ERASMUS +
In 2019 Malta Film Foundation expanded its programme adding youth exchanges opportunities organised as part of ERASMUS +.
ERASMUS + is a European Union’s program providing training and education across Europe. The Youth Exchange sector is focused on fulfilling a gap in education, providing skills share opportunity and giving experience in collaborating with young people from around Europe.
As a result of collaboration with a Polish association FILMFORUM, young filmmakers from Malta had the opportunity to participate in an exchange in Warsaw and Sokołowsko in Poland.
24 FEBRUARY – 01 MARCH 2020; SOKOŁOWSKO, POLAND
ISTA LAB
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"ViSTa Lab
Summary of international workshops for young screenwriters.
The ViSTa Lab - Visual Story Talent Lab took place from February 24 - March 1, 2020 in Sokołowsko. Young people from five countries: Ukraine, Poland, France, Italy and Malta, spent an intensive week in the artistically inspiring and culturally unique region of Lower Silesia.
The main goal of ViSTa Lab Academy was the international exchange of experiences between young adepts of film art, in particular scriptwriters and directors. The exchange of experiences between peers is the essence of an organized event.
Participants had the opportunity to consult their ideas with experienced filmmakers, among whom were the internationally awarded: Alexandru Baciu (screenwriter), Rafael Lewandowski (director and screenwriter) and film critic, screenwriter consultant and coordinator of ViSTa Lab Michał Oleszczyk.
As Michał Oleszczyk says: "The idea for ViSTa Lab was born from my contacts from the Krzysztof Kieślowski Archive in Sokołowsko. The archive and the spirit of Kieślowski in the place where he grew up and watched the first films are unique. This year's workshop proved that Sokołowsko is a great place to creative exchange between young people with a passion for cinema from different parts of the world. "
The workshop program was focused around Kieslowski's work. Young filmmakers had the opportunity to get to know his artistic achievements, his perspective and understand what kind of problems he was interested in his movies. There is a reason for a screening in the iconic 'Zdrowie' cinema, or a visit to the Krzysztof Kieślowski Archive of Creative Arts, which is still being expanded by the 'In Situ' Foundation.
Participants of the event emphasized many times that Sokołowsko is an original and inspiring place - spending a week in one of the valleys in the Sudeten mountains proved to be a rich and worth repeating experience.
The result of the work of ViSTa Lab participants are 42 script projects for documentary and feature short and full-length movies. During the official pitching summarizing the implementation of the workshop participants presented their stories to a group of experts from the film industry. The project evaluation committee is: Alexandru Baciu(screenwriter - Romania), Joyce Grech (expert of Malta Film Foundation - Malta), Diana Dąbrowska (film journalist - Poland), Rafael Lewandowski (director and screenwriter - Poland / France), Laura Abbaleo ( specialist of promotional film campaigns - Italy), Marek Pawlikowski (film producer - France) and Karim Kourani (director and screenwriter - France). The work of the commission was chaired by Michał Oleszczyk.
The project was organized by the FILMFORUM Association (Poland), and co-organized by: KINOGRAPHE (France), Associazione Cinematografica e Culturale LABORATORIO DEI SOGNI (Italy), CINEMAHALL (Ukraine) and the Malta Film Foundation(Malta). The main partner of the project was the IN SITU Contemporary Art Foundation (Poland).
The "Visual Story Talent Lab - ViSTa Lab" was financed by the European Union Program ERASMUS +. " (note from the Organizers)
Presentation of the work done during the project:
Photos: Paweł Arczewski / Marcel Positive Art
4 -10 NOVEMBER 2019; WARSAW, POLAND
NTERFILMLAB 3.0
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The third edition of the Interfilm Lab, took on the form of several seminars and workshops with the aim of educating youth from Italy, Malta, Poland and Ukraine, on the field of film distribution throughout European markets from Italy, Malta, Poland and Ukraine. The week long project mainly focused on the use of 3rd generation channels such as Video on Demand platforms.
Throughout the project all participants were able to share ideas and work in groups to form a detailed distribution outline strategy for their film creation. The aim was to emphasise the implementation of national, regional and co-funding opportunities.
The week came to an end with each team pitching their storyline along with an effective distribution strategy to a panel of judges.
Photos: Heba Shibani