This month, Bratislava becomes the creative hub for an impressive group of filmmakers from around the globe as they embark on the Pop Up Film Residency Bratislava 2024.
Six talented filmmakers from Egypt, Kazakhstan, Poland, and Zimbabwe are spending three weeks in Slovakia, joined by local Slovak filmmakers who are part of the Slovak Pop Up program. The residency, running from August 19th to September 9th, offers a unique opportunity for these filmmakers to develop their projects in a supportive environment, with the added benefit of engaging in cultural and creative exchanges.
These international filmmakers are joined by Slovak participants who are equally engaged in pushing the boundaries of cinematic storytelling:
- Viktória Rampal Dzurenko and Biba Bohinská with The Little Cancer, a film exploring mental health and familial relationships through the story of a young man struggling with bipolar disorder.
- György Kristóf and Veronika Gregušová with I Will Find You, a powerful narrative about a mother’s search for her surrogate child in a war-torn country.
- Marek Moučka with Glorious Utopia, a documentary essay that captures the surreal world of the micro-state Elgeland-Vargaland and the director’s own imaginative creation of a new state.
- Dorota Vlnová with Inside, a project questioning the origins of trauma and the role of society in shaping our responses to life’s challenges.
These filmmakers will be mentored by a distinguished lineup of international and Slovak mentors:
Alexandra Slašťanová: Alexandra graduated from Bratislava‘s VŠMU editing department, where she now teaches in addition to editing films. After trying out different types and scales of productions, from newscast, reality TV and fiction series to feature animation she has found her calling in documentaries, their dramaturgy. Work experience in Dublin, Paris and Prague, currently based in Bratislava, partly on maternity leave. She is a member of the ASFS, Association of Slovak Film Editors.
Daria Kashcheeva: Daria Kashcheeva born in 1986 is an independent filmmaker based in Prague. Her Bachelor’s animation short Daughter (2019) has got more than 100 awards at festivals worldwide and was nominated to the 92nd Oscar Academy Award. Her master degree film Electra (2023) premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and got the Best Short film award at the Toronto International Film Festival. Through the integration of hybrid forms, she aims to challenge and expand the constraints of conventional film genres. Currently, Daria is developing her debut full-length project, They/Them, in which she continues to explore hybrid forms and genres.
Nayeem Mahbub: Nayeem Mahbub is an international script consultant originally from Dhaka and currently based between Stockholm and Tallinn. He has consulted and mentored for EAVE Producers Workshop, LIM Boosting Ideas, Hamburg Series Lab and European Short Pitch amongst others, as well as on a project basis. Before switching to consulting, he worked as a film and video editor. He is an alumni of the multinational documentary DocNomads masters programme. He started his career writing and directing 2D animation in his native Bangladesh, followed by a short stint as a BBC World Service producer.
Peter Budinský: Peter is a director of animated films, an artist, and an animator. He worked on numerous projects, short films, series, and videos for television and online platforms. In 2013, he founded his own production company and animation studio, Plutoon, which is dedicated to creating various types of animated content. The studio collaborates with animators, illustrators, and creators of audiovisual material and provides its services to advertising agencies, television stations, production companies, and a wide range of other clients. Since 2011, Peter has been involved as director in the preparation and production of the feature-length animated film Tvojazem, which was co-produced with the Czech Republic and Belgium and was released in cinemas in 2022. The film had its world premiere at the International Festival of Films for Children and Youth in Zlín.
Filip Kasperaszek: One of the three main tutors for the TFL SeriesLab. Co-founder and consultant of Atelier Scenariuszowe. As a consultant works for workshops by Tatino Films, Netflix, TFL. Since 2016, he teaches screenwriting at Scuola Holden in Italy. In 2014-2021, an assistant professor at the Polish Film School in Łódź.
Alice Schweitzer: Alice is a comedy producer and script consultant. Her editorial input led to a series winning a Rose d’Or Award and she is currently developing her own comedy series with UK production company Little Island Productions. Alice has script edited and worked as a script consultant in East Africa, North America and across Europe.
The mentors will guide both the international participants and their Slovak counterparts, ensuring a rich exchange of ideas and experiences throughout the residency.
Supported by the Slovak Audiovisual Fund and international partners, the Pop Up Film Residency Bratislava shapes up to be a vital platform for nurturing innovative storytelling and fostering global collaboration in the world of cinema this year.