By FIW staff. Based on documents reviewed by Film Industry Watch and publicly available information, this article reflects analysis of patterns and structural dynamics within the short-film ecosystem.

Editor’s note: This article was updated to clarify the contractual structure described, including that the €7,000 figure relates to a capped cost framework rather than a fixed upfront fee. This article was also updated to ensure accuracy of description.

Right of reply: The individuals and organizations mentioned in this article are invited to respond. Any response received will be published or reflected in the article where appropriate. 3rd parties are invited to comment on this article as well, by contacting us.

For many young filmmakers, the most expensive part of making a film does not occur during production, but afterwards, at the point where access to festivals, distribution, and industry recognition is mediated by a small number of intermediaries. This article examines how financial arrangements, industry access, and institutional proximity can intersect within Europe’s publicly funded short-film ecosystem, and how, in that context, the line between paying for a service and navigating a system of gatekeeping can become difficult to disentangle. Similar concerns about fee structures, role overlap, and access to institutional pathways have been described by multiple filmmakers across different contexts within the European short-film ecosystem.

One example helps illustrate how these dynamics can operate in practice. In 2016, a filmmaker raised concerns after the structure of a Radiator IP Sales deal was, according to the filmmaker, understood to have changed materially at the contract stage. What had initially been discussed as a fixed upfront fee of €1,000–€1,500 plus commission was reflected in the draft agreement as a broader framework allowing up to €7,000 in combined marketing expenses, sales costs, and related fees. In today’s euro-area money, adjusted for inflation, that figure is roughly €9,300. The contract did not explicitly require that full amount to be paid upfront. Instead, it set out a cost structure – including a “non-accountable” one-time marketing fee – under which such amounts could be incurred and recouped, without a clear, pre-defined breakdown of how those costs would be calculated.

The agreement reviewed by Film Industry Watch includes a “non-accountable one-time Marketing Fee,” alongside a 35% commission and recoupable costs. The contract does not clearly specify the timing or mechanism by which that fee, or the wider cost structure, would be applied. While framed as part of recoupable expenses, its non-accountable nature distinguishes it from itemised, verifiable costs. As reflected in contemporaneous correspondence reviewed by FIW, the shift from a fixed upfront fee to a broader and less predictable cost structure was understood by the filmmaker as a significant and immediate financial consideration, rather than a purely contingent or distant recoupment. To be clear, there is nothing inherently unlawful about offering such a structure. The questions raised here relate to how such arrangements may operate in practice within the wider short-film ecosystem, particularly for early-career filmmakers navigating access to distribution and festivals.

The template reviewed by FIW grants the company a 35% commission on 100% of gross receipts, including money derived from awards. It allows Radiator to recoup marketing expenses and sales costs, and separately permits a “non-accountable one-time Marketing Fee” for market attendance, travel, and accommodation. It also grants executive producer credit to Ben Vandendaele and Bekke Films, and states that Radiator will be the preferred partner for the producer’s next short-film projects.

This is not just a story about one fee. It reflects a broader pattern described by filmmakers, in which the same names are perceived to recur wherever access is being mediated.

This is not the first time Film Industry Watch has published concerns about the conduct of a short-film distributor toward filmmakers. In a separate case previously reported by FIW, François Morisset of Salaud Morisset was accused by a filmmaker of demanding additional payments of €3,000 to €9,000 for an Oscar campaign that was not covered by the original six-year distribution agreement, and of allegedly reacting in a punitive and retaliatory manner when the filmmaker refused. FIW also reported that the filmmaker stated he felt compelled to seek the return of his rights, only to face an alleged demand for €20,000 in order to recover them.

Whether through extra fees, pressure tactics, selective promotion, or the leverage created by long-term control over a film’s future, a pattern described by filmmakers begins to emerge: once a young filmmaker hands over rights, the distributor can, in some cases, begin to function less as a service provider and more as a toll point within a bottleneck, positioned between the film and whatever opportunities remain.

The European short-film world presents itself as a benevolent ecosystem. It often uses the language of discovery, support, diversity, and “new voices.” However, many filmmakers describe a more constrained reality in practice. Resources are limited. Festival slots are limited. Lab placements are limited. Funding is limited. Distribution attention is limited. And where scarcity exists, power can concentrate around key points of access. Those who occupy these positions do not necessarily need extraordinary talent; they need to remain present where access is administered.

That is why this example is useful. It illustrates how these dynamics can operate in practice. The focus is not on any one individual, but on the structural conditions that allow similar arrangements to arise across the ecosystem.

The owner of Bekke Films and Radiator IP Sales appears across the short-film ecosystem in multiple roles: producer, consultant, industry expert, award-linked partner, festival-facing figure, and the person who sells “international distribution” to filmmakers seeking to move from one level to the next. In a more clearly separated system, these roles might be distinct. Within the European short-film ecosystem, they can, in some cases, overlap.

The relevance of this example lies in how clearly it reflects a broader structural pattern:

• a distributor model in which fee structures can involve significant costs for young filmmakers,
  
• which appears across multiple institutions,
• who is linked to awards and festival pathways,
  
• and whose name appears repeatedly in contexts where access is being mediated.
  

Film Industry Watch has previously documented Vandendaele’s recurring presence in NISI MASA / European Short Pitch, a programme identified by FIW as publicly funded and connected to wider European talent pipelines. Between 2016 and 2019, films produced by Bekke Films and associated collaborators were selected there, including Deer Boy, The Hoarder, Hunt, The Nipple Whisperer, Vengeance of the Vixens, and Creatures. In 2018, FIW documented that Vandendaele was linked to a selected film while also serving as a consultant to the same programme, and that Radiator IP Sales was involved in a Distribution Award within that same environment.

Taken individually, these roles may have independent explanations. Taken together, they may be seen to reflect a pattern in which the same intermediary appears across multiple functions within a structure presented as merit-based.

That is a point often raised by critics of the system. Individual relationships may be presented as independent and unproblematic in isolation: a consultancy here, a prize there, a festival collaboration elsewhere, a sales deal later. However, concerns tend to focus less on any single instance and more on how such relationships can accumulate over time. When viewed collectively, they may be perceived as creating networks of advantage that become increasingly influential.

It can begin to feel less like coincidence when the same individuals appear repeatedly wherever access is administered. In a sector defined by scarcity, familiar names often recur because they are already known to one another, connected through prior collaborations, and embedded within existing professional networks. Over time, this repetition can create the perception that a relatively small group occupies multiple positions across the system, moving between festivals, labs, juries, and advisory roles. From the outside, what may be explained individually as routine professional overlap can, in aggregate, give the impression of a system that is more closed than it first appears.

The issue is not any single individual, but the broader structural pattern in which the same names tend to surface in contexts where selections, prestige, and institutional access are administered. Used only as an example, figures such as Wim Vanacker are relevant in this context because they have been referenced across multiple reports where such roles and institutions intersect. FIW has noted this presence in proximity to recurring networks and programmes over time, which may be seen as consistent with the wider pattern described above. This reflects observations of a relatively small, familiar group moving across festivals, labs, juries, and advisory roles, reinforcing visibility and influence within an interconnected system.

The relationship between DokuFest and Radiator IP Sales is a good example of how that works in practice. DokuFest’s own public announcements show an ongoing collaboration with Radiator. In 2024, DokuFest wrote that it had “continued its collaboration with Radiator IP Sales” in addressing the challenge of international distribution for Kosovo-produced films, and that this partnership allows films in the National Competition to be considered for international distribution. It also publicly identified a representative of Radiator IP Sales as the person announcing the winner of the festival’s Distribution Award. DokuFest repeated the same basic structure in 2025.

This matters because it shows Radiator not simply buying films after the fact in an open market, but becoming part of the institutional pathway through which local films are symbolically elevated and linked to international circulation. In plain terms: the distributor is no longer standing outside the gate, it is positioned at it.

This is what a gatekeeping position can begin to look like.

When the same intermediaries appear across contracts, awards, festival partnerships, and talent pipelines, the distinction between service provider and gatekeeping function can begin to blur. For early-career filmmakers, this can create uncertainty as to whether they are paying for a market service or engaging with individuals already embedded in the structures that influence which projects advance.

As this dynamic becomes more common, contractual arrangements may be perceived differently. Rather than appearing as straightforward commercial agreements, they can raise questions about the underlying power relationship. In such contexts, filmmakers may feel they are not only paying for services, but engaging with actors who are also positioned within the broader ecosystem that shapes visibility, access, and opportunity. This can create a materially different power dynamic.

Defenders of such models often argue that these fees do not guarantee festival selections, awards, or industry access, and that they reflect standard marketing and distribution costs within a competitive international marketplace. That may be correct in a narrow contractual sense. However, the concerns expressed by filmmakers tend to focus less on formal guarantees and more on structural proximity. When intermediaries who provide paid services also appear repeatedly across institutions that influence visibility—such as festivals, talent labs, consulting roles, and industry awards – the distinction between a neutral market service and a gatekeeping position may become less clear. Even in the absence of any explicit promise of access, the resulting imbalance can be difficult for early-career filmmakers to navigate.

This dynamic is often described within the industry as “networking.” While the term suggests open and reciprocal exchange, some filmmakers describe it instead as a form of informal power: relationships and proximity that are difficult to quantify, regulate, or challenge. In this context, access is not typically framed as conditional or transactional in explicit terms. Rather, filmmakers may come to understand that certain individuals are more closely connected to pathways of visibility than others, and that proximity to those individuals carries perceived value.

This may help explain why some filmmakers describe a culture of caution within the ecosystem.

People outside the industry often imagine formal blacklists. However, many filmmakers describe a more informal and less visible dynamic. Rather than explicit exclusion, concerns are raised about how reputational labels—such as “difficult,” “ungrateful,” or “not collaborative”—can circulate within relatively small professional networks. In an environment where the same individuals appear across juries, labs, festivals, panels, market platforms, and advisory roles, such perceptions can, according to some filmmakers, have a disproportionate impact on future opportunities.

A commonly described experience is that formal sanctions are rarely necessary. Instead, filmmakers report becoming aware that challenging decisions, questioning fees, or resisting expectations of deference may affect how they are perceived within these networks. In this context, some describe a pressure to remain cooperative and aligned with prevailing norms, regardless of individual concerns.

These accounts point to a broader dynamic in which self-censorship can emerge within cultural industries shaped by scarcity. Where access to funding, festivals, and distribution is limited, and where professional relationships overlap across multiple institutional settings, filmmakers may feel incentivised to prioritise alignment and discretion over confrontation.

This dynamic becomes particularly significant in light of the public funding that underpins much of the European audiovisual sector. National institutions and EU programmes allocate substantial resources with the stated aim of supporting culture, plurality, and access. At the same time, public funding can also confer legitimacy on the systems through which it is distributed, positioning them as open and merit-based.

Where concerns arise is in the perception that a relatively small group of intermediaries appears repeatedly in positions where both value is extracted and access is administered. In such cases, critics argue that what is publicly funded as an open cultural ecosystem may, in practice, function in ways that resemble a more tightly interconnected network.

A contract like the Radiator template makes the logic brutally clear. The filmmaker finances the film, often through personal sacrifice. Then comes the distribution stage, where there may be:

• 35% commission,
  
• recoupable sales costs,
  
• recoupable marketing expenses,
  
• a separate non-accountable marketing fee,
  
• executive producer credit for the distributor,
  
• and an expectation of preferred future collaboration.
  

The filmmaker is not only being asked to pay now. They are being nudged toward a future in which the same gatekeeper remains attached to the next project too.

In that context, some filmmakers describe such arrangements as creating a form of dependency.

Early-career filmmakers are often described as being particularly exposed to these dynamics. More established producers may have greater capacity to negotiate terms, seek legal advice, or disengage from a given intermediary without significant consequence. By contrast, first- or second-time filmmakers may have already committed substantial personal resources to completing a project, and may approach the distribution stage with limited leverage, funding constraints, and a desire to avoid missteps. In this context, some filmmakers describe feeling particularly vulnerable to cost structures and expectations that they may not be in a strong position to challenge.

This example is not unique within Europe’s short-film ecosystem. FIW has previously reported on similar patterns of role overlap and institutional proximity. It is presented here because it illustrates, in a single case, a combination of elements that have been described elsewhere: a distribution model involving potentially significant costs for early-career filmmakers; contractual structures combining commission, expenses, and fees; repeated appearances within publicly funded talent platforms; and visible links to festival and industry pathways that may blur the distinction between market service and institutional influence.

Viewed individually, each element may have a reasonable explanation. Viewed collectively, some observers suggest they may reflect a broader structural dynamic within a system defined by scarcity, in which those positioned closest to key points of access are able to derive value from that position.

Industry participants may dispute this characterisation, and emphasise that such arrangements operate within standard commercial and professional frameworks. However, the concerns raised by filmmakers point to a different perspective, in which certain practices are experienced as part of a wider pattern rather than isolated transactions.

The central question, therefore, is not limited to whether a particular fee was higher than expected in a specific instance, or how it would be adjusted for inflation. Rather, it is why a publicly funded ecosystem appears, in some cases, to generate situations in which early-career filmmakers feel required to commit additional resources to intermediaries who are already positioned within the structures that influence access and visibility.

From this perspective, such arrangements may be viewed not only as commercial transactions, but as part of a broader system in which access, recognition, and progression are closely intertwined with existing networks.

