NISI MASA
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Founded | 2001 |
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Type | Non-profit |
Location | |
Key people | Matthieu Darras, founding member |
Website | http://www.nisimasa.com |
NISI MASA is a non-profit organisation promoting young professionals in the European filmmaking industry. It is formed from 28 national member bodies. The non-profit organisation is supported, amongst others, by the European Union: Youth, Civil Society and MEDIA Programme, the Council of Europe, the European Cultural Foundation, Fondation de France and the French Ministry of Youth, Sports and Associative Life.
It is most-widely known for Nisimazine, a daily magazine produced during the Cannes Film Festival and several other film festivals and European Short Pitch, an annual event that combines a scriptwriting workshop in residency and a co-production forum.
Our main aims are:
- to discover new film talents
- to develop cross-cultural audiovisual projects
- to foster European awareness through cinema
- to create a platform of discussion and collaboration for young European filmmakers
Our main activities are:
- organising filmmaking & scriptwriting workshops
- holding various cinema-related meetings (conferences, seminars, etc.)
- promoting short films (through screenings, making of DVDs, etc.)
- editing publications (various books & a daily magazine produced during several European film festivals)
Origins
NISI MASA was founded in 2001 by three film enthusiast friends who wanted to create a Europe-wide platform for cooperation between young filmmakers. More than eleven years on, the number of countries in the network has increased to 26. Currently there are 28 member associations with over 1500 individual members.
The name 'NISI MASA' is a reference to the film 8½ by Federico Fellini, in which Marcello Mastroianni repeats the phrase Asa Nisi Masa. The film, a European cinema classic, and the sentence, an incantation belonging to no specific language, both reflect the cinematic and cross-border spirit of the network.
NISI MASA is a network of young cinema. At the centre of their activities is audiovisual work across Europe, with a strong emphasis on intercultural exchange. Meetings and workshops take place regularly throughout the year both within the European Union and its bordering countries, often in cooperation with international film festivals.
Our main aims are:
- to discover new film talents
- to develop cross-cultural audiovisual projects
- to foster European awareness through cinema
- to create a platform of discussion and collaboration for young European filmmakers
Our main activities are:
- organising filmmaking & scriptwriting workshops
- holding various cinema-related meetings (conferences, seminars, etc.)
- promoting short films (through screenings, making of DVDs, etc.)
- editing publications (various books & a daily magazine produced during several European film festivals)
The NISI MASA Departments
Since the 1st of May 2012, NISI MASA counts with a new internal structure which is more effective and organized. NISI MASA’s structure is divided in a Supervisory Board, a Executive Board and an Administrative manager, a Communication officer and a Distribution coordinator, as a supportive and coordination team working at the European Office based in Paris (France). SUPERVISORY BOARD:
- President: Filipe Pereira (Portugal)
- Treasurer: Severine Beaudot (France)
- General Secretary: Maartje Alders (The Netherlands)
EXECUTIVE BOARD:
- Head of Network Department: Michaela Pnacekova (Slovakia)
- Head of Film Lab Department: Hannaleena Hauru (Finaland)
- Head of Script Department: Wim Vanacker (Belgium)
- Head of Debate (Nisimazine): Fernando Vasquez (Portugal)
OFFICE STAFF:
- Administrative Officer: Viviana Carlet (Italy)
- Communication Officer: Lucia Ros Serra (Spain)
- Distribution Coordinator : Catherine Poueyto (France)
NISI MASA 4 departments:
* Network Department
This Department is in charge of keeping unified the NISI MASA Network and of coordinating the several networking meetings realized during the year, such as training and partnership-building seminars, the NISI MASA General Assembly and also, of contacting potential new member organizations all around Europe to join NISI MASA.
In 2012, the Network department has coordinated the annual General Assembly in Zagreb, Croatia (March), a Festival Training Seminar called Bright Young Screens in Espinho, Portugal) and a Partnership Building Meetin in Bristol (September).
* Film Lab Department
The Film Lab Department aims to support young European film talents in developing improving their filmmaking skills through practice-based international filmmaking workshops and projects. The Film Lab Department is in charge of coordinated the international workshop activities implemented by member organizations, and all of them related with the art of filmmaking.
