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)

“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

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)

ACE Producers’ Films at Sundance 2019

WORLD CINEMA DRAMATIC COMPETITION

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

“The Last Tree” by Shola Amoo
Produced by Lee Thomas (ACE UK)

PREMIERES

“Animals” by Sophie Hyde
Produced by Cormac Fox (ACE IE)

“The Sunlit Night” by David Wnendt
Produced by Fabian Gasmia (ACE DE)

MIDNIGHT

“The Hole in the Ground” by Lee Cronin
Produced by Conor Barry (ACE IE)

SPOTLIGHT

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

ACE Producers’ Films – EFA Winners

European Co-Production Award – Prix Eurimages

Giorgos Karnavas (ACE GR) and Konstantinos Kontovrakis

European Discovery

“Girl” by Lukas Dhont
Co-produced by Jean-Yves Roubin (ACE BE)
and Laurette Schillings (ACE NL)

European Short Film

“The Years” by Sara Fgaier
Produced by Marco Alessi (ACE IT)

EFM Producers Hub – Partnership

Partnering with the European Film Market and the Berlinale Co-Production Market, ACE Producers will co-host the EFM Producers Hub which is aimed at all international producers attending the EFM with a professional business goal. Based on one of the core competences of the European Film Market as a sales and distribution platform, the EFM Producers Hub provides a working environment for professionals during the Berlinale. It will be a key location for producers to meet and network with potential partners.

Located on the 2nd floor of the Gropius Bau from Friday the 8th of February to Tuesday the 12th of February 2019, the EFM Producers Hub in collaboration with ACE Producers, will offer daily round-table discussions with experts and afternoon talks.

The programme of the Hub will be announced at the beginning of the year and it will be possible to sign up to the round-tables from the 22nd of January 2019.

Round Tables

The Round Table Sessions will take place daily from 8th until 12th February from 11-11.45am and 11.45 am-12.30 pm. At four tables located at different spots of the EFM Producers Hub, around six producers per table will have discussions and consultancy with an expert of ACE Producers.

The experts are the consultants and moderators of each session. They lead the discussion in order to optimise the outcome for the participants.

Producers can apply to participate in up to two sessions at a certain table between table 1 to table 4, during the whole EFM upon availability, by addressing their request to ACE Producers.

ACE Producers’ Films – EFA Nominations

European Film

“Girl” by Lukas Dhont
Co-produced by Jean-Yves Roubin (ACE BE)
and Laurette Schillings (ACE NL)

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

European Discovery

“Girl” by Lukas Dhont
Co-produced by Jean-Yves Roubin (ACE BE)
and Laurette Schillings (ACE NL)

European Director

“Foxtrot” by Samuel Maoz
produced by Cédomir Kolar (ACE FR)

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

European Actress

Marie Baumer for “3 Days in Quiberon” by Emily Atef
Produced by Karsten Stöter (ACE DE)

Barbara Lennie for “Petra” by Jaime Rosales
Produced by Jérôme Dopffer (ACE FR)
Co-produced by Eva Jakobsen (ACE DK)

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

European Actor

Victor Polster  for “Girl” by Lukas Dhont
Co-produced by Jean-Yves Roubin (ACE BE)
and Laurette Schillings (ACE NL)

European Screenwriter

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

ACE 28 Producers Selected

ACE Producers is pleased to announce the eighteen producers selected to participate in the 28th ACE Session (2018/2019) with their projects in development.

Marco Alessi – Dugong – Italy
“Li muerti” by Massimiliano Verdesca

Francesca Andreoli – tempesta – Italy
“Valley of Thieves” by Caterina Carone

Christophe Audeguis – the cup of tea – France
“Ducks” by Neary Adeline Hay

Daniel Bekerman – Scythia Films – Canada
“The Eden Express” Director TBD

Maria Blicharska – Donten & Lacroix Films – Poland/France
“Comrades” by Olivier Patte and Rafael Lewandowski

Katja Draaijer – Baldr Film – The Netherlands
“Alpha” by Jan-Willem van Ewijk

Sophie Erbs – Cinema Defacto – France
“The Hunt of the Puma” by Marcela Said

Alise Ģelze – Tasse Film – Latvia
“Lovable” by Stanislavs Tokalovs

Dyveke Graver – Oslo Pictures – Norway
“A Prayer for the Dying” by Dara Van Dusen

Milos Lochman – moloko film – Czech Republic
“The Nightsiren” by Tereza Nvotová

Mike MacMillan – Lithium Studios Productions – Canada
“I Will Not Go Quietly” Director TBD.

Jan Macola – Mimesis Film – Czech Republic
“Resurrections” by Petr Vaclav

Alan Maher – Marcie Films – Ireland
“Chronicle in Time” by Andrew Legge

Emily Morgan – Quiddity Films – UK
“White” by Emily Young

Elli Toivoniemi – Tuffi Films – Finland
“Love of Wolves” by Zaida Bergroth

Izabella Tzenkova – Kotva Films – Bulgaria/USA
“Serenity” by Aslihan Unaldi

Alexander Wadouh – Chromosom Films – Germany
“Mission” Director TBD

Michael Wrenn – Invisible Republic – Australia
“These Kingdoms” by Shane Danielsen

These eighteen producers have been selected to attend the three residential ACE workshops with a project in development. Fourteen countries are represented in the selection: Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland and the UK.

The selection committee was made up of members of the ACE board, ACE consultants, ACE president Antoine Simkine and director Jacobine van der Vloed. A record number of applications was received this year and the selection was made following interviews in  Amsterdam and Toronto.

The eighteen producers will attend four main events that make up the core of the training. The first is the Content Development Workshop held mid-October in Helsinki, Finland in collaboration with the Finnish Film Foundation and Aalto University. It consists of plenary sessions and individual meetings analysing the concepts, dramaturgy and target audiences of producers’ projects. Other sessions provide insight into early development problems such as preparing intention notes, working with talents and maintaining good relationships with writers and directors.

The second workshop is the Financing Strategies Workshop, held mid-November in Prague, Czech Republic, in collaboration with the Czech Film Fund and APA, the Czech Producers Association. The core of the workshop is made up of interactive sessions exploring international financing opportunities and strategies through detailed analysis of producers’ finance plans, with input provided by over 40 high-grade professionals from across the industry. These financing sessions are unique to ACE, creating an 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 is the Business Prospects Workshop held in the Netherlands (in partnership with the Netherlands Film Fund) at the beginning of April. This workshop aims to help the producers discover new business models and strategies in order to expand their knowledge and field of competence regarding marketing, (online) distribution, legal aspects, and overall management of their company and team.

Alongside these workshops the producers will also have the chance to have personalised consultations with script, finance and marketing experts throughout the year. After having completed the three workshops the participants are welcomed into the ACE Network by attending the ACE Annual Reunion, which will take place in Copenhagen in April 2019, thanks to the support of the Danish Film Institute.

The ACE Network has around 220 active members from more than 45 countries. Network members gather for further training and professional events at all major festivals and markets during the year, and regularly co-produce with each other.