Some filmmakers describe the underlying dynamic in simple terms:

make the film,
approach the bottleneck,
pay for access,
and proceed cautiously within the system.

Some filmmakers describe the dynamic more bluntly: that refusing to engage, or failing to align with the right networks, can carry professional consequences.

To be clear, this article is based on documents reviewed by Film Industry Watch, contemporaneous correspondence, and publicly available information. It also draws on information provided by members of the film community. Where experiences or allegations are referenced, they are presented as reported by those involved. The article reflects analysis of patterns, contractual structures, and institutional overlap within the short-film ecosystem. References to individuals and organisations relate to their documented roles and publicly observable activities. No findings of unlawful conduct are asserted.

If you are a filmmaker, producer, sales agent, or distributor who has experienced similar conduct, excessive fees, coercive pressure, retaliatory behavior, selective promotion, unequal treatment, conflicts of interest, or the leveraging of institutional access for private gain, Film Industry Watch would like to hear from you. You may contact us securely, and if necessary anonymously. Our aim is not to inflame gossip, but to document patterns, compare evidence, and expose the structures that keep so many filmmakers silent. If this system is as widespread as many privately claim it is, then the only way to break that silence is for more people to come forward.

The post Radiator IP Sales, €9300 & Questions Around Access in Europe’s Short-Film System first appeared on Film Industry Watch.

By Film Industry Watch and Kosovar Film Industry Insiders

For years, Kosovo’s film sector has celebrated rapid international success. That rise is funded in large part by public money administered by the Kosovo Cinematography Center (KCC). At the same time, DokuFest, the country’s most prominent festival, has evolved beyond curation into training and production through DokuLab.

Taken together, public records show a tight professional network in which festival leaders also appear in KCC decision-making roles while DokuFest-linked filmmakers receive KCC support. None of this is unusual in small markets. The question is transparency: when roles converge inside a publicly funded ecosystem, how are conflicts identified, managed and disclosed? 

Since 2023, Kosovo’s publicly funded film sector has experienced substantial shifts. Under new leadership at the Kosovo Cinematography Center (KCC), the country has issued three major funding cycles: Spring 2024, an unprecedented Feature-Only call in December 2024, and a full Spring 2025 call.

All three took place within a compressed regulatory period and under the same leadership.

Across these cycles, public records show a constellation of relationships between KCC decision-makers, DokuFest/DokuLab leadership, and a group of repeat beneficiaries whose collaborations, training roles, and festival ties significantly overlap.

None of these connections imply wrongdoing. But the patterns raise structural governance questions familiar to FIW readers: issues of transparency, recusal, and the management of alleged or perceived conflicts of interest in public funding. Similar dynamics have surfaced in FIW’s reporting on Greece’s Film Center, the Cannes Factory model, and governance disputes tied to London and Sundance, where reputational damage and creative stagnation often follow opaque decision-making.

1. KCC leadership and DokuFest/DokuLab: overlapping institutional roles:

Based on official KCC publications, DokuFest/DokuLab materials, and training program listings, the following overlaps are publicly documented:

Eroll Bilibani

• Chair of the KCC Board (appointed 2025)
• Long-time DokuFest executive
• Head of DokuLab
• Trainer in multiple DokuLab programs
• Several filmmakers he trained or collaborated with are beneficiaries in the 2024–2025 cycles

Nita Deda

• Member of the KCC Board (appointed 2025)
• Director of DokuFest (2016–2020)
• Co-curator of DokuNights 2025 with filmmaker Leart Rama, a four-time beneficiary
• Former producer of a short film by Rama

Blerta Zeqiri

• Director of KCC (appointed 2023)
• Former DokuLab lecturer whose training cohorts include multiple later KCC-funded filmmakers
• Entered office before the regulatory changes governing the 2024–2025 calls

Veton NurkollarI

• Artistic Director of DokuFest
• Member, KCC Film Certification Board 
• Past juror on KCC feature-film panels
• Professionally overlaps with several funded filmmakers
  

These overlaps do not imply misconduct. However, as FIW has noted in similar cases involving public film bodies problems arise when roles converge without published recusal procedures.

2. Repeat beneficiaries across 2024–2025: a concentrated cluster

Across Spring 2024, the Dec 2024 Feature-Only call, and Spring 2025, KCC’s own lists show that a small, interconnected group of filmmakers appear repeatedly as winners-often in collaboration with each other, often tied to DokuFest/DokuLab, and often working with the same producers, editors, or crew.

Below is a non-exhaustive summary based on public documents.

A. Leart Rama – director/producer

• Spring 2024: Short Film + Post-production
• Dec 2024: Feature Film
• Spring 2025: Feature Documentary
  
  Documented ties:
• DokuLab alumnus → later lecturer
• Seasonal collaborator with DokuFest
• Earlier short produced by Nita Deda (now KCC board member)
• Co-curator of DokuNights 2025 with Deda

B. Samir Karahoda – director/producer

• Spring 2024: Project Development
• Spring 2025: Feature Film
• Spring 2025: Short Film (producer)
  
  Ties:
• Short Film Programmer at DokuFest
• Collaborates repeatedly with beneficiaries in cinematography, editing, and production
• DP or collaborator on multiple cluster films

C. Valmira Hyseni – producer

• Spring 2024: Post-production
• Dec 2024: Feature Film
• Spring 2025: Script Development
  
  Ties:
• Line producer for Karahoda
• Producer for Rama’s Dec 2024 feature
• Production involvement with Gjinovci, Hasanaj and others

D. Ilir Hasanaj – producer/director

• Spring 2024: Feature Documentary
• Spring 2025: Avant-garde Feature Film
  
  Ties:
• Collaboration with Dea Gjinovci
• Member of the same production cluster

E. Dea Gjinovci – director / KCC jury member

• Spring 2024: Feature Documentary
  
  Ties:
• Lecturer at DokuLab
• Juror in 2025 for Short Film & Feature Documentary
• Worked with Karahoda, Hasanaj, and others

F. Edon Rizvanolli – Director/producer

• Spring 2024: Short Documentary
• Spring 2025: Feature Film
  
  Ties:
• DP work by Karahoda
• Film edited by Enis Saraci

G. Enis Saraci – Editor / Director

• Spring 2025: Short Film (director)
  
  Ties:
• Editor for all Karahoda films
• Editor for Rizvanolli
• Lecturer at DokuLab
   

Such concentrated clusters resemble patterns FIW has documented in other countries where mentorship pipelines, festival platforms and public funding bodies merge into a single influence sphere, often reducing diversity of artistic voices.

3. The institutional → beneficiary → collaborator pipeline

Public documents and the Interconnection Matrix provided by sources illustrate a repeating cycle:

1. DokuLab trains filmmakers (often taught by individuals later involved in KCC governance or juries)
2. Filmmakers apply to KCC
3. KCC leadership includes DokuFest/DokuLab executives
4. Filmmakers with prior ties to the festival/lab become repeat beneficiaries
5. Their collaborators (producers, editors, DPs) also become beneficiaries
6. Films are supported or platformed by DokuFest

FIW has reported similar dynamics in other European markets where a “festival–training–funding loop” results in structural barriers for outsiders and lowers creative pluralism-a concern echoed in FIW’s analyses of Cannes Factory, Cannes Critics’ Week pipelines, and several CI-cluster cases in Central Europe.

4. Public posts reinforce the perception of a close ecosystem

Public posts show:

• Nita Deda (KCC board) co-curating DokuNights 2025 with Leart Rama (four-time beneficiary)
• KCC posting promotional content for films made by cluster collaborators
• DokuFest providing support for films whose crew also secured KCC funds
• Overlapping appearances of the same individuals across premieres, labs, workshops, and festival side-events
   

These public interactions do not imply misconduct. However such overlaps can erode public trust even when all actions are lawful.

5. Core governance questions

The concerns raised here are structural, not personal. They reflect patterns FIW has documented across Europe, where revolving doors, lack of recusal transparency, and insular influence networks can contribute to declining industry credibility and narrower artistic output.

Key public-interest questions include:

1. Recusal & disclosure
• Were alleged conflicts of interest recorded when board members or jurors evaluated submissions from collaborators, trainees, or festival colleagues?
• Are recusal logs published?

 2. Transparency of evaluation
• Does KCC publish full applicant lists, jury rosters, scoring sheets, evaluation comments, and rationale for funding decisions?

 3. Cooling-off periods
• Should individuals with active festival, training, or production roles be temporarily restricted from evaluating or awarding funds to recent collaborators?

 4. Institutional firewalls
• What safeguards ensure that festival involvement does not create preferential treatment for certain applicants?

6. What would clarify the situation immediately

To shift discussion from perception to verification, FIW recommends that KCC publish the following for each call (2024–2025):

• Signed conflict-of-interest declarations
• Full juror and committee lists, with appointment dates
• Recusal logs and meeting minutes
• Complete applicant lists
• Scores, comments, and written rationales
• Grant amounts and final decisions
• Annual festival-support contracts, including DokuFest partnerships

Right of Reply

KCC, DokuFest, and all named individuals or companies are invited to reply. FIW will publish corrections, clarifications, or full statements in full or in relevant part. If any information is incomplete or inaccurate, we welcome official documentation and will amend the article promptly.

Share documents securely

FIW accepts confidential submissions, including:

• recusal logs
• jury score sheets
• meeting minutes
• internal correspondence
• festival partnership contracts

Legal Notice:

This article is based solely on publicly available information and documents provided by sources.
It reports verifiable facts and raises questions of alleged structural or perceived conflicts of interest in a publicly funded environment.
No allegation of illegal conduct is made. All persons and institutions are presumed to have acted lawfully and in good faith unless shown otherwise. FIW will update this report if credible corrections or official statements are provided.

Sources:

(All sources are public and were used to verify names, roles, film credits, funding results and institutional links.)

• KCC official funding results (Spring 2024)
• KCC Feature-Only call results (Dec 2024)
• KCC funding results (Spring 2025)
• Interconnection Matrix (DokuFest/KCC links)
• DokuFest “People” pages & DokuLab training program listings
• Public Instagram posts documenting DokuNights co-curation
• KCC Facebook communications regarding film premieres and festival support
• Public statements, festival credits, and press releases

FIW prior reports on:

• Greece Film Center conflicts & payment delays
• Cannes Factory structural overlaps
• Cannes Critics’ Week influence networks
• London Film Festival governance concerns
• Sundance selection pipeline dynamics
  

The post Inside Kosovo’s Film Funding Loop: The Same People Train, Curate, Judge – and Win first appeared on Film Industry Watch.

Tatino Films: Structure and Operations

Tatino Films is a Paris-based company that established itself as a significant player in European cinema development. The company operates four major development initiatives with substantial public funding::

1. First Cut Lab (established 2015): A post-production workshop for films at the editing stage. According to the company’s website, “200 films from 50 countries have so far benefited from First Cut Lab.”
2. Pop Up Film Residency: A mentorship program for filmmakers in development, operating across multiple European locations.
3. Full Circle Lab (launched 2021): A comprehensive development program in France’s Nouvelle-Aquitaine region.
4. Pop Up Series Incubator (launched November 2024): A television development program offering €10,000 grants to five selected teams, explicitly “co-financed by the European Union and supported by La Région Grand Est and the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.”
   

Each program receives public funding. The Full Circle Lab is financially supported by “the Agency Alca Nouvelle-Aquitaine and the Lot-et-Garonne Department”, creating a significant footprint in publicly-funded film development.

Leadership Network: Key Personnel and Connections

At the center of Tatino’s operations is founder and CEO Matthieu Darras, whose professional biography reveals a substantial network of festival connections. Darras has simultaneously held multiple influential positions in the European film festival circuit:

• Member of the feature film selection committee for La Semaine de la Critique (Cannes)
• Consultant for the Venice Film Festival
• Delegate for the San Sebastian Film Festival
• Artistic Director of Bratislava Film Festival
• Artistic Director of TorinoFilmLab until 2018

This concentration of roles across major European festivals creates connections between development, funding, and selection processes.

The Consultant Network: Festival Integration by Design

Using EU financing and public funds, the company staffs its various initiatives by recruiting key figures from within the European film industry – producers, festival programmers, jury members, heads of distribution companies and employees, and individuals affiliated with public film funds across different countries. These influential professionals are then appointed as selectors, advisors, or jurors within Tatino’s own programs. For example, the Tatino team includes several individuals with direct ties to major film festivals:

• Wim Vanacker serves as Editorial Consultant for First Cut Lab while simultaneously holding a position on the Official Short Film Competition Selection Committee at Cannes.
• Julie Marnay (Program Manager) previously managed short film selection at Cannes Critics’ Week.
• Naomi Levari (Editorial Consultant) is identified as a producer and development executive at Black Sheep Film Productions.
• Anastasia Hoppanova (Team Member) is identified on LinkedIn as “Writer, Director, Creative Producer.”
  

Tatino’s programs are explicitly integrated with festival structures:

• The Pop Up Series Incubator culminates in “a two-day industry showcase on 7 and 8 July at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.”
• First Cut Lab originated “in collaboration with When East Meets West” in Trieste in 2015 and maintains this relationship.

The EU Funding Connection

Tatino’s newest venture, Pop Up Series Incubator, exemplifies how EU cultural funding flows through these networks. According to Cineuropa’s reporting, the program is “co-financed by the European Union” and will select five teams to receive €10,000 grants each.