In the past years, NISI MASA has organized several of this projects e.g the Istanbul Express project (2010) during which 45 filmmakers travelled on three trains across Europe to Istanbul, or Polyglot (2011), the filmmaking workshop sailing across the Finnish archipelago or the recent Experimental Film Workshop in Bucharest, Romania (2012).
* Script Department
The Script Department aims to support young European film talents to develop their film projects (shorts & features) and to improve their writing skills. This department focuses all its strength in European Short Pitch, an initiative based on the support and development of young European scriptwriters through an annual scriptwriting workshop and a co-production Forum.
In 2002, NISI MASA started the European Script Contest, which evolved in European Short Pitch in 2006 as an initiative aimed at promoting the European coproduction of short films. In 2013, European Short Pitch its celebrating its 7th edition.
Selected winners participate in European Short Pitch, a scriptwriting workshop and 3-days pitching session, which aims to develop European short film co-productions. Writers discuss their scripts, re-write, and learn to promote their ideas on a European level. Supported by international tutors and trainers, they hold collective brainstorming, working in groups or individually with professional tutors – hence receiving various feedbacks for their scripts. Young people aged between 18 and 35 from all network countries can participate. Since 2002, thousands of young scriptwriters have participated in the call. A dozen short films have already been made with the support of NISI MASA.
* Debate Department
The Debate Department aims to provide a platform for young Europeans with a passion for cinema to enter into a intercultural dialogue, whether spoken, in print or digital/ online. This department owns one of the flagship projects of NISI MASA: the magazine made by young film journalists, Nisimazine, during big and important Film Festivals around the world.
Nisimazine, our particular film journalism workshop, has been present in several film festivals, such as Cannes Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, Abu Dhabi Film Festivarl, etc, where our participants have been covering the first feature films in competition.
Future Projects
GENERATOR: Youth Audiovisual Forum – January 2013
GENERATOR: Youth Audiovisual Forum is a trans-national youth seminar to take place during 3 days in Strasbourg, France (January 25 – 27, 2013). The forum will debate on how young people can have access to European culture and express themselves thanks to audiovisual tools, this being a first step to active European citizenship. Thus the core of the project is really about reflecting on the potential active role of youth as part of the present and future of Europe. During three days, participants will attend numerous and interesting activities such as: debates, presentations, one-to-one meetings, group workshops (Scriptwriting, Film Lab, Kino Cabaret, etc), Vjing parties, screenings or a project fair. All the activities will take place in different venues that will make the the city of Strasbourg involved in the event.
EUROPEAN SHORT PITCH 2013 – January / March 2013
In 2013, European Short Pitch arrives at its 7th edition and it keeps its aims on promoting young filmmakers and European coproduction of short films.
This initiative combines two big events and an on-line session:
- A scriptwriting workshop : from 8th to 13rd January 2013 in Zagreb (Croatia)
- A Coproduction Forum: from 1st to 3rd March 2013 in Luxembourg City (Luxembourg)
25 script projects from all around Europe have been selected and their representatives will have the opportunity to develop them and to pitch them in front of European producers and distributors.
SOAP! – February 2013
From the 18th to the 23rd of February 2013, NISI MASA will be hosting SOAP!, a film workshop focused on TV Soap Opera in Marseille ( European Capital of Culture 2013). The project is based on collective and practical filmmaking – and supporting creativity and expressions free from borders. During 5 days, 26 participants from all around Europe and aged between 18 and 35, will compose a full crew (actors, directors, editors, music composer, cinematographers, set designer, sound assistants, makeup artists, etc) and create a 7x10 minutes web series by mixing the conventions of a TV Soap Opera to different film genres. SOAP! is about collective filmmaking therefore the participants, guided by a tutor, will work together using drama pedagogy tools in filmmaking and will deal with actual life conflicts (immigration, youth employment, the euro-crisis, etc) to reflect it on the webseries.
