T-Port Blog

T-Port Lighthouse Selections 2023: The Interviews – The ‘Strange and Exciting’ Life of Alex Lawther

By: T-Port Team
10-04-2024
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animation, Awards, Fiction, Filmmakers, Independent
Alex Lawther has been making his name as an actor for quite some time, but his directorial debut, the short film FOR PEOPLE IN TROUBLE, which he also wrote, has already been making a splash on the festival circuit in 2023 and 2024.  T-Port’s Jess Sweetman caught up with the Paris-based Brit, whose work appears […]
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T-Port Lighthouse Selections 2023: The Interviews – Janina Lutter on standing up through (and beyond) film

By: T-Port Team
26-03-2024
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animation, Awards, Fiction, Filmmakers, Independent
Filmmaker Janina Lutter is the director of the Lighthouse Selected film THE SCHOOL IS ON FIRE AND WE KNOW WHY, which appears on T-Port courtesy of our partners at Hessische Film und Medienakademie (hFMA). In this interview, the sparky Lutter shares the kindness and fighting spirit she brings to her filmmaking, while enlightening us on some […]
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This International Women’s Day – Emerging Female Filmmakers Share Their Views on the Current State of the Film Industry

By: T-Port Team
07-03-2024
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animation, Awards, Fiction, Filmmakers, Independent
By Jess Sweetman – T-Port Marketing  March 8th is International Women’s Day (IWD), a global holiday celebrated annually to commemorate women’s cultural, political, and social achievements. It is also a focal point in the women’s rights movement, bringing attention to issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence and abuse against women. The film […]
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T-Port Lighthouse Selections 2023: The Interviews – Camille Tricaud – Portrait of a film lover creating for a better future

By: T-Port Team
21-02-2024
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animation, Awards, Fiction, Filmmakers, Independent
French director and producer Camille Tricaud is hard at work as a founder of the independent production company Benedetta Films. In this inspiring interview we caught up with her to delve into how she used sound in her Lighthouse Selected-film SLOW DOWN THE FALL (which she co-directed with Franziska Unger), as well as discovering her […]
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T-Port Lighthouse Selections 2023: The Interviews – Poetry of the pragmatic with Maximilian Bungarten

By: T-Port Team
19-01-2024
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animation, Awards, Fiction, Filmmakers, Independent
Maximilian Bungarten is the director of 2023 Lighthouse Selection THE AGE OF INNOCENCE, a short he shot on film in his home-city of Cologne, Germany. The film, which he independently uploaded to T-Port along with another Lighthouse Selection from his production company, Benedetta films, was picked by guest curator Laurence Boyce.  Hi Maximilian, would you […]
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T-Port Lighthouse Selections 2023: The Interviews – Follow and the miracles will come – a chat with Anat Eisenberg

By: T-Port Team
12-01-2024
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animation, Awards, Fiction, Filmmakers, Independent
Anat Eisenberg, director of the Lighthouse-Selected short NOVY GOD, made her film shortly after becoming a mother, especially poignant as the film’s narrative was inspired by the complicated relationship between Eisenberg’s grandmother and the younger woman who cared for her.  We caught up with the director, whose film appears on T-Port courtesy of our partners […]
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T-Port Lighthouse Selections 2023: The Interviews – Dascha Petuchow on immigrant identities, ‘family ties, and their underlying humanity’

By: T-Port Team
04-01-2024
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animation, Awards, Fiction, Filmmakers, Independent
Filmmaker Dascha Petuchow was in lockdown when she wrote the script for her 29-minute drama CHEWING GUM. The short, which was inspired by revisiting her own experiences of growing up as the daughter of an immigrant in Germany, was included in the 2023 T-Port Lighthouse Selections, picked by curator Laurence Boyce. In this interview, the […]
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T-Port Lighthouse Selections 2023: The Interviews – A breath of fresh air with Gunnur Martinsdóttir Schlüter

