Introduction to Slano Film Days
Romanian director Andrei Tanase received feedback from international experts at Croatia’s Slano Film Day, which led him to say, "I will carry out a description," from his script. Tanase was part of a team of eight feature film projects in development that attended the Cinelink workshop on June 17th to 21st. The workshop took place before the complete Cinelink program at Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Sarajevo Film Festival, which is scheduled from August 15th to 22nd.
The Cinelink Workshop
The Cinelink workshop brought together regional filmmakers with international experts in production, finance, sales, and distribution. The program offered tailored consultations and script development sessions conducted by experts. This provided a unique opportunity for filmmakers to receive feedback and guidance on their projects.
Featured Film Projects
Several film projects were presented at the workshop, including Tanase’s "Agatha Candy," a genre film that explores a dark world where crime meets occultism. The film is produced by Anamaria Antoci, Anda Ionescu, and Ana Voicu of Romania’s Tangaj Production. Another project, "Placed half empty," a portrait of a queer relationship in Viktor Orbán’s Hungary, was presented by producer Evelyn Balogh from Hungary’s Non-Lieu Film Productions.
Benefits of the Workshop
The workshop provided a relaxed and stimulating environment for filmmakers to focus on their projects. Tanase appreciated the feedback he received, saying, "I hadn’t shown the script so far, so the workshop was a great way to find opinions from people who know how to read a script." Balogh also found the workshop helpful, stating, "It’s good for us that you don’t need credits [to be here] and can connect to experienced producers."
Fusion of Networking and Work
Andrija Mardesic described his project "Pagan" as a "pretty far" development, with preliminary shooting dates set for winter 2026. The project follows a woman who is sold as a new wife to a widowed sailor with five children on a Dalmatian island in the 1920s. Mardesic appreciated the workshop’s fusion of networking and work, saying, "It is a safe, relaxed environment to talk about the smaller details of the script."
Specificity of Feedback
Yusuf Elbasi, author and director of the workshop project "The Country," noticed the specificity of the feedback from international experts. "The tutors here were prepared in our meetings, they had read every letter from our script," said Elbasi. "We could not only discuss the general topic, but also the specific dialogue." Elbasi’s project is set in the mid-19th century and follows a Turkish painter and a German photographer as they take pictures of the Ottoman homeland.
Conclusion
The Cinelink workshop at Slano Film Days provided a valuable opportunity for filmmakers to receive feedback, guidance, and networking opportunities. The relaxed and stimulating environment allowed filmmakers to focus on their projects and connect with experienced producers and industry experts. The workshop’s unique approach to combining networking and work made it an ideal platform for filmmakers to develop their projects and prepare for future productions.
