T-Port Blog

Screen Talent NL’s Guido Franken on finding ‘talents and stories that matter’ in underrepresented places

By: T-Port Team
21-03-2025
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animation, Awards, Fiction, Filmmakers, Independent
Founder and Chair of Screen Talent Netherlands, Guido Franken has been busy setting up a network of film industry training and linking organisations across the country in order to bring a new generation of Dutch filmmakers to the forefront. We chatted to him to find out more about how his organisation is helping upcoming filmmakers […]
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Reza Rasouli on getting it right the second time around

By: T-Port Team
12-03-2025
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animation, Awards, Fiction, Filmmakers, Independent
Reza Rasouli’s film NIGHT OF PASSAGE tells the story of three Iranian refugees escaping into Austria, and it won the Audience Award at this year’s Max Öphuls Prize as well as Best Short Film at the Trieste Film Festival. We chatted to the filmmaker, who is currently studying at Filmakademie Wien about how he recovered […]
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Camera as a witness: an interview with Jordie Koko, director of WHERE DO I BELONG

By: T-Port Team
21-02-2025
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animation, Awards, Fiction, Filmmakers, Independent
We caught up with the Brussels-based filmmaker Jordie Koko, whose latest film: WHERE DO I BELONG? is on T-Port courtesy of our partners at Wallonie Bruxelles Images.  We talked about the highly personal nature of the film, her studies at the Haute Ecole Libre de Bruxelles – HELB, and her experiences of working in film […]
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Getting connected in Clermont – Filmmakers on their experience of the Talent Connexion

By: T-Port Team
14-02-2025
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animation, Awards, Fiction, Filmmakers, Independent
Earlier this month we sent a delegation of filmmakers to the prestigious short film festival in Clermont-Ferrand. The mission –  to take part in the annual Clermont Talents Connexion, a programme designed to help up and coming filmmakers find information, inspiration, and industry connections.  We’ve been part of the programme for several years now and […]
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Crows and snow in felted wool – In conversation with Rebecca Blöcher of ‘Mama Micra’

By: T-Port Team
07-02-2025
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animation, Awards, Fiction, Filmmakers, Independent
  Rebecca Blöcher and Frédéric Schuld collaborated on the short animation MAMA MICRA, an emotional tale based on true events from Rebecca’s mother’s life. The moving stop-motion animation, told through figures crafted in wool and other materials, has already gained awards and a special mention at film festivals. In this in-depth interview, T-Port’s Jess Sweetman […]
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Betina Kuntzsch on the nuances missed from history books and a 30-year career of video drawing

By: T-Port Team
30-01-2025
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animation, Awards, Fiction, Filmmakers, Independent
Betina Kuntzsch, an artist and filmmaker, has spent over three decades pushing the boundaries of animated documentary film, blending personal history, archival footage, and striking visuals. Her latest work, SKY LIKE SILK, FULL OF ORANGES, which appears on T-Port Courtesy of our partners at AG Kurzfilm, delves into the reality of a place that had […]
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Exploring the Complexities of Childhood Fantasy and Self-Identity in ‘Ever After’: A Conversation with Helen Hideko and Clara Maria Bacher

By: T-Port Team
24-01-2025
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animation, Awards, Fiction, Filmmakers, Independent
In this insightful conversation, director Helen Hideko and producer Clara Maria Bacher discuss their creative journey behind EVER AFTER, a film that blends personal experience with universal themes of otherness, identity, and fantasy.  “Ever After” appears on T-Port courtesy of our partners at Filmakademie Wien, is inspired by a twist on “The Little Mermaid,” and […]
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Max Öphuls Preis’ Louise Lindlar, on international collaboration and providing visibility for ‘inspiring talents’

By: T-Port Team
20-01-2025
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animation, Awards, Fiction, Filmmakers, Independent
We caught up with the Head of Industry from the German-speaking film prize about how they support and champion upcoming filmmakers, as well as what to expect from the 2025 edition of the festival, which starts today (Jan 20th.) Hi Louise! Why – in your opinion – are short films important? We need short films […]
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Behind the ‘long and exhausting’ process to making Jennifer Drake’s GOD IS GREY

