European Film Promotion, an agency that promotes European filmmaking worldwide, has launched its flagship program, Producers on the Move, as a virtual series of events, replacing the physical events that usually take place at the canceled Cannes Film Festival.
The 20 up-and-coming producers from 20 European countries selected by EFP for the 21st edition of the program met digitally for the first time on Monday, where they were greeted by EFP president Markéta Santrochová.
Santrochová said that although the program had shifted to a virtual version, the essentials remained: “Connecting talented producers from across Europe, facilitating exchange and cooperation, and strengthening their industry networks.”
She added: “This has been EFP’s goal ever since the program was created in 2000, and it has become even more crucial now that the film landscape has changed, and co-operation, support and a sense of solidarity among film professionals are more important than ever before.”
On Tuesday, the pitching session of the producers’ projects takes place.
On Wednesday, speed meetings have been organized where the producers will meet their peers as well as executives from five world sales companies in one-to-one sessions. Ahead of this session, Jérôme Paillard, executive director of the Cannes Market, will reveal his plans for the new Marché du Film Online and its benefits for producers.
The program will also feature a case study in collaboration with co-production funder Eurimages of the film “Father,” directed by Srdan Golubovic. The co-producers – Cedomir Kolar of ASAP Film in France, Jelena Mitrovic of Bas Celik in Serbia, and Danijel Hocevar of Vertigo in Slovenia – and Eurimages project manager Alessia Sonaglioni will analyze the financing structure of the film.
In addition, EFP will be presenting “When Corona Hit,” which will feature two case studies about the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the shooting and distribution of films. Norwegian producer Petter Testmann-Koch will be sharing his experiences of how to continue shooting while following the safety regulations, and Irish producer Brendan McCarthy will explain how he shifted from theatrical distribution to VOD.