Gearing up for its fifth edition, ACE Producers has selected ten emerging producers for the ACE Mentoring Programme EU 2026 from Europe and beyond.

The aim of the programme is to support emerging producers in reaching the next level of their careers and extending their international network by offering them the opportunity to learn from established mentors from within ACE Producers Network actively working within the international film industry.

Each selected producer has been carefully matched to a mentor according to their specific needs. This tailor-made programme includes (online) meetings throughout the year, with the intent to share collective knowledge with a new generation of producers.

SELECTED PRODUCERS FOR ACE MENTORING PROGRAMME EU 2026: 

Anne-Flore Aussant – Studio Marguya – Ireland
Mentor: Amanda Livanou – Neda Film – Greece

Flavia Biurrun – Saga Film – Belgium
Mentor: Snezana van Houwelingen – This and That Productions – Serbia

Maximiliano Bolados Jara – Bússola Film – France
Mentor: Titus Kreyenberg – unafilm – Germany

Melissa Byrne – Nordpolaris – Germany
Mentor: Laurence Lascary – De l’autre côté du périph (DACP) – France

Fahriye Ismayilova – Parda Film Production – Türkiye
Mentor: Carla Fotea – microfilm – Romania

Sarah Kang – Seesaw Pictures – South Korea
Mentor: Denis Vaslin – Volya Films – The Netherlands

Matěj Paclík – Breathless Films – Czech Republic
Mentor: Bernard Michaux – Samsa Film– Luxembourg

Bahnam Roshan – Prespective – Iran
Mentor: Kurban Kassam – Raucous Pictures – United Kingdom

Betty Sulty-Johnson – Habebo Studios – France
Mentor: Joram Willink – Bind Film – The Netherlands

Marta Szarzyńska – Watchout Studio – Poland
Mentor: Filipa Reis – Uma Pedra No Sapato – Portugal

 

Together with the ACE Training Days, the ACE Mentoring Programmes are part of ACE Springboard, a combination of programmes focusing on emerging independent producers to strengthen their 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!

More information on the ACE Springboard Programmes can be found here.
For questions, contact us at ace@ace-producers.com. 

ACE Producers is excited to announce the 6 emerging producers from Slovakia, selected to participate in the upcoming ACE Training Days SK. Taking place on 14 and 15 April 2026 in Modra, the workshop will focus on “How to Build a Sustainable Economic Foundation for Your Business”.

The ACE Training Days SK is a tailor-made programme designed for producers from Slovakia who are looking to expand their networks and learn more about how to build a sustainable economic foundation for their businesses. The workshop welcomes producers working in fiction, animation and documentary.

This interactive workshop will include different sessions by trusted ACE consultants, and networking opportunities with the producers of the ACE 35 Annual Programme, who will be in Modra for the third session of their programme Business Prospects Workshop (BPW) and in Bratislava for the ACE Annual Reunion.

The ACE Training Days SK, ACE 35 Business Prospects Workshop and the Annual Reunion are supported by the Slovak Audiovisual Fund, SAPA and Košice Region Film Office

PRODUCERS SELECTED FOR THE ACE TRAINING DAYS SK 2026:

Nataša Findrová – Murmur Films

Michaela Kaliská – NINJA film

Andrej Kolencik – Admiral Films

Radka Machalová – Bright Sight Pictures

Roman Pivovarník – HITCHHIKER Cinema

Marianna Vadovičová – Silverart

Together with the ACE Mentoring Programme, the ACE Training Days are part of ACE Springboard, a combination of programmes strengthening emerging independent producers. 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, for more information please contact us at ace@ace-producers.com.

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 based in Slovakia, 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

ACE Producers and the Independent Film Foundation are excited to announce the 12 emerging producers selected for the fifth edition of ACE Training Days Poland, a workshop aimed at strengthening upcoming producers from Poland and other Central Eastern European countries. Focusing on “Fundamentals of International Co-productions”, it gives the participants the opportunity to learn from established producers and film professionals and to further develop their international network. The ACE Training Days Poland is supported by the Polish Film Institute.

The 2-day interactive workshop, taking place on 26 and 27 November 2025, includes plenary sessions and case studies, as well as group meetings and round table discussions, provided with the help of ACE consultants and producers who have notably strong track-records in international financing, co-production, sales and distribution, and who will share their knowledge and international expertise.

The Training Days Poland is connected to the ACE 35 Financing Strategies Workshop (24 – 29 November 2025, Warsaw), which is a workshop within the ACE Annual Programme organised for the selected 18 experienced producers from Europe and beyond.

 

SELECTED PRODUCERS FOR ACE TRAINING DAYS POLAND:

Greta Akcijonaite – Magic Film – Lithuania

Marita Bierońska – Hamsa Film – Poland

Malwina Gorecka – EGo FILM and nonoto film cooperative – Poland

Kristina Husová – Pure Shore – Czech Republic

Małgorzata Małysa – Furia Film – Poland

Matěj Paclík – Breathless Films – Czech Republic

Justinas Pocius – Smart Casual – Lithuania

Jakub Rálek – BFILM.cz – Czech Republic

Agnieszka Rostropowicz – Consigliere Film Studio – Poland

Nevena Semova – Attic Films – Bulgaria

Rafał Ulicki – Raster Film – Poland

Maria Wachowiak-Czuchnowska – No Prob Production House – Poland

Together with the ACE Mentoring Programme, the ACE Training Days are part of ACE Springboard, a combination of programmes strengthening emerging independent producers. 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, for more information please contact us at ace@ace-producers.com.

