Today we present Tamara Babun from Croatia, Irina Malcea from Romania and Tomáš Michálek from the Czech Republic
Emerging Producers 2015: Tamara Babun, Croatia
Tamara Babun from Factum hopes to share experiences and ideas with her European colleagues as a participant of Emerging Producers at the 19th Jihlava International Documentary Film Festival (27 October - 1 November 2015).
She is currently developing Tusta by Andrej Korovljev, a feature-length documentary about Branko Črnac Tusta from the legendary punk-rock band Kud Idijoti, and A Two Way Mirror by Zrinka Matijević Veličan, a mid-length poetic documentary set in the beautiful landscapes of Lika’s mountains.
She likes Kim Longinotto’s Dreamcatcher as well as Coppola’s Apocalypse Now, she admires Salvador Dali and agrees with Billy Wilder when he said that “Anyone who doesn’t believe in miracles isn’t a realist.”
FNE: What are your hopes and expectations from Emerging Producers?
I hope to share experiences and ideas with my European colleagues. My previous experience with Jihlava involved meeting many interesting people, making new friends and finding coproducers. I hope Emerging Producers will be no exception.
FNE: What are you bringing to Emerging Producers?
I will do my best to bring an abundance of positive energy and good humour and hopefully an original outlook on ways in which my colleagues and I can collaborate on creating a valuable film experience for our audiences.
FNE: What are the coproduction possibilities for documentary producers in your country?
The Croatian Audiovisual Centre endorses documentary coproductions in a way which helps Croatian producers to be stable partners, primarily through the Minority Co-production Scheme which offers four open calls each year. It is a selective scheme, with projects assessed on their artistic merit by appointed artistic consultants.
FNE: Which producer is your inspiration and ideal?
Any producer who knows there is always room for self-improvement, appreciates the talent and crew they work with, has a clear idea of their professional ethics, a good sense of humour and plenty of heart and chutzpah.
Filmography
Happily Ever After directed by Tatjana Božić, 83 min, The Netherlands/Croatia, 2014; executive producer in Croatia (Factum is the minority coproducer)
Naked Island directed by Tiha K. Gudac, 75 min, Croatia, 2014; executive producer
Sonja and the Bull directed by Vlatka Vorkapić, 106 min, Croatia, 2012; assistant production manager
Contact:
Factum
Nova Ves 18, 100 00, Zagreb, Croatia
Phone: +385 994 006 228
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www.factum.com.hr
Emerging Producers 2015: Irina Malcea, Romania
Irina Malcea hopes to get a better idea about the possibilities of international coproductions as a member of Emerging Producers at the 19th Jihlava International Documentary Film Festival (27 October - 1 November 2015).
Irina Malcea holds a BA in International Relations and European Studies. In 2011, she started working in film production, first as junior producer and later on as production manager or independent producer. In 2013, she sets up the independent production house Luna Film, but maintains a strong collaboration with other independent production companies, developing and producing several film projects, from features to documentaries and short fiction.
Born in 1985 Irina Malcea likes 3 by Tom Tykwer, the cats and her Audrey Hepburn T-shirt. Her approach to filmmaking is that one has to always look on the bright side of life.
FNE: What are your hopes and expectations from Emerging Producers?
At this moment, I’m sure that Emerging Producers would be the next best thing in my career and it will definitely be a turning point in my formation as a film producer. I expect to meet lots of enthusiastic fellow emerging producers from around the world and have the occasion of sharing and learning from our own approach on filmmaking.
I’m also hoping to have a more accurate view on the vast possibilities of strengthening international coproductions and of better placing our documentary projects on the international market. Sometimes one needs only the right direction or maybe a simple confirmation that they are on the right track. I strongly believe that Emerging Producers can offer me that!
FNE: What are you bringing to Emerging Producers?
My fresh young package of film production, flavored with, sometimes, an extra dose of enthusiasm. What I love most about my job is the continuous state of learning from many aspects and on various scales. That’s why I’ll also be bringing a fresh open wide eager to learn more.
My fresh young package of film production involves the documentaries The Wellness Process by Marius Iacob (in postproduction), Lost and Found by Dan Stăiculescu (in production), Teach by Alex Brendea (in development) and Borders by Ionut Pițurescu (in development, associate producer), and also the feature films The Last Day by Gabriel Achim (in postproduction) and 1985 by Bogdan Mureșanu (in development), and also the short film SPID by Bogdan Mureșanu (in postproduction).
