2020 Aug._Venice entries

PRESS RELEASE    

      

Two eQuinoxe Europe-supported Films in official Program

of
77^th Venice International Film Festival 2020

 

LONDON, August 21, 2020: eQuinoxe Europe announced that two films which received script development support from the Munich-based, non-profit organization will have their world premieres in the official program of the 77. Venice International Festival:

 

„Quo Vadis, Aida?“  from Bosnia-Herzegowinian writer/director Jasmila Žbanic will premiere in the International Competition.

„The Furnace“ from Australian writer/director Rodney MacKay will have his directorial debut in the section Orizzonti.

 

eQuinoxe Europe Chair Ellen Winn Wendl, „At this pivotal time for festivals choosing less films and having to be even more selective, an invitation to Venice and Toronto demonstrates Jasmila’s and Rodney’s storytelling strength. We are delighted for both of them.“

„Quo Vadis, Aida?“  is the story of the Bosnian woman Aida, who is an interpreter/ translator for the UN in the small town of Srebrenica in 1995. When the Serbian army takes over the town, her family is among the thousands of citizens looking for shelter in the UN camp. As an insider to the negotiations Aida has access to crucial information that she needs to interpret. Žbanić attended the 20. eQuinoxe Europe Intl. Screenwriters Workshop in April 2017 with her project. Žbanić’s fifth feature is also invited to the 45th Toronto International Film Festival, September 10-19, 2020.

In 2014 and 2015 eQuinoxe Europe held a Screenwriters‘ Workshop for Australian and New Zealand screenwriters, hosted by Australian and New Zealand national and state funders.

The Western Australian writer/director Rodney MacKay participated with his project „The Furnace“ in the Screenwriters‘ Workshop in August 2015. „The Furnace“ is set in Western Australia in the 1890s, during the state's gold rush, and follows an Afghan cameleer and a shady character in dubious possession of two gold bars stamped with the mark of the Crown, as they head through the desert in search of a furnace where they can melt the gold down, all the while being pursued by police. The film is the only film representing Australia at this year‘s festival.

 

Further Information about eQuinoxe Europe Screenwriters‘ Workshops at:

http://www.equinoxe-europe.org/

 

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eQuinoxe Europe e.V. is grateful and thankful to each and everyone of all the internationally renowned advisors and funders and partners for the creative and productive years which continue to produce strong films resonating in an international market:  Austrian Film Institute; Bavarian Ministry for Digital Business; Creative Europe MEDIA Sub-programme of the European Union; Creative Skillset (UK); FFA (Germany; Finnish Film Foundation, FOCAL (CH);  the German Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and Media; HAVC Croatian Audiovisual Center; Manitoba Film & Music (CAN); On Screen Manitoba (CAN); MFG Film Fund Baden-Württemberg; New Zealand Film Commission; Ontario Creates (CAN); Screen Australia; ScreenWest (AUS): Screen New South Wales (AUS), Screen Queensland (AUS); Southern Australia Film Corporation; Film Victoria (AUS); Screen Nova Scotia (CAN); the Norwegian Film Institute; Vestnorsk Film Centre (N) and the Western Norway Film Commission.

 

eQuinoxe Europe sponsors include Anke Zindler PR Agent, Charles McDonald Public Relations, Dr. Hauschka/WALA GmbH und Servus TV  

 

The History: eQuinoxe Europe e.V. was founded in 2001 under the original name of éQuinoxe Germany by Ellen Winn Wendl, Susan Schulte and Susanne Schneider and following 12 years of international success holding workshops in different European countries with advisors from the whole globe, in 2013 the name was changed to eQuinoxe Europe e.V. Since 2015 Lord Puttnam CBE is the Honorary Chairman for eQuinoxe Europe. The goals of eQuinoxe Europe since inception are to foster a more thorough script development for film productions and to build networks between European and international filmmakers. To date, eQuinoxe Europe has supported over 237 writers and their producers from 29 countries winning numerous international prizes.

 

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Contact:

Ellen Winn Wendl, Vorstandsvorsitzende von eQuinoxe Europe e. V.

info@equinoxe-europe.org;  www.equinoxe-europe.org,

mobil: +49 (0) 170 280 4415

 

Press Contact international: Charles McDonald, charles@charlesmcdonald.co.uk,

Tel. +44 (207) 736 3445

 

Press Contact Germany: Anke Zindler, PR Agentin, az@anke-zindler.de 

mobil + 49 (0)172 8215945