ABOUT BABYLON
BABYLON is an audiovisual development programme assisting filmmakers of culturally diverse origin to break through into the international mainstream, with a particular interest in migrant and diasporic stories.
Frequently unrecognized, the stories that emerge from undiscovered talents of "double culture" provide the richest untapped source of storytelling across the world.
BABYLON provides a space in which these emerging filmmakers can speak to each other and to the widest international audience, providing access and inclusion.
BABYLON BREAKTHROUGH @ 56TH BFI LONDON FILM FESTIVAL, 21st OCT 2012
The 6th edition of BABYLON EUROPE, funded by the Creative Skillset Film Skills Fund and the Vienna Film Fund, held its final feature film development workshop of the year in London from 18-21 October, culminating in a panel discussion and pitching session about ways forward for new talent in independent film on 21st October at 10.30 (NFT3, BFI South Bank).
Panellists: David Thompson (MD, Origin Pictures), Leslee Udwin (MD/Producer,Assassin Films), Natasha Dack (MD/Producer, Tigerlily Films), Dominic Buchanan (Head of Film, Stink), Soledad Gatti-Pascual (Producer, The Bureau), Patrick Campbell (Director of Programming, OH TV). The panel was chaired by Gareth Jones of Scenario Films.
8 feature film projects from the UK have participated in the 2012 annual Babylon programme, with a further 9 taking part in sister organisation Diverse Geschichten's development programme in Austria. A series of intensive workshops focusing on script development, financing, marketing and distribution, held in London, Vienna, and at Cannes Market, brought together UK and Austrian filmmakers, enabling development of their projects over an extended period from March to October.
Full list of selected projects here.
Further information on the programme click here »
BABYLON NEWS
Sally El Hosaini's film My Brother the Devil (Babylon 2009) was released nationwide in the UK on 9th November 2012 by Verve Pictures.
Sally won Best Newcomer at the London Film Festival, with sellout screenings 16/19/21 October, see London Film Festival for times and venues.
Read Sally El Hosaini's Q & A for Babylon here.
Review Click here »
Umut Dag's film Kuma (Babylon 2009) co-written with Babylon alumna Petra Ladinigg, has been released theatrically across Europe and the US during 2012. The film, which has already sold to 15 territories, opened the Panorama section of the Berlinale 2012.
My Brother the Devil and Kuma were both selected in competition for the E50,000 Best First Feature prize at the Berlinale 2012.
Two further Babylon-supported films screened in the LOLA section of the Berlinale: Abgebrannt by Verena S. Freytag and Baikonur by Veit Helmer.
Didi Cheeka's film In Silence and in Tears (Babylon International 2010) was selected at Durban Filmmart in July 2012 and also for the Rotterdam Lab 2013.
Mai Masri's film 3000 Nights (Babylon 2009) took part in l'Atelier du Festival in Cannes in May 2012. Click here for more... »
Dima Hamdan's The Kidnap (Babylon 2010) recently won the development award of the Göteborg International Film Festival 2012.
For the latest Babylon news, press and reviews Click here »
Programme Overview
Since 2010 BABYLON has run two complementary strands, BABYLON EUROPE and BABYLON INTERNATIONAL.
BABYLON EUROPE offers project-based training for teams of feature film Writers, Directors and Producers, aimed at preparing their projects for the international market.
The programme focuses on a combination of script development, production skills and market understanding, balancing intensive residential workshops with continuous mentoring by senior industry consultants.
Babylon's aim is to to build a successful and diverse pool of film storytelling and talent; to promote and strengthen cultural diversity within the independent film sector, and to provide an international platform for emerging filmmakers.
Celebrating its 6th year in 2012, BABYLON EUROPE welcomed 20 participants and 13 projects to its annual programme, with workshops in London (30 March - 1 April, 18-21 October), Vienna (25-28 March, 25-28 September), and at Cannes Market 18-21 May, culminating with its panel and pitching event at the 56th BFI London Film Festival in October.
Click here for selected 2012 projects»
BABYLON EUROPE is run by founders Scenario Films (UK). In 2012 the programme was produced in association with Witcraft (Austria) and funded by the Creative Skillset Film Skills Fund UK and the Vienna Film Fund (Filmfonds Wien).
BABYLON INTERNATIONAL is a venture forging industrial and creative links between Europe with other continents.
In 2011 BABYLON INTERNATIONAL brought together 17 European and African filmmakers in a joint script development workshop in Berlin (May 2011) and production lab in Abuja, Nigeria (September 2011) where trailers for the features were shot and edited for presentation at the Abuja Film Festival. They are now available to view online at Babylon's new web forum World4Film»
BABYLON INTERNATIONAL is run by a three-sided partnership of independent producers Script House (Berlin), Scenario Films (London) and Ciné-Sud Promotion (Paris). The funding partners are the European Union’s MEDIA Mundus and the Nigerian Film Corporation.
Click here for more details about the selected 2011 projects »
Scenario Films, UK /Witcraft,Austria/ScriptHouse, Germany/Ciné-Sud Promotion, Paris/Mira Media, Holland/, Play Film, Paris.