By: T-Port Team
22-12-2023
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animation, Awards, Fiction, Filmmakers, Independent
This week, we’re focussing on Gunnnur Martinsdóttir Schlüter’s 5-minute short FÁR, which tells the story of a woman’s dilemma when a bird hits the window of the cafe she is in. The film’s icy aesthetic was inspired by the German-Icelandic director’s hometown Reykjavik. FÁR, which appears on T-Port courtesy of our partners at Salaud Morisset, […]
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T-Port Lighthouse Selections 2023: The Interviews – Filmmaker Stanley Xu on a childhood memory laid to rest

By: T-Port Team
14-12-2023
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animation, Awards, Fiction, Filmmakers, Independent
Singaporean filmmaker Stanley Xu was inspired to make his short A DAY, THAT YEAR, while working through the impact of a chilling childhood memory. The film made it into the 2023 T-Port Lighthouse Selections, picked by curator Laurence Boyce. We caught up with the director to find out about his extensive casting process to find […]
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T-Port Lighthouse Selections 2023: The Interviews – Documentarian Zohar Orian Cohen on her ‘need of justice and aspiration for truth’

By: T-Port Team
07-12-2023
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animation, Awards, Fiction, Filmmakers, Independent
Israeli documentarian Zohar Orian Cohen describes herself as someone who seeks truth and justice, and it was in this spirit she turned the camera upon herself for her student film, created through the School of Audio and Visual Arts, Sapir College (Sderot, IL): SHEMEI KLAMI /  / LISTEN TO WHAT I SAY (LISTEN TO MY VOICE), […]
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Script Pool Tallinn winner Léon Yersin on his intriguing feature film pitch, his short MISCELLANEOUS, and dreams of space operas

By: T-Port Team
05-12-2023
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Fiction, Filmmakers
The 2023 Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival finished recently, where the SCRIPT POOL AWARD of €5000 was awarded to the T-Port talent/filmmaker, Léon Yersin, who pitched the feature film “What Remains” at the PÖFF Script Pool. Yersin was selected to the Script Pool pitching as part of the collaboration between T-Port and PÖFF. We caught […]
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Filmmaker Shira Yermiyahu on her collaborative filmmaking process and finding inspiration

By: T-Port Team
27-11-2023
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Fiction, Filmmakers
FAIRY TALE by director Shira Yermiyahu, is a short film about 3 teenage girls on summer vacation, who are searching for adventure to relieve the boredom of a typical night in Yavne: A desperate quest for vodka ends in a dark warehouse where the town hunk ruins one of their lives. We caught up with […]
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The busiest woman in the short film world – The Industry Interview with Anne Gaschütz from Filmfest Dresden and Locarno Film Festival

By: T-Port Team
25-10-2023
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Film Industry Insight, Professional
Anne Gaschütz is a busy woman! Not only is she a co-director of Filmfest Dresden, but she is part of the Selection Committee at the Locarno Film Festival’s Pardi di domani. We caught up with her to find out why she loves short films, what she’s looking for, and to gather her considerable insights into […]
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The Industry Interview: Berlinale Generation and Filmfest Dresden’s Vincent Förster gives the inside scoop on programming for children and teens

By: T-Port Team
17-10-2023
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Film Industry Insight, Professional
Vincent Förster is the Programme Manager for Shorts at Berlinale Generation as well as a member of the selection committee for International Competition at Filmfest Dresden. We caught up with him to find out more about what he does, why he loves programming for kids, and to find out his advice for filmmakers. Hi Vincent! […]
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From sickness to joy – Arvin Kananian on directing his ‘playful and elegant’ send-up of the perfectly polished

By: T-Port Team
16-10-2023
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Fiction, Filmmakers
“Simon and Siván are the perfect artsy couple. Everything in their lives is curated, from the way they have sex to their choice of therapist. One night, during another soulless art exhibition, the shiny surface of their relationship starts to crack.” Swedish-Iranian director Arvin Kananian’s short VERNISSAGE is a “playful and elegant” commentary on “a […]
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The industry interview with Flavio Armone – Co-Founder and Managing Director of Lights On Film

By: T-Port Team
11-10-2023
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Film Industry Insight, Professional
Lights On Films is a world sales company of quality cinema based in Italy. Their line up includes feature films and shorts from international emerging talents (which can be viewed by professional subscribers on T-Port). Their goal is to be a film’s first promoter – exploiting the potential of a movie until it reaches its […]
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Locarno Pardi di domani winners – The Interviews: Eric K. Boulianne on the importance of storytelling and the resilience of love

