Bianka, a polyamorous trans woman, is navigating life in Berlin after gender reassignment surgery. Her sister Luca, who has been estranged since Bianka missed their mother’s funeral in Hungary, arrives from Budapest to take care of her. Due to an unexpected breakup, Luca stays at Bianka’s, who keeps her former life in Hungary secret from her friends and lovers. Luca notices Bianka acting differently, like a chameleon, with each of her lovers, causing Luca to question her authenticity. Bianka refuses to acknowledge the consequences of her decisions until Nora, her ex-wife, accidentally shares a secret that Bianka’s father has been keeping from her. The sisters’ unresolved traumas escalate and Luca gives up on their relationship. All on her own, Bianka realizes that she must lead open, honest relationships, embracing her identity, or she will end up alone.
Since 2008, Flare Film has been producing feature films and documentaries for cinema and TV, as well as TV series, with a wide and diverse range of genres and the aim to tell stories that are as entertaining as they are meaningful. Flare Film titles include Morris from America by Chad Hartigan (awarded at Sundance Film Festival), Forget Me Not by David Sieveking (awarded at Locarno Film Festival), Walchensee Forever by Janna Ji Wonders (Berlinale 2020, nominated for the German Film Awards), the high-end TV-series Funeral for a Dog (Sky) or Stambul Garden by Academy Award nominee İlker Çatak. Since 2021, Flare Film has been part of Newen Studios, one of the biggest European production and distribution groups with a strong producers’ network and world sales attached.
On Christmas Eve in 2015, my brother called me on Skype from Berlin, where he lived with his wife. He told me that He is a She and asked for my patience in accepting this, even if I may not fully understand it. I only had one question for my sister: when do we go shopping together? Entering my mid-20’s raised questions about how to stay authentic in an ever-changing capitalist society. Over the years, my sister has inspired me in my journey of self-discovery and authenticity, and I knew I wanted to write about our experiences. "Berlin-Budapest" blends our family's special brand of humor with a fearless approach to discussing transness, revealing the complexities through a mix of drama and comedy and tackling bold contemporary themes with genuine authenticity and personal connection.
When Viktoria reached out to me, I was drawn to the story right away not only because it tackles topics like freedom of (sexual) identity and feminism, but first and foremost because of its complex characters, heart-warming scenes and witty dialogue. Knowing the challenges of financing a project with trans protagonists in Hungary, we were thrilled to come on board as the main producer from Germany. Having experienced the distribution of LGBTQ+ films before, we believe in the potential for an international audience and are aiming for a premier at a prestigious festival with many more festivals to follow.
FLARE FILM
Allerstr. 18, 12049, Berlin, Germany
Email: [email protected]
Viktoria Vay | Scriptwriter
Email: [email protected]
Mobile: +36 306 208 825
Gabriele Simon | Producer
Email: [email protected]
Mobile: +493 076 239 73 70
Over a spring weekend in Prague, Fred (22), a disenfranchised musician, is caught off guard when he falls for Matty (23), an upbeat singer. Their blossoming romance challenges Fred's ideas about life, love and the Euro Pop Contest that Matty dreams of winning.
Years later in Berlin, Matty dies in a bike accident, isolating Fred in the city with his grief. When Fred meets Tomas (35), they share a sexually charged winter that unearths secrets in Matty’s character and gives Fred the tools to move on.
Drunkenly covering one of Matty’s songs online, Fred goes viral and is chosen to represent the UK at the Euro Pop Contest. Whilst he initially enjoys his newfound exposure, during rehearsals in London, Fred begins to feel conflicted about his ambitions, talent and the grief narrative being built around him. Is he fulfilling Matty’s dream or his own?
Crystal Compass was originally formed to administer The Palace IFF, Bristol’s LGBTQ+ FF. Since then it has grown to produce an array of productions in partnership with Dolly Studios and The Palace Collective. With a focus on various formats, Crystal Compass has produced virtual reality 360 film works such as Gimme One, a vogue / ballroom documentary using motion capture and VFX animation techniques. Additionally, Crystal Compass has focussed on the 8mm format and has produced several productions for the Straight 8 competition. With work that expands to installation for galleries and museums and always with a focus on LGBTQ+ identity, Crystal Compass is seeking to produce its first feature length film.
