Tag Archive for: eufcn
EUFCN Renews Board of Directors
The European Film Commissions Network (EUFCN) renewed its Board of Directors through an online vote, which concluded on November 22, 2024.
Teresa Loureiro (Lisboa Film Commission) and Stefanie Rauscher (Vienna Film Commission) were elected as new members of the EUFCN Board. Carlota Guerrero (Catalunya Film Commission), Adrian A. Mitchell (Oslo Film Commission) were confirmed on the Board and as Co-Presidents. They join Zuzana Bieliková (Slovak Film Commission), Tanja Ladović Blažević (Filming in Croatia), Alexandra Luetkens (Film Commission Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein), and Jūratė Pazikaitė (Vilnius Film Office).
The EUFCN Board of Directors, composed of 8 members, is renewed every two years.
The Board agreed to confirm Carlota Guerrero and Adrian A. Mitchell as Co-Presidents and Alexandra Luetkens as Treasurer of the Association. The Board wishes to express its gratitude to Lefteris Eleftheriou (Cyprus Film Commission) for his services as a Board member from early 2022 up till now.
“We are honoured and grateful for the trust we have just received from our fellow members of the EUFCN. To our very competent and engaged Board of Directors, we welcome two highly valuable new members, Teresa Loureiro and Stefanie Rauscher.
We are surely on the right track and confidently looking forward to continuing the work we have started to renew and further develop the EUFCN, creating more opportunities for engaging with the international film community, sharing knowledge and increasing the visibility of the Association and its members.” – Carlota Guerrero and Adrian A. Mitchell, EUFCN Co-Presidents.
“I am proud to join the EUFCN Board of Directors and I look forward to starting this challenge. I believe that EUFCN, with its holistic vision, dynamism and strong capacity for group work, plays a fundamental role in the challenging moments that the European film industry is going through and that lie ahead in the near future.” – Teresa Loureiro, new member of the EUFCN Board of Directors.
“I am very much looking forward to my new tasks as a member of the Board of Directors and to working on EUFCN’s common vision: a future-proof organization through increasing international visibility, strong relationships between members, sustainable appreciation of our members’ wealth of experience and the continuous expansion of our global network.” – Stefanie Rauscher, new member of the EUFCN Board of Directors.
The new EUFCN Board of Directors is therefore composed of:
Carlota Guerrero (Catalunya Film Commission) – Co-President
Adrian A. Mitchell (Oslo Film Commission) – Co-President
Alexandra Luetkens (Film Commission Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein) – Treasurer
Zuzana Bieliková (Slovak Film Commission) – Board Member
Tanja Ladović Blažević (Filming in Croatia) – Board Member
Teresa Loureiro (Lisboa Film Commission) – Board Member
Jūratė Pazikaitė (Vilnius Film Office) – Board Member
Stefanie Rauscher (Vienna Film Commission) – Board Member
EUFCN is a non-profit Association that supports and promotes the European film industry and culture. It currently represents 100 film commissions in 32 countries in Europe.
EUFCN reveals Location Award 2022 Shortlist
The European Film Commissions Network has announced the 5 finalists. The general public has now the chance to vote for their favourite European filming location
The European Film Commissions Network (EUFCN) launched the sixth edition of the EUFCN Location Award, the annual prize for European locations in the film and TV industries, by announcing the names of the 5 locations that will compete for best European filming location of the year.
The 2022 finalists are:
Brissago Islands for Dawn Chorus – Ticino Film Commission (SWITZERLAND)
Chiliadou Beach for Triangle of Sadness – Hellenic Film Commission (GREECE)
Portsoy for Peaky Blinders (Season 6) – Screen Scotland (SCOTLAND)
Schlosshotel Kronberg for Spencer – Film Commission Hessen (GERMANY)
Stari Grad for How I Learned To Fly – Filming in Croatia (CROATIA)
During the first stage of the competition, EUFCN member film commissions had the opportunity to submit one location from a film or a TV series shot in their territory and released between September 11st, 2021 and October 3rd, 2022.
The EUFCN Location Award Jury evaluated all 20 submissions, focusing on the significant role of the location in the story and its challenging and innovative use inside the audiovisual product.
The Jury was composed by Markus Bensch (Production Executive / locations at Studio Babelsberg Motion Pictures Gmbh), Olivier Dock (Independent International Advisor in film, audiovisual production and distribution at Whitebench), Harriet Lawrence (Supervising Location Manager – The Key Locations), Vittoria Scarpa (Journalist and Translator at Cineuropa), and former EUFCN President Truls Kontny (CEO and Executive Producer at Evil Doghouse Nordic).
“It may be a basement, a castle, a bridge, a factory, a field or a street. Without a Location there is no film or TV- production and every location is as important as the other,” say EUFCN Co-Presidents Mikael Svensson and Pavlina Zipkova. “EUFCN wants to focus on the spots where the magic is created, by sharing the process and challenges behind the choice of a location, and by celebrating the work of all those involved in the transformation of places that tell stories. Vote for your favourite now!”
