CineLink –

Project
Development
Workshop
Sarajevo
2-6 April /
2018
Content
3 CineLink Workshop Schedule


Film Screenings
NIGHTLIFE
NEVER LEAVE ME

6 CineLink Projects
6 BALAUR
8 CHEMISTRY
10 DESKMATE
12 THE ELEGY OF LAUREL
14 FIUME O MORTE
16 SAFE PLACE
18 SUMMER NIGHT, HALF PAST TEN
20 WAR AND WAR

22 CineLink Drama Projects

22 ANATOMY OF CRIME
24 BAD BLOOD
26 FRUST
28 GREATER THAN THE DEATH
30 THESEUS

32 CineLink Tutors

36 CineLink Team
CineLink Selection Board

CineLink Project Development Workshop 2018 | 3

 CineLink Workshop Schedule
MONDAY, 2 APRIL, Cinema Meeting Point 11:30 – 13:00 Project development meetings
(per personal schedules)
18:15 – 20:00 Welcome Drink

20:00 – 21:30 Screening of the film NIGHTLIFE (Damjan Kozole, SI/MK/BA, 2016) 13:00 – 15:00 Lunch

15:00 – 16:30 CineLink Drama: Project Development at HBO Europe

TUESDAY, 3 APRIL, Hotel Holiday by Gabor Krigler

9:30 – 11:00 Producer’s Talks: Strategizing for Coproduction Market 15:00 – 18:30 Project development meetings
by Jovan Marjanović and Amra Bakšić Čamo (per personal schedules)

9:30 – 11:00 Director’s Masterclass by Damjan Kozole 20:00 – 22:30 Networking Dinner
Renowned Slovenian director Damjan Kozole will reflect on his
latest film NIGHTLIFE will discuss the position of truth and its
depiction in the film.
THURSDAY, 5 APRIL, Hotel Holiday
11:00 – 11:30 Coffee break
9:30 – 11:00 CineLink Talks: Developing phase and pre-production period -
11:30 – 13:00 Project development meetings THE IMPORTANCE OF IT by Labina Mitevska (producers & directors)
(per personal schedules)
11:00 – 11:30 Coffee break
13:00 – 15:00 Lunch

15:00 – 16:30 CineLink Drama Group Work: State of Industry 11:30 – 13:00 Project development meetings
by Meinolf Zurhorst (per personal schedules)

15:00 – 18:30 Project development meetings

13:00 – 15:00 Lunch
(per personal schedules)

20:00 – 21:30, Cinema Meeting Point 15:00 – 16:30 CineLink Talks: How to deal with success of a first feature
Screening of the film NEVER LEAVE ME (Aida Begić, BA, TR, 2017) by Eilon Ratzkovsky (producers & directors)

15:00 – 18:30 Project development meetings

WEDNESDAY, 4 APRIL, Hotel Holiday (per personal schedules)

9:30 – 11:00 Director’s Masterclass by Aida Begić

Renowned Bosnian filmmaker Aida Begić will discuss the Friday, 6 APRIL, Hotel Holiday
complex relation between reality and fiction in her latest film
NEVER LEAVE ME with emphasis on the challenges of creating 9:30 – 11:00 Project development meetings
a feature film based on actual events in the war realm. (per personal schedules)
9:30 – 11:00 Producer’s Talk: Working with first and second time directors
by Čedomir Kolar
“If ever there was a constant fact in my career, it is that the large
majority of my productions were films of first or second time
directors.”

11:00 – 11:30 Coffee break

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CineLink Projects 2018
BALAUR
A 35-year-old woman, religion teacher, priest’s wife, gets involved with a 16-year-old student.
He starts confessing to the priest.
Writer: Octav Chelaru
Director: Octav Chelaru
Producer: Radu Stancu
Delegate Producer: Livia Radulescu
Production Company: deFilm Production
Attending CineLink Workshop:
Octav Chelaru, Livia Rădulescu
SYNOPSIS:
Mrs. Ivanovici is a 35-year-old woman living in northern
Romania, in a conservative and religious town. She has
a boring marriage with an older priest and she teaches
Religion classes at a local high school. She is also the moth-
er of three boys.
One day, being frustrated, Mrs. Ivanovici challenges one of
her students up to the point of really insulting him. When
the student comes to ask for an apology, even though she’s
surprised by his audacity, she does apologize and offers
him a ride home. The 16-year-old boy gets comfortable and
starts speaking about his difficulties being a euro-orphan.
She comforts him and hugs him, and, by surprise, the boy
gets the wrong idea and grabs her breasts. She drives away.
The boy suddenly invades her life and he wants to meet
her everywhere, not only at school. Mrs. Ivanovici is also
attracted by his sense of freedom. Half constrained, half
bewitched, Mrs. Ivanovici has sex with the young boy, and
she gets gradually trapped in this relationship full of desire
and guilt.
As the film progresses, the boy starts using religion as a
weapon to sexually advance his relationship with Mrs.
Ivanovici, as she’s beginning to raise barriers. The boy con-
fesses to her husband, the priest, about his relationship
with an older woman, without specifying her name.
The stress becomes unbearable for Mrs. Ivanovici and she
leaves her younger lover. Angry, the boy reveals to the
priest that the older woman is, in fact, his wife.
AUTHOR’S STATEMENT:
I have always been interested in religious people and
Religion in general. I’ve grown up in a place where reli-
gious conservatism, prejudice, fear of the unknown, they
all played a great part in my upbringing. The moment I
read about the story that happened in my small home-
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town about a high school student committing suicide after
a relationship with his Religion teacher (also the wife of
a priest), I thought that, even if it’s a tragedy, there’s no
hidden meaning to it. But the story kept coming into my
conversations with my parents that still live there. They
told me a thing that I didn’t know: the whole communi-
ty, including the priest, was supporting the woman, the
Religion teacher, as she was undergoing prosecution. Then
it hit me. Everybody knew. I understood that the level of
hypocrisy was through the roof. After a while, I decided to
make a film inspired from this real fact, changing basically
everything except the mere existence of the relationship.
And the feeling it gave me.
I love edge-of-the-seat thrillers. If my disbelief is suspend-
ed and if the story is smooth, I get caught in the genre
tropes, always trying to anticipate what’s going to happen
next. From the point of view of a director, managing to
reproduce reality and, at the same time, alter it to pursue
a given goal is always a difficult task. The audience is used
to various kinds of portraying danger, anguish and hope,
usually ignoring the portraying itself and focusing more on
the human perspective of the story, as in what would the
audience do if they were the protagonist. The latter is the
area I’d like to focus on while telling this story. The pro-
tagonist of this film can be easily judged on the one hand
for being a bad mother, a bad wife or a bad teacher, but,
on the other hand, who can blame our need for love and
understanding? For obtaining this balance, I’m planning to
create the appearance of a small horizon that widens by
discovering the surroundings through selfdiscovery.
DIRECTOR’S BIOGRAPHY:
OCTAV CHELARU started making amateur films when he
was 14-years-old, using his relatives and classmates as
actors. While he was studying Computer Science in college,
he directed music videos, commercials and experimental feature film NEVER LET IT GO (dir. Paul Negoescu), now
videos, and produced short films for other directors. in post-production, where deFilm handled all production
Among the short films he directed, we mention OCCUPIED servicing as delegate producer.
(2015) - winner of the Best Romanian Short at Timishort
IFF; PRIVATE PARTY (2017) – selected for Tirana IFF and
Les Arcs FF; and BLACK CLOTHES (2017), financed by the
Romanian Film Center and produced by Radu Stancu
(deFilm), selected in competition for Locarno IFF and
Valladolid IFF. Currently, Octav is in development with his
debut feature, BALAUR.
PRODUCER’S BIOGRAPHY:
RADU STANCU is a film producer, owner of production
company deFilm, in Bucharest. His graduated Sound and
Editing, then Film Production. He grew his career gathering
successful shorts, animations, feature films and documen-
taries, including: short film HORIZON (P. Negoescu, 2012)
- selection at Semaine de la Critique; short film RAMONA
(A. Cretulescu, 2015), a coproduction - Canal + Award at
Semaine de la Critique; feature film THE WORLD IS MINE
(N.C. Tanase, 2015), a co-production - Special Jury Mention
East of the West competition at Karlovy Vary IFF; MARIȚA
(C. Iftime, 2017), a co-production – FEODORA jury Best
Film in the East of the West competition at Karlovy Vary IFF.
He is in different stages of production with several films,
including a feature film directed by Paul Negoescu.
COMPANY PROFILE:
IdeFilm was conceived as an independent production com-
pany in 2009, gathering a group of young filmmakers that
share common passions and values. We stand for efficien-
cy, constantly balancing the artistic vision with the financial
and organizational framework in a fun and stressfree envi-
ronment. deFilm engages all types of cinematic produc-
tions with a diverse portfolio including various approach-
es and styles. Our productions have gathered over 200
selections at festivals around the world: Cannes, Locarno,
Karlovy Vary, AFI, Curtas Vila do Conde, Namur, Brest,
Transylvania IFF, Cottbus and many more. Examples include
the short films RAMONA (dir: Andrei Cretulescu, 2015) and
HORIZON (dir: Paul Negoescu, 2012), feature films THE
WORLD IS MINE (dir: Nicolae Constantin Tanase, 2015) and
MARIȚA (dir: Cristi Iftime, 2017), and more recently the
stop motion animation THE LAST CUSTOMER (dir: Serghei
Chiviriga, 2017), selected in 11 major international festivals
dedicated to the genre. We are currently in different stages
of production with four shorts, two animations, four doc-
umentaries and four feature films. Examples include the
CineLink Project Development Workshop 2018 | 7
 CHEMISTRY RO

After an injury on the handball court, Ana will be confronted with her body and with an entire Her first short film as a director, NETWORK UNAVAILABLE, company Tito Clint Movies and with Czech company
corrupt society. has just concluded its international festival circuit, includ- Evolution Films.
ing festivals like Mumbai, Dublin, CEE Vienna or NexT. Currently Libra Film is developing several projects among
Writer: Adina Dulcu
Adina is currently in post-production with her second which CHEMISTRY, first feature of director Adina Dulcu;
Director: Adina Dulcu
short, THE ISLAND, and in development with her first fea- Tudor Cristian Jurgiu’s second feature film project, entitled
Producer: Tudor Giurgiu, Bogdan Craciun
ture, CHEMISTRY, initiated at L’Atelier Scénario Fémis and AND THEY MAY STILL BE ALIVE TODAY selected for the
Production Company: Libra Film Productions
supported by a development grant from theMRomanian TorinoFilmLab’s FrameWork programme. Tudor Cristian
Film Centre. Jurgiu, is known for JAPANESE DOG; THE WINDSEEKER, first
Attending CineLink Workshop:
feature of director Mihai Sofronea.
Adina Dulcu, Bogdan Craciun
PRODUCER’S BIOGRAPHY:
Producer TUDOR GIURGIU is the founder of Libra Film
Productions company, as well as of the film distribu-
and its attached handball club, one of the best in Europe tion company Transilvania Film. He is also co-founder of
SYNOPSIS:
at the time. It is the most eloquent example for corruption Cityplex – local cinema chain (11 screens) and the founder
After a childhood spent in the working class neighborhood
and deindustrialization in Romania. This is the society I and President of Transilvania Int’l Film Festival – TIFF (1st
of a small industrial town on the
want to talk about, one gangrened by postcommunism and the most important Int’l festival for feature films in
shores of the Black Sea, Ana Petreanu is now captain of a
transformed into savage capitalism and by archaic tradi- Romania).
major handball team and married to the financial manager
tional values transformed into intolerance. The sporting Between 2005-2007, he was President-General Director of
of the factory that sponsors the club.
world, in conjunction with the industrial world - both of the National Romanian Public Broadcaster while in 2007
But a serious injury clouds this perfect picture. Ana is con-
them in decay - struck me as the most appropriate back- he initiated GOPO Awards, annual awards for best achieve-
fronted with the limitations of her own body and her most
ground for Ana’s story. The title enfolds all the values I ments in local filmmaking. Tudor Giurgiu is Member of the
intimate fears. The team’s management hire a renowned
want to explore: the industrial chemistry of the factory European Film Academy and he was also jury member in
physiotherapist, Frenchwoman Emilie, in order to bring
and its ultra-polluted environment, the chemistry of the several international film festivals (Ludwigsburg, Crossing
Ana as quickly as possible back on the court. Only Emilie
bodies thrashing on the handball court, the organic chem- Europe Linz, Reykjavik, Prague, Angers, Amazonas) and
tries to make Ana aware that a return to the court could
istry installing between Ana and Emilie and condemned member of the international jury of Emmy Awards 2012.
endanger both her career and her health. Marius, Ana’s
husband, is displeased by the complicity the two women by everyone. It’s this multiplicity I would like to capture,
between the atmosphere of a social drama and a more COMPANY PROFILE:
harbor and doesn’t take kindly to this stranger’s intrusion.
intimate and poetic film. Libra Film is one of the most important Romanian pro-
Especially since Emilie is a lesbian… However, his apparent
Ana’s story speaks about the emancipation of a woman in duction company, the only one which has been granted
jealousy conceals something else. After a domestic argu-
search for her own freedom, who runs into the ruthless three times (2009, 2011, 2014) development support by
ment, Marius reveals that the factory and the team will
wall of a patriarchal society marred by corruption and MEDIA Programme for its slate of projects. In 2006 Libra
soon be liquidated, which is why management has been
rejection. I would like this film to speak about Romania and produced the local box-office hit LOVE SICK, by Tudor
pressuring Ana to play to her full potential—they want to
the look I take at it as a woman, but also that it carries the Giurgiu which premiered at Berlin IFF, Panorama section,
sell the club for the highest price they can get once the
grain of universality that pushes us toward a questioning then Katalin Varga, by Peter Strickland, was named the
season ends.
about individual freedom, regardless of our nationality, cul- European Discovery of the Year at the 2009 European Film
Ana is mortified. All along, her battle with her own body
ture or gender. And last, but not least, it’s also a story about Awards and awarded Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic
had only been a prologue to her battle with an entire cor-
that kind of encounter that overwhelms and changes our Contribution at Berlinale 2009. OF SNAILS AND MEN,
rupt societal system. After a lifetime’s struggle out on the
lives. Call it friendship, love, alter-ego, soul mate or chem- directed by Tudor Giurgiu is Romania’s box office hit in
court, Ana readies herself for the ultimate match: the one
istry, we all need a mirror in order to better see ourselves… 2012, awarded in Warsaw, Valladolid, Sankt Petersburg IFF.
that will tell her what price she needs to pay, in order to
Libra is the Romanian co-producer of HISTORY OF LOVE,
regain her own freedom.
DIRECTOR’S BIOGRAPHY: Radu Mihăileanu’s adaptation of Nicole Krauss’ bestseller,
ADINA DULCU graduated from National University of starring Gemma Artenton and Derek Jacobi. In 2016 Libra
AUTHOR’S STATEMENT:
Theatre and Film of Bucharest and obtained a Masters Film co-produced the third feature film of Romanian direc-
I question myself since a long time about personal identity
degree in film studies at Université Toulouse2. She lives tor Iulia Rugină, BREAKING NEWS, which premiered at
and personal construction, about the position we take
between Romania and France and has developed a mul- Karlovy Vary IFF 2017 where young actress Voica Oltean
within a corrupt socio-political context and the conse-
ti-layer career as a producer, scriptwriter, head of develop- won a Special Jury Mention for the Best Newcomer.
quences it engenders; a questioning that is both social and
ment and assistant director. Enriched by all these experi- During the autumn of 2017 Tudor Giurgiu shot his new fea-
intimate. The real-life event that inspired my story was the
ences, she began developing her own projects. ture film IN THE BEAT OF A HEART, a love story that takes
sudden dissolution in 2013 of the Oltchim chemical factory
place in Spain. The film is co-produced with the Spanish

