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The projects are:

• 20 Steps Underground – Georgia
• The Bridge – Croatia
• Keep the Fire – Germany

For the selected feature projects, EEFA offers this year access to producers and distributors at the Berlinale.

EEFA has also awarded a documentary project in the final session of the EEFA Training Network 2010 during Black Nights Film Festival at Tallinn: I worked for Radio Free Europe, Bulgaria. For this project EEFA offers access to producers and distributors at the Sunny Side of the Doc International Documentary Market 2011, held in La Rochelle, France.

In 2011, EEFA will operate a one-year Training Network for its partners in the following countries: Croatia, Bulgaria, Ukraine and Estonia. Alongside our partners, this initiative is supported by Media Mundus.

EEFA TRAINING NETWORK intends to be a platform for film professionals from the East European countries and EU neighboring countries, utilizing co-production projects as concrete means to gather talents and strengthen the wide regional film industry.

EEFA TRAINING NETWORK will create, develop and help capitalization of opportunities for international co-productions between the Eastern and European partner countries, as well as with the established film markets in the EU, trying to inter-relate the existing platforms or markets.

EEFA TRAINING NETWORK will facilitate information exchange and stimulate market intelligence by establishing a wide professional network that makes effective use of the information regarding necessary working conditions, legal framework, systems of financing, systems of distribution/exhibition within the audiovisual markets in the partner countries.

EEFA TRAINING NETWORK will enhance the competitiveness and international co-operation of the audio-visual sector of the East European partner countries in relationship with their European counterparts.

EEFA TRAINING NETWORK will foster opportunities for cultural diversity, product exchange and circulation of audiovisual products among the partner countries and within the EU by offering access to an industry-standard professional network available for all its members.

Learning targets and professional benefits

Participants will know the elements needed for a viable film project and will have improved their skills in how to draft a professional film-script, how to produce a film, how to deal with the main legal issues, how to analyze target audiences and market potential of a film project.

Participants will have improved their understanding of the film sector in their country as well as of the other partner countries in order to understand the basic requirements to enter into co-production.

Participants will have gained concrete parameters as to how to develop their career further in film and/or audiovisual field, as well as how to improve their daily practice.

Participants will have a better understanding of the functioning and dynamics of the European and Eastern film markets.

Training format and methodology

The training is spanned on the duration of a year, and consists of four phases:

• an on-line preparation phase during which all participants align themselves on key principles regarding the topics they work upon, have interactive feedback in the form of questions and answers, and work on assignments.
• Participants will receive on-line a set of core concepts and a list of assignments before the workshops, in order to attend the training with an equal level of understanding and preparation for the live workshops.
• a live phase of spotlight meetings of the four basic film business crafts (screenwriters, producers, legal representatives, distribution representatives) in the form of residential workshops where initial assignments are evaluated and improved.
• In the workshop, know-how input will be given through lectures, case studies and screenings for all participants. In the plenary and in group sessions led by the trainers, participants will discuss and analyze specific topics or case studies.

Program

• Session no. 1: "Script Development for Documentaries"
  • framework event : ZagrebDox
  • where : Zagreb (Croatia)
  • when: 1st -6th of March 2011
• Session no. 2: "Script Development for Fiction projects"
  • framework event : Festival of European Co-productions
  • where : Sofia (Bulgaria)
  • when: 15th -21st of May 2011
• Session no. 3: "Production Workshop"
  • framework event : Molodist International Film Festival
  • where : Kyiv (Ukraine)
  • when: 23rd -30th of October 2011
• Session no. 4 : "Legal Aspects and Film Distribution Workshop"
  • framework event : Baltic Nights Film Festival (POFF)
  • where : Tallinn (Estonia)
  • when : 1st -6th of December 2011
• And framework event:
  • Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale 2012)
  • where: Berlin (Germany)
  • when: February, 2012

This year, 14 projects will be selected (potentially, one per each partner country) and then given access to the Training Network program. The participants apply in teams and with projects, and will benefit of one year of online assistance for their projects coming out from European experts: Mrs. Catherine Buresi (FR), Mr. Patrice Vivancos (GR/FR), Mr. Christian Routh (UK/SP) , Mrs. Linda Beath (CA/IT), Mrs. Marta Lamperova (CZ/DE), Mr. Dirk Poppendieck (DE).

Who can apply

EEFA Project 2011 is open only for the film professionals who are residents of the 14 partner countries plus Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia.

The trainees for EEFA Training Network will apply in project teams (producer, writer/director, legal expert, promotion expert) that share the same long feature film project (fiction or documentary, more than 70 minutes) being currently in development phase.

Application requirements

The applications will be evaluated taking into considerations both the quality of the submitted projects and the professional profiles of the members of the team.

• Indicative selection criteria for the submitted film project
• quality of the script
• international market potential
• Indicative criteria for the members of the film project

Selection procedure

Selection criteria for producers: either to have produced a minimum of two hours of audiovisual programs (any format and genre, no matter whether through their own or a third entity) or to have a sound business and managerial experience in any other field. They need to be currently working in their country on project where they have teamed up with the writer/director.

Selection criteria for writers or directors: to have written and/or directed at least two hours of audiovisual program (any format and genre). They need to be currently working in their country on project where they have teamed up with the producer.

Selection criteria for legal experts: at least three years of professional activity, preferably with experience linked to the film sector and intellectual property law. They need to be currently working in their country on project where they have teamed up with the producer.

Selection criteria for promotion expert: at least three years of professional activity in film marketing/promotion. They need to be currently working in their country on project where they have teamed up with the producer.

Submit the documents

The application package will be drafted only in English and will contain:

• Application form (properly filled in and signed)
• CVs for each member of the team: producer, writer/director, legal experts, promotion expert. Each CV has to be updated with relevant information regarding the experience in cinematography industry or related fields and has to contain a photo in pdf or jpg format.

Long feature film project (fiction or documentary, more than 70 minutes) folder, which will include:

• synopsis (one page)
• treatment (maximum 10 pages)
• draft budget and financing plan (in euros; one page each)
• draft distribution plan (one page)
• A motivation letter signed by the Producer, containing a brief description of the production company and which has to provide arguments sustaining the interest of the team in participating within EEFA Training Network 2011.

EEFA Training Network will provide all technical support for an easy and secure application procedure.

All documents will be sent via email at submissions@eefa-eu.org.

Scholarships and financial obligations of the participants.

EEFA Training Network 2011 requests a registration fee of 170 E from applicants.

EEFA will grant each selected trainee with a scholarship covering the costs of traveling and accommodation to all the training / presentation sessions envisaged by the Project.

Application Deadline

Your application will only be considered if all requirements are met and all of your documents have been received in English and in the formats mentioned under the address submissions@eefa-eu.org within the deadline February 13th, 2011!

For any request or information, please contact: information@eefa-eu.org.

The East European Film Alliance is supported in 2011 by The Media Mundus Preparatory Action (an EU program aiming the development of the audiovisual industry in partnership with non-EU countries), by the FilmNewEurope website and the MAQS Law Firm.