FNE: What are the coproduction possibilities for documentary producers in your country?
Since the national legislation does not support emerging production companies, making a documentary coproduction in Romania and having access to national funding, would strongly depend on the portfolio of the Romanian coproduction house (not the coproducer itself), which is not very encouraging, nor supporting for the film industry.
Once the project receives national funding, the additional local funds might be easier to be accessed. Of course, every project is different and even if on a first glance things might not look as expected, I believe that there’s always a solution for everything.
FNE: Which producer is your inspiration and ideal?
I admire very much Ada Solomon from HiFilm Productions, who needs no further presentation. She once mentioned in an interview that in my work I’m a dedicated person. I don’t believe that you can actually do something without dedicating part of yourself to it – of course, as long as you strongly believe in the project and in the people you work with. This is why my ideal would be a better me, every time, with every project that comes along.
Filmography
Contact:
Luna Film
Bulevardul Unirii 12, Bucharest, Romania
Phone: +40 741 942 882
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www.lunafilm.ro
Emerging Producers: Tomáš Michálek, Czech Republic
Tomáš Michálek hopes that taking part in Emerging Producers at the 19th Jihlava International Documentary Film Festival (27 October-1 November 2015) will enrich the projects he is been working on.
During his studies at FAMU producing department, Tomáš Michálek collaborated on the publication of DVD collection of films by Drahomíra Vihanová and initiated the publication of Czech version of the French comics Klezmer by Joann Sfar. He spent one semester at Chapman University in California and in 2011 he co-founded Prague-based production company MasterFilm, where he produces his own projects, focusing mainly on independent art cinema.
Tomáš Michálek admires Corneliu Porumboiu’s The Treasure / Comoara (42Km Film, Les Films de Worso, Rouge International) and as well as Robert Bresson’s Au hasard Balthazar. His favourite book is One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez. He is motivated in his work by Věra Chytilová’s words: “The most important is understanding of context”.
FNE: What are your hopes and expectations from Emerging Producers?
I am excited to have the opportunity to spend some time learning and networking at Jihlava IDFF. I decided to apply for this workshop because I was sure it would enrich the projects I've been working on and help me providing them with the best production and distribution background.
Moreover, I consider this workshop to be a great opportunity to get in touch with new film professionals from different cultures. Last but not least, I am very curious about new and different approaches to cinema in Europe.
FNE: What are you bringing to Emerging Producers?
I think I'm bringing my own point of view on cinema, the experiences with both young and more experienced filmmakers... I have been working on projects that are somewhere between documentary and fiction, and that I consider to be inspiring and liberating in terms of filmmaking.
Nowadays, I have been working on a new feature film on the legendary director Jan Němec, an essay by Petr Václav based on recently discovered film footage by a cinematographer Jaroslav Kučera. Jihlava IFDF 2015 will screen three films that i have produced: two documentaries of young talents - The Dangerous World of Rajko Doleček by Kristýna Bartošová and The Czech Way by Martin Kohout, and also the short experimental film The Return of Dinosaurs.
FNE: What are the coproduction possibilities for documentary producers in your country?
In the Czech Republic there are several possibilities for producers to finance their documentaries such as the State Cinematography Fund which provides support for documentary development, production, distribution and also the production of a debut film, and which is also supporting minority coproductions. There are also film incentives for the production of feature documentaries.
At the same time producers can coproduce with the Czech TV or HBO, and they can participate in development programs like DOK.Incubator workshop.
FNE: Which producer is your inspiration and ideal?
It can be someone who always tries to understand both the theme of the project and the author's intentions, and who works hard to create ideal conditions for author's creativity. It can be someone who can feel the potential and doesn't doubt about the meaning of the film for which he has been permanently trying to find new ways of both production and distribution.
Filmography
Dangerous World of Rajko Doleček directed by Kristýna Bartošová, 73 min, Czech Republic, 2015; producer
The Czech Way directed by Martin Kohout, 110 min, Czech Republic, Slovakia, 2015; producer
Totally Talking directed by Tomáš Pavlíček, 74 min, Czech Republic, 2014; producer
Contact:
MasterFilm
Bubenská 1, 170 00, Praha 7, Czech Republic
Phone: +420 602 630 466
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www.masterfilm.cz