NISIMAZINE
For 2013 and 2014, we have planned to host several Nisimazine during important International Film Festivals, that will help our participants to develop journalism skills and at the same time, will improve the visibility of NISI MASA all around Europe thanks to the distribution of the film magazine.
Nisimazine will be in the following festivals the next 2 years (without notice festival invitations):
- Nisimazine Special Rotterdam (Netherlands) – January 2013
- Nisimazine Tampere (Finland) – March 2013
- Nisimazine Cannes (France) – May 2013 and 2014
- Nisimazine Venice (Italy) – August 2013 and 2014
- Nisimazine San Sebastian (Spain) – September 2013 and 2014
Zero Budget – August 2013
In the summer of 2013, we will analyze the ways of filmmaking with no budget through a workshop taking place in Munich (Germany). The Zero Budget film workshop will host 15 young participants who, through collective filmmaking and non-formal education tools, will be encouraged to find innovative ways for audiovisual expression regardless of their financial or social situation. The project aims for active citizenship where unnecessary hierarchies are de-constructed by horizontal and collaborative creative team. The participants will shoot short films inspired by European financial difficulties – with as minimal resources as possible.
MUSIC IN FILM WORKSHOP – September 2013
Prague (Czech Republic) is the chosen city by NISI MASA to host the Music in Film Workshop in September 2013. The aim of this workshop is to get together 15 participants from different countries to get deep into the use of music in film. They will shoot footages and recording sound and music, interview people in local communities in Prague and edit materials together.
Once the materials are edited, the films will be screened publicly and there will be a debate to discuss the results.
THE SHORT DISTRIBUTION WORKSHOP – October 2014
In October 2014, NISI MASA will host a Short Distribution Workshop in Stavanger (Norway), which will be aimed at youth associations that produces short and middle length films, young filmmakers and producers.
The main issue to discuss will be question of the ways to distribute short and middle length films in Europe and how to help young filmmakers and youth audiovisual associations to create new channels for distribution of these length formats. Participants will learn about distribution; copyright and funding of youth cinema through various methods like discussions with experts, group work, exchange of their own experience, learn ad teach precesses, etc.
The invited speakers from distribution companies, production companies, short film festivals and TV channels will help the young participants develop specific strategies of short and middle-length distribution.
NISI MASA: On the Road – July / December 2014
NISI MASA: On the Road – Travelling programs as means of intercultural exchanges will take place during 6 months in different European countries. This project comprises 5 meetings where the participants will meet to discuss and learn about distribution and programming strategies in order to create youth film travelling programs for intercultural exchange through cinema and language. The meetings will take place in: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Russia, Greece, Poland and Macedonia.
Each meeting will produce a thematic travelling program that will circulate around Europe.
The 28 member associations of NISI MASA
NISI MASA is present in 26 countries all around Europe, with a total of 28 member associations dedicated to cinema in different fields. All the NISI MASA member associations organize workshops, screenings, conferences and seminars and all kind of activities related with cinema, fact that favors NISI MASA to be present in a huge European level.
- Albania – First Step Association (http://www.fsass.org/)
- Austria – kino5 (http://www.kino5.net)
- Bulgaria – Seven (bulgaria@nisimasa.com)
- Croatia – Palunko (http://www.palunko.org/)
- Croatia – KinoKlub Zagreb (http://www.kkz.hr)
- Czech Republic – Kino Praha (www.kinopraha.cz)
- Estonia – Nisi Masa Estonia (http://www.nisimasa.ee)
- Finland – Euphoria Borealis (http://www.euphoriaborealis.net)
- France – Nisi Masa France (http://blog.nisimasafrance.org)
- Germany – Munich Film Society (http://www.muenchner-filmwerkstatt.de)
- Greece – PSAROKOKALO
- Hungary – NISI MASA Hungary
- Italy – Franti Nisi Masa Italia (http://www.frantinisimasa.it)
- Kosovo – 7arte (http://www.7-arte.org/web/)
- Lithuania – Kaunas International Film Festival
- Luxembourg – Filmreakter (http://www.filmreakter.lu/)
- Macedonia – Cre8ive8 (http://www.cre8ive8.org/)
- Montenegro – Cinemapolis
- Netherlands – Breaking Ground (http://www.breakingground.eu)
- Norway – Filmkraft
- Portugal – FEST – Associação Cultural (http://fest.pt/trainingground2010/)
- Russia – Generation Campus
- Russia – MOVIEMENT (http://www.cinetrain.net)
- Slovenia – PIFF (http://www.piff.si/)
- Spain – CINESTESIAS (http://www.cinestesias.org)
- Sweden – Nisi Masa Sweden – (http://www.nisimasa.se/)
- UK – Encounters (http://www.encounters-festival.org.uk)
- Ukraine – CinemaHall (http://www.cinemahall.org.ua)
Publications
- MAS Y MAS is a monthly network newsletter focusing on trends in the European Cinema Industry and news concerning NISI MASA members and young European filmmakers in general.