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CineLink Projects 2018
DESKMATE
At strict, repressive boarding school miles from anywhere, Yusuf’s anxious to get his mysteriously
sick friend to hospital.
Writer: Ferit Karahan
Director: Ferit Karahan
Producer: Ferit Karahan
Production Company: FK Films
Attending CineLink Workshop:
Ferit Karahan
SYNOPSIS
YUSUF (12) goes to a strict, all-boys boarding school in a
mountainous part of Turkey miles from the nearest town.
Like Yusuf, most of the students come from poor village
families. Yusuf’s mother has plans for the years ahead and
merges these in her mind with Yusuf’s future. In a word,
she expects great things of him and reminds him of this fre-
quently during their phone conversations. Although Yusuf
feels lucky to be the only one of eight siblings getting an
education, it bothers him that his grades are only mediocre.
When he wakes in his dormitory to go to school one
morning, Yusuf realizes that his best friend, MEMO, is too
sick to get out of bed or even speak. SELİM, the teacher
in charge of the boarding house, sends Yusuf with Memo
to the sickbay. Here, Memo vomits and seems to get even
worse. Yusuf then decides to tell Selim, who in turn tells the
head teacher. But the head is preoccupied with the school’s
central heating system, which packed up that morning,
and sends the teacher away, telling him to give the boy a
painkiller. When he takes it, the painkiller simply aggravates
Memo’s condition. In the end, Yusuf finally persuades Selim
that Memo needs to go to hospital. Memo is bundled into
a car, but by now the snow is coming down so thick and
fast that they don’t even get out of the school grounds.
Memo is returned to the sickbay. At this point, the head
intervenes and sets about getting one of the ambulances
marooned on the snow-bound roads to come the school. At
the same time, he starts to ask questions about when and
how Memo got sick.
During the discussions that follow, Yusuf reveals that
Hamza, the teacher in charge of bathing, handed out a
cold-bath punishment to Memo and two of his friends.
Hamza is summoned to the sickbay, where he explains that
cold baths are a punishment he gives regularly and that no
student has ever got sick because of it. He therefore refus-
10 | CineLink Project Development Workshop 2018
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es to be held responsible. As the investigation deepens,
it transpires that Memo was brought back secretly to his
dormitory by Kenan, the teacher on boarding-house duty
that night. Everyone is now sure that they are faced with a
child abuse case and goes into shock. Kenan is given a grill-
ing. At first, his vague and evasive answers only strengthen
suspicions. But when he realizes what he stands accused
of, Kenan claims that Memo came knocking on his door in
the middle of the night frozen and soaking wet; when he
(Kenan) woke up and answered the door, he learned that
Memo had taken a bath in the boiler room. He then told
Memo to keep quiet about the whole episode because he
didn’t want anyone knowing that he fell asleep on duty.
When Memo’s condition steadily deteriorates, Yusuf
becomes increasingly upset and uneasy. The school com-
munity was already uptight, but the breakdown of the
heating system has made everyone more aggressive. It isn’t
long before not just teachers, but also students and mainte-
nance staff are embroiled in the incident. While the boiler
man on duty the night before is summoned to the sickbay,
the other two students given cold-bath punishments are
questioned.
Meanwhile, the head and his teachers are jostling to pin
the blame on each other. With the
heating not working, the head tasks the teachers with emp-
tying the arctic classrooms and
sending the boys to the boarding house. Yusuf secretly
borrows the sickbay prefect’s phone and calls his mother.
When he tries to tell his mother that his friend is badly sick,
she shoots back, “Never mind your friends, put your mind
to more serious things.”
When Yusuf returns to the sickbay, the boiler man is there.
The man reports that Memo and
Yusuf came to the boiler room the previous night asking to
take a bath, that he gave his
permission, but that by the time they left the boiler had relationships can never be relied upon. Lies and truth are
stopped working. Yusuf is forced to bound up together. All these things are grey like the school
confess how the pipe in the boiler-room fell on Memo’s walls. Our relationship insecurities both now and in future
head. Hours after it was first requested, the ambulance derive from these grey fears.
arrives to pick up Memo, who is now showing no signs of In other words, Deskmate is the film of a long tradition; it
life at all. is a film of fear.
The schoolboys are fooling around noisily during school
bath-time. Yusuf is washing at a marble basin with a couple DIRECTOR’S & PRODUCER’S BIOGRAPHY:
of other boys, his head covered in soap suds. When he rins- FERIT KARAHAN was born in Mus in 1983, Turkey. He is
es off with a scoop of water, we see that a swathe of hair Kurdish film director living in Istanbul. He started working
has been shaved off down the middle of his head, giving as an first assistant director on feature films. His short
the effect of a set of train tracks. films BEFORE THE FLOOD and YUSIV’S DREAM have been
screened at numerous festivals and have won awards and
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT: honorable mentions. His feature debut THE FALL FROM
I spent six years of my childhood at a boarding primary HEAVEN premiered at the Antalya Golden Orange Film
school. And the reason I wanted to make this film has a Festival and won Best Film. Also won Best first Film Prize
lot to do with the fears that remain with me from those at the Ankara International Film Festival, and was later
boarding school days. Fear is as old as humanity itself; and screened at more than 15 festivals and won more the 10
schools are one of the places that most effectively perpet- awards.
uate the tradition of spreading fear and using it as a disci-
plinary tool. At boarding schools in particular, these fears COMPANY PROFILE:
tend to be many layered. Of course, not all the teachers I FK Film is an independent Istanbul -based production
encountered were bad; they, too, were continuing a tradi- company which aims to support authentic storytelling, pro-
tion learned earlier in life: inspiring fear! Strike fear into the ducing thought-provoking feature, short and documentary
hearts of children to make them grow up. Don’t let them films.Through our international co-productions, we strive
object to anything... The control exercised over our young to reach audiences around the world. FK Film is led by Ferit
bodies was later applied to our minds. I realize today that to Karahan and Gülistan Acet.
control children is essentially to control the future.
Of course, we weren’t exactly saints ourselves. “You’re
worse than the teachers” was a regular refrain for most stu-
dents. We were infused with cruelty before even having the
chance to learn what compassion was. It is hard to describe
the violence we perpetrated against one another. The only
thing we knew was that if you wanted to count for some-
thing, you needed to bully people as much as you could.
According to Jacques Lacan, the family plays a pivotal role
in the transmission of culture and in its formation at an
individual level. It is the family that creates what we know
as ‘humanity’ and brings the social and cultural order into
being. Children become part of this order through the fam-
ily. But taking away a child’s family ties and attempting to
substitute them with other artificial bonds will damage the
social order first and foremost.
Through Yusuf’s story, the film sets out to examine the
prevalence of lies in oppressed societies and the ramifica-
tions of even a single trivial lie. It also seeks to question the
innocence of an entire society.
Friendships, family bonds and social relationships become
nebulous when they are formed in a world full of fear. Such
CineLink Project Development Workshop 2018 | 11
CineLink Projects 2018
THE ELEGY OF LAUREL
The travels of a self-sufficient professor through several episodes of life and fantasy, in order to
overcome contemporary narcissism.
Writer: Dušan Kasalica
Director: Dušan Kasalica
Producer: Jelena Angelovski,
Production company: Meander Film
Attending CineLink Workshop:
Dušan Kasalica, Jelena Angelovski
SYNOPSIS
Filip (56) is a university history professor. With his wife
Katarina (48), takes a short vacation in a seaside resort. In
the leisurely atmosphere of the hotel complex, the two of
them use every moment to relax, to indulge. They meet new
friends and abandon themselves to the monotonous, snug
ambiance. They actualize their seemingly ideal relationship
through decadent self-care rituals. During an organized
party, Katarina, however, realizes that there are problems
in their marriage that cannot be overcome. She leaves
Filip and returns to the city. Filip, refined and armed with
self-confidence, accepts this new circumstance in his life
with unusual ease. He spends his days at the resort with
new friends, recounting his experiences from which he has
somehow always come out a winner. On a beach nearby, he
meets Ivana (30), a waitress in the hotel, whose kindness
Filip interprets as a come-on. The short break ends, as well
as the tourist season in the resort. Ivana suggests to Filip
that they return to the city together. Filip keeps following his
“intuition”, seeing Ivana’s youthful candour as seductiveness.
On the way to the city, they stop to rest at a gas station. Ivana
tells him that she will stay there and wait for a girlfriend who
she has not seen for a long time, and that she’d return home
with her instead. Filip, refined and armed with self-confi-
dence, accepts this new circumstance in his life with unusual
ease. Back in the city, after an evening spent with colleagues,
he arrives to Katarina’s apartment. Katarina asks him to stop
doing that, and to let her know when he would come to
take his things from the apartment they once shared. The
following day, Filip goes to the college where he teaches. In
the large amphitheatre, Filip’s trivial lecture is attended by
only three students. Filip refined and armed with self-confi-
dence, accepts this new circumstance in his life with unusual
ease. Having nowhere to go, he travels to the little mountain
village in which he was born. In this new setting, he tries
to create a meaningful routine. However, the late autumn
is cold and long, neverending almost in this small, isolated
place. A white billy-goat appears in the yard of his house.
Unaware of where it came from, Filip asks his closest rela-
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tives, Dara and Uroš, about the origin of the meek animal.
Wandering around the village, Filip’s attention is caught by
the logging activity nearby. On his way there, he notices
tourists - a young man and woman who pass through their
village by car. When he finds out that it is a case of illegal log-
ging, Filip tries to prevent it. He reports it, and then collects
evidence by photographing the process. His noble effort is
prevented by an angry dog from which Filip escapes by hid-
ing in the car. He falls asleep. It is a cold and dark evening.
Tourists go night skiing. Filip wakes up. Realizing that he is
alone, deep in the woods, he starts the car and heads home.
However, driving too fast on dark terrain, he accidentally hits
the tourist he had previously seen with the young woman in
the village. However, Filip panics, does not get out of the car,
and continues to the village. Filip, refined and armed with
self-confidence, accepts this new circumstance in his life
with unusual ease. Filip tries to return to the comfortable life
he has led thus far in the countryside. One foggy morning,
he follows the white billy goat along the road to the forest.
He and the animal walk deep into the woods, and in a small
clearing, Filip notices a flame. As he approaches it, he hears
a young woman’s voice calling for help. He sees a silver snake
in the flames, and moves to help it. When the flame goes
out, the silver snake starts talking to Filip, and decides to
repay him for his help, but as a beautiful young girl. Filip and
the young girl start a passionate romance. On their way to
get water from a spring, Filip sees his old mother. He invites
his new family to go home and have a lunch together. During
the lunch, the Serpent Girl assigns a task to the old Mother
- to go high up the mountain and fetch her best sheep wool.
The old woman finds no support in her son, drunk on the
girl’s beauty, and is forced to go to the mountain. During
the cold autumn night, she fails to fulfil the task. She returns
home without the wool, but with magpie eggs. The following
morning, the girl protests because she sees the old woman’s
return as a provocation, and gets the mother thrown out of
the house. Lonely, tired, Mother wanders through the vast,
cold fields. She starts a fire and calls upon Hosts (mythical
creatures) to help her. Hosts suggest that the elderly woman
go to the forest and see the Elder, the one who knows
answers to any ailment. The flame in the field is seen also by
the Girl, and she and Filip follow Mother to the forest. In the
forest, the Elder instructs Mother that she will find salvation
only if she accepts a new youth for herself, without her son
in it. The old woman rejects this offer, deciding to stay with
her son despite the steep price and unhappiness. This noble,
unselfish act breaks the spell – the Girl returns from where
she came, the Elder and Hosts disappear, and mother and
son remain alone. Filip accepts this new circumstance in his
life with great difficulty. He is shattered by the pointlessness
of the efforts needed for him to live as a dignified and strong
man. Filip returns to the city all alone. A meeting with his
daughter Jovana is cancelled and he wanders lonely through
an appliances store in the mall, looking for ways to start his
life once again.
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT:
THE ELEGY OF A LAUREL deals with the ego of a man who is
part of the comfortable Yugoslav middle class that had first
built and then silently watched the destruction of a system.
Without clear ideological, cultural and political critique of
its reality, this generation wishes to keep living its romantic
self-sufficiency, represented in this story through the char-
acter of Filip. At first sight, Filip is the ideal man - handsome,
refined intellectual with a mission to educate University
youth; this film, however, emphasizes the constant conflict
between Filip’s selfsufficient superficiality and the inner
world that rips him apart. Film’s structure divides into the
prologue and several milestones in Filip’s life in which he
doesn’t face his problems, doesn’t solve them, choosing
rather to pretend he couldn’t care less. He escapes to a fan-
tasy world, where he meets fantasy creatures like Serpent
Girl, Hosts, and Mother – also a fairy-tale character in this
story. He goes deep into the collective heritage similar, for
example, to the fairy-tale of Stribor’s Forest. Fantasy char-
acters are treated in the Slavic tradition: the serpent is not
just a dangerous animal, but it also talks, grants wishes, has
relationships with people. Mythical creatures are not simply
feared or loathed; they are friends, equal to the humans
who meet them directly, like old acquaintances. A similar
character treatment helps maintain the tone that ranges
from realism of the resort, the city and the village, to fairy-
tale realism, which therefore becomes an organic part of
the film. Real objects, nonprofessional actors, costumes,
lack of masks or make-up will surely contribute to this
effect, so the visuality of this part of the film will be based
on the authenticity of the Mountain Durmitor. Visually, the
“uncanny” effect can be achieved through the treatment of
night scenes. Given that these scenes require wider plans
to represent the lostness of our heroes in the never-end-
ing vastness, day for night techniques will be used. Scenes
will dominantly be long takes, contributing thus to charac-
ter-building. A longer take after a spoken replica, reaction of
an actor or a static frame will guide the atmosphere towards
humor or absurdity, so that our characters appear as hapless
wanderers. Reality and fantasy intertwine as commonplace,
realistic images that are integral, logical part of the narrative.
Fantasy world changes Filip, who then tries to begin a new,
more dignified life.
DIRECTOR’S BIOGRAPHY:
DUŠAN KASALICA was born in 1987 in Montenegro. He
graduated film directing from the Faculty of Drama Arts in
Montenegro, where he works. He participated in Sarajevo
Talents, Berlinale Talents, Locarno Filmmakers Academy. His
short film A MATTER OF WILL won the Heart of Sarajevo
award for the best short film of the 21st Sarajevo Film
