Production company: Nafta Films, Solar Films
Genre: Adventure, Family
Countries: Estonia
Estimated run time (min): 208
Directors: Helen Takkin, Oskar Lehemaa
Producers: Esko Rips, Diana Mikita
Stage of the project: Development
Estimated date of the project: 2020
Looking for: Co-production, Broadcasters, Funding
Target audience: 8 - 14

Logline

An 8-part TV-series sequel to the most successful Estonian family film The Secret Society of Souptown. About the director: We were all very closely tied in with the birth of the film “Secret Society of Souptown”. It can be said that Oskar found those wonderful little actors out of over five thousand children, Helen as a fragile woman directed the masses of people when the more large-scale scenes were shot, and Margus directed the film. The souls of all of us were left with a warm, bright memory of that summer that took us back years in time together with these children, which unobtrusively blends in with shards of memory from our own childhoods. This time the roles are changing. Oskar and Helen will be directing and Margus will be active in the background. This fact leads us to the main theme of this future serial. Times and things change and although this can at times be difficult, it is always necessary for something.

About the production company

Since 2009, Nafta Films has been producing audiovisual content of all forms (film, TV productions, TV commercials). The first feature film produced by Nafta Films, the family adventure film ”Secret Society of Souptown”, rapidly ascended to become Estonia’s most watched family film of all time and subsequently was sold by Beta Film to eight countries and to Netflix U.S.A. Nafta Films has produced and participated in the production of several television serials “After School” produced for the Russian market in cooperation with Walt Disney Productions, and the science fiction serial IT-Planet in co-production with the Estonian National Broadcasting Corporation). On top of this, we have internationally co-produced two feature films and numerous short films.

Project representative

Esko Rips Producer Nafta Films esko@nafta.ee

Production company: BeGood Films
Genre: Family film
Countries: Poland
Estimated run time (min): 85
Director: Maria Sadowska
Producers: Magdalena Rychła
Stage of the project: Development
Estimated date of the project: 2021
Looking for: Distribution, Sales agents, Broadcasters
Target audience: 9 - 12

Logline

Playful, uplifting story about the girl who wants to be a superhero and about the superpower that everyone’s has. Adventure journey with road movie motif full of humour and dynamic action scenes.

About the production company

BeGood Films is specialized in children, youth and family films. We recognize and answer our audience needs. We create projects that entertain, affect and show the world from kids perspective.

Project representative

Magdalena Rychła Producer BeGood Films magda@begoodfilms.com

Production company: ESSE Production House, MaGiKa Film, Takfilm Sp. Z. o.o.
Genre: Drama, teens
Countries: Ukraine, Poland
Estimated run time (min): 90
Director: Kateryna Gornostai
Producers: Natalia Libet, Vitaliy Sheremetiev, Viktoria Khomenko, Gennadiy Kofman, Olha Beskhmelnytsina, Kuba Kosma
Stage of the project: Development
Estimated date of the project: 01/08/2020
Looking for: Co-production, Sales agents, Festivals, Funding, Other - feedback
Target audience: 14+

Logline

At a school with ruthless discipline, “wild” things - love and sensuality - are growing. The 16-year-old Masha, at a difficult time in puberty, wants to go beyond the boundaries of the world and back again.

About the director

Kateryna Gornostai graduated from the School of Documentary Film and Theatre in Moscow. After returning to Kyiv, Kateryna started developing educational film programmes and her own documentary and fiction films. In 2016, she curated a documentary programme at the “86” Festival of Film and Urbanism in Ukraine. She is currently working as an associate teacher for the master’s course Documentary and Factual TV at Kyiv-Mohyla School of Journalism. Among her seven short and medium-length films to date, AWAY (2015, fiction, 11 min) won Best Ukrainian Film at Wiz-Art Film Festival, Best Acting at Odessa International Film festival in 2015, and Best Ukrainian Short at Molodist IFF 2015. Her documentary “Maidan is Everywhere” (37 min) won the Andriy Matrosov Award at the Docudays UA Festival 2015. Her latest fiction short film “Lilac” (30 min) received a Special Jury Mention and the FIPRESCI Prize for Best Ukrainian Short Film at Odessa International Film festival in 2017.