The winner of the EUFCN Location Award 2022 will be determined by the general public’s vote.
Click here to vote!
A lucky name will be picked among the voters and will win a trip to the winning location!
Voting opens on Nov. 28th and runs through Jan. 31st 2023. The EUFCN Location Award 2022 will be handed out to the winning location and film commission in February at the European Film Market – EFM 2023 in Berlin.
The European Film Commissions Network is a non-profit association that supports and promotes the European film industry and culture. It currently represents 95 European film commissions and film institutions from 30 different countries.
EUFCN reveals Location Award 2023 Shortlist
The European Film Commissions Network (EUFCN) launched the seventh edition of the EUFCN Location Award, the annual prize for European locations in the film and TV industries, by announcing the names of the 5 locations that will compete for best European filming location of the year.
The 2023 finalists are:
Helsetkopen for Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One – Norwegian Film Commission (NORWAY)
Hotel Parque do Rio for Bad Living – Portugal Film Commission (PORTUGAL)
Inis Mór for The Banshees of Inisherin – Screen Ireland (IRELAND)
Jotunheimen for Troll – Eastern Norway Film Commission (NORWAY)
Romsdalen Gondola for Succession (Season 4) – Western Norway Film Commission (NORWAY)
During the first stage of the competition, EUFCN member film commissions had the opportunity to submit one location from a film or a TV series shot in their territory and released between October 3rd, 2022 and September 11st, 2023.
The EUFCN Location Award Jury evaluated all 24 submissions, focusing on the significant role of the location in the story and its outstanding use inside the audiovisual product.
The Jury was composed by Andrea David (Travel Blogger | Filmtourismus), Wendy Mitchell (Journalist, Moderator and Film Festival Consultant), Jerry Odlin (Sales Director of Boutique Editions Ltd), Alison Taylor (Location Manager, 1st Vice President of the LMGI) and Venia Vergou (Producer, Crew United Greece).
“As always with the EUFCN Location Award, the breadth and quality of the locations entered have been outstanding, making ranking the top 5 out of the excellent 24 entries, very difficult, albeit very enjoyable. The jury has been happily surprised to see how filmmakers managed to make such creative use in their productions of a spectacular array of landscape, architecture and cultural heritage found in Europe. It is unusual to have three nominees from the same country, but Helsetkopen, Jotunheimen and Romsdalen Gondola were so strong and unique that they really rose to the top, and it felt appropriate to celebrate these different locations, which played a significant role in three very different productions shot in Norway. Together with Portugal’s compelling Hotel Parque do Rio and the fascinating Irish island of Inis Mór, the finalists will reflect the importance and value of filming locations, essential characters in a story. Congratulations to all the entrants and the work they put in to make the work of the judges as consistent as possible.” – EUFCN Location Award 2023 Jury
The winner of the EUFCN Location Award 2023 will be determined by the general public’s vote. Everyone can vote here: https://eufcn.com/location-award-2023/
A lucky name will be picked among the voters and will win a trip to the winning location.
Voting opens on Nov. 27th and runs through Jan. 31st 2024. The EUFCN Location Award 2023 will be handed out to the winning location and film commission on February 18th, at the European Film Market – EFM 2024 in Berlin.
The European Film Commissions Network is a non-profit association that supports and promotes the European film industry and culture. It currently represents 99 European film commissions and film institutions from 31 different countries.
EUFCN reveals Location Awards 2024 Shortlist
The European Film Commissions Network (EUFCN) has launched the eight edition of the EUFCN Location Award, the annual prize for European filming locations. This year, the competition takes on a new name, reflecting its growing impact: the EUFCN Location Awards.
Five outstanding locations, selected by the Location Awards 2024 Jury, will compete for two distinct awards:
a) The EUFCN Location Award 2024, selected by the Location Award Jury
b) The EUFCN Audience Location Award 2024, selected by the public through online voting
The 2024 finalists are:
Frøya for Billionaire Island – Midgard Film Commission Norway (NORWAY)
Mdina for Napoleon – Malta Film Commission (MALTA)
Schönbrunn Palace for The Regime – Vienna Film Commission (AUSTRIA)
Staatsoper Stuttgart for Cranko –Film Commission Region Stuttgart (GERMANY)
Tajogaite Volcano for La hojarasca – Canary Islands Film (SPAIN)
During the first stage of the competition, EUFCN member film commissions had the opportunity to submit one location from a film or a TV series shot in their territory and released between Sept. 12, 2023 and Sept. 28, 2024.
The Location Awards 2024 Jury, composed by Tammy Glover (SVP Production, Sony Pictures Television, USA), Caroline Greville-Morris (Production Designer, UK), Benjamin Hendriks(Supervising Location Manager, Netherlands), EJ Richards (Supervising Location Manager, UK) and Sabine Schulmeyer (Supervising Location Manager, Germany), evaluated all 14 submissions by the EUFCN members, focusing on the significant role of each location in the story and its remarkable impact on the audiovisual work.
