Bosnian regional and federal authorities have signalled they are to make concerted efforts to provide financial support for the development of the film industry in Bosnia and Herzegovina following the successful launch of the New Bosnian Cinema Co-Production Project (NBCCP) at this years Sarajevo Film Festival.

Speaking at the presentation of four new Bosnian feature projects seeking co-production partners, Gradimir Gojer, Minister of Culture and Sports for the Canton of Sarajevo, declared that Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) "will not be deaf" to the promising talents in the region. Zlatko Lagumdzija, chairman of the B&H Council of Ministers argued that the official institutions should be 'more active' in the financing policy for future projects as well as in the general development of the region's film industry infrastructure.

Commenting on the success of Sarajevo filmmaker Danis Tanovic's No Man's Land in winning the Screenplay Prize at this year's Cannes Film Festival and being sold around the world, Lagumdzija pointed out that the film had been produced 'despite us' and suggested that 'this should not happen with future Bosnian projects that they are made despite us'.

At the moment, there is a serious lack of resources available for local filmmakers who lack both a national film fund and state legislation covering activities within the film industry.

However, Gojer and Lagumdzija met during the NBCCP with Audiovisual Eureka's Executive Director Walter Lerouge to discuss the prerequisites for B&H to become members of Audiovisual Eureka and the Eurimages pan-European co-production fund. Lerouge announced that he will be returning to Sarajevo this autumn to advise on the areas where B&H regulations have to be adjusted to conform to European directives.

Meanwhile, Sarajevo Film Festival director Mirsad Purivatra announced that there are plans to expand the Co-Production Project into a regional one presenting projects from other republics of former Yugoslavia at the 2002 edition of the festival.

"Now was the right moment to launch such a project", he stated. "the success of No Mans Land and Aide Begic's short First Death Experience - which received a Special Jury Mention at the Arcipelago Short Film Festival in Rome - has created a mood within the film industry in Bosnia for the filmmakers to think differently and see how they can find people to support them in realising their projects".

Devised with the advice of Fabrica Cinema's Marco Mueller, who has been a long-standing supporter of the Sarajevo Film Festival since its beginnings, the New Bosnian Cinema Co-Production Project gave directors and producers of four local feature projects the opportunity to pitch their films to representatives of film funds and foreign producers.

Among those attending the pitching sessions were the UK Film Council's Premier Fund executive Brock Norman Brock, Ludmila Cvikova (Rotterdam Film Festival/Hubert Bals Fund), Marco Mueller (Montecinemaverita/Fabrica Cinema), Magnus Telander (Goteborg Film Festival), Nerina Kocjancic (Slovenian Film Fund) and producers Cat Villiers and Sara Harper (Judy Counihan Productions), Dunja Klemenc (Studio Maj), Cedomir Kolar (Noe Productions) and Danijel Hocevar (E-Motion Film).

While three of the NBCCP projects - Faruk Sokolovic's Dolce Vita, Pjer Zalica's Firestarter and Srdan Vuletic's Story About Three Hearts or Three Stories About Heart - plan to start shooting this autumn/winter, Dino Mustafic's Remake has already completed 80% of shooting and is now looking for partners for scenes to be shot in a city in Western Europe.

Purivatra added that he will meet in October with the Coordination of European Funds for Films for the South and East - whose members include Montecinemaverita, the Hubert Bals Fund, Bruges Film Festivals Fond Sud and the Goteborg Film Festival - to seek their support for expanding the Co-Production Project next year.

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