Dear friends and colleagues,
We hope that 2023 started well for you and wish you the best luck in all your projects and endeavours!
This has been a landmark year for CIRCLE, and we are excited to see what the next one will bring. As of 2018, more than 50 women have gone through our training program, and our network is constantly growing and evolving.
We would like to take the time to share with you some of our most precious moments from the previous year, as one cycle ends and a new one begins.
A special thank you to all our partners, mentors, experts and alumnae that have been with us on this intensive journey. We are so grateful for your support and look forward to another wonderful year.
Warmly,
CIRCLE Team
CIRCLE 2022 Highlights
Premieres, screenings and awards
In 2022, films developed through CIRCLE illuminated screens all over the world:
The Eclipse by Nataša Urban, developed through the framework of CIRCLE 2018, had its World Premiere at CPH:DOX, where it won the main DOX:Award. This was followed by screenings at IDFA, Sarajevo Film Festival, Makedox etc. The Eclipse was shortlisted for the European Film Awards, nominated for EUFA award while also receiving a Special Mention from the Doc Alliance, the main Onion award at MakeDox and others.
At IDFA, Light Falls Vertical by Efthymia Zymvragaki, developed in CIRCLE 2020, had its World Premiere. CIRCLE alumna Ayse Toprak also premiered at IDFA with her film My Name is Happy.
Beauty of the Beast, directed by Anna Nemes and developed in CIRCLE 2018 by Ágnes Horváth Szabó had its World Premiere at Sheffield DocFest, and was shown at Sarajevo Film Festival.
CIRCLE goes to...
We were at Cannes where Lin Alluna became the third CIRCLE participant in a row to be awarded at the Docs-In-Progress Showcase. Her project, Twice Colonized, developed in CIRCLE 2020, won the top award. This marked the third year of our partnership with Cannes Docs and a continuing success for the CIRCLE Showcase
Before Cannes, we met at Beldocs where we organized a gathering of our alumni, presented our mission in the Industry program of the Festival and hosted a panel with our dear mentor Diana El Jeirudi.
The first Module in Novi Sad was a success, we enjoyed the quiet working atmosphere and beautiful views from the Petrovaradin Fortress. Our second Module took place in the thermal baths of Sv. Martin na Muri, Croatia, where we relaxed, discussed and made further progress.
The CIRCLE cohort was also present at IDFA, meeting talents from all over the world and spreading the word about our program.
In Sarajevo, we co-hosted a drink together with the DOCU Rough Cut Boutique, Documentary Association of Europe, Slovenia's Guild of Directors and MADOKE - Magyar Dokumentumfilmesek.
Projects in development
The CIRCLE projects that are in development got to the next stages:
Fan Wu's project XIXI (CIRCLE 2020) received a grant from the Sundance Documentary fund.
Lina Vdovîî was selected for the (Egg)celerator Lab, winning a 40.000 dollar grant for her project TATA (CIRCLE 2020), while Efthymia Zymvragaki was selected for Doc Incubator with her project Light Falls Vertical (CIRCLE 2020).
Alina Gorlova and Kristina Mikhailova were selected for Berlinale Talents, while Polina Kelm, Maka Gogaladze and Kristina Mikhailova were selected for IDFAcademy.
Our alumni presented their projects in the sections of various festivals - CPH:DOX Forum (Ever Since I Knew Myself by Maka Gogaladze, developed in CIRCLE ____), Agora Pitching Forum (Quixote’s Camera - 10 Letters from beyond the Light by Cordelia Dvorak, Untitled Project by Ayse Toprak), Agora Docs in Progress ( The Fortress by Shorena Tevzadze) and many others.
Finally, we ended the year happy to hear that CIRCLE has received three year support from Creative Europe - MEDIA and that Twice Colonized by Lin Alluna will have its World Premiere at the Sundance Film Festival!
