Now in its landmark 25th year, Producers on the Move spotlights the many collaborations that have been launched through the program since its inception. The European Film Promotion initiative, which will take place before and during the Cannes Film Festival, will give 20 emerging European producers the opportunity to promote their work and expand their international networks.
Over the years, more than 500 participants from 37 European countries have joined this initiative. The producers I met through this program went on to work on films such as Aki Kaurismäki's Fallen Leaves, Ruben Østlund's The Square, and Maren Ade's Toni Erdmann.
“Our main goal is very simple: bring people together,” says Joe Muhlberger, director of the Producers on the Move program. variety. “At first, I was wondering how to go about it, because it's not just about being in the same room, it's about how you structure the conversation and interaction. It sounds easy, but it takes work. When we first started Producers on the Move, there were no events dedicated to producers in Cannes. ”
Producer on the Move alumnus Ruth Tracey of Ireland's Tailored Films believes one of the program's greatest strengths lies in how it enables personal connections. . Mr. Tracy is responsible for this year's Cannes International Competition title title “The Apprentice.'' The film is an Irish-Canadian-Danish co-production directed by “Border” filmmaker Ali Abbasi and depicts the rise to power of a young Donald Trump. The project reunited him with Producers on the Move 2021 participant Nima Youssefi (“Clara Sola”), who joined the film as co-producer at a later stage.
“Working on The Apprentice rekindled my desire to work on more projects with Nima,” says Tracy. “He is a very experienced producer and I was really happy to meet him during Producers on the Move. Other participants that year included Jean-Christophe Raymond, who I will soon be working with. There are people who would like to work with us. We are currently discussing the possibility of a French-Irish co-production.”
Tracy and Yousefi are currently scouting locations in Ireland for Clara Sola director Natalie Alvarez Mesén's next film, The Wolf Will Tear Your Immaculate Hands.
variety She spoke to Tracy during sound mixing for The Apprentice, a film she believes is “going to surprise a lot of people.” “I'm so excited for Ireland to be on 'The Apprentice.' People might look at this page and see a movie about Donald Trump and say, 'No, thank you,' but this has never been the case. It's something I've never seen before. This is truly an origin story and one that defies people's expectations. ”
Like Treacy and Yousefi, Janine Jackowski of Germany's Komplizen Film and Alexander Glehr of Austria's FILM AG met on 2009's “Producers on the Move” and collaborated on Marie Kreutzer's 2022 Un Certain Regard feature “Corsage.” I decided to do some work.
“I met and stayed in touch with quite a few people through this program,” says Jackowski. “Working together on a co-production requires a great deal of trust and belief that one side will listen to the needs of the other. Almost every film we produce is a co-production, which is very important to us as a company. It's an immense pleasure to meet people who I enjoy working with, who I share my tastes with, and whom I can trust, and Producers on the Move has certainly helped me in that sense. He gave it to me.”
Greer emphasized how collaborating with Jackowski on “Corsage” gave her a first-class festival experience. “It gave me the goal and drive to keep making films,” he says, explaining how Producers on the Move has changed his outlook on collaborating not only with different producers but also with different countries. I emphasized how things have changed.
“This program broadens your horizons. You realize there are things available to you that you never thought of before. The market has changed a lot over the past 15 years, and to gain a broader view of the industry as a whole and its direction. It is very important to have international connections.”
Muhlberger is particularly proud of the way Producers on the Move brings together people from countries not accustomed to co-production. “Not only will you meet 19 other people, you'll be opening yourself up to 19 more countries. And you're not just paying for a networking event. National Film Institutes of 37 countries We select representatives and we select 20 producers from among them. This is a very select group of producers and what we do is not so much connect projects as it is people. and unite the country.”
“Filmmaking in Ireland has always had a strong focus on co-production because we feel like we are on the edge of Europe,” says Tracey. “It’s great to meet new people and share resources with producers from unexpected countries. With all the changes brought about by streamers, the situation is less certain than ever, so this collaboration is a great opportunity for European It is essential for the future of film production: independent producers coming together to share the resources available in each other's territories and make European films the way we want to make them, without being heavily influenced by streamers or the US system. It is very important to keep working on creating.”
Twenty-five years on, what's still in store for Producer on the Move? Muhlberger is working with AI, which he calls a “game changer,” to transform production within Europe. He said he would like to learn more about international co-financing to minimize unnecessary travel and reduce carbon emissions, which remain a concern.
“Finally, I would like to emphasize that cinema is for consumption,” says the program director. “We want to appeal to the audience. If someone on the subway is watching your movie on their smartphone, be happy that your movie is being watched. It's difficult to incorporate new technology into the program because it's not in the genes of the industry to open up, so we have to open up.”
