TUNISIANS ON FILM During the last few years, Tunisian cinema has known a revival both on the national and international level thanks to its dynamism and diversity. This year a group of Tunisian producers whose films have been selected and won awards in prestigious festivals around the world has taken the initiative to promote six other producers with interesting projects at one of the most important markets in the world the Marché du film at Cannes 2017. This program called Tunisians on film will take place on May 22nd in the framework of the Producers Network at the Plage des Palmes and will allow the Tunisian producers to meet and exchange with producers, distributors, sales agents and TV channels. We invite you to discover these projects and their producers thanks to this opportunity which will help promote a new generation of talented and promising film professionals and their country.
LOOK AT ME REGARDE MOI Nejib Belkadhi Lotfi, a Tunisian migrant settled in France is caught up by his past when his ex wife Sarra is hospitalised following a stroke. Lotfi has to claim tutorship for his son Amr, 9 years old and autistic, from the child's aunt Khedija. The cohabitation with the child he hasn't seen for 7 years, and the problems he discovers will push Lotfi to renew with his paternal instincts and create a link with his son. Producer: Imed Marzouk Director: Nejib Belkadhi Genre: Drama Original Language: Tunisian Dialect Length: 90 min Shooting scheduled for: September 2017 Financial Structure: Total Budget 700 000 Current status of the project: Final script available Partners engaged and financing in place: CoProducer: Mille et Une Productions (France) Partners: Tunisian Ministry of Culture, Doha Film Institute, Sanad, Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie PROPAGANDA PRODUCTION imedmarz@gmail.com Tel: +216 98 441 465 IMED MARZOUK After studying international commerce he founded Propaganda Production, with Nejib Belkadhi. He has produced several shorts, documentaries and features films including «VHS Kahloucha» and «Bastardo» by Nejib Belkadhi, «A peine j ouvre les yeux» by Leila Bouzid, «Vent du Nord» by Walid Mattar.
My friend Gadhgadhi Mon ami Gadhgadhi Rafik Omrani The most infamous terrorist in Tunisia during the years 2013-2014, Kamel Gadhgadhi, turns out to have been a close friend of the director at college. The latter will start a reflection on terrorism and how his old friend, who used to be an ordinary person as him, turned towards terrorism. Director/Producer: Rafik Omrani Genre: Animated documentary Original language: Tunisian Dialect Length: 75 min Current status of the project: Developpement - Looking for Co-producers interested in animation Financial structure: Total budget 500 000 $ Partners engaged and financing in place: AFAC 35 000 $ DFI 12 000 $ MAJEZ FILMS majez.prod@gmail.com Tel: +216 25 433 365 Rafik Omrani Director and Producer based in Tunisia, started with marketing and communication oriented studies, cumulated various experiences in fiction, documentary and short animation. «Fallega 2011» (2011) was his first medium-length documentary film, it was shown and awarded in a significant number of international festivals, demonstrations and art institutions around the world.
THE BOW AL QAWS Anis Lassoued Gadeha, an eleven-year-old boy, happens one day to be the victim of an accident. His life is turned upside down when his mother accepts to sell his kidney to secure her family's survival. But ties of friendship will be forged between the donor and the recipient. Producer: Chema Ben Chaabene (Lumières Films), Sami Ben Mlouka (CTV) Director: Anis Lassoued Genre: Drama Original language: Tunisian Dialect Length: 80 min Shooting scheduled for: September-October 2017 Financial structure: Total Budget 713 000 Current status of the project: Final script available / Looking for financing, co-producers (France-Germany and other nationalities) and international distributors. Partners engaged and financing in place: CTV Services, Tunisian Ministry of Culture, CNCI, National distributor, TV Pre-Sale. LUMIERES FILMS chemabenchaabene@lumieresfilms.com Tel : +216 71 256 505 / + 216 70 853 300 Mobile : +216 96 235 558 / +216 98 271 932 Web site: www.lumieresfilms.com Chema BEN CHAABENE Graduated from the Faculty of Law of Aix-en-Provence, she is the author of theater plays and documentary and fiction scripts. She is the producer of two feature documentaries, «L Opposant» and «Sacrifice» by Anis Lassoued.
