A Case Study
Narrative | Dramatic Features
Film Name: The Van
Genre: Fiction
Date: May 2019
Director: Erenik Beqiri
Producer: Olivier Berlemont, Emilie Dubois, Amantia Peza, Ermir Keta
Writer: Erenik Beqiri
Cinematographer: Guillaume Le Grontec
Production Company: Origine films – Anima Picture
Budget: 80K€
Financing: French Cinema Center
Shooting Format: D cinéma
Screening Format: D cinéma
World Premiere: text
Awards: 32
– First Prize of Courts for the International – Molise Cinema (Italy)
– Best International Short Film Award – Batroun Mediterranean Film Festival (Lebanon)
– Best Short Film – Seanema Film Festival (Montenegro)
– Winner of Camp Category – Tulipoff International Film Festival (Denmark)
– Special Mention – Manaki Brothers International Cinematographers Festival (Macedonia)
– Best Short Fiction Film – Urban Films Festival (France)
– Best Short Narrative Film Award – Alexandria Film Festival (Egypt)
– Jury Award – Paris Court Devant (France)
– Best Young Director – Mestre Film Fest (Italy)
– Best Short Film – Mestre Film Fest (Italy)
– Best Actors – Blue Danube (Austria)
– Best Director – IKUSKA Film Festival (Spain)
– Best Actor (Phénix Brossard) – Madrid Indie Film Festival (Spain)
– Best Director – Sulmona International Film Festival (Italy)
– Best International Short Film – Planos Film Festival (Portugal)
– Best Editing – Planos Film Festival (Portugal)
– Best Directing – Planos Film Festival (Portugal)
– Jury Award – Drim Short Film Festival (Macedonia)
– Best Fiction Short Film – Short of the Year – Autumn (Spain)
– Prix de la Ville – Festival du court-métrage de Fréjus (France)
– Award of Recognition – Tulipoff International Film Festival (Denmark)
– Best Actor – Aguilar Film Festival (Spain)
– Audience Award – My True Story Film Festival (USA)
– Young Film Maker Award – Corto Ciudad Real (Spain)
– Best Fiction Short Film – Ciudad de Mexico International Film Festival (Mexico)
– Best young director – Corto Ciudad Real Film Festival (Mexico)
– Best makeup/hairdressing – Ficbueu Film Festival (Spain)
– Grand Jury Prize – Les Héraults du Cinéma & de la Télé (France)
– Best International Film – Show Me Shorts (New Zealand)
– Best Cinematography – Social World Film Festival (Italy)
– Best Editing – Sapporo International Short Film Festival (Japan)
– Special Jury Award – HollyShorts Film Festival (USA)
Website: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/thevan
The Official Trailer for The Van directed by Erenik Beqiri
indieactivity: What is your film about?
Erenik Beqiri (EB): The Van finally stops, the doors open and the Son comes out alive. A few more fights and he will be able to pay his way out of Albania, and hopefully, take his Father with him. It’s a short film about immigration, one of the most important problems in Albania.
Tell us about the festival run, marketing, and sales?
Erenik Beqiri (EB): THE VAN has, at this day, 125 festivals selections, including the Official Competition at Cannes Film Festival. It has won more than 30 prizes and has been broadcasted by six buyers around the world. The short film is actually Oscar Qualified.
Give the full Official Synopsis for your film?
Erenik Beqiri (EB): The Van finally stops, the doors open and the Son comes out alive. A few more fights and he will be able to pay his way out of Albania, and hopefully, take his Father with him.
Development & Financing?
Erenik Beqiri (EB): We met Erenik during a workshop and his screenplay immediately got us excited. After a year of development in writing, we decided to use our automatic fund from our cinema center to produce it. We were able to do this thanks to the co-production of Anima Pictures, which provided funding for part of the film’s executive production in Albania.
Production?
Erenik Beqiri (EB): We greenlighted the shooting in the summer of 2018. With the preparation and scouting time of the French and Albanian crew with the availability of French actors, we were able to shoot in January 2019. The film was edited in stride. and we were able to send an edited image to Cannes in March. From then on, we finalized the post-production and were able to be ready to work on the marketing of the film as soon as it was announced that it was selected for competition in Cannes.
Festival Preparation & Strategy?
EB: Cannes is enough to start a strategy! Anyway, we were able to attend the best premieres the film needed: Sarajevo, etc…
The Release?
EB: Same answer! The official competition screening at Cannes was the world premiere.
Advice from the Filmmaker?
EB: Never abandon your dreams!
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