The Baltic Sea Region-Japan Coproduction Forum is a three-day event for promising filmmakers aiming at broadening collaboration and joint film production opportunities between Japan and countries of the Baltic Sea Region. The event held during the Scanorama European Film Forum (Vilnius, Lithuania) will take place from 11 to 13 November, 2011.

 

The Baltic Sea Region-Japan Co-production Forum will be moderated by Nik Powell, a renowned British film producer, winner of numerous film awards (Oscars, Golden Palm, etc.) and lecturer. His professionalism could have been evaluated by film talents during the Scanorama European Film Forum in 2009 when he conducted a master class of the Go Young Generation Co-production Forum.

 

Baltic Sea Region-Japan Coproduction Forum will be attended by a number of famous lecturers and project appraisers from Japan, such as Dr Hiroomi Fukuzawa (a producer, professor at Berlin Free University and contributor to the Berlinale International Forum of New Cinema), Michiyo Yoshizaki (a cofounder of the legendary NDF film studijos) and Takahiro Hamano (a documentary filmmaker and news director with the Japanese National Television). 

 

During the Forum the Baltic Sea Region (BSR) will be represented by Dagmar Jacobsen (a world famous German producer and co-owner of Selavy Filmproduktion involved in many joint film productions and tutor at the Deutsche Film und Fernsehakademie in Berlin), Marcel Łoziński (an outstanding Polish documentary filmmaker, nominee and winner of a number of film awards, including an Oscar, and awards from the European Film Academy, Krakow Film Festival and Sidney Film Festival) and Rasa Miškinytė (a distinguished Lithuanian producer, founder of the film company Era Film and chairwoman of the Lithuanian Association of Independent Producers). 

 

Apart from giving master classes and conducting seminars, the invited lecturers will take part in round-table  discussions and share their experience with the young film professionals selected as participant of the Forum. 

 

Ten promising filmmakers from the BSR (Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland), as well as ten cinematographers from Japan will also present their projects to the experienced European and Japanese film professionals  during a pitching day aiming at inspiring joint productions.

 

The Forum will be accompanied by a special film programme. Distinctive films from the Baltic Sea Region and Japan’s most interesting cinematographic works will be screened as part of rich repertoire of this year’s Scanorama European Film Forum, from 10 to 13 November. Participants of the Forum as well as ordinary spectators will be given an opportunity to watch a remarkable example of the European-Japanese coproduction, the Oscar and BAFTA awarded film The Crying Game, produced by the guests of the Forum Nik Powell and Michyo Yoshizaki.

 

Venue of the Forum:  Hotel Radisson Blu Astorija, Simfonija Conference Hall, Didžioji g. 35/2, Vilnius 01128, Lithuania.

 

Participation is free of charge, however registration is required. Please find the online application form here. The deadline for registration is 20 October, 2011.

 

The Forum is a part of BaltMet Promo Project, part-financed by the European Union (European Regional Development Funds).