By: T-Port Team
09-10-2023
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Fiction, Film Festival, Filmmakers
Eric K. Boulianne switched from screenwriting to writing and directing for his short film FAIRE UN ENFANT (MAKING BABIES), and earned the Pardi di domani Best Direction Award BONALUMI Engineering. We chatted to the director about what it felt like to receive such an honour, as well as getting the lowdown on how he made […]
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Sari Volanen, Short Film Commissioner with the Finnish broadcaster Yle and partner of the Baltic Pitching Forum shares her wisdom from the industry

By: T-Port Team
04-10-2023
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Film Industry Insight, Professional
Our partners at Lithuanian Shorts will host the annual Baltic Pitching Forum starting from October 10th. We were fortunate to chat to Sari Volanen, the Commissioning Editor of Finnish public broadcaster Yleisradio (Yle), who presents the Pre-buy Award to one successful pitch at the BPF. Hi Sari, tell us about what you find most inspiring […]
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Locarno Pardi di domani winners – The Interviews: Lea Bloch on speaking her truth

By: T-Port Team
02-10-2023
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Fiction, Film Festival, Filmmakers
Filmmaker Lea Bloch’s film LAST NIGHT is a tense drama based around a group of friends unravelling the non-consensual sex that occurred between two of them the previous night. The film won the Pardino d’oro Swiss Life award for the Best Swiss Short Film at Locarno Film Festival in 2023. We caught up with the […]
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The Industry Interview with Sven Schwarz, Administrative Director of Short Film Festival Hamburg

By: T-Port Team
28-09-2023
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Film Festival, Film Industry Insight, Professional
Welcome to T-Port’s Industry Interviews, where we chat with people from the short film world about their roles, organisations, and the future of short film. This week we caught up with Sven Schwarz, the Administrative Director of Kurzfilm Festival Hamburg to chat about great films, beautiful festival experiences, and why he loves his job. What […]
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Locarno Pardi di domani winners – The Interviews: Amirhossein Shojaei on natural light, ambient sound, and distributing Iranian shorts

By: T-Port Team
25-09-2023
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Fiction, Film Festival, Filmmakers
This year’s Locarno Film Festival may be over but here at T-Port we have their catalogue of selected shorts and winners here for professional subscribers to enjoy. Among them is THE GUARD, a film by Iranian filmmaker Amirhossein Shojaei, winner of the Medien Patent Verwaltung AG Award. We caught up with the filmmaker about what […]
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Writing from a fascination with the unseen stories that surround us: An interview with filmmaker Can Baran

By: T-Port Team
21-09-2023
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Fiction, Film Festival, Filmmakers
Filmmaker Can Baran has just graduated from Turkey’s Bilkent University school of Communications and Design and his graduation film TENEMENT has made it to the National Student Films final at the Adana Golden Boll International Film Festival. In this interview we caught up with Can to find out more about his late-night inspiration sessions, what […]
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Advice from the industry: An interview with Jukka-Pekka Laakso, Festival Director of Tampere Film Festival

By: T-Port Team
20-09-2023
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Film Festival, Film Industry Insight, Professional
    Tampere Film Festival, Finland is one of the three largest short film festivals that happen annually in Europe – screening around 400 films every year and attracting approximately 30,000 visitors. We chatted to Festival Director Jukka-Pekka Laakso about the festival, their films, and why short films are important. What about your role and […]
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‘Good films. Nothing more, nothing less’ – An interview with Laurence Boyce, T-Port Lighthouse Guest Curator 2023

By: T-Port Team
13-09-2023
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Lighthouse
As we ramp up to the closing date of September 15th, for filmmakers to submit their shorts to be eligible for the 2023 T-Port Lighthouse Selections, we wanted to share a bit more about our esteemed curators – as well as finding out what drives them and where they come from. In this interview we […]
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‘In curating there is power for change’ – An interview with Maike Mia Höhne, T-Port Lighthouse Guest Curator 2023