By: T-Port Team
17-01-2025
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animation, Awards, Fiction, Filmmakers, Independent
Ghanaian filmmaker Jennifer Drake moved to Munich for film school where she worked as a producer before directing her first short GOD IS GREY. The short, which explores the taboos around sexuality in her home and adopted countries, had its world premiere at LA Shorts Fest, European premiere at the British Urban Film Festival, and […]
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Szymon Ruczynski on his ‘deliberately imperfect’ and deeply powerful animation

By: T-Port Team
14-01-2025
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animation, Awards, Fiction, Filmmakers, Independent
Szymon Ruczyński’s animated film THERE ARE PEOPLE IN THE FOREST has seen its share of festival success around the world, and made the T-Port Lighthouse Selections in 2023. But as the film has travelled, the humanitarian crisis it depicts continues on the border between Belarus and Poland.  We chatted to the animator about what compelled […]
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It started with a CAPTCHA – Victoria Warmerdam on the highs and lows of making her OSCAR® shortlisted short

By: T-Port Team
06-01-2025
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animation, Awards, Fiction, Filmmakers, Independent
Victoria Warmerdam’s short comedy-drama I’M NOT A ROBOT has gained accolades and awards across the festival circuit from Sitges to Cannes. But perhaps the pinnacle is yet to come, as the Dutch film has been shortlisted for the ACADEMY AWARD® for Best Live Action Short Film.  We caught up with the filmmaker for an inspirational […]
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The simple, complicated ideas of Michal Toczek

By: T-Port Team
17-12-2024
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animation, Awards, Fiction, Filmmakers, Independent
Filmmaker Michal Toczek has been busy – four of his films currently appear on T-Port, each with intersecting themes and ideas, and two featuring the same well known Polish comic actor – Sebastian Stankiewicz – in dramatic roles.  In this interview, we chat to Toczek, whose work appears on T-Port courtesy of our partners at […]
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Ieva Šakalytė on the joys of pitching and letting go

By: T-Port Team
05-12-2024
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animation, Awards, Fiction, Filmmakers, Independent
Baltic Pitching Forum alumna Ieva Šakalytė (she/her) was gracious enough to share two of her short films BECOMING ANIMAL (2018) and SPA (2024) with us, so we caught up with the Lithuanian filmmaker to chat about  the production process, the benefits of pitching, and going with the flow.  Hi Ieva, could you introduce yourself in […]
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From a Lighthouse Selection to an awards run, catch up with Gleb Osatinski

By: T-Port Team
18-11-2024
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animation, Awards, Fiction, Filmmakers, Independent
Filmmaker Gleb Osatinski has been busy since his film OUTSIDERS made the cut for the 2021 T-Port Lighthouse Selections. In this catch up interview, we chat to the Ukrainian-born filmmaker about his current awards run after a lengthy pre production phase, which was held up for 5 years.  There are details below about upcoming screenings […]
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T-Port Lighthouse Selections 2023: The Interviews – Hoda Taheri on confidence, communication, and the future

By: T-Port Team
15-08-2024
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animation, Awards, Fiction, Filmmakers, Independent
Hoda Taheri, born in Tehran, Iran in 1992, is an Iranian Refugee Artist and Filmmaker based in Berlin, Germany. In 2016, she received her bachelor’s degree in visual communication from Limkokwing University in Malaysia. Her short film MOTHER PRAYS ALL DAY LONG was nominated for the German Short Film Award.  The follow up short AS […]
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T-Port Lighthouse Selections 2023: The Interviews – Boris Hadzija on making sense from the ‘cacophony of voices’

