One of our top festivals open for submissions on FFL, Filmfest Dresden, recently just wrapped with its prize-giving ceremony. To celebrate, we’ll be taking a look at some of the filmmakers that won accolades as part of our new “Stars of Dresden” series. That’s what we call a German splash. After premiering his short GABI at the Berlinale, […]
Berlinale
Meet Rinio Dragasaki
The ancient land has been the inspiration for filmmakers for centuries, but it’s the current Greek political situation that’s firing up FFL filmmaker Rinio Dragasaki. She’s working on her first feature film after a great short film festival career. Here’s her story. As a Greek short filmmaker, she had a great festival run with her film “Proavlio […]
Film Festival History in Top 6 Major Historical Events
The film festival history and its twisty-turny past are filled with notable incidents and tie in with some of the most integral political and historical events of the last century. We’ve dived into this melange, to give you a crash-course in the film festival history, the lifeblood of FilmFestivalLife. Here’s our essential six major events you should […]
Sydney Film Festival On The Berlinale, The Netflix Impact and How To Get Selected
We met Jenny Neighbour at the European Film Market in Berlin to find more about what kind of films the festival is looking for and what filmmakers can do to increase their chances of selection before submitting. There’s more. Hold tight for her thoughts on the 66th Berlinale and the impact of Netflix on the Australian film festival scene too… […]
Meet David Jansen, director of DÄWIT
An interview with David Jansen telling us the journey of DÄWIT, from the Berlinale to the FFL Agency. It’s been almost one year since DÄWIT premiered in the Berlinale Shorts. What a way to start! Since then it’s been onwards and upwards for the animated short, directed by David Jansen, which has screened in festivals as diverse as […]
Meet syrian filmmaker Jalal Maghout
Is Berlin the perfect place for foreign filmmakers to create their art? It’s certainly that way for Jalal Maghout, a FilmFestivalLife filmmaker from Syria who currently resides in the German Hauptstadt. Jalal Maghout discusses with us about his animated documentary SULEIMA and his film festival career. Working in the narrow genre of animated documentary, his […]
How to Master Your Crowdfunding Campaign with Indiegogo’s Head of Film UK Miranda Fleming
Crowfunding platforms have changed the game of film funding. The possibility to go online and ask your friends and followers for money has revolutionized the process of film financing. So far, in America, it’s been arguably more forward thinking than in Europe. Even well-known American directors such as Zach Baff and Spike Lee raised considerable money with a crowdfunding campaign […]
Australia has a strong culture of cinema going’ Sydney Film Festival on Australian cinema, Documentary Filmmaking and the Importance of Festivals
With the Dendy Award and the Yoram Gross Animation Award, the 62th Sydney Film Festival has two awards that can bring your short film to the Oscar party. As an Academy-qualifying festival with an 156,000-strong audience, the Australian festival is a FFL partner festival you shouldn’t miss out on. Last year we met Festival Director […]
Meet Gabriele Urbonaite, Director of THE SWIMMER
The Berlinale is great for many things, but one of the most worthwhile arms of the festival is the Berlinale Talents. We had a chat with some of the participants this year, including Gabriele Urbonaite, a FilmFestivalLife writer-director, who is in Berlin to develop her thesis film at the Short Film Station. A short filmmaker with a penchant […]
Meet Réka Bucsi, from SUNDANCE to OSCAR shortlist
SYMPHONY NO. 42 sends you on an unexpected surreal and emotional journey. Réka Bucsi‘s graduation film from the MOME (Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design) has definitely left a mark on the festival circuit. After premiering at the Berlinale last year, the unconventional animation begun a long festival run and it looks like it will not […]
Interview with FFL Member Petros Silvestros, Director of ‘MIKE’
Mike has to give up his Saturday plans to take his younger brother Jack to get a haircut. Instead of going with him, he decides to wait in the car, still trying to make the most of his afternoon. As minutes go by and night begins to fall, Mike starts to worry. Why is Jack […]
6 Tips for Filmmakers from Edmonton International Film Festival
To show the power of film is one of the mantras of the Edmonton International Film Festival. Festival Producer Kerrie Long is all about that. With her energetic vision the festival has grown over the last few years to an event not to be missed. For its 28th edition, Alberta’s longest running international film festival […]
5 Tips for Emerging Filmmakers from FEST – New Directors|New Films Festival
‘Filmmakers, don‘t submit only to the festivals: go to the festivals!‘ Filipe Pereira, Festival Director of the 10th FEST – New Directors|New Films Festival, knows what is important for upcoming filmmakers. They need to build a network, therefore filmmakers need to attend festivals. With the panels and workshops that make up FEST’s Training Ground, networking […]
3 Big Reasons for choosing the Australian Film Market and SYDNEY FILM FESTIVAL
Even though it is in its 61st year, the Sydney Film Festival is still far away from being an old lady. From an online archive to the HUB – the festival exhibits a youthful vibe and energetic appearance. Nashen Moodley, Sydney’s Festival Director, personifies the festival spirit. We met him for a coffee at the […]
ACHTUNG BERLIN Opens For 2013: Filmmakers Vocalize Local
Achtung Berlin’s 2013 festival opening was our local to-do last night, screening Aron Lehmann’s wildly entertaining Kohlhaas oder die Verhältnismässigkeit der Mittel at Kino International. While ‘local’ is the frequented word here, my position is closer to the ongoing conversation between local versus international, intimate versus immensely-boast-able and which of the extremes filmmakers should ground themselves in […]