Jul 11, 2019
Berlinale World Cinema Fund: Funding Recommendations for Projects from Argentina, Ecuador, Thailand, the Philippines, Colombia, Nigeria, South Africa, Senegal and Brazil

At the 30th jury session of the Berlinale World Cinema Fund (WCF), the juries recommended contributing to the funding of 13 film projects.

Four film projects - from Argentina, Ecuador and the Philippines - have been proposed for production funding. Within the framework of the additional funding programme, WCF Europe, three recommendations were also announced for the production of projects from Thailand, Colombia and Brazil. For the special programme WCF Africa, two more projects have been recommended for funding: one from Senegal and one from Nigeria and South Africa.

Four recommendations were made for distribution funding. The South African film The Harvesters by Etienne Kallos will receive WCF Europe distribution funding for the release in South Africa, Poland and France.

La familia sumergida by María Alche (Argentina), No Date no Signature by Vahid Jalilvand (Iran) and La Flor by Mariano Llinás (Argentina) will receive WCF distribution funding for a German release.

Among the funding recommendations are six projects by Berlinale Talents alumni.

Since its establishment in October 2004, the WCF has awarded production and distribution funding to a total of 222 projects chosen from 3,793 submissions from Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, Central and Southeast Asia, the Caucasus, as well as from the countries Mongolia, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. All WCF-funded films produced to date have screened in cinemas and/or the programmes of renowned international film festivals, and are evidence of the initiative’s worldwide success.

Production and Distribution Funding

The WCF jury made their selection based on 199 submissions from a total of 62 countries. Their funding recommendations amount to 386,400 €. The jury members are curator Anna Hoffmann (Germany), documentary producer Marta Andreu (Spain), producer Roman Paul (Germany), and Vincenzo Bugno, head of the WCF.

For WCF Africa, they are joined by the additional jurors Alex Moussa Sawadogo (Burkina Faso), a producer, the festival director of Afrikamera and artistic director of Ouaga Film Lab; and Dorothee Wenner (Germany), the Berlinale delegate to Sub-Saharan Africa.

Production Funding WCF

Eureka, director: Lisandro Alonso (Argentina). Production: 4L (Argentina) and Komplizen Film (Germany). Feature film. Funding: 50,000 €

Octopus Skin, director: Ana Cristina Barragán (Ecuador). Production: Caleidoscopio Cine (Ecuador) and unafilm (Germany). Feature film. Funding: 40,000 €
Director Ana Cristina Barragán participated in Berlinale Talents in 2018.

Las mil y una, director: Clarisa Navas (Argentina). Production: Varsovia Film (Argentina) and Autentika Films (Germany). Feature film. Funding: 30,000 €

Aswang, director: Alyx Ayn Arumpac (Philippines). Production: Cinematografica Films (Philippines). Documentary. Funding: 37,000 €
Director Alyx Ayn Arumpac participated in Berlinale Talents in 2017.

WCF Europe

Royal Court, director: Julia da Simone (Brazil). Production: Anavilhana (Brazil) and Uma pedra no sapato (Portugal). Feature film. Funding: 30,000 €

Anatomy of Time, director: Jakrawal Nilthamrong (Thailand). Production: Diversion (Thailand). Feature film. Funding: 40,000 €
Director Jakrawal Nilthamrong participated in Berlinale Talents in 2008.

La Jauría, director: Andrés Ramírez Pulido (Colombia). Production: Valiente Gracia (Colombia) and Alta Rocca Films (France). Feature film. Funding: 30,000 €
Director Andrés Ramírez Pulido participated in Berlinale Talents in 2017.

WCF Africa

The Legend of the Vagabond Queen of Lagos, director: Elijah Segun (Nigeria) and James Tyler (South Africa). Production: Slume Dwellers International (South Africa). Feature film. Funding: 40,000 €

Tribunal du Fleuve, director: Alassane Diago (Senegal). Production: Karokinka (Senegal) and maja.de (Germany). Documentary. Funding: 40,000 €

Distribution Funding WCF

La Flor, director: Mariano Llinás (Argentina). Distribution: Grandfilm (Germany). Feature film. Funding: 9,000 €. German release date: July 25, 2019

La familia sumergida, director: María Alche (Argentina). Distribution: Cine Global (Germany). Feature film. Funding: 6,000 €. German release date: August 1, 2019
Director María Alche participated in Berlinale Talents in 2015.

No Date no Signature, director: Vahid Jalilvand (Iran). Distribution: Farbfilm Verleih (Germany). Feature film. Funding: 8,000 €. German release date: June 20, 2019

Distribution Funding WCF Europe

The Harvesters, director: Etienne Kallos (South Africa). Distribution: Pyramide Distribution (France), Velvet Spoon (Poland), and Indigenous Films (South Africa). Feature film. Funding: 26,400 €
Director Etienne Kallos participated in Berlinale Talents in 2010 and 2014.

The World Cinema Fund is an initiative of the German Federal Cultural Foundation and the Berlin International Film Festival, in cooperation with the German Federal Foreign Office, with further support by the Goethe-Institut.

The special WCF Europe programme was launched with the support of the European Commission’s Creative Europe MEDIA programme. Thanks to additional funding from the German Federal Foreign Office, the special programme WCF Africa was started in 2016.

Press Office
July 11, 2019