ACE 28 CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

The call for applications for the ACE 28 Session is now open.

Deadline: 12th June 2018.

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 – 13th October 2018, 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.
19th – 24th November 2018, 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.
1st – 4th April 2019, 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.
4th – 7th April 2019, Copenhagen, Denmark

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 2018.

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

ACE Producers’ Films at the Berlinale 2018

Competition

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

“Dovlatov” by Alexey German Jr.
Produced by Dariusz Jablonski (ACE PL)
and Miroslav Mogorovic (ACE RS)

“The Heiresses” by Marcelo Marinessi
Co-produced by Claudia Steffen

“In the Aisles” by Thomas Stuber
Produced by Fabian Maubach

“U – July 22” by Erik Poppe
Produced by Finn Gjerdrum

Berlinale Special

“The Bookshop” by Isabel Coixet
Co-produced by Jamila Wenske (ACE DE)

Panorama

“Land” by Babak Jalali
Co-produced by Laurette Schillings (ACE NL)

“Lemonade” by Ioana Uricaru
Produced by Yanick Letourneau (ACE CA)

“The Omission” by Sebastián Schjaer
Co-produced by Denis Vaslin (ACE DE)

“Styx” by Wolfgang Fischer
Produced by Marcos Kantis (ACE DE)
Devleloped during the ACE 23 Workshops

“That Summer” by Göran Hugo Olsson
Produced by Signe Byrge Sørensen

“When the Trees Fall” by Marysia Nikitiuk
Produced by Igor Savychenko (ACE UA)
Co-produced by Darius Jablonski (ACE PL)

Forum

“Facing the Wind” by Meritxell Colell Aparicio
Produced by Nathalie Trafford (ACE FR)

“The Bed” by Mónica Lairana
Co-produced by Laurette Schillings (ACE NL)

Generation 14+

“Cobain” by Nanouk Leopold
Co-produced by Dries Phlypo (ACE BE),
Herbert Schwering (ACE DE) and Christine Kiauk (ACE

“Neputovanja” by Ana Nedelijkovic and Nikola Majdak Jr.
Produced by Jelena Mitrovic (ACE RS)

Generation K+

“My Giraffe” by Barbara Bredero
Produced by Leontine Petit (ACE NL)
Co-produced by Dries Phlypo (ACE BE) and Dorothe Beinemeier (ACE DE)

Perpektive Deutsches Kino

“Outside” by Johanna Sunder-Plassmann and Tama Tobnias-Macht
Produced by Titus Kreyenberg (ACE DE)

Oscar Nominations 2018

Best Foreign Film

“A Fantastic Woman” by Sebastián Leilo
Co-produced by Fernanda del Nido (ACE ES),
Janine Jackowski (ACE DE) and Jonas Dornbach (ACE DE)

“The Square” by Ruben Östlund
Produced by Erik Hemmendorff (ACE SE)
Co-produced by Katja Adomeit (ACE DK)

Best Documentary

“Strong Island” by Yance Ford
Co-produced by Signe Byrge Sørensen (ACE DK)

Best Animated Short

“Revolting Rhymes”
Produced by Martin Pope (ACE UK)

ACE Producers’ Films in Göteborg 2018

Nordic Competition

“And Breathe Normally” by Ísold Uggadóttir
Produced by Skúli Malmquist (ACE IS)
Co-produced by Diana Elbaum (ACE BE)

“The Return” by Malene Choi Jensen
Produced by Katja Adomeit (ACE DK)

International Competition

“Disobedience” by Sebastián Leilo
Produced by Ed Guiney (ACE IE)

“Good Favour” by Rebecca Daly
Produced by Conor Barry (ACE IE)
Co-produced Marleen Slot (ACE NL) and Signe Byrge Sørensen (ACE DK)

“Nico, 1988” by Susanna Nicchiarelli
Co-produced by Valérie Bournonville (ACE BE)

“Western” by Valeska Grisebach
produced by Jonas Dornbach (ACE DE), Janine Jackowski (ACE DE)
Co-produced by Borislav Chouchkov (ACE BU)

