ACE is pleased to open the call for applications for the 3rd ACE Series Special!

Thanks to VAF and CFAP for their valuable support, to our media partner Variety and Variety Intelligence Platform and also to the international series festival, Series Mania for the fruitful partnership!

With more and more demand for content, with a market that is changing daily and as producers look for new ways of working and diversifying their output, the ACE Series Special is more essential than ever.

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.

16-18 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 story development, marketing, audiences, international approaches, and business strategies. The workshop will give producers a chance to work on their projects through one-to-one meetings with experts and group sessions with their peers.

During the Series Special an environment is created where, as well as benefiting from consultants’ know-how and expertise, the participants learn from each other – explaining how they work in their own territories; how they set-up their legal and financing structures; how they run their businesses – and advise each other on good practices.

Previous consultants include, Davide Nardini (Amazon Italy), Noemi Ferrer (DR Sales), Ed Guiney (Element Pictures), Liz Kilgariff (Fire Bird Pictures), Tatiana Samopian (Fractal Volcano), Christian Vesper (Fremantle), Caroline Benjo (Haut et Court), Marc Lorber (Lionsgate), Philippe Kreuzer (Maze Pictures), Mario Gianani (Wildside).

WORKSHOP DATES
6th – 11st of December 2021

LOCATION
Brussels, Belgium, with sessions online before and after

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.

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.

APPLICATION DEADLINE
1st July 2021

HOW TO APPLY
To request an application form please email series@ace-producers.com.
ACE will send the application form only to clearly eligible candidates.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
ace-producers.com/series-special

ACE is pleased to support the European Producers Club‘s initiative to establish a Code of Fair Practices when working with the streamers for European independent producers.

The EPC has been working on this code for many months to provide this text as an answer from the European independent producers for minimum standards terms when working with the streamers. Their predominance in the European market, increased with the sanitary crisis, and their business model is seen by many as endangering the independent sector as a whole and more widely its cultural diversity.

The value of the role of an independent production company should be recognised in the producers’ relationships with VOD Services, in particular through the contractual terms regarding the funding and exploitation of each project. The Code of Fair Practices aims to establish basic parameters to be applied to VOD Services’ contracts when commissioning feature films, TV series and other audiovisual works (“originals”) from independent production companies. The code focuses on four points:

1. Fair and proportionate remuneration and economic participation for producers
2. Producers’ contribution and right to participate in future derivative works
3. Transparency and Accountability
4. Public Benefits and Fiscal Incentives

Click here to find more information.

Best Picture

“The Father” by Florian Zeller
Produced by Philippe Carcassonne (ACE France)

Actor in a leading role

Antony Hopkins in “The Father” by Florian Zeller
Produced by Philippe Carcassonne (ACE France)

Actress in a supporting role

Olivia Colman in “The Father” by Florian Zeller
Produced by Philippe Carcassonne (ACE France

Directing

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

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

“The Father” by Florian Zeller
Produced by Philippe Carcassonne (ACE France)

Documentary Feature

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

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

International Feature Film

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

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

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

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

Film Editing

“The Father” by Florian Zeller
Produced by Philippe Carcassonne (ACE France)

Production Design

“The Father” by Florian Zeller
Produced by Philippe Carcassonne (ACE France)

ACE Producers has selected 14 emerging producers for the first edition of ACE Training Days NL, a workshop aiming at strengthening upcoming producers from the Netherlands and the neighbouring countries Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany. Focusing on “The Essentials of International Co-Production & Finance”, it gives the  participants the opportunity to learn from established producers and film professionals and to further develop their network. The ACE Training Days NL is set up with the  collaborating partners Netherlands Film Fund, NAPA, Film Forward and Eye Filmmuseum.

The 2-day workshop (17 – 19 May 2021) will enable the selected producers to gain more knowledge on the international context of audiovisual production, concentrating mainly on the landscape of co-productions and financing a film internationally, but will also provide additional knowledge on the set-up of international markets and film festivals.

In the past, ACE Producers already organised the ACE Training Days workshops in the Czech Republic for producers from Central Europe and Finland for the Nordic territories.

Jacobine van der Vloed: “We’re excited about the great selection of up-and-coming producers for the first ACE Training Days NL! According to the main goal of ACE Producers, the ACE Training Days workshops create opportunities for international co-production and collaboration. Bringing emerging producers’ careers forward is the foundation for a successful and strong European film industry.’’

 

SELECTED PRODUCERS FOR ACE TRAINING DAYS NL:

Fabian Driehorst, Fabian&Fred, Germany
Roxana Richters, Chromosom Film, Germany
Aydin Dehzad, Freelance, Netherlands
Tom van Blommestein, Lemming Film, Netherlands
Maaike Neve, BIND Film, Netherlands
Max De Wolf, TopKapi Films, Netherlands
Emma Kuijper, DOXY, Netherlands
Chris Elize Stenger, Family Affair Films, Netherlands
Loes Komen, Room for Film, Netherlands
Charlotte Driessen, Harpy Films, Netherlands
Fee Buck, Pandora Film, Germany
Anna Werner, Komplizen Film, Germany
Tim Martens, Krater, Belgium
Neigeme Glasgow-Maeda, Wady Films, Luxembourg

Together with the ACE Mentoring Programme, the ACE Training Days NL 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:
maegenefabias@ace-producers.com

Competition

“Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn” by Radu Jude
Produced by Ada Solomon (ACE Romania)

“Memory Box” by Joana Hadjithomas & Khalil Joreige
Produced by Carole Scotta (ACE France)
Co-produced by Luc Déry (ACE Canada)

