Just Cinema International

NOVEMBER EVENTS

THESSALONIKI INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

The 63rd Thessaloniki International Film Festival will be held from Thursday 3 to Sunday 13 November 2022, both in physical spaces and online Within the framework of the 63rd TIFF, 199 full length and 68 short films will be screened in the time honoured home ground of the Festival, theatres Olympion, Pavlos Zannas, the theatres situated in the Port of Thessaloniki, Frida Liappa, Tonia Marketaki, John Cassavetes, Stavros Tornes, as well in the movie theatre Makedonikon In addition, the audience will have the chance to watch 93 films online, through the digital platform of the Festival,

GENEVA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

www.filmfestival.gr www.giff.ch

Founded in 1995, the Geneva International Film Festival (GIFF) is Geneva’s oldest film festival and one of the first in the world to include television in its programs A crossroads of genres and disciplines, a place of experimentation, encounters and celebration, it offers every year for ten days, films, series, interactive installations and virtual reality works to some 50,000 festival goers The largest space in Switzerland dedicated to immersive arts, the GIFF has become one of the major events in Europe At the heart of the event is the Geneva Digital Market, a unique event in Switzerland dedicated to audiovisual innovation Professionals of the image, industrialists and theoreticians from all over the world meet, debate and exchange on what makes the audiovisual universe of today and what will cross it tomorrow

VENTANA SUR

Ventana Sur is the most important market for audiovisual content in Latin America, and it is a must in the schedule of distributors and buyers from the international industry Organized by the National Institute of Cinema and Audiovisual Arts (INCAA) and the Marché du Film Cannes Film Festival, Ventana Sur brings together all the different players from the audiovisual industry to promote international co production, financing and distribution of Latin American content

DECEMBER EVENTS

RED SEA FILM FEST

www.redseafilmfest.com

The Red Sea Film Foundation is an independent, non profit organization created to support the film industry in Saudi Arabia in the production and distribution of films, as well as education on cinema The Foundation’s initiatives support the ambitious plans for the Kingdom in the entertainment industries, with its pillars of a vibrant society, an ambitious nation and a thriving economy Every year, ten days of film, new and old encounter the makers, learn from the masters, be inspired by the best

The Red Sea International Film Festival is for film lovers, filmmakers, and the global film industry See the blockbusters of the future before they hit the big screen Discover old favorites with lovingly curated retrospectives and restored classics Explore immersive audio visual worlds and try something new with experimental and short film strands

7 9

www.asiatvforum.com

Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF), a global content arena based in the heart of Asia Pacific, bridges the world to this dynamic region, lit with opportunities in content acquisition, co production, and financing.

With access to decision makers from across the globe, ATF provides you the opportunity to access influential media personalities conveniently!

NOW

FIGARI INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM FEST

www.figarifilmfest.it

The Figari International Short Film Fest is an event dedicated to short films, new media and digital arts Born as a competitive forum for independent short films with a single competitive section, it has grown to be a recognized platform for the expression of young artists and established professionals It is the first short film festival in Italy to be able to boast the presence of a real international market dedicated to short films, which makes it an excellence for Sardinia and for the entire peninsula

Over the years it has tried to bring and put in contact more and more professionals, including authors, directors, producers, distributors in a professional but also informal context, helping to create new collaborations between young Europeans, and getting to involve the representatives of the most important institutions linked to the audiovisual world

www.filmfreeway.com/FigariFilmFest

ASIA TV FORUM & MARKET

PHUTTHAISAWAN

A STORY OF A FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN THAI AND JAPANESE WARRIORS IN AYOTHAYA, THE OLD CAPITAL OF SIAM BEFORE BANGKOK.

One was the Army General with excellent two hands swordsmanship skills from the famous Phutthisawan Sword fighting Temple School, another is a vagabond Samurai from Japan Warriors from two nations teamed up to fight against the invaded Spanish Navy in 2167BE and made their name in Thai history Director Adsajun Sattagovit

Genre Action/Adventure, True Story. 137 min.

Completion Year 2023

Based on a shocking true story from 2011, where three helicopters crashed during a nine day period at Kaeng Krachan Now, mysticism has been brought to the fore However behind the terrifying mystery lies a supernatural phenomenon that will be the key to solve the mystery whether it is superstition or science What is the hidden truth?