Similarly, Full Circle Lab receives backing from multiple public entities including “the Agency Alca Nouvelle-Aquitaine and the Lot-et-Garonne Department.”

Favoring Friends, Shutting Out Others

This far-reaching influence across the European—and by extension, global—film industry enables key individuals to promote friends or those seeking their favor, while systematically excluding others. Filmmakers without access to these networks may find themselves blocked from opportunities, not because of merit, but because they are unknown, inconvenient, or simply out of favor for reasons that may be personal, political, or entirely arbitrary. This dynamic fosters an environment where gatekeeping is based less on artistic value and more on proximity to power.

Expansion and Growth

Despite questions about potential conflicts of interest, Tatino continues expanding its influence. The November 2024 launch of Pop Up Series Incubator represents its move into television development with fresh EU funding.

According to reporting on the Full Circle Lab launch, the program immediately secured notable industry figures including Alexis Hofmann, head of acquisitions at Bac Films, creating additional industry connections.

Wim Vanacker’s Multiple Roles

The case of Wim Vanacker illustrates the interconnected nature of roles in the European film industry. Vanacker serves as Editorial Consultant for Tatino’s First Cut Lab while simultaneously holding a position on the Cannes Film Festival Short Film Competition Selection Committee.

Vanacker previously served as Head of Script Department at NISI MASA (now known as “European Short Pitch”). Reports have raised questions about potential conflicts of interest during his tenure there, particularly regarding connections to Belgian producer Ben “Bekke” Vandendaele.

Alleged example for Abuse of Power

A widely discussed, an example of an alleged potential abuse of power involves the controversy surrounding the awarding of the 2019 Cannes Short Film Palme d’Or. The winning film notably featured individuals connected to this tightly knit network, raising concerns about favoritism and conflicts of interest within the selection process. The award went to a film produced by the producer of a jury member in the competition, and was not disclosed to anyone at the time.

A Complex Industry Ecosystem

These paint a picture of a European film development landscape characterized by interconnected roles and relationships. Tatino Films has succeeded in establishing a significant presence across multiple development programs with substantial public funding. The company’s key personnel maintain connections across major festivals and funding bodies, raising legitimate questions about potential conflicts of interest in an industry largely supported by public funds. However, without additional verification, specific statistical claims about selection advantages and anonymous industry testimonials cannot be confirmed.

Why This Concentration of Power Harms the Film Industry

When the same small circle of individuals controls development funding, mentors projects in progress, and sits on festival selection committees, the industry’s gatekeeping mechanisms collapse into a single opaque funnel. Public money meant to nurture a plurality of voices is effectively filtered by insiders who can steer resources toward their own professional networks, crowding out emerging filmmakers without comparable access. This erodes trust in both funding bodies and festivals, deters risk-taking by reinforcing prevailing tastes, and ultimately narrows the diversity of stories that reach audiences. Left unchecked, such overlap converts healthy competition into institutionalized favoritism, undermining the cultural and economic vitality that public film support is intended to protect.

Sources:

https://lithuanianshorts.com/en/news/script-consultant-wim-vanacker-theres-something-satisfying-about-nourishing-new-talents-and-discovering-new-voices

https://www.semainedelacritique.com/en/nextstep-consultant/matthieu-darras_107

https://www.aol.com/tatino-films-launches-full-circle-175703289.html

https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/470688

https://www.popupseriesincubator.com/about-us

https://www.linkedin.com/company/tatino-films

The post Tatino Films – coming soon first appeared on Film Industry Watch.

Kekatos has been mentioned on our site multiple times in connection with various scandals. These include allegations of manipulating the circumstances of his short film’s Palme d’Or win – specifically that the short was produced by the producer of a jury member on the awarding committee – as well as involvement in alleged corruption at the Greek Film Center, which included project readers awarding funding to themselves, and alleged accusations of toxic on-set behavior from fellow Greek filmmakers. Such reports describe alleged public firings, the alleged removal of properly earned credits (including that of a co-writer), and the appropriation of Greece’s LGBT community for personal gain, despite Kekatos himself not being a member of that community. The film’s producers were Eleni Kossyfidou (producer of jury member Panos H. Koutras) and French producer Guillaume Dreyfus. The controversy includes what seems like a concealment of Eleni Kossyfidou being the film’s producer until two years after the festival has ended. Kekatos was also recently removed from being the head of the committee selecting the Greek film to the Oscars, for the same reasons.

Kekatos’s Palme d’Or win in 2019 left many observers shocked, as the short itself, according to numerous sources, was deemed undeserving not only of the award, but even of participation in the competition. It later emerged that Wim Vanacker, a Cannes committee member who is also mentioned repeatedly on our site in connection with various controversies, had been a Jury Member and guest of Kekatos at a 2018 film festival that Kekatos organized in Greece, a full year before being invited to Cannes, by the same committee Vanacker servers in.

A voice recording of Jury member Panos H. Koutras recounting in his own words how he “pushed the other films out of consideration” is available here. By eliminating the competition Koutras ensured that the film produced by his own producer, will win the award. For all we know, someone might have been paid to include Kekatos’s new film in the program. With this kind of track record, who knows?

By featuring Our Wildest Days in their Generations program, the Berlin Film Festival appears to tacitly endorse these alleged behaviors. This decision further erodes public confidence in an industry that has been in decline for years – not just because of evolving audience tastes and technological changes, but also due to a pervasive culture of nepotism and corruption that undermines artistic integrity and drives audiences away. Instead of showcasing talented filmmakers whose work is genuinely deserving, the festival is seen as supporting allegedly corrupt figures who have advanced their careers through personal connections and manipulations of the industry, as detailed on our site.

The allegations referenced in this article are based on publicly available information, individual testimonies, and third-party sources. Nothing contained herein should be construed as definitive proof of wrongdoing, nor as legal, financial, or other professional advice. All opinions expressed are those of the respective sources. Readers are encouraged to conduct their own research.

About Vasilis Kekatos

Vasilis Kekatos is a Greek film director best known for his short film The Distance Between Us and the Sky, which won the Cannes Palme d’Or for Short Film in 2019. He later directed Our Wildest Days, his first feature, which was invited to the 2025 Berlinale.

Kekatos has been repeatedly mentioned in connection with alleged irregularities and favoritism within European film institutions. His name appears in reports concerning alleged conflicts of interest surrounding his Cannes win – including the participation of individuals linked to his producers – and in discussions of alleged governance issues at the Greek Film Center.

Further reading:

Conflict of Interest Taints 2019 Cannes Palme d’Or Award for The Distance Between Us and the Sky by Vasilis Kekatos

Alleged Corruption and Decadence at the Greek Film Center (FULL ARTICLE)

Wim Vanacker & Vassilis Kekatos – a two way relationship dating back to 2018

The post Berlinale Invites Greek Director Vasilis Kekatos, Sparking Industry Outrage first appeared on Film Industry Watch.

By Hector Alejandro Morales, Film Industry Watch contributor and Greek industry insider.

A longer, full and much more detailed version of this article is available here.

In October 2021, acclaimed director Kostas Ferris, Silver Bear winner at Berlinale for Rembetiko and former Vice President of the Greek Film Center (GFC), testified at the Court of First Instance in Athens. Ferris, a key figure in Greek cinema, took the stand to address the ongoing issues of alleged corruption within the GFC. He served under Panos Loukakos, the GFC president at the time, and together they resisted pressures from deputy minister Nikolas Giatromanolakis, who was allegedly connected to author/director Apostolos Doxiadis. Doxiadis, from a wealthy family, exerted significant influence over the GFC’s operations, often behind the scenes, using his connections to right-wing Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

One key figure absent from the trial was Greek Film Center president Markos Holevas. Despite having a legal department, Holevas spent over €16,000 of public money on an external law firm to defend himself. Lawyers from various producers’ associations, including SAPOE and Tanweer Productions, attended the trial, as they had a vested interest in the outcome. For years, producers had been profiting handsomely from state subsidies before films were even produced, exploiting loopholes in the system to minimize payments to directors and screenwriters.

Ferris’s testimony shed light on the opaque practices of the Greek Film Center, which operates under Greek law as a publicly funded organization. According to Ferris, the GFC has consistently been criticized for inappropriate personnel decisions and non-transparent procedures regarding the allocation of film funding. Despite public claims that its processes followed European Union guidelines, Ferris disputed this, saying that GFC’s practices deviated significantly from those of other European film organizations.

In a complaint filed in May 2021, independent producers and directors demanded the GFC release the names of its evaluators, accusing them of using their positions to fund their own projects. The complaint cited several projects, including the animated short Kolokotronis, the Old Man of Moria, the Holocaust-themed docudrama Don’t Forget Me, and the short fiction film The Boat. Despite the high-quality proposals, they were given low scores, while evaluators granted themselves awards ranging from €2,500 to €200,000.

In a ruling that sparked outrage, the District Attorney ordered GFC president Pandelis Mitropoulos to release the names of the evaluators. The results revealed that four evaluators had clandestinely awarded themselves nearly half a million euros in state funding.

Among the projects that received controversial pre-approval were:

• Very Girlish Name Patty by George Georgopoulos (€200,000)
• Carmen’s Summer by Zacharias Mavroeidis (€190,000)
• Our Wild Days by Vasilios Kekatos (€2,500)
• The Last Taxi Driver by Stergios Paschos (€130,000)

In June 2021, Ferris exposed further mismanagement at the Greek Film Centers in interviews, accusing Holevas and his board of cronyism. Holevas had claimed a lack of qualified evaluators within the unions, which Ferris refuted, citing the thousands of active members in various Greek unions. Despite these accusations, Holevas and key figures in SAPOE, a small association of producers and directors, continued to dominate the funding process, enriching themselves at the expense of the wider film industry.

Several SAPOE members, including president Panos Papahatzis, received substantial funding for their projects. Papahatzis himself received €370,000 for three approvals, while other board members and their companies also benefited significantly. In total, SAPOE members were granted over €1.8 million out of the €4.45 million allocated by the GFC in two rounds of decisions.

The influence of SAPOE extended beyond the funding process, as evaluators were often assessing projects submitted by their collaborators. For instance, evaluator Stergios Paschos received funding for a feature-length project while a colleague of his was involved in another project funded by the GFC.

In February 2022, the Hellenic National Transparency Authority released a report on the GFC’s pre-approval process, highlighting the lack of transparency and the presence of conflicts of interest. The report recommended reforms to the selection process, including the creation of an Evaluators’ Registry and more detailed criteria for selection, to prevent future conflicts of interest.

In August 2024 yet another financial scandal by Kekatos and advertising/production company Foss Productions, owned by the Kotionis brothers, in the tune of approximately 1M euros

The board of directors of EKOME (The HELLENIC CASH BACK INITIATIVE) decided to cancel the prior approval of the series “Milky Way”, by Vassilis Kekatos, executive produced by Foss Productions and Stelios Koionis, and financed by MEGA TV channel, and the benefits granted from the tax incentive scheme (CASH REBATE) of article 71E of Law No. 4172/2013 (A’ 167), as in force, “because the completeness of the auditor’s report was not established, according to article 30 of the law. 4487/2017”.

The reason for this decision was that “the start of the investment project took place before the date of submission of the application for inclusion, in accordance with para. 5 of article 20 of Law no. 4487/2017”. The withdrawal was made one year after the investment has been certified. The budget approved amounted to EUR 2,252,435 and the withdrawn subsidy to EUR 900,974. Both Stelios Kotionis, as executive producer, and Vasilios Kekatos, as director, submitted declarations of honor to EKOME when Milky Way was entered into the cash-back incentive scheme, affirming that production had not yet started.

The alleged corruption at the Greek Film Center reached a breaking point in 2024 when a scandal erupted over Greece’s Oscar submission process. A committee, chosen by the Hellenic Film Academy (a private society) in collaboration with the GFC, was tasked with selecting the film to represent Greece at the Oscars. However, allegations of bias and favoritism arose, particularly concerning the selection of Kekatos, who had primarily directed short films, to lead the committee. The Ministry of Culture intervened, replacing certain members of the committee.

Furthermore, it is important to emphasize that the Ministry of Culture’s approach to replacing the committee members – originally appointed by a ministry employee while she was on vacation – lacked both transparency and the level of professionalism expected from such a key institution. The untransparent process, combined with the absence of communication regarding the criteria for selecting the replacements, has sparked serious concerns within the Greek film community, further eroding trust in the system. These failures highlight the broader issues of mismanagement and opacity that have troubled the Greek Film Center for years. Clearly, the internal investigation initiated by the Ministry of Culture is an attempt to address these insecurities and fears.

These scandals have exposed a deeply flawed system, where a small group of insiders has monopolized state film funding, marginalized many filmmakers, and eroded public trust in the Greek film industry. Calls for reform have intensified, with demands for greater transparency, meritocracy, and accountability in the film funding process.

For those who follow our website, the events detailed above are eerily similar to the ones we’ve previously reported concerning the Israeli Film Funds and are inline with how the European film ecosystem is organized, with a complete lack of transparency and proper guardrails against corruption and conflict of interests.

We encourage you to read the full and more detailed version of this article, which is available here.