The magic of pop music lies in the depth of emotion that a song can capture in a few catchy minutes. The grit behind the glamour. This film in a way is my own pop song, its grit being the emotions and obstacles that come with being a gay man in your twenties; our relationships, our desires and our grief, dressed up in the familiarity of a glitzy “Nobody to Star” story. My filmmaking goal is to tell character-led stories that, with a subdued but sarcastic perspective, prod at our choices and actions. To do this, Euro Pop Bubble will balance the subtlety of Fred’s feelings and the overwhelming events thrown at him, giving equal weight to capturing the intimacy of his body on another and the grief he shares on the biggest music stage in Europe. Through Fred’s complex journey, I am exploring a life and a coming-of-age story not seen before in cinema.
Set in Prague, London and Berlin, we are searching for German and Czech co-producers that share our vision to recognise this multi-territory, queer and cynical drama. The characters in this film resonate with the idea of transcultural identity as our identity shifts to benefit ourselves, to belong everywhere, but nowhere. This is not just a gay heartbreak story; it is a film that explores a transnational contemporary queer identity emphasizing unity by breaking through the campness of the Eurovision song contest to find a starkness in the glitz. This is elaborated by the film’s darkly humorous story that unfurls grief and sexuality within the identity of a Gen Z LGBTQ+ character. The film shares the contemporary queer relationship by entwining dating apps, Prague hostels and the morality that I aim to see represented more in film.
Crystal Compass
15 Caledon Road, NG5 2NF, Nottihngam, United Kingdom
Email: [email protected]
Grant Gulczynski | Director, Scriptwriter
Email: [email protected]
Mobile: +44 753 178 41 94
Harry Silverlock | Producer
Email: [email protected]
Mobile: +44 772 459 94 03
Wedding planner Monika (50) suddenly faces an incurable disease, shattering her seemingly perfect life. Realizing the finite nature of life, her path intertwines with Šimon (25), a cabaret bartender who doesn't value his own time and squanders it on procrastination instead of pursuing his dreams of becoming a renowned photographer. Their unlikely friendship, which raises eyebrows and is enriched by a "Never Have I Ever" list, leads them to undertake various crazy challenges and face personal obstacles as they search for the true meaning of life. Thanks to Šimon, Monika accepts her diagnosis and her past, beginning the journey towards self-love; Šimon, inspired by Monika, overcomes his fear and finally hosts his first exhibition. Monika's awakened authenticity and Šimon's artistic success illustrate their growth and newfound zest for life.
Founded in 2020, EMEDI productions is a film production company with a mission to drive societal change through inclusive and inspirational stories to make the world a better place. It provides a platform for emerging artists to bring their innovative ideas to life. EMEDI has produced several short films: the LGBT drama Only Human (2020), the sci-fi drama The Last One (2021), the comedy Purgatory (2023), the psychological drama Insanely Perfect (2023), and the documentary Sad Pleasures: Oľga Bleyová (2024). These films have been selected by over 100 festivals worldwide, garnering approximately 20 awards and nearly 50 podium positions/nominations. Notable achievements include the Gold Remi Award at WorldFest Houston, the world’s oldest independent FF, along with other accolades at the Fargo-Moorhead LGBT FF, Internacional Queer FF Playa del Carmen and Sappho FF.
Despite centuries of human existence defined by beginnings and ends, many of us still struggle to accept death as the natural culmination of life. The fear of the unknown often prevents us from engaging with the concept of the end, viewing it as taboo and leading us to deny our limited time, continuously postponing our dreams for "later." Our "Never Have I Ever" list keeps expanding, trapped in the illusion of having endless time. Occasionally, as with Monika, life's abrupt wake-up calls force us to reassess our paths. Through this dynamic, timelessly captivating, humorous yet educational and thought-provoking story, we aim to keep reminding people that our time is finite. Realizing this empowers us to live more purposefully, making every moment count towards fulfilling our true potential and enriching our lives with meaning.
