A CineLink Work in Progress project, Tamara Kotevska and Ljubomir Stefanov’s HONEYLAND represents one of the greatest documentary successes from the Balkan region, having won two awards from the Sundance Film Festival and receiving two Academy Award nominations – for Best International Feature Film and Best Documentary Feature. Atanas Georgiev, who produced and edited the film, discusses the road to the Oscars from a distribution and marketing perspective, and reflects as well on creative decision-making during post-production and storytelling.

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A career interview with Bobby Allen, senior vice president of content at MUBI, one of the fastest growing independent VOD platforms in the world, where he is responsible for all programming, content and editorial. He is also leading MUBI’s move into theatrical distribution and co-production. Before joining MUBI he was an independent film producer and the VP of sales and acquisition at Celluloid Dreams. 

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If gatekeeping starts with festivals and reviewers, how can we demand that selections understand intersectionality and a plurality of voices? BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of colour) film programmers and film reviewers are joining forces to support a shift of power, making sure their views are also on the table. Pivoting power, upholding new visions and punching centre stage to push for views of taste and quality beyond what is “allowed” by the current market, they work to reach wider and diverse audiences.

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A conversation among four female actors from the region will open onto many questions that are being discussed in the film industry today. What kind of films do we make? Are there enough women’s stories? Are there sufficient roles for women? How does exploitation, both in front of and behind the camera, manifest itself in the regional film industry?

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Can Europe face and catch up with real diversity? How can film and content creators push to dismantle Europe’s mainly white (and mainly male) stance? A panel with an anti-racist POV tackles our inherent racism and the challenges in our markets. An attempt to deliver a forward-thinking honest vision of our values for the future.

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Freedom of artistic expression and political correctness are often intertwined, not only in countries characterized by past trauma, as is the case of the countries of the former Yugoslavia; nevertheless, the complex relationship between them surpasses regional scope. As open dialogue is often limited by the level of freedom allowed by the given society and often ends up as an elitist or internet forum exercise in freedom of expression, authors often take on the role of self-censor. Does freedom of artistic expression start where political correctness ends, or do they need to co-exist to safeguard their primary tasks?

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An encounter with Veena Sud, iconic creator, showrunner and director (The Killing, Seven Seconds, The Stranger). Veena shares her experiences about surviving as an artist/woman of colour in the United States with its troubled and fraught history of race and immigration. Further topics include how the intersectionality of race, ethnicity and gender has shaped her work, and the dance BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of colour) artists do in an industry that has historically been and is now dominated by white male filmmakers and their gaze. Part presentation, part Q&A – submit your questions!

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Nowadays, with the glimmer of hope that the industry is reopening, how can we ensure that all segments of the business chain are supported equally? Are funding bodies going to push more money towards development, as demand for content will continue to grow? Or will the priority be to support those films that are trapped in production or post-production? What kind of support do the exhibition and festival sectors need most? What kind of practices have the regional film bodies in the former Yugoslavia adopted?

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The future of collaborations in content creation is a riddle only a few dare try to solve. The dance among producers, televisison commissioners, platforms and financiers is ahead of us. What’s at stake for OTT and TV, and what can each do to ensure a sustainable future for creators? Can we find a way to re-imagine this landscape through discussing what has worked and what seems a challenge?

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A masterclass presented by renowned German producer Henning Kamm on making Netflix’s Unorthodox. Kamm will discuss the inner workings of the show, and what it was like working with Netflix.

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A panel and a call to action. How can we maintain plurality and originality? Rejecting current unequal structures that inhibit access to audiences, where all rights deals don’t empower content creation, demands radical changes. Transparency, a fuller spectrum of voices, new distribution pathways.

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Content-consumption habits are changing drastically: the “whenever, wherever and on whatever terminal” dominates the viewer experience globally. Moreover, with the latest health crisis caused by COVID-19, an already disrupted film industry chain that operates on different release windows requires re-imagination and innovation. How has the global situation affected content providers in region of Former Yugoslavia?

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