20/12/2024 - The selections for the sections aimed at films in the post-production phase, as well as the EAVE Slate and the Inspirational Labs, have been revealed by the Italian co-production forum

The 15th edition of When East Meets West (WEMW) is set to run from 19-22 January, drawing over 500 film professionals from more than 50 countries to Trieste. As an integral part of the 36th Trieste Film Festival, the Italian co-production forum continues its focus on spotlighted territories: the Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania), and the BeNeLux (Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg). Following the recent announcement of the Co-production Forum selection (see the news), the complete line-up for the sections targeting films in the post-production phase and the EAVE Slate participants has now been revealed.

The eleventh edition of Last Stop Trieste (LST) continues to highlight creative documentaries at the fine cut stage. Organised in collaboration with the Trieste Film Festival, LST has selected five projects through its partner platforms: the Ex-Oriente Film Workshop, BDC Discoveries, Docu Rough Cut Boutique, Baltic Sea Docs, ZagrebDox PRO, and the WEMW Co-Production Forum. Competing projects will vie for the Film Centre of Montenegro Award (€2,000), the HBO Award (€1,000), and the Arte Video Award, which offers €10,000 worth of post-production services.

The seventh edition of This is IT, held in collaboration with the Milano Film Network and dedicated to feature films and hybrid works with a strong visual and artistic focus, will showcase eight projects. Productions include works produced or co-produced by Italian producers and the spotlighted territories. All participants compete for the Laser Film Award (€10,000 in post-production services), ensuring readiness for festival premieres and international distribution.

WEMW is also hosting the winter session of First Cut+ which will spotlight eight promising titles from ten different countries. These projects, selected from a global talent pool, are tailored for attending sales agents and festival programmers to discover. Furthermore, a new format for First Cut Lab Trieste will feature two rough-cut projects previously selected from WEMW’s Co-production Forum, offering them further development opportunities.

The fourth edition of the EAVE Slate programme boasts 12 companies from Europe and Latin America, reflecting a broad array of industry perspectives. Meanwhile, 124 participants from 37 countries will engage in the Inspirational Labs. These labs are run in collaboration with ACE Producers, the CEE Animation Workshop, ESoDoc, EURODOC, the Fantastic Film Forum of the Trieste Science+Fiction Festival, Investors Circle by Marché du Film - Festival de Cannes, the MIDPOINT Institute, SpielFabrique, and in partnership with Catalan Films, the CNC Moldovan National Film Centre, the Czech Film Centre, the Film Centre of Montenegro, Film Commission Vallée d’Aoste, Fondazione Apulia Film Commission, the Toscana Film Commission, the Veneto Film Commission, German Films, the Greek Film Centre, the IBERMEDIA Programme, ICAA - Film and Audiovisual Arts Institute, the Icelandic Film Centre, the IDM Film Commission Südtirol, MOIN, the Polish Film Institute, RE-ACT, and Telefilm Canada. 

WEMW also has a strong collaboration, for this year’s focus, with the Estonian Film Institute, the Lithuanian Film Centre, the National Film Centre of Latvia and the CCA-Film and Audiovisual Centre, Film Fund Luxembourg, the Flanders Audiovisual Fund, the Netherlands Film Fund, screen.brussels, and Screen Flanders.

Here is the list of the selected titles and companies participating in the WEMW sidebars:

Last Stop Trieste

Becoming Roosi - Margit Lillak (Estonia/Germany)
Producers: Tiny Desk Productions OÜ, Dirkmantheyfilms

Electing Ms Santa - Raisa Razmerita (Moldova/Romania)
Producers: HaiDOC Productions, Tangaj Production

My Dad's Lessons - Dalija Dozet (Croatia)
Producer: Hulahop

Home is Where the Films Are - More Raça (Kosovo)
Producer: Arena

Divia - Dmytro Hreshko (Poland/Ukraine/Netherlands)
Producers: Gogol Film, UP UA Studio, Valk Productions

This is IT

Cat on My Mind - Laila Pakalnina (Latvia)
Producer: SIA Kompānija Hargla

Wolf Park - Demelza Kooij (Norway/Sweden/Italy)
Producers: Folk Film, Sisyfos Film, Jump Cut

The Lost Son - Darko Štante (Slovenia/Greece/Croatia/Italy/North Macedonia)
Producers: Staragara, Graal, Propeler Film, Staragara I.T., Kaval Film

Cuerpo Celeste - Nayra Ilic (Chile/Italy)
Producers: Planta, dispàrte
Associated Producers: Oro Films, Hora Mágica

The White Club (working title) - Michele Pennetta (Switzerland/Italy/Slovenia)
Producers: Beauvoir, Indyca srl, Nefertiti, Vertigo

On Their Own - Tudor Jurgiu (Italy/Romania)
Producers: Indyca, Libra Film

Home - Or Sinai (Israel/Poland/Italy)
Producers: Baryo Film & TV Productions, MOREFILM, Intramovies

Like Heaven Without God - Luca Capponi (Netherlands/Italy)
Producers: Onira, Wild Rocket

First Cut+

Amores - Grace Passô (Brazil)
Producers: Entre Filmes, Globo Filmes, Desvia

Borderline - Ignas Jonynas (Lithuania)
Producer: Baltic Productions

Despite the Scars - Felix Rier (Italy)
Producer: Helios Sustainable Films

Girl in the Night - Luka Marčetić (Slovenia)
Producers: Temporama, RTV Slovenija, Studio Cepelin, 001

Summer School, 2021 - Dužan Duong (Czech Republic/Slovakia)
Producers: nutprodukce, AZN kru, nuprodukcia

Those Who Whistle After Dark - Pinar Yorgancioglu (Turkey/Bulgaria/Germany)
Producers: İndiBindi Film, Gece Kuşu, İkinci Yeni, Rosa Film, Portokal Films, Marlene Film, Riva Filmproduktion

Urban Disobedience Toolkit - Vladimír Turner (Czech Republic)
Producers: Beginner's Mind, Prague City Gallery, Utopia Libri, Arnika

White Lies - Alba Zari (Italy/Belgium)
Producers: Slingshot Films, Agent Double

First Cut Lab Trieste

A Winner Is Seen At The Start - Zhannat Alshanova (France/Kazakhstan/Netherlands/Lithuania)
Producers: Films de Force Majeure, Accidental Films, Volya Films, M-Films

Shakespeare Goes Armenian - Inna Sahakyan, Lilit Movsisyan (Armenia/Netherlands)
Producers: Bars Media, Bind

EAVE Slate
Rodô Audiovisual - Akira Martins (Brazil)
Hotel B Filmes S.A.S - Juan Camilo Figueroa (Colombia)
Brava Cine - Valeria Forster (Argentina)
Monarca Film - Eugenia Olascuaga (Uruguay)
Blade Production - Zoran Dzeverdanovic (Slovenia)
Climax Films - Caroline Houben (Belgium CCA)
HER Film - Malin Huber (Sweden)
INVICTUS - Kalin Kalinov (Bulgaria)
KIJORA FILM - Marta Szymanowska (Poland)
PILGRIM FILM - Andrea Magnani (Italy)
Plan C Filmproduktion OG - Claudia Wohlgenannt (Austria)
Volos Film Italia - Stefano Centini (Italy)