Kids Kino Industry at the Polish Film Festival in Gdynia
The webinars were held live, December, 11th, 2020, ZOOM
Kids Kino Industry was an official partner of the 45th Polish Film Festival in Gdynia.
Thanks to the cooperation with the Polish Film Festival in Gdynia, Kids Kino Industry had a pleasure to invite everyone interested in:
- producing a creative content for kids,
- co-producing with China,
- screenwriting,
Watch 3 free webinars, which were live-streamed on the 11th of the December as part of the Industry section at the Polish Film Festival in Gdynia.
All the webinars were held online (on the Polish Film Festival in Gdynia YouTube channel) and are open to the public.
CO-PRODUCING WITH CHINA | live: December, 11th 11:00 – 12:00 CET
Hosted by: Maciej Jakubczyk, Head of Kids Kino IFF & Viola Gabrielli, Head of Programme, Kids Kino Industry, New Horizons Association, and Katarzyna Janiak, Project Manager, Kids Kino Industry, New Horizons Association
Speakers: Jean Dong, founder and chairman of Zespa Media Group, UK/China, Manman Chen, CCO, WeKids, China, Steven Ching, CEO, Agogo Studios, China, Zosia Jaroszuk, Producer, Animoon, Poland
Moderated by: Katarzyna Siniarska, Head of Sales, New Europe Film Sales, Poland
China has become an important entertainment powerhouse. With surpassing the US in the number of cinema screens and the Internet being the strongest influencer, the country is a hugely important market for creativity – particularly in the children’s film business. However, it’s not always easy for European producers to navigate through the Chinese media industry. To strengthen our relationship with China, we’ve invited key players to give us further insights on where China’s children’s media business is now and where the industry is heading to. Besides, we’ve invited a Polish producer that has successfully co-produced the animated series HUG ME with China to talk about her experience, the development process and future plans with the Chinese company.
The session is dedicated to everyone interested in making business with China and will help to understand better how to do business together over the coming months, what is working, what will change and what it is like to actually work and make films in China’s entertainment industry?
Jean Dong
Founder and Chairman of Zespa Media Group, UK/China
Jean Dong is the founder and Chairman of Zespa Media group of companies in the UK and China. Zespa Media is a group of production and specialist gateway companies connecting global content with the China market. In the past Jean worked as China Consultant for BBC World Service then was retained as Producer and Presenter, producing China-facing programmes for BBC World Service including the Chinese version of Top of the Pops. Zespa Media was established in 2010 and has since licensed and produced numerous international formats for Chinese broadcasters. Zespa Media has its own independent production house in Beijing producing primetime programmes for Chinese TV and online broadcasters. Zespa Media China has won China’s Top 10 New Content Producer of the Year Award 2017. Jean is also the co-founder of Vitamin Education Media (Beijing) with focus on the children content market in China.
Manman Chen
CCO, WeKids, China
Manman Chen is currently in charge of animation development and overseas project cooperation in WeKids and has over 10 years experience in the animation industry. He used to work for Crystal Technologies, one of the biggest animation service companies in Asia, and responsible for the Mascot Animation and Visual Content of the London Olympic Games as team leader.
WeKids is China’s market leader in providing 100+ outstanding animation series from around the world to kids and families in Greater China and oversees all aspects of brand management of key properties. We are now actively looking for high-quality animation concepts and projects for domestic exploitation in China and for global distribution, as well as developing new animation series through original creation and co-production. WeKids seeks to engage creative talent around the world.
Steven Ching
CEO, Agogo Studios, China
Steven Ching is a founder and CEO of AGOGO STUDIOS LIMITED, established since 1991 in Hong Kong, focus in Kids content Creative & Development, including Executive Productions & Content Distribution. Agogo experienced some productions of more than sixty (60) TV animated series of which 50 plus series Agogo has been in co-production that own the rights and licenses covering the globe. Agogo offering a catalog of specialized animation content for children of age from three to ten years old in English language.
Agogo’s top priority is to produce content safe for children and media that is among the company tasks. Choice of professional and specialist from UK, Australia and Canada such as story writers and visual designers are the vital base of kid’s content as for Agogo branding.
Zofia Jaroszuk
Producer, Animoon, Poland
Zofia Jaroszuk graduated from Film and Culture Management Studies at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow. After gaining experience in the field of international promotion of Polish short films she moved to film production. She collaborates with Animoon since 2015 where she’s been performing her duties as a producer and production manager working on short, feature and series animated projects. She creatively overlooks the projects from development to promotion stage. In 2019 she was appointed as a Polish Film Institute expert.
