Pustnik’s third development residency of the year – part of the Pustnik Screenwriting Network – will take place from October 9th to 16th. Five writers will be working on their sophomore fiction feature screenplays in Izvoranu, a rural setting in Romania.
The selected projects are:
“Disorder" by Giacomo Abbruzzese, Italy
“RARA AVIS” by Octav Chelaru, Romania
“The Last Generation” by Mika Gustafson & Alexander Öhrstrand, Sweden
“A Day in the Life of J: Chapter Phaedra” by Jacqueline Lentzou, Greece
A graduate of Le Fresnoy, Giacomo Abbruzzese’s short films were selected and awarded in international festivals including Clermont-Ferrand, Oberhausen, Viennale, Palm Springs, Mar del Plata, Tampere, IndieLisboa, Nouveau Cinéma Montreal, and Winterthur. He was an artist in residence at Cannes Film Festival Cinéfondation, Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris, and Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival. In 2022 he was nominated for a César with his documentary America and also finished shooting his debut feature Disco Boy, starring Franz Rogowski.
Octav Chelaru is a self-taught Romanian director. He has written and directed five short films; his two most recent, Black Clothes (2017) and The Parallel State (2020), both premiered in competition in Locarno. His debut feature film, the Romanian-German-Serbian co-production A Higher Law (2021) was in competition at Transilvania IFF and selected in Thessaloniki IFF, Goa IFF and Ghent IFF.
The writing duo Mika Gustafson & Alexander Öhrstrand co-wrote the feature film Sisters, currently in post-production and set to premiere in 2023. A Bachelor in film directing from Valand film academy in Göteborg, Sweden, Mika’s debut documentary Silvana won the Swedish National film award. Apart from co-writing Sisters and The Last Generation with Mika Gustafson, Alexander Öhrstrand is a successful actor and also develops theatre plays.
Having directed six films until now, Jacqueline Lentzou’s work touches upon non-traditional family systems and their consequences. Retrospectives on her full bodywork have taken place in Montreal, Vienna, Porto and Ghent and she is the New York Onassis foundation fellowship recipient for 2022. Jacqueline is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Leica Cine Discovery Award by Semaine de La Critique for Hector Malot: The Last Day of the Year (2018), as well as the Grand Prix in Reykjavik IFF and Sevilla Film Festival for Moon, 66 Questions (2021), her debut feature which premiered in Berlinale Encounters Competition.
At different stages in their writing process, the residents will take advantage of the peaceful and secluded environment to reflect on their projects and work with Pustnik’s guest consultants – producer Bianca Oana and psychotherapist/narrative consultant Delia Vasile.
The October residency caps off Pustnik’s first year of extended support for emerging filmmakers.
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About Pustnik:
Pustnik is a year-round programme that aims to create an environment dedicated to peace of mind and clarity of thought, away from modern pressures. Pustnik is also a growing network of film professionals and a community whose aim is to ease and encourage collaboration across the international cinema industry. Starting with 2021 Pustnik has begun a new cycle: a series of three development residencies dedicated to both new participants and alumni working on their first or second feature films.
For more information:
www.pustnik.com
www.facebook.com/pustnik
Andreea Pătru – This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Pustnik is organized by T.E.T.A Association
TETA is an NGO founded in June 2006 with the purpose of developing cultural activities and alternative education to stimulate cultural revival within overlooked communities. TETA also produces films and theatre performances.
Cultural program co-funded by the Administration of the National Cultural Fund (AFCN), Romanian Filmmakers’ Union (UCIN), Dacin Sara, French Institute Romania
Partners: European Short Pitch, National University of Theatre and Film "I.L. Caragiale" - UNATC Bucharest
Media partners: Film New Europe, Films in Frame, All about Romanian Cinema - aarc.ro
The program does not necessarily represent the position of the Administration of the National Cultural Fund. AFCN is not responsible for the content of the program, nor for the manner in which the results of the program might be used. These are entirely the responsibility of the beneficiary of the grant.