About the production company

ESSE Production House is the first full-service film production company in Ukraine. Since 1991, the company has delivered more than 800 commercials, industrial and music videos as well as numerous TV series and feature films. The company’s work has been recognized by various awards and nominations, including an Academy Award nomination for Best Short Film, Live Action for “The Door” (2010) by Juanita Wilson, for which ESSE provided production services in Ukraine. Upcoming features include the Lithuanian-Ukrainian-French co-production “Stasis” by Mantas Kvedaravicius.

Project representative

Kateryna Gornostai Director kate.gornostai@gmail.com

Production company: Pronto Film
Genre: Adventure, Family, Fantasy
Countries: Ukraine
Estimated run time (min): 90
Director: Sasha Kirienko
Producers: Maxim Asadchiy, Kateryna Kopylova
Stage of the project: Development
Estimated date of the project: 22/10/2020
Looking for: Co-production, Sales agents, Festivals, Funding
Target audience: 10 - 13

Logline

Ingenious and vigorous daughter of inventor is desperate to assert herself to her father, which results in an accident, sinking into a coma and landing up in Dreamy World. In order to return to the reality she needs to reveal a secret of Dreamy World, to fight its evil ruler, and to enter the Ring of Life.

About the director

After working at the top Ukrainian TV channels, Sasha directed over 20 films and series in Ukraine and Russia. His 2008 fantasy thriller “Illusion of Fear” became Ukrainian Oscar submission. In 2018 he directed the adaptation of the Israeli fantasy thriller series “Sirens” for the main Russian TV channel.

About the production company

Pronto Film is a full-service independent production company, based in Kyiv, Ukraine. Headed by Maxim Asadchiy since 2004, Pronto produces films, TV series, commercials, and foreign service projects. Pronto's films have been shown on festivals around the world like Rotterdam, Warsaw, Shanghai, São Paulo, Chicago, Palm Springs, Moscow, Beijing, Leipzig, and many more and have won various international prizes. Two Pronto's films became Ukrainian Oscar submissions. Pronto Film is the founding member of the Film Industry Association of Ukraine. Pronto's family feature "Foxter & Max" is now in post-production.

Project representatives

Sashko Chubko Development producer Pronto Film sashko@pronto.kiev.ua Kateryna Kopylova Producer ziluyko@gmail.com

Production company: VFS FILMS
Genre: Action, Animated triller
Countries: Latvia
Estimated run time (min): 26
Director: Nils Skapāns
Producers: Uldis Cekulis
Stage of the project: Early development
Estimated date of the project: 01/06/2021
Looking for: Co-production, Funding
Target audience: 8 - 12

Logline

Thou shalt not steal my dreams!

About the director

Nils Skapāns is experienced artist, he have directed more than 30 animations. Nils Skapāns: “I like today's technologies and the opportunities they give. And I also use them. But I must say that it is often because I have to and not because I want to. It is all good but... sometimes it makes me sick to think about how involved, addicted and calculable we have become. It is stupid that a software can calculate what we want and, what is even crazier, that it knows how to make us get something we do not need. I might be naive but I believe in one's common sense, fantasy and natural rowdiness that does not succumb to this 'artificial intellect'. And that is what my new movie will be about.It will not save or even change the world, but at least I will have expressed my point of view.”

About the production company

VFS FILMS is an independent production company which houses a group of talented filmmakers around a tight nucleus – best at telling human stories through award-winning creative documentaries. Most of VFS films such as European Film Academy nominated “Dreamland” as well as “Theodore”, “Ramin”, "Liberation Day", "Wonderful Losers" and 2015 IDFA Special Jury prize awarded "Ukrainian Sheriffs" have travelled around the world. This will be our second animation project, but we have used lot of animated elements to enhance the stories in our documentaries.