By: T-Port Team
22-08-2023
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Lighthouse
As we ramp up to the closing date of September 15th, for filmmakers to submit their shorts to be eligible for the 2023 T-Port Lighthouse Selections, we wanted to share a bit more about our esteemed curators – as well as finding out what drives them and where they come from. In this interview with […]
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Documentary as a means of self-exploration and healing: an interview with Ehud Mordehay, director of UnNamed

By: T-Port Team
17-08-2023
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Fiction, Film Festival, Filmmakers
“On August 1, 2009, a perpetrator forcefully entered the meeting place for LGBTQ+ youth known as ‘Barnoar’ in the heart of Tel Aviv, unleashing a hail of gunfire indiscriminately. In an instant, that fateful bullet pierced my body, forever altering the course of my life.” With these words, filmmaker Ehud (Udi) Mordehay introduces the heartbreaking […]
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T-Port Lighthouse Selections 2023 – Curators Announced

By: T-Port Team
10-08-2023
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Lighthouse
We are excited to announce the two guest curators for this year’s T-Port Lighthouse Selections are Laurence Boyce and Maike Mia Höhne. These industry veterans will select a group of their favourite short films from T-Port’s extensive catalogue to make up our premium collection for 2023.  Laurence Boyce Laurence Boyce was born in Leeds, UK […]
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Director Dawid Bodzak on acceptance to Cannes, lighting a neo-Giallo, and improvised film music on set

By: T-Port Team
26-07-2023
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Fiction, Film Festival, Filmmakers
Filmmaker Dawid Bodzak has recently graduated from the Polish National Film School in Lodz and he has more reasons to celebrate as his film KROKODYL was selected for the 2023 Cannes Court Metrage. We caught up with the filmmaker to talk about his process, lighting a neo-Gialo that was shot on film stock, his unique […]
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Representation, karaoke, and recreating the past during a pandemic: A conversation with director Mimi Vlaovic

By: T-Port Team
14-07-2023
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Drama, Fiction, Filmmakers
Serbian-born, London-based director Mimi Vlaovic – whose film is on T-Port courtesy of our partners at Festival Formula, has seen festival success with her graduation short film YOUR GUARDIAN, including landing a nomination for the Young Director’s Award at Cannes. In this interview we catch up about karaoke as stress management, her bugbears about Serbian […]
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Filmmaker Yarden Malka Bonet on how her documentary helped address and heal family wounds

By: T-Port Team
13-07-2023
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Drama, Fiction, Filmmakers
For her documentary THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ALAIN, director Yarden Malka Bonet took on the deeply personal subject of her grandfather, a man who returned to the family after a long absence spent in religious service in Germany. In this interview we find out what it felt for the filmmaker, whose work appears on T-Port […]
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From loss to creation: Exploring A PLACE THAT DOESN’T EXIST with Tehilla Ruddell

By: T-Port Team
05-07-2023
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Drama, Fiction, Filmmakers
29-year-old Tehilla Ruddell just graduated from Minshar School of Art in Tel Aviv. In her short film “A PLACE THAT DOESN’T EXIST” she explores her own story, having left the orthodox Jewish world at the age of 16. We caught up with the filmmaker to talk about her journey and how the filmmaking process helped […]
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‘A thousand different lives at the same time’: An interview with EFP Future Frames Filmmaker Joris Tobé

By: T-Port Team
23-06-2023
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animation, Fiction, Filmmakers
Joris Tobé’s graduation film FRANTIC ATTEMPTS appears at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival this week courtesy of our partners at EFP Future Frames, and it was awarded the Circle of Film Critics Award for best graduation film at the Dutch Film Festival. In this heartwarming interview we take a deep dive with the director into […]
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The magical light of Spain: An interview with Christian Avilés, director of DAYDREAMING SO VIVIDLY ABOUT OUR SPANISH HOLIDAYS

By: T-Port Team
21-06-2023
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animation, Fiction, Filmmakers
This week, several upcoming European filmmakers will be sharing their work at the prestigious Karlovy Vary Film Festival as part of the European Film Promotion’s (EFP) Future Frames Programme. One of whom is the Spanish director Christian Avilés, whose graduation film DAYDREAMING SO VIVIDLY ABOUT OUR SPANISH HOLIDAYS has already screened at Berlinale, Kurzfilm Hamburg, […]
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The life cycle of cicadas spun into “a love letter to death and to my family”: Animator Fernanda Caicedo on using art to ponder the big questions

