-produced by Leontine Petit & Erik Glijnis (ACE The Netherlands)

SENTIMENTAL VALUE by Joachim Trier
Produced by Andrea Berentsen Ottmar (ACE Norway)
Co-produced by Jonas Dornbach (ACE Germany) & Janine Jackowski (ACE Germany)

BEST DIRECTOR

SENTIMENTAL VALUE by Joachim Trier
Produced by Andrea Berentsen Ottmar (ACE Norway)
Co-produced by Jonas Dornbach (ACE Germany) & Janine Jackowski (ACE Germany)

BEST ACTOR

Wagner Moura for THE SECRET AGENT by Kleber Mendonça Filho
Co-produced by Leontine Petit & Erik Glijnis (ACE The Netherlands)

BEST ACTRESS

Renate Reinsve for SENTIMENTAL VALUE by Joachim Trier
Produced by Andrea Berentsen Ottmar (ACE Norway)
Co-produced by Jonas Dornbach (ACE Germany) & Janine Jackowski (ACE Germany)

Emma Stone for BUGONIA by Yorgos Lanthimos
Produced by Ed Guiney (ACE Ireland)

SUPPORTING ACTOR

Stellan Skarsgård for SENTIMENTAL VALUE by Joachim Trier
Produced by Andrea Berentsen Ottmar (ACE Norway)
Co-produced by Jonas Dornbach (ACE Germany), Janine Jackowski (ACE Germany)

SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Elle Fanning for SENTIMENTAL VALUE by Joachim Trier
Produced by Andrea Berentsen Ottmar (ACE Norway)
Co-produced by Jonas Dornbach (ACE Germany), Janine Jackowski (ACE Germany)

Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas for SENTIMENTAL VALUE by Joachim Trier
Produced by Andrea Berentsen Ottmar (ACE Norway)
Co-produced by Jonas Dornbach (ACE Germany), Janine Jackowski (ACE Germany)

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Jafar Panahi for IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT by Jafar Panahi
Produced by Philippe Martin (ACE France) and David Thion (ACE France)

Eskil Vogt and Joachim Trier for SENTIMENTAL VALUE by Joachim Trier
Produced by Andrea Berentsen Ottmar (ACE Norway)
Co-produced by Jonas Dornbach (ACE Germany), Janine Jackowski (ACE Germany)

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Will Tracy for BUGONIA by Yorgos Lanthimos
Produced by Ed Guiney (ACE Ireland

INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM

THE SECRET AGENT by Kleber Mendonça Filho
Co-produced by Leontine Petit & Erik Glijnis (ACE The Netherlands)

IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT by Jafar Panahi
Produced by Philippe Martin (ACE France) and David Thion (ACE France)

SENTIMENTAL VALUE by Joachim Trier
Produced by Andrea Berentsen Ottmar (ACE Norway)
Co-produced by Jonas Dornbach (ACE Germany) & Janine Jackowski (ACE Germany)

SIRĀT by Olivier Laxe
Produced by Mani Mortazavi (ACE France)

THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB by  Kaouther Ben Hania
Produced by Nadim Cheikhrouha (ACE France)

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)
BUGONIA by Yorgos Lanthimos
Produced by Ed Guiney (ACE Ireland)

SOUND
SIRĀT by Olivier Laxe
Produced by Mani Mortazavi (ACE France)

MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
THE UGLY STEPSISTER by Emilie Blichfeldt
Co-produced by Ada Solomon (ACE Romania) and Mariusz Włodarski (ACE Poland)

BEST EDITING

SENTIMENTAL VALUE by Joachim Trier
Produced by Andrea Berentsen Ottmar (ACE Norway)
Co-produced by Jonas Dornbach (ACE Germany) & Janine Jackowski (ACE Germany)

CASTING
THE SECRET AGENT by Kleber Mendonça Filho
Co-produced by Leontine Petit & Erik Glijnis (ACE The Netherlands)

We’re also very proud to see a Best Animated Film nomination for Little Amélie or the Character of Rain, which was developed during the ACE Animation Special.