Katarzyna Siniarska
Head of Sales, New Europe Film Sales, Poland
Since 2019 a Board Member and Vice President of Europa International, a Pan-European sales agents association. Her first industry work experience was being a JR Producer then Head of Development at a Polish production company Yeti Films (2008-2011). Since Fall 2012 she has been a part of Warsaw-based NEW EUROPE FILM SALES, first as a Sales Executive, then the Head of Sales and a partner at the company. NEW EUROPE FILM SALES is a boutique world sales company working with international content across the world. The company has a great track record for supporting auteur cinema and unique voices (Academy Award nominee CORPUS CHRISTI, Cannes UCR winner RAMS, Berlinale Silver Bear winner UNITED STATES OF LOVE or the Icelandic Oscar entry UNDER THE TREE). We do believe in developing future audiences and we want to introduce young viewers to the best films for children – shorts, animations and feature films (SUMMER 1993, GORDON & PADDY, JACOB, MIMMI & THE TALKING DOGS) via our NEFS Kids label. Many of our films have played in the Berlinale Generation competition and other leading children festivals.
IMPACT – Shaping productions between arthouse and family entertainment | live: December, 11th 14:00 – 15:00 CET
Hosted by: Maciej Jakubczyk, Head of Kids Kino IFF & Viola Gabrielli, Head of Programme, Kids Kino Industry, New Horizons Association, and Katarzyna Janiak, Project Manager, Kids Kino Industry, New Horizons Association
Speakers: Leontine Petit, CEO Lemming Film, Netherlands, Moritz Hemminger, Deputy Head of Sales & Acquisitions, ARRI Media International, Germany
Moderated by: Ewa Puszczyńska, Extreme Emotions, Poland
Leontine Petit, CEO & producer at Lemming Film with offices in Amsterdam and Berlin reveals her ambition and vision for creating intriguing films with a vast diversity in genre formats and topics. Together with Moritz Hemminger (ARRI Media International) they talk about how to bring films to the next level, including films for a young audience, how to balance productions between market pressure and artistic value in changing times and what are the next moves. The Session is hosted in conversation with Poland’s prestigious drama (queen) producer Ewa Puszczyńska (renowned for her titles COLD WAR and IDA) to discover the alchemy of maintaining the right balance of creativity, uniqueness and commercial success.
Leontine Petit, known for such titles as OWLS & MICE, THE DAY MY FATHER BECAME A BUSH and co-producing titles like BERLIN ALEXANDERPLATZ, MONO, THE LOBSTER is a passionate advocate of helping independent films cross boundaries and connect with international audiences of all age groups. Her bandwidth reaches from funny loving children and family entertainment to challenging topical arthouse films as well as genre films. Thereby it’s her utmost conviction to provide children with as much content diversity as you give an adult audience. Her success can be measured in 54 co-produced feature films and 14 high end drama series in Europe and beyond. Their projects are sold to many countries around the world and have won various national and international awards. She won the prestigious Eurimages Co-Production Award during the European Film Awards in 2016.
Moritz Hemminger, Deputy Head of Sales & Acquisitions at ARRI Media International’s department of the worldwide established ARRI Group operates as an international sales agent for feature films. Beside prestigious festival dramas and genre films like CURVEBALL, THE ASPERN PAPERS, A PURE PLACE Arri’s third and secure focus when acquiring rights for worldwide distribution is on FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT (live action & full animation) with titles like DEAR MR. FÜHRER, MADISON, THE OGGLIES. Arri’s unique business model is to team up with producers already in an early financing stage to offer co-production alongside international distribution activities as well as a broad range of other services from inside the ARRI Group (camera, lighting, post-production and VFX).
Leontine Petit
Founder, CEO & Producer, Lemming Film, Netherlands
Leontine Petit is founder and CEO/Producer of Lemming Film with offices in Amsterdam and Berlin. Lemming Film has, for the last 25 years, successfully co-produced 54 feature films and 14 high end drama series in Europe and beyond. Their projects are sold to many countries around the world and have won various national and international awards. Before working in film production, Leontine studied at the University of Amsterdam where she earned her Master’s degree in Philosophy. She graduated from EAVE and is a member of the ACE Network. She was Producer on the Move (2006). In 2014 she participated at EAVE+. She first participated in the Inside Pictures workshop in 2017. Today she teaches at various media programs and is the President of ‘Bridging the Dragon’, an association that is connecting European and Chinese Film makers. Leontine is a passionate advocate of helping independent films cross boundaries and connect with international audiences. She won the prestigious Eurimages Co-production Award during the European Film Awards in 2016.
