The Binger’s Gamila Ylstra speaks to Nick Cunningham about the Boost! Programme, launched at CineMart 2012
A year ago, Binger formed a triumvirate with CineMart and the Hubert Bals Fund (HBF) to offer extra development support – or an extra boost – to five projects selected for HBF funding. The projects were subsequently given the full bespoke Binger on Demand coaching and development service before their presentation to the market this week during CineMart.
The projects are
Dijn (Hawa Essuman, Kenya);
The Midfielder (El 5 de tallers) by Adrian Biniez (Uruguay/Argentina/Germany);
Humidity (Vlaznost vazduha) by Nikola Ljuca (Serbia/Germany);
The Sand Dollars (Los doláres de arena) by Laura Amelia Guzmán & Israel Cárdenas (Dominican Republic/Mexico/France); and
Jomo by Kivu Ruhorahoza (Rwanda/Australia).
“It is quite a simple concept, to join forces for the benefit of these projects, and it has all worked out very well,” Ylstra comments. “We are very confident that this is a good concept and we want to extend it into the future. We really try to join forces and integrate our efforts working around these filmmakers because what we share is a similar artistic view of filmmaking.” Argentinean producer/director pairing Adrian Biniez (
Gigante, Silver Bear Berlinale 2009) and Fernando Epstein comment on the experience between CineMart meetings. Their football-themed project
The Midfielder has already attracted co-production partners from Uruguay, Germany and The Netherlands. “The Binger sessions were a great experience because we worked with a very good script doctor who gave us a lot of tips on how to develop the script,” says director Biniez. “It was a new experience. It really reinforced our project.”
Producer Epstein confirmed that the project is set to shoot in September and that he is seeking French interest this week. “Basically, we are looking for gap financing.
The Midfielder doesn’t depend on CineMart, but we want to shoot it in a better manner and wholly finance the movie from the start. I think we will achieve that here. But the most important thing is that we are going to receive a fresh overview of the industry today. It’s not only this project we are thinking of, but also the future – this is an incredible place to think about everything.”
Ylstra returned to the conversation with an appropriate footballing analogy. “This has been about picking the right talent and getting the projects at the optimum stage, and I think we found the ones that could benefit most from our programme. Boost! is a very good initiative. As we say in Holland, it is like scoring an open goal.”
More about Boost! here.