Best European Film
SENTIMENTAL VALUE by Joachim Trier
Produced by Andrea Berentsen Ottmar (ACE Norway)
Co-produced by Jonas Dornbach (ACE Germany) & Janine Jackowski (ACE Germany)

Best European Director
SENTIMENTAL VALUE by Joachim Trier
Produced by Andrea Berentsen Ottmar (ACE Norway)
Co-produced by Jonas Dornbach (ACE Germany) & Janine Jackowski (ACE Germany)

Best European Actress
Renate Reinsve for SENTIMENTAL VALUE by Joachim Trier
Produced by Andrea Berentsen Ottmar (ACE Norway)
Co-produced by Jonas Dornbach (ACE Germany) & Janine Jackowski (ACE Germany)

Best European Actor
Stellan Skarsgård for SENTIMENTAL VALUE by Joachim Trier
Produced by Andrea Berentsen Ottmar (ACE Norway)
Co-produced by Jonas Dornbach (ACE Germany) & Janine Jackowski (ACE Germany)

Best European Screenwriter
Eskil Vogt & Joachim Trier for SENTIMENTAL VALUE by Joachim Trier
Produced by Andrea Berentsen Ottmar (ACE Norway)
Co-produced by Jonas Dornbach (ACE Germany) & Janine Jackowski (ACE Germany)

European Young Audience Award
SIBLINGS by Greta Scarano
Produced by Andrea Paris (ACE Italy)

Best European Casting Director
Nadia Acimi, Luís Bértolo & María Rodrigo for SIRĀT by Olivier Laxe
Produced by Mani Mortazavi (ACE France)

Best European Cinematographer
Mau ro Herce for SIRĀT by Olivier Laxe
Produced by Mani Mortazavi (ACE France)

Best European Composer (Original Score)
Hania Rani for SENTIMENTAL VALUE by Joachim Trier
Produced by Andrea Berentsen Ottmar (ACE Norway)
Co-produced by Jonas Dornbach (ACE Germany) & Janine Jackowski (ACE Germany)

Best European Editor
Cristóbal Fernández for SIRĀT by Olivier Laxe
Produced by Mani Mortazavi (ACE France)

Best European Make-up & Hair Artist
Torsten Witte for BUGONIA by Yorgos Lanthimos
Produced by Ed Guiney (ACE Ireland)

Best European Production Designer
Laia Ateca for SIRĀT by Olivier Laxe
Produced by Mani Mortazavi (ACE France)

Best European Sound Designer
Laia Casanovas for SIRĀT by Olivier Laxe
Produced by Mani Mortazavi (ACE France)

Eurimages International Co-Production Award 2026
Komplizen Film – Jonas Dornbach (ACE Germany) and Janine Jackowski (ACE Germany)

WORLD CINEMA DRAMATIC COMPETITION

HOW TO DIVORCE DURING THE WAR by Andrius Blazevicius
Produced by Marija Razgute (ACE Lithuania)
Co-produced by Jessie Fisk (ACE Ireland) & Vratislav Slajer (ACE Czech Republic)

LEVITATING by Wregas Bhanuteja
Co-produced by Si En Tan (ACE Singapore)

SHAME AND MONEY by Visar Morina
Co-produced by Marija Dimitrova (ACE North Macedonia)

PREMIERES

FRANK & LOUIS by Petra Biondina Volpe
Produced by Reto Schärli (ACE Switzerland)

IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE by Andrew Stanton
Executive Produced by Daniel Bekerman (ACE Canada)

TIME AND WATER by Sara Dosa
Co-produced by Heather Millard (ACE Iceland)

THE WEIGHT by Padraic McKinley
Executive Produced by Oana Iancu (ACE Romania)

FICTION PILOT SHOWCASE

WORRIED by Nicole Holofcener
Produced by Daniel Bekerman (ACE Canada)

NONFICTION PILOT SHOWCASE

THE OLIGARCH AND THE ART DEALER by Andreas Dalsgaard
Produced by Miriam Nørgaard (ACE Denmark)

ACE Producers today announces a leadership transition reflecting the Association’s continued growth and long-term vision. President Marleen Slot and the ACE Board are delighted to welcome Inke Van Loocke as its new Director and Adrien Barrouillet as Senior Studies Manager, following the hugely successful nine-year tenure of outgoing Director and Head of Studies, Jacobine van der Vloed.