Moritz Hemminger
Deputy Head of Sales & Acquisitions at ARRI Media International, Germany
Moritz Hemminger joined 2012 the ARRI Media International department of the worldwide established ARRI Group in order to help expand their international sales operations. As Deputy Head of Sales & Acquisitions at ARRI Media International Moritz is responsible for all feature film acquisitions and is in charge for their sales team. Beside prestigious festival dramas and genre films like CURVEBALL, THE ASPERN PAPERS, A PURE PLACE Arri’s third and secure focus when acquiring rights for worldwide distribution is on FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT (live action & full animation) with titles like DEAR MR. FÜHRER, MADISON, THE OGGLIES. After his studies Moritz Hemminger he started theatrical Sales career at Telepool in Germany (now also known as Global Screen) representing movies such as WHEN WE LEAVE, THE DOOR and many family and kids films such as LILLY THE WITCH trilogy, YOKO or the full animations NIKO, THOR and OOPS, NOAH IS GONE (Part 1). Moritz Hemminger has also been a guest lecturer over the last years at Atelier Ludwigsburg-Paris as well as at University of Television and Film Munich (HFF). Furthermore he was a committee member of the German national film funding institution FFA (2017-2019), jury speaker for the selection of the German Oscar candidate in 2019 and is since 2018 a committee member of the Distribution Support Awards run by the German Films organisation.
Ewa Puszczyńska
Founder & Producer, Extreme Emotions, Poland
Ewa Puszczyńska is a renowned Polish film producer whose achievements include Oscar winner Ida (dir. Pawel Pawlikowski) and Cold War (Best Director, Cannes 2018). Puszczyńska is the founder of Extreme Emotions and a lecturer at leading Polish film schools.
THINKING BIG BUT WRITING LOCAL – Masterclass with Philip LaZebnik | live: December, 11th 16:00 – 17:00 CET
Hosted by: Maciej Jakubczyk, Head of Kids Kino IFF & Viola Gabrielli, Head of Programme, Kids Kino Industry, New Horizons Association, and Katarzyna Janiak, Project Manager, Kids Kino Industry, New Horizons Association
Philip LaZebnik is uniquely qualified to compare and contrast the process of writing and producing a major Hollywood film with a smaller-budget European film. In Los Angeles, LaZebnik wrote screenplays for several Disney and DreamWorks animated features, including POCAHONTAS, MULAN and THE PRINCE OF EGYPT. After moving to Denmark, he has written numerous films and TV series throughout Europe. Though the budgets of the European films are much smaller than the large studio movies in LA, LaZebnik uses the same screenwriting tools, and he will share his insights into story structure, character development and his writer’s process, material he covers in greater detail in the Kids Kino.Lab workshop, for which he is a mentor.
Some of the topics LaZebnik discussed include the following: how there’s no substitute for an individual creative vision. The importance of the story development process. The role that the audience plays in a film. How screenwriters have to be ruthless with their own creations. How he uses Jason Alexander’s Actor’s questions when writing scenes. And the single most important factor in a filmmaker’s success. The masterclass was followed by a Q&A session.
Philip LaZebnik
Screenwriter, Tutor Kids Kino.Lab, USA
Philip LaZebnik is a screenwriter, writer of plays and a screenwriting consultant. Originally associated with Disney Studios and Dream Works. His screenwriting credits include Mulan and Pocahontas for Disney, and The Prince of Egypt and The Road to El Dorado for DreamWorks, among many others.
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Kids Kino Industry is an international co-production forum for films and series aimed at the children’s market. Our goal is to create a meeting place where European professionals can exchange ideas, experiences and develop new content for children. We want to create a space that will help connect projects with potential co-producers, distributors, sales agents, broadcasters and film funds. Each month, we hold free webinars for industry professions called Kids Kino Industry Talks.
Kids Kino Industry is organized by Education Department of New Horizons Association, Poland.
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Polish Film Festival in Gdynia is the most important film event in the country and one of the oldest film events in Europe, which promotes the Polish cinematography on such a wide scale. Each year, the PFF audience can familiarize themselves with the most recent Polish productions. The most interesting Polish films, premieres, debuts and international film festivals’ prizewinners compete over the Golden Lions and Silver Lions as well as a number of individual awards. The film programme is accompanied by the Industry programme.