September 22, 2023

Berlin, Germany

Press Release

From October 10-13, 2023, the Belarusian Filmmakers’ Network (BFN) will host a conference for young Belarusian directors and producers in Berlin, Germany. The event is the result of a partnership with SMartDE, the German subsidiary of the international freelancers’ cooperative SMartGroup. It will feature a number of prominent speakers and is the next step in BFN’s efforts to empower independent Belarusian filmmakers to integrate into the global context. Following the first-ever, and very successful, “BarCamp”, in Warsaw, Poland, BFN is now taking further steps to bring together the diaspora of Belarusian filmmakers. Through the joint efforts of BFN and SMartDe, aspiring Belarusian filmmakers who are at the beginning of their careers will get the opportunity to bring their voices to the forefront of global consciousness.

The aim of the conference, called “Socialization and professional integration of Belarusian freelance filmmakers in the EU film industry”, is to show them how to use the BFN to advance their careers and to help them access the support structures available in the European landscape. The conference will serve as a platform for the exchange of experiences and knowledge as well as for establishing contacts in the European film industry. It will address the following topics: the SMartGroup and its network; how the European film industry works; educational institutions for film and what they offer; how journalism and the media in Europe are structured and how to access them; film funding and other opportunities for filmmakers.

Leonid Kalitenya, co-founder of BFN, says: "This year, BFN will work with the international cooperative SMartDe to develop the network. The project aims to create and strengthen the Belarusian Filmmakers' Network as a basis for a future national institute of Belarusian film.” Berenika Partum, SMartDe Project Manager, comments: "The BFN network aims to help filmmakers who are starting their careers and have not been in the industry for long. To ensure the ongoing success of an entire generation of young entrepreneurs it is vital to give special attention to this group. The conference is a part of a larger educational project that will empower between 30 and 40 Belarusian filmmakers living in exile in Europe to start or continue their careers.”

The Belarusian Filmmakers’ Network (BFN) is a network, which unites independent young filmmakers from Belarus, including those living in exile. BFN aims to put Belarusian cinema back on the European film industry's map.
https://www.facebook.com/belfilmnet.work
The Belarusian Filmmakers Network (BFN) is a SINGO project, in cooperation with SMartDE for the 2023 program. In 2023, BFN is supported by the Federal Foreign Office, Eastern Partnership program.
For further information, please contact us via e-mail: belfn2022@gmail.com