By: T-Port Team
06-08-2024
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animation, Awards, Fiction, Filmmakers, Independent
Boris Hadzija’s Lighthouse-selected short YUGOTRANSPORT: WE ARE ALL ON THE SAME BUS draws on the experiences of those around him, having been born in the former Yugoslavia. We talked to the director about what it took to work with non-actors, and how it’s the limitations that make the magic happen.  Yugotransport appears on T-Port courtesy […]
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T-Port Lighthouse Selections 2023: The Interviews – Ido Weisman on seizing the moment and going against the grain

By: T-Port Team
12-07-2024
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animation, Awards, Fiction, Filmmakers, Independent
Filmmaker Ido Weisman honed his craft in the world of reality TV, which he credits with helping him discover his role as a documentarian. His documentary short REQUIEM FOR A WHALE is a perfect example of when a filmmaker should trust their instincts.  The film, appearing on T-Port through our partners at Tel Aviv University, […]
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T-Port Lighthouse Selections 2023: The Interviews – Found footage from a distant place in Eugenia Bakurin’s ‘Long Time No Techno’

By: T-Port Team
31-05-2024
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animation, Awards, Fiction, Filmmakers, Independent
Eugenia Bakurin is a filmmaker and media artist, who was born in the Soviet Union and has lived in Germany for over 20-years.  T-Port’s Jess Sweetman caught up with the filmmaker to talk about her Lighthouse Selected found footage film “Long Time No Techno”, and to talk about why Odessa Film Studios are important, how […]
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T-Port Lighthouse Selections 2023: The (VIDEO) Interviews – Yi Xiong and the fortune telling turtles

By: T-Port Team
01-05-2024
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animation, Awards, Fiction, Filmmakers, Independent
Yi Xiong’s A TORTOISE’S YEAR OF FATE is a 20-minute portrait of a young man trying to find belonging, set among the machinery of a Chinese factory. It’s universal theme and gorgeous cinematography caught the eye of guest curator Laurence Boyce, making the cut for the 2023 T-Port Lighthouse Selections. We caught up with Yi, […]
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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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‘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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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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T-Port Talent Spotlight at Cannes 2022 ☉ Lodz Film School’s Olga Klyszewicz on Cannes acceptance and her creative process

By: T-Port Team
18-05-2022
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animation, Awards, Film Festival, Filmmakers, Independent, Uncategorized
It’s going to be a busy fortnight for director Olga Klyszewicz – whose short film “We Are Not There Tomorrow” premieres as part of the Selection La Cinef at Cannes 2022. We caught up with her to find out how it felt to find out and what this means for her filmmaking future.  Tell us […]
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T-Port Talent Spotlight ☉ Animators Petra Stipetić and Maren Wiese on switching to stop-motion

By: T-Port Team
10-05-2022
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animation, Film Festival, Filmmakers, Independent, Uncategorized
We caught up with the animators, and students of hFMA,to talk about their film “Jeijay,” a short about everyday life, dating apps, and weird dates. “Jeijay” is available to watch to subscribers on T-Port as part of the hFMA catalogue.  Tell us about yourselves: We are – Petra Stipetić (*03/01/1992 in Zagreb, Croatia) and Maren […]
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T-Port Lighthouse Spotlight: Nina Hopf and “Eadem Cutis: The Same Skin”

By: T-Port Team
08-11-2020
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animation, Filmmakers, Independent
Nina Hopf’s unforgettable animated experimental short film, “Eadem Cutis: The Same Skin”, was submitted to T-Port Lighthouse a few months ago and selected by curator Wim Vanacker for the 2020 T-Port Lighthouse official selection. The film was already selected to screen at various leading festivals worldwide, including Sundance, Filmfest Dresden, Berlin Independent Film Festival and […]
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T-Port Lighthouse Spotlight: Lizete Upite and “Riga’s Lilac”

By: T-Port Team
07-09-2020
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animation, Awards, Filmmakers
Lizete Upite’s animated short film, “Riga’s Lilac”, is one of the most intriguing shorts selected to the 2020 T-Port Lighthouse Selection by curator Wim Vanacker. The film has been selected to many film festivals, including the Palm Springs Shortfest. We got a chance to talk to the promising animation filmmaker Lizete, to get a glimpse […]
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