{"id":195348,"date":"2024-12-19T22:56:29","date_gmt":"2024-12-19T21:56:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iffr.com\/en\/?p=195348"},"modified":"2024-12-19T23:51:27","modified_gmt":"2024-12-19T22:51:27","slug":"blog-rotterdam-lab-2025-meet-our-open-call-film-producers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/iffr.com\/en\/blog-rotterdam-lab-2025-meet-our-open-call-film-producers","title":{"rendered":"Rotterdam Lab 2025: meet our open call film producers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Celebrating its 25th edition, the Rotterdam Lab 2025 takes place from 1 to 5 February during the IFFR Pro Days, bringing together emerging film producers from around the globe. An annual training workshop, Rotterdam Lab offers emerging professionals a dynamic platform to develop vital industry skills, expand their international networks, and gain insights into global film financing, sales, and distribution.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Clockwise from top left: Aigerim Satybaldy, Frederico Mesquita, Adriana Racasan, Valentina Arango V and Emir Melek<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Reflecting the Lab\u2019s commitment to diversity and inclusion, this year\u2019s selection of five producers from an open call showcases producers whose voices and experiences enrich the cinematic landscape. Whether exploring themes of identity, empathy, or human connection and mutual support, their creative visions resonate with the Lab’s ethos of pluralistic storytelling and foster an international dialogue through film. They will join the cohort of more than 70 producers in Rotterdam at IFFR 2025.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aigerim Satybaldy<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy goal is to bring thought-provoking and emotionally impactful stories to life, resonating with audiences worldwide. By producing such projects, I hope to inspire the next generation of filmmakers to embark on their creative journeys, just as I was once inspired. In this way, the cycle continues, allowing more authentic and meaningful narratives to emerge \u2013 stories that motivate, enlighten, and touch hearts.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cMy goal is to bring thought-provoking and emotionally impactful stories to life, resonating with audiences worldwide.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Aigerim Satybaldy, a producer from Kazakhstan and an alumna of the CHANEL x BIFF Asian Film Academy, founded A Films in 2012 to promote and distribute Asian cinema. Expanding A Films in 2022, she now focuses on film development and production, with upcoming feature projects Leg (CNC Cannes Co-production Workshop 2024) by Shokir Kholikov and Birds Fly South (Red Sea IFF Talent Days 2023) by Shugyla Serzhan. She also executive produced films like The River (2018) by Emir Baigazin, which won awards at Venice and Toronto Film Festivals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Valentina Arango V<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI want to make films that delve into the most intimate aspects of the human experience, seeking in those primal emotions what connects us. Having experienced first-hand how exclusionary life in the film industry can be, just like the stories I pursue, I want to foster a community of creators who feel connected and supported along the way. I hope to contribute to a more inclusive and ultimately more free industry \u2013one that doesn\u2019t wait for permission, that dares to focus on simple feelings which, through art, become powerful, transformative, and serve as both a meeting point and an escape.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cHaving experienced first-hand how exclusionary life in the film industry can be, just like the stories I pursue, I want to foster a community of creators who feel connected and supported along the way.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Born in Colombia, Valentina moved to Chile as an anthropologist wanting to make films. Along the way, she has developed a career as a screenwriter, collaborating with directors such as Nicol\u00e1s Molina and Maite Alberdi. As a director, she made the short film The Guests<\/strong> and is currently working on a couple of feature films still in development. And primarily, she has built a career in production, a craft she has honed through various roles, learning from the ground up. In 2019, she co-founded Patol\u00f3gica with cinematographer Mat\u00edas Baeza to pursue projects that explore the complexities of the human experience and challenge hate speech and polarisation through empathy. She is currently producing the documentary series The Fourth Wall<\/strong> while developing new author-driven fiction and documentary projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adriana Racasan<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI aspire to craft stories that deeply resonate with audiences, igniting reflection and emotion while reimagining timeless themes in fresh and innovative ways. My goal is to contribute to high-quality cinema and collaborate with talents from diverse cultures, embracing the limitless possibilities of connection and the creative spark that drives the film industry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cI aspire to craft stories that deeply resonate with audiences, igniting reflection and emotion while reimagining timeless themes in fresh and innovative ways.