This month we speak with Margarita Arsova, the programmer of the Youth Cultural Center in Skopje, Macedonia. The center runs several venues including three cinemas – Millenium (with 505 seats), Frosina (with 263 seats) and Pocket (with 80 seats). Millenium and Frosina cinemas are part of the Europa Cinemas network.

BUCHAREST: The Romanian/Mexican/Japanese coproduction Drunken Fish on the Moon (working title) directed by the Japanese Kohki Hasei is expected to have a three weeks shoot in Romania in the autumn of 2018. The project is currently in the financing stage with the Romanian party represented by Metropolis Film and the producer Daniel Mitulescu. Emir Kusturica is the executive producer.

ZAGREB: The Croatian Government put forward to the Parliament a bill on audiovisual activities, introducing a new structure for the Council and the Managing Board of  the Croatian Audiovisual Centre (HAVC) and regulating the definitions of audiovisual works so as to include video games.

ZAGREB: The Croatian Audiovisual Centre distributed 2,135,735 EUR / 15,880,000 HRK as production grants for feature films, debut features, long documentaries, short documentaries, short fiction films and experimental films, and also as project and script development grants. The grants were announced on 29 March 2018.

BUCHAREST: Daniel Sandu’s debut feature One Step Behind the Seraphim won eight awards at the12th Gopo awards including best film, best director and best debut feature.

SKOPJE: The Macedonian/Croatian/Finnish/British coproduction The Liberation of Skopje by Rade and Danilo Šerbedžija has been sold to China. Representatives of the Italian sales agent Summerside International told FNE that interest has been also expressed by more South Asian territories including Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia.

SOFIA: Armenia’s Parallels Film Production, Bulgaria’s Jelfilm and Germany’s Clever Production are in preproduction with the first coproduction between Armenia and Bulgaria. My Grandma’s Locks is the sophomore feature by husband and wife writers/directors Hovhaness Galstyan and Marine Zakaryan, and it is based on true events.

BUCHAREST: Adina Pintilie’s Golden Bear and the GWFF Best First Feature Award winner at the 2018 Berlinale, Touch Me Not was sold by Doc & Film in 12 territories. Representatives of Doc &Film told FNE that the film is expected to be sold in 30-40 territories.

This month we speak with Milena Modeva, the General Manager of CINÉ GRAND from Sofia, Bulgaria. CINÉ GRAND operates two multiplexes located in two shopping malls in different areas of the city. CINÉ GRAND Park Centre (with six screens) is in the very heart of the city, while CINÉ GRAND Ring Mall (with ten screens) is in outskirts right on the Ring road.