The first collaboration between European Film Promotion and leading North American fest Sundance will take place during the upcoming event running January 28 – February 3. The alliance is designed to shine the spotlight on the high number of European films presented at the festival.
During the event, EFP’s virtual EUROPE! Hub will promote the European films/filmmakers to the industry, with a laser focus trained on North American distributors.
“We are so pleased to have found the perfect way to collaborate with this extremely important festival, especially in this challenging year,” comments EFP Managing Director Sonja Heinen. “Working closely with the Sundance team, we are hoping to raise the awareness and increase the visibility of European films and talent at the festival. We thank Sundance for their valuable co-operation, and look forward to an on-going and growing relationship in the future – all in support of European films, talent and spirit.”
The line-up of European productions in the World Cinema Documentary Competition comprises Flee by Jonas Poher Rasmussen (Denmark, France, Sweden, Norway), Misha and the Wolves by Sam Hobkinson (United Kingdom, Belgium), The Most Beautiful Boy in the World by Kristina Lindström and Kristian Petri (Sweden), President by Camilla Nielsson (Denmark, USA, Norway, Zimbabwe), Sabaya by Hogir Hirori (Sweden) and Taming the Garden by Salomé Jashi (Switzerland, Germany, Georgia).
On the fiction side of things, the European films and co-productions in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition are: Hiveby Blerta Basholli (Kosovo*, Switzerland, North Macedonia, Albania), Human Factors by Ronny Trocker (Germany, Italy, Denmark), Luzzu by Alex Camilleri (Malta), Pleasure by Ninja Thyberg (Sweden, The Netherlands, France), Prime Time by Jakub Piątek (Poland) and El Planeta by Amalia Ulman (USA, Spain).
Information highlighting the 12 European Competition titles, sales companies and the respective national film promotion institutes can be found online at Sundance’s EUROPE! Hub festival page. The Hub will also host a panel on co-producing between the US and Europe.
Film Sales Support (FSS), EFP’s financial tool which boosts the digital promotion campaigns of European sales companies, has awarded incentives towards the marketing of Human Factors (sold by Heretic Outreach), The Most Beautiful Boy In The World (sold by Films Boutique) and for the Swiss co-production Hive (represented by LevelK) where the support is provided by SWISS FILMS.
The virtual EUROPE! Hub at Sundance is backed by the Creative Europe – MEDIA Programme of the European Union and participating national film promotion institutes, EFP’s member organisations: British Council, Danish Film Institute, German Films, Kosovo Cinematography Center, Polish Film Institute, Swedish Film Institute and Swiss Films.
* “This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.”
