The 2nd European Women´s Audiovisual Network (EWA) scriptwriter residency programme is a great initiative dedicated to supporting the next generation of screenwriting talents among EWA members, and helping them enter the industry by working the strategic positioning of the project with the best script possible. Its purpose is offering to one selected woman scriptwriter or director the possibility to be mentored by a script consultant, to work with her before Berlinale and to have the opportunity to attend the EFM at the Berlinale 2018 to make connections.

A commitee of three industry experts will select the best project among those received.

The Offer: travel costs from and to Berlin. accommodation in a private room + access to a kitchen in Berlin starting from 22 January 2018 – and ending 22 February 2018, including four working sessions with a well-known script consultant (3 in Berlin + 1 Skype session after the Berlinale) and accreditation for the Berlinale.

Suzanne Pradel is the script consultant attached to the programme.

Suzanne is an international script consultant, lecturer and bookscout. For many years, she has been working as a script expert for Eurimages and MEDIA Programme. In 2009 she founded the BUCHSCOUT AGENCY which specializes in novel-to-film adaptations as well as international script consultancy, developing sophisticated TV features and cinematic features

 

Find more detailed information here: http://www.ewawomen.com/en/news/apply-for-ewa-s-2nd-scriptwriter-residency-in-berlin-.html

Which concrete measures are most effective to dismantle the glass-ceiling and to advance gender equality? 

On May 10, 2017, an interesting line-up of panelists presented at the Hertie School of Governance collected data on gender equality and explained which measures have been already put into practice on an European level and which still need to be realized .

For the European audiovisual sector, the European Women’s Audiovisual Network´s (EWA) recommendations for a number of actions that would allow to fill the gap between women and men were presented by Suzanne Pradel:

• Introducing the notion of “gender of a film project”
• Attributing additional points/incentives wherever the project is to be considered a female driven project
• Attributing additional points/incentives when the project is directed by a women
• Introducing a gender related data collection in the application system to national and international funds and in the reporting of fined projects (festival, training, distributed films, participation in markets).
• Introducing a preference for projects including initiatives enhancing female driven content (festivals, promotion of works online, access to markets, film education)
• Supporting training and other measures (mentoring, networking, etc) aimed at making women careers in the audiovisual sector sustainable
• Introducing the support to European networks of individuals who work in the audiovisual sector in a non-profit-making capacity and having among heir goals gender equality.

Panelists:

Eva Fehringer is Deputy Head of Unit of the International and European Labour Law and Social Policy Department at the Austrian Federal Ministry for Social Affairs. She also chairs the Gender Equality Commission at the Council of Europe.

Lisa Jordan is a senior philanthropic executive with a twenty-year career focused on social justice, impact, and systemic change. She currently serves the Porticus Foundation as Senior Director for Strategy and Learning overseeing the development of programme and impact.

Suzanne Pradel is an international script consultant, creative content producer, lecturer for script development, and bookscout. In 2009, she founded the BuchScout Agency which develops sophisticated TV and cinematic features. She is a member of the European Women’s Audiovisual Network.

Els van der Plas is General Director of the Dutch National Opera & Ballet. In 1988, she founded the Gate Foundation to encourage intercultural exchange in the field of modern and contemporary visual art. She is currently a member of the Supervisory Board of Writers Unlimited in the Hague.

Moderation:

Charles Landry is an authority on the use of imagination and creativity in urban change. His concept of the Creative City focusses on how cities can create the enabling conditions for people to think and act with imagination to solve problems and develop opportunities.

Rethinking the role of women in cultural and media professions: A European comparison

Despite mainstreaming efforts by the European Union and the Council of Europe, gender inequality persists for women in all areas of the economy. In the culture and media sector, the pay and pension gaps are even worse than in other fields. There is also a significant under-representation of women among the leading positions, in boardrooms, and as recipients of awards. While there is widespread consensus that raising awareness does help to dismantle the glass ceiling, which concrete measures are most effective? What can we learn from our European neighbours? The results of this discussion will contribute to a research project currently being conducted at the Hertie School’s Centre for Cultural Policy.