‘’It’s a privilege to serve on the jury and be part of celebrating the exceptional work presented this year. The creativity and diversity of the submissions is inspiring – making it no easy task to narrow them down. My deepest admiration goes to all the contributors and I’m grateful to have been part of the process!’’ – Tammy Glover, Senior Vice President Production for Sony Pictures Television.
‘’As location managers working in Europe, it is very nice to see that filming on location is being put in the spotlight and the importance is being recognized, which of course will help elevate our profession. It is truly an honor to have been asked as jurors for the EUFCN Location Award. It is very interesting to see all the different locations, especially the variety within the submissions. Like previous years, it has been difficult to put the final list together’’ – Benjamin Hendricks, EJ Richards and Sabine Schulmeyer, Supervising Location Managers, members of LMGI – Location Managers Guild International.
‘’It has been so fascinating to review films based on the location, and the location’s role in each piece. The short list is incredibly eclectic, including wild and rugged landscapes and astounding architecture both historical and fiercely contemporary. As a production designer I have been fascinated by the way that the location has supported the visual storytelling and in at least one of the films, almost playing a visceral role itself. This is by no means an easy gig! ‘’ – Caroline Greville-Morris, Production Designer, member of BFDG – British Film Designers Guild.
The winner of the EUFCN Audience Location Award 2024 will be determined by the public.
Online public voting opens on December 2, 2024 and closes on January 31, 2025.
Everyone can vote here: https://eufcn.com/location-awards-2024/
One lucky voter will win a trip to the winning location of the “EUFCN Audience Location Award”.
The Ceremony of the EUFCN Location Awards 2024, celebrating the winners, the best European filming locations of the year, will take place during the European Film Market / Berlinale 2025 in February.
EUFCN promotes the wide spectrum of landscape across Europe, the creative use of filming locations and it advocates the complex and hard work behind the scouting process which involves film professionals, Film Commissions and local authorities, as well as the economic and social growth of a territory generated by film productions.
EUFCN is a non-profit Association that supports and promotes the European film industry and culture. It currently represents 100 film commissions in 32 countries in Europe.
Media Partner:
Partner:
Hamburg Mediaserver / Christian Spahrbier 
Andreas Gerth
Venia Vergou named Manager of the European Film Commissions Network (EUFCN)
Venia Vergou has been appointed new Manager of the European Film Commissions Network (EUFCN), a role she will assume from January 2, 2024. She succeeds former EUFCN Managing Director Angelica Cantisani, who stepped down in August for professional reasons after 12 years managing the Network.
“Film Commissioners have been incredible mentors to me,” said Vergou. “Having an open dialogue with the policy makers and professionals in their film industry, as well as a wide knowledge of the statute book of their countries, they can make wonders happen behind the scenes. I strongly believe that a Film Commission is the crossroads where all paths of filmmaking meet.
Being appointed as the new Manager of EUFCN is an incredible honour considering its pivotal role in the growth of the audiovisual industry. I am respectful to how much Angelica Cantisani has contributed to the shaping of the Network since its establishment and I am fully aware of the responsibility of this position. I am also looking forward to working closely with the Board of Directors and the EUFCN members and staff, to further develop strategies and shape our future goals.”
“The EUFCN is in transition, as is the industry itself, and one might say; continuously so,” said EUFCN Co-Presidents Carlota Guerrero and Adrian A. Mitchell. “The work carried out by film offices and film commissions across Europe is fundamental to the development of the European film industry. As a result, EUFCN membership is increasing, a sign that confirms that our members both wish for and need a strong and competent network where they can find guidance, experience, advice and members alike.
It will be the EUFCN’s priority over the next months to consolidate the association’s presence as a key player in the European film industry’s landscape, to strengthen the ongoing relationship with producers across the continent and beyond, and to promote and facilitate networking and training activities for members, on both operational and policy level. We believe that Ms. Vergou, with her vast experience, energy and proven efficiency, will indisputably master the task.”
Venia Vergou is the former director of the Hellenic Film Commission at the Greek Film Centre (2017-2021) and was a member of the EUFCN Board of Directors from 2019 to 2021. Vergou has been an insider of the film industry in Greece for over 20 years, a film critic, a co-producer of three feature films, as well as film projects coordinator for documenta 14 and head of communications and film programmer for the Greek Film Archive.
“Ms. Vergou has the sense of quality and thoroughness in her work, and as of late she has shown her endurance and entrepreneurial skills in the team of Crew United when establishing this network of audiovisual professionals across Greece,” added Carlota Guerrero and Adrian A. Mitchell. “This bundle of skills seldom comes collected – and we are more than pleased to have her on board.”
As a member of the Crew United team, and the person responsible for establishing the Greek channel of the biggest European online network for audiovisual professionals, Venia Vergou will continue her work at Crew United Greece on a part-time basis.
The European Film Commissions Network is a non-profit association that supports and promotes the European film industry and culture. It currently represents 99 European film commissions and film institutions from 31 different countries.