International coproduction in Europe: case study from the executive producer of Berlin, I Love You

Skady Lis – producer with many years of experience and the founder of the German company Getaway Pictures – will talk about the features of the search for financing for coproductions and their implementation of September 18 at KYIV MEDIA WEEK.

Skady Lis has extensive experience in film production financing. She used to work in the business and legal departments of the production company X Filme, co-founded by director Tom Tykwer and producer Stefan Arndt, where she financed production and distribution of more than 35 national and international feature films.

Later, in 2009, Skady Lis founded her own company, Getaway Pictures, with a head office in Berlin (Germany) and a representative office in Los Angeles (California). Soon, Getaway Pictures became well known as a reliable platform for international independent cinema. The company focuses on international coproductions with Germany and is always looking for new, unique ideas with a clear commercial basis.

Among the most known projects of Skady Lis is Goodbye Bafana (2007), biographical drama directed by Bille August with Diane Kruger and Joseph Fiennes starring, which won the prestigious Berlinale Peace Award and was sold in more than 20 countries. Also Mongol (2007) by Sergei Bodrov, which became the first-ever representative of Kazakhstan in Academy Award as Best Foreign Language Film. Plus Funny Games (USA, 2007) by Michael Haneke with Naomi Watts, Tim Roth and Michael Pitt, shown at prestigious film festivals, including Sundance and the London Film Festival.

In 2017 Skady Lis became the coproducer of the continuation of the famous franchise ‘confessions of love to cities’ – Berlin, I Love You, with such stars as Helen Mirren, Keira Knightley and Mickey Rourke, which premiere is scheduled for this year, supported by Warner Bros.

In her speech at KYIV MEDIA WEEK, organized with the support of Ukrainian State Film Agency and Ukrainian Motion Picture Association, Skady Lis will focus separately on the case study of Berlin, I Love You and talk about the specifics of coproducers' work on such a complex project: share of responsibility, distribution, etc.

She will also share the history of the formation and development of her company Getaway Pictures – an independent, dynamically developing film production platform that produces and finances original and sought-after content for film and television.

Skady Lis will also pay pay special attention to the issues of international coproduction in Europe, the search for financing – both private investment and soft money – and the wide opportunities that are currently being opened in this area for the countries of Eastern Europe, including Ukraine.

Case study by Skady Lis ‘Film financing and coproduction in Europe. Gateway Pictures’ will be held on the second day of KYIV MEDIA WEEK (September 18) from 14:00 to 14:50.

KYIV MEDIA WEEK will be held on September 17-21, 2018 in Hyatt Regency Kyiv (Kyiv, Ukraine). Register for the media forum here.

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Ukrainian State Film Agency is the central body of executive power, which activities are directed and coordinated by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine through the Minister of Culture of Ukraine. Ukrainian State Film Agency implements the state policy in the field of cinematography. 

Ukrainian Motion Picture Association (UMPA) is a professional non-profit open association of television and cinema producers representing the interests of Ukrainian audiovisual content industry. One of the main tasks of UMPA is to create favourable conditions for the domestic industry in cooperation with state authorities and representatives of international structures. Established in 2011.