CHANGE, a co-production program dedicated to supporting independent and innovative filmmaking, has announced the names of the selected participants and film projects for this year. Among them is the documentary film project “Kura,” directed by Murad Allahverdi and produced by Afaq Yusifli, which received financial support from Azerbaijan Union of Filmmakers (AUF) for participation in the CineDoc mentorship program. “Kura” is the only project selected from Azerbaijan for the 2024-2025 edition. A total of 8 projects from European Eastern Partnership countries have been selected for this program.
CHANGE is a collaboration between IMS, EAVE, one of Europe’s leading training, development, and networking organisation for producers, and CPH:DOX, the world’s leading documentary film festival supporting independent and innovative filmmaking.
The programme aims to improve the participants’ skills in refining their film projects’ content, core themes and goals. It also focuses on strengthening their abilities in regional and international collaboration and co-production and navigating the financing structures and the production environment. By the end of the programme, participants are ready to encounter the international market and present their projects on a global platform.
The selected projects in the fourth round explore new and diverse topics and perspectives. They address critical themes and offer nuanced perspectives on issues such as pollution, patriarchy, and war in a post-colonial context. The projects showcase the courage and creativity of the talented cohort filmmakers, who confront resistance with bravery on some of the most pressing challenges of our time.
CHANGE – Co-production training course will open in Chisinau, Moldova in October 2024 and will combine masterclasses and group work sessions, as well as individual meetings for the 8 selected producer-director teams. The same participants will continue to work together in the second workshop in January 2025 in Tbilisi, Georgia. The programme will culminate with a third workshop and presentation of the projects to the international industry at CPH:DOX in Copenhagen in March 2025.
Afaq Yusifli is the International Relations and Projects Manager at the Azerbaijan Union of Filmmakers (AUF), and Murad Allahverdi is a graduate of AUF Summer School for Screenwriting Development “From Heart to Pen” and AUF Intensive Film Directing Course “Cinema Production from A to Z.”
aki.az