Since seven years the Göteborg Film Festival in cooperation with the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) manage a fund that supports film makers living and working in countries in transition. During the next year a total amount of four million SEK (aprox. 450 000 €) will be distributed as development support, postproduction support and contributions towards training, education and organization of technical facilities in the film area. This week the fund’s selection committee has made the decision to support four projects in postproduction.

Pure Coolness by Ernest Abdyjaparov, Kyrgyzstan
Pure Coolness is a serious comedy on the subject of ”bride stealing”, an old tradition still existing in the secluded mountains of Kyrgyzstan. The project has already received development support from the Göteborg Film Festival Fund. Now it is awarded another 300 000 SEK (33 000 €) and the film is expected to première during the fall of 2007. Director Ernest Abdyjaparov is best known for the comedy Saratan depicting a small village in Kyrgyzstan after the downfall of communism.

Heremias by Lav Diaz, the Philippines
When Lav Diaz presented his ten hour epic tale Life of a Philippino Family at the Göteborg Film Festival in 2005 an enthusiastic audience greeted the director after spending a whole day in the company of the film’s main characters. The film attracted much attention worldwide and the reviews at festivals such as the Toronto International Film Festival praised it. The Göteborg Film Festival Fund has awarded Lav Daiz’ next project Heremias 300 000 SEK (33 000 €). And the audience can look forward to yet another example of Philippine every day life portrayed in the fastidious and aesthetically talented way that Lav Diaz has proven capable of. The film is expected to have its international première at the 30th Göteborg Film Festival in 2007.

To Get To Heaven First You Have to Die by Djamshed Usmanov, Tajikistan
Djamshed Usmanov was very successful with the film Angel on the Right when it was screened at the Cannes Film Festival in 2002. Now he returns with a film about the hopeless existence of a small time smuggler in Tajikistan. The film will hopefully have its international première at the film festival in Cannes this year and it is awarded 300 000 SEK (33 000 €).

Requiem from Java by Garin Nugroho, Indonesia
Requiem from Java is part of a series of six films supported by, among others, the city of Vienna and produced in connection with the New Crowned Hope Festival and Vienna’s celebration of Mozart in 2006. Garin Nugroho’s film is an adaptation of one of the stories of the Indian epic Ramayana containing songs and music from Java. The film will have its première at the Venice Film Festival in 2006 and it is also awarded a total sum of 300 000 SEK (33 000 €).

Since 1998 the Göteborg Film Festival Fund have supported 46 different films from over 25 countries all over the world. The four projects supported in this selection round have been chosen out of the close to 40 applications submitted to the fund’s spring selection. The next deadline for applications is October 1st 2006 and the autumn selection round is open to projects applying for development support.