10 CinÉireann / January 2018
STORYBOARD
Production News
Two Irish projects have been selected for the 15th Berlinale Co-Production Market, which takes place at the prestigious Berlinale Film Festival from February 17 to 21. They are Savage Productions' Soul Hunter and Fantastic Films' Dr. Glass.
The current selection comprises 36 new feature film projects that are looking for co-producers. In addition, five high-profile production companies will be introduced in the exclusive “Company Matching” programme.
Soul Hunter is the story of an idealistic young man seeking adventure in Siberia who finds a home among an indigenous tribe. Angered at their exploitation by criminals who govern the fur trade he ignites a dangerous revolution. Forced to flee into the frozen wilderness, he must embrace the tribe’s shamanic beliefs to survive. Based on a true story, the script is written by Glenn Montgomery and will be directed by Danish director Andreas Dalsgaard, who is best known as a documentary filmmaker and director of The Human Scale. Soul Hunter is produced by Savage Productions. Savage Productions has worked with Dalsgaard before when they co-produced the documentary Life is Sacred which is produced by Signe Byrge of Final Cut for Real.
Maudie director Aisling Walsh will tackle Dr. Glass, which is based on the classic Swedish novel by Hjalmar Soderberg. The book is described as being daringly philosophical in its sexual and social evocations, thriller-like in the tension of its morality and love. Stockholm, 1905. Dr Glass, introspective, stylish, intellectual. He shields himself from his life and his past with a cool and clinical veneer which passes for a normal and satisfactory existence but his life and values are thrown into turmoil when he falls obsessively in love with Helga, wife of the disgusting Pastor Gregorius. Helga abhors her husband and loves – not Dr Glass – but the handsome Recke. Dr Glass finds himself at the heart of a complex and shifting moral and erotic dilemma. Murder should be the furthest thing from his mind... Dr. Glass is a co-production between Makar Productions in the UK and Fantastic Films in Ireland.
Interested co-producers, world sales agents, distributors, broadcasters, film funds and financiers from all over the world will come together in Berlin in more than 1,200 pre-scheduled one-on-one meetings with the producers of the selected projects from a total of 28 countries. Each meeting will be organized based on specific partnering needs for each project.
An extensive side-bar programme will also provide participating producers with chances to network and get up-to-date information on current production issues.