The SEE Cinema Network's general assembly held its 31st session online on 19 January 2021. A total of 15 submitted proposals were examined and eight were selected for funding (one from each member country).
The winners include the Macedonian debut DJ Ahmet by Georgi M. Unkovski, produced by Cinema Futura, which is looking to be filmed as a coproduction with Serbia. Unkovski, who also wrote the script, premiered his short film Sticker / Nalepnica in the International Narrative Short Films at the Sundance Film Festival 2020 and won the Best Narrative Short Prize at the Brooklyn Film Festival. The film received over 170 awards and qualified for a further Oscar nomination.
The second funded debut is Romanian Crissea IV by Vladimir Dembinski. Bogdan Crăciun produced it on behalf of Libra Film Productions. Crissea IV was also selected to MIDPOINT Feature Launch 2020. Dembinski's graduation short film Tennis (2012) was selected for festivals including Clermont-Ferrand, Festival Europeen du Film Court Brest, Curtas Vila do Conde.
Third is Teen Bull Terrier, the debut feature by Serbian producer Ivica Vidanović, produced by Jelena Filipović through Crossmedia agency.
The fourth supported project is Montenegro’s Planet 7693 / Planeta 7693 by Gojko Berkuljan. The film is written by Ane Vujadinović. Marko Jaćimović is producing through Giggling Goat Production. The project was recently selected for Kids Kino.Lab to participate in the 5th edition of its script development programme. The film received a grant from Film Centre of Montenegro in 2020 for production of film works for children and youth.
The fifth project, Maya comes from Cyprus and is directed by Tonia Mishiali. The fantasy/drama is planned as a coproduction with Poland, produced by Bark Like a Cat Films. It also participated in the 2020 development workshop of the Torino Film Lab, as well as script development programmes in Greece and Germany.
The South Eastern Europe Cinema Network (SEE Cinema Network) was set up in 2000. The goal is to support the film industry of Southeast European countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Greece, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Cyprus). It is governed by the General Assembly of national representatives of each country. The Greek Film Center is operating costs.
Selected projects:
DJ Ahmet (North Macedonia)
Directed and written by Georgi M. Unkovski
Produced by Cinema Futura
Crissea IV (Romania)
Directed and written by Vladimir Dembinski
Produced by Libra Film Productions
Teen Bull Terrier (Serbia)
Directed by Ivica Vidanović
Produced by Crossmedia agency
Planet 7693 (Montenegro)
Written by Ana Vujadinović and Gojko Berkuljan
Directed by Gojko Berkuljan
Produced by Giggling Goat Production
Maya (Cyprus)
Directed by Tonia Mishiali
Produced by Bark Like a Cat
Burek (Kosovo)
Directed by Ismet Sijarina
That Burning Light (Greece)
Directed by Efthimios Kosemund Sanidis
Sex Cut (Albania)
Directed by Eno Milkani