Introduction:

Helmut K. Anheier is President of the Hertie School of Governance and Professor of Sociology. He is the Director of the Hertie School’s Centre for Cultural Policy and Head of the research project Women in culture and media.

Panelists:

Eva Fehringer is Deputy Head of Unit of the International and European Labour Law and Social Policy Department at the Austrian Federal Ministry for Social Affairs. She also chairs the Gender Equality Commission at the Council of Europe.

Lisa Jordan is a senior philanthropic executive with a twenty-year career focused on social justice, impact, and systemic change. She currently serves the Porticus Foundation as Senior Director for Strategy and Learning overseeing the development of programme and impact.

Suzanne Pradel is an international script consultant, creative content producer, lecturer for script development, and bookscout. In 2009, she founded the BuchScout Agency which develops sophisticated TV and cinematic features. She is a member of the European Women’s Audiovisual Network.

Els van der Plas is General Director of the Dutch National Opera & Ballet. In 1988, she founded the Gate Foundation to encourage intercultural exchange in the field of modern and contemporary visual art. She is currently a member of the Supervisory Board of Writers Unlimited in the Hague.

Moderation:

Charles Landry is an authority on the use of imagination and creativity in urban change. His concept of the Creative City focusses on how cities can create the enabling conditions for people to think and act with imagination to solve problems and develop opportunities.
In partnership with the Commission for Culture and Media in the Federal Chancellery.

https://newsletter.hertie-school.org/newsletter.php?t=4de325d4a4245713a5e945fb5f96cbdf&h=379e32740d9307d9e46109cae5b2387b&nl=90d618b828d4cc03018f9074b2b5aef2

Belgrade Fast Forward: Women in Film Best Pitch Award
The Winner is the project „Fortnight“.

I had the honor to hand out the prize of €4000.- to Aga Woszczynska and Agnieszka Wasiak on March 4th, 2017 in Belgrade.

 

 

 

Writers: Aga Woszczynska, Piotr Litwin
Director: Aga Woszczynska
Producer: Agnieszka Wasiak
Co-producer: Films De Force Majeure (FR),
Kinoproduzioni (IT)
Production Company: Lava Films

SYNOPSIS
Anna and Adam, young married couple from Poland, spend a fortnight in Southern Italy. At the beginning of their stay, an accident happens. A man dies in front of their eyes. They observe the tragic accident but they don’t offer help, they remain passive. Anna and Adam continue their stay in total denial. Yet, for how long can they go without remorse? Slowly, they start to lose control over their lives. Feeling of guilt, at first rejected and subconscious begins to reign over their seemingly stable relationship

The Serbian FEST Forward is dedicated to projects in development, both fiction and documentary,  in two separate sections which will take place on:

Saturday, 4th of March
10:00 – 12:00 Fest Forward – Women in Film Pitch Yugoslav Cinematheque – Big Cinema Hall
12:00 – 14:00 Fest Forward Pitch – National Selection Yugoslav Cinematheque – Big Cinema Hall

The jury for the section Women in Film will be the Serbian actress Mirjana Karanovic, the Bosnian producer Amra Baksic Camo and Suzanne Pradel.

The winner of the first female scriptwriter residency program of the European Women´s Audiovisual Network (EWA) is at the Berlinale market.

The EWA scriptwriter residency programme is a great initiative dedicated to supporting the female screenwriting talents among EWA members, and helping them enter the industry with the best script possible.

The winner Murielle Thierrin gets financial consulting by EWA´s director Alessia Sonaglioni, script consultancy by the script consultant Suzanne Pradel  and profits from match-meetings with producers at the European Film Market of the Berlinale.

It will be my pleasure to work with one of the three finalists for the Scriptwriter Residency Programme in Berlin by the European Women´s Audiovisual Network (EWA).

