New Cooperation
19 June 2024
As an extension to the international programme for emerging filmmakers, FILMFEST HAMBURG ATELIER in cooperation with Semaine de la Critique, which was successfully launched in 2022, the festival will now be adding an ENCOURAGE Film Talents Industry Day to its activities for young filmmakers. Following the highly acclaimed launch of ENCOURAGE Film Talents at this year’s Berlinale, the new D/A/CH platform for up-and-coming filmmakers will host a highly multifaceted programme on 1 October, 2024 as part of FILMFEST HAMBURG INDUSTRY DAYS.
The ENCOURAGE Film Talents Industry Day in Hamburg will focus on networking, career development and strengthening the voices of a new generation of filmmakers. Various events and formats will be offered to discuss important topics for talented filmmakers, network events will encourage new collaborations and new project ideas will be presented to the industry in a pitching session.
“By expanding our FILMFEST HAMBURG ATELIER to include the ENCOURAGE Film Talents Industry Day, we are adding another milestone to our strategy of empowering the next generation of our local industry with knowledge, inspiration and courage on their path to the future. Our aim is to create lasting connections between Germany’s most promising film talents and to build a joint future characterised by collaboration, innovation and peer support. The ENCOURAGE Film Talents Day is just the beginning of a long-term commitment to enriching young German film talent with an international exchange and strengthening its creative development. As a cosmopolitan city, Hamburg offers the perfect location where national and international perspectives have always come together,” says Festival Director Malika Rabahallah.
With financial support from MOIN Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein and in cooperation with ENCOURAGE Film Talents, an initiative led by Elli Leeb, Sinje Irslinger and Clemens Meyer, FILMFEST HAMBURG aims to offer a day full of inspiration, networking and creative exchange for up-and-coming German filmmakers and set the course for the future.
“Following the successful launch of ENCOURAGE Film Talents at the 2024 Berlinale, we are delighted to be able to establish a new forum for up-and-coming filmmakers as part of the 32nd edition of FILMFEST HAMBURG. Hamburg, as the second largest and most diverse metropolis in Germany with a long film, TV and media tradition, will take our plan to network the new generation of filmmakers in German-speaking countries and beyond a big step forward,” say Elli Leeb, Sinje Irslinger and Clemens Meyer from ENCOURAGE Film Talents.
Helge Albers, Managing Director of MOIN Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein states: “With ENCOURAGE, FILMFEST HAMBURG offers up-and-coming filmmakers in the north a unique opportunity to make contact with young filmmakers from Germany, Austria and Switzerland. In hardly any other industry is it so important to build up a network and engage in creative dialogue right from the start. The result will be stronger stories and productions that are created as a team and thus depict a wealth of realities of life. Hamburg will once again live up to its reputation as a gateway to the world. And FILMFEST HAMBURG lays an immensely important foundation for the cinema of tomorrow.”
More information about the full programme will follow in the coming months. The Call for Entries for pitch submissions will start on 19 June, 2024 and be open until 15 July, 2024.
The ENCOURAGE Film Talents Day is part of FILMFEST HAMBURG INDUSTRY DAYS which will kick off on 30 September, 2024 with the fifth Explorer Conference on the topic of “Risk & Reward” and offer a varied programme for the industry until 3 October.
FILMFEST HAMBURG will take place from 26 September to 5 October, 2024. Over 120 productions from all over the world will be shown as world, European, German or Hamburg premieres. The festival cinemas are the Abaton, CinemaxX Dammtor, Metropolis, Passage and Studio-Kino.
