Spot on for the next generation of young film-makers to make an impression on the international film community. Ten film students and graduates have been selected for this year’s edition of European Film Promotion’s (EFP) FUTURE FRAMES programme at the 51st Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF) in the Czech Republic (July 1-9, 2016). In close cooperation with the festival, EFP will introduce the young directors and their films – all Czech premieres – to the public, film industry and press during the two-day event running from July 4–5, which will be rounded off by a master class. The EFP initiative is supported by the Creative Europe – Media Programme of the European Union and the respective EFP member organisations.
The FUTURE FRAMES participants have been nominated by the EFP member organisations according to artistic quality, content and international appeal. KVIFF made the final selection out of the 26 entries. And the new line-up has already achieved a lot: from Switzerland's Julia Furer whose documentary “Julian“ received various awards, including three for Best Documentary at film festivals in London and the US, to Romania's Roxana Stroe whose film “A Night at Tokoriki“ was awarded the Special Prize for Best Short Film at this year’s Berlinale Generation plus14 section. Joining the winners is Davit Pirtskhalava from Georgia. His directing debut “Father” was awarded the prestigious Golden Leopard of Tomorrow for Best International Short Film at the Locarno Film Festival in 2015.
These newcomers are following last year’s very successful group of young film-makers whose work received special attention thanks to FUTURE FRAMES’ extensive media coverage and contacts made during the festival. Martin Schweighofer, EFP President and CEO at AFC Austrian Films, describes the special appeal and impact of the programme: “EFP's next generation showcase FUTURE FRAMES is all about catching a glimpse of the future of European film-making. Last year's film crop was exceptional, making a splash at many international festivals, winning awards and even receiving an Oscar nomination. Now in its second year, the FUTURE FRAMES project ranks among EFP's most exciting activities. So, do yourself a favour and keep your eyes peeled!”
KVIFF, one of the oldest A-list film festivals worldwide with a long-standing reputation as a hub for young cinema, is the perfect spot for EFP to set the stage for the young professionals to move into the international business arena. Karel Och, Artistic Director at KVIFF and responsible for the final selection of film-makers, chimes in with praise for the young professionals: “The inaugural edition of Future Frames was one of the most successful events at last year’s KVIFF. We’re excited about continuing our collaboration with EFP and working together to provide some incredibly talented, aspiring filmmakers with what are often their very first encounters with important film industry players as well as the highly knowledgable audience.“
A teenager, Christina, loses her friends in the forest. Looking for them she finds the bodies of three drowned kids on the shore of a lagoon. On summer holiday, deep in the woods, three kids, cousins, are playing around a lake when they find a drowned young woman drifting in the water. Games, lies and rituals unfolding into a circular time in which death loses its ultimacy. What is real and what is a mirage? Who is dreaming and who is being dreamed?
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Forest of Echoes
Maria Luz Olivares Capelle
Austria
Flower of a thousand colours is an intimate portrait of Emiliana, a single mother who tries to survive in a remote Bolivian mining camp at 4897 meters above sea level. Emiliana lives with her children in the middle of the paradise like mountains of Mina Argentina. But appearances are deceptive: the life in the camp is fierce. Those who find tin eat, does who don't, don't eat. And because the excessive alcohol consumption in the camp, Emiliana has to be constantly aware of the dangers surrounding her family.
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Flower of a Thousand Colours
Karen Vázquez Guadarrama
Belgium
Every summer towns and cities on the Croatian coast double their population through the influx of tourists from all over the world. Tourism is today the biggest part of the Croatian economy, and it often looks like it may be the only one. Tourism! traces the fragments of various stories along the Croatian coast. Some of the locals catch and farm fish, some prepare it, and some entertain the guests... The life cycle appears never to end; faces, identities, emotions and results transcend towns and locations.
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Tourism!
Tonći Gaćina
Croatia
Lado is nineteen when his father comes back home unexpectedly after a very long absence. The young man tries desperately to get some answers from his parent, but in vain. When his father leaves again, Lado goes back to his life of crime, together with his younger brother. He is left to answer the questions their father would not hear.
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Father
Davit Pirtskhalava
Georgia
Diorama is a nightmarish trip through a couple's memories and projections at the end of their long on/off relationship. The film depicts the the couple's quest for the one true love, which, however, remains unfulfilled. A sparse desert landscape provides the surreal setting where Kolja and Rocio confront each other with memories of the darkest and manic moments of their time together. For them, the desert is not only a travel destination they never made it to but also represents a place of longing and hope. For an instant, a change of perspective and a chance to reconnect seems possible. However, the past has a firm grip on them and will not let go. Fond memories of the crazy-romantic beginning of their relationship are overcome by desires and anxieties. The cautious quest for new beginning ends as disaster - again. During their encounter in the unreal desert, their thoughts are haunted more and more by images from the past.
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Diorama
Clemens Pichler
Germany
After a tough breakup, Johanna returns to her abandoned childhood home,aiming to create a safe nest for herself and her son. But shortly after they start to settle, her father shows up. Full of contempt over his daughters sensitivity, he starts to toughen up his grandchild, arguing that this is necessary for him to become a survivor in life. A power struggle between father and daughter begins, and Johanna is challenged to stand up for what strength means to her.
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Elephant Skin
Rebecca Figenschau
Norway
Justine, a lonely woman in her thirties, buys an indebted apartment on a bailiffs auction. On the day she wants to move in, she discovers that the keys she was given don't match the door. The faith will test her endurance, character and morals. Sometimes a dream fulfills as a nightmare...
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Tenants
Klara Kochańska
Poland
In an improvised night club called "Tokoriki" the whole village celebrates Geanina's 18th birthday. Her boyfriend and Alin will give her a most surprising gift, one that nobody will ever forget.
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A Night in Tokoriki
Roxana Stroe
Romania
Francis and nine other west Africans travel to Sweden to work planting trees. They hope to be able to earn money for their families. But once they have arrived they end up working in conditions that resemble slavery. The work is hard and the days are long - and their wages are much lower than had been promised. They work on commission and don't earn enough to even afford a ticket home. They are stuck. Francis refuses to accept this situation. But when he protests his boss dismisses his complaints as laziness. He is told that he has to work harder. One evening Francis returns from the plantation area after what appears to have been a day of hard work. He seems to have planted every sapling. His foreman is very pleased. But his childhood friend Eric suspects that something else is going on. When Francis is then given the job of being his friends' foreman, things come to a point. Can he be loyal to his friends and at the same time satisfy his boss? Francis is a film about friendship, loyalty and human values, about racism, greed and betrayal.
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Francis
Ahmed Abdullahi
Sweden
Julian has been living in an old warehouse for twelve years, building harpsichords. When he faces eviction from his live-in workshop, he is confronted with the fact that he has neglected himself as a human being; he is suddenly aware of his lifestyle, and of the ever more pressing questions about his future and his purpose in life.
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Julian
Julia Furer
Switzerland