|
A call for international cross-platform audio-visual projects; an unprecedented co-production between Italy and Iraq, the first results of the Lazio Region’s participation in the Capital Regions for Cinema network; three scholarships for young talents. These are the projects for the promotion of the Lazio cinematographic sector that were presented at the 58th Berlin Film Festival by the Lazio Region, Filas and the Roma and Lazio Film Commission.
Producer Fabrizia Falzetti and the Far Out Film Production House presented the feature film entitled “The Flowers of Kirkuk”, a co-production between Italy and Iraq. This film is the first tangible result of the meetings organised by the Lazio Region within the framework of the CRC Capital Regions for Cinema Network, which brings together the Film Commissions of the four capital regions: Rome (Lazio), Paris (Ile de France), Comunidad de Madrid and Berlin (Brandenburg).
At the Berlin Film Festival, the CRC Network hosted the tenth edition of the CRC Co-production Meetings. The event featured the presence of a delegation of US producers, a result of the collaboration between the CRC Network and the New York Film Commission.
“The Flowers of Kirkuk”, the first co-production between Italy and Iraq and the result of the collaboration between the Lazio Region and Ile-de-France, is the second film directed by the young Kurdish director, Fariborz Kamkari. Mr. Kamkari, who has decided to live and work in Rome, tells the story of the courage, passion and heroism of a young woman during the darkest years of Saddam Hussein’s regime.
At the press conference, Lazio Region Councillor for Culture, Entertainment and Sports, Giulia Rodano presented the “Million Euro Challenge” to foreign producers. This is an international call aimed at the production of cross-platform audiovisual content. The objective of the call is to invite Italian, European and international production houses to promote the cultural and tourist highlights of Lazio. The Lazio Region will allot total financing for one million euro: 70% as a grant and 30% as venture capital. The competition addresses five categories: fiction (feature length or TV), serials, documentaries (feature length or series), docu-fiction (feature length) and animation.
”Once again,” commented Lazio Region President Piero Marazzo, “the Berlin Film Festival is a perfect opportunity to present our projects, international agreements and the result of the hard work we have accomplished together with the Lazio audiovisual industry. This is a sector in which we are placing a lot of energy and we are certain that the development of the audiovisual and cinematographic sectors will provide positive results, especially for the promotion of our territory. Audiovisual products are an extraordinary channel for both the economy and culture. In Lazio, this sector draws on a vast heritage and the enterprise of thousands of workers. As an institution, we are responsible for creating the best possible context in which this vast heritage of knowledge and professions may flourish.”
“We are very happy that the ‘Flowers of Kirkuk’ was presented here in Berlin,” declared Councillor Rodano. “In fact, together with the development of the Roma and Lazio Film Commission, the Lazio Region confirms its growth in the cinematographic and audiovisual sectors, also through the presentation of the tenth financed project in just over a year and a half of operation. This film is the result of the CRC Network Co-production Meetings that the Lazio Region has participated in from the outset. Moreover, our strategy to uphold creativity as a driver of development in our region is proving particularly rewarding. In particular, the Lazio Region promotes training through three scholarships; it provides incentives for the co-production of audiovisual works; invites foreign producers to invest in cross-platforms and participate in the “Million Euro Challenge” which will be an important opportunity for Lazio audiovisuals and for the regional territory.”
Stefano Turi, Filas General Manager, pointed out that “to date, the strategy of the Lazio Region, implemented by Filas, has allocated over three million euro, an investment that will allow significant returns to fund future initiatives. ‘The Flowers of Kirkuk’ is the first co-financed international co-production, after nine operations in prestigious Italian movies.”
Download the programme
 Filas was present at the 58th Berlin Film Festival not only to stimulate cinematographic and audiovisual co-productions and promote its new financial tools for these regional sectors, but also to participate in the Global Film Festival Conference. On February 7th, Filas participated in a panel dedicated to “Ambitious and successful initiatives in Italy, Norway, Spain and the United Kingdom”. Filas was invited by Peacefulfish, the panel moderator, an specialised consulting agency for international financing of audiovisual projects. Besides Filas, the panel members included Film Camp (Norway), ICIC (Spain) and South Screen (UK).
The panel, which featured the participation of nearly 80 sector professionals from Europe and North America, discussed a variety of incentives provided by regions, competitiveness amongst regions and the benefits of international co-productions. In this context, .jpg) Filas presented its Fund for audiovisuals through a presentation of the results obtained after one year of activity. Filas illustrated how it intends to merge the benefits deriving from local productions with the objective of opening the regional sector to international co-productions. Filas, on behalf of the Lazio Region, employs its vast network of inter-regional agreements in Europe and abroad not only to attract investments on its territory, but also to actively transform collaborations into co-productions entailing the participation of local enterprises, not just as simple suppliers, but as true partners.
Download the programme
Press Office Filas Spa
carloppi@filas.it
Simona Carloppi +39 32885302
www.filas.it
Via A. Farnese, 3 - 00192 Roma [I]
|