Festival and was screened in other prestigious festivals
around the world. His short film SOA won Special Jury
Mention at 23rd Sarajevo Film Festival, and several other
awards on other festivals. He is currently developing his first
feature film THE ELEGY OF LAUREL and producing feature
film YOU HAVE THE NIGHT by Ivan Salatić with whom he
founded production company Meander Film.
PRODUCER’S BIOGRAPHY:
JELENA ANGELOVSKI graduated from the Academy of Arts in
Belgrade after which she completed her MA at the Faculty
of Political Sciences. After ten years of working in theatre
as an actress, she then worked at the College of Electrical
Engineering and the Academy of Arts in Belgrade as an asso-
ciate, and lecturer. Since 2013 she was working for one of
the leading Serbian production company. She has also been
working as a developing executive, production manager,
executive producer. In 2016 she produced her debut inde-
pendent feature fiction film, Wind. In 2017, she participated
in EURODOC regional group and LisbonDocs.
COMPANY PROFILE:
Meander Film is a new Montenegrin film production compa-
ny based in Nikšić. Its founders are two young Montenegrin
film directors - Dušan Kasalica and Ivan Salatić. Meander
Film will strive to connect with both local and foreign artists
and young authors. The idea is to open and strengthen a
cultural exchange and awareness, while encouraging criti-
cal thinking. In addition to this, our goal is to improve and
strengthen the relationship of the modern Montenegrin
audience with the contemporary audiovisual production,
since film is still a field in development in the context of
Montenegro’s cultural system.
CineLink Project Development Workshop 2018 | 13
CineLink Projects 2018
FIUME O MORTE
Italian poet D’Annunzio entered Rijeka in 1919 declaring an independent micro-state, soon
making it the most liberal place on Earth.
Writer: Igor Bezinović
Director: Igor Bezinović
Delegate producer: Fabrizio Polpettini,
Tibor Keser
Production company: La Bête, Restart
Co-producer: Marina Gumzi,
Nosorogi (Slovenia)
Attending CineLink Workshop:
Igor Bezinović, Fabrizio Polpettini, Tibor Keser
SYNOPSIS
FIUME O MORTE! is stylistically conceived as an eclectic
collage film consisting of different filmmaking approaches.
It is framed in a limited time and space. Set on the territory
of Fiume/Rijeka, a town which had a population of 50,000
citizens, it takes place on just 21 square miles defined by
the limits of D’Annunzio’s territory. It is also set in a period
which extends to a bit more than a year – the events that
the film is dealing with set of in September 1919 and last
till Janunary 1921 – but aims to remind of synchronicities
between the past end the present on the same territory.
The concept is to make the stylistic collage by using three
dominant methods: voiceover narration, archives and
reconstructions. All these historical events are undeniably
photogenic.
There are plenty of adventures and eccentric characters
related to those whimsical Fiume years that deserve to
be reinterpreted in a cinematic form. First of all, we have
D’Annunzio’s solemn arrival in Fiume, in his red convertible
car, followed by an army of 1000 Italian deserter soldiers.
Most of them were veterans of the First World War and
they would later remember this day as the “Santa entra-
ta”. Among the adventurers that took part to the Fiume
adventure there were many aviators that would often fly
up in the airs to flood cities with propagandistic flyers. The
most famous, was certainly Guido Keller, a young Milanese,
heir of a Swiss aristocratic family, who flew to Rome to
throwdirty chamber pots over the Italian parliament.
Life in Fiume was a sort of continuous artistic performance
made of nudity, drugs, and various sexual or political prov-
ocations. This aesthetic reappears each year, even if for a
brief moment and in a rather sugar-coated form, during
Rijeka’s carnival.
The city found a considerable part of its economical
resources in piracy, its militia would kidnap or ransack
the foreign boats that dared approaching the Kvarner
14 | CineLink Project Development Workshop 2018
HR/FR/SI
bay. Everything, in Fiume, contributed to the creation of a
unique iconography that was, at the same time, proto-fas-
cist and libertarian. The discourses, even the way they
dress, the black shirts and the flags, they way they saluted
each other, their esoteric, mystic and sometimes nudist
meetings organised by a group named Yoga, directed by
Guido Keller himself.
The film will be exploring the lives of a group of young
people from another time, that were mostly right wingers,
extremists in fact, who believed in nationalism, gender
equality, liberalization of drugs, health insurance and retire-
ment for all, freedom of belief but also defense of the right
to be an atheist, all of this with a constitution where music
was considered the supreme principle.
The 1919 occupation of Fiume is usually divided into 3 phases:
1. an enthusiastic occupation sparked by Italian nationalism
and irredentism and an unsuccessful attempt of a military
coup – this phase lasts till the end of 1919,
2. internationalization of the movement, emergence of left-
ist tendencies. On a theoretical level an attempt to build an
utopia, on a practical level an atmosphere of disillusioned
waiting - till the end of 1920,
3. dissolution of D’Annunzio’s movement in december
1920, which soon results in Mussolini’s
takeover of Italy.
The film would treat events from all three phases, but the
biggest emphasis would be placed on in second phase
(1920), in which the idea of a annexing Fiume to Italy dis-
solved, and an idea of Fiume as an independent libertarian
state based on an anarcho-syndicalist Constitution evolved.
D’Annunzio leaves the town the last, in January 1921. He
soon starts the construction of his hillside estate in the
town of Gardone Riviera overlooking the Garda lake, where
he’ll remain isolated until his death. The extravagant inte-
rior resembles to a “fascist lunapark”. On one wall a metal
head of an eagle is found. It’s the head which D’Annunzio’s
legionaries cut off from the Fiume eagle on the town tower
in November 1919, in order to make the Habsburg two
headed eagle resemble the Roman one headed eagle.
D’Annunzio’s rooms are visually compared to the normal
living rooms of the citizens of Rijeka today, the living rooms
of the citizens who performed in the reconstructions of his
venture in this film.
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT:
I was born and raised in Rijeka, and I am deeply interested
in this brief moment in history during which this rather
ordinary European provincial town became, for a few
months, a powerful attractor for international avant-garde
artists.
The film explores the life and times of the protagonist
of this collective experience, who shared an unexpected
explosion of enthusiasm and the ubiquitous artistic pro-
vocative spirit that permeated Fiume during D’Annunzio’s
schizophrenic political experience.
The anarchist sociologist Hakim Bey (TAZ – Temporary
Autonomous Zones, 1991) describes Fiume as a “pirate
zone”, independent from the established powers. The
historian Claudia Salaris, defines the city as a sort of “cos-
mopolitan microcosms”. There are several literary and
historical works dedicated to D’Annunzio’s Fiume, both by
Italian and Croatian authors but, beside some TV report-
ages, there has never been a real documentary on the
subject. There is a consistent amount of archival material
related to this period, but my intentions are more to rec-
reate the avant-gardist spirit of those times than to tell the
facts in a chronological order. My references in the use of
archives, can be traced in the work of directors such as Jay
Rosenblatt, Jean-Gabriel Périot or Mohammadreza Farzad.
I want the citizens of contemporary Rijeka to be part of
the film, for some re-enactments will take place during the
city’s carnival. The history and identity of Rijeka are particu-
larly interesting. Those who inhabited in this city between
1918 and 1945, have been living in seven different states
without ever moving:
Austro-Hungarian Empire, Kingdom of the Serbs, Croatians
and Slovenians, Regency of Kvarner, Free State of Fiume,
Italy, Germany and Yugoslavia. Today the city is part of an
eight state, Croatia.
The visual identity of the film and some animated sequenc-
es will be inspired by Futurist art and the work of Fortunato
Depero. I also intend to have a voice over, that will lead the
narration form the point of view of citizens of Fiume from
those times, both Italians and Croatians. Two buildings will
play an important role: The Governor’s Palace in Rijeka,
from which D’Annunzio would speak to the crowd, and the
Vittoriale degli Italiani, a house-mausoleum, built between
1921 and 1938, on the shores of Lake Garda, where
D’Annunzio retired after his Fiume defeat.
DIRECTOR’S BIOGRAPHY:
Igor Bezinović was born in Rijeka in 1983. He graduated in
Philosophy, Sociology and Comparative Literature from the
Zagreb Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and Film
and TV Directing from the Zagreb Academy of Dramatic Art.
He directed about a dozen short films, including VERUDA -
A FILM ABOUT BOJAN (which won Oktavijan -best Croatian
documentary award in 2015), a feature length documen-
tary THE BLOCKADE (won Oktavijan in 2012, awarded
at Jihlava IDFF) and a feature-length fiction film A BRIEF
EXCURSION (premiered at IFF Rotterdam 2017, won Zlatna
arena - best Croatian feature film award in 2017, along with
6 other national and international awards).
PRODUCER’S BIOGRAPHY:
Tibor Keser is a producer living and working in Zagreb,
Croatia. His areas of interest include film (fiction, docu-
mentary and experimental) and video. He is working as a
producer with Restart (http://www.restarted.hr) producing
shorts and documentaries. After graduating in Economics
at the University of Zagreb, he enrolled into the Academy of
Dramatic Art in Zagreb graduating in film and theatre pro-
duction. He is a guest lecturer for Palunko – a scriptwriting
program by the Croatian Film Association. He is a member
of Kino Klub Split – Cinema Club Split. He actively pursues
workshops and festivals, including the 7. Sarajevo Talent
Campus in 2013, EURODOC 2015, Berlinale Talents 2016
and Jihlava Emerging Producers 2017.
COMPANY PROFILE:
Restart is a multifaceted organization focused on produc-
tion, education, distribution and exhibition of creative
documentary films and series. In 2014 Restart also started
producing fiction films. Restart was founded in 2007 and
people working in Restart are younger film experts. Our
films were screened as part of the program of film fes-
tivals such as: Hot Docs (Toronto, Canada), Karlovy Vary
(Czech Republic), Rotterdam Film Festival (Netherlands),
FID Marseille (France), Zurich Film Festival (Switzerland),
DOK Leipzig (Germany) and hundreds more.
Restart runs several film projects - documentary and fic-
tion film production, distribution of documentary films, a
documentary cinema and an educational program in doc-
umentary film.
CineLink Project Development Workshop 2018 | 15
CineLink Projects 2018
SAFE PLACE
Director: Juraj Lerotić
Writer: Juraj Lerotić
Producer: Boris T. Matić
Production company: Propeler Film
Attending CineLink Workshop:
Juraj Lerotić, Boris T. Matić
SHORT SYNOPSIS
The film’s subject matter is the sudden mental illness of a fam-
ily member. It tells the story of first hospitalisation, escape and
attempted rehospitalisation. The cause of illness is never revealed,
to the family, the doctors as well as the viewer. The film takes place
within 48 hours.
LONG SYNOPIS
After Damir tries to take his own life, his mother and brother have
no other choice but let him be hospitalized.
Despite having confidence and faith, they soon witness the noncha-
lance and indifference of the doctors.
When Damir escapes and appears on the doorstep, they decide to
respect his decision and not to place him back in hospital.
Attempting to help the person whose actions and behaviour they
understand less and less, they find themselves in a totally unfamiliar
territory. Their everyday life is fundamentally changed, as if they are
fighting a war invisible to anyone else. Despite their love and care,
Damir’s mother and brother realize they are totally unequipped to
deal with the circumstances.
In their forty-eight-hour search for help they encounter the ineffi-
ciency and chaos of the system, as well as the elusiveness of the
illness, the mystery of human nature, and finally the brutality and
banality of death.
DIRECTORS STATMENT
A major theme of the film is the loss of control and a feeling of
deficiency when faced with matters of life and death. Despite all the
effort and care - illness (and life in general), simply has its own plans
which unfold with relentless brutality.
The theme of mental disorder and how it affects the family rarely
features in art films, despite its frequency in reality. Death is also
mostly presented as a casual one-dimensional genre motif or is opti-
mistically paired with a “new beginning”. The sudden loss usually
makes the characters stronger, giving the impression that death has
a less absurd, more cathartic and motivational dimension.
The invisible, omnipresent force of death which manifests itself
unexpectedly and mightily, a meaningless event which offers no
answers, which makes no one smarter of braver, death as a motif
which follows no linear causality and eschews reason is a rare motif
and usually fails to overcome the sentimental gloom.
Beside my own personal urge to deal with these subjects, it seems
that mental illness and death – despite the scientific advances – are
still topics that are ignored in the contemporary society, which gives
further reasons for making this film; reasons broader than solely
16 | CineLink Project Development Workshop 2018
HR
2012 /ZAGREB STORIES Vol. 2 – A feature-length omnibus film, part
II, consisting of six short films.
2010 / MILA IS LOOKING FOR SENIDA – A feature-length documen-
tary film directed by Robert Tomić- Zuber.
2009. / DONKEY – A feature-length film by Antonio Nuić; 2009 /
ZAGREB STORIES – A feature-length omnibus film, consisting of nine
short films.
2008 / BUICK RIVIERA – A feature-length film by Goran Rušinović
2006 / BORDER POST – A feature-length film by Rajko Grlić. /
Eurimages; 2006/ ALL FOR FREE – A feature-length film by Antonio
Nuić.
2005 / GRAVEHOPPING – A feature-length film by Jan Cvitković.
2004 / SEX, BOOZE AND SHORT FUSE– A no-budget omnibus film
with three stories about football fans, directed by Zvonimir Jurić,
Antonio Nuić and Boris T. Matić.
2003 / THE ONE WHO WILL STAY UNNOTICED – A feature-length film
directed by Zvonimir Jurić.
artistic. The film is reduced to the most acute, to a short time span
and a clear situation that can be put in a nutshell: save the loved
one. The characters are, due to unforeseen events, forced to be
focused exclusively on the present and the decisions they have to
make.
They rarely have time to reflect, experience or analyse what hap-
pened– they simply go headlong into situations. The directing style
is raw, devoid of embellishments and rhetoric garnishes – the viewer
is given the opportunity to witness the characters’ struggle without
distractions.
It would be contradictory to structure the film about loss of control
and death in a pure dramatic form based on the unity of place, time
and action. At one point, the film goes beyond its firm fictional
framework and enters the realm of meta-cinema and autobiogra-
phy. The form is thus suddenly disrupted, same as the characters’
lives. In the same way the characters’ lives are disrupted by a trau-
matic situation, the film is disrupted by a contradictory storytelling
strategy. The viewer’s illusion is undermined and, at the same time,
a new dimension reveals itself.
DIRECTOR’S BIOGRAPHY:
JURAJ LEROTIĆ was born in 1978, in Kiel, Germany. He graduated
from the Academy of Dramatic Art in Zagreb, the Department of
Film and TV Directing. His last, mid-length film, THEN I SEE TANJA
was premiered at Rotterdam Film Festival, and broadcast on ARTE.
COMPANY PROFILE:
Production company Propeler Film was founded by Boris T. Matić in
2001. In 2003 Propeler Film launched Zagreb Film Festival. Propeler
Film has produced films which have won more than 100 interna-
tional awards on festivals such as Cannes, Berlinale, Sundance FF,
San Sebastian FF etc.
Selected filmography:
2018 / MALI – A feature film by Antonio Nuić.
2017 / IVAN – A feature film by Janez Burger; ŽABA – A feature film
by Elmir Jukić.
2015 / LIFE IS A TRUMPET – A feature film by Antonio Nuić; ZAGREB
STORIES Vol. 3 – A feature-length omnibus film, part III, consisting
of six shorts films.
2014 / MONUMENT TO MICHAEL JACKSON – A feature film by
Darko Lungulov. / Eurimages; 2014 / JUDGMENT – A feature film by
Stephan Komandarev. / Eurimages
2013 / CIRCLES – A feature-length film by Srdan Golubović. /
Eurimages
CineLink Project Development Workshop 2018 | 17
CineLink Projects 2018