LINKS AND SOURCES:

https://www.efsyn.gr/tehnes/sinema/114454_sinema-o-paradeisos-tis-kakodiaheirisis

(Cinema paradiso of…. mismanagement).

https://www.efsyn.gr/stiles/apopseis/444323_toys-piran-tin-mpoykia-ap-stoma-ki-ekeinoi-brizoyn-oloys-toys-alloys

(“Greek Film Academy: They took the bread out of their mouths, and now they are cursing… everyone else.” )

https://www.efsyn.gr/politiki/synenteyxeis/297119_antro-kakoyrgimaton-elliniko-kentro-kinimatografoy(‘The Greek Film Center is a den of felonies. “)

In an interview with the Greek daily EFSYN, Kostas Ferris stated: “What is certain is that Mr. Holevas failed to forward the findings to the appropriate prosecutor, as required by the report from the General Accounting Office of the State and as ordered by the Minister. Instead, he handed the two evaluation reports to a lawyer of his own choosing, Mr. Alexandros Christidis, for re-evaluation. Moreover, he did not inform the Minister that in the Asprogerakas complaint, as well as in reports by certified public accountants Batsoulis, Androutsos, and Triantafyllou, his name was mentioned (please see page with arrow–Georgios Papalios, father-in-law of Apostolos Doxiadis name appears first) in connection with felonious activities. Therefore, he should have immediately resigned to allow for a proper investigation and the necessary cleansing of the Greek Film Center (GFC).

Numbers of Police IDs and passports on the legal complaint of Asprogerlas-Grivas have been erased because it violates Greek GDPR law about personal data.

Below is a report by certified public accountants from the accounting firm Sol found that the film ALPS by Yorgos Lanthimos, executive produced by Athena Rachel Tsangari, unlawfully received €300,000 instead of the €150,000 approved by the Board of Directors. GFC general manager Grigoris Karantinakis made this decision independently, without board approval, and drafted a private agreement between the GFC and Tsangari without consulting the GFC’s Legal Department. As a result, Karantinakis has been accused of a felony and bad faith in a complaint filed by the well-known lawyer Asprogerakas-Grivas. Markos Holevas is listed as number two on the first page of the complaint, which is 130 pages long. Identifying details such as IDs and passports have been omitted.

The post Alleged Corruption and Decadence at the Greek Film Center – Short version first appeared on Film Industry Watch.

By Hector Alejandro Morales, Film Industry Watch contributor and Greek industry insider. A shorter version of this article is available here.

A shocking new conflict of interest and financial scandal has surfaced at the Greek Film Center (GFC), involving film director Vasilios Kekatos and others, who served as evaluators for film funding proposals but also received substantial financial awards for their own projects, in the same call.

OCTOBER 18, 2021: At approximately 1:30 PM on October 18, 2021, celebrated Greek film director Kostas Ferris, Silver Bear winner at Berlinale for the feature film “Rembetiko”, former Vice President of the Greek Film Center, and a highly respected director, screenwriter, and lyricist, with over 10 feature films, 20 TV series, and numerous lifetime achievement awards to his name, including his role as lyricist for the iconic Aphrodite’s Child (the Vangelis band) album “666”, took the witness stand at the Court of First Instance in Athens, Greece. Ferris was also a founding member of FERA (the Federation of European Directors). Among others Ferris mentioned that he was a Vice President until recently at Greek Film Center under GFC president Panos Loukakos, a journalist/documentarian, where they refused to cave in to the illegal demands of 44 year-old minster Nikolas Giatromanolakis (Former Deputy Minister of Culture and Sports of Greece) so they were subsequently replaced by the deputy minister, who was a protege of author/director Apostolos Doxiadis, heir to the Doxiadis family fortune.

According to sources within the Greek production industry, Apostolos Doxiadis, was allegedly manipulative and acted as a secret advisor, influencing decisions behind the scenes alongside his father-in-law, bankrupt shipowner Giorgos Papalios. Both were closely tied to the right-wing current Prime Minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, with the Mitsotakis family also being their neighbors in the upscale Kolonaki neighborhood.

Markos Holevas, the president of Greek Film Center was nowhere to be seen at the trial but he had hired a law firm outside GFC, paying them over 16.000 euros plus VAT from public money at the time to defend himself (despite the fact that GFC had its own legal department). Lawyers from SAPOE (one of the five producers associations), and ESPEK ( the small association of producers-directors) and Tanweer Productions (owned by Lebanese distributor Joseph Samaan and headed by Dionysios Samiotis) were also present. What was at stake was the pre-approval of their state-owned subsidies. Allegedly for years middle men that called themselves “producers” (in reality they were line producers who were not risking any of their money, or property), made millions well in advance before a film, or a documentary was produced. The cheaper they could make a film, the better. The less they had to pay directors and screenwriters—or even nothing at all—the more ideal it was for them.

Ferris testified under oath: “…In the context of the dispute that arose within the Greek film community and the publicity it garnered in the print and electronic media for many weeks, I was informed that the Greek Film Center, a private legal entity under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture (ΥΠΠΟΑ), that operates under Law 3905/2010 and is therefore a public organization (funded by the Greek taxpayers). It is funded more than 80% by the public budget and is thus subject to specific operating conditions, transparency, and financial and administrative accountability. The organization has been under attack from both the print and electronic press, as well as the majority of the film community, for inappropriate personnel choices and non-transparent procedures regarding the pre-approval of funding for films, which do not exclude conflicts of interest.“

In an attempt to justify these procedures after the fact, the Greek Film Center extensively explained in press releases and via its website the procedures it followed. It publicly stated that the methods it used are the same as those followed by institutions responsible for audiovisual matters and funding in the European Union (27 Member States), namely the MEDIA DESK (now Creative Europe) program (headquartered in Brussels), and by the Council of Europe (based in Strasbourg with the participation  of the 39 “Member States) through its European film co-production funding program EURIMAGES.

The Greek Film Center’s positions on these issues—regarding the selection of evaluators/readers, the staffing of committees, and the evaluation procedures for the pre-approval of funding of films and production plans related to Creative Europe and EURIMAGES—are not accurate. “In fact, they are entirely false and inaccurate, and they directly contradict everything I know and have experienced in my collaborations with these European institutions…”

In a ten-page complaint submitted to the Athens District Attorney in early May 2021, three independent producers and directors requested that the Greek Film Center disclose the names of the evaluators/readers.

In their sworn statement, they asserted:

…three projects were submitted to the GFC – 1 feature-length documentary, 1 short fiction film, and 1 short length animated film:

1. “KOLOKOTRONIS, THE OLD MAN OF MORIA” Protocol Number 9193, dated 26/11/2020, was a 2D animation film project approximately 6 minutes in length, with screenplay and direction by me, and character design and illustrations by Nassos Vakalis (Emmy award winner, with 78 international awards and 270 festival participations for the short film Dinner for Few). The proposal was 112 pages long.
   
   
2. “DON’T FORGET ME, JEWISH MOTHERS WRITE TO THEIR CHILDREN FROM THE GHETTO OF THESSALONIKI” Protocol Number 7380/30-9-2020, a feature-length docudrama, focusing on the Salonica Holocaust where 59.000 Jews perished, starring the well-known film and television actress Maria Nafpliotou, based on the book of the same name by historian/researcher Dr. Leon Saltiel, under the auspices of the Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece, the Jewish Museum of Greece, and the Chair of Jewish Studies at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. The proposal was about 100 pages long.
   
   
3. “THE BOAT,” A.P. 6025/3.8.2020, a short fiction film, 15 minutes long, with a screenplay by Aphrodite Vakalis and Nassos Vakalis, and directed by Nassos Vakalis, featuring well-known actors Christos Antoniou and Dimitris Piatas. The proposal was about 70 pages long.
   

In the announcement of the results on 30.3.2021 and 28.4.2021, we realized that the evaluators had awarded themselves amounts of €2,500, €130,000, €170,000, €190,000, and €200,000 respectively , in addition to the €5,000 compensation fee they received as readers (script evaluators), while they ensured, in absolute collaboration with the president of the Board who had appointed them, to give low scores (in order) to “cut out” their competitors!

These actions, ratified by the Board of the Greek Film Centre (GFC), are illegal, abusive, unethical, unprofessional, and caused a national and international uproar both on social media and among journalists, with publications in the print and electronic press. They are unprecedented globally, as even in the most underdeveloped countries, evaluators are expected to declare conflicts of interest and request recusal, not to self-award funding!”

The District Attorney ordered the president of the Greek Film Center and its managing director, Pandelis Mitropoulos, to release the names of the evaluators, the scores given to each project, and other relevant documents that Holevas withheld. It was uncovered that four evaluators had secretly competed against the other submitted projects and were awarded (awarded to themselves) half a million euros.

• VERY GIRLISH NAME PATTY
  Screenplay: GEORGE GEORGOPOULOS
  Direction: GEORGE GEORGOPOULOS
  Production: FALIRO HOUSE PRODUCTIONS
  Pre-approval funding amount: €200,000
  
  
• CARMEN’S SUMMER
  Screenplay: ZACHARIAS MAVROEIDIS, XENOPHON HALATSIS
  Direction: ZACHARIAS MAVROEIDIS
  Production: ATALANTE PRODUCTIONS (headed by the niece of Panos Papahatzis)
  Pre-approval funding amount: €190,000
  
  
• OUR WILD DAYS
  Screenplay: VASSILIS KEKATOS
  Direction: VASSILIS KEKATOS
  Production: BLACKBIRD PRODUCTION
  Funding amount: €2,500
  
  
• THE LAST TAXI DRIVER
  Screenplay: STERGIOS PASCHOS
  Direction: STERGIOS PASCHOS
  Production: FILMIKI PRODUCTIONS
  Pre-approval funding amount: €130,000
  

(Note: THE LAST TAXI DRIVER had an abysmal box-office of 2.111 tickets when it was distributed in the spring of 2024, and CARMEN’S SUMMER followed suit with 9.500 tickets at the box office).

Background: Outrage and Injunction Against the Greek Film Center

Three independent directors-producers (Leonidas Vardaros, Dimitrios Vorris, Georgios Keramidiotis that were later blacklisted by Holevas and his board of directors) have filed a class action demanding an injunction against the Greek Film Center supported by the Directors Guild of Greece and  600 signatures of filmmakers. The injunction request concerned the recent pre-approval decisions made by the Board of Directors of the Greek Film Center on March 30 and April 28, 2021, where four evaluators/readers (Vasilios Kekatos, Stergios Pashos, Zacharias Mavroeidis, Georgios Georgopoulos) had also submitted in the same categories and were granted approval for themselves for projects worth up to €522.500

The directors-producers sought the temporary suspension of the Greek Film Center’s decisions from March 30 and April 28, 2021, concerning the “Pre-approvals of Short Films, Feature Films, and Documentaries,” claiming these decisions were illegal and violated local law, EU directives, and constitutional principles. They also requested a halt to any disbursement of funds or, alternatively, the suspension of the projects approved for Vasilios Kekatos, Stergios Pashos, Zacharias Mavroeidis, and Georgios Georgopoulos until a final ruling was made by the judge.

JUNE 2021: The blatant falsehoods of Markos Holevas and company

Markos Holevas, then president of the Greek Film Center (GFC), who was forced to resign in July 2024 by the minister of culture Lina Mendoni, claimed in the media that he was unable to find evaluators active in the fields of screenwriting, directing, and producing because the unions lacked sufficient members. And that’s why he picked evaluators from ESPEK only, the small association of producers-directors where he was a member. This couldn’t be further from the truth: The Greek Actors’ Union (SEI) has approximately 4,000 members, while the three relevant unions have around 40 active members in SAPOE, about 70-80 in ESPΕΚ (the Association of Producers-Directors), and approximately 130 in the Greek Documentary Association (EEN), many of whom are also members of ESPΕΚ. The Greek Directors’ Guild (EES) 1.200 members, and the Greek Film TV Technicians’ Union (ΕΤΕΚΤ) had 300 members, totalling 1,700 members. The Hellenic Screenwriters Guild has 330 members, and the Greek Producers’ Union (founded by respected producer Geiorgos Sgourakis) includes around 40-50 producers. Therefore, the combined membership of all these three unions exceeded 6,500 members.

As for Panos Papahatzis, president of SAPOE back then and owner of Argonauts Productions-he received three approvals amounting to €370,000 (€170,000, €70,000, and €130,000, respectively).

The SAPOE Board consisted of the following members:

• Panos Papahatzis, President of SAPOE, received €370,000 through three funding approvals.
  
  
• Fenia Kosovica, Vice President of SAPOE, received €400,000 through her company, Blonde Films (€200,000 + €200,000).
  
  
• Konstantinos Kontovrakis, General Secretary, received €228,000 through his company, Heretic Films, across three approvals (€150,000, €60,000, €18,000).
  
  
• Amanda Livanou, Treasurer of SAPOE.
  
  
• Maria Drandaki, Board Member, received €250,500 through five approvals with her company, Homemade Films (€2,500, €6,000, €12,000, €200,000, €30,000).
  
  
• Konstantinos Vasilaros, Alternate Board Member.
  
  
• Eleni Afentaki, Alternate Board Member.

The SAPOE Audit Committee received the following amounts:

• Ioanna Bolomyti (Papahatzis’ niece, working under the same roof with Argonauts Productions, Athens Productions, and Argonauts Crimes of the Future Productions) received €18,000 for script approval.
  
  
• Giorgos Karnavas, a partner in Heretic Films alongside SAPOE’S General Secretary Konstantinos Kontovrakis.
  
