Mila Aung-Thwin, a producer on 2022 Sundance Special Jury Award winner “Midwives,” will direct a feature documentary about Tiberiu Uşeriu (a.k.a. Romania’s Ice Man), an extreme ultramarathon champion who turned his life around after serving time in a German high-security prison for armed robbery, the filmmaker told Variety during Toronto’s Hot Docs festival.
Aung-Thwin, a cofounder of the acclaimed documentary production company EyeSteelFilm, is this year’s recipient of Hot Docs’ Don Haig Award, which is given to an outstanding independent Canadian producer with a film in the festival in recognition of their creative vision and entrepreneurship.
“Ultra” (working title) producers include Cristian Nicolescu, EyeSteelFilm’s Bob Moore, and Lithium Studios’ Mike MacMillan.
Canada’s Telefilm and Sodec have provided development financing, while the Romanian Film Institute has already put up production funding, Aung-Thwin said. Meetings with potential partners are already ramping up. Cinetic Media senior exec Jason Ishikawas is repping “Ultra.
Aung-Thwin, a cofounder of the acclaimed documentary production company EyeSteelFilm, is this year’s recipient of Hot Docs’ Don Haig Award, which is given to an outstanding independent Canadian producer with a film in the festival in recognition of their creative vision and entrepreneurship.
“Ultra” (working title) producers include Cristian Nicolescu, EyeSteelFilm’s Bob Moore, and Lithium Studios’ Mike MacMillan.
Canada’s Telefilm and Sodec have provided development financing, while the Romanian Film Institute has already put up production funding, Aung-Thwin said. Meetings with potential partners are already ramping up. Cinetic Media senior exec Jason Ishikawas is repping “Ultra.
- 5/8/2022
- by Jennie Punter
- Variety Film + TV
The Transilvania Intl. Film Festival’s Hungary Day pays tribute to the region’s largest ethnic minority – one that still plays a strong and vital cultural role in the region.
Once part of Hungary, the western Romanian city of Cluj, where the fest takes place, features schools, an opera house and literature in Hungarian – and, once a year, a large collection of films from its Magyar neighbor screen at Tiff.
The section features five narrative films and two documentaries screen this year, programmed by Zagoni Balint; there is also a tribute capped by honors for career achievement for Oscar-winning Hungarian director Istvan Szabo (“Mephisto”) and director-writer-editor Marta Meszaros, credited with more than 40 films over seven decades.
Several of the Hungarian films at Tiff take on once-taboo subjects, such as “1945” (pictured), Ferenc Torok’s evocative black-and-white account of the unwelcome return to a small town of Orthodox Jews who have survived the Holocaust.
Once part of Hungary, the western Romanian city of Cluj, where the fest takes place, features schools, an opera house and literature in Hungarian – and, once a year, a large collection of films from its Magyar neighbor screen at Tiff.
The section features five narrative films and two documentaries screen this year, programmed by Zagoni Balint; there is also a tribute capped by honors for career achievement for Oscar-winning Hungarian director Istvan Szabo (“Mephisto”) and director-writer-editor Marta Meszaros, credited with more than 40 films over seven decades.
Several of the Hungarian films at Tiff take on once-taboo subjects, such as “1945” (pictured), Ferenc Torok’s evocative black-and-white account of the unwelcome return to a small town of Orthodox Jews who have survived the Holocaust.
- 5/31/2018
- by Will Tizard
- Variety Film + TV
From Cineuropa.org by Tina Poglajen
The Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival (October 24–29, 2017) is the largest event of its kind in Central and Eastern Europe. The festival retains a distinctive and progressive programming approach and has built a remarkable Industry section, featuring projects such as Emerging Producers and Inspiration Forum. The festival is also famous for its informal atmosphere, discussion character and full screening venues.
On 26 October, the flagship industry project of the Ji.hlava Idff publicly presented 18 talented producers from 16 European countries plus Morocco.
Bringing together talented European documentary film producers, Emerging Producers, the promotional and educational project of the Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival, is becoming more highly acclaimed and well known each year. In its six years of existence, it has enrolled over 100 alumni, many of whom have subsequently become successful producers.
Divided into three main parts — promotion, networking and navigation — the aim of the...
The Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival (October 24–29, 2017) is the largest event of its kind in Central and Eastern Europe. The festival retains a distinctive and progressive programming approach and has built a remarkable Industry section, featuring projects such as Emerging Producers and Inspiration Forum. The festival is also famous for its informal atmosphere, discussion character and full screening venues.
On 26 October, the flagship industry project of the Ji.hlava Idff publicly presented 18 talented producers from 16 European countries plus Morocco.
Bringing together talented European documentary film producers, Emerging Producers, the promotional and educational project of the Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival, is becoming more highly acclaimed and well known each year. In its six years of existence, it has enrolled over 100 alumni, many of whom have subsequently become successful producers.
Divided into three main parts — promotion, networking and navigation — the aim of the...
- 10/27/2017
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Company makes hire ahead of Sarajevo Film Festival.
HBO Europe is re-upping its original production efforts in Central Europe by expanding its HBO Adria division.
The company has hired Ana Balentovic as a development executive. She will have a remit of identifying and developing local talent and projects from Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Macedonia and Montenegro.
She will report to Johnathan Young (VP original programming, HBO Central Europe) and Steve Matthews (VP and executive producer, drama development, HBO Europe) as the company looks to identify original series from the region that resonate with local audiences and fit the HBO brand.
At last year’s Sarajevo Film Festival, the company announced its plans to produce one high-end TV drama series per year from what it calls the ‘Adria’ region (Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Macedonia and Montenegro), commencing from 2018.
It also launched the First Draft competition, calling for submissions for TV projects from the region. After...
HBO Europe is re-upping its original production efforts in Central Europe by expanding its HBO Adria division.
The company has hired Ana Balentovic as a development executive. She will have a remit of identifying and developing local talent and projects from Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Macedonia and Montenegro.
She will report to Johnathan Young (VP original programming, HBO Central Europe) and Steve Matthews (VP and executive producer, drama development, HBO Europe) as the company looks to identify original series from the region that resonate with local audiences and fit the HBO brand.
At last year’s Sarajevo Film Festival, the company announced its plans to produce one high-end TV drama series per year from what it calls the ‘Adria’ region (Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Macedonia and Montenegro), commencing from 2018.
It also launched the First Draft competition, calling for submissions for TV projects from the region. After...
- 8/9/2017
- by tom.grater@screendaily.com (Tom Grater)
- ScreenDaily
Four world premieres set for competitive strand.
The 2017 Sarajevo Film Festival (Aug 11-18) has revealed the titles set to feature in its documentary competition this year.
The programme includes 14 films in total, seven less than last year, focusing on a variety of topics including sexuality, family, love and survival.
Alongside four world premieres - all from Bosnia - there are several high-profile regional premieres that have bowed at other festivals.
City Of The Sun (Mzis Qalaqi) premiered at the Berlinale and had its UK bow at Sheffield Doc/Fest (winning the Art Doc prize), where fellow Sarajevo title Mr Gay Syria [pictured] had its world premiere.
Avec L’Amour premiered at HotDocs in Canada, while the Iggy Pop-narrated In Praise Of Nothing will premiere at Locarno.
Line-up
World premieres
Guidance Through the Black Hole (Vodic Kroz Crnu Rupu)
Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, United Kingdom, 2017, 76 min.
Directors: Aleksandar Nikolić, Zlatko Pranjić
Home (Dom)
Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina...
The 2017 Sarajevo Film Festival (Aug 11-18) has revealed the titles set to feature in its documentary competition this year.
The programme includes 14 films in total, seven less than last year, focusing on a variety of topics including sexuality, family, love and survival.
Alongside four world premieres - all from Bosnia - there are several high-profile regional premieres that have bowed at other festivals.
City Of The Sun (Mzis Qalaqi) premiered at the Berlinale and had its UK bow at Sheffield Doc/Fest (winning the Art Doc prize), where fellow Sarajevo title Mr Gay Syria [pictured] had its world premiere.
Avec L’Amour premiered at HotDocs in Canada, while the Iggy Pop-narrated In Praise Of Nothing will premiere at Locarno.
Line-up
World premieres
Guidance Through the Black Hole (Vodic Kroz Crnu Rupu)
Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, United Kingdom, 2017, 76 min.
Directors: Aleksandar Nikolić, Zlatko Pranjić
Home (Dom)
Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina...
- 7/27/2017
- ScreenDaily
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