m:brane Content for Young Audiences Forum announces programme

Back physically in Malmö (March 15-17) after two years online, the 16^th m:brane is anticipating one of its biggest attendance ever, with professionals from around the world still able to follow the event virtually.

“Thanks to our excellent technical team with whom we’ve worked even before the pandemic started, we have adapted to the new hybrid form and are extremely happy to welcome guests from all parts of the world,” said managing director Lennart Ström.

“After 16 years, we have gone quite far in terms of what we want to achieve as networking and inspiring forum for young audience projects, looking for financing and partnerships, and we want to share this with as many people as possible.”

Over 40 projects in development worth more than €50 million will be presented across the Opening Industry Day (March 15) and following two Pitching Days.

This year, two new initiatives are being launched: Script Pitch and m:brane Learning – the Non Didactic Universe.

Script Pitch is a collaboration with the Cross Media School of Children’s Fiction in Copenhagen where students can learn and improve the art of storytelling for kids and young adults.

Selected students from the school will be invited to pitch their film ideas in Malmö at a closed session to three experts: Swedish director Goran Kapetanovic (Caliphate, Knutby), Danish script consultant Kirsten Bonnen Rask, and Johan Bogaeus (Pelle No-Tail, Doctor Proctor’s Fart Powder).
“Following this pilot phase, our ambition is to open up the Script Pitch to candidates outside the Cross Media School and hopefully from across the Nordics,” said Ström. The initiative is backed by Region Skåne and Nordisk Kulturfond.

Meanwhile m:brane Learning-the Non-Didactic Universe was designed by m:brane’s Senior Creative Advisor Anne Brejner who noticed a gap in transmitting science, politics to young audiences, to help them get a better grasp of the world we live in. “After last year’s first ever Science and learning track, we thought why not reunite scientists, visual content creators, potential financiers, and investigate the possibility of creating a third task at college and university level [beyond education and research] to share knowledge with the young audience,” explained Ström.

m:brane Learning-the Non-Didactic Universe consists of:

• Inspirational talks and panels, inaugurated this year with a keynote March 15 from US specialist in science and art outreach, Neal Harman, director of CineGlobe Film Festival
• an Open Resource Workshop whereby content creators and decision-makers are invited to observe youth experts, engaging with scientific content and storytelling beyond the educational system. Workshops on March 15 will focus on diversity and prejudice, with the award-winning immersive experience NOIRE (Novaya, France) about US activist Claudette Colvin; gender issues, with Big Sky Productions and Louise Rosen Ltd, US discussing The Gender Project, and the environment through the Finnish film Lynx (Wacky Tie Films).
  

Furthermore, through m:brane’s new learning strand, a partnership with the US Jackson Wild/Schoolyard Films will enable young filmmakers to tap into the Northern Europe Environmental Film Scholarship.

The Opening Industry Day March 15 will also tackle:

• Contemporary Nordic Storytelling, with a presentation from Copenhagen Cross media School of Children’s Fiction
• Green production-‘Heroes & Values’ with panellists Martin Tischner (Megaherz film & fernsehen, Germany), Morgane Baudin (Calista Films, France) and Ronny Fritsche (Avokadofilm, Sweden)
• Tell Me Something New or How To Tell Relevant Stories For Kids with directors Martijn Blekendaal (The Netherlands), Ilze Burkovska Jacobsen (Latvia ) and Andre Hörmann (Germany).

The two panels about Green Production and Engaging stories are held in collaboration with KIDS Regio.

Other inspirational presentations include:

• ArtMinute, a cross-disciplinary format created by Zentropa’s co-founder Peter Aalbæk Jensen and Asta Wellejus (Die Asta Experience) to make art more accessible to youngsters in collaboration with museums
• FAQ-a snapchat show about social questions from France’s Upian.

Fiction and Doc Pitches
mbrane’s popular Pitching platform will be showcasing 25 fiction, documentary, animation, multimedia and TV projects in development for kids and youth projects.

Eleven are coming from the Nordics, including five from Norway.

“Norway is thriving with exciting projects, popping up across all genres and formats, with many of them dealing with important topics, told in an engaging and entertaining way” noted Ström. Citing Fabelaktiv’s series Stairway to Heaven, about a little boy (7), on a mission to being his little brother back from heaven, with the help of two class kids.

Discussing trends, Ström said most projects deal with contemporary issues-how to fit in today’s world, and an unusual high number of projects are targeting teenagers, “probably the most difficult age group to reach”, according to m:brane’s managing director.

The latter is also pleased to underline the presence of projects from Uganda -Paparazzi- and Egypt -Secret Box The PostCard’, selected in collaboration with Nelson Mandela Children’s Film Festival.

Two Nordic documentary TV drama projects - Spark (A5Film), about street dance and values, and Denmark’s Generation Influencer (Toolbox Film) by Anna Bruun Nørager about four young Iraqi influencers, are part of the Realyoung doc scheme, organised with Ove Rishøj Jensen’s Paradiddle Pictures.

The 25 projects in development will compete for the €2,500 Best Pitch Award.

m:brane is supported by Nordisk Film & TV Fond.

For the full list of projects pitches and m:brane programme, check: www.mbrane.se