  
• Yiannis Iakovidis, owner of Black and Orange Films.

In total, the aforementioned SAPOE board members received €1,266,500 through what has been described as an illegal process of Greek Film Center funding that lacked transparency and accountability.

Additionally:

• Eleni Kossyfidou, a former SAPOE President and producer for director Vasilis Kekatos (Blackbird Productions), received €20,500 (€2,500 for scriptwriting and €18,000 for a script). Kossyfidou and Kekatos, along with director Panos H. Koutras, were involved in the conflict of interest scandal exposed by filmindustrywatch.org regarding Kekatos’ short film award at Cannes.
  
  
• Giorgos Tsourgiannis, another SAPOE member, received €156,000 (€6,000 and €150,000).
  
  
• Giorgos Tseberopoulos, another SAPOE member, received €151,500 through his company Filmiki Productions (later sold to Konstantinos Alavanos), along with his partner, Efstathios Mourdoukoutas (€2,500, €130,000, and €19,000).
  
  
• Faidra Vokali, another SAPOE member (Marni Films), received €132,000 through four approvals (€70,000, €17,000, €20,000, €25,000).
  
  
• Modiano S.A., owned by Micky Modiano, another SAPOE member, received €90,000 through two approvals (€60,000, €30,000).
  
  
• Stefi/Lynx Films, another SAPOE member, received €2,500.

It was alleged that the SAPOE regular members received an additional €552,500 through the same questionable EKK funding process. This brings the total sum awarded to SAPOE members to €1,819,000 out of the €4,450,000 allocated by the EKK in two rounds of decisions. However, it is important to note that the identities behind all the companies listed in the two GFC pre-approval funding lists have not yet been fully identified. Further investigation may reveal that more SAPOE members benefited from this funding.There was and also  concern about potential conflicts of interest, where evaluators may have been assessing proposals submitted by their collaborators, such as producers. For example, Filmiki Productions received funding for both a feature-length project (directed by evaluator Stergios Pashos, The Last Taxi Driver) and a short film (Roger), where, according to GFC statements, a collaborator of the evaluator may have been involved.

When director Costas Ferris publicly exposed the chaotic mismanagement and alleged corruption at the Greek Film Center in an interview with the daily newspaper EFSYN, he faced a wave of legal threats from SAPOE members. Over the course of seven consecutive days, he received cease-and-desist letters from each member of the SAPOE board, along with a defamation lawsuit from producer and  president Panos Papahatzis. Ultimately, the Athens Multi-Member Court acquitted Ferris of all charges. 

(Note: In 2023 Papahatzis officially joined forces with Κostas Sakkaris, who, allegedly,  has strong connection to the Greek prime minister’s office. His daughter tennis champion Angeliki Sakkari is in a relationship with the prime minister’s son).

FEBRUARY 2022: The Hellenic National Transparency Authority’s findings are a blow for Greek Film Center’s practices and especially present Markos Holevas and Vasilios Kekatos

After nine months, in md-February 2022, the National Transparency Authority’s published an audit report on the pre-approval decisions of the Board of Directors of the Greek Film Center, on March 30 and April 28, 2021, totaling 4.550.000 euros, has been completed.

In these specific decisions, the projects of four readers, who were simultaneously competitors, were approved, thus abolishing any notion of impartiality, transparency, and equality.

The multi-page report from the National Transparency Authority concludes:

“…with the aim of ensuring the best safeguarding of the principles of transparency and impartiality in the operation of the organization, it is recommended to the Board of Directors of the Greek Film Center:

1. Prior to the selection process, there should be a public call for expression of interest or a related posting on the Greek Film Center’s website, or other measures (e.g., the creation of an Evaluators’ Registry) should be adopted, which could ensure an increase in the number of the most suitable candidates and, consequently, the best possible selection of Readers. Furthermore, the designation of the decision-making body (possibly a collective one) and a more detailed description of the selection criteria would contribute to enhancing the transparency and objectivity of the process.
   
   
2. It should consider the possibility of requiring each Reader to confirm, for each proposal being evaluated, that there is no incompatibility or conflict of interest in their case, with a corresponding declaration on the electronic platform through which the evaluation process now takes place, taking into account the evaluators’ code of conduct model included in the EU Grants – Model contract for EU Experts by the European Commission.”

It is noted that the Film Center had falsely claimed to the Greek press that “…it follows the best practices of European programs (Creative Europe, Eurimages),” where it is widely, and internationally, known and posted on the web that cross-paneling (an evaluator being simultaneously a competitor and judging a candidate film, even in a different category), conflict of interest, and generally any relationship up to first-degree relatives with candidate production companies and projects over the past 18 months are prohibited, under penalty of funding cancellation.

AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2024: The corrupt world of the “academy” mafia is falling apart… Greece’s Oscar submission exposed a broken system devoid of transparency and meritocracy

An irregular, illegal, and evidently corrupt action by a Ministry of Culture employee forced the Deputy Minister to partially replace certain members of the proposed Oscar nomination committee, which had been suggested by the misnamed Hellenic Film “…academy,” a private, not-for-profit society, in order to meet the deadlines.

Furthermore, it is important to emphasize that the Ministry of Culture’s approach to replacing the committee members – originally appointed by a ministry employee while she was on vacation – lacked both transparency and the level of professionalism expected from such a key institution. The untransparent process, combined with the absence of communication regarding the criteria for selecting the replacements, has sparked serious concerns within the Greek film community, further eroding trust in the system. These failures highlight the broader issues of mismanagement and opacity that have troubled the Greek Film Center for years. Clearly, the internal investigation initiated by the Ministry of Culture is an attempt to address these insecurities and fears.

A major scandal erupted, with press releases published in outlets owned by Penske Media Group (Deadline, Hollywood Reporter, Variety), led by a small but well-organized minority of privileged individuals. These individuals hurled insults and slander at both the ministry and the vast majority of the film industry’s creators, who had long been marginalized. This might have gone unnoticed if certain political parties — particularly those in opposition — hadn’t uncritically aligned themselves with the protests of this corrupt group, thereby insulting the entire community of Greek filmmakers.

To understand the full picture, we must start from the very beginning. It all started with the “Fog Movement,” which splintered directors and the rest of the film industry into small, competing groups with conflicting interests. This was followed by the hasty establishment of the opaque Hellenic Film Academy, lacking qualitative criteria, and the introduction of the destructive Law 3905/2010 (the Geroulanos Film Law). This law effectively dismantled the Greek Film Center for a decade, resulting in mismanagement and a series of administrative and financial scandals, as confirmed by auditing authorities. The law enabled the rise of the corrupt “Fog” group, which exploited its vagueness and the turnover of Greek Film Center Boards to monopolize the film market and secure state subsidies, excluding many of the key figures in Greek cinema and leading to the industry’s overall decline.

It’s no coincidence that during the 14 years of Law 3905/2010 — a law brought into being by the manipulations of the Fog group and the “Academy” in 2009 and 2010 — at least 10 presidents, 7 managing directors, and more than 70 members of the seven-member Boards of Directors at the Greek Film Center were appointed, dismissed, or resigned, often due to administrative or financial scandals. What do all these unprecedented personnel changes, unparalleled in any similar organization worldwide, signify? They illustrate the corrupt influence of the Fog group and the Hellenic Film “Academy” over Greek cinema.

Two small associations (one of Directors-Producers, ESPEK, and one of the five producer associations, SAPOE), backed by the “Academy’s” board and capitalizing on their close relationship with the Greek Film Center and former president Markos Holevas (who was forced to resign on July 2024), monopolized state film production funds. They excluded as many “outsider” directors as possible, dismissing them as “outdated.”

A series of scandals, abuses, and illegal decisions even led to lawsuits, in which the wronged parties were vindicated. Yet, the Film Center’s Board continued its biased practices, making only superficial adjustments.

It was never made clear by what logic the infamous “….academy’ was given the right to nominate the committee and the methods for selecting the film that would represent the country at the American Academy Awards (Oscars) each year, without even defining objective criteria, similar to the opaque selection process for funding Greek films, which has caused us so many problems, lawsuits and legal battles.

The “excessive zeal” of a Culture ministry employee, evidently corrupt and in cahoots with the group of insiders, triggered the scandal’s explosion and prompted Deputy Minister of Culture Jason Fotilas to restore legality. And suddenly, those caught with their hands in the cookie jar erupted with insults, protests, and pressure on participants to support their illegal actions!

Ordinary members and Board members of the Hellenic Academy (some prominent, others not) launched an unprecedented campaign to discredit the process, slander competitors, and pressure filmmakers to withdraw their entries. They presented only a partial version of the truth, concealing key facts—including their collusion with certain ministry employees to manipulate the ministry’s leadership.

One by one, the corrupt insiders emerged from their hideouts, revealing themselves through insults and offenses, convinced they could regain their lost influence as they had in their years of dominance. But the facade crumbled, and their claim to represent the entire industry—while dismissing their critics as “outdated”—fell apart.

The urgency to revise the outdated Geroulanos Film Law has now become evident. As for the Academy members, if they genuinely wish to protect the reputation of Greek filmmakers, they must amend their bylaws, implement democratic procedures, focus the Academy solely on cultural activities without drifting into syndicalist or guild-like distortions, oversee the Board of Directors, and, above all, restore the integrity that true artists should uphold.

The Hellenic Film “..academy” is a private society that operates under different bylaws and statutes than the American Academy. The Ministry of Culture’s decision is therefore justified; it is reasonable that a filmmaker known primarily for short films, like Kekatos, should not be in charge of a committee selecting a feature-length film to represent Greece. Moreover, aside from Fonissa/Murderess, many of the other films are arthouse projects funded by Greek taxpayers, yet they face significant shortcomings in acting, screenplay, and direction. Most of the 23 films, excluding Fonissa, have sold between 400 and 16,000 tickets at the local box office.

AUGUST 2024: Another financial scandal by Kekatos and advertising/production company Foss Productions, owned by the Kotionis brothers, in the tune of approximately 1M euros

The board of directors of EKOME (HELLENIC CASH BACK INITIATIVE) decided to cancel the approval of the series “Milky Way”, by Vassilis Kekatos, executive produced by Foss Productions and Stelios Koionis, and financed by MEGA TV channel, and the benefits granted from the tax incentive scheme (CASH REBATE) of article 71E of Law No. 4172/2013 (A’ 167), as in force, “because the completeness of the auditor’s report was not established, according to article 30 of the law. 4487/2017”.

The reason for this decision was that “the start of the investment project took place before the date of submission of the application for inclusion, in accordance with para. 5 of article 20 of Law no. 4487/2017″. The withdrawal was made one year after the investment had been certified. The budget approved amounted to EUR 2,252,435 and the withdrawn subsidy to EUR 900,974.

Both Stelios Kotionis, as executive producer, and Vasilios Kekatos, as director, submitted declarations of honor to EKOME when Milky Way was entered into the cash-back incentive scheme, affirming that production had not yet started.

Many in the industry are left questioning: What is happening to Greece, now the poorest country in the EU? Who is protecting those involved in this web of alleged corruption that continues to siphon funds from the Greek Film Center, Eurimages, the Recovery and Resilience Fund of the European Union and Creative Europe? Why are the District Attorney of the Supreme Court and the European Prosecutor turning a blind eye while European subsidies flow into the pockets of a select few, forming what appears to be a cartel?

In other EU countries, such scandals would trigger swift action—investigations, resignations, and even ministers stepping down from their positions. But not in Greece. Corruption runs so deep that it has earned the nickname “the Colombia of the Balkans,” highlighting the pervasive judicial and political corruption. Despite mounting evidence and public outcry, those in power remain largely untouched, and the system continues to protect the few at the expense of the many.

The failure of authorities to address these issues raises serious concerns about governance, transparency, and accountability, especially as public funds meant to support culture and the arts are funneled into the hands of a privileged elite. It begs the question: How long can this go on before the EU or other oversight bodies step in to hold those responsible accountable?

For those who follow our website, the events detailed above are eerily similar to the ones we’ve previously reported concerning the Israeli Film Funds and are inline with how the European film ecosystem is organized, with a complete lack of transparency and proper guardrails against corruption and conflict of interests.

LINKS AND SOURCES:

https://www.efsyn.gr/tehnes/sinema/114454_sinema-o-paradeisos-tis-kakodiaheirisis

(Cinema paradiso of…. mismanagement).

https://www.efsyn.gr/stiles/apopseis/444323_toys-piran-tin-mpoykia-ap-stoma-ki-ekeinoi-brizoyn-oloys-toys-alloys

(“Greek Film Academy: They took the bread out of their mouths, and now they are cursing… everyone else.” )

https://www.efsyn.gr/politiki/synenteyxeis/297119_antro-kakoyrgimaton-elliniko-kentro-kinimatografoy(‘The Greek Film Center is a den of felonies. “)

https://www.efsyn.gr/tehnes/art-nea/406645_i-apofasi-toy-protodikeioy-stin-ypothesi-papahatzi-kata-ferri

(Kostas Ferris is acquitted  for defamation of producer Panos Papahatzis after judgement of the Multi Member Court of First Instance of Athens).

https://www.efsyn.gr/stiles/apopseis/298945_oi-pseytes-kai-oi-kleftes-ton-proto-hrono-hairontai

(The Greek Film Center has seized and transported to unknown destination 2,500 film prints and negatives, previously held by the former FINOS FILMS/ACCELERE labs, without the knowledge or consent of their rightful owners).

