Ties That Bind 2024/2025

TIES THAT BIND unveiled the 2024 selection and kicked off in Taipei!

For its 16th edition, TIES THAT BIND (TTB), the leading workshop programme connecting professionals from Asia and Europe, announced the selection of 25 participants including directors coming from 20 countries.

TTB takes place over a year through 2 workshops offering comprehensive knowledge of the European and Asian film industries and markets. The participants benefit from high-level development under the guidance of top-notch experts from both continents and have the opportunity to meet with key decision makers during the edition of TCCF – Taiwan Creative Content Fest (Taipei), and FOCUS ASIA, the Industry Section of the Udine Far East Film Festival (Italy).

The first workshop kicked off on Sunday, November 3, 2024 and the participants worked together in a group led by Jonas Weydemann (Weydemann Bros., DE) and TTB graduate Bianca Balbuena (Epicmedia, PH). The two group leaders guided the participants’ discussion and analysis of each other’s projects from both an Asian and European perspective.

TTB Head of Studies Christophe Bruncher (Ici et Là Productions, FR) has put together a team of leading industry professionals. Script consultant Clare Downs (UK) introduced the main script development tools to strengthen the participants’ understanding of narrative principles, in order to enable them to navigate their writers through the script development process.

Marcin Luczaj (New Europe Film Sales, PL) presented the sales agents' current perspective while Olivier Père (Arte France Cinéma, FR) shared all about ARTE. Sharleen Liu (Mirror Fiction, TW) elaborated on the potential of the IP.

The producer Marie Dubas (Deuxième Ligne Films, FR) in a joint session with Patrick Mao Huang (Flash Forward Entertainment, TW), gave detailed advice on the projects’ financing plans. Bianca Balbuena (Epicmedia, PH), Marie Dubas (Deuxième Ligne Films, FR), Stefano Centini (Volos Film (IT/TW), Lorna Tee (An Original Picture / Barunson, NL/SK), Weijie Lai (E&W Films, SG) and Thomas Pibarot (sales consultant, FR) joined the co-production case study of the film VIET AND NAM (PH-SG-FR-NL-IT-DE-USA-VN).

Marie Dubas (Deuxième Ligne Films, FR) and Weijie Lai (E&W Films, SG) moreover presented the case study of the film MONGREL (FR-TW-CA-FR).

In addition to these sessions, all selected participants had individual meetings with Claire Lajoumard (Acrobates Films, FR), Martin Horyna (Karlovy Vary Film Festival, CZ), Estelle De Araujo (The Party Film Sales, FR), Alex Lo (Cinema Inutile, JP/USA), Mai Meksawan (Diversion, TH), Yasmine Talli (mk2 Films, FR).

The second workshop will take place in April 27 - May 1, 2025, in Udine, Italy, within the framework of the Udine Far East Film Festival & FOCUS ASIA.

The following 10 participants focusing on project development with feature films in development and 5 participants focusing on career development wanting to extend their knowledge and network towards Asia, have been selected to participate in TTB 2024:

Mun Bel Choo
, Sixtymac Pictures, Malaysia
Project: THE PASSPORT by Ananth Subramaniam

Sam Weishi Chua, Potocol, Singapore
Project: MIDNIGHT BLUE SPRING by Giselle Lin

Karolina Davidova
, 13ka, Czech Republic
Project: INBETWEEN WORLDS by Diana Cam Van Nguyen

Valérie Delpierre
, Inicia Films, Spain
Project: SNOW COUNTRY by Víctor Iriarte

Vassilis Economou, Asphalt, Greece

Vincenzo Filippo, Lupin Film srl, Italy

Soe Arkar Htun, Kefka Film Production, Myanmar
Project: MANGOES ARE TASTY THERE by Sai Naw Kham

Olena Yershova
, TatoFilm, Turkey/Ukraine
Project: BETWEEN YESTERDAY AND TOMORROW by Jeffrey Wong

Dragana Yovovic
, Non-Aligned Films, Serbia
Project: FORGET THE OCEAN, WHY NOT TRY SURFING THESE INSANE RIVER WAVES by Marko Grba Singh

Agnieszka Pucilo, New Europa Film Sales, Poland

Maeva Savinien, SWT | Stories We Tell, France

Avantika Slingh Desbouvries, Salt for Sugar Films, France
Project: COLD ASHES CAN CAUSE FOREST FIRES by Ashmita Guha Neogi

Daniel Tenné, 70 STEPS, Germany

Amanda Manyin Tseng
, ENLA Media, Taiwan
Project: HONEY MILK by Chien-Yu Lin

Jerry Zhang, Mochi, Japan
Project: ZOMBIE LOOP by Takafumi Sabake

TIES THAT BIND is organised by the Friuli Venezia Giulia Audiovisual Fund, EAVE, Udine Far East Film Festival and Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA) and supported by the Creative Europe - MEDIA sub-programme of the European. TIES THAT BIND is held in conjunction with Taiwan Creative Content Festival - TCCF.

For more information please contact:
TTB Coordinator – Alessandra Pastore: tiesthatbind@eave.org
eave.org, www.tiesthatbind.eu