MIDPOINT Feature Launch 2019 wraps its first workshop in Trieste
- The first stop for MIDPOINT also included the initial workshop for MIDPOINT Shorts and brought Feature Launch 2018 to a close with its Spotlight
The MIDPOINT international training and networking platform for emerging film professionals organised the first stop of its Feature Launch 2019 programme at the Trieste Film Festival, whose previous Eastweek development project was transformed into the first Feature Launch workshop. Aiming to support writers, directors and producers during the development process, the workshop invited the nine selected projects (previously announced here) and three script-consultant trainees to participate in the creative process over a period of five days. In parallel and in partnership with When East Meets West (WEMW), four short-film projects and one script-consultant trainee participated in the first MIDPOINT Shorts workshop.
The teams behind the nine projects in the Feature Launch section were split into three groups and each assigned a leader who led them through the workshops and case studies. These mentors were German script consultant Anne Gensior, Macedonian director-producer-screenwriter Ivo Trajkov and Catalonian-based script editor and film consultant Christian Routh, who joined the team for the first time.
Led by Czech actor-filmmaker Pavel Marek, the MIDPOINT Shorts group, composed of two projects from the Czech Republic and two from Hungary (read about the selected projects here), partook in a series of tailor-made individual meetings with a clutch of hand-picked short-film market experts. The entire workshop was overseen by MIDPOINT's head of studies, Slovenian producer Danijel Hočevar.
The guest tutors included Bosnian scriptwriter, professor and Sarajevo Film Festival programmer Elma Tataragić; Italian director, producer, and professional tutor and pitching moderator Stefano Tealdi; Oscar-winning Croatian producer Čedomir Kolar; and former director of the Israel Film Fund Katriel Schory.
Apart from workshop lectures, individual consulting sessions and group meetings, the participants, along with the When East Meets West guests, had a chance to attend an open industry lecture entitled “Two Worlds of Storytelling – The Differences Between Series and Movies” given by Timo Gößler, a German lecturer for serial storytelling, screenwriting and dramaturgy at Film University Babelsberg, who explored the differences between serial and filmic storytelling, and was introduced by MIDPOINT TV Launch programme coordinator Katarina Tomkova.
As was the case at previous editions, the first MIDPOINT Feature Launch workshop was focused on script development, creative and financing strategies, and pitching skills. In addition, this workshop brought things full circle and finally rounded off the MIDPOINT Feature Launch 2018 programme with the Feature Launch Spotlight. At this follow-up event, a number of selected producers from last year’s edition were invited to WEMW for a series of meetings, and networking and feedback sessions provided by the attending film experts.
The second Feature Launch 2019 workshop will take place in Kaunas from 3-9 May, in conjunction with the Lithuanian Film Centre, and the third step will be the Project Showcase during the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. The programme will wrap next year, again in Trieste, with the 2019 Feature Launch Spotlight.
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