In my view, any exceptional film should have three layers: captivating narrative, important social themes and psychological depth, with the potential to alter one's perception of life. The Face of a Woman, our planned feature debut, has a dynamic plot with humour and thought-provoking questions while addressing critical issues like HIV, procrastination and inclusivity towards the LGBT community. Lastly, it prompts deep introspection on life's finitude and the pursuit of self-acceptance, matching all three of these layers. This film represents a bold move, especially for Slovakia, by tackling serious themes within a cheerful cabaret setting featuring drag queens, as no Slovak film has yet ventured into these territories.
EMEDI productions
Ľubická cesta 33, 06001, Kežmarok, Slovakia
Email: [email protected]
Lukáš Vízner | Director, Scriptwriter
Email: [email protected]
Mobile: +421 907 215 313
Ester Víznerová | Producer
Email: [email protected]
Mobile: +420 770 175 128
In the spring of 1914, the recently orphaned Manuela (15) arrives to an all-girls boarding school for the future mothers of soldiers in the Prussian Empire. Bold but still new to the standards of the place, Manuela has to learn to navigate a martial hierarchy among the noble students. Soon enough, she finds a kindred spirit in the gentle class teacher, Fräulein von Bernburg (28), who hides her true self behind a cold demeanour. She makes Manuela believe that she can be so much more than a wife – it’s the prosperous 1910s and anything is possible, is it not?A tender, forbidden love blossoms between the two young women, challenging this fortress of patriarchy maintained only by women with unexpected, fatal consequences.
Nordpolaris was founded in 2014 by Fabian Halbig and Florian Kamhuber. The company has produced more than 20 short and feature-length films, which were shown at film festivals worldwide and commercially distributed, including the comedy Dinky Sinky (FIPRESCI Award at Munich IFF), the one-shot thriller Limbo(for broadcaster BR/ARD) and the film Sorry, Comrade (Berlinale).
After stints at other production companies, the two have been operating together again under the name NORDPOLARIS since the end of 2021, producing films and series for a broad audience in collaboration with their team. Among them is producer Melissa Byrne, who has produced several award-winning short films and the feature film Life Is Not a Competition, But I’m Winning, which premiered at Venice IFF 2023.
Nordpolaris is backed by the shareholder Beta Film.
Even though the time when women’s right to exist was tied to their reproductive capability (which is the backdrop that this love story is set against) now seems far gone in Western societies, progress is never to be taken for granted.
I love to explore not only history’s connections to our present, but also the history of queer identities, and I want to show my main characters’ inspiring liberation from the times they live in but also from their own prejudices and wrong beliefs. For me, it’s crucial to establish new narratives, offering something different than portraying queer characters as victims.
I want to make this film as brimming with life as possible. Our film will not look away from the (harsh) realities that Prussian girls faced in the 1910s – and it will visually give entirely into the feelings of our main characters, into both pain and love.
We have closely cooperated with Justina on several projects in the past. Our most recent interest is to adapt the autobiographical novel from 1931, Girls in Uniform, portraying a queer classic in a more in-depth, critical and uncensored way.
Set amid the Prussian patriarchy shortly before WWI, our rendition emphasizes two women's defiant desire for love – and thus freedom from a military-like system, making it relevant for today's audiences. Set as a German majority – already partially funded – with German-French dialogue and also expecting French acting talent, we are interested in an international co-production and/or non-German world sales, since our film targets not only German but international queer, anti-fascist and smart historical romance enthusiasts.
NORDPOLARIS
Hans-Sachs-Straße 7, 80469, Munich, Germany
Email: [email protected]
Justina Jürgensen | Director, Scriptwriter
Email: [email protected]
Mobile: +49 174 4333831
Melissa Byrne | Producer
Email: [email protected]
Mobile: +49 152 09983069
First-hand brews throughout the year.
Be among the first to learn about upcoming events and other news. We only send the newsletter when we have something to say.
