European films on the rise at South Korea's Pusan International Film Festival

EFP sets up extended umbrella office and supports filmmakers and sales companies from across Europe at PIFF (October 2 â€“ 10, 2008)

European Cinema is on the rise at the Pusan´s International Film Festival (PIFF) which will be held from October 2 - 10, 2008. This year, PIFF is screening 85 European films - out of a total of 315 films from 60 countries - making an increase of one third compared to last year. With the support of the MEDIA Programme of the European Union, European Film Promotion (EFP) is supporting the European film programme in Pusan for the 11th year running and is bringing a delegation of 25 actors, directors, writers and producers from 13 different countries to this important festival in Asia. Jean-Luc Godard´s favourite actress Anna Karina and Italy´s renowned director Paolo Taviani are among the European film guests travelling to Pusan.

Since its inception 12 years ago, PIFF has broken the mould between documentaries and animation, commercial and independent films, digital and analogue films. As one of the brightest lights in the Asian festival scene, PIFF persistently strives for new visions to become the festival of constant awakening and new cultural paradigm. Since cooperating with Pusan, EFP has responded to the enormous interest of the South Korean festival audience, the film industry and press in the range of European films. Working in close cooperation, EFP and the festival organize various presentations, film screenings and events such as the traditional European Industry Cocktail for networking opportunities.

The European filmmakers will present their films primarily in the classical sections of “World Cinema”, “Wide Angle” and “Open Cinema”. Others are shown in the late-night screenings of “Midnight Passion” and the „Flash Forward“ section, which was added to the festival sections last year and presents a sincere platform for films by the new generations with its futuristic tone. The festival is putting a focus on Romanian Cinema with its programme on the “Romanian New Wave”. Furthermore, the festival is celebrating a retrospective of the highly acclaimed Italian directors, the Taviani Brothers, with a series of seven films.

Following the great demand in 2007, EFP is setting up an extended umbrella office at the centre of the Asian Film Market (October 3 - 6), which can be used by the European film industry for business meetings, film screenings and the display of promotional material. EFP is also looking after the offices for UK companies organized by the UK Film Council. 23 sales companies and producers will be registered at the EFP office, including TrustNordisk (Denmark), Bavaria Film International (Germany), Wide Management (France) and Negativ Film Productions (Czech Republic). The Asian Film Market also serves as the platform for the “Busan International Film Commission and Industry Showcase” (BIFCOM) and the “Pusan Promotion Plan” (PPP) – one of the largest project markets in Asia where producers can negotiate co-productions and co-financing possibilities.

Director Freddy Mas Franqueza will present
Awaking from a Dream (Spain, Poland)
For the fifth time, EFP is supporting selected European sales and production companies in Pusan with their marketing campaigns via the Film Sales Support (FSS) initiative. This year, FSS backed 19 European films such as The Good News by Helena Taberna (Spain), For A Moment, Freedom by Arash T. Riahi (Austria/France), The Stranger in Me by Emily Atef (Germany), Another Planet by Ferenc Moldoványi (Hungary) and Story of Jen by Francois Rotger (France/Canada) amongst others. The initiative's goal is to promote the sales of films which are being shown in Pusan's festival programme. A list of the production and sales companies being supported by FSS in Pusan this year will be announced on September 29th at www. efp-online.com together with the list of the supported films.

Supported by EFP, the following European directors, actors, producers and one writer will present their films in Pusan:

Emily Atef, director: The Stranger in Me (Germany)
Lionel Baier, director: Another Man (Switzerland)
Kim Bodnia, actor: Terribly Happy (Denmark)
Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre, actress: Nucingen Haus (France)
Claire Denis, director: 35 Rhums (France)
Arnaud Desplechin, director: A Christmas Tale (France)
Maria Dinulescu, actress: Hooked (Romania)
João Figueiras, director: Urban Landscape with Girl and Plane (Portugal)
Dariusz Gajewski, director: Mr Kukas´s Advice (Poland)
Philippe Grandrieux, director: A Lake (France)
Thomas Grube, director: Trip to Asia (Germany)
Irena Hejdova, writer: Night Owls (Czech Republic)
Audrey Marnay, actress: Nucingen Haus (France)
Freddy Mas Franqueza, director: Awaking from a Dream (Spain, Poland)
David Olafsson, producer: Country Wedding (Iceland)
Valdis Oskarsdottir, director: Country Wedding (Iceland)
Arsen Anton Ostojic, director: No One´s Son (Croatia)
Jozo Patljak, producer: No One´s Son (Croatia)
Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire, director: Johnny Mad Dog (France, Belgium)
Adrian Sitaru, director: Hooked (Romania)
Froukje Tan, director: Left (The Netherlands)
Helena Treštíková, director: René (Czech Republic)
Jan Troell, director: Everlasting Moments (Sweden, Denmark)
Maarten van der Leeden, producer: Left (The Netherlands)
Dorothee Wenner, director: Peace Mission (Germany)

The following sales agents and producers have registered at EFP’ s Umbrella Office at the Asian Film Market:

AB Svensk Filmindustri (Sweden), Austrian Film Commission (Austria), Bavaria Film International (Germany), Boomtown Media (Germany), Celluloid Dreams (France), Czech Film Center (Czech Republic), Danish Film Institute (Denmark), Lamia Producciones (Spain), Le Pacte (France), Les Films du Losange (France), m-appeal (Germany), MDC International GmbH (Germany), Memento Films (France), Negativ Film Productions (Czech Republic), Rezo Films (France), Roissy Films (France), Romanian Film Promotion (Romania), TrustNordisk (Denmark), UGC (France), Umedia (France), Unifrance (France), Urban Films, S.L. (Spain) Wide Management (France)

For further information about the European film programme in Pusan please click here.

Contact
Andreas Struck, EFP
Project Manager
struck@efp-online.com
+49 40 390 6252

Press Contact
Press agent/ Pusan
Ellie Koo
elliekoo@empal.com
mobile: +82 10-8244-4283

Press EFP
Mareen Gerisch
gerisch@efp-online.com
+49 390 6252

EFP is supported by the MEDIA Programme of the European Union and by its member organisations. In addition, promotion and PR activities are backed by the Centre National de la Cinématographie (CNC) as well as by private sponsors. The programme in Pusan is moreover supported by Filmstiftung NRW and the Hollywood Reporter. The Hamburg-based office is financially supported by the German Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media and the Department for Culture, Sports and Media of the City of Hamburg.