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MIDPOINT Feature Launch 2024

Features
Now Running

A professional script- and project-development program for creative teams and aspiring script consultants who believe in the importance of teamwork.

 

Projects

Nine promising feature film projects

Participating projects are divided into 3 groups of 3, and development within each group is overseen by both a group leader and a script-consultant trainee.

Antonie

When Anton, an eternal slacker and the father of 3-year old Antonie, gets fired from his job at the supermarket, his girlfriend Soňa decides to go to France to earn money for the family as a pole ...
Project detail

Klara Is Here

Klára and Péter are retirees, who have been married for 50 years. Klára has been suffering from dementia for a long time and Péter takes care of her devotedly. However, the constant care takes a ...
Project detail

Eli and Them

Sheltered Eli (17) is sent to spend the summer at her sister Karo's (34) rural farm, supposed to be preparing for her exams. As Karo is too preoccupied with running the farm, Eli gains an unexpected ...
Project detail

Grammatik

Chinese artist QING (25) has been hanging around Hamburg for two years on a language student visa. Now he faces deportation by the German authorities for poor performance in his German class. Syrian ...
MIDPOINT participants: Popo FanJulia CollenPopo Fan
Project detail

Horses

Miro (40) is nearing the end of his prison sentence. He spends his free weekends with his children from a previous relationship, David (13) and Mia (8), attempting to embark on a fresh start to ...
Project detail

Pushback

Klára and Péter are retirees, who have been married for 50 years. Klára has been suffering from dementia for a long time and Péter takes care of her devotedly. However, the constant care takes a ...
Project detail

Sunbruise

A frivolous 18-year-old boy in a small village in Crete, George, prepares for the start of his compulsory military service, while his white ball python starts shedding its skin. Meanwhile, a ...
Project detail

The Art of Biting Your Tongue

Ruta (31), an Amsterdam-based Latvian movement artist, is invited to work together with Andra (75), the leader of the children folk-dance ensemble Ruta used to attend. Creating a choreography for ...
Project detail

Anxiety of the Heart

Tymek, a wild-at-heart 17-year-old, suffers from an episode of self-harm, but pretends it was a funny accident. He doesn’t confess the truth neither to his loveless parents nor to the posh ...
Project detail

Participants

The next generation of European film professionals

Script Consultant Trainees

Tutors

Inspirational professionals with a passion for sharing their experience

To ensure the most comprehensive approach to training, Feature Launch works with established and respected names from all over the European industry.

Producer Mentor

The Producer Mentor oversees the development of all projects, advises them during the process regarding production and budgetary issues, and guides them through the European industry landscape.

Danijel Hocevar
Slovenia  
Film producer and CEO of Vertigo, a Ljubljana (Slovenia)-based production company with a distinctive track record and ...
Complete bio

Group Leaders

The Group Leaders oversee the development of projects in their group from the very beginning of the program through graduation. They also coach the script-consultant trainee assigned to their group.

Anne Gensior
Germany  
Anne Gensior works as an international script consultant for feature films and documentaries and as a script reader and ...
Complete bio
Pavel Jech
Czech Republic  
Pavel Jech co-founded MIDPOINT in 2010 and has been active ever since as a group leader and speaker in its various ...
Complete bio
Ivo Trajkov
Czech Republic / North Macedonia  
Ivo Trajkov is a director, producer, film editor, screenwriter and story editor. He was born in Skopje, Macedonia and ...
Complete bio

Script-consultant Trainee Mentor

The Script-consultant Trainee Mentor co-creates the training for the script-consultant trainees, ensuring that this training is implemented organically into the group work and that the collaborative set-up simulates a real-life industry environment. He meets regularly with the trainees, providing feedback and support.

Gyula Gazdag
United States  
Gyula Gazdag is a director of film, theatre, and television productions. He has served as the Artistic Director of the ...
Complete bio

Pitching Tutor

The Pitching Tutor prepares participants to present themselves and their projects, in general and for the final pitching session of the program.

Gabriele Brunnenmeyer
Germany  
Complete bio

Producer Tutor

Katarina Tomkova ensures each team develops effective promotional materials and positions their project in an international context.