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Adriana Racasan, born in 1983, a film directing graduate, is a Romanian producer for Tudor Giurgiu\u2019s company, Libra Film, and shareholder of Point Film, the Romanian co-producer for the successful titles Servants<\/strong> (Encounters, Berlinale 2020) and Hesitation Wound <\/strong>(Orizzonti, Venice Biennale 2023). She began her career in cinema 20 years ago and was Francis Ford Coppola’s personal assistant during his Romanian shoot of Youth Without Youth<\/strong>. She worked on more than 30 films as 2nd AD and, 1st AD, production manager and executive producer. In 2022 she won the Cannes Producers Network Prize for Promising Young Producers of Baltic Industry@Tallinn Baltic Event. In 2024, she produced and directed her own fiction short film, Bubble Bath<\/strong>, which has started its journey on the international festival circuit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Frederico Mesquita<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI’m interested in films that deal with the complexity of human and social relationships, especially those that affect our daily lives. In a world increasingly dominated by digital filters, I think it\u2019s of the utmost importance to dwell into the particularities of these new forms of interaction, whether in terms of personal ties, social class, nationality, etc. I embrace filmmaking as a personal commitment, both to the audiences that are worthy of high-quality artistic works that call upon reflection, but also to the artists and technicians with whom I collaborate, who deserve a respectful and openly cooperative environment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cIn a world increasingly dominated by digital filters, I think it\u2019s of the utmost importance to dwell into the particularities of these new forms of interaction, whether in terms of personal ties, social class, nationality, etc.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Frederico Mesquita (b. Lisbon, 1991) graduated in Painting from the Faculty of Fine Arts of Lisbon in 2013, and in Cinema from the Lisbon Theatre and Film School in 2016.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From 2016 to 2020, he worked as an assistant to director and artist Gabriel Abrantes, collaborating on films such as \u201cDiamantino\u201d (2018) and \u201cAmelia\u2019s Children\u201d (2023). Since then, he has worked as a production manager on films by Carlos Concei\u00e7\u00e3o, Jos\u00e9 Filipe Costa, M\u00f3nica Lima and others. Frederico also produced and directed two short films: \u201cA Barriga de Mariana\u201d, shown at IndieLisboa (2018) and later launched in TV and VoD; and \u201cFrancisco Perdido\u201d, presented at Curtas Vila do Conde IFF in 2024, as part of his recently founded production company SEARA FILMES.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emir Melek<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI aim to create films that push the boundaries of arthouse cinema both creatively and practically, telling politically bold and original stories that resonate beyond festivals and industry circles. I believe the true challenge lies not in shaping a film to meet market expectations, but in staying true to its essence while finding ways to effectively connect it with the market. I aspire to contribute to building a film industry that recognizes formulas and trends as tools to be redefined and perfected, rather than limitations to be followed.\u201d\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI aspire to contribute to building a film industry that recognises formulas and trends as tools to be redefined and perfected, rather than limitations to be followed.\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Turkish storyteller film producer Emir Melek is a Sarajevo Talents alumni. He studied Political Science and Film Studies at Bo\u011fazi\u00e7i University, where he also completed an MA in Political Science. Currently, he is pursuing a second MA in Film and Drama at Kadir Has University. His debut feature, Kavur, premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam and became the most awarded Turkish film of 2023. His follow-up, Tomato, Pepper, Depression, received the Special Jury Award at the Istanbul Film Festival. As the co-founder of Istanbul-based production company Luna Filmworks, he is committed to producing films and series that challenge perspectives while maintaining artistic depth. He recently co-produced a short fiction with Austria and is currently working on a feature documentary and two fiction films.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\t

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