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DAY 4
Friday 17 May 2019

© MELUSINE PRODUCTIONS

SIX PRODUCERS TO WATCH

DÉSIRÉE NOSBUSCH & STÉPHAN ROELANTS
ALEXANDRA HOESDORFF
• Melusine Productions
• Deal Productions • Ethel & Ernest, Zero Impunity,
• Sawah, Flatland The Breadwinner, The Swallows
of Kabul, Wolfwalkers
NICOLAS STEIL
DAVID GRUMBACH
• Iris Productions
• Never Grow Old, Bad Banks, • Bac Cinema
Justice Dot Net, Tremors • Standby, Le Tout Nouveau
Testament, Peter and Wendy, Funam FIVE FILMS IN THE PIPELINE
CLAUDE WARINGO - The New People, Mary Shelley The Prince’s
Journey, FRITZI - A MIRACULOUS
• Samsa Film STÉPHANE HUEBER-BLIES directed by REVOLUTIONARY TALE
Jean-François
• Superjhemp Retörns, Laguionie and
California Dreaming, Escapada, • a_Bahn Xavier Picard • Animation
Histoire(s) de femme(s) • The Tourist Experience, Zero Impunity • Directed by Ralf Kukula & Matthias Bruhn
• Doghouse Films (LU), Balance Film (DE),
TrickStudio Lutterbeck (DE), Maur Film (CZ),
Artemis Productions (BE)
American competitors, Avengers: Infinity War and Incredibles animation, the country boasts a wealth of homegrown talent,
2. Comparable results for Grand Duchy feature films can be notably in the form of specialist firms such as Mélusine JUMBO
found looking back to 1983 with Conge fir e Mord by Paul Productions, whose most recent offering, The Prince’s Journey
Scheuer (42,619 admissions), or to 2002 with Le Club des by Jean-François Laguionie and Xavier Picard, has just been • Fiction (Fantastic)
chômeurs by Andy Bausch (33,816 admissions). announced as an official participant in the Annecy • Directed by Zoé Wittock
International Animated Film Festival. • Les Films Fauves (LU), Insolence
FILM FUND SPURS GROWTH In 1992, Pol Cruchten’s Wedding Night – End of the Song saw Productions (FR), Kwassa Films (BE)
Standing behind the slightly crazy gamble that is Luxembourg travel to Cannes for the very first time and the
Superchamp Returns, we find Samsa Film, the biggest Grand Duchy has enjoyed a constant presence at the Festival SPRINGWELL
production company in Luxembourg which is somewhat ever since, with A Sun That Never Sets by Olivier Laxe (a
responsible for recent developments in the country’s film Spain-France-Lux co-production via Tarantula) clinching a • Fiction (Thriller)
industry. In 1989, just as this young company was spot for the Grand Duchy in this year’s official selection. For • Directed by Christian Volckman
commencing operations, it was entrusted with the production 17 years now, the Luxembourg contingent has manned its • Bidibul Productions (LU), Les Films du Poisson
of Schacko Klak by Paul Kieffer & Fränk Hoffmann, the first pavilion at the Marché du Film, in which 20 companies, more (FR), Versus Production (BE), Hildegarde (FR)
ever full-length film in the Luxembourg language. This or less, are represented every year. Managers of the Film Fund
historical drama set during World War II was intended to and the CNA — who are particularly active within the THE PRINCE’S JOURNEY
mark the 150th anniversary of the Grand Duchy’s francophone network — meet routinely with their foreign • Animation
independence. Its success among critics and audiences alike institutional partners in Cannes (WBI, UniFrance, CNC, • Directed by Jean-François Laguionie,
would lead to an unprecedented mobilisation of the industry Swiss Films, Quebec’s SODEC and TéléFilm Canada). Xavier Picard
and a desire for greater professionalism within the country’s • Melusine Productions (LU),
production structures. FOCUS ON CO PRODUCTION Blue Spirit Productions (FR)
Soon afterwards, the Centre National de l’Audiovisuel was Moreover, in November 2019, the Grand Duchy will host
created, as was the Film Fund, a key body in charge of the co-production gathering, Rencontres de Coproduction THREE LAKES
implementing the national policy for the support of film Francophone. Focusing on the role of music in film, this
production. Whereas, pre-1990, most films were shot under 16th edition, which will bring together some 200 producers • Documentary
semi-professional conditions, the Fund fostered the hailing from all corners of the francophone world, will • Directed by Fabrizio Maltese
development of a market. Over 700 works of fiction and provide national players with an opportunity to highlight • Joli Rideau Media (LU)
animation, as well as documentaries, short films and the major role played by Luxembourg in the field of
transmedia projects, all saw the light of day thanks to the co-production: no less than 15 fiction projects are
financial support it provided. This selective aid is allocated at co-produced yearly, not to mention numerous
regular intervals and comes in the form of discretionary loans, documentaries and shorts. Prime examples include the
and by means of other types of financial support which have recent work Tel Aviv on Fire by Sameh Zoabi, which comes and known for its international expertise in virtual reality.
recently been put in place (Carte Blanche, CinéWorld, Video courtesy of Samsa (Lux-Israel-France-Belgium), and David In fact, the latest edition of the Luxembourg City Film
clips). For the Fund’s managing director Guy Daleiden, the Lambert’s Troisièmes Noces brought to us by Bidibul Festival benefited from Quebecois expertise which
picture is clear: “30 years after the creation of this organisation, (Lux-Belgium-Canada). substantially bolstered its programme of immersive
the dream of a film industry, which seemed illusory at the On the European front, Luxembourg is a participant in the experiences; 10 works were presented, including Fan Club
time, has now become a reality.” Europe Creative MEDIA programme; indeed, one of its by Vincent Ravalec, which was co-produced with the
As it stands in Luxembourg today, there are around thirty most longstanding national beneficiaries is the ongoing Luxembourg arm of a_BAHN. Alexis Juncosa, artistic
production companies, 15 post-production companies, a host training facilitator, EAVE, which was awarded an assistance director of the Festival — celebrating its 10th edition in
of studios specialising in special effects and numerous package of €585,000 in 2017. The Grand Duchy is also a 2020 — stresses rising quality of national works: “Whereas
companies offering services linked to this sector, which, as a signatory to co-production treaties, with Switzerland, previous generations facilitated the emergence of reputed
whole, employs close to 600 people (technicians, directors, France, Austria and Ireland in particular. In February 2018, technicians, technical managers and producers through
authors). In 2013, the country’s biggest ever film studio Luxembourg and Canada signed a historic agreement to co-production support, it is now in writing and directing
opened its doors, offering set areas spread across over 4,000 promote audiovisual co-development and co-production, that the most spectacular advances are taking place. Barrage’s
sq m, and Filmland Kehlen is the happy result of a with a total sum of €1,200,000 available to enterprises on Laura Schroeder and Gutland’s Govinda Van Maele, who
collaboration between six local producers — Bidibul both sides of the Atlantic over a two-year period. The Film recently distinguished themselves on the festival circuit with
Productions, Iris Productions, Lucil Films, Paul Thiltges Fund and Digital Luxembourg also work closely with the their first films, are two examples of this.” Clearly, we haven’t
Distribution, Samsa Film and Tarantula. In terms of Centre Phi, a multi-disciplinary body based in Montreal heard the last of Luxembourg creators.✦

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