Duration:
Berlin: 10 – 15 February 2022
Singapore (before and after): 4 & 18 February 2022
Application Deadline:
Friday 3 December 2021
For producers in the film and media industry, a close network and strong personal relations are one of the key factors in successful producing. The current pandemic, with its extensive travel restrictions, has reduced possibilities for physical interaction and networking, diminishing opportunities to build and nurture essential personal relations. At the same time, the film and media landscape is changing dramatically due to OTT platforms and the rapid increase of digitally mediated content consumption.
With this in mind,Close-up on Producing: Singapore – Berlin, a 5–day hands-on producers’ workshop, is set in motion to enhance personal exchange and to encourage long-lasting collaborations and partnerships between practitioners in Southeast Asia and Europe. Taking place during the 72nd Berlin Film Festival, Close-up on Producing: Singapore – Berlin will be led by Peter Rommel, one of Germany’s most prolific and successful independent producers.
This specially–crafted closed-door workshop will provide participants with the opportunity to meet and network with key people from the industry. They will be able to build new relationships, as well as deepen existing ones, for future collaborations and co-productions, and enable European–(Southeast) Asian partnerships. It is a unique and invaluable chance to learn from Rommel’s profound experience and vast network of personal contacts throughout the global media industry.
The workshop is intended for emerging Singapore-based producers working in the industry, who have produced at least one feature film and who wish to expand their networks and knowledge of producing with and in Europe. This programme will provide participants access to Rommel’s extensive production expertise and wide personal networks, as well as to 72nd Berlinale programmes.
Workshop Leaders Biographies:
Christoph Hahnheiser (Germany/Singapore) is Associate Professor Practice at NTU/ADM and CEO/founder of Black Forest Films, a production company for high-quality international features. He has produced more than 35 feature films so far and has been one of the pioneer German producers focused on international co-productions. Since starting his career with two films by Peter Greenaway his work is characterised by award-winning international productions starring actors like Daniel Craig, Tilda Swinton, Michelle Piccoli and Julie Delpy among others. Most films have participated in highly regarded international Film Festivals. Seven films alone were in the official selection of the Cannes Film Festival and four in Competition of the Venice Film Festival.
Peter Rommel (Germany) after working with director Fridrik Thór Fridriksson on his Oscar-nominated feature Children of Nature Rommel founded Rommel Film to coproduce international features. Night Shapes by Andreas Dresen (Competition Berlin Film Festival) was his first inhouse production. Many further successful collaborations followed, includingthe internationally acclaimed boxoffice-hit Summer in Berlin, Cloud 9 (official selection Cannes FilmFestival, 3 German Film Awards), Stopped on Track (official selection Cannes Film Festival, 4 German Film Awards). The adaptation of Charlotte Roche’s controversial novel Wetlands, premiered at Locarno Filmfestival and was invited to Sundance Film Festival. Rommel has received the Max Ophüls Festival-Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017.
The workshop consists of:
• 1-day preparation session in Singapore
• 5-day networking workshop in Berlin
• Guided access to international producing networks
• Return flight Singapore – Berlin – Singapore
• 5-night accommodation Berlin
• Berlinale Festival Pass
• 1-day follow-up session Singapore
APPLICATION:
Please submit the following documents (in PDF format) via e-mail to Magdalena Magiera, ntuccaeducation@ntu.edu.sg:
• Letter of Intent (Producer’s vision statement up to 500 words)
• List of projects in development/ production (package incl. synopsis, financing status, talent attached)
• Producer’s short CV (max 2 pages)
This professional Industry Development Programme nurtures cultural encounters and partnerships between Southeast Asia and Germany. Developed by NTU CCA Singapore and Christoph Hahnheiser and made possible with the support of the Goethe-Institut Singapore, the Embassy of the Republic of Singapore in Berlin, Germany, and School of Art Design and Media, NTU, Singapore.