(The €900,000 EKOME cash-back subsidy for Vasilios Kekatos’ limited series “MILKY WAY” has been revoked due to legal violations).

https://tvxs.gr/news/ellada/300-ypografes-enantia-sti-diadikasia-aksiologisis-sto-elliniko-kentro-kinimatografoy

(300 filmmakers sign against the evaluation process of the Greek Film Center)

Below is a report by certified public accountants from the accounting firm Sol found that the film ALPS by Yorgos Lanthimos, executive produced by Athena Rachel Tsangari, unlawfully received €300,000 instead of the €150,000 approved by the Board of Directors. GFC general manager Grigoris Karantinakis made this decision independently, without board approval, and drafted a private agreement between the GFC and Tsangari without consulting the GFC’s Legal Department. As a result, Karantinakis has been accused of a felony and bad faith in a complaint filed by the well-known lawyer Asprogerakas-Grivas. Markos Holevas is listed as number two on the first page of the complaint, which is 130 pages long. Identifying details such as IDs and passports have been omitted.

The post Alleged Corruption and Decadence at the Greek Film Center (FULL ARTICLE) first appeared on Film Industry Watch.

Before we delve into the details of this article, we want to remind our readers of a simple yet crucial fact: every year film festivals receive thousands of submissions. The most prestigious ones can receive as many as 15,000 submissions annually. As you go through the information below, please keep these staggering numbers in mind. We also remind our readers that the European film industry is financed by public funding worth hundreds of millions of Euros per year.

Consider this: how is it that, amid thousands of submissions from filmmakers, writers, directors, and producers, it’s always the same few who seem to be chosen repeatedly for various festivals or labs, and who secure funding opportunities? Meanwhile, the vast majority struggle to make a mark in the industry, with many not even having their films viewed. To quote one commenter, “If you think any film festival watches all the submissions, I have a bridge to sell you.”

IMPORTANT NOTE: Please note that this article is not meant to be an ad hominem attack on any specific person. The individuals mentioned below and their positions in various organizations are used as examples for the way that the film industry operates. The positions, roles and professional relationship between individuals are public information. Sources are provided throughout the website. If you would like to report any inaccuracy please do not hesitate to contact us. Our aim is to improve and democratize the film industry by analyzing the way its institutions are set-up. In order to do so, we must list those organizations and the people who work for them or with them, and their relationship with each other. Also, to be clear, there are certainly much bigger fish in the swamp than the individuals listed below but we publish information which is available to us and which was brough to our attention. If you can disclose further information about other individuals or organizations, please contact us.

Is the Integrity of the European Film Industry Compromised?

Our argument is that the integrity of the European Film industry is highly compromised in that a loose affiliation of organizations which are run by the same or connected people use their power and influence in order to control the distribution of resources among themselves and those who are close to them, akin to a syndicate. To be clear, Film Industry Watch does not accuse the people mentioned below of belonging to a syndicate, but simply that the way the industry is set-up, is akin to one. Critics claim that the consequences of this structure, while not illegal, are highly immoral, and work to the detriment of the film industry as a whole, as well as its artistic output. 

The diagrams below serve as a visual illustration of the various organizations and individuals discussed in our articles and the intricate web connecting them. These charts reveal a highly insular system where influential figures in the industry engage in a sort of musical chairs or a revolving door: they occupy multiple roles, in different and multiple organizations, enabling them to further their own agendas and interests. This system not only creates barriers to entry for newcomers but also signals to others within the network their willingness to utilize their influence and reciprocate favors, benefiting those within this closed circle.

The charts below list individuals and organizations as examples of how the system operates. They show the relationships between decision-makers, producers, and the organizations that made the selection such as festivals, labs and film funds. These charts reveal that the producer of a chosen project is working with, or for, the selecting organization, the examples being Dominique Welinski (multiple organizations) , Melissa Malinbaum (Cannes short film section), and Ben Vandendaele (for NISI MASA).

The reason that these relationships – producer / decision maker – are highlighted in the examples below is that they are publicly documented. Other types of connections, like close friendships, commercial interests, or even bribes, are much harder to uncover due to their secretive nature. However, the bottom line remains the same – the selection, funding, and awarding of a project is rarely based on artistic merit, with the real reason being family connection, financial interests, friendships etc.

In festival selections and film funds public financing, in 90% of the cases, merit isn’t the main criterion. We can state these numbers with some confidence because, as we know, in all major festivals, submissions are not viewed. Only about 5-10% of feature film submissions and 1-2% of short film submissions are actually considered for selection from the total number of entries, based on direct recommendations from members of the network to the selection committee members. In national film funds, the numbers are similar, with about 5-10% of submitted projects actually being considered, with the financed projects making about 1%, with very little consideration to their actual merit. In some funds all the projects will be read and scored but in most cases those scores will not be taken into consideration. We will post proof of these claims in the near future.

This is not to say that it is absolutely impossible to break into the industry. However, you absolutely must “know someone” or “be someone” to enter into the pool of films or projects that will be considered. Without some connection to those people within the network, your project does not stand any chance because it will simply not be read or viewed. [Read this article about the Munich Film Festival for an example, as well as the Sundance may not be watching all submissions post] 

The following charts detail individuals and the organizations they work for, their positions, and how their positions has effected selection of projects they’ve been involved with, both within the organization and within the film ecosystem as a whole.

The first case is of producer Dominique Welinski who holds a multitude of roles in the industry. She works for the Cannes Film Festival, curates the Factory program at Cannes’ Director’s Fortnight, selects projects for Cannes’ L’atelier, works at the Jerusalem Film Lab, is a Jury in the Jerusalem Film Festivals, and served as a decision maker for the Torino Film Lab. She is also the Producer of Israeli Director Yona Rozenkier. For some whatever strange statistical anomality, Rozenkier has participated in ALL of the above events or programs and even had TWO films screened in Cannes in the same year (2019). Note that Welinski is the curator of the Factory, so she had invited her own director to the program PLUS had arranged for his short film to be in the Official Competition, while the other 7000 people who had submitted films don’t even get their films watched.

We ask the reader to be reminded of the first paragraph of this article where we discuss the fact that each year thousands of films are submitted to these festivals or programs (about 7000-10,000 short films to Cannes, where Rozenkier’s short was selected). Does anyone believe that this is a coincidence and that the selection of Rozenkier’s projects in these events was by chance, rather due to the fact that his Producer is working for or with these organizations?

Further more, Rozenkier has recently been awarded funding for his next feature film by the Israeli Film Fund which is currently headed by Noa Regev. Noa’s previous job was the Artistic Director of the Jerusalem Film Festival, which Dominique Welinski works with and for, and which had selected for screening both of Rozenkier’s features.

Here it is important to explain that Dominique Welinski’s strength as a producer is not only in the roles and positions that she holds in these events, for the sole purpose of influencing ** selections of projects which she produces herself (such as Rozenkier’s films) but rather that these selections send a clear “signal” across the ecosystem that selection in these festivals and programs is highly dependent on personal networks and contacts. NO OTHER FOUL PLAY IS IMPLIED.

** Influencing in this regard simply means by the virtue of being a position holder in an important organization. No foul play needed, nor implied by us, in order to achieve this “influence.” It is achieved simply by holding an important role within the industry.

It could be imagined that Noa Regev, as the head of the Israeli Film Fund, would seek favors** with Welinski, hoping that Welinski would help films financed by the fund throughout the ecosystem.

The fact that Yona’s and Welinski’s two shorts were selected in Cannes in the same year, where Welinski works as an adviser, send a very clear signal across the network – success and selection in festivals and various programs are highly dependent on who you know, and the favors** you pay them. On the flip side, those in the industry also know that they should “watch out” to stay on good terms with Welinski’s, and other gatekeepers, or they might be ‘blacklisted’ and their careers tarnished.

** in the form of social currency – NO FAUL PLAY IS IMPLIED. It is not implied that actual currency is being exchanged.

The following chart further details the connections between Welinski and Regev across three distinct organizations. Firstly, at the Jerusalem Film Lab, Welinski serves as an adviser, and it was here that Rozenkier’s project was chosen and received an award.

Secondly, the Jerusalem Film Festival, under Noa Regev’s leadership as Artistic Director, selected both of Rozenkier’s feature films. This festival also hosts the pitching event of the Jerusalem Film Lab mentioned above.

Lastly, the Israeli Film Fund, now led by the same Noa Regev, recently granted Yona 2,000,000 Shekels (more than 500,000 Euro) for his next feature film production, funding that was given to only three films out of more than one hundred projects.

The intricate and overlapping relationships among these individuals and organizations are strikingly apparent. At this point it should be becoming increasingly evident why we argue that the structure of the European Film Industry more closely resembles that of a syndicate than a that of thriving healthy industry.

The following chart focuses on the Cannes Film Festival, highlighting the roles of selection committee members Wim Vanacker and Melissa Malinbaum. The following might be confusing, which is why a full chart has been provided below:

In 2017, ‘Gabriel’ by Oren Gerner, a short film produced by Melissa Malinbaum, was chosen to the festival. This selection came a year after the film’s participation in NISI MASA in 2016, during which time Wim Vanacker, ALSO a Cannes selection committee member, was its Artistic Director (if you’re confused already, use the chart below.)

The subsequent year, as Artistic Director Vanacker selected ‘The Silence of the Dying Fish’ by Vasilis Kekatos. In the following year, Kekatos’s ‘The Distance Between Us and the Sky’ entered the Cannes’ Shorts Official Competition. This film later won the Palme d’Or. It was later revealed that Eleni Kossyfidou, the film’s producer, had a longstanding professional relationship with Panos H. Koutras, a jury member on the awarding committee. Additionally as we’ve previously reported Kekatos had invited both Vanacker and Kossyfidou to be jury members at his own SEA NEMA Film Festival in 2017.

Here, we once again observe a glaring conflict of interest that extends over years and across various organizations.

Any credible professional in the film industry would recognize that the selection of a film produced by a committee member for festival participation constitutes an undeniable conflict of interest that should have never taken place. We again remind our reader that while Cannes selects only 8-10 short films per year, they receive between 7000 to 10,000 submissions. NISI MASA, too, received dozens of submissions each year. To assume that the above detailed narrative is some kind of a coincidence is preposterous. (If you believe that it is a coincidence, please contact us, we have a brand new bridge to sell you)

We reiterate that all the information mentioned above is publicly available and accessible online. We argue that the majority of films and projects chosen for these events benefit from a high degree of favoritism that bears little relation to their artistic merit. Although it is straightforward to establish connections in the aforementioned cases, many such relationships remain concealed from public view and may be impossible to uncover without insider knowledge. We also repeat that this article is not meant to be an ad hominem attack on any specific person.

The next chart delves deeper into NISI MASA. Here we explore the case of producer Ben Vandendaele, a close friend of Wim Vanacker, who at the time served as Nisi Masa’s Artistic Director. This chart illustrates Vandendaele’s recurring success in getting his projects selected at NISI MASA events year after year, showcasing a pattern that raises questions about the nature of these selections.

In 2016, two of the films selected, ‘Deer Boy’ and ‘The Hoarder,’ were produced by Vandendaele. This pattern continued into 2017, with the selection of another two Vandendaele productions, ‘Hunt’ and ‘The Nipple Whisperer.’

The trend persisted in 2018 and 2019. In 2018, ‘Vengeance Of The Vixens,’ a film produced by Vandendaele’s company, was chosen, during a period when he was also consulting for the organization. In the following year, the film ‘Creatures,’ again a production under Vandendaele, was selected, while he maintained his consultancy role.

Importantly – some of these films are listed as having Vandendaele as their producers, others have “Bekke Films” listed as the production company, without Vandendaele’s names attached to them. However, “Bekke Films” is Vandendaele’s company, one and the same. This has been done, allegedly, to hide these facts, and perhaps to circumvent the NISI MASA rules that allow for only one project from the same producer to be selected each year. If such actions remind you that of a syndicate, almost like a mafia, you are not alone in these thoughts.

Vandendaele’s multifaceted involvement in the 2018 NISI MASA event is particularly noteworthy. Not only was he a producer of a selected film, but he also played a dual role as a consultant to the organization. Furthermore, he was involved in the decision-making process that led to the awarding of a Distribution Award to another project. Coincidentally, a film he produced was also an award recipient during the same event.

The connections extended to jury members as well. In 2017, Daria Vlasova, a member of the jury, was associated with a film represented by Bekke Films, Vandendaele’s company. Another jury member, Jérôme Nunes, had known ties to Vandendaele. Additionally, two films connected to jury member Marija Fridinovaitė were selected in the same year.

A particularly concerning instance of potential conflict of interest involved jury member Ola Jankowska. Vandendaele’s distribution company handled her film ‘Deer Boy,’ while she was serving as a jury member at the event.

The circumstances surrounding the award win for ‘Vengeance of the Vixens’ in 2018 also raise questions. The film, produced by Bekke Films (owned by Vandendaele), won an award at a time when Vandendaele was serving as a consultant for the event. This succession of events, involving repeated selections, multiple roles, and connections to jury members, suggests a pattern that goes beyond mere coincidence, just as all the other examples which we mentioned above.