Project representatives

Uldis Cekulis Producer uldis@vfs.lv Nils Skapāns author, director VFS Films skapans@inbox.lv

Production company: 8Heads Productions
Genre: Drama, youth film
Countries: Czech Republic, Latvia
Estimated run time (min): 90
Director: Tomáš Polenský
Producers: Julietta Sichel, Jan Froněk, Guntis Trekteris
Stage of the project: Development
Estimated date of the project: 03/02/2020
Looking for: Co-production, Sales agents, Broadcasters, Festivals, Funding
Target audience: 14+

Logline

David, a sixteen-year-old hockey goalie freshly diagnosed with diabetes, joins a new team – one governed by the uncompromising law of the pack. Desperately, David tries to stand his ground against an avalanche of bullying that soon begins to gain speed.

About the director

Tomáš Polenský (1987) studied film direction at the Film School in Zlin and then took his MA at FAMU. Despite the short filmography he has received numerous awards for his work. Besides directing his own films, he edits films by his colleagues and acts as DOP of feature films, documentaries, music and commercial spots. He is currently finishing feature-length documentary “Instrument of War” dealing with psychology of a soldier. Tomáš knows the environment depicted in The Pack more than well: his sister is the captain of the Czech Republic women’s national ice hockey team; Tomáš himself spent 16 years playing minor and junior hockey, and even acted as a youth coach for several seasons. Tomáš aims to base his approach to making The Pack on his experience with documentary films, striving for a raw style with a focus on the expressive depiction of the main character’s feelings.

About the production company

8Heads Productions was established in 2010 in order to produce author-based projects in close creative co-operation between writer, director and producer. The founder of the company, Julietta Sichel, is a former Program Director of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival and an experienced film producer with several successful international co-productions in her record. When choosing her projects, Sichel relies on her more than 20 years of experience from international film scene. Sichel focuses on films with international potential and with chances of success at the leading world film festivals. Films produced or co-produced by 8Heads Productions were presented at numerous festivals around the world including Montreal, Karlovy Vary, Tallinn, Busan, Chicago, Jeonju, Teheran, Raindance, Sarajevo, Kiev, Jihlava Documentary Film Festival, ZagrebDox, Houston and many others.

Project representative

Julietta Sichel Producer 8Heads Productions julietta@8heads.com

Production company: Kamer-Ton-Film-Russia Ltd., Durimar Pictures Ltd.
Genre: Musical fairy tale
Countries: Russia
Estimated run time (min): 90
Director: Andjei Petras
Producers: Anastasia Razlogova, Andjei Petras
Stage of the project: Development
Estimated date of the project: 15/12/2020
Looking for: Co-production, Distribution, Sales agents, Broadcasters, Festivals, Funding, Other - Old European city as a setting, International casting, VFX partners
Target audience: 6 - 99

Logline

“The Tinderbox” is a musical fairy tale based on the work by Hans-Christian Andersen, with new magical heroes, mesmerizing puppet and computer animation, songs, and dance numbers. We create our own fairy tale and we live it!

About the director

Andjei Petras is a director and a scriptwriter, as well as a composer for cinema, theatre and television. Andjei also works as a producer. He has won awards for original music – Prize for Best Music at Love International Film Festival (Los Angeles, USA), film “Defenders of life” (dir. Dana Ziyasheva), Grand Prix of the festival FIPA (Biarritz, France) for original music, film "Franz+Polina" (dir. Mikhail Segal); National film critics award “White Elephant” (Russia) in the category “Best music”, film “Short Stories” (dir. Mikhail Segal) and others. Prizes for film “Paratrooper’s day” (scriptwriter, director, composer, producer Andjei Petras): Film Critic’s Prize the “Silver snow goggles” at I Yakutsk international film festival, Best film of the VII Moscow short film festival “Other Lands”, Nikolay Ovsyannikov Prize for creative support at the XXI International film festival “Festival of festivals” and others.

