Australia will send a delegation for the first time to Ties That Bind, EAVE’s flagship Europe-Asia co-production training program, with two Asian-Australian filmmakers taking part in the initiative’s annual session in Udine, Italy, which runs until 30 April alongside the Far East Film Festival and Focus Asia.
Industry development specialist Shelley Ramage led the delegation to Udine, joined by filmmakers Anna Tiwary and Katrina Irawati Graham, who work under the banner of international independent visual cinema. The pair are developing a series of projects spanning Australia and co-productions with Indonesia, Myanmar, South Korea, Nepal, France and Germany.
Active for over 15 years, Ties That Bind is a professional initiative by EAVE (European Audiovisual Entrepreneurs), a producer development organization focused on co-production between Europe and Asia. Through this program, graduates have participated in major festivals such as Cannes, Berlinale, Venice and Locarno. This year’s Udine edition will bring together 15 participants from across project and career tracks, with sessions with prominent buyers, investors and co-production partners from both regions. Tiwary and Graham will oversee teams in Europe and Asia throughout the program’s full schedule of industry conferences and events.
“More than a third of Australians are first or second generation immigrants,” Mr Ramage said. “We are geographically connected to Asia and have strong historical links to Europe, so it makes sense to build on and reflect what we already have. In addition to this, Australia has a range of excellent co-production agreements and incentives that encourage international collaboration. Through Ties That Bind, we are creating a pathway for more Australian filmmakers to make their mark on global cinema.”
Australia’s participation is supported by Screen Australia and Screen Queensland.
