24 participants selected for European networking platform at Cannes Festival

Having exciting filmographies with international co-productions, 24 up-and-coming players of the European film industry have been selected to take part in European Film Promotion's (EFP) networking platform PRODUCERS ON THE MOVE. Now in its 15th year, EFP spotlights emerging European producers at the Cannes Film Festival from May 17-19 and helps them embark on successful cooperations with their similarly ambitious PRODUCERS ON THE MOVE colleagues from all over Europe. 

The programme has been financially supported by the MEDIA Programme (2007-2013) of the European Unionand the participating EFP member organisations who each made a careful selection of their national participants according to specific criteria.

The schedule of PRODUCERS ON THE MOVE includes working sessions, one-to-one speed-dating meetings and various opportunities to exchange knowledge and follow up discussions on future projects. In addition, EFP will be teaming up with the European cultural channel ARTE and the pan-European co-production fund Eurimages for PRODUCERS ON THE MOVE. For the first time, Eurimages has prepared a case study exclusively for EFP's programme to be discussed under the direction of Eurimages Executive Director Roberto Olla.

He points out the importance of programmes such as PRODUCERS ON THE MOVE:
“This is the 4th consecutive year that Eurimages is involved with this initiative which perfectly marries our objectives of encouraging co-operation between producers so as to stimulate cinematographic co-productions and of promoting their international distribution. Further to the success of the collaboration at the Cannes Festival, the Eurimages Fund has strengthened its partnership with European Film Promotion through other initiatives which also seek to unite professionals from the European film industry in order to participate in its development on an international level.”

Looking back at previous editions, EFP's programme results each year in several new trans-national co-productions and gives the producers a higher profile in Cannes. For 2013, almost all of the participants are still in contact with one another and 17 co-productions are in development.

One recent success story is the coming-of-age feature The Word, directed by Anna Kazejak and co-produced by two PRODUCERS ON THE MOVE from 2011, Lukasz Dzieciol (Opus Film, Poland) and Jesper Morthorst (SF Film Production, Denmark). The film was released in Poland in March after its premiere at the Berlinale in the Generation sidebar.

Currently in post is Dirk Ohm - The Illusionist That Disappeared, directed by Bobbie Peers. The producer Maria Ekerhovd (Mer Film AS, Norway), joined forces for this film with her PRODUCERS ON THE MOVE colleague from 2011, Gian-Piero Ringel (Neue Road Movies, Germany) and the 2010 PRODUCER ON THE MOVE, Lizette Jonjic (Migma Film, Sweden). Norway has scheduled the release for September 2014. Ekerhovd and Ringel also worked together for two further projects: Every Thing Will Be Fine by Wim Wenders and the six episodes for Cathedrals of Culture which have been presented at this year’s Berlinale.

The following producers were selected by the EFP member organisations: