BABYLON workshop participants succsesses:

We’d like to congratulate the following filmmakers for their recent successes:

Sally El Hosaini (Babylon 2009), who shot and completed her film My Brother the Devil  this year and has been selected in competition at Sundance Film Festival 2012 (World Cinema Dramatic Competition). Details of the Sundance 2012 Official Selection 
http://www.sundance.org/press-center/release/2012-festival-program-announcement/

Verena S. Freytag’s film Abgebrannt (Burnout) (Babylon 2007) has been garnering awards, winning Best Film (‘Achtung Berlin – new berlin film award 2011′), and SR/ZDF- Script prize at the Max Ophüls Film Festival Saarbrücken, 2011.  It is currently on theatrical release in Germany and screening at many international festivals including most recently Dubai.  Read more about the film at the official website:
http://www.abgebrannt-derfilm.de

Umut Dag’s film Kuma (Babylon 2009) co-written with Babylon alumnus Petra Ladinigg, recently completed principle photography in Vienna and Anatolia, and is currently in postproduction. Produced by Wega-Film and co-funded by the Austrian Film Institute, Vienna Film Fund and broadcaster ORF.
Austrian Film Commission – Kuma
http://www.jart.at/jart/prj3/afc/main.jart?rel=de&reserve-mode=active&content-id=1164397024469&filme_id=1314907821153

Veit Helmer’s film Baikonur (Babylon 2009) was released by X-Verleih in Germany 1st September 2011. The film was co-produced by Veit Helmer Filmproduktion, Eurasia Film Production and Tandem Production, co-funded by ARD, Arte, BR, RBB, BKM and the Goethe Institut.  Read more at the official website.
http://www.baikonur.com

Shanghai-Belleville by Show-Chun Lee, producer Juliette Grandmont (both attended Babylon 2007) finished shooting 9th Sept 2011. The film was produced with co-production support from China Blue and a E450,000 advance on receipts from the CNC France. After participation in Babylon, SB was selected by the Cinéfondation Workshop at the Cannes Film Festival, by Emergence and the Angers Workshops. The film will shortly be completed and will be launched in French theatres in 2012.
http://www.clandestine-films.fr/news/tournage-shanghai-belleville-2

Over 5 years BABYLON has welcomed over 100 participants and developed 70 film projects of which 9 have been produced and are currently in distribution or completing festival runs.  A further 10 projects are in preproduction or active financing, and there are many more alumni film and career successes to celebrate.

BABYLON celebrated its 5th birthday this year, kicking off the Industry Programme of the 55th BFI London Film Festival in October with a panel discussion on cultural diversity in independent film, an occasion to take note of progress made – and still to be made – in an area we believe represents the most exciting new current in European cinema.   See the Babylon website for more details.

BABYLON INTERNATIONAL concluded it’s second year’s programme with the launch of a new online forum, http:www.world4film.com 
This is intended as a forum for an extended Babylon network, so please do register and join us online to share news, discussions, clips, proposals, calls for collaboration etc.  We want to hear from you!