Marathi Film Gabricha Paus selected for Hubert Bal distribution grant news
Hubert Bals Fund selects 31 film projects
Satish Manwars' Marathi film "Gabricha Paus" (The Damned Rain) has been selected for distribution grant from Hubert Bal Fund. This is the lone Indian film to figure in the list of 31 projects selected for the prestigious funding from the Rotterdam International Film Festival.
Selected projects will receive grants for script development, digital production, postproduction, distribution or workshops. In its 2009 Spring selection, the Fund gives 450 thousand Euro to projects from twenty-two countries. Among the projects are new films by Caméra d'Or winner Vimukthi Jayasundara and Philippines' Adolfo Alix Jr., who's Manila, co-directed with Raya Martin, screens in Official Selection in Cannes this month.
All nine projects in the Fund's postproduction & final financing category are expected to screen in IFFR's 39th edition (January 27 - February 7, 2010). These include Fallen from the Sky, a visionary reflection on Sri Lanka by filmmaker Vimukthi Jayasundara. His début feature The Forsaken Land, also supported by the Hubert Bals Fund, won a Camera d'Or in Cannes 2005. Fallen from the Sky, presented at IFFR's CineMart in 2006, touches on the realities of contemporary Sri Lanka through the symbolic story of a young man travelling from the city to the tropical countryside.
The HBF also continues to support prolific young Philippine filmmaker Adolfo Alix Jr. His upcoming film Aurora tells the story of a woman held hostage in the jungle.
Five Asian filmmakers have been granted support in the Fund's digital production category. From Thailand, Sivaroj Kongsakul will make his début feature film Eternity produced by fellow-filmmaker Aditya Assarat (Wonderful Town). The other winners in this category are the second film by experimental filmmaker Paul Agusta from Indonesia, a new low budget project by Chinese filmmaker Ying Liang (Taking Father Home, Good Cats), a film by Philippine artist Khavn and the second feature film by Malaysian filmmaker Tan Chui Mui (Love Conquers All, VPRO Tiger Award 2007).
This Spring 2009 Selection Round, the Fund has awarded twelve filmmakers in the script development category. Of these, a vast majority is working on their feature film début. Especially Latin America and Asia continue to deliver promising young directors, gripping stories and innovative cinema.
The Hubert Bals Fund of the International Film Festival Rotterdam has a successful track record of discovering and supporting creative, independent filmmakers and stimulating film culture in developing countries. Twice a year, the fund makes contributions to a total of sixty film projects.
About 80% of these projects are realized. The contributions often act as seal of approval which helps finding additional investors. Many Hubert Bals Fund supported films have gained international acclaim at major film festivals and have found distribution in numerous countries.
The line up of the IFFR's Hubert Bals Fund Spring 2009 Selection Round in full:
Postproduction & final financing
10 to 11 ; Pelin Esmer - Turkey
Aurora ; Adolfo B. Alix Jr. - Philippines
Donkey ; Antonio Nuic - Croatia/Bosnia and Herzegovina
Fallen >From the Sky (Ahasin wataï)  ; Vimukthi Jayasundara - Sri Lanka
Mundane History ; Anocha Suwichakornpong - Thailand
Sun Spots ; Yang Heng - China
The True Noon ; Nosir Saidov - Tajikistan
Vaho ; Alejandro Gerber Bicecci - Mexico
Vertigo (Choi voi) ; Bui Thac Chuyen - Vietnam
Digital Production
At the Very Bottom of Everything ; Paul Agusta - Indonesia
Blown by the Typhoon ; Ying Liang - China
Eternity (Tee Rak) ; Sivaroj Kongsakul - Thailand
K. (The One And Only Concert Of The Amazing Combo Of Commander Kulas And His Poor But Very Colorful Carabao In The Long And Unwinding Road Of Kamias) ; Khavn De La Cruz - Philippines
The Year Without a Summer ; Tan Chui Mui - Malaysia
Script and Project development
De jueves a domingo ; Dominga Sotomayor - Chile
The Dunes ; Wang Haolin - China
Instructions for Divorce ; Tamara Sulamanidze - Georgia
Leones ; Jazmin López - Argentina
Neither the Veil, Nor the Four Walls ; Afia Nathaniel - Pakistan
El Nombre de la Hija ; Tania Hermida - Ecuador
Red Spider Lily ; Weng Shou-ming - China
Solo ; Guillermo Rocamora - Uruguay
Sur ; Guido Kalwill - Argentina
Twins (Kaluha); Sherad Anthony Sanchez - Philippines
Under the Canebrakes ; Iris Elezi - Albania
Vanishing Point ; Jakrawal Nilthamrong - Thailand
Distribution
Absurd and Absurdity ; Marat Alykulov - Kyrgyzstan (Oy Art Film Producing Company, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan)
The Damned Rain ; Satish Manwar - India (Pacific Entertainment, Pune, India)
Parque vÃa ; Enrique Rivero Huerta - Mexico (Interior13Cine, Mexico City, Mexico)
