Four Ukrainian full-lenght documentaries participated in B2B Doc Coproduction Meetings pitching

Projects of several new Ukrainian full-length documentary films were successfully presented at B2B Doc CoProduction Meetings, which took place on September 18 at KYIV MEDIA WEEK 2017.

The international jury composed of Tereza Svadoschowa (representative of Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival, Czech Republic), Kristyna Balaban (coordinator of international program at Ex Oriente Film, Czech Republic), Aurelian Niki (producer at Kinetoscop, art director of Buzz CEE international documentary festival, Romania), Carla Pontus Jurtena (Svenska Filmstudion, Sweden), Johann Set (Indio, Sweden), Aleksandar Govendariza (representative of Syndicado sales company, Canada), Anna Ferens (TVP1, Poland) and Kenan Aliev (Current Times TV, Czech Republic) have noted the festival potential of such projects as My Father Is My Mother`S Brother directed by Vadim Ilkov and produced by Darya Bassel (about a Kyiv artist and musician Anatoliy bringing up his sister’s small daughter with special mental needs); Underwater directed by Oksana Kazmina and produced by Yulia Serdykova, about a Kyiv artist Anti Gonna; The Devil directed by Yegor Troyanovsky and produced by Olga Beskhmelnitsyna, about a father looking for his son who left to fight in the eastern Ukraine; and Roses directed by Irena Stetsenko and produced by Denis Vorontsov, about Ukrainian freak cabaret Dakh Daughters.  

In particular, Anna Ferens has manifested her interest in the project of Irena Stetsenko and noted its TV distribution potential. Her opinion was seconded by Indio representative Johann Set.  The authors of other films received a recommendation from the professional jury to look for distributors after their projects are released at festivals.

Apart from Ukrainian films, there was also a Belarusian project Mein Deutschland directed by Aleksandr Svischenkov about an elderly Russian-speaking German; a Georgian project about a young Stalinist Stalin Today directed and produced by Ketevan Nozadze; Satanic Girls: Women on the Move produced by Anna Kherza Tydlytatova about the reunion of female band after the death of its participant; and also two Armenian projects, Mel produced by Arevik Avanesyan and Deminers directed by Silva Khnkanosyan (about a female group of volunteers searching for active mines after the war in Yugoslavia).  

Special attention was given to Mel project; Swedish colleagues immediately proposed their involvement as co-producers.  

B2B Doc (Baltic to Black Sea Documentary Network) is an international platform initiated by Swedish cinematographers to develop cooperation among documentary filmmakers in Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia and Armenia. B2B Doc creates a network of contacts among filmmakers to develop and implement joint projects with great international potential. Through workshops, seminars and trainings on pitching for B2B Doc platform participants, it provides support for the development of selected projects, ensuring their participation in competing for financing at the European film production market. Besides, B2B Doc provides financial support for projects at an early stage of development and travel grants for participation in pitchings, festivals and co-production forums.