Francophone Development Fund announces first winners
The committee at the first session of the Francophone Film Development Fund announced its results on Monday in Berlin.
The Fund was set up at Cannes last May and its first call for applications was launched at Namur last October. Its aim is to contribute to the development of transatlantic co-production projects, in order to strengthen partnerships between Francophone Canadian producers and Francophone European producers.
The fund is an initiative of Téléfilm Canada, Sodec, the Belgian French Community Film and Audiovisual Centre, France’s National Film and Moving Image Centre and Film Fund Luxembourg, with backing from the Swiss Federal Office for Culture. It joins a series of initiatives created over the last ten years by the partners, including the Grand Nord screenwriting workshop, the Namur Forum Expertise Workshop, and the Paris Co-production Meetings organised during the “Cinéma du Québec” event.
A total of 21 projects were submitted for this first session, eight of which were chosen by the selection committee. These projects will receive a grant covering 50% of their development costs (script doctoring, casting, location research, etc.), up to a maximum of €40,000.
Five majority European projects well get backing. Géraldine Doignon makes the transition to features with Un Homme à la Mer (“A Man At Sea”), produced by Belgium’s Fontana. Moving onto another Belgian project, FraKas Production is preparing its first feature, Moroccan Gigolos by
Dominique Lienhard is next in line with L’Etoile Polaire (“Arctic Star”), produced by France’s Butterfly Productions. Meanwhile, France’s 7ème Apache Films is developing Gérard Potonnier’s funereal comedy Ni Fleurs, Ni Couronnes (“Neither Flowers Nor Wreaths”).
Finally, the Malandrin brothers are adding to their list of successes a new enigmatic title, Je Suis Mort Mais J’ai Des Amis (“I’m Dead But I Have Friends”), produced in collaboration with Belgium’s La Parti.
The three other projects selected for funding are Jeremy Peter Allen’s Le Fiancé (co-produced by Switzerland’s Bohemian Films), Frédérik Pelletier’s Diego Star (co-produced by France’s 1001 Films) and Sophie Desrapes’ Le Prince (co-produced by France’s Athénaïse).
(Translated from French)
Did you enjoy reading this article? Please subscribe to our newsletter to receive more stories like this directly in your inbox.
