27/04/2011

In 2010, 27% of films produced in Italy were literary adaptations. On the basis of this data from the Italian Publishers Associations, the International Book Forum (IBF) – the business section of the Turin International Book Fair dedicated to the sale of publishing and audiovisual rights for translations and adaptations – and the TorinoFilmLab (TFL) – an international workshop that conceives tailor-made development, financing and marketing strategies for first and second-time feature film directors – are launching the joint project TFL Window.

The Window, which will be open during the IBF (May 12-14), will be run by two TFL story editors who will seek out new film stories to channel into one of the development sections of the TFL network (Script&Pitch, Framework – see news – or Interchange).

The IBF moreover has formed a partnership with Industry Books of the Rome International Film Festival (RIFF), to bring together publishers and literary agents with professionals from the audiovisual industry, through presentations to national and international producers of books that have a strong potential for film and television adaptations.

During the IBF, TFL Window will pre-select 20 book projects (published in 2011 or yet to be published) by Italian and British publishers (the UK will be the country focus of this year’s RIFF) that will be submitted, in July, to a jury selected by the Fondazione Cinema per Roma. The jury will pick 10 finalist books, which will be presented to producers, filmmakers and distributors during the Rome festival, on October 27, 2011, during which meetings will be organised by the staff of Business Street and New Cinema Network, respectively RIFF’s market and co-production workshop.

The deadline for presenting projects to the IBF, up to three maximum per applicant, is May 9.

(Translated from Italian)