From August 18 to August 20, 2023, the first BarCamp of Belarusian independent filmmakers will be held in Warsaw, Poland. Organized by the Belarusian Filmmakers Network (BFN), the event is aimed at “bringing the community together to work out a unified strategy for the development of the Belarusian cinema.”
Planned in the format of an “alternative conference,” the BarCamp welcomes all Belarusian filmmakers from different backgrounds and countries, write organisers. Participants will be able to suggest any topic for discussion, thus determining the program of the event, and to engage in any BarCamp activity they consider relevant, organisers add.
“Providing this unique opportunity, BFN encourages the participants to share knowledge with their peers and to seek support for their projects. The only requirement to join the BarCamp is their willingness to take an active part in the event’s sessions,” write organisers.
Accredited journalists, industry professionals from CEE, and representatives of international film organizations are expected to attend the event.
Leonid Kalitenya, Manager of BarCamp 2023, comments: “I hope that an anti-conference format that we’ve chosen will contribute to a special creative vibe. We consider it necessary to find the best possible working model for the community of Belarusian filmmakers. The results of a closed survey of 100+ Belarusian filmmakers show the shortage of networking opportunities. About 87 percent of the respondents would like to share their experiences with Belarusian colleagues, while nearly 95 percent lack communication with representatives of foreign film industries. So we provide this opportunity as a first step to shaping our film industry and expanding market access for Belarusian filmmakers.”
BFN will select up to 30 applicants from Belarus and other countries to provide feasible visa assistance, accommodation, and meals, and to cover travel costs. “In addition, the organizers count on the active participation of up to 30 more Belarusian filmmakers living in Warsaw, and the help of volunteers,” write organisers.
Belarusian Filmmakers’ Network
Belarusian Filmmakers’ Network (BFN) describes itself as “a collective project open to all Belarusian filmmakers, based on professional rather than political lines. BFN unites filmmakers from Belarus, including those who are currently living in exile in Lithuania, Ukraine, Poland, and other countries. BFN aims to put Belarusian cinema back on the European film industry’s map, doing that transparently and efficiently.”
BFN’s main areas of activity are:
- Production: fostering private and foreign investment, focus on European collaborations
- Education and promotion: long-term international educational projects, mobility in education, active festival presence
- Stylistic reinvention: a search for new, post-totalitarian stylistic approaches to replace outdated aesthetics.
- BFN strives to build the future of Belarusian cinema, focusing on horizontal networks as opposed to vertical hierarchies.
“BFN unites Belarusian filmmakers along professional rather than political lines,” the organisation stresses on its website. “BFN is a way for Belarusian cinema to become relevant and get noticed on a global scale.”