“Natural Light” by Dénes Nagy
Co-produced by Olivier Dubois (ACE Belgium), Viktória Petrányi (ACE Hungary) and Felix Blum (ACE Germany)

Berlinale Special Gala

“Je Suis Karl” by Christian Schwochow
Produced by Claudia Steffen (ACE Germany)
Co-produced by Pavel Strnad (ACE Czech Republic)

Panorama

“Human Factors” by Ronny Trocker
Produced by Paul Zischler (ACE Germany), Co-produced by Eva Jakobsen (ACE Denmark)

“Copilot” by Anne Zohra Berrached
Produced by Roman Paul (ACE Germany), Co-produced by Carole Scotta (ACE France)

Generation

“Any Day Now” by Hamy Ramezan
Produced by Jussi Rantamäki (ACE Finland)

“Mission Ulja Funk” by Barbara Kronenberg
Co-produced by Bernard Michaux (ACE Luxembourg) and Joanna Szymanksa (ACE Poland)

“Tabija” by Igor Drljača
Produced by Amra Baksic Camo (ACE Bosnia & Herzegovina)

ACE Producers has selected 3 outstanding up-and coming producers from the Netherlands for the ACE Mentoring Programme 2021. Designed and developed in collaboration with the Netherlands Film Fund, NAPA, Film Forward and Eye Filmmuseum, the ACE Mentoring Programme aims to support Dutch emerging producers in reaching the next level of experience and developing their international network by matching them with a mentor from the ACE Producers Network actively working within the European film industry.

For this first edition, ACE Producers has matched mentors of the ACE Network according to the specific needs of the selected producers. The mentorship includes meetings throughout the year at international festivals and events, and online.

Jacobine van der Vloed: “We selected the 3 producers based on their track-record, motivation statements, and the stage they are currently at within their own careers. ACE Producers wants to assist in the further development of these promising producers’ careers in order to sustain strong independent European cinema. The ACE Producers Network with its established and successful members has all the knowledge and expertise to provide for that.”

 

SELECTED PRODUCERS FOR ACE MENTORING PROGRAMME:

Rogier Kramer, Dutch Mountain Films
Mentor: Alexander Wadouh (ACE 28), Chromosom Film – Germany

Hugo Naber, SNG Films
Mentor: Mariusz Wlodarski (ACE 27), Lava Films – Poland

Steven Rubinstein Malamud, IJswater films
Mentor: Sophie Erbs (ACE 28), Cinema Defacto – France

 

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:
maegenefabias@ace-producers.com

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.

Big Screen Competition

ACE Producers has selected 17 experienced independent producers for the ACE Animation Special 2021. The intensive workshop is designed to deepen their knowledge of developing and producing long form,feature film and series animation production for an international audience including cinema, broadcast as well as streaming. Producers applied with animated features and series projects in early development. Originally set to take place during Animation Dingle it was postponed to late June 2021 in Dublin due to the current situation. The selected producers will kick off the workshop with an online session in March giving them the opportunity to benefit from the online Animation Dingle programme.

The ACE Animation Special is supported by Screen Skills Ireland, Screen Ireland, Animation Skillnet, BAI (Broadcasting Authority of Ireland) and Animation Ireland in close collaboration with Animation Dingle.

Of this year’s event, ACE director Jacobine van der Vloed said, “We’re thrilled to be joining with our Irish partners once again for the Animation Special. Of course, the fact that we’re not going to be in Dingle in March is disappointing for all involved, but after our experience last year, we’re confident of delivering a dynamic workshop that will offer our producers the key knowledge to make their way in the animation industry.”

 

SELECTED ACE ANIMATION SPECIAL PRODUCERS:

Simonetta Amenta (ACE Italy), Eurofilm

Emilie Blézat (ACE France), SCIAPODE

Maria Blicharska (ACE Poland/France), Donten et Lacroix/Blick Productions

Fiona Copland (New Zealand), Field Theory

Valérie Delpierre (Spain), Inicia Films

David Epiney (Switzerland), Alina film

Marion Guth, (Luxembourg), a_BAHN

Chris Hees (United Kingdom), Bridge Way Films

Niamh Herrity (Ireland), Pink Kong

Nicole Kellerhals (Germany), X Filme Creative Pool

Tamsin Lyons (Ireland), Ink and Light

Errol Nayci (Netherlands), Storytellers Animation

Kristy Neville (Canada), Wildling Pictures

Sébastien Onomo (ACE France), Special Touch Studio

Iris Otten (ACE Netherlands), Pupkin Film

Aleksandar Protic (Serbia), MIR MEDIA GROUP

Vanessa Robinson (Ireland), Little Moon Animation

 

Topics covered include story development, visual world building and asset creation, international production workflows in multi-country co-productions, financing strategies, physical line production, the integration of an animation department into an existing (film-) production company as well as an assessment of the demands and expectation of broadcasters.

Among the experts of this year’s edition are Oscar nominated and BAFTA winning Magic Light Pictures producers Martin Pope and Michael Rose (“Zog and the Flying Doctors”), BAFTA-winning producer Claire Jennings (“Coraline”, “Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit”) and renowned animation producer Simon Quinn (“Isle of Dogs”). The full list will be announced shortly. Last year’s expert line-up included Peter Lord founder of Aardman Studios, Chris Dicker, then head of development at Jam Media, Cartoon Network’s Sarah Fell, Michael Ryan of GFM Films and Jean Baptiste Babin of Backup Media.

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

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

A previous version of this post also included Michael Margulis (Ukraine – Kapi Animationas) as a participant. Unfortunately, he had to withdraw from the workshop.

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)