SUMMER NIGHT, HALF PAST TEN RS/RO

A small town organises a festival for the Serb-Romanian friendship. Actress Ana is in charge, to be serious or not, her perception of the star’s presumed DIRECTOR’S BIOGRAPHY:
but nothing goes as planned. liberty and openness changes. IVANA MLADENOVIĆ became known as director of fiction
The film ends with Ana helping Anca shoot her new music short films and documentaries that were presented in festi-
Writer: Ivana Mladenović
video in the beautiful surroundings of Kladovo. Anca jumps vals worldwide. Her fiction feature debut SOLDIERS. STORY
Director: Ivana Mladenović
off a clip and lands on a mattress, surrounded by her crew. FROM FERENTARI premiered in Toronto International Film
Producer: Jelena Mitrović, Baš Čelik
Festival 2017 and went on to be included in the Official
Co-producer: Ada Solomon, Hi Film Production
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT: Competition at San Sebastian International Film Festival
(Romania)
SUMMER NIGHT, HALF PAST 10 is inspired by the novel with 2017. She was awarded the prize The Heart of Sarajevo for
the same title, written by Marguerite Duras in the 50’s. Best Documentary for her film Turn Off the Lights, which
Attending CineLink Workshop:
And, even though I do not wish to make a word to word premiered at Tribeca Film Festival in April 2012.
Ivana Mladenović, Carla Fotea
adaptation of the book, I am aiming to portray a strong
female character dealing with the hardships of love. In spite PRODUCER’S BIOGRAPHY:
political intrigues, while the political party leaders are try- of its seeming drama, the film will abound in absurd com- Since setting up Hi Film Productions in 2004, ADA
SYNOPSIS
ing to make Ana declare which side she’s on. After being edy and humor. More precisely, the envisioning of the film SOLOMON has produced films presented and awarded
After years of misfortune and sentimental failures in
the target of the gossip running around the town and is like this: Marguerite Duras’ drama meets Milos Forman’s in the most prestigious festivals such as Berlin, Cannes,
Romania, Ana, a 33-year-old actress, returns in early May to
scared by a possible panic attack, Ana wants to avoid the “The Firemen’s Ball”. Venice and Sundance. Her latest achievement is the Silver
her hometown of Kladovo, Serbia, right across the Danube
attention. However, she decides to help the organisers by In the films I have made so far, I showed a particular inter- Bear for Best Director for AFERIM! by Radu Jude. She has
from Romania, in order to stabilize her health.
inviting some musician friends from Romania, including her est in the problem of social marginalization. I followed coproduced with numerous European countries - France,
Unaware of her hypochondria, she accuses symptoms of
ex-boyfriend Andrei and his new wife, Romanian star Anca. characters who had just been released from prison key Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria, Hungary, Sweden, Croatia,
suffocation and anxiety and she involves her entire family
Before the start of the festival, Andrei and Anca arrive to episodes that marked their reintegration into society. In Netherlands, Belgium, Czech Republic, Bulgaria - and has
in a series of medical investigations. Even though they wel-
Kladovo and are welcomed by Ana. While showing them this experience, I was not just a witness who recorded released her films in over 40 territories. She has served as
come her back wholeheartedly and support her, they can-
the festival venue and the city, Ana realises that Anca is their actions, but, starting from their past life experiences, a line producer for foreign international projects such as
not help noticing that she is overreacting. So, unavoidably,
everything she is not, but wishes she could be: free, beau- I tried to create contexts that allowed them to react in an Franco Zeffirelli’s CALLAS FOREVER and Maren Ade’s TONI
they start to make fun of Ana’s exaggerations. Her doctors
tiful, extravagant, unapologetic, not concerned by public authentic manner, beyond the distinction between film and ERDMANN. Ada Solomon is a National Coordinator of EAVE,
are also trying to assure her that everything is ok and they
opinion. Ana’s admiration and envy towards Anca makes reality, as a natural extension of their private lives. This time graduated of ACE, is a member of the board of European
offer an alternative treatment: getting married and having
her even more anxious. In the agitation before the festival, around I will tell a story that I am very familiar with and in a Film Academy and was awarded with the Co-production
kids. Ana is still unconvinced of the diagnosis, so her frus-
Ana loses her emotional stability and misinterprets Andrei’s background that I know very well. Still, I plan to keep using Award by Eurimages.
trations and anxiety push her into a relationship with much
signals. In an alone moment with Andrei, Ana confesses both professional and nonprofessional local actors as in my
younger local boy, Nikola (20). And so, besides the shame
she still has feelings for him and offends Anca, but Andrei previous film “Soldiers. Story from Ferentari”, for authentic- COMPANY PROFILE:
of seeming crazy in the eyes of her family and doctors,
rejects her. Later on, Ana herself rejects drunk Nikola who ity and local colour. Hi Film Productions is a Romanian independent company
she now has to face public shaming by the small, but very
appears in front of her house during a stormy night and I was born and raised in Kladovo, Serbia, the town where with a rich portfolio that includes Romanian fiction feature
judgemental community of Kladovo. Gossip travels faster
starts openly declaring his love and his plans for a life with the action of the film takes place, and part of the film is films as well as documentaries and international co-pro-
than good news, so her parents find out immediately about
Ana. This whole conundrum makes Ana realize that her based on my own experience there. The background of the ductions. With a strong focus on promoting Romanian
her new love interest and strongly disapprove. Confronted
physical symptoms are actually caused by her sentimental film is very important: the town of Kladovo will be present- cinema and talent, our projects have involved directors
with the indiscrete concern of her neighbours, Ana realises
problems. ed both as a community full of envy towards neighboring such as: Cristian Nemescu, Radu Jude, Alexandru Solomon,
the small town is as she left it: full of reciprocated envy for
As if her sentimental life was not giving her enough prob- Romania with its political intrigues regarding ethnical Adrian Sitaru, Paul Negoescu, Răzvan Rădulescu, Ștefan
the neighbouring Romanian city of Drobeta Turnu Severin,
lems, the festival begins and nothing goes as planned. Anca minorities and as an idyllic region with an abundance of Constantinescu, Constantin Popescu.
but still organising a festival to celebrate their friendship;
goes missing, skips the concert and ruins the evening. A sights and a breathtaking landscape. Moreover, I want to
situated close to a power plant, but still facing regular
heavy rain starts to fall and disperses the crowd gathered include the visual motif of the power cuts – a contradicting
power cuts; and, as all small communities are, ridden by
for the event. While everything is falling apart, Ana gets the phenomenon for a city that’s right next to a power plant.
gossip. As summer is approaching, Ana is invited to be the
blame for the mess. In the aftermath of the event, a leaflet The Serb-Romanian relationship is very sensitive in the
face of the Serb-Romanian Friendship Festival (because
full of gossip about the festival organisers is shared among community of Kladovo and I believe I have the unique
of her successful life in Romania) - a yearly musical event
the locals and Ana has to face again the judgment of the advantage of observing its dynamics both as an insider and
that celebrates“ the friendship between people”, cultural
Kladovo community. as an outsider. This will help me portray the tensions and
exchange and Serb-Romanian traditions. The festival takes
At an after party with all the artists who were supposed the friction between the two neighboring cities of Kladovo
place on the power plant, so-called Friendship Bridge con-
to sing at the festival, Anca and Ana get a chance to talk. and Drobeta Turnu Severin with humor and lightheartedly.
necting Kladovo and Drobeta Turnu Severin, built by the
Anca shares the seemingly unreal story of a rape case. And, This conflict will also be present in the main character as
dictators Ceaușescu and Tito. However this part of Serbia
even though Ana cannot really tell if Anca is sober enough she will be divided by her double identity and ethnicity.
is facing some Romanian-Vlach minorities issues and other

18 | CineLink Project Development Workshop 2018 CineLink Project Development Workshop 2018 | 19
CineLink Projects 2018