Nordic Documentary Competition

“That Summer” by Göran Hugo Olsson
Produced by Signe Byrge Sørensen (ACE DK)

Nationalism

“Lida” by Anna Eborn
Produced by Katja Adomeit (ACE DK)

Nordic Light

“Land of the Free” by Camilla Magid
Produced by Signe Byrge Sørensen

“Dreams by the Sea” by Sakaris Stórá
Produced by Katja Adomeit

Visionaries

“November” by Rainer Sarnet
Produced by Katrin Kissa (ACE EE)
Co-produced by Ellen Havenith (ACE NL)

Masters

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

“Forget About Nick” bu Margarethe von Trotta
Produced by Bettina Brokemper (ACE DE)

“Looking for Oum Kulthum” by Shirin Neshat
Produced by Roman Paul (ACE DE)

“The Wound” by John Tengove
Co-produced by Trent (ACE NL)

“Zama” by Lucrecia Martel
Co-produced by Claire Gadéa (ACE FR) and Leontine Petit (ACE NL)

Five Continents

“The Divine Order” by Petra Volpe
Produced by Reto Schaerli (ACE CH)

“Madame Hyde” by Serge Bozon
Produced by Phillippe Martin (ACE FR) and David Thion (ACE FR)

“Wajib” by Annemarie Jacir
Co-produced by Cristina Gallego (ACE CO), Eva Jakobsen (ACE DK)
and Titus Kreyenberg (ACE DE)

New Voices

“Before Summer Ends” by Maryam Goomaghtigh
Co-produced by Mani Mortazavi (ACE FR)

“Revenge” by Coralie Fargeat
Co-produced by Jean-Yves Roubin (ACE BE)

“Soldiers. Story from Ferentari” by Ivana Mladenovic
Produced by Ada Solomon (ACE RO)
Co-produced by Jelena Mitrovic (ACE SB) and Jean-Yves Roubin (ACE BE)

Lilla Filmfestivalen

“Hayflower, Quilshoe & The Rubens Brothers” by Anna Dahlman
Produced by Jarkko Hentula (ACE FI)

ACE Producers’ Films in Rotterdam 2018

Bright Future

“Gutland” by Govina Van Maele
Produced by Gilled Chanial (ACE LU)
Co-produced by Olivier Dubois (ACE BE) and Felix Blum (ACE DE)
Project developed during the ACE 23 workshops

“Permanent Green Light” by Dennis Cooper & Zac Farley
Produced by Nicolas Brevière (ACE FR)

“Possessed” by Metahaven & Rob Schröder
Produced by Willant Boekelman (ACE NL)
Hivos Tiger Competition

“Rabot” by Christina Vandkerckhove
Produced by Peter Krüger (ACE BE)

“The Reports on Sarah and Saleem” by Muayad Alayan
Co-produced by Hans de Wolf (ACE NL)
Hivos Tiger Competition

“The Return” by Malene Choi Jensen
Produced by Katja Adomeit (ACE DK)

“Soldiers. Story from Ferentari” by Ivana Mladenovic
Produced by Ada Solomon (ACE RO)
Co-produced by Jelena Mitrovic (ACE SB) and Jean-Yves Roubin (ACE BE)

“The Song of Scorpions” by Anup Singh
Produced by Saskia Vischer (ACE CH)

Voices

“An Impossibly Small Object” by David Verbeek
Produced by Sinisa Juricic (ACE HR) and Leontine Petit (ACE NL)
Nominated for the VPRO Big Screen Award.