Language Thai

Director Tanwarin Sukkhapisit

Genre Science-Fiction, Thriller. 120 min. Completion Year 2024

Language Thai

AJINTAI

BASED ON A SHOCKING TRUE STORY FROM 2011

BASED ON A SHOCKING TRUE STORY FROM 2011

THAILAND AT AMERICAN FILM MARKET 2022

The Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP), Ministry of Commerce, Royal Thai Government hosts Thai Night AFM 2022 at American Film Market (AFM) on November 2nd to foster the ongoing development of the Thai Film Industry for this business matching event.

DITP has played an active role in the development of Thailand as a growing center of movie making in Asia Thailand s advantages in creativity, cost, talent, production, location, post production, computer graphic and co production have only been enhanced and strengthened during the Covid hiatus

A result of careful planning and new strategies, Thailand has adapted to the fast changing market conditions and transformed itself into a destination that is more creative and rewarding for filmmakers and content buyers than ever

Thai Studios as well as representatives from the government and private sector will be attending this year ’ s American Film Market looking to expand distribution and help people learn about the many opportunities that exist in the Thai Film Industry

Thai Night is an annual glamorous evening event at key film markets and festivals aiming to showcase Thai Film Industry to the world The event will be presided over by Her Royal Highness Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya Sirivadhana Barnavadi and attended by Mr Jurin Laksanawisit, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce along with other senior officers and members of the film and entertainment industry

Thailand has one of the world's most attractive incentive programs for film makers, the program provides a 15 20% cash rebate on local spending and an additional set of rebates for those that meet specific conditions The new improved measures are just another reason to make Thailand your creative hub This competitive advantage has not gone unnoticed by the international community, in 2021 despite the pandemic there has been a surge in foreign movies shot in Thailand and attracting over US$ 156 5 million

Thailand apart from being a wonderful place to film has also produced some amazing talent and increasingly popular content awarded last year in various parts of the world

Visit DITP and Thailand Film Office to find out more information at AFM, 5th floor Atrium, Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel.

Discover a Transformed Thai Film Industry and the Latest Benefits of Filming in Thailand

HRH Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya

INTERNATIONAL

NO NAME RESTAURANT

AN UNORTHODOX COMEDY THREE RELIGIONS, TWO MEN AND A CAMEL WITH A MISSION

To save the once largest Jewish community in the world from being shut down, Ben, an ultra orthodox Brooklyn Jew, is sent out to be the desperately needed tenth man for the ceremonies of Pesach Having missed his plane and been kicked out of the bus in the Sinai desert, his last hope is Adel, a grumpy Bedouin looking for his camel When their car breaks down, it becomes a matter of their very survival

Selected at Munich International Film Festival 2022, 4 Awards already in Germany and one of the best comedies of 2022 in Germany Premiere at AFM.

Director: Stefan Sarazin, Peter Keller

Cast: Luzer Twersky, Haitham Omari, Makram Khoury

Production: Enigma film, D-Facto NXT, Studio Babelsberg (co-production)

Genre: Comedy Duration: 122 min. Subtitled in: English

ROXY

Thomas Brenner is in his forties and taxi driver His life doesn’t hold a lot of surprises and excitements, and if it were up to him, he would rather be invisible to the world But Thomas is longing for a family without knowing ho to accomplish something like that

The one day a group of Russian men and their bulldog „Roxy“ takes his taxi Igor, the chief, is a weapons dealer on the run because he has messed with the wrong people. Thomas quickly turns out to be of great help for him. Within the next few days, the men use him for many smaller and bigger tasks, some of them being in the legal grey area, some of them far beyond

When Thomas, who at first is only in it for the money, picks up Igor’s attractive wife Aziza and her little son Vova from the train station, everything changes for him Very soon, money is not Thomas’ only motivation anymore He falls in love with Aziza and for little Vova he becomes an important confidant Igor as well starts trusting Thomas more and more With his life and his dealings Thomas becomes part of Igor’s family and Igor’s most important employee without ever having ap plied for that job But the rope around Igor’s neck and therefore around Thomas’, is relentlessly geting tighter and tighter

The Russian intelligence is on their tail, and Thomas is supposed to help the men from the FSB to bag Igor Ultimately, Igor’s affiliate gets shot and his employees disappear one by one The once powerful oligarch becomes increasingly isolated and his taxi driver becomes his closest and finally only confidant.

