14/05/2024 - Eight genre projects have been chosen for the training initiative, which includes three specialised labs hosted at prominent film festivals across the continent

Director Andrés Goteira, who is taking part with Monstro (© Carolina Santos/FICX)

The 2024 edition of the European Genre Forum has unveiled its line-up of projects, marking the milestone of its tenth cycle. Selected for the intense six-month training initiative are eight promising projects from up-and-coming European genre filmmakers.

The line-up for the tenth European Genre Forum offers a rich tapestry of genres, ranging from dystopian sci-fi to folk horror, thriller, fantasy, psychological drama, mystery and supernatural tales intertwined with drama. These projects, helmed by emerging producers and directors, promise innovative storytelling and cinematic experiences.

As is customary, the selected titles reflect a wide geographical spectrum, with representation from eight different production countries. Through three dedicated talent labs, the European Genre Forum aims to elevate the quality of these projects, and nurture the professional growth of debutants or sophomore filmmakers.

The programme commences with the Screenwriting and Directing Lab, scheduled from 6-9 July in Zagreb, Croatia, coinciding with the Fantastic Zagreb Film Festival. The lab zeroes in on script development and other artistic facets of the projects. Following this, attention shifts to the Producing Lab, slated to occur in Amsterdam, Netherlands, from 29 October-1 November, as part of the Imagine Fantastic Film Festival. Here, the focus pivots towards the business side, covering topics such as co-production and legal aspects. Lastly, the Marketing and Packaging Lab will bring the programme to a close from 18-22 November in Tallinn, Estonia, integrated within the Black Nights Film Festival’s Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event. This segment will concentrate on pitching, packaging, marketing and sales strategies.

Throughout these three talent labs, the teams from the selected film projects will have the opportunity to engage in discussions with script consultants and glean insights into various facets of production, including co-production, sales and packaging, courtesy of industry professionals. The programme will also feature mentoring sessions with seasoned genre filmmakers, crowdfunding experts and legal consultants, plus case studies on recent, successful films, providing a comprehensive and enriching experience for participants.

Here are the selected projects for the tenth European Genre Forum:

Elle - Adva Reichman (Germany)
Producer: Maya Korn

Godling - Ashley Horner (UK)
Writer: Stuart Wright
Producer: Keith Bell

The Dark Architect - Risto Tuominen (Finland/Estonia)
Producer: Ilkka Matila

Inheritance - Stanislav Bytiutskyi (Ukraine/Ireland)
Producers: Inna Lastochkina, Valeria Sochyvets
Co-producer: Brendan McCarthey

The Kids Are Feral - Ben Thompson (UK)
Producer: Matthias Pachner

Monstro - Andrés Goteira (Spain)
Producer: Laura Doval

Neighbour - Oskar Lehemaa (Estonia)
Producer: Evelin Penttilä

Vrykolax - Achilleas Gatsopoulos (Greece)
Writers: Achilleas Gatsopoulos, Geoff Dupuy-Holder
Producers: Vassilis Economou, Minos Nikolakakis