“I would like to start by giving a different and broader definition of Nebulae and the way we imagine and shape it since its first edition,” programme chief Glenda Balucani underlines to Business Doc Europe on the eve of the 2022 event.
“Even if fostering collaborations and co-productions is one of Nebulae’s main goals, we wouldn’t describe it as a co-production market.”
She points out how, from the start, Nebulae has had 4 main focuses: training and creative development, co-production and co-financing opportunities, distribution and distribution in traditional and alternative circuits, and investigation “into the language and practices of non-fiction cinema.”
“Its mission is to provide a common and powerful ground for film professionals across Europe and worldwide, targeting not only directors and producers with a film project in development but also key players in the film industry,” she stresses, adding how, “one of the unique characteristics that defines Nebulae is the ongoing and dynamic dialogue with Doclisboa’s film programme.”
The Nebulae head further stresses how two core aspects of her programme are the examination of, and integration with, the industry of a chosen country (this year France), and the ongoing Arché creative lab that targets Ibero-American and Italian projects at different stages to increase visibility and bolster new collaborations and distribution opportunities. RAW, an extended version of Arché, similarly targets the production sectors of Portugal and Spain.
“Both the Invited Country and Arché dialogue with other activities presented in Nebulae, such as the State of the Art conference that promotes an active and deep dialogue between different cultural agents and encourages new synergies and networks among European professionals, representing an innovative and essential space for an in-depth analysis and discussion around the ever changing landscape of theatrical distribution in theaters and festivals but also in non-conventional spaces such as art galleries and museums, often less represented,” continues Balucani.
“Overall, Nebulae supports and promotes European non-fiction cinema worldwide, with a focus on independent and low capacity countries’ productions, presenting also strong relations with the audiovisual markets of the Portuguese and Spanish-speaking countries of Latin America. Nebulae’s ongoing dialogue with Doclisboa also represents an important aspect, since it allows a proximity between the festival and industry participants and, during the year, an attention to the projects in development that took part in Nebulae,” she adds.
Another key activity linking Nebulae and Doclisboa, are the curated Consulting Sessions, one-to-one meetings between circulation and distribution experts and filmmakers and producers with a film premiering in Doclisboa.
CONSTELLATIONS
The Constellations programme of talks, round tables and masterclasses seeks to “meet different needs, changing the range of topics approached every year and keeping alive the interaction between the industry professionals and the general audience of Doclisboa,” Balucani underlines. She specifically cites the October 13 ‘Women in Film, Women at Work’ debate at the Goethe Institute. “We discuss how women have been represented in film as workers, the fights and collective struggles, and how diversified portrayals can call for a broader discussion and understanding,” read the notes on the event.
JUMPGATE SUMMIT
This year Nebulae will present the inaugural Jumpgate, a 3-day summit and training programme aimed at European senior and emerging producers, giving them the opportunity to share experiences and expertise, finding new matches and co-productions. It will comprise training sessions and panels and will welcome a total of 22 participants representing 14 different European countries.
WHY NEBULAE?
Why, though, should international professionals choose Nebulae among the plethora of Industry events on offer in the Autumn calendar? “We don’t feel that the industry community should “choose” Nebulae over other industry events and markets, since our vision is one that starts from uniqueness and looks at the audiovisual landscape as a whole, instead as a fragmented puzzle,” Balucani responds. “We strongly believe that growth is only possible through active and ongoing collaboration and that a difference is made when festivals and markets do not compete but work together and collaborate for the advancement of the creation, promotion and circulation of works and talents.”
She further points out in 2022 she and colleagues (both in Lisbon and Germany) have created “Double Bill”, a double accreditation that gives a discount to film professionals willing to attend both Doclisboa and DOKLeipzig and their industry activities.
PROJECTS
Twenty projects at different stages of development, and which “reflect the diversity and the strength of the proposals and their authorial approach” are selected at Nebulae 2022. Arché accounts for 12 film projects representing 11 Ibero-American countries, and teams will work intensely in a programme that includes development workshops, pitching sessions and tailored one-to-one meetings with key industry professionals.
Invited country France will present a selection of 5 home-produced and co-produced projects, and there is a further selection of 3 projects representing the invited countries of the previous Nebulae editions: Germany, Georgia and Croatia.
“We are really pleased and excited to present the 2022 selection and offer to the project teams an important stage and concrete opportunities to further develop their works while fostering the proximity between film production and film criticism and supporting the projects visibility and networking moments,” says Balucani.
PORTUGUESE PROJECTS
“The national presence in Nebulae and Arché this year is represented by 2 strong projects, both in editing stage, reflecting the general growth and development of the contemporary Portuguese productions. Projects that are strongly linked to the national cinematic tradition but at the same time bringing new perspectives and approaches both in their language and artistic visions,” explains Balucani.