By: T-Port Team
15-06-2023
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animation, Fiction, Filmmakers
Stop-motion animator Fernanda Caicedo learned about her Grandmother’s death when she was far away from her Ecuadorian family, while studying in Germany. The grief and distance spurred her to explore her own fear of death through her art. The result is WIND WHISPERER, a film appearing on T-Port through our partner Bauhaus Universität. In this […]
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Protecting an institution in danger: An interview with Julie Rousson, from Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival

By: T-Port Team
13-06-2023
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Film Festival, Film Industry Insight, Professional
The Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival and Market is a central part of the events calendar for short filmmakers and those in the wider industry. But the organisation recently announced that a substantial cut in their grant from the regional council could put the entire event in danger. We talked to Julie Rousson, Programmer, Industry Events […]
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Filmakademie Wien’s Danny Krausz on instilling confidence and helping film students find their audiences

By: T-Port Team
01-06-2023
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Film Industry Insight, Professional
T-Port’s newest partner Filmakademie Wien, the innovative educational and training centre for film and television professionals based in Vienna, Austria, has been raising film professionals for the past 70 years. We spoke to the Head of the Institution, who also holds a professorship in production, Danny Krausz, to talk about what they have to offer […]
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Filmmaking without regret: An interview with BORDER CONVERSATIONS documentarian Jonathan Brunner

By: T-Port Team
31-05-2023
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Documentary, Filmmakers
26-year-old Jonathan Brunner is no stranger to T-Port, having taken part in our 2023 Clermont Talents Connexion pitching contest.  We caught up with the filmmaker, whose work appears on T-Port through our partners at Filmakademie Baden Württenberg, to find out more about the process he went through in producing his short film BORDER CONVERSATIONS and […]
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On networking, screenwriting, and becoming: In Conversation with Screen Talent Europe’s President, Marion Bouvier

By: T-Port Team
05-05-2023
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Film Industry Insight, Professional, Screen Talent Europe
Marion Bouvier is the President of Screen Talent Europe, a network of film workshops and media centres around Europe whose goal is to help filmmakers exchange knowledge, experiences and methods through talent camps, network meetings and co-productions. We caught up with her to find out more about how STE work with upcoming filmmakers to help […]
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A film made with friends, for friends: Lili Zahavi’s ME MYSELF ANDI

By: T-Port Team
12-04-2023
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Awards, Documentary, Drama, Fiction, Filmmakers, Independent
Filmmaker Lili Zahavi made her documentary ME MYSELF ANDI about her best friend Andi, whose struggles in academia, hindered by her own lack of self-confidence, may strike a familiar chord. The film made it into the 2022 Festival Max Ophüls Preis, among other festivals. We caught up with the filmmaker, who is currently making her […]
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The girl can pack a punch: director Lina Drevs on scrappy sisters and filming during COVID

By: T-Port Team
07-04-2023
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Awards, Fiction, Filmmakers, Independent
Filmmaker Lina Drevs based the theme of her Lighthouse Selected film SIS – BEST SISTER on her relationship with her own sisters. In our Spotlight Interview this week she opens up about filming during COVID and how she wants to open up the industry to other women. SIS – BEST SISTER appears on T-Port via […]
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Puppetry that brings happiness : Jonatan Schwenk on the origins of his “delicious looking” creatures – Lighthouse Selections 2022

By: T-Port Team
30-03-2023
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animation, Awards, Fiction, Filmmakers, Independent
Filmmaker Jonatan Schwenk switched from stop-motion animation to puppetry for his short film ZOON, which made the cut of or 2022 Lighthouse Selections, as well as the 2022 Next Generation Short Tiger and the official selection of the Sundance Film Festival. We caught up with the director to talk about his process, bringing happiness through […]
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Exploring ‘Addiction, mental health, and the creative process’ with award-winning animator Joseph Pierce – Lighthouse Selections 2022