About the production company

Kamer-Ton-Film-Russia Ltd. was founded by Anastassia Razlogova in 2000. Main activity: production of feature films, production of documentary films, production of television programs (Russia Culture TV channel). Artistic Director of the Studio, Professor Kirill Razlogov, is a venerated film scholar and TV personality. General director of the Company - Anastasia Razlogova - Graduated the economic department of the Russian State Institute of Cinematography (VGIK), Member of the Russian Documentary Film and Television Guild. Producer of fiction and documentary features, participants and prize-winners of Russian and International film festivals. Since 2001 producer of the popular weekly program “Cult Movies” on TV Channel “Russia-Culture”, devoted to classical and art-house cinema – the only program on Russian television that combines film screenings and conversations with the authors of these films and leading Russian and foreign filmmakers.

Project representatives

Anastasia Razlogova Producer Kamer-Ton-Film-Russia arazlogova@hotmail.com Andjei Petras Co-scriptwriter, director, composer, producer anjeipetras@gmail.com

Production company: Joni Art, Insomniak, Institute for Transmedia Design
Genre: Hybrid / Animation/ VR (+ feature film, web series)
Countries: Lithuania, France, Slovenia, Germany
Estimated run time (min): 10
Director: Tomas Tamosaitis
Producers: Tomas Tamosaitis, Emmanuel Rouglan, Sara Bozanic
Stage of the project: Early development
Estimated date of the project: 11/2020
Looking for: Co-production, Distribution, Sales agents, Broadcasters, Festivals, Funding
Target audience: 14+

Logline

“Killer, Penguin, Doll Face” is a story of socially excluded and alienated teenagers, who live in the Universe - the HOUSE for troubled - where the usual laws of space and time do not apply.

About the director

Tomas Tamosaitis gained his film education in the Theatre and Film Department of the Lithuanian Music Academy, then continued his studies at the European Film College in Denmark and at the Andrzej Wajda Master School of Film directing in Poland. Tomas is interested in and committed to making films that often explore the fine line between the different forms of the medium of film. Tomas is a co-owner of the Joni Art production company, where he works on the development and production of various animation, documentary, film and TV projects. Tomas Tamosaitis is also the author of film and culture related reviews for journals and newspapers, a Lithuanian Film Program producer for the Summer Film Academy in Poland, and a lecturer at the Vilnius Film Centre.

About the production company

Joni Art is a young and dynamic production company created in 2008 and based in Vilnius, Lithuania. The trademark of Joni Art is to experiment with multiple techniques, through combining innovative and traditional approaches, creating entertaining and convincing films that leave a memorable and long lasting impact. Joni Art is committed to developing and producing films that reflects emotions and stories beyond borders. The films produced by Joni Art are very successful at the film festivals and were awarded various international and national awards. Joni Art is organizing and conducting training, where the techniques of animation and filmmaking process are being introduced to young audience.

Project representatives

Tomas Tamosaitis Producer, author, director tomas@joniart.com Emmanuel Rouglan Producer, author emmanuel@insomniak.co

Production company: Vars-Studio, Zentropa Spain
Genre: Fairy tale
Countries: Georgia, Spain
Estimated run time (min): 90
Directors: George Varsimashvili, Avtandil Varsimashvili
Producers: George Varsimashvili
Stage of the project: Early development
Estimated date of the project: 25/12/2019
Looking for: Co-production, Distribution, Sales agents, Broadcasters, Festivals, Funding
Target audience: 6 - 40

Logline

A frustrated actor works as a Santa Claus. One day he discovers a homeless boy, who is not able to speak. He gives him a shelter and his life starts to change.