Katarina Tomkova
Slovakia  
Complete bio

Guest Tutors

These established professionals are usually present at at least one of the workshops to share their expertise.

Marija Dimitrova
North Macedonia  
Complete bio
Pavla Janouskova Kubeckova
Czech Republic  
Complete bio
Franz Rodenkirchen
Germany  
Complete bio
Marietta von Hausswolff von Baumgarten
Sweden  
Complete bio
Marcin Luczaj
Poland  
Complete bio
Christina Pelekani
Greece  
Complete bio

Experts

Paolo Ciccarelli
Italy  
Complete bio
Arnaud Gourmelen
 
Complete bio
Christina Tynkevych
Ukraine  
Complete bio

Company Time Tutor

Juliane Schulze leads the follow-up workshop for producer participants, mentoring them in company sustainability and strategic business planning.

Juliane Schulze
Germany  
Complete bio

Structure

Comprehensive program combining various formats

  • Teams with project
    Online Feedback Session
    January 8-12, 2024 | online

    From all applications, the reading committee will select approximately 20 projects whose creative teams will receive a detailed online assessment from experienced professionals (script consultant and producer). After this session, the final 9 projects will be selected for the MIDPOINT Feature Launch program.

  • Script-consultant trainees
    Online Preparatory Seminar for Script Consultant Trainees
    February 25-26, 2024 | online

    Online seminar exclusively for 3 selected script consultant trainees that will prepare them for further work with Feature Launch projects alongside the group leaders.

  • All Participants
    Workshop 1 
    March 3-10, 2024 | Brno, Czech Republic
    TEAMS WITH PROJECTS

    This workshop focuses primarily on creative development and dramaturgy while also introducing greater knowledge about other aspects of the industry, such as financing and market positioning.

    SCRIPT-CONSULTANT TRAINEES

    Each trainee is assigned to one of the three groups, and works closely with the group leader and the participants on the development of their scripts. Trainees also meet regularly with their mentor to review their learning progress.

    Through this process, the trainees are acquainted with the script and development aspects of developing a film project, enhance their communication skills during the creative process and, most importantly, learn how to give constructive feedback to the creative teams to help them move forward in their development.

  • All Participants
    Workshop 2 
    May 6-10, 2024 | online

    Online individual consultations, group work, lectures focused on script/treatment development, financing and presentation skills. 

  • All Participants
    Workshop 3 
    June 26 - July 3, 2024 | Prague and Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic
    TEAMS WITH PROJECTS

    This workshop serves as a platform to further advance the scripts, while also incorporating intensive and critical training about how to present and promote projects. This workshop is immediately followed by the Works in development - Feature Launch project showcase at the Karlovy Vary IFF, where all nine selected projects are presented to an audience of industry decision makers, including funders, sales agents, producers and festival programmers. One-on-one meetings and further networking follow the presentations.

    The program's awards are handed out at this event.

    SCRIPT-CONSULTANT TRAINEES

    The trainees continue to observe the various stages of the development of the projects, through the final presentation at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. They are present at the pitching training and rehearsals and also prepare their own presentations, as they'll pitch themselves as industry professionals during the KVIFF pitching forum.

    Networking opportunities at the event may help them in their future careers.

  • All Participants
    Workshop 4 
    October 7-11, 2024 | online

    Individual consultations, group works, master classes, lectures focused on marketing and distribution strategies including new formats.

Company Time

Follow-up workshop for producers

  • Producers
    Follow-up workshop for producers
    November 2024 | Thessaloniki, Greece / in collaboration with EAVE

    This follow-up workshop offers participating producers support in the areas of company sustainability and strategic business planning. This training is designed and co-organized with our partner EAVE.

    The workshop is led by Juliane Schulze, a strategic creative economy expert in business, finance, investment and sustainability, who advises European and international audiovisual companies as well as funding institutions and business agencies. Over four days, participants will sharpen their competitive advantage and enhance the viability of their businesses. Feedback rounds and individual mentoring sessions will offer direct support to tackle the challenges they are facing as film professionals in an ever-changing marketplace.

