TIES THAT BIND celebrates its fifth edition this year and we are proud to cooperate with our partners from the Busan International Film Festival for the fourth consecutive year. TIES THAT BIND is an innovative programme designed to assist 10 producers from Asia and Europe with potential European-Asian co-production projects in development. The second TIES THAT BIND workshop will take place during the Busan International Film Festival/Asian Film Market/Asian Project Market from October 6 – 10, 2013.
The TIES THAT BIND participants started to develop their projects under the guidance of leading industry experts from both continents during the first workshop in Udine (April 22-26) parallel to the Udine Far East Film Festival. In the second workshop in Busan the participants will continue to develop and package their projects exploring sources of finance as well as examining marketing and distribution networks across both Asia and Europe. They will also pitch their projects to leading industry professionals from both continents at the Busan International Film Festival’s industry market, the ASIAN PROJECT MARKET (APM).
Furthermore, the industry professionals attending the APM will have a possibility to discover the TIES THAT BIND participants and their projects on Festival Scope, which will also showcase previous works of the directors of the Ties that Bind projects.
Festival Scope, www.festivalscope.com, is the B2B Internet platform for film professionals allowing programming of festivals around the world to be viewed online. Festival Scope’s main objective is to support independent cinema and filmmakers by increasing access and reducing costs for all parties through an innovative service.
All members of Festival Scope can check information about the TIES THAT BIND projects and watch previous works of the directors by clicking on the following link.
The 10 selected producers will work on the development and financing of their projects under the guidance of top industry professionals from both continents, such as:
- Nicolas Brigaud-Robert, Films Distribution, France
- Christophe Bruncher, Ties that Bind Head of Studies, France
- Guillaume de Seille, Arizona Productions, France
- Clare Downs, Script Consultant, United Kingdom
- Isabelle Glachant, Chinese Shadows, Hong Kong
- Elise Jalladeau, Charivari Films, France
- Philippe Muyl, Filmmaker, France
- Youngjoo Suh, Finecut, South Korea
In addition, the participants will meet prominent industry guests of the APM during the VIP networking coffee breaks throughout the week.
The following 10 producers from Asia and Europe will meet again in Busan:
- Bianca Balbuena, Old Fool Films/Epicmedia, Philippines; project: The Sigbin Chronicles, director: Joanna Vasquez Arong
- Aurélien Bodinaux, Neon Rouge Production, Belgium; project: The River of Cloud, director: Haolun Shu
- Jeremy Chua, Akanga Film Asia, Singapore; project: A Yellow Bird, director: K. Rajagopal
- Shoko Hirano, TEP/white tree productions, Japan; project: Fat Chance, director: Shinjyu Funabiki
- Lihong Kong, All Ways Pictures, China; project: Betrayal – The Story of Mr. Zhang, director: Jiongjiong Qiu
- Vanna-Pond Noigasame, Extra Virgin, Thailand; project: Malaria & Mosquitoes, director: Towira Pimpaka
- Judith Nora, Silex Films, France; project: Dog Days, director: Jordan Schiele
- Merja Ritola, Periferia Productions, Finland; project: Kyoto Girls, director: Matti Kinnunen
- Reinette van de Stadt, Trueworks, The Netherlands; project: Hong Kong Sister, director: Yan Ting Yuen
- Niko von Glasow & Xiaoxiao Sun, Palladio Film, Germany; project: Girl from Tibet, director: Niko von Glasow
This year’s TIES THAT BIND projects represent a rich diversity of different genres.
Philippine project THE SIGBIN CHRONICLES (producer: Bianca Balbuena) is the story of two outcasts – a hit-man about to embark on his last mission, and an introverted performer stuck in his call-centre job – both seeking inspiration and protection from the harsh realities of their lives through the coveted and feared creature of Philippine mythology, the Sigbin. The project has been selected for “La Fabrique des Cinémas du Monde” at this year’s Cannes film festival.
Belgian producer Aurélien Bodinaux’s project THE RIVER OF CLOUD is the story of Lu who lives a perfect life in southern China, but when she discovers she is pregnant with a second child, her world falls apart. Lu must choose between her need for emancipation and her marriage. If she dares to keep the baby, she’ll destroy her family.
Jeremy Chua’s project A YELLOW BIRD is a story of a man just released from prison who is not welcomed home by his mother. Eager to locate his wife and daughter to build a new home, he instead learns that his past actions have led to irreversible tragedy. This empowers him to save his daughter, at any cost to himself.
Japanese producer Shoko Hirano will present the project FAT CHANCE, in which Artur, a heavy drinking Estonian ex-Olympic wrestler, is forced to take on the role of sumo coach and lead his troubled team to the European Championships, in order to be allowed to visit his daughter in her foster home. He soon realizes that the role of a sumo trainer is not so much about organizing a team as about building a family; quite a task considering he has so far failed miserably as a father.
Lihong Kong’s project BETRAYAL – THE STORY OF MR. ZHANG is based on the true story of Zhang Xianchi, an idealistic communist, who betrays his nationalist father and is subsequently forced, step by step, to become a rightist, an anti-communist, and is finally condemned to a labour camp at the age of 23. This initial betrayal poisons his every relationship, including that with his political ‘father’ and mentor.
Vanna-Pond Noigasame produces Thai director Towira Pimpaka’s latest project MALARIA AND MOSQUITOS brings the story of Nawda, a Karen widow, who is stuck in a primitive Karen village near the Thai-Burmese border while the outside world develops and modernizes. She risks changing her life, allowing love to lead her to new experiences, all the while maintaining the strong belief that if she is accepted as a Thai, it will bring her happiness.
Judith Nora from France comes with the new project of US indie director Jordan Schiele: DOG DAYS in which Lulu, an overworked single-mother in provincial China, confronts a gay lounge singer, Sunny, about a disappearance of her boyfriend and their son. Initially sceptical of Sunny’s promise to help her, Lulu embarks with him on an uncertain journey to find her boyfriend and get back her son.
In Finnish project KYOTO GIRLS (producer: Merja Ritola), Miki, a Finnish man, is obsessed with perfection and Japan. He wants to go to Japan to become the perfect fighter, a ninja, to find his soul mate, and to be worthy of this perfect woman, a geisha. But, he ends up working as a host in a bar for not-so-perfect Japanese women; which offers unforeseen pleasures.
Dutch producer Reinette van de Stadt’s HONG KONG SISTERS is the story of Jade, who after witnessing the loss of her husband and daughter in a tragic car crash, decides she no longer wants to live, but her much younger half-sister, Pearl, causes her to delay following through on her decision.
German director Niko von Glasow’s and Xiaoxaio Sun’s German-Chinese co-production GIRL FROM TIBET features a modern day Heidi: a Tibetan girl who is inadvertently delivered in a box to a rich, neurotic, Jewish family in New York City. She needs the help of the weak, neuroses-riddled son to face the vast, dangerous, but also entertaining, journey home.
TIES THAT BIND is organised by the Friuli Venezia Giulia Audiovisual Fund, EAVE, Udine Far East Film Festival, Busan International Film Festival, Asian Film Market and Asian Project Market, in cooperation with Festival Scope and supported by MEDIA Mundus.