 

 

 

 

“Sugarcane Flower” written by Murielle Thierrin and Fabrice Pierre

An amazing love story

Logline: When a young single mother’s fight for emancipation gives birth to a jazz musical masterpiece. A period drama that takes place in 1928 in Barbados.

Screenwriter and producer, Murielle Thierrin studied management and finance in Paris, then scriptw
riting at the University of California (UCLA).Back in France, she created her own production company, ALDABRA Films.

“Bat & the Kid” written by Claire Leona

A funny and speedy comedy

Logline: Famous film director, Bat, and her fifteen year old lead actor’s relationship falls prey to vicious social media rumours and places her life, her husband and friends in emotional turmoil.

Claire Leona Apps‘ mother is Canadian and her father is English, however she was raised in Hong Kong and Indonesia. She relocated to Britain, where she graduated in Pure Mathematics at Imperial College before completing an MA at the London Film School, graduating as a director.

“Four Hands” written by Laetitia Mikles

An inspiring biopic

Logline: Helen (20) has a dream. She wants to go to university, get a diploma, become a writer and defend her political ideas. But Helen is blind. And deaf.

is a director, a scriptwriter and a film critic. After her studies in sociology and in documentary filmmaking, she shot documentaries of creation.

Dear partners, friends and colleagues,

A turbulent year comes to a close.

Since January 2016 Silke Hoffmann is supporting our team to scan the book market for interesting novels to adopt.

Suzanne Pradel has dramaturgically accompanied the development of a multitude of projects from which a few have been presented to the audience this year.

How we can shape a better future by knowing our history? This question was the center of the documentary about the work and life of Dr. Gerda Lerner „WHY WOMEN NEED TO CLIMB MOUNTAINS“ by Renata Keller.The film was well-received by its audiences from Berlin to Hamburg, London, Paris and Melbourne, consequently sparking lively discussions.
The English version will be soon available. View the trailer: http://www.womenneedtoclimbmountains.com/trailer/#.WF1xpbzhViA

The international coproduction „GALLOPING MIND“ by the Belgian director Wim Vandekeybus and produced by Bart Van Langendonck (Savage Film) travels this year to the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Filmfestival Cottbus and the Cairo International Film Festival.
View the trailer:http://www.gallopingmind.com

The non-fiction book „TO UNDERSTAND LIFE“ by the bestselling author and philosopher Wilhelm Schmid traces important questions about life, which have been the result of ten years of conversations with patients and doctors in a Swiss hospital.

BuchScout is delighted that the studio-musical „A MAN AND A PIANO“ by Árpád Bondy will have its premiere at the Theater Pforzheim.

Also for 2017 we have a multitude of projects in the pipeline. Thus it stays exciting.

BuchScout wants to wish you merry Christmas and countless happy moments for the New Year! We’d like to thank you for the fruitful collaborations this year and we’re looking forward to launching new, fascinating projects with you in 2017.

Your BuchScout Team

The fabulous documentary “Why Women Need To Climb Mountains” about the life of Dr. Gerda Lerner will be premiered at 18:00 – 21:00 AEDT at Palace Cinema Como, Torah Road, South Yarra, VIC 314 in Australia.

The evening and documentary will be introduced by Karen Downes, it has been produced and directed by Renata Keller and tells the story of Gerda Lerner’s contribution to women’s history and freedom and her profound message and example that needs to be passed on. Women need to progress and continue to work on self-authoring their lives. Gerda Lerner’s heroic attitude to overcoming obstacles symbolizes the strength
and power that lies within each woman. There is more to understand about the significance of her work and it is important that the next generations learn not only from her theoretical analysis of women’s history but also from her full-hearted and unrelenting spirit in making social change happen, by also rewriting history where women have been left out of the narrative. The film will challenge the audience to think about our collective future and will give a powerful message about the evolution of human dignity. We will complete the evening with a Q & A session.

English trailer:http://www.womenneedtoclimbmountains.com/trailer/#.V6ufMGMTLdk