20/04/2023 - The workshop marks the first year of partnership between the European distributors network and Focus Asia, the industry section of the Far East Film Festival

From Tuesday 25 to Friday 28 April, Europa Distribution will gather in Udine to hold a workshop in the scope of Focus Asia 2023, marking the first year of partnership between the industry section of the Far East Film Festival and Europa Distribution. 18 independent distributors, all members of the European network of independent film distributors and Publishers will attend the activities dedicated to Asian films organised by the festival, and will participate in both a panel and a workshop organised in collaboration between ED and Focus Asia.

The 60-minute panel will centre on two case studies of Asian titles and their distribution; Park Chan-wook's Decision to Leave and Pawo Choyning Dorji's Lunana, A Yak in the Classroom. Speakers will compare their release strategies, looking at aspects such as acquisition, marketing, press, release plans, audience reach and results theatrically and online, and how they adapted their tactics to suit their own region. Dovilė Grigaliūnaitė (Kino Pavasaris, Lithuania), Kristina Charvatova (Aerofilms, Czech Republic), Maria Razakamboly (Nonstop Entertainment, Sweden) and Kim Foss (Camera Film, Denmark) will present their strategies for Decision to Leave, while Kahloon Loke (Peccadillo Pictures, UK), Kim Foss (Camera Film, Denmark) and Mika Siltala (Cinema Mondo, Finland) will present on Lunana, A Yak in the Classroom. A closed workshop will also take place for all distributors participating to Focus Asia, European and Asian, to allow them to discuss different areas of Asian films releases, including: trends, release models, support schemes & funding and Asian classics. The panel will be moderated by Christine Eloy (Europa Distribution) and the workshop by Stephan Holl (Rapid Eye, Germany).

In light of the partnership between Europa Distribution and Focus Asia, distributors in attendance will also have the opportunity to participate in other activities during the Focus Asia Festival such as works in progress, screenings and networking events with sales agents.

Europa Distribution will continue to organise many more events in 2023 to discuss the unique challenges of distributing and promoting independent films and will gather again in Karlovy Vary International Film Festival on July 2-5 for the annual ‘Film Distribution Innovation Hub’ and at New Nordic Films in Haugesund on 22-25 August.