Deeper and deeper Thomas gets sucked into a swirl of betrayal, friendship, love and loyalty And with time, he develops abilities that he didn’t think he’d ever have But Igor’s suspicion grows, the closer Thomas gets to Aziza and finally Tho mas must go all in to save himself and start a new life A life with a family

Director: Dito Tsintsadze

Cast: Devid Striesow,Ivan Shvedoff, Waléra Kanischtscheff

Production: East End Film, in co-production with Umedia

Genre: Comedy, Thriller

Original Version: German Duration: 98 min. Subtitled in: English

BY THE MULTI AWARDED DIRECTOR DITO TSINTSADZE WITH IN THE MAIN ROLE DEVID STRIESOW (ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT NETFLIX)

ROXY has been selected and will be opening at PÖFF Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival in the new section Critics' Picks

CLAY EPSTEIN

After two years of postponements AFM is finally back in presence, as Chair of IFTA, how do you feel?

Like the whole Industry just won the World Cup! We have all worked so hard to sustain our business models, and survive the pandemic we deserve the biggest party Santa Monica has every seen. In an Industry such as ours where face to face relationships and networking is intertwined with our ability to do our job, having AFM back in person is like Oxygen under water

The AFM Sessions will feature a very interesting lineup of 30+ sessions with over 100 speakers over four days, what should participants expect?

There is no other educational component worldwide that provides the most indepth, authentic and transparent access to some of the most successful and prolific Industry professionals in our business. Attendees should expect a wealth of knowledge and real world insight regarding all aspects of Independent Filmmaking, Financing and Distribution. These are the highest regarded colleagues in the Entertainment Community that are

volunteering their time for the better of and continued success of the Independents Attendees will be overwhelmed with the energy, access and networking opportunites

You will be on stage for the session “The Producer / Sales Agent Dynamic”, being President of Film Mode Entertainment, what has changed the most in that relationship and how is the role of the sales agent developing?

I love moderating this panel! After 10 years of hosting this session, I have enjoyed experiencing the evolution of the discussion

CHAIRPERSON OF THE INDEPENDENT FILM & TELEVISION ALLIANCE

PRESIDENT OF FILM MODE ENTERTAINMENT

By Stefania Veneri

In many areas the role has stayed consistent, such as the responsiliby to license distribution rights, raise financing from the marketplace, provide projections, collaborate on cast, and cooperate with the banks and lenders As the Industry has consolidated however and more IP is controled by fewer entities, the role of the sales agent has in many cases evolved into that of producer and distributor in addition to traditional sales agent. While it may take one entity to produce a very high budgeted piece of entertainment, it usually takes numerous entities to produce a modest budgeted, Independent piece of entertainment At Film Mode we see our role as partner and to be a 360 degree conduit between the rights controling producer, marketplace, production and consumer.We are here to make sure the unique needs of each film is meant

About Film Mode, what is lineup for the AFM?

We’re delighted to be celebrating our 6th anniversary during this momentous AFM. Survival is no feat to take for granted and we are incredibly grateful to all those that have supported us. We are proud of our reputation and talented filmmakers that have put their faith and trust in our ability

AS THEY MADE US starring Dustin Hoffman released this year to an overwhelming positive response Director Mayim Bialik was in such high demand for promoting the film that the theatrical was extended to accomodate. We’ve been workign hard to bring a fantastic lineup to AFM of new projects including ALL MY FRIENDS ARE DEAD produced by John Baldecchi of HAPPY DEATH DAY fame Our new film MANIFEST WEST starring Milo Gibson is premiering along with our charming HOLIDAY DATING GUIDE just in time for Christmas and we’re excited to see our distributors see our DEVIL’S CONSPIRACY that is coming out in theaters early next year We are laser focused on high quality projects with excellent talent. Currently, we're enjoying enormous success with SPIRIT HALLOWEEN aka SPOOKY NIGHT, which is in theaters now The production partnered with the popular Spirit Halloween store franchise to bring audiences a unique and exciting family adventure.

Film Mode Entertainment is a leading worldwide sales agent production entity and distribution company focusing on commercially driven feature films of all genres and budget sizes Film Mode represents projects at all stages of the filmmaking process, often as Executive Producer, with the aim of helping producers and distributors achieve maximum exposure for their films

The company also has its own distribution arm as well as a documentary label, DocMode

Clay Epstein with directors, Louie Gibson, Joe Dietsch and star Annet Mahendru at the westcoast premiere of Manifest West at the Newport International Film Festival.

