As a movie critic with decades of experience traversing the globe to attend film festivals and markets, I must say that this year’s Venice Production Bridge (VPB) has caught my attention like never before. With its focus on family bonds, ecological crises, and the resilience of humanity amidst war, it’s a breath of fresh air in today’s tumultuous world.
Among over 60 projects showcased at the Venice Production Bridge gap-financing market, starting August 29, the resilience of family ties in the face of environmental chaos and the impact of ongoing conflicts on human fears stand out as dominant themes.
To illustrate this pattern, Pascal Diot, head of the VPB (commonly referred to as the Lido’s indie film market), pointed out two films: “Blackwater” by Polish director and anthropologist Aga Woszczyńska, a story about two brothers and their partners who find themselves stranded on a Baltic sea island due to an ecological disaster; and “Cuba & Alaska,” a documentary by Yegor Troyanovsky, which chronicles the dangerous journeys of military paramedics from Cuba and Alaska as they aid in the war-torn regions of eastern Ukraine.
Any project displayed at the Venice Gap Financing Market needs to have at least 70% of its financing already secured.
Before the market’s launch, there was growing excitement surrounding various VPB productions such as “Blackwater” and the romantic comedy “No Good Men,” directed by Afghan filmmaker Shahrbanoo Sadat, which is set within a Kabul newsroom during the democratic era prior to the Taliban regaining control in 2021.
This year, Diot mentioned that the attendance, approximately 3,000 accredited individuals, is similar to the growing numbers expected for the 2023 VPB edition. As usual, most film executives traveling to the Lido are primarily from Europe and Latin America. There’s also a strong group of Asian attendees, given Japan’s focus this year. However, Chinese participation has decreased, potentially due to increased censorship restrictions. Saudi Arabia stands out among attendees from the Arab world. North American representation is minimal.
Once again this year, the VPB is organizing Ukrainian Day, an event that brings together producers looking for co-production partnerships amidst the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
For the first time, the VPB is focusing on indigenous cinema, with a panel named “The Emergence of the Polar Cinema Sector: Global Strategies, Collaboration, and Creativity in the Arctic Regions”. This panel will delve into funding approaches supported by the Arctic Indigenous Film Fund, the Sami Film Institute, and Canada’s Indigenous Screen Office.
“Diot mentioned that indigenous films are often overlooked at film festivals and markets,” he continued, expressing his intention to focus more on this area in the future.
The 11th edition of the Venice Production Bridge will run Aug. 29-Sept. 3
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2024-08-29 16:22