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MIDPOINT Feature Launch 2025

Features
Now Running

A professional script- and project-development program for creative teams and aspiring script consultants who believe in the importance of teamwork.

Projects

Nine promising feature film projects

Participating projects are divided into 3 groups of 3, and development within each group is overseen by both a group leader and a script-consultant trainee.

Battalion Records

When a band of struggling artists known as The Romanian New Rave storms the Electrecord headquarters – a once-iconic communist-era music studio now struggling to survive – they take hostages to film ...
Project detail

Carla`s Enzo

In a city where everything follows its familiar rhythm, two lonely souls cross paths: ENZO, a quiet laborer marked by a near-death experience, and CARLA, a sharp 15-year-old with parents who are ...
Project detail

DXing

“DXing” tells the story of Krzysztof, a 65-year-old grumpy widower, who is retiring. His last day at the job culminates in the death of his beloved dog and his hospitalization. Following this, ...
Project detail

History of Illness

In the midst of hospital renovations, sensitive Jošt is spending his day trying to find out more about the tic of his left eye that, for some reason, won't show itself in front of medical personnel. ...
MIDPOINT participants: Marta Eva MecavaDavid GasoDavid Gaso
Project detail

In Good Faith

In a small Polish town, Hanna (15) enjoys a close-knit family dynamic with her mother Monika (36) and her free-spirited sister Paula (17), alongside a strong bond with God and the local parish. ...
Project detail

The Last Game

In the outskirts of Bucharest, five teenagers – Gabriel (17), Marius (14), Alberto (16), Paul (15), and Florin (16) – spend a blistering summer day in an abandoned building, drinking, smoking and ...
Project detail

Restless

Lola (27) and Sláva (26) left the city for a village life. They search for a better purpose, but Lola's restlessness clashes with Sláva's yearning for stability. It puts a strain on their love. ...
Project detail

Sailing Close to the Wind

Split is typical Mediterranean city on the southern coast of Croatia, and Roko is a young sailor who just returned home from a long navigation on the ocean freighter. He comes from a family with an ...
Project detail

Soyboy

Nice-guy teacher Gabe’s ordered life is thrown into disarray when a humiliating incident of him goes viral at his school. So when a surprising detail about the incident reveals itself to him, he ...
Project detail

Participants

The next generation of European film professionals

Script Consultant Trainees

Tutors

Inspirational professionals with a passion for sharing their experience

To ensure the most comprehensive approach to training, Feature Launch works with established and respected names from all over the European industry.

Producer Mentor

The Producer Mentor oversees the development of all projects, advises them during the process regarding production and budgetary issues, and guides them through the European industry landscape.

Danijel Hocevar
Slovenia  
Film producer and CEO of Vertigo, a Ljubljana (Slovenia)-based production company with a distinctive track record and ...
Complete bio

Group Leaders

The Group Leaders oversee the development of projects in their group from the very beginning of the program through graduation. They also coach the script-consultant trainee assigned to their group.

Anne Gensior
Germany  
Anne Gensior works as an international script consultant for feature films and documentaries and as a script reader and ...
Complete bio
Pavel Jech
Czech Republic  
Pavel Jech co-founded MIDPOINT in 2010 and has been active ever since as a group leader and speaker in its various ...
Complete bio
Ivo Trajkov
Czech Republic / North Macedonia  
Ivo Trajkov works as a director, film editor, screenwriter and story editor. He was born in Macedonia and graduated ...
Complete bio

Script-consultant Trainee Mentor

The Script-consultant Trainee Mentor co-creates the training for the script-consultant trainees, ensuring that this training is implemented organically into the group work and that the collaborative set-up simulates a real-life industry environment. He meets regularly with the trainees, providing feedback and support.

Gyula Gazdag
United States  
Gyula Gazdag is a director of film, theatre, and television productions. He has served as the Artistic Director of the ...
Complete bio

Pitching Tutor

The Pitching Tutor prepares participants to present themselves and their projects, in general and for the final pitching session of the program.

Gabriele Brunnenmeyer
Germany  
Complete bio

Producer Tutor

Katarina Tomkova ensures each team develops effective promotional materials and positions their project in an international context.

Katarina Tomkova
Slovakia  
Complete bio

Guest Tutors

Eva Dvorakova Perez
Czech Republic  
Complete bio

Program Awards

Eurimages Co-production Development Award

For the first time, Karlovy Vary IFF will host the Eurimages Co-production Development Award of 20,000 EUR for one of the projects in development presented within their Eastern Promises Industry Days.
Feature Launch 2024 projects are also eligible to compete for this award, which will be granted based on the project´s artistic quality and its prospects of remaining a European co-production.