“Fenix” by Shariff Korver
Produced by Leontine Petit (ACE NL)
Co-produced by Dries Phlypo (ACE BE)

“Latifa, le coeur au combat” by Hélène Cattet & Bruno Forzani
Produced by  Carole Scotta (ACE FR)

“Madame Hyde” by Serge Bozon
Produced by Phillippe Martin (ACE FR) and David Thion (ACE FR)

“Wajib” by Annemarie Jacir
Co-produced by Cristina Gallego (ACE CO), Eva Jakobsen (ACE DK)
and Titus Kreyenberg (ACE DE)

“Western” by Valeska Grisebach
produced by Jonas Dornbach (ACE DE), Janine Jackowski (ACE DE)
Co-produced by Borislav Chouchkov (ACE BU)

“What Will People Say” by Iram Haq
Co-produced by Madeleine Ekman (ACE SE) and Karsten Stöter (ACE DE)

Voices – Limelight

“Dorst” by Saskia Diesing
Produced by Hans de Wolf (ACE NL)

“Hannah” by Andrea Pallaoro
Produced by John Engel (ACE BE)

“Foxtrot” by Samuel Maoz
Produced by Cedomir Kolar (ACE FR)

“I am not a Witch” by Rungano Nyoni
Produced by Juliette Grandmont (ACE FR)
co-produced by Titus Kreyenberg (ACE DE)

“Zagros” by Sahim Omar Kalifa
Produced by Dries Phlypo (ACE BE)

Voices – Rotterdämmerung

“La Nuit a dévoré le Monde” by Dominique Roche
Produced by Carole Scotta (ACE FR)

Voices – IFFR Live

“Nico, 1988” by Susanna Nicchiarelli
Co-produced by Valérie Bournonville (ACE BE)

Voices – Shorts

“A Drowing Man” by Mahdi Fleifel
Produced by Signe Byrge Sørensen

Perspectives – A History of Shadows

“Der rote Schatten” by Dominik Graf
Produced by Fabian Maubach (ACE DE)

“Fuck Off 2 – Images from Finland” by Jörn Donner
Produced by Misha Jaari (ACE FI)

“Oblivion Verses” by Alireza Khatami
Produced by Fred Bellaïche (ACE FR)
Co-produced by Leontine Petit (ACE NL), Joost de Vries (ACE NL)
and Fabian Massah (ACE DE)

“Zama” by Lucrecia Martel
Co-produced by Claire Gadéa (ACE FR) and Leontine Petit (ACE NL)

Perspectives – Maximum Overdrive

“Team Hurricane” by Annika Berg
Produced by Katja Adomeit (ACE DK)

EFM Producers Hub – ACE Producers Partnership

ACE Producers is delighted to announce its new partnership with the European Film Market and Berlinale Co-Production Market.

During the Berlinale 2018, 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 will provide a professional working environment, facilitating key business for producers: developing film projects, financing, producing and distributing. It will be a key location for producers to meet and network with potential partners.

NORDIC FOCUS TRAINING DAYS

Taking place from the 2nd to the 4th of December 2017 in Espoo and Helsinki, Finland – ACE Producers has selected 20 upcoming producers at relatively early stages in their careers from the Finland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Iceland. 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 sales and distribution, and who will share their knowledge and international expertise with the participants.

The Nordic Focus Training Days are supported by Aalto University.

 

Nordic Focus Training Days 2017 Participants

 

Rikke Tambo Andersen – Bullitt Film

Tone Andersen – KlarFilm

Charlotte De La Gournerie – Sun Creature

Caroline Drab – Pop! Media

Annie Feldsott – Freelance

Jón Hammer – KYK Pictures

Marte Hansen – MaHa Film AS

Emilia Haukka – Aamu Film Company Ltd.

Maria Møller Kjeldgaard – Manna Film

Valdimar Kúld Guðmundsson – Freelance

Niklas Kullström – Hillstream Pictures

Anniina Elisabet Leppänen – Iron Sky Universe

Lorène Lescanne – Sønc

Tuire Lindström – Yle

Micah Magee – Makrorama

Mette Matthiessen – Freelance

Renée Mlodyszewski – Punkt Film

Jasmine Hermann Naghizadeh – Freelance

Mete Sasioglu – Sons of Lumière

Ilona Tolmunen – Made

ACE Producers at the Holland Film Meeting 2017

ACE Producers Think Tank Discussion


How can a “European brand” of cinema 
be cultivated to survive
and thrive in current markets: 
Practical and Ideological considerations

Monday 25 September 14:30 – 17:00h

Boothstraat — Bovenkamer

Earlier this year, the European Film Agency Directors (EFADs) released a whitepaper highlighting the need to better promote European films and increase exports outside the continent. The paper, which includes a 10-point action plan, addresses many of the concerns that the filmmaking community has with regards to the future of European cinema.

Arguably, recent industry reactions to the demands of a rapidly changing market have been to double down on entrenched positions. How far does the European filmmaking community have to go in order to proactively fashion its place in the global market? Does the auteur system create an inevitable gap between creative output and audience desires? This series of think tank sessions aims to address the idea of a functioning European cinema exploring both practical issues and the aesthetic considerations.

They will take place at the Netherlands Film Festival, Thessaloniki International Film Festival and International Film Festival Rotterdam after which findings will be collated and presented to ACE and international industry professionals.

Part One: Practicalities

Issues discussed at the Holland Film Meeting:

Co-production

How can we better negotiate the challenge of co-producing with European partners — spending regulations, legals, copyright laws, recoupment. If two producers are raising different types of funding – public funds and commercial funds — how can we negotiate the inevitable conflict of interest?

 Financing

Are the required spending obligations from various European territories stifling creativity and commercial advantage on co-productions? Are there enough types of funding available to Europeans to cover the spectrum of filmmaking? Will more aggressive funds — gap, mezzanine — create a push towards more market savvy projects?

Legislation and Policy

Challenges often occur with multiple partners trying to implement legislation on regional, national and international levels. Is there a need for pan-European legislation and standards to avoid the complexities of a “Europudding”? What would this streamlined organisation look like and is there a will and desire to create one?

ACE Producers’ Films in San Sebastian 2017

Official Selection

“Beyond Words” by Urszula Antoniak
Produced by Floor Onrust (ACE NL)

“The Motive” by Manuel Martín Cuenca
Co-produced by Manuel Martín Cuenca (ACE ES)

“Memoir of Pain” by Emmanuel Finkiel
Produced by Yael Fogiel (ACE FR)

“The Lion Sleeps Tonight” by Nobuhiro Suwa
Produced by Jérôme Dopffer (ACE FR)

“So Help Me God” by Jean Libon & Yves Hinant
Produced by Bertrand Faivre (ACE FR)

“Soldiers. Story from Ferentari” by Ivana Mladenovic
Produced by Ada Solomon (ACE RO)
Co-produced by Jelena Mitrovic (ACE SB) and Jean-Yves Roubin (ACE BE)

“A Sort of Family” by Diego Lerman
Co-produced by Oliver Damian (ACE DE) and Eva Jakobsen (ACE SE)

New Directors

“The Price of Success” by Teddy Lussi-Modeste
Produced by Jean-Christophe Reymond (ACE FR)

“Matar a Jesús” by Laura Mora
Produced by Diego F. Ramirez (ACE CO)

“Princesita” by Marialy Rivas
Co-produced by Fernanda del Nido (ACE ES)

Horizontes Latinos

“Los Perros” by Marcela Said
Produced by Tom Dercourt (ACE FR)

“A Fantastic Woman” by Sebastián Leilo
Co-produced by Fernanda de Nido (ACE ES)
Janine Jackowski (ACE DE) and Jonas Dornbach (ACE DE)

Zabaltegi – Tabakalera

“Saura(s) by Félix Viscarret
Produced by Luis Angel Ramírez (ACE ES)

“The Square” by Ruben Östlund
Produced by Erik Hemmendorff (ACE SE)
Co-produced by Katja Adomeit (ACE DK)

Made in Spain

“Demonios tus ojos” by Pedro Aguilera
Produced by Cristina Gallego (ACE CO)

Films in Progress

“Kairos” by Nicolás Buenaventura
Produced by Jean des Forêts (ACE FR)

ACE 27 Producers Selected

ACE Producers is pleased to announce the eighteen producers selected to participate in the 27th ACE Session (2017/2018).