    This workshop is run in collaboration with the Thessaloniki IFF and within its industry section Agora, which brings participants further networking opportunities via its industry program.

Program Awards

Eurimages Co-production Development Award

For the first time, Karlovy Vary IFF will host the Eurimages Co-production Development Award of 20,000 EUR for one of the projects in development presented within their Eastern Promises Industry Days.
Feature Launch 2024 projects are also eligible to compete for this award, which will be granted based on the project´s artistic quality and its prospects of remaining a European co-production.

Detailed description of the award.

Works In Development Award

A joint financial award of MIDPOINT Institute, Barrandov Studio and the Karlovy Vary IFF of 10,000 EUR for the best project of the Feature Launch 2024 program underlines the aim of the program itself – help emerging talents from Central and Eastern Europe to develop their film projects. 

connecting cottbus Award

A selected project from MIDPOINT Feature Launch will be given the opportunity to present itself during the pitching event within the connecting cottbus co-production market. Participation will include individual consultations from international film professionals and one-on-one meetings with potential partners.

Rotterdam Lab Award

One producer will be handpicked to participate in the professional training program for producers, Rotterdam Lab, which takes place during the International Film Festival Rotterdam.

Gallery

References

Huge motivation boost and way to move your project to the next level

Successful films

Selection of our successful alumni

FAQs

You may ask...

  • Can I apply with an animation or documentary film project?

    Sadly, Feature Launch does not work with animation or documentary projects, as these require a different set of skills and addresses a different market.

  • Can I apply without a writer OR director OR producer in the team?

    You can't. All these creative roles have to be present in your team. One person could represent more than one role (writer/director OR director/producer, etc.), or there could be two people representing one role (2x writer OR 2x producer, etc.). In any case, the team must consist of 2-3 people.

  • I'm not European, can I apply?

    Feature Launch is specifically designed for European writers, as we'd like to address the demand for training coming particularly from this territory. The main focus is put on the region of Central and Eastern Europe. However, projects with a strong co-production potential or already attached partners/team members from this region can be accepted as well. In case you are still not sure about your eligibility, please contact the program coordinator Sona Morgenthalova.

  • I'm not fluent in English, can I still apply?

    Sadly, no. As the entire training runs in English, and during the working days you'll be asked to write directly in English, we require an intermediate level of these language skills. This simply means: your grammar doesn't have to be perfect, but you need to talk/write fluently and have the vocabulary to do so.

  • Once selected, how much time should I allocate to the training?

    Quite honestly – a lot. Feature Launch is an intensive training, and apart from the assignments and work done during all residential and online workshops, it operates with a system of tasks and deadlines in between these modules. So clear that calendar up a bit.

  • Do I need to attend all the workshops in the program?

    Yes, to fully engage in the training, it is essential for all team members to be present at every module of the program. It is not possible to selectively choose which workshops to attend, nor can someone else be nominated to take your or your teammate's place without the permission of the program´s selection board. 

    If you are aware, at the time of application, that you will not be able to participate in all the modules as described in the program structure above, please reconsider your application or seek a dedicated teammate who can commit to completing the entire training. 

     

  • Does MIDPOINT Institute offer scholarships?

    It does. However, these are only partial, cannot be allocated to all participants, and their granting therefore considers various criteria. We HIGHLY recommend applying to a local supporting organization (national or local funds, ministries of culture or education, professional associations, etc.) at the same time you're applying to MIDPOINT Feature Launch. You can always withdraw your application if not selected, but as the processing time of this support can be rather long, it might be quite late to do this once we confirm you're in.

  • Can I send you the application materials via e-mail?

    We only accept applications submitted through our Visitor Page. Firstly, that way you can be sure your e-mail doesn't end up in junk, and secondly, all submitted materials are distributed to the selection committee via the Visitor Page (please see the 'Application' section).

Contact

Did we forget something? Don't hesitate to ask

Sona Morgenthalova
Program Coordinator
sona.morgenthalova@midpoint-institute.eu

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