Clay and his wife and business partner, Mathilde Epstein at the opening night of the San Diego French Film Festival in 2022. Film Mode is a title sponsor of the event.

THE POWER OF ‘Chi Energy’

Flirt Films’ president Patricia Chica is breaking the mold by establishing a new process within the film industry. Her debut feature film MONTRÉAL GIRLS serves as the blueprint and the results are astounding!

The director of the highly anticipated feature film, Patricia Chica is setting new standards about how to heighten the creative potential As a Chi Energy educator in Montreal, Los Angeles, and on the festival circuit, she has put into practice a new process of filmmaking called "Chi Energy," which uses cutting edge techniques and mindset strategies that improve the quality of her productions This cohesive system, which anyone can learn, offers a more straightforward, more communicative, and ultimately more beneficial path to getting the results and performance you want on the screen

Building on her success in using Chi Energy to direct her short films, including the award winning MORNING AFTER, and her numerous workshops and conferences, including those available on the American educational platform Stage32 com (with 800,000+ subscribers), Chica taught these same techniques and strategies to her actors, crew, and collaborators during the production of MONTRÉAL GIRLS The strategies that the MONTRÉAL GIRLS actors learned in their Chi Energy training with Chica include grounding, meditation, visualization, letting go, intuition, taking action, micro movements, expression through the body, and the use of language, sound frequencies and connecting with their higher consciousness, just to name a few

For actors, the Chi Energy process allowed them to overcome any mental tension or blockage that may have been holding them back during a performance, and to integrate a new energetic paradigm that brought them back to their center Chi Energy also allows actors and creatives to control their reality through intention and frequency alignment, as who they are on the inside affects the people and environment around them When artisans work together on a project with this awareness, they understand how their inner state, though invisible, impacts the whole group.

More at www. MontrealGirlsMovie.com | www.PatriciaChica.com

Director Patricia Chica during a Chi Energy Workshop

©Sharath Ravishankar

MONTRÉAL GIRLS is the sold-out closing night presentation of the Los Angeles International Film Festival on November 6th, 2022 happening during the AFM.

"Chi Energy is a unique method that connects a person's energy field with their intuition, state of mind, language, and body expression in order to develop their creative potential as a performer or storyteller and to achieve the desired result more quickly," explains Patricia Chica.

WHAT'S NEW

Cloud 21 International (www cloud21 com) and Kultura PR International (www kulturapr com) will present the fifth Annual Production Without Borders Showcase, a special event to be held on November 6, 2022 at Threshold Entertainment Studios in Santa Monica

The by invitation only event held each year during AFM will feature some of the top names of the global entertainment industry Reel360’s West Coast editor Colin Costello will moderate the hourlong panel that will feature filmmakers Eileen Tasca, Golsa Sarabi, Larry Kasanoff and Michel Shane After the panel there will be an exclusive reception

EFM

“We are thrilled to be back ‘live’ in Santa Monica once again on November 6th at Larry Kasanoff’s studios, ” comments Chandna “We look forward to seeing our colleagues and industry partners at our annual event during the film market ”

“We have curated a panel of established leaders, and rising stars of film and TV, ” adds Muj “We look forward to learning about their latest projects and to inspire a lively discussion about the current state of global entertainment industry ”

The panel will be moderated by WGA East member Colin Costello, a biracial genre, comedy and horror writer and director The former award winning advertising creative director has written two family feature films 2013's, The Stream which stands at 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. His debut short film, that he wrote and directed, 2018’s The After Party has played in 25 festivals and won five. His other short film, 2019’s Dreamwisher has won ten awards in the United States and internationally. His latest short Storage is currently making waves on the festival circuit.

Cloud 21 PR International and Kultura PR International have produced numerous successful industry special annual events, including “French Riviera Film Festival” and “Global Entertainment Showcase” during the Cannes Film Festival, the “Global Content Creators Showcase” during MIPCOM, “Production Without Borders” event during AFM, “Indie Entertainment Showcase” in Park City, as well as “A Salute to Akira Kurosawa” with China’s Jinke Entertainment in Cannes in 2017, plus many others The companies have co produced events and worked with top entertainment and technology brands, including E! Entertainment Television, Eurocinema, Metan Global Entertainment Group, USATV Productions, Maverick Entertainment, Sony Interactive, Oculus, Cinando, Euromed, ECU Film Festival, Creative Coalition, Davines North America, Vesilind, plus many others

Cloud 21 & Kultura PR’s Fifth Annual “Production Without Borders” Showcase During Annual Film Market Set for November 6, 2022

Panel to Feature Eileen Tasca, Golsa Sarabi, Larry Kasanoff and Michel Shane, with Moderator Reel360’s Colin Costello

WHAT'S

RINOCERONTE Rhinoceros

Damián (11) is separated from a negligent and violent family and taken to live in a children’s home Accompanied by Leandro (40), a social worker with a history similar to his, he will have to accept that his previous life is behind, and that despite the anger he feels, it is possible to build a new one.