WAR AND WAR GR

Returning from war to attend his father’ s memorial ceremony, Ilias embarks on a journey for moments together, enjoying the setting and its surround- story, poetically, Ilias returns to the tropical jungle, to the
inner peace and reconciliation. ings. But these moments are still marred by memories of war zone, accepting the inevitability of war. Throughout
war. One morning, while Ilias is watching Achilleas playing the story, war never leaves sight of the hero. This notion of
Writer: Elizampeta Ilia Georgiadou,
around him, he calls Christos and tells him that he has just a higher cosmic order hovering above the characters fits a
Efthimis Kosemund Sanidis
lived the best moment of his life, right there. Days later, on larger personal cosmology of a mundane, banal yet tran-
Director: Efthimis Kosemund Sanidis
the occasion of Karina’ s birthday, she and her friends are scendental world that I have tried to film in my previous
Producer: Yorgos Tsourgiannis
going out on an excursion. At some point, Ilias draws away work, of a rich state of things hidden under the surface, of
Production Company: Horsefly Productions
and bursts into tears for the first time. After the party is a world within a world.
over, Ilias kisses with Karina. The next day, father and son
Attending CineLink Workshop:
drive to town to repair a broken generator. At the backyard DIRECTOR’S BIOGRAPHY:
Efthimis Kosemund Sanidis, Yorgos Tsourgiannis
of the mechanic’ s, Ilias finds a tropical jungle, same with Born with dual Greek/German nationality, EFTHIMIS
the one in his war memories. He starts running deeper and KOSEMUND SANIDIS studied Informatics Engineering, and
less tears. Still sobbing, she suggests that they could stay at deeper in it, leaving his son behind. Achilleas, exploring the then Contemporary Arts at Le Fresnoy - Studio National in
SYNOPSIS
his father’ s room but Ilias avoids it and settles in another room, is mesmerized by a fully equipped mechanic welding France. His films have won acclaim at festivals around the
Athens, today. Ilias (35) has just returned from war to
one instead. The next morning, Ilias leaves his son with some metal, looking like an ancient warrior. Achilleas forms world. His debut short film, IL (2014, 16’), won the Pack &
attend the memorial service of his recently deceased
Karina and enters his father’ s space for the first time to dis- his first word. Pitch award at Sarajevo while in development, followed
father, Achilleas, who was a high ranked military officer
cover a reclusive retreat: a few books, mostly poetry, some by a world premiere in the Pardi di Domani section of the
and died during his absence, before they had the chance to
philosophy, a few clothes. Browsing over his notebooks, DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT: Locarno Film Festival. He shot his next two films, ODETTE
find a middle ground. In the ceremony, his son, also named
Ilias finds poetry verses written by Achilleas. But there This is the history of mankind as I understand it. Born into (2015, 16’) and UNBUILT LIGHT (2017, 29’), while in resi-
Achilleas (3), who has grown while he was away, is present,
seems to be nothing of or about Ilias. Confronted by what this world, we begin our constant struggle, our wishful dency at Le Fresnoy, with the latter opening in competition
together with his wife, Elli (40), and the rest of the family.
seems to be the secret life of his father and overwhelmed quest for a certain utopia; a chance that we might just in Sarajevo IFF. ASTROMETAL (2017, 15’) was nominated for
Ilias struggles to perform a speech for Achilleas and spends
by feelings that he doesn’ t necessarily have names for, Ilias be in this word of endless cruelty and furious beauty. In a a Golden Lion in the Orizzonti section of the 74th Venice
the rest of the evening with mixed feelings. But no one
rushes out of the room in anger. He takes Karina’ s truck contemporary landscape of global interconnection and of International Film Festival.
seems to really care as alcohol is already flowing, violently
without asking and spends the night in the woods, sleep- omnipresent violence, the urge for another way of life
shifting the formal tone of the memorial. While his family
ing in the wild. Returning at dawn, Karina, who has had to seems as critical as ever and I feel nostalgic for a world I PRODUCERS’S BIOGRAPHY:
leaves, Ilias stays behind, as Titos, a friend of his father’ s,
involuntarily babysit Achilleas, comes out of the room and have never experienced or ever known existed. In the story, YORGOS TSOURGIANNIS is an independent film producer
insists to talk to him alone. Then, Titos hands Ilias with a
starts hitting him until she exhausts herself. we shape a geography of two opposing shores divided by and the founder and managing director of the Athens based
sealed envelope containing a key and an address; Achilleas
Ilias spends the following days wondering around aim- sea; Athens, constructed, artificial, civilized, a city that gave production label Horsefly Productions. Yorgos Tsourgiannis
had apparently bought a small cabin in a rental room site
lessly with regulars of the lodgings, leaving while he does, birth to the military careers of our characters, and the began producing films and numerous TV commercials in
a few years back. He wanted his son, Ilias, to have the key.
Achilleas to Kalliopi (30), one of the regulars, a young room rental site, wild, immersed in nature, inexplicable, an various capacities, both independently and with other
Ilias chooses not to share the story with his wife. The follow-
woman whom he just met. environment depicted as a possible dream-come-true, as a production companies after graduating with an MBA from
ing days find Ilias trying to connect and restore some kind
Ilias collects random information about his father. One materialized utopia. the University of Southampton in 2001 and a Masters in
of normality. Elli prompts Ilias to spend some time alone
morning when Karina is absent, Ilias sneaks into her room This universe translates into the transformative journey of Audiovisual Management (EMAM) from Rome in 2002.
with his son. During a visit of their at the supermarket, Ilias
looking in vain for a trace of Achilleas. Again, nothing. A few the protagonist, Ilias, from a state of inner unrest to a kind He has been selected by the Greek Film Centre to be EFP’s
accidentally meets Christos, an army man who was at the
days later, Karina reveals to Ilias that, in spite of his belief, of reconciliation and peace. In the story, Ilias deals with war Producer On The Move in 2010 and is a member of the ACE
same division with Ilias during the war but returned after
his father was filled with remorse about his joining the war. and war. The first one is a fictitious, unnamed war he has network of producers, the Hellenic Film Academy and the
suffering a mental breakdown. Christos is enthusiastic, but
Dumbfounded, Ilias rushes into his father’ s room, collapses just returned from and after which he tries to restore some- European Film Academy.
Ilias doesn’ t say much, as if wanting to avoid him. Driving
on the bed and falls into a deep sleep. Left without guard- thing of a normality and recover. But the second war is an
back home, an overwhelmed Ilias abruptly stops the car,
ianship, young Achilleas opens the door, enters the nearby internal one, as he deals with his past and future, his role as COMPANY PROFILE:
picks up Achilleas and hails a cab.
forest and arrives at the top of a steep cliff. Ilias wakes up a son and that of a father at the same time. The backstory Horsefly Productions is the production label of Athens
Later, that same day, Ilias is crossing the sea with his son,
alone and searches for Achilleas nervously, only to find him between father and son is suggested throughout the story based independent film producer Yorgos Tsourgiannis.
to seek out the address of his father’s room. Inside the
in the main building, playing with Karina. The next day, and defines Ilias’ actions. His father, Achilleas, an officer of Since its inception in 2004, it has produced and co-pro-
boat, Ilias has to confront a really upset Elli over the phone,
Achilleas is inexplicably burning up with fever next to a the army, was mostly absent during his son’ s upbringing. duced a number of award winning short and feature films.
but manages to somehow calm her, telling her they will
worrying Ilias. At dusk, the fever disappears. Ilias tried to fill that void by following in his father’ s foot- Valuing its network of collaborators in Greece and abroad
be back in a few days. After a long trip, Ilias and Achilleas
Ilias begins receiving phone calls from a concerned Elli steps, also becoming an army man. His later decision to and promoting strong authorial vision, Horsefly is commit-
arrive in the room rental site, a place outside a small town,
which he initially entertains but then begins to ignore. join the war fills his father with remorse, a possible cause ted in bringing unique Greek films closer to international
surrounded by nature, and meet the owner of the rooms,
At the same time, he starts to gravitate more and more for his death. audiences.
Karina (60). Ilias shows her the key, announcing the death
towards his son. They seem to be having their first happy Ilias’ arc reminds me of Oedipus, in the way that he contin-
of his father and, to Ilias’ surprise, Karina breaks into hope-
ues to struggle while aware of his destiny. At the end of the