Anneli Ahven – Estonia – Kopli Kinokompanii
“Beatrice” by Ain Mäeots

Anamaria Antoci – Romania – 4 Proof Film
“Max and the Virgin Mary” by Adrian Sitaru

Signe Byrge Sørensen – Denmark – Final Cut for Real
“The End” by Joshua Oppenheimer

Sylvain Corbeil – Canada – Metafilms
“La Dissociation” by Albéric Aurtenèche

Gary Cranner – Norway – Chezville
“The Ski Jumper who didn’t want to Land” by Hans Petter Moland

Colin Day – United Kingdom – Rickshaw Entertainment
“Middle-8” by Marielle Gautier

Galilé Marion-Gauvin – Canada – Productions l’Unité Centrale
“Listen Well, O Fence of Reed” by Dominique Chila & Samer Najari

Koji Nelissen – The Netherlands – Kepler Film
“Woods” by Diederick Koopal

Iris Otten – The Netherlands – Pupkin Film
“Dreamscape” by Anna van der Heide

Jussi Rantamäki – Finland – Aamu Film Company
“The Woodcutter Story” by Mikko Myllylahti

Arash T. Riahi – Austria – Golden Girls Filmproduktion
“Micromeo” by Virgil Widrich

Igor Savychenko – Ukraine – Directory Films
“Die Young” Dir. TBD

Laurette Schillings – The Netherlands – Topkapi Films
“Onedaymyprincewill.com” Dir. TBD

Pierpaolo Verga – Italy – O’ Groove
“The Vice of Hope” by Edoardo De Angelis

John Wallace – Ireland – Black Sheep Productions
“The Navigator” by Dathaí Keane

Jakob Weydemann – Germany – Weydemann Bros.
“Fresh” by Damian John Harper

Mariusz Wlodarski – Poland – Lava Films
“Sweat” by Magnus von Horn

Ondrej Zima – Czech Republic – Evolution Films
“Grand Prix” by Jan Prušinovský

Sixteen producers have been selected from fourteen different Creative Europe participating countries, and for the first time this year, thanks to a partnership with Téléfilm Canada, two producers from Canada will be attending the workshops alongside their European colleagues. All eighteen producers will attend the workshops with a project in development.

The sixteen EU producers come from all corners of Europe, with Scandinavia and Eastern Europe particularly well represented. ACE is also pleased to welcome a Ukrainian producer to the Network for the first time.

The selection committee was made up of members of the ACE board, ACE consultants, President Simon Perry and Director & Head of Studies Jacobine van der Vloed. The committee said: “The quality of the producers and projects who applied for this year’s session was very high, making the selection particularly difficult. We are very happy to have selected a wide variety of producers from different production backgrounds, and are pleased with the number of them who have impressive collaborative connections with their directors.”

Four events make up the core of the training. The first workshop, dedicated to Content Development will take place mid-October in Helsinki, thanks to the support of Aalto University. The Content Development Workshop includes plenary sessions and individual meetings, analysing the concepts, dramaturgy and target audiences of producers’ projects.

In November the second workshop, which offers the producers advice on possible Financing Strategies for their projects, takes place in Prague, with the support of the Czech Film Fund and the Czech Audiovisual Producers Association. This week-long workshop is made up 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 will look at the producers’ Business Prospects, providing them with models of sustainable company management and ways to build businesses that have real value. The sessions will offer them insight into keener application of marketing techniques, direct online distribution and diversified commercial activities. This workshop takes place in Amsterdam with the kind support of the Netherlands Film Fund and is immediately followed by the ACE Annual Reunion, were the new producers will be officially welcomed into the ACE Network.

Alongside these workshops the producers will also have the chance to have personalised consultations with script, finance and marketing experts throughout the year.

ACE Producers is an exclusive network of experienced independent film producers from Europe and beyond, with around 200 members from more than 45 countries.

Established in Paris in 1993, the association moved to The Netherlands in 2017 and will be celebrating its 25th anniversary next year.

ACE Producers is supported by Creative Europe, The Netherlands Film Fund, The Czech Film Fund, Aalto University, The Czech Audiovisual Producers’ Association, Procirep, Film i Väst, German Films, The Irish Film Board, Focal, Rai Cinema and Téléfilm Canada.