In addition, it was officially selected for the 48th Huelva Ibero American Film Festival, Spain, to be held from November 11 to 18, 2022.

"Rhinoceros is a film about rage

The rage of a child that’s separated from the lonely and violent life that represents all he knows, and the rage of a social worker that sees his own scars reflected in the boy’s. It is in that encounter where Damián will have to accept, or not, the company and the possibility of something new Leandro, on his part, will have to understand that even though he would like to spare the kid the hardest parts of the road, the only thing he can do is to take him up to the door, and cross his fingers " Arturo Castro Godoy, director and screenplay

A touching film about loneliness and hope by Arturo Castro Godoy

Rhinoceros is the third film by Arturo Castro Godoy, it is produced by Altocine and Mediterraneo Cinematografica in collaboration with the MuchaSiesta cooperative Illmatic Film Group handles the distribution and international sales

The film has been recently awarded at the Schlingel International Film Festival with FIPRESCI Prize

Preis der Stadt Chemnitz

Club of Festivals Junior Award Best Film Commendation of the Ecumenical Jury

ELBA FILM FESTIVAL

With our Festival we want to create a community of creators. We want to share inspiring and thought-provoking films that open up our world view and celebrate our differences, while uniting us all through one of the most powerful mediums of our times: Cinema!

ON INTERVIEW WITH NORA JAENICKE AND BENIAMINO BROGI

© Matteo Azchirvani

NORA JAENICKE

FESTIVAL FOUNDER AND ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Where did the desire to create a film festival on the island of Elba come from?

The Festival was born from my great passion for cinema, a passion that I experience very intensely being a director and screenwriter myself As I am from Tuscany originally, I had never been to the Island of Elba and I arrived there to shoot a short film thanks to a dear friend and writer from New York, Mimì She spends her summers here; she told me about a very special creative residency run by people from Australia I was invited to their very large house in Poggio (in the municipality of Marciana) and that is how I made my short film, entering right away into the community of the people of Elba who love art. This is a festival born out of my love for cinema that then took shape during the screenwriting workshops I organize in Italy

For there was no such event on the island.... No, there wasn't. Having made a film there myself, I immediately thought it was the ideal place for a festival, not only because of the geographic variety and all the intersecting microclimates, but also because of the spirit of the people of Elba Elba is an island full of artists and people who have an independent way of life that is very connected to art Also, because, in my opinion, every artist is a bit like an island: those who care about something and try to express it to the world are all a bit lonely And this is the metaphor that underlies the festival and in which Beniamino and I find ourselves We live on our own skin the need for loneliness and, at the same time, the need for community, with people who have a similar path to ours

The sense of community is also found in the reception you have had from the towns that have chosen to support the event. How has the 2022 edition been?

That's right, it is a very important year because for the first time we touched almost the entire island. The five administrations that supported us and believed in the project are Capoliveri, Rio, Portoferraio, Marciana, and Marciana Marina In some days the screenings took place simultaneously to allow the public to reach the festival more easily.

And a very important aspect for you is also that of sustainability...

This point came up quite naturally, in the sense that almost everyone is now aware of the state the Planet lives in, so it is no longer acceptable to create a cultural event, which reaches out to touch hearts and minds, without exploiting it to spread awareness about climate change For this reason, we have introduced three special mentions and related cash prizes for filmmakers who have addressed 3 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda in their works

This year's program confirmed the international vocation of the festival After opening with the animated short "Nudity" by Jáchym Bouzek, you offered the festival audience a series of notable titles

Yes, there are shorts that have been nominated for Oscars, that have been to major festivals such as the Toronto Film Festival, or that have won Sundance. The fact that filmmakers of such a high calibre come looking for a festival like ours is a great honour. We also decided to create an out of competition focus dedicated to European cinema with shorts selected by the European Film Academy We are delighted to collaborate with such a prestigious institution as well as to have Rai Cinema among our partners

By Stefania Veneri

BENIAMINO BROGI

A theatre and film actor, for the past four years you have been curating the selection of titles in competition at the Elba Film Festival, how did you get here?