Works In Development Award

A joint financial award of MIDPOINT Institute and the Karlovy Vary IFF of 10,000 EUR for the best project of the Feature Launch 2024 program underlines the aim of the program itself – help emerging talents from Central and Eastern Europe to develop their film projects. 

connecting cottbus Award

A selected project from MIDPOINT Feature Launch will be given the opportunity to present itself during the pitching event within the connecting cottbus co-production market. Participation will include individual consultations from international film professionals and one-on-one meetings with potential partners.

Rotterdam Lab Award

One producer will be handpicked to participate in the professional training program for producers, Rotterdam Lab, which takes place during the International Film Festival Rotterdam.

Structure

Comprehensive program combining various formats

Company Time

Follow-up workshop for producers

  • Producers
    Follow-up workshop for producers
    November 2025 (dates TBC) | Thessaloniki, Greece / in collaboration with EAVE

    This follow-up workshop offers participating producers support in the areas of company sustainability and strategic business planning. This training is designed and co-organized with our partner EAVE.

    The workshop is led by Juliane Schulze, a strategic creative economy expert in business, finance, investment and sustainability, who advises European and international audiovisual companies as well as funding institutions and business agencies. Over four days, participants will sharpen their competitive advantage and enhance the viability of their businesses. Feedback rounds and individual mentoring sessions will offer direct support to tackle the challenges they are facing as film professionals in an ever-changing marketplace.

    This workshop is run in collaboration with the Thessaloniki IFF and within its industry section Agora, which brings participants further networking opportunities via its industry program.

Successful films

Selection of our successful alumni

FAQs

You may ask...

  • Can I apply with an animation or documentary film project?

    Sadly, Feature Launch does not work with animation or documentary projects, as these require a different set of skills and addresses a different market.

  • Can I apply without a writer OR director OR producer in the team?

    You can't. All these creative roles have to be present in your team. One person could represent more than one role (writer/director OR director/producer, etc.), or there could be two people representing one role (2x writer OR 2x producer, etc.). In any case, the team must consist of 2-3 people.

  • I'm not European, can I apply?

    Feature Launch is specifically designed for European writers, as we'd like to address the demand for training coming particularly from this territory. The main focus is put on the region of Central and Eastern Europe. However, projects with a strong co-production potential or already attached partners/team members from this region can be accepted as well. In case you are still not sure about your eligibility, please contact the program coordinator Sona Morgenthalova.

  • I'm not fluent in English, can I still apply?

    Sadly, no. As the entire training runs in English, and during the working days you'll be asked to write directly in English, we require an intermediate level of these language skills. This simply means: your grammar doesn't have to be perfect, but you need to talk/write fluently and have the vocabulary to do so.

  • Once selected, how much time should I allocate to the training?

    Quite honestly – a lot. Feature Launch is an intensive training, and apart from the assignments and work done during residential workshops, it operates with a system of tasks and deadlines in between these modules. So clear that calendar up a bit.

  • Do I need to attend all the workshops in the program?

    Yes, to fully engage in the training, it is essential for all team members to be present at every module of the program. It is not possible to selectively choose which workshops to attend, nor can someone else be nominated to take your or your teammate's place without the permission of the program´s selection board. 

    If you are aware, at the time of application, that you will not be able to participate in all the modules as described in the program structure above, please reconsider your application or seek a dedicated teammate who can commit to completing the entire training. 

  • Does MIDPOINT Institute offer scholarships?

    It does. However, these are only partial, cannot be allocated to all participants, and their granting therefore considers various criteria. We HIGHLY recommend applying to a local supporting organization (national or local funds, ministries of culture or education, professional associations, etc.) at the same time you're applying to MIDPOINT Feature Launch. You can always withdraw your application if not selected, but as the processing time of this support can be rather long, it might be quite late to do this once we confirm you're in.

  • Can I send you the application materials via e-mail?

    We only accept applications submitted through our Visitor Page. Firstly, that way you can be sure your e-mail doesn't end up in junk, and secondly, all submitted materials are distributed to the selection committee via the Visitor Page (please see the 'Application' section).

Contact

Did we forget something? Don't hesitate to ask

Sona Morgenthalova
Program Coordinator
sona.morgenthalova@midpoint-institute.eu
Marketa Spatenkova
Production
marketa.spatenkova@midpoint-institute.eu

Meet MIDPOINT alumni—writers, script consultants, and development executives ready to bring stories to life!

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