For you, Portugal, I Swear!, directed and produced by Diogo Cardoso and Sofia da Palma Rodrigues, from Bagabaga Studios, is a collective portrait of the thousands of Africans that, during the Portuguese Colonial War, fought alongside the Portuguese Armed Forces and, after the Carnation Revolution, which brought an end to the Portuguese Dictatorship and the colonial war, were left behind. 50 years later, the surviving Guinean Commandos tell their story for the first time.
Savanna and the Mountain, a co-production between the Portuguese Bam Bam Cinema and the Uruguayan La Pobladora Cine directed by Paulo Carneiro, talks about the strategies the population of Covas do Barroso (a little village in the north of Portugal) looks for in order to face the threat of a mining operation by a multinational. Arché also welcomes a co-production between Colombia and Portugal (Kintop): Welcome Interplanetary and Sideral Space Conquerors, by Andrés Jurado.
“Also important to highlight is the Portuguese presence in Jumpgate – Inspiring European Producers, a newborn summit targeting European senior and emerging producers aiming at offering them a space to share knowledge and experiences and to foster possible new collaborations and co-productions,” underlines Balucani. Invited Portuguese producers are Filipa Reis (Uma Pedra no Sapato), Isabel Machado (CRIM Productions), Pedro Fernandes Duarte (Primeira Idade) and Miguel de Jesus whose latest film Ultimate Bliss is selected for Portuguese Competition 2022. The project was part of the selection of Arché in 2021.
“We strongly believe in the potential of Nebulae and its activities as an incubator and a catalyst for the promotion and circulation of Portuguese cinema worldwide and a space that promotes international exchanges and connections,” says Balucani.
NEBULAE/ARCHÉ SUCCESSES
Over the years, many projects have been presented and circulated in international markets and festivals. Highlights include:
- H by Carlos Pardos Ros (Arché 2018 and part of the Video Library completed films section in 2021) was selected for Official Competition in Visions du Réel.
- The Memory of the Butterflies by Tatiana Fuentes (Arché 2019) was granted funding by the Justfilms programme of the Ford Foundation after the Executive Director attended Nebulae in 2019.
- Night Tears or the End of Innocence by Miguel Moras Cabral (Arché 2020), a Portugal/Belgium co-production, partnered with Mexican producer Paula Astorga for the post-production stage after the 2020 edition of Nebulae.
- Streams of Silence by Valentina Pelayo (Arché 2020 and part of the completed films section in the Video Library) premiered in FICUNAM after being watched by a member of its team.
- After his participation in RAW’s criticism and research programme with an investigation on revolution and cinema in Bolivia and Peru, Nicolás Carrasco was invited to present the programme in CalArts in 2020.
- Lucia Salas participated in RAW’s criticism and research programme in 2019 and was invited by Susana Nascimento Duarte (Portuguese film researcher and professor at ESAD film school, Portugal) to give a lecture on the subject of her investigation, after a meeting in Nebulae.
- Ketevan Kapanadze: participated in the Invited Country programme in 2020 (Georgia) with the project How the Room Felt (previously called Champions), produced by Salome Jashi. The film had its premiere in IDFA International Competition 2021.
- Sunny by Ketevani Machavariani (Georgia, Invited Country, 2020) with the project, produced by Nato Sikharulidze (Terra Incognita Films) and Tsisana Khundadze (Sunny Films). The project had its premiere in Hot Docs World Showcase section 2021.
- Water Has No Borders by Maradia Tsaava (Georgia, Invited Country, 2020), a Georgia/French co-production premiered in DOK Leipzig International Competition in 2021.
- Georgian Misho Antadze (Invited Country 2020) with the project Ozymandias, produced by Giorgi Kobalia – Terra Incognita Films. The project had its premiere in IDFA 2021.
- Mother Lode by Matteo Tortone (Arché 2019), an Italy-France-Switzerland co-production, premiered in the Venice Critics Week 2021 and was selected for some of the key festivals across Europe, such as Thessaloniki Film Festival, Annecy Cinema Italien.
- Blue has no Dimensions by Ágata de Pinho (Arché 2019) had its world premiere at the Rotterdam International Film Festival in 2022.
- The Metamorphosis of Birds by Catarina Vasconcelos (Arché 2016) premiered in the 70th Berlinale (2020), won the FIPRESCI award for Best Film in the section Encounters. It was subsequently selected for more than 50 festivals worldwide, winning more than 15 awards. It was selected as the Portuguese entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 94th Academy Awards.
