A professional script- and project-development program for creative teams and aspiring script consultants who believe in the importance of teamwork
MIDPOINT Feature Launch 2021
Projekty
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.
ALIYA
Bijuterie
Brothers
Head Nurse
Leave the Door Open
No Reverse
The Bomber
Thinking David
What It Feels Like For a Girl
Účastníci
The next generation of European film professionals
Script Consultant Trainees
Company Time - Guest Producers
Lektori
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.
Head of Studies
Danijel Hocevar
Group Leaders
The Group Leaders oversee the development of projects in their group from the very beginning of the of the program through graduation. They also coach the script-consultant trainee trainee assigned to their group.
Anne Gensior
Pavel Jech
Ivo Trajkov
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
Pitching Tutor
The Pitching Tutor prepares participants to present themselves and their projects, in general and for the final pitching session of the program.
Guest Tutors
These established professionals are usually present at at least one of the workshops to share their expertise.
Experts
Awards
KVIFF & MIDPOINT Development Award
A joint financial award of MIDPOINT and the Karlovy Vary IFF of 10,000 EUR for the best project of the Feature Launch 2020 program underlines the aim of the program itself – help emerging talents from Central and Eastern Europe to develop their film projects.
Awarded project: Head Nurse
Special Jury Mention: ALIYA
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.
Awarded project: The Bomber
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.
Awarded producer: Aleksandra Aleksander
Structure
Comprehensive program combining various formats
The nine creative teams, split into three groups, work under the guidance of internationally renowned and experienced tutors and in close collaboration with script-consultant trainees, who are involved in all parts of the program.
The workshops consist of group work, plenary sessions, inspiring masterclasses and case studies which offer a deeper understanding of the creative aspects involved in the work, as well as insights into financing, sales, festival and distribution strategies. There are also one-on-one meetings with guest tutors and international experts from different areas of the audiovisual industry to help participants to further develop their projects.
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Script-Consultant TraineesPreparatory SeminarFebruary 18–20, 2021 | online
Script consultant trainees are briefed and given some introductory training by their mentor. The aim is to become acquainted with the mentor, the group leaders and the projects, and to learn the fundamentals of script consultancy.
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All participantsKickoffFebruary 24–26, 2021 | online
The aim of this session is to to become acquainted with the tutors, the fellow participants and the methodology, and to begin work on the scripts and set up the dynamics within the groups.
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All participantsOnline ConsultationsMarch 2021 | online
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All participantsWorkshop 1: Script-development & Financing StrategiesApril 17–22, 2021 | onlineTeams with projects
This workshop focuses primarily on creative development and dramaturgy while also introducing greater knowledge about other aspects of the industry, such as financing and market positioning.
Script-consultant TraineesThe trainees are trained by both their mentor, who supervises their entire learning process, and Feature Launch tutors, who help them understand the different approaches and strategies they use while developing feature-film projects. Each trainee is assigned to one of the three groups, and works closely with their mentor and the participants on the development of their scripts. Trainees also meet regularly with their mentor to review their learning progress.
Through this process, the trainees are acquainted with the script and development aspects of developing a film project, enhance their communication skills during the creative process and, most important, learn how to give constructive feedback to the creative teams to help them move forward in their development. -
All participantsOnline ConsultationsMay–June 2021 | online
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All participantsWorkshop 2: Pitching Training & Industry InsightsJune 28-July 3, 2021 | onlineTeams with projects
This workshop serves as a platform to further advance the scripts, while also incorporating marketing and sales strategies into the development process. It also includes intensive and critical training about how to present and promote projects, including the basics of business development and sustainability.
Script-consultant TraineesThe trainees continue to observe the various stages of the development of the projects, through the final presentation at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. They are present at the pitching training and rehearsals and also prepare their own presentations, as they'll pitch themselves as industry professionals during the KVIFF pitching forum.
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All participantsWorks in Development - Feature LaunchJuly 28, 2021 | online, within Eastern Promises Industry Days of KVIFFTEAMS WITH PROJECTS
All nine selected projects are presented to an audience of industry decision makers, including funders, sales agents, producers and festival programmers. One-on-one meetings follow the presentations.
The program's awards are handed out at this event.
SCRIPT-CONSULTANT TRAINEESThe trainees are also presented during the showcase to the audience of industry decision makers, including funders, sales agents, producers and festival programmers. Networking opportunities at the event may bring dividends for future careers.
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All participantsOnline ConsultationsSeptember-December 2021 | online
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ProducersCompany TimeJanuary 22-27, 2022 | Trieste, Italy
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 Linda Beath, an expert on project financing and strategic business planning who advises both European and international producers. Her areas of expertise also include public policy and new business models relating to digital media.
Over four days, participants will enhance their entrepreneurial skills, analyze their own companies, and receive feedback from both Linda and renowned experts from the industry, who have experience working both inside and outside Central and Eastern Europe.
In addtion, this workshop is run in collaboration with the Trieste FF and within the frame of When East Meets West, which brings participants further networking opportunities through its industry program.
After the workshop, participants have the opportunity to follow up with an expert online, to discuss the individual strategy for their company further.