Cannes Docs

Runtime: 62'

Expected release: TBD

Production stage: Editing

Budget: $150 000 (85% in place)

1st feature: No

Looking for: Gap Financing, Co-Producers, Sales Agents, Festivals and Strategic Guidance

Synopsis:

Mamed, a determined ex-footballer, adventurs in rural Azerbaijan to coach the village’s first girls’ football team, challenging the deep-seated traditions. Despite hurdles, Mamed and his wife Svetlana strive to form a team, defying societal norms fixated on early marriages. Discovering hope in an orphanage, they recruit Parishan, Fidan, Nahida, Suraya, and Farida, each with a tale of resilience. The film delves into their struggle against patriarchy, showcasing the power of dreams amidst adversity. Against Azerbaijan’s ancient allure, the movie embodies courage and unity, resonating with hope in a historically burdened world.

Director’s profile:

Imam Hasanov is an award-winning filmmaker from Baku, Azerbaijan. His first feature film, Holy Cow, was an Arte/ZDF co-production garnering support from the Sundance Institute, the Doha Institute, and Medienboard Berlin Branderburg. It premiered in the First Appearance Competition at IDFA in 2015, going on to play at HotDocs, many film festivals, and selling to TV channels around the world. Imam is also an alumnus of the Berlinale Talents and Sarajevo Talents. Imam founded an independent production company Free Art which supports creative documentaries with local impact and global relevance. Imam is also the co-founder and director of DokuBaku IDFF, the first international and the only independent documentary film festival in Azerbaijan, and the DokuBaku Film School for emerging Azerbaijani filmmakers.

Producer’s profile:

Maria Ibrahimova’s documentary Miss Gulag, produced with support from the Sundance Institute and the Ford Foundation, premiered at the Berlinale, and screened at 40 festivals and TV around the world, including the BBC. She is a two-time Berlinale Talent, EWA Mentee, and Fulbright Fellow. She completed the EAVE Producer’s Workshop in 2023 and the ACE Mentoring Program. With the American Embassy in Baku, she created Women in Motion, a program bringing Azerbaijani women into the film industry. She produced The Fisherman’s Daughter, with A. Rodnyanski (Leviathan,Loveless), and distributed by Wild Bunch. She recently produced We are Russia a documentary about young activists that supported Alexei Navalny, premiering in Visions du Reel and DOC NYC. Maria is a founding board member of the Andrew Berends Film Fellowship and a member of the European Film Academy.

Runtime: 80'

Expected release: November, 2024

Production stage: Editing

Budget: €325 032,96 (100% in place)

1st feature: Yes

Looking for: Festivals, Sales Agents, Distributors, Buyers

Synopsis:

The filmmaker Faezeh connects to her homeland Iran through her two best friends, also filmmakers – Narges, exiled in Germany for political reasons and Hamideh, unable to leave Iran. Together, they explore the notion of home through the lenses of their cameras, capture dispersed experiences and reveal filmmaking practice as a universal haven providing a sense of comfort across borders. Starting with the archive footage of their final moments together, they seek to reunite fifteen years later amid turmoil, and continue their cinematic dialogue.

Director’s profile:

Faezeh Nikoozad is an Iranian filmmaker based in Hamburg. She earned a BA in Production and Costume Design in Tehran and her BA and MA in Film at the University of Fine Arts in Hamburg. Her work, from documentary to experimental film, covers a wide range of topics – including home, childhood and displacement. Her shorts have been presented and awarded at numerous international film festivals.

Producer’s profile:

In the last years Fünferfilm has established itself as a company for auteur films and exceptional cinematic signatures. The company produces features, documentaries and shorts, relentlessly working to build up young talent with outstanding cinematic signatures in particular.

