Sgrin sets sights on Berlin Film Festival

Sgrîn Cymru Wales has been invited to take part in the prestigious industry events at the Berlin Film Festival, to be held from February 5-15.
Judith Higginbottom, Head of Production at the Welsh Media agency, will travel to the first festival of the year for the ‘Shaping of Media Regions’ debate, part of the Global Film Finance 3 Conference. Other speakers at the event include Alan Parker, Director and Chair of the UK Film Council and Stelios Haji-Ioannou, founder of easyCinema.com.
“This is an important step for Sgrîn and for Wales, as it shows that we are now recognised as a serious player in European film funding,” said Higginbottom. “This event is the most important marketplace for films in Europe and it will give us the opportunity to explore both European and international partnerships and to highlight the work we are undertaking in Wales.”
The Berlinale Talent Campus is also an integral part of the festival, widely regarded as a stepping-stone for up and coming filmmakers. “I am delighted that two Welsh films have been included in the Talent Campus this year and we will endeavour to help secure further funding for their projects in development,” added Higginbottom.
One of the films, ‘Hope for Judy’, being developed by Cardiff-based Those People Productions, has already received Lottery funding through Sgrîn and the Arts Council of Wales.
Jason King of Those People Productions said: “Over 3500 up-and-coming film professionals from 101 countries applied for the Berlinale Talent Campus.
“I attended the festival last year and visited the campus where I was lucky enough to meet some of the candidates and attend one of the lectures. I was amazed with the high standard and I’m really excited that we have been given this wonderful opportunity to pitch to market financiers and get the remaining funding for our next film.”
Only 520 filmmakers from 84 countries were able to qualify for this year’s Berlinale Talent Campus. They will now meet internationally acclaimed professional filmmakers, such as Eleanor Bergstein, Anthony Minghella, Walter Murch, Nicolas Philibert, Zbigniew Preisner, Alan Parker and Wim Wenders.
(GB)