Nora and I grew up in the same small town in Tuscany and we lost touch for quite some time. Then we met again, and she offered me to participate in the festival For me it was a throwback to the past, to the mechanisms of the organization I was familiar with before and I jumped in. Well, it's a nice way for that part of me that belongs to the past to keep going as well.

How many applications have you received?

Applications are usually between 400 and 600 each year, we do a pre selection and then we come to the very difficult, final decision Unfortunately, we happen to exclude a lot of works that we think are extremely good The 31 selected titles are then proposed during the evenings together with the meeting with the directors

The Q&A moment with the filmmakers is really interesting and engaging, the film does not end at the screen, but comes to the audience who can speak live, right?

It's a part that we value so much because you get a chance to see the film from another point of view and get to know the director as a person. Human confrontation is essential. Films are made for that reason, you know, and the meeting between directors and audience creates a human surplus value which is, in my opinion, exceptional

This festival is attentive to younger groups, particularly the students of the island How did you involve them?

We creatively involved the students of Cerboni Technical Institute, wanting to introduce them to the event

However, we not only wanted them to participate, but we wanted them to make their own contribution and express themselves in the film context So, we made two workshops: the first is the Graphic Design Lab, where already in March each of them developed their own line of communication, with poster and logo; the second one is the Location Lab where we asked them to identify and document the local places where they themselves live. They were involved in a location scouting activity and came out with a job very well done. The students made an excellent database that during the days of the festival was used to film interviews with the filmmakers and guests so that each of them could also leave a historical and evocative record of the place where they were This project was also proposed to Rai Cinema Channel, which is very active in promoting VR technology, and we decided by mutual agreement to produce a 360° camera interview with Michele Ragno, an up and coming Italian actor and member of the jury for the Best Animation award, in which he, too, spoke about the emotions and images that that location stirred in him

The Festival has, among other special features, the fact that it is spread over five of the seven municipalities on Elba Island. Are you already looking at renewing this collaboration for next year?

Doing itinerant screenings is very tiring, but they are an extremely important part because they give the feeling of a journey For us that means having a traveling program, being in different places, trying each time to create the best possible context to receive that film Next year we would very much like to participate with the same five administrations that are Capoliveri, Rio Marina, Portoferraio, Marciana, and Marciana Marina where the Festival was born and we would like to go the same way again

HEAD OF PROGRAMMING

By Stefania Veneri

© Matteo Azchirvani

Maybe we could change some locations, varying some things, however, this is really the best path that we have found We then hope that the most of the public and of the insiders will be able to enjoy it as well, which for us is a fundamental element

You started your path by studying theatre acting, then there was the landing in cinema How was this transition?

I made this decision because cinema gave me the opportunity to live in Berlin and work in Italy, it gave me a more fluid structure that reflected more what I felt It is a world I got to know "late" ... as a boy I worked in the theatre as a porter, stagehand, then lighting technician and also as an organizer What has always fascinated me about cinema is the intimacy that is created in the middle of nothing, because then the set is a kind of nothingness where there is no protection of the stage and the audience, and I really like the fact that everyone has a different task and yet, we all go in the same direction by getting into the director's head and telling a story that someone has written

You have lived in Berlin for many years, how much has this city and its atmosphere given you?

It gave me adulthood, it's a place where I went on a professional journey, studying acting, but also a personal one to live in a city that I had to learn to love with all its complexities Berlin made me fall in love with it because of that feeling of possibility, of freedom, of the idea of having a big, quiet place to be able to experience what I wanted to seek within myself. I had to learn how to act in a language I didn't know, how to express myself again, because my goal, of course, thanks also to the training I was given, was not to be an Italian in Berlin, but it was to talk like a German, and that was very difficult.

What projects are you working on now?

I am shooting a children's film, "Lassie A New Adventure," in which I play the commissioner; it is a very, very nice experience. Shooting with so many animals is extremely interesting, and of course it's also wonderful to work with the little actors. And then I'm shooting a thriller series for German television ZDF

By Stefania Veneri

With Jáchym Bouzek, Director of "Nudity"

© Matteo Azchirvani

MINERVA PICTURES INVESTS IN WESHORT

The production and distribution company Minerva Pictures becomes main shareholder of WeShort, the short film streaming platform with over a thousand titles carefully selected from around the world and the goal of accompanying the growth of emerging producers and directors.

Minerva Pictures, the historical I he streaming platform focused Alessandro Loprieno Attracted b erva Pictures has chosen to become t y

With the entry of Minerva Pictures, WeShort finalised its first inve n 18 months In this investment round also joined a group of busine veral industries: startups, cinema, marketing, fashion and technology with lawyers Sabino Sernia and

WeShort was founded with the mission of making short films a daily choice of entertainment for a large scale young audience and to enhance thousands of short films and series from around the world by giving a third entertainment option to the audience: from the works of talented directors, yet to be scouted, up to Oscar, BAFTA, Sundance and Cannes awards The platform has currently a library of over a thousand short films from 40 countries, in 15 different languages and subtitled in the six most spoken languages, including Italian, and is available worldwide on all iOS and Android web and mobile devices A WeShort section is already present in the offer of TCL channels on over 44 million Smart TVs worldwide, and on the catalogue of the CHILI platform, a European player of digital entertainment

Minerva Pictures is an independent audiovisual and digital film production and distribution company, based in Rome and led by President Santo Versace and CEO Gianluca Curti, acting since seventy years in the national and international film industry and audiovisual market as well The company has always had a pioneering eye for digital innovation and with a library of over 2350 titles, enriched with masterpieces and rare pearls that have marked the history of cinema, it has established itself as a leading player of the global film market as producer, distributor and multimedia publisher The company in now developping the first international TV series projects with some of the main OTT

"We are certain says Gianluca Curti, CEO at Minerva that our collaboration with Alessandro and his team will be heralding initiatives able of achieving important goals internationally in a territory, the digital one, that has always been at the heart of our cultural and industrial vision»

«With this participation, Minerva takes another step towards its affirmation in the role of independent aggregator of Italian companies with a strong, actual and potential value» explains Santo Versace, President of Minerva

«The entry of Minerva Picture into WeShort’s cap table marks a milestone in the development of the platform and will enable us to accelerate the scale of the global digital entertainment market adds Alessandro Loprieno, founder and CEO at WeShort A perfect combination that represents the values of tradition and innovation, with the aim of spreading the quality short film culture all over the world»

Versace and Curti bet on the streaming short films startup

Gianluca Curti - Minerva Pictures CEO

Santo Versace - Minerva Pictures PresidentAlessandro Loprieno - WeShort Founder and CEO

“CARAMELLE” WONTHE PUBLICCHOICE AWARD AT“ALICE NELLACITTÀ”

“Caramelle” [Italian for Sweets] is a short film that tells the tale of the inextricable tie between three generations: father/grandfather, daughter/mother, grandson/son A bond so strong as to transcend the boundaries between Life and Death, the Earthly World, and the Afterlife, in an atmosphere of compelling magical realism.

It is a simple story: Lucia, a middle aged woman visits her father’s grave in the local graveyard from time to time. One day she finds a sweet wrapper scrunched up in a ball on top his grave. This strange episode happens over and again until Lucia finds out that but that would be telling we won’t spoil your appetite, let’s just say that the whole story revolves around the sweets in the title, in our modern pop revisitation of the Proustian Madelaine! This short film is made using techniques in 3D animation, blended with real life modern day photos taken to celebrate little known corners of the city of Ravenna (Italy), in the area around its port

The 3d animated short movie had its world premiere in Rome as part of the Focus Animation selection of Alice nella Città – Festa del Cinema di Roma winning the Public Choice Award as Best Short Movie.

"Caramelle", directed by Matteo Panebarco, is a Panebarco production in association with Mediterraneo Cinematografica for the first WeShort Originals A Prem1ere film distribution, supported by Emilia Romagna Film Commission, Italian Ministry of Culture and Comune di Ravenna.

©Michele Illuzzi Photo

Fromleft SaverioPesapane PremiereFilm, CamillaPanebarcoandMariannaPanebarco Panebarco, FrancescoLattarulo MediterraneoCinematografica

Fromleft:ElisabettaLeonardi EmiliaRomagnaFilmCommission MariannaPanebarco andCamillaPanebarco Panebarco AlessandroLoprieno WeShort FrancescoLattaruloandAngeloTroiano MediterraneoCinematografica