Runtime: 120'

Expected release: February, 2025

Production stage: Post-production

Budget: €448 959 (73% in place)

1st feature: Yes

Looking for: Sales Agents, Buyers, Festivals

Synopsis:

In a mental health institution in Kyev, a theater troupe of patients stages a prophetic play, as the full invasion of Ukraine is about to happen. In an endless loop, they rebel against the theatre director Serhiy, but always come back to rehears with him. The play is never ready for the premiere as if an invisible force stands in the way. Time seems to have stopped, it’s constantly snowing outside the windows and inside the institution -unnatural sounds start filling the air. We begin to understand that the play’s plot is unexpectedly more realistic and large-scale than we thought. Miracles require great faith and work. Dark times are coming and the hospital suddenly becomes the brightest place around

Director’s profile:

Polina Kelm graduated from Kyiv National I.K. Karpenko-Kary Theatre, Cinema and TV University as a film director in 2010. Works with fiction and documentary projects. She played as an actress in the film by O.Balagura ‘Lifespan Of The Object In Frame’ (special mention at the FIDMarseille) in 2012. She is one of the founders of the Ukrainian Guild of Directors. Member of DAE, EWA, Ukrainian Film Academy. She created a laboratory to support Ukrainian documentarians at the development stage–UkrDocLab, in 2021. The first session was held by Mikael Opstrup with the support of the Ukrainian Cultural Fund. Her films and projects were awarded at East Silver Caravan Award, Beldocs in Progress, Ukrainian DocPreview, EWA Circle Award, selected for ATLFF, Krakow FF, Jihlava IDFF, DOK Leipzig, HotDocs, Berlinale, Nordisk Panorama, ESoDoc, were supported by IDFA Bertha Fund, ESFUF, Göteborg Film Fund

Producer’s profile:

Cvinger Film was founded in 2011 by award-winning Slovenian director Rok Biček (Venice Critics ́ Week 2013 & Locarno Critics ́ Week 2017), with the main objective to produce globally relevant author-driven films by new talents from the region, both fiction and documentary story-led films dealing with social issues, with a strong potential for critical and international audience success. Having previous experience as director, producer and editor of feature fiction and documentaries, Rok focuses on the creative aspects of production, financing and outreach. He regularly produces young talented Slovenians living abroad: Olmo Omerzu, Sara Kern and Lun Sevnik.

Cvinger Film productions and co-production were awarded at Venice, Locarno, Karlovy Vary, selected for Berlinale, TIFF, TIFF Kids, IDFA, DokLeipzig, Sarajevo, Palm Springs, True/False, etc.

Runtime: 80'

Expected release: April, 2025

Production stage: Editing

Budget: €320 000 (80% in place)

1st feature: Yes

Looking for: Festival, Sales, Gap Financing

Synopsis:

Alba, at 25, discovers Johnny isn’t her real father, unraveling a web of family secrets. Her grandmother Rosa fled Trieste in the 80s with her mother Ivana, joining a cult in Bangkok, practicing « Flirty Fishing » for new members. Alba was born there as Jesus Baby, with a brother from another member. After a decade, Rosa fled back to Italy with Ivana and the children. Alba, devoid of cult memories, uncovers her past through research and hints from Rosa and Ivana. Rosa denies her past, becoming a wedding planner, while Ivana, suffering psychiatric issues, struggles with her past. « White Lies » delves into three women’s journey for reconciliation and redemption through Alba’s artistic lens.

Director’s profile:

Born in Bangkok in 1987, since childhood she led a nomadic life that brought her to live in different cities and countries. Her recent works include Occult (2020-), a visual study on the propaganda of the cult Children of God, she travelled tracing her mothers past to India, Nepal and Thailand. The Y- Research of Biological Father (2017), born out of a journey in search of her origins through the father she never knew. Places (2015), a book and a photographic project executed with ElementWo, witch deals with analysis of the visual communication of ISIS propaganda. She has released the short documentary FreiKörperKultur (2021) premiered at the Venice International Critics’ Week. With The Y she is part of the Foam Talents 2020.  Her work has been exhibited in international festivals and museums such as MAXXI, Rome, London Art Fair, Circulation Paris and Athens Photo Festival.

Producer’s profile:

Manuela Buono was born and lives in Trieste (Italy). In 2013 she founded production and distribution company Slingshot Films, based in Trieste. Mega Plus 2010 graduated, (Media Business School Master in European Audiovisual Management), she received a Nipkow fellowship in 2011 and was selected for Berlinale Talent – Distribution Studio, in 2014 and Rotterdam Producers’ Lab in 2024. She is member of the European Film Academy (EFA) and European Women Association in Audiovisual Industry (EWA).