ZEMBRA treasure island ZEMBRA l île au trésor Amine Lakhnech Seven friends who are spending the week-end on an island, see their lives disrupted because of something that happened five centuries ago. Producer : Omar Ben Ali Director : Amine Lakhnech Genre: Fantastic Thriller Length: 90 min Original language: Tunisian Dialect Financial structure: Total budget 760 000 Current status of the project: In development, gathering resources, 22% of the budget is already guaranteed by the producer (equipment and post-production as well as special effects) Partners engaged in the project and financing in place: SVP Tunisia (125 000 ) 17 % Director and Producer participation (38 000 ) 5 % SVP - Services Vidéo Production omar@svp-tunisia.com Tel: +216 71 947 200 Mobile: +216 26 207 106 Omar Ben Ali Graduated in Audiovisual Communications. He co-produced the award winning film by Alaeddine Slim «The last of us» (Lion of the future for a Debut film, Venice Mostra 2016,). He is currently coproducing several documentaries and short films.
God bless Buddies Bin El RjeL Lotfi Achour A group of male friends in their forties whom life had distanced, find themselves in an isolated beach house for an escapade of booze and sex with a prostitute. Between jokes and laughs the old dynamics of power fall back into place. But one of them marked by three years of imprisonment for pederasty carries the weight of a vengeance from which none will emerge unscathed. Can friendship survive all truths? Producer : Anissa Daoud Director : Lotfi Achour Genre : Psychological Thriller Original Language : Tunisian Dialect Length : 95 min Shooting scheduled for : October 2017 Financial Structure: Total Budget 570 000 Current status of the project: Full treatment of the film available as well as an early version of the script Looking for co-producers from Europe and the Arab world. Also looking for television, international funds and distributor. Producer contact : APA Artistes Producteurs Associés daoud.anissa@gmail.com artistes.producteurs.associes@gmail.com Tunisia: +216 23 267 982 / France: +33 6 15 67 03 90 http://www.facebook.com/artistesproducteursassocies Anissa Daoud Has produced the feature film «Burning Hope» by Lotfi Achour and his multiple award-winning short films «Father» and «Law of the Lamb» (which was in the official competition in Cannes 2016) as well as the short «The rest is the work of man» by Doria Achour in official selection at the Venice Film Festival 2016.
CLANDESTINO WISSEM TLILI Selim is a young Tunisian student who is very influenced by television and Italian culture. He wins the jackpot in an Italian televised game and should now be a millionaire, but he needs to get to Rome within two weeks to claim his money. After trying to get a visa unsuccessfully, the only way left to reach Italy is to travel illegally. During this hazardous journey he becomes attached to the other illegal immigrants who share the dangerous voyage with him in a makeshift boat. When he reaches his destination, he discovers a country completely different from what he imagined. Will he be able to claim his money in time? Producer: Melik Kochbati Director: Wissem Tlili Genre: Comedy Original language: Tunisian Dialect Length: 100 min Shooting scheduled for: September 2017 Financial Structure: Total Budget: 380 000 Current Status: Script and Cast completed / Financing raised at 80% / In Pre Production / Looking for additional co-producers and financing from France, Italy and Germany. Partners Engaged: Paprika Films (Tunisia, with a grant from Tunisian Ministry of Culture): 56% - Atlas Vision (Tunisian co-producer): 16% - Elefanto Films (France co-producer): 6% - Hakka Distribution (Tunisian distributor): 2% Current status of the project : Pre-Production PAPRIKA FILMS melik.kochbati@paprikafilms.com Tel: +216 20 110 181 Melik Kochbati After some years in finance and insurance, Melik Kochbati switched to the film industry. During five years, he was the financial director of multiple French independent film production companies, and collaborated in several feature films. Since 2011, he has been working in his own production companies, Paprika Films and Atlas Vision in Tunisia and Elefanto Films in France, which produced «Heading North» and «The Depths» by Youssef Chebbi, «Wooden Hand» by Kaouther Ben Hania, «Cold Blood», «Kurai no Seishin» by Chakib Taleb-Bendiab, «In Reverse» by Wissem Tlili, «Seul à Seul» by Heni Hnana, «Black Mamba» by Amel Guellaty. As a line producer, he made sitcoms, series and commercials for TV.
Organized by Dora Bouchoucha Lina Chaabane Habib Attia Imed Marzouk Alaeddine Slim Anissa Daoud Lotfi Achour Chawki Kniss Amine Messaadi Kamel Laridhi Moncef Taleb Coordination Sourour Krouna - Artwork Atef Maatallah, Galerie Elmarsa - Graphic Design Aisha Zaied, Amira Kallel Marché du Film Jérome Paillard, Julie Bergeron, Nina Kawakami With the support of TUNISIE