22 film projects from 19 countries will be presented at the 13^th edition of When East Meets West, the Italian Co-Production Forum taking place from January 22-25, 2023 in the frame of the Trieste Film Festival. The 22 projects in development – 10 feature documentaries and 12 fiction features – were selected out of 410 submissions and will be presented, most of them for the very first time, to more than 500 on-site decision makers and professionals from all over the world, in particular from the East & West 2023 spotlight countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine & Spain, Portugal, Latin America.

Like in previous years, the upcoming thirteenth edition of the WEMW Co-Production Forum will be a fine blend of daring first time directors, such as Marija Apcevska (North Pole, Cannes Official Short Film Selection 2021) and Enrique Buleo (Hell and Such, Clermont Ferrand IFF 2019), talented female filmmakers, including Letizia Lamartire (We’ll Be Young and Beautiful, Venice International Film Critics’ Week 2018) and Maryna Stepanska (Falling, Karlovy Vary IFF 2017), and experienced authors, such as Volkan Uce (All-In,CPH:DOX 2021) and Marcelo Gomes (Joaquim and Waiting For The Carnival, Berlinale 2017 and 2019). Furthermore, thanks to the cooperation with IFFR’s CineMart the WEMW final line-up will also include the new project by Mina Djukic (The Disobedient, Sundance Film Festival and Rotterdam IFF, 2014) and her second feature will have the chance to be presented in these two different but complementary events to further enhance its market opportunities.

“We are extremely happy and honoured to present such a variety of stories coming from many different corners of our planet. 22 outstanding authors giving voice to our deepest passions, ties with the past, present challenges, hopes for a brighter future and search for identity” remarks Alessandro Gropplero, head of WEMW.

This year all projects will compete for the first time for two 5.000 EUR cash prizes: the Film Center Serbia Development Award, and the brand-new CICLIC WEMW Award (granted by the French, Centre-Val de Loire Region). Thanks to our strong network of partners, the Co-Production Forum will also feature a series of other major awards, including the EAVE Producers Workshop scholarship, the Marché du Film Producers Network Badges and the Flow Postproduction Award. Moreover, all female directors will be eligible for the EWA Network’s I HAVE A DREAM Award for Equality & Inclusion.

After two editions marked by unpredictable difficulties, the thirteenth edition of WEMW is about to shape a 360° programme and will consolidate the wide range of existing activities. Together with the Co-Production Forum, WEMW 2023 will be as rich as ever and will include several sections dedicated to films in post-production – Last Stop Trieste, This is IT, First Cut+ and First Cut Lab Trieste – the MIDPOINT Shorts Showcase, the second edition of the EAVE Slate and six new Inspirational Labs.

“The upcoming edition of WEMW perfectly reflects our new multi-layered approach. – remarks Gropplero – We would love WEMW to become “more than a market”, we want to create a new ecosystem inclusive, sustainable, future-oriented, and supportive towards projects, professionals and companies in any phase of their life” 

The works in progress and participants selected in all other sections will be unveiled in early January but starting from late December a limited numbers of industry accreditations will be available at www.wemw.it so to offer once again the possibility to access the full onsite programme of WEMW.

 

The 22 projects selected for WEMW 2023 are:

2m2, directed by Volkan Uce, produced by Menuetto Film | Belgium

9 Month Contract, directed by Ketevan Vashagashvili, produced by 1991 Productions | Georgia,  Agitprop | Bulgaria and Elamag Pictures | Germany

Acting Classes, directed by Sasha Shegai, produced by East Wing | Kazakhstan

Beyond the Smoke, directed by Clément Carat, produced by Iliade et Films and Les Alchimistes | France

Faster than Shadows, directed by Letizia Lamartire, produced by Matrioska and Indigofilm | Italy

Honeymoon, directed by Zhanna Ozirna, produced by Toy Cinema | Ukraine

Hotel Diana, directed by Suad Gara, produced by Astar Productions | Azerbaijan and Asterisk Films | United Kingdom

It’s Not a Full Picture, directed by Maryna Stepanska, produced by JS Films | Ukraine

Lisbon in the Rearview Mirror, directed by Marcelo Gomes, produced by Carnaval Filmes and Misti Filmes | Brazil

Measuring the Sky, directed by Petar Oreskovic, produced by Nukleus film | Croatia

Milk and Honey, directed by Tornike Gogrichiani, produced by Nushi Film | Georgia

Most People Die on Sundays, directed by Iair Said, produced by Campo Cine | Argentina and Disparte | Italy

(Not) Just a Matter of Time, directed by Daniela Reyes Gutiérrez, produced by Medio de Contención Producciones | Colombia

Odyssey MD2020, directed by Pavel Braila, produced by ArtWatt | Moldova

Shakespeare Goes Armenian, directed by Inna Sahakyan and Lilit Movsisyan, produced by Bars Media | Armenia

Sisters, directed by Laurynas Bareisa, produced by Afterschool Productions | Lithuania

Spring Cleaning, directed by Marija Apcevska, produced by Kino Oko | Macedonia

Still Life with Ghosts, directed by Enrique Buleo, produced by Quatre Films | Spain and Ikki Films | France

The Gang, directed by Carol Rodríguez Colás, produced by Fasten Films | Spain

The Last Summer, directed by João Nuno Pinto, produced by Wonder Maria Filmes | Portugal and Grifa Filmes | Brazil

The Winning Generation, directed by Marco De Stefanis, produced by BIND Docs | The Netherlands and EiE Film | Italy

When the Kids Sing the Hits, directed by Mina Djukic, produced by Sense Production | Serbia