The transition follows Jacobine’s much lauded leadership during which she implemented the successful move of the association from Paris to the Netherlands in 2017, and where she and the ACE team re-established the Association as Europe’s premier training and networking community of independent producers. Other accomplishments included expanding the ACE Annual Programme and revitalising the organisation, shown by a 40% growth of the ACE Network and a 200% rise in applications.

Jacobine oversaw the development of new programmes including the ACE Series Special, ACE Animation Special and ACE Leadership Special, which have trained over 240 experienced producers. The ACE Springboard Programme was also established to mentor and train emerging professionals, with the aim of creating a successful new generation of independent producers.

Marleen Slot, President of ACE Producers, said:
“Jacobine has played a pivotal role in the development of ACE. Under her leadership we have grown in strength and professionalism and she has laid a solid foundation for the years ahead. We are deeply grateful for her vision, commitment, and the way she has shaped the Association. We look forward to hearing what she chooses to do next and wish her all the best.

As part of the transition we are delighted to welcome our new Director, Inke Van Loocke. Inke comes to us with a wealth of experience in talent and project development at IFFR as well as a wide international network and broad industry knowledge. She and our new Senior Studies Manager Adrien Barouillet bring complementary strengths which align perfectly with ACE’s next phase, expanding the relevance of its programmes, deepening international partnerships and strengthening our producer network. We look forward to working with them to build ACE’s future while embracing new opportunities.”

As Director, Inke Van Loocke will lead ACE’s Amsterdam-based international team and manage the Association towards the realisation of its mission to deliver Europe’s premier executive training to independent producers.

Inke Van Loocke joins after nearly two decades at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, followed by an impactful managerial role at the Schiedam Library. During her tenure at IFFR, Inke became head of the festival’s industry strand, overseeing its strategic vision and professional programmes, while before that she led two of IFFR’s cornerstone initiatives: the CineMart co-production market and the Rotterdam Lab workshop.

Inke Van Loocke said:
“ACE Producers embodies the kind of filmmaking culture that I value most: one that is grounded in artistic ambition, collaboration, and an unwavering belief in independent voices. Over the past years, Jacobine, the team, board and members have built an amazing home for creative leadership together. Fostering a supportive and thriving network has been a guiding principle throughout my career, and I am honoured and excited to take on this role.”

Inke will join the ACE team at the beginning of 2026, alongside new Senior Studies Manager Adrien Barrouillet. In his role, Adrien will deliver ACE’s outstanding training programmes which continue to evolve and adapt to the needs of the industry. Adrien was previously the founder of Furyo Films in France, producing the 2024 film In the Land of Brothers, which won the Directing Award – World Cinema Dramatic Competition at the Sundance Film Festival.

Jacobine van der Vloed said:
“I am delighted to be leaving the wonderful ACE organisation in such good health. Inke and I worked together at Rotterdam, so I know how kind, driven and motivated she is. I am so pleased that she is stepping up to the role of Director and I’m sure she will lead ACE to discover fresh perspectives. It’s been the most amazing job, but I’ve been thinking for a while about what I want to do next. In the short term my next steps are going to be physical ones, as I plan to take some time off and do some hiking!”