About the director

George Varsimashvili is a Georgian writer and director born in Tbilisi in 1986. After graduating university in Georgia, he went to study film making in Paris 8 university, obtaining bachelor’s and master’s degree)and ESRA Paris film school. During his studies he made a dozen of short films, which traveled on different film festivals. He shot his debut feature film “Particulier à Particulier” (2012) in France. Although film didn’t have any producer or distributor behind it and had a minor budget, equal of a student short film, it was still released theatrically in France, Russia and Georgia. This achievement brought him recognition in his homeland, where he is working on various film projects. In 2016 he made a film for the national television “Dzmebi Qalaqshi”.

About the production company

Vars-Studio is a film production company based in Tbilisi Georgia. Since its foundation in 2008, we made 8 feature films as a main producer and several other projects as a service company. Our 2009 film “Kvelaperi Kargad Ikneba” broke Georgia’s box office rating and is considered as commercially the most successful film since the independence in 1991.

Co-producer

Zentropa Spain is a subsidiary entity of Zentropa Denmark. It took part in most of Lars Von Trier's movies as a co-producer. Company has made independently several films and has a history of being on major festivals, including Cannes official selections.

Project representative

George Varsimashvili Director, producer Vars-Studio vars-studio@hotmail.com

Production company: LLC Production company "Rus"
Genre: Comedy, Adventure
Countries: Russia, Latvia
Estimated run time (min): 20
Director: Julia Gorbachevskaya
Producers: Irina Soina
Stage of the project: Early development
Estimated date of the project: 01/06/2019
Looking for: Co-production, Festivals, Funding
Target audience: 4 - 99

Logline

For the protagonists of Peter and Valdis - summer in the village is a time to test their friendship. Who will be able to resist a powerful tablet?

About the director

Julia Gorbachevskaya graduated in 2004 from Moscow State University. In 2017 from GITIS (Master, professor – Boris Morozov, National artist of Russia). Julia has been teaching scriptwriting and screenwriting at the Russian State University for the Humanities from 2016.

About the production company

LLC Producer company Rus was founded in 2015. Produces video and documentary films for the Russian market and CIS countries. Ready for co-production.

Project representative

Anna Utrobina annautrobina@gmail.com

Production company: A Film Estonia, A Film Production ApS
Genre: Adventure, Animation
Countries: Estonia/Denmark
Estimated run time (min): 73
Directors: Meelis Arulepp, Karsten Kiilerich
Producers: Kristel Tõldsepp, Anders Mastrup
Stage of the project: Production
Estimated date of the project: 17/01/2020
Looking for: Distribution, Broadcasters
Target audience: 4 - 8

Logline

A story about a very special and very charming living doll that causes a bit of jealousy between brother and sister, but eventually brings them closer together.

About the director

Meelis Arulepp has worked as an animator in various animation studios since 1987, in 1994 he co-founded A Film Estonia. Meelis has worked as the creative head of the studio since then. Meelis' filmography includes over 30 feature films, where he has been directing animator, designer, storyboarder or supervisor. Meelis has co-directed 8 short films and over 300 commercials. He is also well know book illustrator and caricaturist. Karsten Kiilerich is one of the founders of A.Film, the largest animation studio in Denmark. Karsten has experience in all branches of animation, ranging from feature-films, shorts and TV-series. He has worked as an animator, script writer, director, concept-developer and creative producer. In addition, Karsten Kiilerich is a winner of a large number of international film prizes and was Oscar nominated in 1999 (Director - “When life departs”).

About the production company

A Film Estonia is an animation studio in Tallinn, Estonia, established in 1994. As a production house, it produces 2D and 3D animation for feature-length movies, broadcast TV, educational productions and commercials. A Film Estonia was mainly a sub-contracting studio up until 2005. The studio has worked for many major European and US studios including Columbia Pictures, Warner Bros. Feature Animation, Prima Linea, Rome Animation, Anima Vitae. In 2005 A Film Estonia started with their own productions and has produced 8 short films since then. A Film Estonia animators and designers have also created illustrations for various publications and designed logos and designs for different products.