By: T-Port Team
24-03-2023
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animation, Awards, Fiction, Filmmakers, Independent
Animator Joseph Pierce’s film SCALE has already made waves on the festival circuit after premiering at La Semaine de la Critique of Festival de Cannes when it was chosen by our guest curator Olha Raiter as part of our Lighthouse Selections 2022. The film appears on T-Port through our partners at Salaud Morissete. We caught […]
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Polish filmmaker Jan Bujnowksi on his film THE DEVIL, recreating the 90s and the challenges of shooting on film

By: T-Port Team
22-03-2023
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Drama, Fiction, Filmmakers, Independent
PhD student at the Polish National Film School in Łódź, Jan Bujnowski set himself the challenge of shooting his last film THE DEVIL on film while recreating the past. We caught up with the 29-year-old to find out more. Tell us about yourself I’m 29 years old and I’m currently a PhD student. In the […]
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An insider look at Berlinale Talents 2023 with Amos Geva, T-Port’s Head of Business

By: T-Port Team
22-03-2023
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Film Festival, Filmmakers, Independent, T-Port Event
This February our Head of Industry Amos Geva took part in the prestigious Berlinale Talents programme, a talent development programme that explores the how and why of movie making. The programme describes itself as “a one-of-a-kind forum for film professionals and cinema lovers alike, featuring public talks, discipline-specific workshops, project development Labs and networking events.”  […]
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Adding a tiny bit of hope – an interview with Oscar nominated director Anders Walter Hansen

By: T-Port Team
01-03-2023
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Film Festival, Independent
We caught up with the Danish director whose film appears on T-Port courtesy of Premium Films, about hope, passion, and his Oscar-nominated short IVALU. Tell us about yourself I am 45-years-old, from Denmark. I live in Copenhagen and am currently in post-production on my next feature. A big Danish WW2 epic. How did you first […]
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Oscar-nominated director Eirik Tveiten on the challenges of filming NIGHT RIDE

By: T-Port Team
01-03-2023
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Film Festival, Independent
Eirik Tveiten is no stranger to the short film format, having directed 14 shorts in his career so far. His most recent, NIGHT RIDE, follows protagonist Ebba on an unexpected journey, and garnered him an Oscar nod. We caught up with the director, whose work appears on T-Port through our new partner Premium Films, to […]
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Yotam Knispel, director of LOVE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH IT on capturing the quiet horror of an impossible situation

By: T-Port Team
24-02-2023
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Film Festival, Independent
Rina can’t look at her son Dean, who’s under house arrest at her home. She has until tomorrow to decide if she can stand by his side. So begins Yotam Knispel’s award-winning short LOVE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH IT, a tense drama about the relationship between a mother and son. The film, presented on […]
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A Korean eye on German films: Q&A with Youngbin Noh, director of TIME TO EAT

By: T-Port Team
15-02-2023
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Documentary, Filmmakers, Independent
Yougbin Noh is a film student from South Korea who is currently studying film at the Kunsthochschule Kassel, and whose film TIME TO EAT appears on T-Port via our partners at Hessische Film und Medienakademie (hFMA). Tell us about yourself I’m from South Korea. I’m 32 and I study in the fine arts department at […]
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The filmmaker uncovering his true self in I ASKED HIM TO TAKE ME DANCING – Lighthouse Selections 2022

By: T-Port Team
09-02-2023
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Film Festival, Independent
In order to make his documentary I ASKED HIM TO TAKE ME DANCING, filmmaker Hillel Rate carried his camera with him on first dates for six months. What ensues is a musing on what a person loses when they gain monogamous love. Alongside being picked by Olha Raiter in our 2022 Lighthouse Selections, the film […]
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Sam van Zoest on his ‘ode to friendship and happy creativity’ ALL THAT COULD BE – Lighthouse Selections 2022

By: T-Port Team
26-01-2023
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Film Festival, Independent
Filmmaker Sam van Zoest made his 2022 Lighthouse Selected film ALL THAT COULD BE, partially improvised, with a group of close friends, and it shows in the joy that comes through in the watching experience. Lighthouse curator Olha Raiter had this to say about the Dutch docudrama: “The flow of joy, discoveries, fears, and cautiousness […]
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