Best Picture – Drama

IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT by Jafar Panahi
Produced by Philippe Martin (ACE France) and David Thion (ACE France)

THE SECRET AGENT by Kleber Mendonça Filho
Co-produced by Leontine Petit & Erik Glijnis (ACE The Netherlands)

SENTIMENTAL VALUE by Joachim Trier
Produced by Andrea Berentsen Ottmar (ACE Norway)
Co-produced by Jonas Dornbach (ACE Germany), Janine Jackowski (ACE Germany)

Best Picture – Musical or Comedy

BUGONIA by Yorgos Lanthimos
Produced by Ed Guiney (ACE Ireland)

Best Director

IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT by Jafar Panahi
Produced by Philippe Martin (ACE France) and David Thion (ACE France)

SENTIMENTAL VALUE by Joachim Trier
Produced by Andrea Berentsen Ottmar (ACE Norway)
Co-produced by Jonas Dornbach (ACE Germany), Janine Jackowski (ACE Germany)

Best Screenplay

Jafar Panahi for IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT by Jafar Panahi
Produced by Philippe Martin (ACE France) and David Thion (ACE France)

Eskil Vogt and Joachim Trier for SENTIMENTAL VALUE by Joachim Trier
Produced by Andrea Berentsen Ottmar (ACE Norway)
Co-produced by Jonas Dornbach (ACE Germany), Janine Jackowski (ACE Germany)

Best performance by an actor in a motion picture – drama

Wagner Moura for THE SECRET AGENT by Kleber Mendonça Filho
Co-produced by Leontine Petit & Erik Glijnis (ACE The Netherlands)

Best performance by an actress in a motion picture – drama

Renate Reinsve for SENTIMENTAL VALUE by Joachim Trier
Produced by Andrea Berentsen Ottmar (ACE Norway)
Co-produced by Jonas Dornbach (ACE Germany), Janine Jackowski (ACE Germany)

Best performance by an actress in a motion picture – musical or comedy

Amanda Seyfried for THE TESTAMENT OF ANN LEE by Mona Fastvold
Produced by Viktória Petrányi (ACE Hungary)

Emma Stone for BUGONIA by Yorgos Lanthimos
Produced by Ed Guiney (ACE Ireland)

Best performance by an actor in a motion picture – musical or comedy

Jesse Plemons for BUGONIA by Yorgos Lanthimos
Produced by Ed Guiney (ACE Ireland)

Best supporting actor

Stellan Skarsgård for SENTIMENTAL VALUE by Joachim Trier
Produced by Andrea Berentsen Ottmar (ACE Norway)
Co-produced by Jonas Dornbach (ACE Germany), Janine Jackowski (ACE Germany)

Best supporting actress

Elle Fanning for SENTIMENTAL VALUE by Joachim Trier
Produced by Andrea Berentsen Ottmar (ACE Norway)
Co-produced by Jonas Dornbach (ACE Germany), Janine Jackowski (ACE Germany)

Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas for SENTIMENTAL VALUE by Joachim Trier
Produced by Andrea Berentsen Ottmar (ACE Norway)
Co-produced by Jonas Dornbach (ACE Germany), Janine Jackowski (ACE Germany)

Best picture – non-English language

IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT by Jafar Panahi
Produced by Philippe Martin (ACE France) and David Thion (ACE France)

THE SECRET AGENT by Kleber Mendonça Filho
Co-produced by Leontine Petit & Erik Glijnis (ACE The Netherlands)

SENTIMENTAL VALUE by Joachim Trier
Produced by Andrea Berentsen Ottmar (ACE Norway)
Co-produced by Jonas Dornbach (ACE Germany), Janine Jackowski (ACE Germany)

SIRAT by Olivier Laxe
Produced by Mani Mortazavi (ACE France)

THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB by  Kaouther Ben Hania
Produced by Nadim Cheikhrouha (ACE France)

Best original score

Kangding Ray for SIRAT by Olivier Laxe
Produced by Mani Mortazavi (ACE France)

We’re also very excited to see a project developed during the ACE Animation Special nominated for Best Motion Picture – Animation: Little Amélie or the Character of Rain