Nisimazine
NISI MASA has also been publishing daily editions of its other regular publication NISIMAZINE, during several film festivals, in the framework of film journalism workshops for young European film critics:
- NISIMAZINE Cannes Cannes Film Festival: 2006 / 2007 / 2008 / 2009/ 2010/ 2011/2012 (French/English)
- NISIMAZINE Torino Torino Film Festival: 2007 / 2008 (Italian/English)
- NISIMAZINE Helsinki DocPoint – Helsinki Documentary Film Festival: 2008 (English)
- NISIMAZINE Alba Alba International Film Festival: 2008 / 2009 (Italian/English)
- NISIMAZINE Kars: 2008 (Turkish/English)
- NISIMAZINE Tehran Cinéma Vérité: 2008 (English)
- NISIMAZINE Amsterdam IDFA: 2008 (English)
- NISIMAZINE Lima Festival de Lima: 2009 (Spanish/English)
- NISIMAZINE Rio de Janeiro Festival do Rio: 2009 (Portuguese/English)
- NISIMAZINE Artvin: 2009 (Turkish/English)
- NISIMAZINE Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi Film Festival: 2010/ 2011 (English)
- NSIIMAZINE Bratislava International Film Festival Bratislava: 2011 (English)
- NISIMAZINE Tallinn: 2011 / 2012 (English)
- NISIMAZINE Venice La Biennale di Venezia: 2011 (English)
- NISIMAZINE Karlovy Vary Karlovy Vary Film Festival: 2012 (English)
- NISIMAZINE Kaunas: 2012 (English)
- NISIMAZINE Rotterdam International Rotterdam Film Festival: 2012 (English)
Books
- Bright Young Screens, July 2012
- European Short Pitch 2012 - Book of Projects
- Polyglot: On the Way to Turku, Cine-Boat project 2011
- Short Film Coproduction in Europe - Guide, 2011
- Matter of Taste - Food and cinema, 2010
- Balkans Identities, Balkan Cinemas, 2008
- Human Rights and Audiovisual Culture, 2008
External links
- http://www.rhiz.eu/institution-12431-en.htmlttp://www.rhiz.eu/institution-12431-en.html
- http://www.toutlecine.com/cinema/l-actu-cinema/0000/divers-00003834-nisi-masa-fait-son-cinema.html?cmpid=C09ptvflux
- http://cineuropa.org/newsdetail.aspx?lang=en&documentID=66351
- http://www.dvoted.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=909&Itemid=121
- http://www.axelibre.org/cinema/article_artmaniaque_cinema.php?id_article=492
- http://cineuropa.org/2011/id.aspx?t=event&l=en&did=218811
- http://www.formatcourt.com/2012/11/generator-forum-audiovisuel-de-la-jeunesse-appel-a-participants/
- http://www.cineuropa.org/nw.aspx?t=newsdetail&l=en&did=229756
- http://www.cineuropa.org/nw.aspx?t=newsdetail&l=en&did=230913
- http://www.coze.fr/2012/12/19/generator-le-forum-audiovisuel-de-la-jeunesse/
- http://www.mediafrance.eu/spip.php?article2489
- http://www.culture-alsace.org/actualites/2012/12/14/generator-appel-a-participants-fr,51933.html