During the 51st Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, SOFA - School of Film Agents, is a training programme designed to actively support the development of projects that structurally strengthen national film industries and cinematic landscapes in Europe, announced the names and projects of eight participants to take part in the fourth edition of the workshop initiative, taking place from 19-28 August in Wrocław, Poland. SOFA Director Nikolaj Nikitin said, “promoting film education, creating alternative ways for film distribution and audience development as well as maintaining Europe's film landscape - these main goals propel the eight up-and-coming film agents who we have selected for the fourth SOFA edition.”

Nikitin, joined by SOFA mentors Riina Sildos, Miroslav Mogorovic, Roberto Olla, Katriel Schory and Tamara Tatishvili, introduced the line-up of participants and their projects at SOFA 2016:

Lizaveta Bobrykava, Belarus
Project: Bel:Cinema (Belarus Empowerment Lab: Cinema); establishing an educational and practical center in Minsk highlighting the potential of local media creatives

Iris Elezi, Albania
Project: The Albanian Cinematèque; creating a platform for film culture, its education and promotion in Tirana

Ineza Ivanova, Lithuania
Project: Baltic View - Online & Cinema Space; foundation of a distribution initiative consisting of an online viewing space and cinema events for films from the Baltic region

Terezie Krizkovska, Czech Republic
Project: NaFilM - National Film Museum; establishing a museum for Czech film history

Tekla Machavariani, Georgia
Project: Nushi - Film Media Package; establishing a cultural and educational print media-package containing news and information for Georgian film industry

Dumitru Marian, Republic of Moldova
Project: Chisinau. Hub for European Films (CHEF); modernization of the movie theatre Odeon at Chisinau as a place for European films

Magdalena Puzmujzniak, Poland
Project: FULL SPECTRUM International Film Festival; film festival promoting and enabling gender balance and women's empowerment in film

Julia Sinkevych, Ukraine
Project: Ukrainian Film Promotion; promoting Ukrainian films and filmmakers internationally

During a ten-day workshop in Wrocław, the selected participants work with a prestigious group of experienced industry professionals at their proposals. The whole training focuses on productive exchange in all fields of cultural work: transnational communication, leadership-building, cultural education as well as examining public and private financing possibilities in the creative industries in the respective countries. “Creativity knows no nationality”, says Nikitin, having designed SOFA as a pan-European think-tank for the future of cinema.