It’s commonplace for individuals to work with various companies or organizations throughout their careers, and it’s not unusual for their paths to intersect with others. However, when you put all of these instances together as in the chart below, a closer analysis of these interactions uncovers a troubling pattern, a deeply ingrained network of relationships among certain individuals and organizations which is overly incestuous. This network is problematic because it fosters a culture of mutual back-scratching, where favors and advantages are exchanged freely, blurring the lines between personal, professional interests and artistic merit. What’s more alarming is the blatant nature of these entanglements; there’s little to no effort to conceal these conflicts of interest, indicating that such practices have become normalized and accepted within their circles. This situation raises significant concerns about integrity and fairness, suggesting a corrupt system where personal connections trump professional and ethical standards. These corrupt relationships are between festival organizers, film fund decision makers, sales agents, producers, directors, and finally the governmental agencies which fund them which accept the way in which the system is set-up, funding it with hundreds of millions of Euros each year, public tax payers money that ends up in the pockets of few, who guards their positions and access to resources, stifling access to newcomers and reducing the quality of the industry’s artistic output.

While contacts between different individuals and organizations within an industry is natural, we believe that in the examples detailed in this report the lines have been crossed. The current state of the European Film Industry is highly compromised due to the work of certain rotten apples that poison the system as a whole, without many of the industry members, and certainly not the public, realizing it.

We ask our readers to continue to share with us information about the industry so it can be analyzed, published and distributed to the public and the bodies that fund these organizations.

Further Reading:

SOURCES:

https://www.screendaily.com/news/nadav-lapid-project-yes-among-five-israel-film-fund-winners-exclusive/5182483.article

https://www.screendaily.com/news/jerusalem-film-festival-crowns-pitch-point-winners/5131282.article

https://jff.org.il/en/article/33752

https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/f/parparim/

https://www.torinofilmlab.it/people/705237/Yona-Rozenkier

https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/2017/l-atelier-2017/

https://popupfilmresidency.org/2020/01/13/pop-up-film-residency-in-athens/

https://www.cannescourtmetrage.com/en/actualites/cannes-2020-the-short-films-competition 

https://pro.imdb.com/title/tt8296610/ 

https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/f/gabriel/

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10214916/

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8791506/

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3187519/

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3267450/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Distance_Between_Us_and_the_Sky

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1179406/ – Listed as a Producer in Yona’s films.

https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/2017/l-atelier-2017/

https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/372414/

https://variety.com/2020/film/global/torinofilmlab-scriptlab-1203490498/

https://www.torinofilmlab.it/people/654851/Dominique-Welinski

The post Is the Integrity of the European Film Industry Compromised? first appeared on Film Industry Watch.

Dominating the top of this hierarchy are nepotism and family connections, followed by a series of considerations—financial interests, social connections, identity politics, and the theme of the project—each of which, regrettably, outweigh the actual artistic or creative merit of the work.

• Nepotism: Refers to favoritism granted to relatives or close friends, disregarding their suitability for a role or task. In the context of film festivals and funding, this means that projects might be selected or financed not on the basis of their quality or potential, but because of personal connections to those with decision-making power. An example for Nepotism at the Torino Film Lab can be seen here.
  
  
• Financial Interests: This encompasses the potential for financial gain for the festival or people associated with it or employed by it, or their social network, lucrative festival sponsorships, or even outright bribe, even if the films or projects aren’t artistically accomplished. An example of how financial interests overshadow other interests in Cannes can be read here.
  
  
• Social Connections: Similar to nepotism, but slightly broader, this refers to the preferential treatment of individuals within one’s social circle, including professional networks. In the film industry, those with extensive networks might find it easier to get their projects noticed and selected by festivals or funded, as opposed to newcomers without such connections, without any correlation to their films merit. An example for how social networks effect the film industry in Europe can be read here.
  
  
• Identity Politics: This relates to how aspects of a filmmaker’s or a project’s identity—such as gender, race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation—can play a role in decision-making. While this can be positive, promoting diversity, it can also lead to a checkbox approach where decisions are based more on ticking off diversity criteria rather than evaluating the intrinsic qualities of the project. This also leads to reverse discrimination, which is discrimination in itself. An example for Gender Bias at the Jerusalem Film Lab lead by Aurit Zamir can be read here.
  
  
• The Theme of the Project: Refers to the subject matter or narrative focus of the film. Projects with themes that are currently popular, trendy, or deemed socially or politically important may be chosen over others for reasons that align more with public interest, social commentary, or perceived relevance rather than artistic expression or storytelling prowess.
  

Accompanying the pyramid is a depiction of the “revolving door” dynamic prevalent in the film industry, where a limited circle of individuals hold a variety of influential positions. This perpetuates a culture of exclusivity, hindering fresh talent from entering the field, and promoting self-interests that ultimately reduces the quality of the industry’s artistic output.

How Films are Selected at Festivals?

The charts below depict how a film or project’s actual merit relates to the director or producer’s contacts, political influence, and other factors within the film industry. They illustrate a trend: as a person’s power increases, the film’s merit decreases in importance. Similarly, the prestige of a festival inversely affects the significance of merit, with other factors becoming more prominent.

The more contacts and “political” leverage you have, the less important the intrinsic quality of your film is.

The more connections and influence you have, the less the actual quality of your film matters. Factors like favoritism, financial interests, your social network size, gender politics, and your project’s theme – all unrelated to your film’s actual quality – are more important.

Without these connections and influence, only an exceptional film has a chance of being accepted, but it’s unlikely to even be viewed at all, making acceptance rates extremely low. If you’re well connected – even an unaccomplished film will get accepted, and even win major awards.

The Importance of Merit at Prestigious Festivals:

The relationship between a festival’s prestige and how important is actual merit for the success of your film.

The more prestigious the festival is, the intrinsic quality of your film becomes less important. “Political” considerations such as nepotism, financial factors, the extent of your social network, gender politics, and the theme of your project, along with other elements unrelated to your work’s actual merit, play a much more significant role. This is also true for the most prominent festival in each country.

Further reading:

CASE STUDY: The Concentration of Power, Influence & Control in the European Industry

The post CHARTS: Merit, Festivals & “Politics” first appeared on Film Industry Watch.

Matthieu Darras and Wim Vanacker roles with these organizations are documented in their self published biographical information. In addition, Darras was programmer for the Cannes Critics’ Week, consultant for the Venice Film Festival, and worked for many other festivals. Vanacker, too, is member of the Selection Committee for the Official Short Film Competition of the Cannes Film Festival, and served and serves as a consultant and jury member for many other festivals as well.

These organizations have been structured by individuals well-versed in navigating the intricacies of the film industry and its financing in Europe, enabling them to secure public funding effectively.

Once these organizations are established, they invite high-profile filmmakers, producers, sales agents, and festival employees (selection committee members) to assume various roles within their structures. This strategy is not merely about fostering talent and innovation but helps amplifying the organization’s, and the individuals who work for it, significance within the film industry’s broader ecosystem. Through this amplification, these entities gain privileged access to festival decision-makers, in fact some of them ARE festival decision-makers, thereby securing festival selection for the projects that had participated in their various initiatives. This creates a loop which enables the organizations to justify further public financial support:

1. Selection of projects to the self organized initiatives.
2. Selection of the same projects to film festivals, by the same people who manage these organizations and work for the festivals.
3. Justification for further public financing. Selection of new projects – the loop continues.

The process described here is emblematic of a ‘revolving door’ phenomenon, a cycle where producers, festival personnel, decision-makers in European national funds, and private investors create a self-sustaining loop of influence and promotion. Within this closed circuit, power and influence are commodities exchanged to advance personal projects and agendas. This system raises significant questions about transparency and fairness, particularly in light of the public funding that supports much of the European film industry.

The implications of such a system are manifold. On one hand, it leads to a homogenization of cinematic output, as the selection of projects is limited to a small number of people, those who make part of the network – A clear example of this can be seen here. On the other hand, it potentially erects barriers to entry for emerging filmmakers and those outside the established networks, stifling diversity and innovation. As these entities operate with public funds, there is a warranted expectation for them to uphold principles of fairness and equitable access, but this is simply not the case.

Recently we’ve reported that during Matthieu Darras’ tenure as the Artistic Director of the Torino Film Lab, his sister, Isabelle Collombat (formerly Isabelle Darras), participated in the lab’s initiatives on two separate occasions. This case serves as a glaringly example, epitomizing the widespread issues prevalent throughout the film industry, particularly within the European film ecosystem, as extensively documented in our numerous articles, embodying nepotism, shamelessly, in its purest form.

The role of key figures such as Darras and Vanacker is pivotal in this narrative. After stepping down from leading the Torino Film Lab in 2019, within weeks, he had established the Pop Up Residency, which serves the same function within the industry ecosystem.

These organizations draw significant amounts of money both from public sources, and from private investors, and present a powerful opportunity for film producers to enable the production of their projects. A vast amount of European films have been produced with the help of these organizations and the funding opportunities that they provide. The problem is that these organizations, as can be seen here, are tightly controlled by a small number of people who may use their decision making powers to gain influence over the industry and serve as powerful gate keepers with tremendous control.

As reported in 2019 Cannes Short Film Award individuals with multiple roles in the industry might find themselves in conflicts of interests, which, while not illegal, are at the minimum controversial practices.

It is important to stress that while systemic issues are being discussed, not every individual or project associated with these organizations is necessarily involved in such practices.

To recap, this instance involves a reciprocal relationship between Vassilis Kekatos, an artistic director of a self organized festival in Greece, and Wim Vanacker, member of the Cannes selection committee, who at the time was the Artistic Director of NISI MASA. Kekatos invited Vanacker to serve as a jury member at his festival in 2018. The same year, Vanacker had invited Kekatos and his producer, Eleni Kossyfidou, to participate in NISI MASA. Notably, Kossyfidou also served as a jury member at the same festival in 2018. A year later Kekatos, with a new short film, was invited to premire in Cannes, where Vanacker is a selection committee member. The new short film was also produced by Kossyfidou, the long standing producer of of Panos H. Koutras, who was a jury member in the committee that had made the decision on awarding Kekatos the Palme d’Or. (Koutras is quoted as telling other directors he had “removed their films from consideration”) This sequence of events illustrates a closed loop of reciprocal favors and positions, highlighting potential conflicts of interest and the intricate web of relationships in the industry.

Another rationale behind these organizations is to bypass national film funds, which may operate beyond the influence of these individuals. In several countries, these funds are specifically designed to deter or diminish nepotism. “Private” entities like the Torino Film Lab emerge as an alternative financing route, “by the producers, for the producers,” offering a platform where greater control and favoritism can be exercised, where the “revolving door” can operate with greater ease. (In other countries, a revolving door is the fund’s policy, as detailed here)

Much can be revealed about these organizations by how they display the names of their founders, members and participants. By prominently listing the organizers and participants on their websites, these groups are not just sharing information; they’re highlighting the exclusivity and prestige of membership. This tactic suggests that being part of these organizations is a privilege, reserved for a select few who are part of the industry’s power centers. Essentially, the lists serve as a symbol of status and influence, indicating that the organization’s primary purpose may be to maintain and elevate the elite status of its members rather than purely pursuing their publicized goals.

Enhanced control and influence is also exerted through the exclusion of individuals not part of the ‘select few.’ Those on the periphery understand the necessity of ‘playing the game’ to avoid marginalization, the process of ‘kissing the ring’. As the industry is dominated by a handful of festivals and key individuals, with major festivals choosing only a limited number of films annually, a narrow gateway to success is created, reinforcing the power of the established few and limiting diversity and opportunity for others.

It is crucial to emphasize the significant reliance of these organizations on public funding. They frequently receive substantial support from major entities like Creative Europe and Eurimages, as well as the Visegrad Fund and various national funds. Additionally, festivals and other institutions, which are themselves beneficiaries of public funds, such as the Cannes Film Festival, also contribute. This widespread use of public funds underscores the need for accountability and transparency in how these organizations operate and allocate resources.

Notice below how the logos of “When East Meets West” and “KVIFF”, where according to his own biography, Darras works for, appear as supporters on the websites of both “Pop Up Residency” and “First Cut Lab”, two seemingly different organizations, but who were founded and are managed by the same person – Darras.

Even while researching for this article, additional ties have been uncovered. For instance, Julie Marnay serves in dual roles: as Head of Programme at the European Short Pitch and as Program Manager at First Cut Lab. According to her biography, she had joined “Semaine de la Critique in 2010 where she became Responsible for Short Films and then Coordinator of Next Step, a programme created to support short filmmakers of the Cannes’ section towards their first feature film.” In other words these two distinct entities share key personnel, who also work at festivals, creating a significant degree of influence and sway within the industry, to select few.

It’s important to clarify that “power” in this context is born from the misuse of “influence.” Specifically, power arises when decision-making is compromised by bias or favoritism rather than being based solely on merit. When decisions are made fairly and impartially, power, in the sense of a manipulable resource, is not generated, because the decision-maker’s authority isn’t exploited for personal gain or to wield undue influence. Thus, power, as a currency for potential abuse, only emerges when control and influence are exercised improperly.

A different example for such use of power, other than in the example of the 2019 Cannes short film award, is demonstrated in the case of producer Dominique Welinski. Not surprisingly, she has participated in the Torino Film Lab, both as a Producer of a selected project, and as a “decision maker” multiple times. Her director, Yona Rozenkier, is pictured below as a participant at the Pop Up Residency.

