Exploring the Future of Cinema: Highlights from the Berlinale Co-Production Market 2024.

Three cash prizes and one non-cash prize were given to selected feature film ideas on Sunday during the Berlinale Co-Production Market (February 17th to 21st).

Over 370 films and 22 series that sought partners at the Berlinale Co-Production Market in recent years have already been finished.

Image credit: Official #BerlinaleCoProductionMarket2024 Eurimages Co-Production Development Award Ceremony of the Berlinale Co-Production Market 2024

The Eurimages Co-Production Development Award of 20,000 euros was granted to Ukrainian producers ForeFilms for their film Screaming Girl (director: Antonio Lukich). Eurimages, the European film funding organisation, will utilise the prize to help the production flourish. This year's jury included promotion representative Emma Scott (Screen Ireland, Ireland), world sales agent Oscar Alonso (Latido Films, Spain), and producer Uljana Kim from Lithuania (Studio Uljana Kim, Lithuania).

The VFF, a collecting society for film and television producers, annually sponsors a promising young talent project from the Talent Project Market, which is organised by the Berlinale Co-Production Market in collaboration with Berlinale Talents. The VFF Talent Highlight Award is worth 10,000 euros. Silence Sometimes (directed by Álvaro Robles) won this year's award. Producer Mireia Vilanova (Cartuna, USA) pitched the project. Producer and director Assel Aushakimova (Risk Pictures) of Kazakhstan and producer Liselotte Persson (Snowcloud) of Sweden received nomination prizes of 1,000 euros.

The ARTEKino International Award 2024 goes to Hungarian director Hajni Kis's production I am Marika, which was produced by Proton Cinema. ARTE honors an artistically outstanding initiative with this 6,000-euro prize.

For the second time, the World Cinema Fund Audience Strategies Award was given to a co-production market project from a WCF funding country; the producers of Seera Films from Germany, as well as director Fradique, will receive comprehensive advice on optimising the audience and communication strategies of their film Hold Time for Me.

At the 21st Berlinale Co-Production Market, producers from 34 selected feature film projects will connect with co-producers and financiers. Over 1,500 separate encounters with potentially relevant partners were scheduled and managed ahead of time, with over 600 participants in all.

Ten books for adaptation and ten new series proposals have also been chosen. They are the subject of the pitch events Books at Berlinale and Co-Pro Series.

The Berlinale 2024 will feature five outstanding films: Keyke Mahboobe Man (My Favourite Cake) by Maryam Moghaddam and Behtash Sanaeeha in competition, Arcadia by Yorgos Zois in Encounters, Quelle'estate con Irène (My Summer with Irène) by Carlo Sironi and Comme le feu (Who by Fire) by Philippe Lesage in Generation, and Oasis of Now by Chee Sum Chia in the Forum.

The Berlinale Co-Production Market is a Berlinale Pro* project of the Berlin International Film Festival, supported by the MDM - Central German Media Funding, the Creative Europe - MEDIA program of the European Union, and the Film Funding Agency (FFA). The Berlin House of Representatives serves as both the collaboration partner and the principal venue.

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Japan & UAE Have Agreed to Broaden The Scope of Their Current Technology Relationship.

Japan and UAE have agreed to broaden the scope of their current technology relationship which will prioritise investment in semiconductors and batteries.

Pritish Bagdi

According to a statement issued by Japan's foreign ministry, the countries discussed five areas of cooperation during Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's visit to the UAE. Green economy; trade; diplomacy and security; culture, education, science and technology; and international and regional affairs are among the topics covered.

In the field of technology, the UAE made a promise to invest in Japan's semiconductor industry through two frameworks, expanding on a scheme focusing on advanced technology signed by the two earlier this year.

Furthermore, the governments agreed that the UAE will provide financial support to Japan in order to enhance its battery ecosystem.

There are plans for the two countries to enhance their cooperation in space technology, artificial intelligence, and the circular economy.

Japan emphasised the pair's goal of leading climate action in the international community ahead of the UN's COP28, which will be held at the end of this year.

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Amitabh Bachchan's Ikonz Ventures Into Generative AI

Amitabh Bachchan, an Indian film legend, is launching a generative AI studio, aggregator, and digital IP monetization platform called Ikonz.

Ikonz, which already collaborates with Indian graphic books franchises such as Amar Chitra Katha, Tinkle, and Chacha Chaudhary, has expressed its goal of "bringing together advanced technologies and cultural icons to create a new era of interactive entertainment."

Swati Bhat

Generative AI is a form of artificial intelligence (AI) system that may generate text, graphics, or other media in response to prompts, with current notable examples including ChatGPT and Bing Chat.

The Ikonz team is collaborating with Bachchan to capture his iconic characteristics and give an experience to fans all around the world. Customers in India will be able to interact with Bachchan at various locations and have him interact with them instantly when it launches at the end of 2023.

"It's a momentous day for Ikonz as the true symbolism of our name has been derived with the icon Amitabh Bachchan joining forces with us," stated Abinav Varma Kalidindi, founder and CEO of Ikonz. We will work together to harness the power of generative AI to build immersive experiences that transcend physical bounds. With our cutting-edge technology, fans will be able to connect with their favorite actors like never before. Who knows, maybe you'll be able to take selfies with Amit-ji in your town."

"I am fascinated by the way technology is evolving and the rate at which new innovations are emerging globally, one of which is generative AI," Bachchan remarked. I am thrilled to be a part of such an exciting future world of generative AI and have thus joined with Abinav-endorsed Ikonz. We will begin on this new metaverse world together."

Village Global, a venture capital group supported by Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, and Reid Hoffman, is among the investors of Ikonz. Woodstock and Polygon have both invested in the startup, as has "Baahubali" star Rana Daggubati and Prasad Vanga's Anthill Ventures.

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