Project representatives

Kristel Tõldsepp Producer A Film Estonia kristel@afilm.ee Meelis Arulepp Director meelis@afilm.ee

Production company: Nafta Films
Genre: Comedy, Family
Countries: Estonia
Estimated run time (min): 90
Director: Ingomar Vihmar
Producers: Diana Mikita, Esko Rips
Stage of the project: Early development
Estimated date of the project: 2020
Looking for: Co-production, Sales agents, Broadcasters, Funding
Target audience: 8 - 15

Logline

Clever teenage boys Oliver and Sass create an ingenious new product that draws the attention of a sneaky investor. The boys begin a scheme that turns both their business and family life upside down.

About the director

Ingomar Vihmar has previously worked as an actor and director at the Ugala Theatre for some ten years, he's been a freelance director for a few years and worked as a copywriter at an ad agency. After all that he worked as a director at the Estonian Drama Theatre for about ten years and since 2015 he has been the creative director of Endla Theatre.

About the production company

Since 2009, Nafta Films has been producing audiovisual content of all forms (film, TV productions, TV commercials). The first feature film produced by Nafta Films, the family adventure film “Secret Society of Souptown”, rapidly ascended to become Estonia’s most watched family film of all time and subsequently was sold by Beta Film to eight countries and to Netflix U.S.A. Nafta Films has produced and participated in the production of several television serials (“After School”), produced for the Russian market in cooperation with Walt Disney Productions, and the science fiction serial “IT-Planet” in co-production with the Estonian National Broadcasting Corporation. On top of this, we have internationally co-produced two feature films and numerous short films.

Project representative

Diana Mikita Producer Nafta Films diana@nafta.ee

Production company: BFILM.cz
Genre: Adventure, Family Film
Countries: Czech Republic, Slovakia
Estimated run time (min): 90
Director: Petr Oukropec
Producers: Peter Badač
Stage of the project: Development
Estimated date of the project: 07/02/2020
Looking for: Co-production, Distribution, Broadcasters, Funding
Target audience: 7 - 10

Logline

The adventurous story about an young geek boy, who has to overcome himself and stay two weeks in the summer camp without any technology. Here he will be challenged to help the forest creatures to save their forest of being destroyed by greedy developers.

About the director

Petr Oukropec is Czech director and producer. He produced his first feature film – Indian Summer by Saša Gedeon – in 1994. Film was released in wide distribution despite the fact that it was only a graduate film from the FAMU film school. In 1995 Petr, together with Pavel Strnad, established a production company called Negativ. In this company they produced more than 30 feature fiction, documentary and animated films. Since 2003 he has been lecturing at Department of Production at Prague’s FAMU. He continues to work with kids and non-actors in his private theatre called Zmrzlik. Based as a social project, in the years since its inception, it has gained a wide audience and recognition. In 2012 he made his first film as a director. “Blue Tiger” was screened at dozens film festivals and won several awards. “In Your Dreams!” his second film, was premiered at Berlinale in 2016.

About the production company

BFILM was founded in 2010 in Slovakia and in 2017 in Czech Republic by Peter Badač as a film production company working with art-house fiction, animations and TV series. BFILM focuses on remarkable artistic quality and innovative approaches, working with carefully selected directorial talent. BFILM is one of the leading companies on the Slovak market with 3 award winning feature films and 7 short films already produced. Our films has received several awards and nominations, were in competition in Cannes, Annecy, Berlinale or Locarno, were screened in Rotterdam, Karlovy Vary, Warsaw, Cairo and many other festivals. Our vision is to bring local stories for the broad international audience while helping emerging talents to be discovered and grow.

Project representative

Peter Badač Producer BFILM.cz info@bfilm.cz