When East Meets West

With over 500 guests, the co-production market "When East Meets West" at the Trieste Film Festival once again set a record number of participants.

Here, the film projects of tomorrow were pitched and excerpts from new films were shown that will soon be screened at international film festivals - perhaps in Cottbus too? Projects were discussed, ideas exchanged and partnerships forged in lively conversations - a rousing, energetic dialogue in a region that is growing together between Italy, Slovenia and Croatia, thoughtful reflection on the current wars and social divisions for all of us, which directly affect many of the filmmakers present. A total of 18 prizes were awarded to support the development of the premiered projects in various ways.

For the first time, the HAVC & MIDPOINT Development Award was presented for the best short film project in a competition organised by the MIDPOINT training initiative. The winner was the Ukrainian-French project UNAVAILABLE by young director Kyrylo Zemlyanyi - the story of a young Ukrainian who has fled from Russian missile fire to the west of his countnry and despairs when he can no longer reach his mother, who has remained in the war zone.

FFC programme director Bernd Buder, together with the Bosnian-Herzegovinian director Una Gunjal and the Romanian producer Anamaria Antoci shared the jury responsibilities.