| Foundation for professional training in cinema and audiovisual media | |
FOCAL: MEDIA RELEASEFirst successful international film workshop with the support of MEDIAIn collaboration with three partners – Erich Pommer Institute (Berlin), National Film and Television School (Beaconsfield, UK) and Norwegian Film Development (Oslo) – the national Foundation for Professional Training in Cinema and Audiovisual Media FOCAL organised the first international film workshop (January 27 – February 3, 2007) with the generous support of the European Union's programme to promote audiovisual media. The success of “Production Value", geared specifically toward line producers and assistant directors from all over Europe, clearly demonstrates the great demand for further training in this segment. "Here I met the talented people of the future," says Charles Paviot, production manager from France and participant in the workshop. "The best thing that could have happened to me," says Jiri Kacirek, who came to Yverdon from Prague to work along with Charles Paviot and six other colleagues on four European co-productions in order to increase his know-how and establish contact across borders. “Production Value is unique,” is the conclusion of Mathias Schwerbrock (Die Nacht singt ihre Lieder, Wolfsburg), a tutor from Berlin. He and his colleagues José Luis Escolar (Kingdom of Heaven, Perdita Durango), Marcel Just (Vitus, Mein Name ist Eugen) and Pascal Salafa (The Da Vinci Code, Joyeux Noël) passed on their expertise to the eight participants from eight different countries. “When does one have the chance to work with a colleague, especially one from another country?" asks production manager Gina Marsh. She has just screened her latest film at the Sundance Film Festival and is now returning to England with a wealth of ideas and the realisation that borders in Europe have indeed become more permeable. Swiss film director Denis Rabaglia (Azzurro, Grossesse nerveuse), the initiator of the workshop, has good reason to be satisfied. "We have discovered a major gap and plan to fill it in the future with the help of our partners. Europe needs co-productions and professionals capable of producing them." Due to the success of the programme and the great demand, “Production Value“ will be offered again in 2008. The application deadline is 31 October 2007 For more information on FOCAL Foundation and further training for professionals in the fields of film and audiovisual media in Switzerland and Europe, see: www.focal.ch Lausanne, 6 February 2007 For information on PRODUCTION VALUE (content, tutors and partners), see: www.focal.ch/prodvalue List of participants Contact |