In 2021, the Academy of Moving People and Images (AMPI) and the Berlinale-European Film Market: Fiction Toolbox Programme started their partnership supported by the Goethe-Institut Finnland and as part of this collaboration AMPI alumna Jelica Jerenic participated the programme in 2022 . In 2023, the selected participant was Mariia Solodiankina, and the participation in EFM and the trip to Berlinale was supported by AVEK. This year participation in the program was supported by Finnish Film Foundation.
The recipient of the Fiction Tool Box program in 2024 was AMPI alumna Roxana Sadvokassova. The selection committee consisted of AMPI advisory board members Jaana Puskala and Sari Volanen, and founder & artistic director of AMPI, Erol Mintaş.
The filmmaker who is selected among AMPI alumni for the programme, after their attendance, shares their experience with the entire AMPI community by writing a reflection article and giving a presentation about the programme and their experience during the programme. You can read the reflection articles as follows:
Jelica Jerinic here
Mariia Solodiankina here
The third AMPI Alumna at EFM: Roxana Sadvokassova with her first feature film ‘ ‘Prodigal Daughter’’.
Roxana Sadvokassova (b.1992, Kazakhstan) A graduate of Academy of Moving People and Images (2020) and a co-founder of Film Tonight!, Helsinki-based film collective. Currently focusing on getting more shorts under her belt.
Reflection Article by Roxana Sadvokassova
In 2021, the Academy of Moving People and Images (AMPI) joined forces with the Berlinale-European Film Market: Fiction Toolbox Programme. This partnership, over the course of three years, provided opportunities for three AMPI alumni to participate in the Fiction Toolbox program. I happen to be the third AMPI alumna selected for the program, following Jelica Jerinic and Mariia Solodyankina. In navigating my preparation process, I turned to Mariia and Jelica for tips and insights, which they magnanimously shared, helping me feel more prepared – I want to thank them both for that.
In November 2023, through an AMPI open call, I applied for the program with my first horror feature in development, Prodigal Daughter. To be eligible, applicants needed to have a strong interest in producing, a feature project in development, to submit a scene from the treatment, and elaborate on the film’s visual and directorial approach. Shortly after my application was submitted I was invited to an online interview with the jury board consisting of two AMPI advisory board members – Jaana Puskala and Sari Volanen and AMPI’s founder and artistic director-Erol Mintaş. I was thrilled when I got the news that I was selected. My participation and trip to Berlin were made possible by a grant from the Finnish Film Foundation as part of the collaboration between the Academy of Moving People and Images (AMPI) and the Finnish Film Foundation.
The program was structured into online workshops that took place before the European Film Market (EFM), aimed at deepening participants’ understanding of the film industry and preparing us for the on-site portion, which took place during the Berlinale Film Festival. Starting from December, dozens of participants from around the world, divided into groups, gathered online for intensive workshops. Connecting online with the other participants – producers and producing filmmakers from all walks of life – hearing their stories, learning about their projects, and experiencing the workshops together fostered a strong sense of community. I eagerly anticipated meeting these people in person in Berlin. The two weeks of workshops were packed with absorbing valuable knowledge and insights taught by active industry professionals and covered a variety of topics: producing, funding & budgeting, pitching, casting, alternative distribution, negotiations and legal aspects, promotion strategies, community building, insights from Toolbox program alumni and case studies. Each participant was paired with a mentor whose role was to guide them through one-on-one sessions and help them navigate the European Film Market. My mentor was incredibly helpful and supportive – we remain in touch.
I arrived a day before the program began to give myself time to settle in and get acquainted with the environment. Even after the introductory tour provided by the Toolbox staff, it took me a while to orient myself among the various locations where the EFM and Berlinale events were held. The events were spread across several beautiful and historic sites. The EFM Toolbox Program had its own room at the Documentation Centre for Displacement, Expulsion, Reconciliation, located near other EFM venues. This space was where all the participants and staff first gathered in person. The warm welcome amidst familiar faces felt like the perfect way to kick off the program.
On-site, the program was incredibly intense, featuring a whirlwind of networking events, masterclasses, meetings, pitching sessions, industry panels, and screenings. One of the formats offered by the program was Meet the Pros, a round table format that gave participants the opportunity to learn about funds, co-production markets, sales agents, agencies, and training initiatives from the people who organize and run them, followed by a Q&A session. For example, during those sessions I got to learn about training initiatives with representatives of TorinoFilmLab, Tatino Films and Rotterdam Producers Lab, funding initiatives with representatives of Hubert Bals Fund and Hessen Film, and met representatives of TV/VOD and sales agencies. I also had a chance to schedule several one-on-one meetings with representatives of film festivals – Tallinn Black Nights (PÖFF), Cork IFF, TIFF and attended a lot of EFM industry sessions on various topics – European business strategies for international success, insight and tools shaping the industry’s future, navigating new developments in Euro-Asian film collaboration. I also attended the presentation of Berlinale Talent Lab participants and Producers’ Presentations, where eight selected Toolbox participants pitched their documentary or fiction feature projects. The event highlighted projects that had secured development funding and were seeking collaboration with co-producers, funders, and distribution partners.
Attending these events and talking to experts and other Toolbox participants made me realize that launching Prodigal Daughter will be much more challenging than I initially anticipated, but not impossible. I’ve learned that, regardless of how unconventional the project may be, there are generally specific routes and stages every feature film must go through, and the roadmap will reveal itself in the process. After the program and festival ended, I had a couple more sessions with my mentor to wrap up the experience. The key takeaways were to take my time with writing the story and finding my footing, to seek out script labs, and to be both driven and selective when it comes time to find a producer for the film. Much of what I learned during the program—about funding, legal aspects, international co-production, and distribution—will be invaluable later in the development of Prodigal Daughter. For now, my focus is on navigating the challenging writing process to reach those stages. Knowing that these stages are ahead motivates me to keep writing and chiseling at the story.
Previously, working on Prodigal Daughter felt like driving into the unknown due to my limited understanding of the later stages. However, EFM Fiction Toolbox Programme offered me a valuable opportunity to closely observe various aspects of a feature film journey and the infrastructure of international film industry. This experience gave me a sense of a roadmap, broadened my view of what is achievable as a filmmaker, and significantly boosted my confidence in both myself and my project, strengthening my determination to continue this journey.
Presentation about Roxana’s experience took place at Cultural Center Caisa on 04.09. Photos by Mariangela Pluchino