11 emerging producers have been selected for the upcoming ACE Training Days NL. Taking place on 14 and 15 October 2025 in Leiden and Amsterdam, the workshop will focus on “How to Build a Sustainable Economic Foundation for Your Business”.

The ACE Training Days NL is a tailor-made programme designed for emerging producers at relatively early stages in their careers, who are looking to expand their network and learn more about the international context of the audiovisual industry. The workshop 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* time:

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

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

 

PRODUCERS SELECTED FOR THE ACE TRAINING DAYS NL 2025:

Maritza Grass – Carousel Film – Germany

Dwight Groot – Narang Film – The Netherlands

Rosalien Hollestelle – Bind Film – The Netherlands

Katharina Kolleczek – Kalekone Film – Germany

Nina Landau – Associate Director – Belgium

Zipporah Nyaruri – Zippy Creatives – The Netherlands

Sulin Passial – Pantalla Chica Productions – Curacao

Anna-Sophie Philippi – Contando Films – Germany

Felix Schreiber – Sommerhaus Filmproduktion – Germany

Daniel Tenné – 70 Steps – Germany

Marijn van der Ploeg – Mad Scientists Movement – The Netherlands

Together with the ACE Mentoring Programme, the ACE Training Days, is part of ACE Springboard, a combination of programmes focusing on emerging independent producers to strengthen their 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!

More information on the ACE Springboard Programmes can be found here.
For questions, contact us at ace@ace-producers.com.

Anaïs Bertrand – Insolence Productions – France
“Bergies” directed by Dian Weys

Ioanna Bolomyti – Atalante Productions – Greece
“Sunbruise” directed by Stavros Markoulakis

Vanessa Ciszewski – Luftkind Filmverleih – Germany
“Minzi Monster” director to be confirmed   

Agnieszka Dziedzic – Koi Studio – Poland
“We Have No Chances” directed by Marta Karwowska

Emilia Fort – Avalon – Spain
“Basarda” directed by Salvador Sunyer

Lixi Frank – Panama Film – Austria
“Ice Cream” directed by Patric Chiha

Sébastien Haguenauer – 10:15 Productions – France
“Paz” directed by Guillaume de Fontenay

Elisa Heene – Mirage – Belgium
“L’Invention du Sauvage” directed by Fien Troch

Anda Ionescu – Tangaj Production – Romania
“Agatha Candy” directed by Andrei Tănase

Veselka Kiryakova – Red Carpet – Bulgaria
“Magdalena” directed by Dimitar Kutmanov

Kirill Krasovski – Blue Monticola Film – Germany
“Little Explosions” directed by Vladimir Beck

Vladimír Lhoták – Hausboot – Czech Republic
“The Northern Star” directed by Eléa Gobbé-Mévellec

Kim McCraw – micro-scope – Canada
“Heart’s Exil” directed by Ivan Grbovic

Kristýna Michálek Květová – Cinémotif Films – Czech Republic
“Nora” directed by Martin Krejčí

Rikke Tambo Andersen – Tambo Film ApS – Denmark
“The Devils’ Film” directed by Thora Lorentzen

Si En Tan – Momo Film Co – Singapore
“Other People’s Dreams” directed by Daniel Hui

Flaminio Zadra – Dorje Film – Italy
“Moldovan Story” directed by Giuseppe Gagliardi

Flavia Zanon- Close Up Films – Switzerland
“Sunlash” directed by Carmen Jaquier

ACE Producers has selected 18 experienced independent producers to participate in the 35^th edition of its ACE Annual Programme. Representing 15 different territories, the selected producers will attend three workshops throughout 2025 and 2026, developing the projects with which they applied and moving them forward. After completing the programme, these producers will join the established ACE Network.

The selection committee consisted of members of the ACE Network, ACE president Marleen Slot and director and head of studies Jacobine van der Vloed.

“We are delighted to welcome this inspiring new group of established producers, chosen from a record-breaking pool of applicants this year. Representing fifteen territories and a wide range of backgrounds, they bring with them a wealth of perspectives, experience, and expertise. Each producer adds something unique to the ACE Network, and we look forward to the collaborations and exchanges that the coming year will bring” Jacobine van der Vloed commented.

Four events make up the core of the training. The first workshop takes place in Leiden, The Netherlands, in mid-October, with the support of the Netherlands Film Fund. This workshop is dedicated to content development and includes group sessions and individual meetings, analysing the concepts, dramaturgy, and target audiences of producers’ projects.

In November, the second workshop, offering the producers advice on possible financing strategies for their projects, will take place in Warsaw, Poland, with the support of the Polish Film Institute and in collaboration with Independent Film Foundation. This week-long workshop consists 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 looks at the producers’ business strategies, providing them 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. The Business Prospects Workshop is immediately followed by the ACE Annual Reunion, where the new producers will be officially welcomed into the ACE Network.

The ACE Annual Programme is supported by Creative Europe MEDIA, Netherlands Film Fund, Polish Film Institute, Procirep, Screen Ireland, German Films, Téléfilm Canada, Roma Lazio Film Commission, Focal and APA Czech Republic – Audiovisual Producers Association.

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

Or contact:
thijsvanderlaak@ace-producers.com