The Transilvania International Film Festival’s industry section, the Cottbus Film Festival’s Connecting Cottbus and the Trieste Film Festival’s When East Meets West are launching #FEEDback (Film Eastern Europe Dialogue), with the support of EAVE.

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#FEEDback is a think-tank platform that aims to collect and discuss assessments in Eastern European countries on possible means and ways to increase cross-border relations, the permeability between the smaller territories and moving towards a joint agenda on funding, reaching audiences and innovative distribution. To further enhance interest and strengthen the visibility of East-West cooperation, the results of this platform will be presented at the European Film Market at the 2016 Berlinale.

The development of Eastern European cinema during the last 25 years has mainly been possible as a direct result of outstanding regional talent, but in terms of financing the Western European countries such as Germany and France, the European Commission, through the Creative Europe MEDIA programme and the Council of Europe's Eurimages fund, have also played an important role. It is now logical for Eastern Europeans to look more consistently to each other and to their neighbouring countries, and to start building a network based on public-institution partnerships that could lead to a better, more fertile ground for their own audiovisual sector. This would enable development, funding and support for their content in order to allow it to reach their own audiences. 

Transilvania IFF, Connecting Cottbus and When East Meets West are working together to be the facilitators of a year-long platform for back-and-forth dialogue between different actors, stakeholders and decision makers from the region and in relation to the Eastern European film industry. #FEEDback will not only expose the current situation, but will also suggest new paths for developing the Eastern European cinema landscape. It will be structured into three working-group events:

1. June 2015, during the Transilvania IFF (Cluj, Romania)
Funding - 360-degree opportunities from development to distribution, training and festival platforms 

2. November 2015, Connecting Cottbus East-West Co-Production market (Cottbus, Germany)
Audience development and marketing

3. January 2016, When East Meets West Co-Production Market (Trieste, Italy)
Distribution and festivals

Each event will have two components: the working session between the invited key decision makers, national funding bodies from the region and supranational ones; and the interactive session featuring a wider audience, moderated by an expert.