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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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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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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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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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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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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Follow the mysterious hum – Filmmaker Nicholas Lachapelle on blending sound and visual documentaries

By: T-Port Team
20-01-2023
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Film Festival, Independent
Filmmaker Nicholas Lachapelle’s documentary film ZUG ISLAND, presented on T-Port via our partners at Les Films du 3 Mars, focusses on a mysterious hum heard around an area of Michigan. What the filmmakers found was an abandoned neighbourhood devastated by decades of industrial rollout. We caught up with the director to talk about how he convinced […]
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Hand-drawn mayhem in Studio Corallo’s DOOM CRUISE – Lighthouse Selections 2022

By: T-Port Team
19-01-2023
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Film Festival, Independent
Hannah Stragholz and Simon Steinhorst are Studio Corallo, an animation studio from Cologne, Germany whose film DOOM CRUISE arrived on T-Port through our partners at AG Kurzfilm, and was picked by Enrico Vannucci for our 2022 Lighthouse Selections. We caught up with them to find out more about the animation that they hope will make […]
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Our Highlights of 2022

By: T-Port Team
17-01-2023
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Film Festival, Independent
Happy new year to all of our followers, colleagues, filmmakers, and friends. Thank you so much for supporting T-Port. We are glad to share with you some of our highlights from the year. T-Port’s Lighthouse Selections In November of this year, we released the third edition of T-Port Lighthouse Selections. Guest curator’s Enrico Vannucci and […]
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40 years of supporting upcoming filmmakers: we get Utopian with Theresa Winkler, Programme Head of the Max Ophüls Preis

By: T-Port Team
16-01-2023
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Film Festival, Independent
The Filmfestival Max Ophüls Preis takes place from the 23rd to 29th January 2023 in Saarbrücken, Germany.  T-Port are partnering with MOP, we will be hosting a selection of their short films from Jan 30, straight after the event. We asked their Head of Programme, Theresa Winkler, to tell us more about the event and […]
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Figuring it out along the way: An interview with Laurenz Otto – Director of AGAINST ALL ODDS – Lighthouse Selections 2022

By: T-Port Team
12-01-2023
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Film Festival, Independent
Director Laurenz Otto’s coming-of-age short made it to T-Port by being selected as part of German Films Next Generation Short Tiger, and was selected by our 2022 Lighthouse Selections curator Olha Raiter who described the film as “daring and imaginative.” We caught up with the filmmaker to find out more about his process towards self-belief. […]
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Looking for home: An interview with Roni Bahat, director of BEGIN – 2022 Lighthouse Selections

By: T-Port Team
04-01-2023
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Film Festival, Independent
Roni Bahat lives in Tel Aviv, where she was born and raised. Works at the New Fund for Cinema and TV (NFCT) as head of the Narrative Film Department and Producer of the WomanFilms Narrative Hub. She is a filmmaker and a poet. ‘Begin’ is her second film. Her previous short OLD THING premiered at […]
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Searching for the filmmakers that will shape cinema: An interview with Montreal Festival du nouveau cinéma’s Head of Short and Feature Film Programmer Émilie Poirier

By: T-Port Team
04-01-2023
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Film Festival, Independent
 As the head of short and feature film programmer at Montreal’s Festival du nouveau cinema (FNC), Émilie Poirier knows a thing or two about how to pick the films that will help move the culture forward. We caught up with her to celebrate FNC’s new offerings on T-Port, and to lament the lack of short […]
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Finding the fresh perspectives: An Interview with Eddie Bertozzi, Head of Pardi di domani Programming Office, Locarno Film Festival

By: T-Port Team
16-12-2022
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Film Festival, Independent
Over the course of its 75-year history, the Locarno Film Festival has become one of the most important film events in the world. We were lucky enough to catch up with Locarno’s short film expert – Eddie Bertozzi, Head of Pardi di domani Programming Office, ahead of our new collaboration with the festival, to find […]
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Tallinn Black Nights Script Pool organiser Triin Tramberg on why short films are important

By: T-Port Team
10-11-2022
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Film Festival, Independent
The sixth annual Script Pool Competition takes place from Nov 22 – 24 during the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival. The Script Pool competition is part of Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event’s film market activities and the Discovery Campus educational programme. We caught up with the event organiser, Triin Tramberg to find out what the competition […]
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Techno inspiration and cinematic dreams: Director Ari Gilad on processing life through art and music

By: T-Port Team
02-11-2022
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Film Festival, Independent
From 6-10 November, our partners at Sapir College will be holding the Cinema South Festival. The Short Film Competition will feature 12 new short films from Israel and around the world. One contender is recent graduate Ari Gilad – who we spoke to to find out more about his film “In Living Memory.” Ari Gilad […]
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From lollipops to Oscar nods. Eugen Merher shares his experiences directing in a foreign land for ‘The Boy Who Couldn’t Feel Pain’

By: T-Port Team
28-10-2022
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Film Festival, Independent
Filmmaker Eugen Merher is finally ready to graduate from Filmakademie Baden Wurttemberg and make his mark on the world. And he’s off to a great start – having gained a nomination from the Student Academy Awards for his film “The Boy Who Couldn’t Feel Pain.” In this inspiring and in-depth interview, Eugen shares with us […]
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Rimantė Daugėlaitė – Head of the Baltic Pitching Forum on finding and showcasing exciting new voices from the region

By: T-Port Team
06-10-2022
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Film Festival, Independent
The 10th edition of the Baltic Pitching Forum is being held from 5-8 October in Vilnius, Lithuania. – To celebrate the event, which advertises itself as a unique platform for networking and bringing the latest short film projects from the Baltics into the spotlight, and our recent partnership with its organiser Lithuanian Shorts, we caught […]
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‘Daily life and weird first dates’ – in conversation with Marleen Valien, director of ‘Not the 80s’

By: T-Port Team
30-09-2022
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Drama, Fiction, Filmmakers
“NOT THE 80s” is Berlin-based director Marleen Valien’s second short to appear on T-Port. Her previous film “HOT DOG” was a hit on the festival circuit in 2019, including a showing at Sundance. Her newest offering, which premiered at Tribeca, focuses on a first date between two twenty-somethings, when one of them opens up about […]
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From perfect inspiration to some serious on-set challenges, director Romi Menachem on everything she learned directing ‘Out of Play’

By: T-Port Team
01-09-2022
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Drama, Fiction, Filmmakers, Uncategorized
30-year-old screenwriter and director Romi Menachem went through a lot with the cast and crew of her short film “Out of Play”. The film follows Bar (12), a longtime member of the boys’ clique and the class’s soccer team, who is forced to re-earn her place in the team’s lineup. The production faced serious challenges […]
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A straightforward story told unconventionally: Henrik Dyb Zwart shares the creative process behind “Everything at Once” before its premiere at Venice

By: T-Port Team
25-08-2022
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Drama, Fiction, Filmmakers, Uncategorized
Henryk Dyb Zwart’s film “Everything at Once” premieres at the Venice Film Festival on September 9 (courtesy of our partners at Festival Formula.) We caught up with the 34-year-old director to find out about his sources of inspiration from poetry to punk rock, and what it took to ´develop his multi-frame short film. Tell us […]
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Denial, ambiguity, and mourning – a conversation with Audrey Karras, director of ‘One Last Breath’

By: T-Port Team
21-07-2022
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Drama, Fiction, Filmmakers, Uncategorized
Audrey Karras shot her short film “One Last Breath” in just 4 and a half days. We spoke to the French director about the challenges she encountered through the creative process, and how it was for her to work with actors. Audrey created her film as part of her studies with our partners ESEC Paris. […]
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