About Us

Belarusian Filmmakers' Network (BFN) is a collective project open to all Belarusian filmmakers, based on professional rather than political lines. BFN unites filmmakers from Belarus, including those who are currently living in exile in Lithuania, Ukraine, Poland and other countries. BFN aims to put Belarusian cinema back on the European film industry's map, doing that transparently and efficiently.

Belarusian Filmmakers' Network: a manifesto

Contemporary Belarusian cinema lies in shambles. An acute political and economic crisis in Belarus coincided with the collapse of an authoritarian culture management paradigm, based on bureaucratic control, political censorship, stylistic conformity and a chronic shortage of funding.

Previous creative and production models have become obsolete. At a time of cultural terror and cultural resistance, filmmakers have found themselves on a territory of permanent uncertainty, in a wild field of new reality.

Belarusian Filmmakers’ Network (BFN) is a collective project open to all Belarusian filmmakers. BFN's aim is transparency, efficiency and integration into the European film industry.

BFN's main areas of activity are:

• production: fostering private and foreign investment, focus on European collaborations
• education and promotion: long-term international educational projects, mobility in education, active festival presence
• stylistic reinvention: a search for new, post-totalitarian stylistic approaches to replace outdated aesthetics.
   

BFN strives to build the future of Belarusian cinema, focusing on horizontal networks as opposed to vertical hierarchies.

BFN unites Belarusian filmmakers along professional rather than political lines.

BFN is a way for Belarusian cinema to become relevant and get noticed on a global scale.