Russian documentary MEMORY receives IDFA Bertha Fund Europe

Russian documentary MEMORY receives IDFA Bertha Fund Europe grant and a French co-producer

Russian feature-length documentary film MEMORY by Vladlena Sandu receives a grant from the IDFA Bertha Fund Europe in the “International Co-production” category. Following the grant French producer Karim Aitouna for Haut Les Mains came on board to join the project. This was announced during KEY BUYERS EVENT: digital market.

One of the 17 feature-length films presented at the KEY BUYERS EVENT: digital co-production pitching section became a recipient of a €40000 grant from IBF Europe. In addition to the grant, the project will also receive tailored support through IDFA’s Filmmaker Support department and year-round opportunities for connecting with IDFA’s professional network.

For the April 2021 IBF Europe selection round the fund considered 36 projects of which 6 are selected. The IDFA Bertha Fund selection committee included Henrik Underbjerg (IMS, Stray Dogs Productions), Adriek van Nieuwenhuijzen (Head of Industry, IDFA), Armi Rae Cacanindin (Cinematografica Films), Estelle Robin You (Point du Jour – Les Films du Balibari), and Isabel Arrate Fernandez (Managing Director, IDFA Bertha Fund).

MEMORY is an autobiographical feature-length debut by award winning Russian female writer-director Vladlena Sandu (Holy God, Eight Images From The Life Of Nastya Sokolova, Identification), produced by Yanna Buryak, founding director of Moscow based production company MIMESIS. Half of the documentary was recently shot on 16mm film in Chechnya, over the course of April 2021. The film is now officially a co-production between Russia, Netherlands and Kosovo: Yanna Buryak for Mimesis, Raymond van der Kaaij and Kirsi Saivolsalmi for Revolver (www.revolver.nl), Eroll Bilibani for BZ SH.P.K.

MEMORY logline: Vladlena Sandu, a survivor of the war in Chechnya between 1994 and 1998, studies her memories in order to transcend and transform them via cinema.

Source：Roski PR