2012-02-07 15:17:27 - Trans Atlantic Partners (TAP), the co-production training program led by Strategic Partners (Canada), New York's Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP) and the Erich Pommer Institut (Germany), is now open to applicants thanks to the generous financial support of Media Mundus.
And there's plenty of reason to celebrate, with two TAP alumni up for Oscars at the 2012 Academy Awards!

“It's so rewarding to see TAP alumni making a splash in this year's Academy Awards nominations, and elsewhere. It's great motivation for us as organizers and especially for those producers applying for Trans Atlantic Partners 2012,” says Strategic Partners Director Jan Miller.

Bullhead, co-produced by 2010 TAP participant Peter Bouckaert of Eyeworks Film in Belgium is nominated for Best Foreign Language Film, as is In Darkness, co-produced by 2009 TAP participant Marc-Daniel Dichant of Germany's Schmidtz Katze Filmkollektiv. Meanwhile, China Heavyweight, co-produced by Bob Moore of Canada's Eyesteel Films (TAP 2009) was recently in competition at Sundance.

Trans Atlantic Partners is an intensive three-module film training program for Canadian, European and US producers seeking co-production/co-venture professional development. Module 1 begins

in June 2012 in Berlin, Module 2 takes place in September 2012 in Halifax, leading into Strategic Partners – Canada's international co-production market – and Module 3 is held directly following SP, at the Independent Film Week in New York.

“Once again we'll be offering our unique combination of hands-on training with effective networking and targeted project partner search,” said Nadja Radojevic of the Erich Pommer Institut.

Adds IFP's Amy Dotson: “The skills they acquire through TAP will give them a leg up in the international market, which more and more is lending itself to collaborative filmmaking.”

The deadline for TAP applications is March 20, 2012. Application forms are available at www.coproduction-training.com.


Trans Atlantic Partners also has a terrific list of alumni and projects at this year's Berlinale:
- Helen L. Alexander (British), Castle Valley Films, Hector & Himself, Welcome to the Majority
- Tom Collins (Irish), de Facto Films, The Dinosaur Room, Reading in the Dark,
The Gift – An Bronntanas
- Olivier Rausin (Belgian) & Sebastian Schelenz (German), Climax Films, Motel
- Femke Wolting (Dutch), Submarine, Eisenstein in Guanajuato
- Peter Bouckaert (Belgian), Eyeworks Film & TV Drama NV, The Treatment
- Sven J. Matten (German), Paradigma Entertainment, Steel
- Cyril Tuschi (German), Lala Films, Leaks -three dates with Harry Harrison
- Munire Armstrong (Canadian), YN Films, Yasemin in Between
- Paul Scherzer (Canadian), Six Island Productions, Malabar Court, Trouble in the Peace
- Michael Dobbin (Canadian), Quiet Revolution Pictures, A Man of No Consequence,
The Scarlet Son, Asleep at the Wheel
- Karen Powell (Canadian), Perfect Circle Productions
- Anca Damian (Romanian), Aparte Film, A Very Unsettled Summer
- Alex Boden (British), Pistachio Pictures, Edge of Nowhere

A full list of former TAP participants, as well as the 2011 training schedule, is available online at www.coproduction-training.com.

Strategic Partners is the Atlantic Film Festival's flagship industry program. With Telefilm Canada as its Presenting Partner, it is the one-stop shop for traditional multiplatform producers, broadcasters, sales agents, financiers, distributors and film agencies. The three-day event includes pre-scheduled 1-2-1 meetings; international broadcaster, provincial, state and country sessions; relevant panels and visionary keynote speakers. Delegates also enjoy access to the screenings and galas at the Atlantic Film Festival and the popular Film Nova Scotia Lobster Dinner by the Sea.

The Erich Pommer Institut (EPI) is one of the leading centres in Europe for media law, media management, and and media research. As a non-profit independent institute, our studies follow the process of media convergence through research, consultation and advanced training. Each year, EPI organizes and hosts close to 40 seminars, workshops, conferences and panels – for the German as well as the European media industry. www.epi-medieinstitut.de

The Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP) is the U.S.'s oldest and largest not-for-profit advocacy organization for independent filmmakers. IFP represents a network of 10,000 filmmakers in New York City and around the world, with a mission of ensuring that independent films enrich the universal language of cinema, seeding the global culture with new ideas, kindling awareness and fostering activism.

For interviews, or more information, please contact:

Europe
Nadja Radojevic, Head of International Training
Erich Pommer Institut
radojevic@epi-medieninstitut.de
(w) +49 (0) 331.721 28 85

Canada
Skana Gee, publicist
Strategic Partners, Trans Atlantic Partners
Atlantic Film Festival
gee.skana@gmail.com
(w) 902-466-7191
(c) 902-223-5234

USA
Amy Dotson, Deputy Director
Independent Filmmakers Project
adotson@ifp.org
(w) 212-465-8200