20 | CineLink Project Development Workshop 2018 CineLink Project Development Workshop 2018 | 21
CineLink Drama Projects 2018
ANATOMY OF CRIME
Following an inconceivable crime in a secluded mountain village in Yugoslavia in 1960s,
when a pregnant woman is murdered and her baby stolen from her womb, a renowned big
city attorney takes on the case to defend a childless village woman, who has been accused
of the murder.
Creator: Vuk Ršumović, Ana Tomović
Writer: Vuk Ršumović, Ana Tomović
Director: Vuk Ršumović
Producer: Mirko Bojović, Uglješa Jokić
Production Company: BaBoon Production,
Work In Progress
Genre: Crime drama
Format: 12 x 52’ Attending CineLink Workshop:
Based on book Truth about Šefka Vuk Ršumović, Mirko Bojović, Uglješa Jokić
by Fila Filota
SYNOPSIS OF THE SERIES:
In 1969, an unfathomable murder stuns a secluded village
in Yugoslavia: a pregnant woman is killed and her baby
cut out and taken from her. VAHIDA HODŽIĆ (27), a child-
less village woman who claimed the murdered woman’s
baby as her own, stands accused of the murder. Despite
the incriminating circumstances, she pleads innocence.
Sensing that the case is psychologically far more complex
than meets the eye, the most prominent Belgrade lawyer,
PETAR MANAKI (65), decides to take charge of the beautiful
VAHIDA’s defence, running up against widespread popular
anger. His struggle for Vahida’s life will lead to the unravel-
ling of the many dark secrets of this village cut off from the
world that will forever change the lives of its residents. The
series follows the investigation and the trial, through to the
final verdict, as well as the significant events and specific
circumstances surrounding the murder.
CREATORS STATEMENT
My great influence, François Truffaut once said: “Life has
more imagination than we do.” I couldn’t agree more with
the gentle and fearless French filmmaker. The idea for
ANATOMY OF A CRIME came from the newspapers. I read
an article about the murder case that happened back in
the 60’s in former Yugoslavia. It was described as the most
gruesome crime in the history of the country. Not only
that. A crime like that never had happened anywhere in
the world. I was immediately intrigued. But actually, it was
not the crime itself that attracted me. It was the setting
and the specific isolated patriarchal community. And above
all, the complexity of the woman accused of murder, the
22 | CineLink Project Development Workshop 2018
RS
ANA TOMIĆ was born in 1979 in Belgrade. In 2004 she friend and colleague fom Faculty of Dramatic Arts, Vuk
graduated Theatre Directing at the Faculty of Dramatic Ršumović, and started BaBoon Production (Belgrade) in
Arts in Belgrade. She is currently on the PHD program 2007. Mirko is 2016. EAVE Producers Workshop graduate
at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade. She direct- and voting member of EFA.
ed both contemporary and classic plays, most notably:
“Creeps” by Lutz Hübner at the Belgrade Drama Theatre; COMPANY PROFILE:
“halFlife” by Filip Vujošević at Atelier 212 in Belgrade; BaBoon Production is a Belgrade production company
“The Return of Casanova” by Arthur Schnitzler at the founded in 2007 by established film authors that aims to
Serbian National Theatre in Novi Sad; “A Boat for Dolls” develop cinematographic projects within the Serbian and
by Milena Marković at the Serbian National Theatre in global audio-visual panorama. BaBoon Production works
Novi Sad; “The Woyzcek – Hinkemann Case” based on with young as well as with acclaimed authors, who are
the plays by Georg Büchner and Ernst Toller at the Bitef committed to quality in storytelling, with new sensibil-
Theatre in Belgrade; “Romeo and Juliet” by Shakespeare at ities, and who express a fresh point of view on current
Oberhausen Theatre in Oberhausen, Germany; “Finger” by topics. All projects are carefully constructed with artistic
contemporary Albanian playwright from Kosovo Doruntina integrity to serve their true function – arousing emotion
Basha; “Crime and Punishment” by Dostoevsky at the in the audience. BaBoon has gathered under one roof the
Yugoslav Drama Theatre in Belgrade; “Mother Courage credits from more than 120 short and long feature films,
and Her Children” by Bertolt Brecht at the National Theatre documentaries, TV programmes and series as directors,
young and beautiful VAHIDA.
in Belgrade; “Autumn Sonata” by Ingmar Bergman at The scriptwriters, editors, producers, co-producers, executive
The story of VAHIDA is a story of a modern femme fatale.
Croatian National Theatre in Rijeka, Croatia. “A Boat for producers and line producers. NO ONE’S CHILD (2014), tri-
She was demonized by rural community as a childless
Dolls” participated at “Forum of Young Theatre Directors” ple winner of the International Critic’s Week at Venice Film
woman. In the end, the vicious crime made her a new per-
at La Mamma theatre in New York and at “New plays Festival, awarded more than 30 prizes so far, and screened
son and gave her a new life. She went through a horrifying
from Europe” Festival in Wiesbaden, Germany. It was at numerous Festivals on all continents is an example of
experience to become socially and spiritually liberated. My
pronounced the best performance of the year in Serbia, how BaBoon works.
approach to telling the story is driven by strong creative
winning 6 awards in total.
intention. The aim is to reveal a much bigger, underlying
Ana and Vuk have been collaborating in theatre and in film. Founded in 2007, WORK IN PROGRESS is the leading film
issue - the misogynistic and bigoted community of an iso-
They co-wrote the script for the award winning feature film servicing company in Serbia. The company is headed and
lated mountain village. Genre-wise, this is a gripping who-
“No One’s Child”. “Anatomy of a Crime” is their first collab- owned by Andjelka (Angie) Vlaisavljevic, a UCLA educated
dunit and a serialized procedural in the vein of HBO’s The
oration on a TV series. MFA graduate and Line Producer working in film and tel-
Night Of. And visually, it should be a slow building, atmos-
evision production since 1979. Work In Progress employs
pheric crime drama. The camera should be slow paced,
PRODUCER’S BIOGRAPHY: approximately 100-150 local crew members during pro-
but moving more often than not. As a contrast to the dark
MIRKO BOJOVIĆ was born 1970/03/02 in Belgrade, Serbia. duction and cooperates with 500-1000 local companies
and sinister storyline, it will be warm and bright in colors.
Graduated at Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade in 2000. and vendors. Over the last 9 years it has serviced over 30
ANATOMY OF A CRIME is a suspenseful whodunit, as well
1991. Mirko started his career in TV and film business in foreign film productions from the USA, UK, France and
as an authentic depiction of an era, a complex court drama,
small TV station “Studio B” as video editor. He was working Italy.
a compelling character study and a social commentary on a
there until 1994. when he enter TV and Film Editing studies
patriarchal misogynist society.
on Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade. Between 1994 and
2000, parallel with studies, he worked as TV editor on all
CREATOR’S BIOGRAPHY
major TV stations in country: BK, B92, RTS, BBC Belgrade
VUK RŠUMOVIĆ is an award winning writer/director. He
bureau and WTN news agency. He was working on all gen-
studied film & theatre at the Faculty of Drama Arts in
res of television, from news to TV movies. After graduation,
Belgrade and Analytical psychology in Belgrade and Zürich.
in 2000 he joined production house “Arhitel” and that is
His feature film NO ONE’S CHILD won three awards at the
beginning of his professional move towards production.
Venice Film Festival and over 35 awards all over the world.
In addition to the editing of documentaries, Mirko began
He is an EPI European TV Drama Lab alumni and an active
working as a line producer and executive producer. After
member of European Film Academy. He is a professor of
five years in Arhitel, Mirko moves to The Netherlands in
Film at the FMK in Belgrade. Besides his commitment with
2005. He got employment in UN as director and producer
cinema and TV he also works in the theatre.
for various videos and live programmes. Being passionate
for movie making, he joined forces with his long time
CineLink Project Development Workshop 2018 | 23
CineLink Drama Projects 2018
BAD BLOOD
A tragic family saga, set in the late 19th century in the heart of the Balkans, tells of kindred
intrigues, passionate love affairs and bloody twists between Oriental beauties, patriarchal
despots and bons vivants at the turning point for the old and tired Ottoman Empire when it is
being eaten away by national desires of the local natives.
Creator: Milutin Petrović
Writer: Vojislav Nanović
Co-Writer (episode 1, episode 2, episode 3): Milena Marković
Director: Milutin Petrović
Producer: Snežena Penev
Production company: This and That Productions
Genre: Drama
Format: 11 x 45’
Based on Borisav Stanković’s literary works
SYNOPSIS OF THE SERIES:
Hadzi-Trifun is the head of a rich, powerful family and the
leader of the Serbian community in the Balkan ottomans
region. He adores his youngest son, the womanising Mita.
He openly despises his elder son, the heartless Jovca.
Beautiful Tasana, the widow of Trifun’s third, late son,
suffers most though. Trifun is plotting against the Sultan’s
local bey. He arranges the bey to be killed by Kolj, the chief
of the Albanian clan. As a reward old Kolj wants the young
Tasana for himself. Trifun secretly arranges Tasana and Kolj
to meet. After she is raped by Kolj, she wants to expose
Hadzi Trifun´s evil agreement, but Trifun brands her a
whore and orders her to be killed. After the bishop’s pleas
he changes the sentence and forces her to marry a mad
local simpleton. Shortly after, Trifun dies in front of the
family when he is told about the death of his sister.
Ten years later Trifun´s son Jovca is a powerful landowner.
Jovca spoils his daughter Vaska beyond all bounds, but
openly derides Arsa and Mitke, the sons from his previous
marriage. Jovca’s brother Mita is squandering his inher-
itance. He only cares about his relationship with Stojna,
a married servant girl. Stojna´s sleazy husband Tone uses
their open secret relationship to blackmail Mita, who is
forced to appoint Tone as overseer of his estate. Mita’s
daughter Sofka and her cousin Vaska grow up into attrac-
tive women. Sofka is naively and enigmatically eroticised,
while Vaska falls pregnant with a servant. Jovca explodes
with rage, curses his daughter and lives the rest of his
life driven by obsessive hatred. Following the war, Vranje
belongs to an expanded Serbia. Arsa, the son of Jovca,
is now in power. Mita, who hasn’t been seen for years
suddenly turns up out of the blue upon his release from
Turkish prison. To avoid financial ruin Mita has to marry his
24 | CineLink Project Development Workshop 2018
RS
Attending CineLink Workshop:
Milutin Petrović, Snežena Penev
daughter Sofka to Tomca, the son of Marko, a rich farmer
who marries his son to Sofka just for the status of the Hatzi
Trifun family. Sofka is ten years senior to the boy. After
the wedding, following local tradition, Marko rapes Sofka.
Devastated by what he has done, Marko leaves never to
return... Sofka’s husband Tomca has grown up and now
beats, rapes and abuses Sofka in the most terrible man-
ner. After a journey around Europe, Tomca returns with a
German business partner. They plan to sell the estate to
build a factory. Tomca throws Sofka out of the house with
their child.
Cradling her son in her arms, Sofka leaves what was once
the wealthiest family house, built by her grandfather
Hadzi-Trifun. She heads off along a winding road, over-
grown with weeds.
CREATOR’S STATEMENT:
This script was written by one of the pioneers of Yugoslavian
cinematography-director Voja Nanovic. He made an epic
entirety, building in it a whole literal opus of Borisav
Stankovic, one of the most important Serbian writers from
the beginning of 20th Century.
The golden thread of the most intimate national feelings
woven into the velvet of the Orient, the touching love
for ancestors, but the blunt condemnation of the moral
perversions of its people’s past are just some of the pearls
threaded into this chronicle.
As you read this script, with your head in 19th century
Vranje, you are confronted by Shakespearean twists, lov-
ers’ tears and the cruelty of mad despots, while hearing
the murmur of the Holy Foolishness of Dostoevsky’s poetic
language and the evil scenes of Kurosawa’s best films leap
out before your very eyes. The script achieves the age-old
ideal – be gentle towards viewers and merciless towards
one’s heroes. ‘Bad Blood’ is almost a western whose char-
acters and ritual action scenes are reminiscent of John
Ford’s films. Action, intrigues and passionate love affairs
are the blood which pulses through this epic story’s arter-
ies, while layers of sediment of Balkan history, the depth of
its canyons and the ricketiness of the bridges above them,
a museum of anthropological values of customs and arte-
facts, and the musicological potential of the best folk music
row back through the veins towards the heart.
Cost-effectiveness in the use of scenographic resources,
an intelligently established balance between chamber and
action scenes, the cunning use of the artistic potential of
the epoch, skilful narration which provides a precise score
for the final, lavish editing rhythm, a spectrum of main
and episodic roles written in such a way that they clearly
suggest a magnificent cast, the attractive juxtaposing of
humour and dramatic situations, action and eroticism,
and finally cliff-hangers worthy of the highest show busi-
ness standards – all this suggests this project was cleverly
thought out production-wise from the very beginning of
the script-writing process. However, above all else, the
current, contemporary nature of ‘Bad Blood’ showcases
Nanovic’s view of civilization. Which side of the world (and
not border) the author stands on is indisputable, grounding
this project on the hardest stone of the fortress of human-
ity. Rarely does one find an author who views the world
he writes about with such human integrity. His attitude
towards people, war, traditional values, women’s rights,
child-rearing, money, and siblings and parents displays all
the ethical grandeur of good art and the fundamental, edu-
cational potential of positive, cultural policies. The script
radiates the aroma of meals cooking on stoves, the taste of
wine and Sofka’s lips, the songs of Gypsies and the clatter-
ing of horses’ hooves, the overrowing rage of the wicked,
but even more the overrowing curves of women.
CREATOR’S BIOGRAPHY:
MILUTIN PETROVIĆ was born in Belgrade in 1961, he gradu-
ated from the Department for Film and Television Directing
at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade in 1989.
Filmography:
LAND OF TRUTH, LOVE AND FREEDOM (2000, 87’)
SOUTH BY SOUTHEAST (2005, 90’)
AGI AND EMMA (2007, 92’, feature film)
HAVE I TOLD YOU I’VE BEEN ABUSED? (2009, 93’, documentary)
THE LOOP (2015, 73’)
TV short: Telephomania (1988); TV series: Home, Sweet
Home (1987); educational drama series: Lyrics (1993);
a series of ‘live’ programmes: Hit of the Month (1985-
1987), The Timofejev Show on B92 TV station; cultural
programmes: Friday at 10pm and Preaching; TV documen-
taries: Cinematography or Bust (1992, 2x75 min.), Enigma
Nižinski (1994), and MILORD (1998), a documentary series
about Đorđe Marjanović; TV shorts: In the name of the
people (2015), Our surroundings (2016-2017), and Plaško
Hrabrović gets his own back (2016-2017, 10x30’.), pro-
duced by RTS.
PRODUCER’S BIOGRAPHY:
SNEŽANA PENEV graduated Film Production at the
Academy of Arts in Belgrade. She became a graduate of
the EAVE Producers program in 2011. Snežana has pro-
duced many internationally acclaimed fiction films and
documentaries. MONUMENT TO MICHAEL JACKSON was
supported by Eurimages and Media as well as BATTERY
MAN, a feature documentary sold to over 10 worldwide
broadcasters. Snežana recently produced IN THE DARK,
a feature documentary which premiered at the IDFA
2014 film festival and A GOOD WIFE a debut film by
Mirjana Karanović (SUNDANCE 2016). She was selected
by European Film Promotion to participate in the Cannes
Film Festival Producers on the move and in 2015 became a
voting member of the European Film Academy.
COMPANY PROFILE:
This and That Productions was founded in 2008 by young
producers and filmmakers who wanted to make both cre-
ative projects after their own hearts and offer production
services to local and foreign productions. A little bit of
this, and a little bit of that. Traveling to festivals with their
award-winning films, they gathered a group of like-minded
people. This and That recent productions are A GOOD
WIFE (2016) by Mirjana Karanović, premiered at Sundance
Film Festival 2016, MONUMENT TO MICHAEL JACKSON
(2014) by Darko Lungulov, supported by Eurimages and
Media, as well as BATTERY MAN (2012) by Dušan Čavić and
Dušan Šaponja, a feature documentary sold to over 10
broadcasters worldwide. The long term aim is to create
a haven for people with energy and ideas and help their
visions get made. This and That is currently in post-produc-
tion with 3 films: a fiction feature ASYMMETRY by Maša
Nešković, OCCUPIED CINEMA, a feature documentary by
Senka Domanović and PATRIMONY, a short fiction by Senka
Domanović, all supported by Film Center Serbia. Feature
fiction MARA by Mirjana Karanović is currently in develop-
ment, while feature fiction DARKLING by Dušan Milić is in
the financing phase of production.
CineLink Project Development Workshop 2018 | 25
CineLink Drama Projects 2018
GREATER THAN THE DEATH
Levent, the chief of homicide bureau of an island, where no one has been murdered for 39
years, questions his existence with an intimate depression. He thinks that he has returned to life
with the death body found in the middle of one of the oldest apartments in the island. During
his first investigation, he discovers crimes that more corrupted, extraordinary and bigger than
murder. And that leads him to questions of morality, ethics, and crime notions.
Creator: Arya Su Altıoklar, Samim Turkmen
Writer: Tuna Dilligil
Director: Erhan Yuruk, Boran Guney
Producer: Metin Alihan Yalçındağ, Mehmet Altıoklar
Production company: KısaKes Production
Genre: Black comedy
Format: 12 x 45’
Original script
Attending CineLink Workshop:
Arya Su Altıoklar, Avni Tuna Dilligil
Metin Alihan Yalçındağ, Mehmet Altıoklar
SYNOPSIS OF THE SERIES:
The conception of ethics, form of relations and value judg-
ments in the post-modern world describe obvious crimes
in an absolutely contradictory manner and praise its “vio-
lent criminals” to the skies. The phenomenon and the sub-
stance do not match anymore. The religious script peculiar
to the world our story is set in states this concretely as
follows “... what you call the depth shall be great shallows,
the clever shall be crafty and the respectful insolent...”
However, despite this straightforward statement, prophets
of this religion deceives the society, just as the charac-
ters that constitute our story, who represent a particular
institution or a social body. Consequently, this shows us
that even the simplest truth is distorted, extenuated and
burked depending on the narrator. Amidst all this contra-
diction between the phenomenon and substance at its
peak, Levent, who runs the investigation of a murder case,
will recognize the gruesome faces of the island’s notables,
who are all suspects in the case. At the same time, he will
run the first real investigation of his life as the chief of
homicide bureau in a city that remained homicide-free for
40 years. His investigations, beyond itself, will turn into a
story that will make him question the dystopic island and
his destiny.
CREATOR’S STATEMENT:
The new type of human profile that created by postmod-
26 | CineLink Project Development Workshop 2018
TR
ern society can be summarize in one sentence; “I want, so
be it, now.” This situation is inevitable in the current tech-
nologies and transition process from farmer-manufacturer
to consumer-industrial model of society. Maybe “I want,
so be it, now” is the most critical point for human beings
becoming a god. In fact, changing hair color of an unborn
baby was a surreal idea in past decades but now it is very
much real. This theism game yielded to capitalist system
since early 90s and changed power relations between
persons, international actors, and governments, which
are getting more and more estranged from democracy, -
societies relations. Whole society is deformed due to the
idea of every person filled with the wish of submission and
domination.
It really whets our appetite to tell and listen to the story
of a chief, who, far from being a god or a subject, tries
to make sense of his existence on an island, which plays
host to the extreme forms of the corrupt society, which
changes only for worse, which is full of people feeling god
rather than playing it, who create the living dead or the
dead living.
CREATOR’S & PRODUCER’S BIOGRAPHY:
ARYA SU ALTIOKLAR is the founder and the director of
International KısaKes Short Film Festival, a first film festival
that unites university and high school students in its sec-
tions for 8 years. The festival holds the highest application
rate around Turkey. The short films that are distributed are titles for the international market. The team works with
qualifiers for the Cannes Film Festival’s Short Film Corner some of the best creative talents in the business, with a
and made its screening during 70th Cannes Film Festival. catalog containing a diverse and exciting range of program-
She has interests in various artistic fields such as ballet, ming spanning drama, mini-series, soap opera, programs,
cinema and theatre and recently directed 6 short films, 5 BluTV originals and a library. Kanal D International has over
commercials and distributed 20 short films and four of her 100.000 hours of programs and 60.000 episodes. Kanal D
shorts won several awards from national short film compe- International reaches audiences in more than 150 countries
titions and all of her commercial films screened on national and territories, including Europe, Eastern Europe, South
TVs as advertisement. She is the founder of Istanbul Talents America, Latam, Americas, Africa, Asia, MENA region,
Agency which promotes Middle Eastern talents to inter- Middle East, Balkans and the Far East.
national productions. She worked on CNN Turk for 1 year
as assistant producer on tv program called Aykırı Sorular
which got 20+ awards as “the best tv program of the year”.
She worked as a video director in a play and acted on 2
theatre plays, 2 feature films, 3 tv-series, 2 music videos, 2
short films and won “Best Female Actor” award on 48hours
Short Film Project in 2016.
SAMIM TURKMEN was born in 1996. He interested in
literature and won awards with his stories. His poems
