Cinéfondation Atelier Opening

The Cinéfondation Atelier (Workshop) opened today. It was founded in 2005 by the Cannes Festival for the purpose of helping filmmakers get financing for their projects and complete them more rapidly. This year, the Cinéfondation selection is showcasing fifteen film projects, outstanding for their artistic quality, currently in production and partially financed. From May 16 to 23, directors from fourteen countries (Hungary, the US, Vietnam, Romania, etc.) will connect one-to-one, via the Atelier, with industry professionals interested in investing in quality films.

Gilles Jacob welcomed the directors and their producers to the fourth edition of the Atelier and saluted them in a champagne toast. Beyond the intent of finding financial backing to finish their projects, “I hope that your films will come to Cannes at some point and be including in one or another selection.”

Georges Goldenstern, the director of the Atelier since its creation in 2005 is responsible for choosing the projects and explained that by the time the directors arrive in Cannes for the Festival, they already have a number of appointments lined up. Last year alone, the invited directors collectively had 400 meetings. He further qualified the efficiency of this program with a few statistics. “From last year’s session, 10 of the 15 projects have already completed shooting and the other 5 are expected to begin shooting before October. As for 2006, 8 of the projects are completed and 7 are in preparation and expect to shoot before the end of the year. That means 100% success.”

Spotlight on Australian director Ben Hackworth, presenting the project Cure for the Serpents this year. He has been blessed with the Cannes stamp of approval three times: his final film completing his studies at Victorian College of Arts, Martin Four, was presented in the Cinefondation in 2001, he did a Cannes Residence program during 4 ½ months (2004-2005) to work on a script and is now in Cannes for the Atelier. His 2003 film Violet Lives Upstairs attracted significant funding from the Australian Film Commission and won the Australian Film Critics Circle award for Best Short Film. His first feature, Corroboree screened at the Toronto Festival in 2007 and at Berlin 2008.

“Cannes has been very nurturing I suppose; they have taken me through these three steps,” Ben related. “It’s very difficult for a filmmaker trying to do something different, against the grain of commercial cinema. When you have Festivals like Cannes or Berlin validating, I suppose that you should keep trying even if it’s an uphill struggle for the young directors… Sometimes I think difficult work doesn’t work in its own country straight away. It takes other countries to recognize it. I’ve been lucky.