published in various magazines. Lately, He continues his
works in visual arts. He works as director, director of pho-
tography, editor, and colorist in music videos and commer-
cials. He worked as DOP and colorist on 5 short films and
1 internet series. The short films on which he worked as
a DOP, screened at several national and international film
festivals, including Cannes Film Festival. He is part of the
workshop team in KısaKes Short Film Festival and he is one
of the production coordinator in KısaKes Production. He is
Director of the short film THE SUN.
COMPANY PROFILE:
Since 2015, KısaKes Short Film Festival expands its borders
and started to produce its own visual services. With our
young and dynamic team, we care to initiate unique - prac-
tical solutions.
Kanal D International is a global media company creating
world-class content for all platforms. With its innovative
approach on management and creative projects, Kanal
D International reaches to a wide profile of audience
globally. Kanal D takes advantage of being part of Doğan
TV Holding; the dedicated media player in Turkey with
more than 25 years of experience and has combined all
multimedia assets. Besides being the largest national TV
channel in Turkey for the past 25 years, Kanal D has also
earned a great success as a global content provider. Kanal
D International distributes programs and formats around
the world, and develops, finances and co-produces new
CineLink Project Development Workshop 2018 | 27
CineLink Drama Projects 2018
FRUST
Hate, spin & fake.
Creator: Srđan Vuletić
Writer: Srđan Vuletić
Director: TBC
Production Company: TBC
Genre: Drama, crime, comedy
Format: 6 x 52’
Original script
Attending CineLink Workshop:
Srđan Vuletić
SYNOPSIS OF THE SERIES:
Vedran, an introvert young writer who works as a DJ at
a local station lives unassuming life with promiscuous
roommate Dino. Vedran accidentally kills a local drug
dealer, thus becomes an unknown hero, both in public and
cyberspace. Even the girl he secretly admires is adored by
courage by unknown killer.
Vedran can’t claim his glory as he can’t share his secret,
which doesn’t stop other people to pretend to be killers for
the sake of self-promotion. Police is confused, a local drug
mob is confused - hunt for real killer is on.
Vedran, empowered with the unknown hero situation
decides to clean his city from bad people - his list is very
long, as he simply hates almost everyone.
STORY DEVELOPMENT FOR SEASON TWO:
Vedran finally gets accolades for his literary work and gets
the stipendion in Belgrade, Serbia. He moves there strong-
ly wishing to lead normal, boring life of a writer. But, old
habits kick in.
28 | CineLink Project Development Workshop 2018
BA
CREATOR’S STATEMENT:
Living in a world where truth is just side effect of reality, liv-
ing in the world where a hate, spin and fake dominate I find
it important to dissect the mechanics of this same world.
CREATOR’S BIOGRAPHY:
SRĐAN VULETIĆ directed and scripted many documen-
taries: I BURNT LEGS (1993), WAR CINEMA, MARCH 8TH
IN WAR, and short films: HOP, SKIP & JUMP - Berlin
Film Festival Panorama Award; TRIP TO THE MOON; 10
MINUTES – Best short film European Film Academy.
First feature SUMMER IN THE GOLDEN VALLEY (2003),
received its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival,
and won numerous awards, including the Tiger Award at
the Rotterdam Film Festival. His second feature, IT’S HARD
TO BE NICE (2007) opened the 13th Sarajevo Film Festival,
won Best Actor Award at Sarajevo Film Festival, Mont Blanc
Scriptwriting Prize at Hamburg Film Festival. Member of
the European Film Academy.
CineLink Project Development Workshop 2018 | 29
CineLink Drama Projects 2018
THESEUS
A couple of troubled detectives investigate a series of crimes linked to nothing but a killer
looking for justice and personal closure, the two ingredients of the Greek myth he is about
to weave.
Creator: Panagiotis Iosifelis
Writer: Panagiotis Iosifelis, Eleni Sideri
Director: TBC
Producer: Eleni Pnevmatikou
Production Company: Pnevma Productions
Genre: Crime drama
Format: 8 x 60’
Original script
SYNOPSIS OF THE SERIES:
Aristoteles (43), a detective at the Homicide Department
with serious family issues and his team are investigating
a weird ritualistic murder that happened in an area near
Athens. The victim was a man named Apostolou (53), an
ethnic-Greek. citizen from Central/North Europe with ties
to the extreme right trans-European networks. Ηis body
was found violently dismembered, except the upper part.
The lips of the victim were sewn, wedged in his throat.
There were small strips from a comic book relating the
story of an ancient Greek hero, Theseus. The strips found
in the victim’s throat described the killing of Sinis the Pine
- Bender –whom Theseus tied on two pines, after having
them bent, and then, he released the pines to return to
their original state.
The Europol specialist, Hava (35), an ethnic Bosnian, raised
in North Europe (maybe Germany) after receiving asylum
during the war in Bosnia Herzegovina (1992-1995), is send
to Greece to contribute to the investigation. Inevitably,
Aristoteles and Hava have to work together. Hava also has
a hard time navigating through the present Greek reality,
as it seems painfully familiar yet foreign to her. Both Hava
and Aristoteles, intuitively or instinctively, believe that this
is the first in a series of murders. Their theory is quickly
confirmed- soon after the first one, a second murder
occurs, equally horrifying. The identities of the victims as
well as the fact that this is the first time that ritualistic
murders happen in Greece, generate publicity of massive
proportion, inside and outside of Greece. Hava, Aristoteles
and the investigative team are realizing that the murderer
follows a pattern: the killer copies the killings performed
by Theseus, the mythical hero, on his coming to age -and
manhood- journey from Troezen to Athens.
30 | CineLink Project Development Workshop 2018
RS
institutional justice. But most importantly, this is a story FRIDAY NIGHT @EIDOMENI at the Idomeni refugee camp,
about love and betrayal, about secrets and the pain they in 2015.
can cause once revealed. It’s also about closure and the COMPANY PROFILE:
catharsis they can bring about. Theseus is a story about PNEVMA PRODUCTIONS is a newly founded Greek
modern day Greece, with real, solid characters and a nar- audiovisual production company, established in 2015 in
rative structure that follows the example of similar series Thessaloniki. The main object of Pnevma Productions is the
made in Denmark and the US. production of audiovisual works of diverse nature: edu-
cational, videos, tutorials, corporate videos, promotional
CREATOR’S BIOGRAPHY: videos & commercials (fiction & documentaries), as well as
PANAGIOTIS IOSIFELIS is a Thessaloniki based screenwriter any other ype of audiovisual material.
and Associate Professor in Screenwriting, School of film, Feature Films: SUBURB in collaboration with Panos
Faculty of Fine Arts, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. He Iossifelis and Christos Goussios (currently in production);
Attending CineLink Workshop:
also teaches screenwriting in two Creative Writing -Master KATAHGIO ΙΙ: THE ICE PATH (2017); TV Series: SOUKOUTOU
Panagiotis Iosifelis, Eleni Sideri
Degree Programs at Hellenic Open University (E.A.P.) and TOU APOUTHOU (a series about the School of Fine Arts
at University of Western Macedonia. He has worked as a of Aristotle Univesrity of Thessaloniki); Short Films:
script editor in many projects for the National Film Center LITBRIDGE, 2017; LES DIPNOSOPHISTES (2016); BITTER
Soon the killer strikes again. Despite their horrific and
of Greece and has, also, participated as a member of the HOUR (2015); PYGMALION LA NOUVELLE HISTOIRE (2013).
abominable nature, the murders have multiple and differ-
jury in Festival committees (Balkan Fund at Thessaloniki
ent interpretations. The public sees behind the murders a
Film Festival, Thermaikos Film Festival, Taratsa Film Festval
vigilante, whose kills are symbolic, who wants to clean soci-
etc). His work includes several feature and short fims
ety from today’s villainy, criminals, scum, just like the myth-
scripts and approximately fifty (50) TV episodes in all the
ical Theseus. That is why the killer gets a status of hype
major broadcasts in Greece - most of them in crime series.
among the Greek society. Aristoteles and his team think
Besides his screenwriting work, he published two collec-
that they ‘ve come across a corruption network, political
tions of short stories. He is a member of Greek Writers
and economic, a face – off. Hava senses from the start that
Guild and member of the Greek Film Academy.
these murders feel personal, but being a foreigner cannot
Lately, he signed an option agreement contract for a crime
immediately decode their mythological aspect.
series with Atlantique Productions, a well known French
Gradually both Aristoteles and Hava come to believe that
production company based in Paris.
Theseus resembling murders, serve as a smoke screen, in
order to misdirect the police investigation and scare of the
PRODUCER’S BIOGRAPHY:
parties involved. However, each and every interpretation is
ELENI PNEVMATIKOU is a director and producer. She is a
as revealing on Theseus’s characteristics as is on their own
graduate of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Faculty
deepest, darkest fears and wishes.
of Arts-Film School and she is currently doing her Master
Degree Applied Clinical Sociology & Art, at the interin-
CREATOR’S STATEMENT:
stitutional MA program of the University of the Aegean,
Theseus is seemingly a story, of a modern Greece. The set-
Department of Sociology and the University of Western
ting of the action and the investigation is Athens. From the
Macedonia, School of Fine Arts.
north suburbs to Piraeus and from the crowded and mul-
She has already been member of the production team in
ticultural districts of the “historic center” to the Acropolis.
3 feature length films and is currently producing the forth
In a constant dialogue between the past and the present.
one. She has also participated in more than 9 short films
Between then and now. The crime investigation plot func-
and videoclips, while she has directed more than 20 promo
tions as an excuse for the Greek society, with its contra-
and recap videos for educational and cultural events.
dictions and its complexities, to unfold. In this sense, it is
Since 2015 she is the director and editor of the TEDx
story that can touch the discontent of different European
Thessaloniki events.
and global audience.
Her graduation-short film EMERGING ADULT is being
But beyond the surface it is a story about revenge. The kind
screened during University lectures of Psychology in Greek
of revenge that takes years to plan and absolute accuracy
Universities (Athens, Thessaloniki, Crete), since 2015. Eleni
to execute. At the same time, this is a story about justice:
also directed, produced and edited the short documentary
the tormenting relation between personal and social/
CineLink Project Development Workshop 2018 | 31
 CineLink Tutors
Franz RODENKIRCHEN (*1963) is a Berlin-based, internationally working script consultant and
tutor. Apart from individual script consultations, he works as a tutor for TorinoFilmLab, the Script
Station of Berlinale Talents, CineLink Sarajevo, SEAFIC (SE-Asia Fiction Film Lab), dffb Berlin, a.o.
With Françoise von Roy he runs Script Circle, a bi-monthly script development workshop in
Berlin and the script consulting workshop „Six Days of Practice“ for film professionals. In the
past 20 years, he has worked on many independent film projects from all over the world. www.
solace23.com.
Marietta VON HAUSSWOLFF VON BAUMGARTEN is a Swedish screenwriter member of the
Swedish Drama Union and the European Film Academy. She wrote and co-produced CALL GIRL,
which won the FIPRESCI Prize at the Toronto International Film Festival and was shown in numer-
ous festivals worldwide. Since 2007, she has been connected as a script consultant with Torino
Film Lab, Binger Film Lab and the Venice Biennale College Microbudget lab, on films including
THE BABADOOK, DJECA, CHILDREN OF SARAJEVO, HI-SO, LOS HONGOS, LES QUOTTRO VOLTE,
BEYOND /SVINALÄNGORNA, H., THE FITS, MEDITERRANEA, DIAMOND ISLAND, BLANKA and so
on. Other related programmes are Qumra, as well as the Doha Hezaya Lab (2016/17); Feature
Expanded (with Visual Artists making features); Bridging the Dragon (Europe-China); TIFF
STUDIO Toronto; Boost Rotterdam; Rutger Hauer Master Classes; Generation Campus Moscow;
Script Lab Russia; the Balkan Film Fund Athens; Talent Campus. In addition to this Marietta
consults privately on feature films, and has worked with filmmakers from more than 45 coun-
tries. She also writes and develops Television Drama for some of the important Scandinavian
production houses. Marietta has been in juries for main competition in CPH:DOX Denmark and
San Miguel, Mexico as well as in numerous selection committees around the world. Marietta is
a citizen of N.S.K, and a Minister of the micro-nation Elgaland-Vargaland, or K.R.EV.
Marten RABARTS (New Zealand, 1961) is a Head of EYE International and was appointed in
2015. Previously, he was Head Development & Training of the NFDC - National Film Development
Corporation in Mumbai, India. He was Artistic Director of Binger Filmlab in Amsterdam for 12
years. In Mumbai in short time Rabarts set up NFDC LABS, the successor to the NFDC Film Bazaar
Labs which he had led since 2008. Rabarts began his working life as an actor and a dancer, after
which he worked among others in London at PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Working Title.
He was involved with films like PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT by Stephan Elliott, Derek Jarman’s
EDWARD II, SAFE by Todd Haynes and KIDS by Larry Clarke. At Binger Filmlab in Amsterdam he
developed PROJECT 10: STORIES FROM A FREE SOUTH AFRICA (Sundance, Berlinale 2004) and
many award winning feature films and documentaries, including the Oscar-nominated BULLHEAD.
In India, Marten was involved in the critically acclaimed film THE LUNCHBOX, the Indian Oscar
submission THE GOOD ROAD and Cannes-Un Certain Regard film TITLI. Furthermore, Rabarts is a
member of the advisory board of Torino Film Lab, CPH: DOX Lab and Clinik Kathmandu.
Eilon RATZKOVSKY has produced feature films and TV series over the past 25 years, as CEO of
July August Productions, an Israeli production company which he created in 2003. Among the
22 films that he produced are THE BAND’S VISIT, MOUNTAIN, ZERO MOTIVATION – all of which
participated and won prizes in major film festivals. He produced more than 12 TV series in Israel,
some of which have been remade into local versions around the world. In the last couple of
years, he has been tutoring for TorinoFilmLab and the Biennale College Cinema and serving as
the head of TFL Extended. He is the CEO of “Quiddity”, a content company that specializes in
developing high quality TV dramas for European networks. Currently lives in Turin, Italy.
32 | CineLink Project Development Workshop 2018
Damjan KOZOLE is a Slovenian filmmaker whose directing credits include the critically-acclaimed
SPARE PARTS, 2009 worldwide released SLOVENIAN GIRL and NIGHTLIFE, 2016 winner of Best
Director Award at the 51st Karlovy Vary IFF, among others. SPARE PARTS was nominated for the
Golden Bear at the 53th Berlin IFF and Sight & Sound ranked it among the ten most important
films of the New Europe. Kozole is also the respected author of many documentary films.
Aida BEGIĆ was born in Sarajevo. She graduated in directing at the Sarajevo Academy of
Performing Arts. Her graduation film PRVO SMRTNO ISKUSTVO (FIRST DEATH EXPERIENCE) was
presented at The Cinéfondation Official Selection of the Cannes Film Festival. Her debut fea-
ture SNIJEG (SNOW) was premiered at Cannes 2008, Semaine de la Critique where it won the
Grand Prix and 30 further festival awards from around the world. SNOW was nominated for a
European Academy Film Award, Discovery Section.
In 2009 she founded an independent production company Film House. Her 2nd feature film
DJECA (CHILDREN OF SARAJEVO) premiered in Un Certain Regard, Official Selection of the
Cannes Film Festival 2012 where it won Special Distinction of the Jury. She wrote and directed
short film Album, part of omnibus BRIDGES OF SARAJEVO that had its world premiere as Official
Selection of the Cannes Film Festival in Special Screening section.
She produced documentary feature 100 MILLION DOLLAR HOUSE directed by Rešad Kulenović.
Aida Begić is teaching Directing at The Academy of Performing Arts Sarajevo and she is member
of AMPAS, EFA, SACD and UFRBiH. Her 3rd feature film about Syrian orphans, NEVER LEAVE ME,
won Audience award at Pingyao FF 2017 and it is screened at many festivals around the world.
Čedomir KOLAR was born in former Yugoslavia, in the city of Rijeka on the Adriatic coast of
Croatia. He graduated in film production at the Belgrade Academy of Dramatic Arts.
Since 1991, he has been acting as producer for Noé Productions in Paris. His credits include
BEFORE THE RAIN by Milcho Manchevski, AFRICA MY AFRICA and KINI AND ADAMS by Idrissa
Ouedraogo, AS YOU LIKE ME by Carmine Amoroso, TRAIN OF LIFE by Radu Mihaileanu, THE
ADOPTED SON and THE CHIMP by Aktan Abdykalykov, NO MAN’S LAND by Danis Tanović and
his short film in the collection of films 11’09”01-SEPTEMBER 11, produced by Galatée films and
StudioCanal. In 2003 he started the new Paris based production entity, A.S.A.P. Films, together
with the director Danis Tanović and his fellow producer Marc Baschet.
2005: HELL (L’Enfer) by Danis Tanović, written by Krzysztof Piesiewicz in collaboration with
Krzysztof Kieslowski; WELL TEMPERED CORPSES by Benjamin Filipović.
2006: SOUNDS OF SAND by Marion Hänsel.
2008: TRIAGE by Danis Tanović; BESA by Srđan Karanović.
2010: WOMB by Benedek Flighauf; THE LIGHT THIEF by Aktan Arym Kubat (aka Abdykalykov);
CIRKUS COLUMBIA by Danis Tanović; BLACK OCEAN by Marion Hänsel.
2013: AN EPISODE IN THE LIFE OF AN IRON PICKER, by Danis Tanović; LA TENDRESSE, by Marion
Hänsel; THE LUNHCBOX by Ritesh Batra.
2014: Tigers by Danis Tanović.
2016: Albüm by Mehmet Can Mertoglu; Centaur by Aktan Aryim Kubat.
2017: Foxtrot by Samuel Maoz.
Čedomir is the Academy Award nominee (BEFORE THE RAIN by Milcho Manchevski) and the
Academy Award winning producer (NO MAN’S LAND by Danis TanoviĆ) as well as the EFA-
Eurimages co-producer of the year 2017.
CineLink Project Development Workshop 2018 | 33
 Labina MITEVSKA started her acting career as a teenager in 1993, playing Zamira in Milcho Izeta GRADEVIĆ is the Creative Director of Sarajevo Film Festival since 1996. At the position of
Mancevski’s Golden Lion awarded BEFORE THE RAIN. In 1996 she entered into a successful Director of the Festival, she was in charge of launching of the project in 1995. Since then, she is
collaboration with Michael Winterbottom. Following WELCOME TO SARAJEVO they worked one of the creators of development strategies of the Festival.
together in I WANT YOU. For these accomplishments she was chosen as one of the Shooting She was educated at Faculty of Architecture (B.A. in Architecture) and Academy of Visual Arts in
Stars at the Berlinale in 1998. Her acting carrier continued around Europe, creating over 20 roles Sarajevo (1981-1983). Great part of her working experience is related to theater and film, but
in films shot in Germany, Czech Republic, Turkey, Italy, Bulgaria, and Slovenia. she did significant contribution to the nation visual art scene through numerous projects, such
In 2001, Labina, her sister Teona and their brother Vuk established the production company as curating part of national collection for ArsAevi Museum of Contemporary Arts in Sarajevo.
SISTERS AND BROTHER MITEVSKI. All their films are European coproduction. Their last film, As for the Sarajevo Film Festival, she is member of the selection boards for Competition
WHEN THE DAY HAD NO NAME by Teona S. Mitevska premiered at the Berlinale, Panorama Program – feature film, CineLink, Talent Campus, Sarajevo City of Film, Work in Progress.
Special 2017, travels around the world on festivals and receives wide distribution including
South East Asia and China.
The company in 2016 coproduced SIERANEVADA by acclaimed director Cristi Puiu / Cannes
Film Festival 2016 and NIGHTLIFE by Damjan Kozole / Karlovy Vary Film Festival, 2016. They are
currently in postproduction of their short drawing animation EDNA, animated and directed by After his studies of Cultural Management in Vienna, Birmingham and Chicago, Gabor GREINER
Vuk and postproduction the new film of Teona, GOD EXISTS, HER NAME IS PETRUNIJA. Their worked as a journalist and film critic at Austria’s largest web-based cultural magazine, cycamp.
latest coproduction is the new film by Bilge Nuri Ceylan THE WILD PEAR TREE. In 2014 she was In 2003, he moved to Brussels to take charge of the distribution support department of the
chosen to be part of Producers on the Move during Cannes Film Festival, she is EAVE national MEDIA Program at the European Commission’s Film Fund, which was created to support the
representative and member of the European Film Academy. European audiovisual sector. In 2009, Gabor became acquisitions executive at the international
sales agent, The Match Factory, specializing in edgy art house films from all over the world. In
Elma TATARAGIĆ was born in Sarajevo in 1976. She graduated Dramaturgy (Screenwriting and August 2010, Gabor moved to Berlin to take over acquisitions of the French-German sales com-
History of Cinema) at Sarajevo Academy of Performing Arts and obtained her Master of Science pany, Films Boutique, winner of the Golden Bear in 2017 and the Golden Lion in 2011 and 2016.
degree and PhD in Film and Literature. She has been with Sarajevo Film Festival since it was
founded in 1995, where she now works as selector for Competition Program. She co-wrote
short film FIRST DEATH EXPERIENCE and wrote and produced short NORTH WENT MAD. She has
produced and co-written the feature film SNOW shown at Cannes 2008 – Semaine de la critique
where the film won the Grand Prix. The film has been shown at over 80 festivals and won over
30 international awards. She is General Secretary and a member of Filmmakers Association of
BiH. She has been teaching screenwriting at Sarajevo Academy of Performing Arts since 2002,
now as a professor. She is member of European Film Academy. She has published a book on
screenwriting and is also works as a script consultant and was a delegate for Rome Film Festival
in 2012 and 2013. In 2016 she has completed her short fiction film I REMEMBER, which is suc-
cessfully touring the world film festivals, At Berlinale 2017 the film she wrote WHEN THE DAY
HAD NO NAME directed by Teona Mitevska had its premiere in Panorama Special selection.
Currently two feature films that she has written STITCHES and GOD EXISTS AND HER NAME IS
PETRUNIJA are in post-production.

34 | CineLink Project Development Workshop 2018 CineLink Project Development Workshop 2018 | 35
 CineLink Drama Tutors:
Meinolf ZURHORST, after studying History of Art, Film and Television and Anthropology work as
a Film critic and author of almost 20 books about cinema and actors. In the Eighties co-founder
of a production company which produced special interest programs for German TV, in particular
for Voice of Germany. In the late Eighties co-founder of second company for post- and film-pro-
duction.
Co-writer and director of several documentaries, the most known ones about two German
stars, Götz George and Mario Adorf. 1992 commissioning editor in the cinema department of
ARTE in Strasbourg, since 1994 director of this department. Since 2000 head of the ARTE film
department of the ZDF (ZDF is one of ARTE’s shareholders), which acquires and co-produces
movies for ARTE. Expert for EAVE and ACE, jury member at several international festivals, lec-
turer at Film Factory in Sarajevo.
ZDF/arte’s recent co-productions are for example UPSTREAM by Marion Hänsel, THE UNTAMED
by Amat Escalante, POKOT by Agnieszka Holland, CLAIR OBSCUR by Yesim Ustaoglu, PYROMANIA
by Erik Skjoldbjærg, THE OTHER SIDE OF HOPE by Aki Kaurismäki, A FANTASTIC WOMAN by
Sebastian Lelio or MR. LONG by Sabu. Upcoming films are for example FOXTROT by Samuel
Maoz, GRAIN by Semih Kaplanoglu, WHERE LIVE BEGINS by Carlos Reygadas, FANNY LYE
DELIVERED by Thomas Clay, REFUGE by Eran Riklis, JUPITER’S MOON by Kornél Mundruczó and
THE SQUARE by Ruben Ostlund.
In 1999 Gabor KRIGLER heard the siren call of TV drama and ended up on the writing staff of a
daily soap at Grundy UFA. Having emerged to the level of story editor, he burnt out quickly and
left after 4 years of hard labour. Based on his experiences, he wrote a book on TV writing and
was subsequently invited to teach scriptwriting and dramaturgy at various institutions, among
them the prestigious University of Theatre and Film Arts in Budapest. In 2006, he co-founded
a script consulting firm and spent the following years as a hired gun, doing script editing and
writing.
Gabor was offered the job of script development executive at the fledgling Local Original
Production department at the Budapest office of HBO Europe in 2010. Since then he has been
promoted to Creative Executive, which means he is responsible for all creative aspects of devel-
opment and production on all Hungarian HBO shows as a producer, the latest being the third
season of Golden Life, a crime thriller/family drama. In this role, he also assisted in the launch
of original production for HBO Europe in the Adria region.
36 | CineLink Project Development Workshop 2018
CineLink Team
Amra BAKŠIĆ ČAMO has produced numerous award-winning short films, videos, documen-
taries, television programmes and feature films, including Danis Tanović’s AN EPISODE IN THE
LIFE OF AN IRON PICKER, which won the Jury Grand Prix and the Silver Bear for Best Actor
at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2013, and his DEATH IN SARAJEVO, which won the
Silver Bear this year. Baksić Čamo is Head of the CineLink regional co-production market and
project development programme of the Sarajevo Film Festival. A member of the ACE and EAVE
networks and the EFA, she works at the Academy of Performing Arts in Sarajevo as a lecturer in
the production department.
Jovan MARJANOVIĆ has been involved in the Sarajevo Film Festival since 1999, first as a techni-
cian and programme coordinator and later as the CineLink manager. He is now on the festival’s
Executive Board as Head of Industry. Marjanović has produced a number of award-winning doc-
umentaries, shorts and feature films and consults for several international film institutions. He
was on the Board of Management of the Bosnian National Film Fund from 2011 and headed it
from 2014 to 2016. He has served as the National Representative of Bosnia and Herzegovina to
Eurimages since 2006. He holds an MSc from the Cass Business School in London, and teaches
Film Business at the Academy of Performing Arts in Sarajevo.
Armin HADŽIĆ is a CineLink Industry Coordinator. Finishing master degree in production at the
Academy of Performing Arts of the University of Sarajevo. Produced and coproduced short
films, TV Program, documentaries. Employed as producer at Marletti.
Maša MARKOVIĆ graduated from the Faculty of Arts of Charles University in Prague
(Aesthetics). Maša is a long-term team member of CineLink and she currently working as
CineLink Coordinator. She used to work at Institute of Documentary Film in Prague, coordinat-
ing Ex Oriente Film training programme, organizing meetings and matchmaking at When East
Meets West, Ties That Bind, East Doc Platform, Connecting Cottbus and others.
CineLink Project Development Workshop 2018 | 37
 Notes Notes

38 | CineLink Project Development Workshop 2018 CineLink Project Development Workshop 2018 | 39
CineLink workshop is supported by

CineLink Co-production Awards:

CineLink Drama Award:

CineLink Partners

CineLink Drama Partners