Numerous hidden ties and connections likely exist. We urge individuals knowledgeable about the European film industry’s inner workings to come forward and share any information they possess. Your insights are invaluable. Please reach out to us with any details you can provide.

Our organization is dedicated to unveiling the true decision-making processes and power dynamics within the film industry. The chart below provides a comprehensive summary of these elements. Our goal is to democratize access and provide talented, emerging young filmmakers with the opportunities they rightfully deserve to succeed in the industry.

SOURCES:

http://firstcutlab.eu/people/
https://popupfilmresidency.org/people/residents/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NISI_MASA#Origin
https://www.torinofilmlab.it
https://www.torinofilmlab.it/people/654851/Dominique-Welinski
https://www.europeanshortpitch.org/

The post CASE STUDY: The Concentration of Power, Influence & Control in the European Industry first appeared on Film Industry Watch.

As detailed in Wim Vanacker, Ben Vandendaele – NISI MASA conflicts of interests, Kekatos had participated in NISI MASA with his 2018 short film “The Silence of the Dying Fish”, which was produced by Kossyfidou as well, when Vanacker served as Artistic Director of the organization. According to the 2018 news article linked below, Kekatos had invited Vanacker to serve as Jury member in a festival that he had organized and lead on Kefalonia Island, a festival which had been held for four years, but did not take place since Kekatos’ win in 2019.

Jury members for festivals typically receive payment for their service. At the very least, they are invited to the festival with personal expenses paid, with all travel and accommodation costs covered by the organizers. In other words, Kekatos allegedly compensated Vanacker, a member of the Cannes Film Festival selection committee, a full year before Kekatos’s film ‘The Distance Between Us and The Sky’ was chosen for the Cannes Official Selection, to then win the Palme d’Or under controversial circumstances, as the film’s producer had a longstanding professional relationship with one of the Jury members.

This revelation sheds additional light on the web of connections and potential conflicts of interest within the festival’s selection process, the award given to the film, and the normalization and prevalence of such relationships in the industry.

We remind our readers the case of Mélissa Malinbaum – a Cannes selection committee member who had produced a short film selected to the festival, and Dominique Welinski who holds multiple roles as well, as a producer and decision maker, in what seems like a conflict of interest at the festival and the industry at large.

Continue to – Power, influence & control over the European industry.

Our organization is dedicated to unveiling the true decision-making processes and power dynamics within the film industry. The chart below provides a comprehensive summary of these elements. Our goal is to democratize access and provide talented, emerging young filmmakers with the opportunities they rightfully deserve to succeed in the industry.

SOURCES:

https://popaganda.gr/art/seanema-open-air-film-festival-2018/

https://filmfreeway.com/SeaNemaOpenAirFilmFestival

https://cinemadedemain.festival-cannes.com/en/2020/cannes-2020-the-short-films-competition/

The post Wim Vanacker & Vassilis Kekatos – a two way relationship dating back to 2018 first appeared on Film Industry Watch.

The agency’s distributed short films have consistently garnered awards and cash prizes at the festival. Notably, in 2022, the Square Eyes film “Handbook” won the prestigious Bill Douglas Award for International Short Film, which includes a £1,000 cash prize. Depending on the agreement with the film’s producer, this prize money may have been shared with the distribution company. Pavel Mozhar, the director of “Handbook,” then joined the festival jury in 2023. That year, the Bill Douglas Award, along with its £1,000 cash prize, went to “45th Parallel,” another film distributed by Square Eyes. Additionally, at the 2022 festival, the jury’s Special Mention, a secondary prize, was awarded to “Sierra,” also a film from the agency’s portfolio.

In in a different but related case, in 2022, Mandy Fleifel, a filmmaker whose work is represented by Square Eyes Sales, served on the jury at Vienna Shorts. During this event, the film “And Then They Burn the Sea” by Majid Al-Remaihi, also represented by Square Eyes Sales, received an award. This situation presents a potential conflict of interest, as a juror was affiliated with the same agency that represents one of the award-winning films. This overlap might raise questions about the impartiality of the judging process, since a juror had a professional connection to one of the awarded filmmakers. [1,2,3,4]

These situations further exemplifies the entrenched issue of nepotism within the film industry. It highlights a scenario where individuals hold multiple influential roles, leading to a consolidation of power. This concentration of authority in the hands of a few creates significant barriers for newcomers, especially those lacking industry connections, making it exceedingly difficult for them to gain entry into the industry.

UPDATE 11/1/2024: Within less than a month of publishing this report, an announcement on social media indicated that Sanne Jehoul will part ways with Square Eyes. We extend our best wishes and good luck to her in her future endeavors.

For further reading: Nepotism at TIFF, Wim Vanacker, Ben Vandendaele – NISI MASA conflicts of interests, Revolving doors at the Israeli film funds, Conflict of Interest Taints 2019 Cannes Palme d’Or Award, Dominique Welinski

SOURCES:

https://squareeyesfilm.com/shorts-categories/narrative-2022/

https://squareeyesfilm.com/shorts-categories/documentary-2022/

https://www.screen.scot/news/2021/02/glasgow-short-film-festival-returns-for-its-14th-edition

https://glasgowshort.org/shows/flores-del-otro-patio/

https://glasgowshort.org/shows/the-fruit-tree/

https://glasgowshort.org/shows/neighbour-abdi/

https://glasgowshort.org/shows/abyss/

https://glasgowshort.org/latest/news/announcing-the-gsff22-award-winners/

https://glasgowshort.org/latest/news/gsff23-award-winners/

[1] https://squareeyesfilm.com/shorts/3logicalexits/

[2] https://www.viennashorts.com/en/news/das-sind-unsere-juries

[3] https://www.viennashorts.com/en/festival/festival-archive/2022

[4] https://squareeyesfilm.com/shorts/andthentheyburnthesea/

The post Dual Role as Glasgow Short Film Festival Programmer & at a Short Films Distribution Company first appeared on Film Industry Watch.

This allegation emerged when a producer, upon checking her film’s statistics on Vimeo, discovered no views had been registered. Seeking clarification, she reached out to the festival. Adam Montgomery, a senior manager and programmer at Sundance, responded—seemingly with a generic reply—asserting that Vimeo’s statistics are not always reliable and claiming the film had been viewed.

Contradictorily, hours after this email exchange, the film’s Vimeo statistics finally showed a view from the Los Angeles area, where many of the festival’s employees are based. Notably, only 54% of the film was watched. This post-inquiry viewing casts doubt on Montgomery’s assurances and suggests that the festival may not be thoroughly screening all submissions.

Simultaneously, another festival programmer, Ana Souza, wrote to the producer that the program for the 2024 festival had already been finalized, indicating that this decision was made without viewing the producer’s film.

This revelation, along with the earlier incident, substantiates the widely held belief about how film selections are conducted in major festivals. It suggests that rather than reviewing all submissions, a select few films, perhaps between 100 and 300, are handpicked for consideration by the festival team. These selections are influenced by recommendations from well-connected individuals and driven by financial interests, favoritism, nepotism, and other agendas. You can read more about these issues, here.

Finally, the producer had asked the submission fee to be refunded, but she was ignored.

This practice is an example for a broader and well known issue in regarding to the nature of power in decision-making systems: in such environments, the value of a decision-making position is amplified when the individual can exploit their power for personal gain, which is translated into social currency. In the context of film festivals, if films were chosen solely on merit, programmers would lose the ability to convert their decision-making capacity into power, and from there, financial and social gain. This social currency is crucial for gaining influence and power. By selectively favoring certain films, programmers can demonstrate to others that they hold the power to grant favors, thereby creating a self-sustaining system influence. This dynamic not only undermines the integrity of the film selection process but also discourages merit-based recognition, leading to a homogenized and less innovative film landscape.

UPDATE:

In a not so incredible turn of events, since this article was originally published, and with the announcement of the 2024 program, it was revealed that Malia Obama, daughter of Barak Obama, made her debut in the festival. The news articles announcing of Malia’s selection made a special point of the fact that she had submitted the film “under the name Malia Ann (Ann is her middle name)”, hinting that this was done to avoid the appearance of nepotism. This is of course preposterous, and only points to the fact that the members of the film industry “syndicate” (those with contacts) are aware of the criticism pointed towards them, as well as the unethical structure of the industry, and use thinly veiled attempts to maintain ‘plausible deniability’. Rest assure that the Sundance film festival selection committee, which only watches a fraction of the films submitted to it, knew exactly who the film was by, and received numerous calls and emails informing them of its submission.

It is worth mentioning that accusations of fraud have been made against the Sundance Film Festival since at least 2011, below is an article titled “Lawsuit alleges Sundance getting too large, committing fraud” which has been published in January 2012:

The article can be accessed here:

https://web.archive.org/web/20120701020231/https://davisclipper.com/view/full_story/17265673/article-Lawsuit-alleges-Sundance-getting-too-large–committing-fraud

Continue to – Power, influence & control over the European industry.

We are actively seeking more stories and instances of such practices within the film industry. If you have information or experiences related to these issues, we encourage you to contact us. Your insights can help shed light on these practices and contribute to fostering a more equitable and diverse film industry.

Feedback and Corrections
If you believe your or company’s name was listed on this website unjustly, please CONTACT US.

SOURCES:

https://help.vimeo.com/hc/en-us/articles/12426206706705-Video-Settings-analytics-panel

The post Sundance Charges $ but Not Watching All Submissions (unless you’re Obama’s daughter) first appeared on Film Industry Watch.

1. Cannes Film Festival : The integrity of the award processes at the Cannes Film Festival comes under scrutiny following the 2019 event. The prestigious Palme d’Or for short films was awarded to “La distance entre nous et le ciel,” produced by Eleni Kossyfidou, who had a longstanding professional relationship with jury member Panos Koutras. This undisclosed conflict of interest was not revealed during the festival, and there were indications of that attempts might have been made to conceal this connection. This is in addition to the 2022 Jury Controversy revolving the TikTok competition, following a resignation by jury president Rithy Panh. These incidents underscores a broader pattern within the industry where personal relationships and undisclosed conflicts of interest influence major film decisions. For further reading.
   
   
2. Film Festivals and Sponsorships: This situation underscores concerns about sponsorships and their role in creating conflicts of interest within the film festival selection process. Read our posts about the BFI London Film Festival relationship the British Film Institute and the relationship between Cannes and Canal+ and how the end of their 28 year sponsorship of the festival had effected film selection.
   
   
3. NISI MASA and European Short Pitch: Allegations of favoritism and conflict of interest have been raised against NISI MASA, particularly under Wim Vanacker’s tenure. This organization, significant in promoting emerging professionals within the European film industry, had repeatedly selected films produced by individuals like Ben Vandendaele, who held multiple roles within the organization itself. This situation is concerning, especially given the public funding involved.
   
   
4. Israeli Film Funding Organizations: Similar concerns are evident in Israeli film funding at The Israeli Film Fund, Gesher, and The Rabinovitch Foundation. A ‘revolving doors’ policy has been observed, where individuals involved in project evaluation and decision-making also receive funding for their projects. This has led to a tight circle of filmmakers consistently securing funding, limiting opportunities for new and diverse voices.
   
   
5. In the past decade and a half, the European film industry has witnessed the emergence of several key organizations, ostensibly designed as tools to support the film industry and filmmakers. However, a closer examination reveals a more complex narrative, one that intertwines issues of power, influence, control and finances. This narrative centers around a small cadre of individuals who have established entities such as the Torino Film Lab, Pop Up Residency, First Cut Lab, and the initiative formerly known as NISI MASA, now operating under the name European Short Pitch.

These cases highlight a need for greater accountability and transparency in the European film industry. The entanglement of a few influential individuals across different organizations, often without clear disclosure of their roles and interests, raises questions about the fairness of funding allocation and award distribution. This situation can stifle diversity and creativity, leading to a homogenous film landscape.

We are actively seeking more stories and instances of such practices within the film industry. If you have information or experiences related to these issues, we encourage you to contact us. Your insights can help shed light on these practices and contribute to fostering a more equitable and diverse film industry.

Our organization is dedicated to unveiling the true decision-making processes and power dynamics within the film industry. The chart below provides a comprehensive summary of these elements. Our goal is to democratize access and provide talented, emerging young filmmakers with the opportunities they rightfully deserve to succeed in the industry.

Feedback and Corrections
If you believe your or company’s name was listed on this website unjustly, please CONTACT US.

The post Special Report – favouritism, nepotism in the European film industry first appeared on Film Industry Watch.

NISI MASA, now called “European Short Pitch”, plays a significant role in promoting emerging professionals within the European film industry.

Over the years, concerns have been raised regarding potential alleged conflicts of interest, as highlighted in the example below. Additionally, it is important to consider the below information in the context of the numerous projects that are submitted annually for consideration – dozens of projects, if not more – which renders the below data a statistical impossibility, and indicates, allegedly, at favouritism and nepotism.

It is also important to recognize that the organization benefits from public funding provided by the European Union. This is not a private organization. It is funded with public tax payers money.

A series of potential conflicts of interest and favouritism within the NISI MASA organization, particularly involving an individual named Ben “Bekke” Vandendaele, the owner of Bekke Films and distribution company RADIATOR IP Sales. Here’s a breakdown to clarify the situation:

1. Repeated Selections of Ben Vandendaele’s Productions:
   • In the 2016 NISI MASA event, two films were produced by Ben Vandendaele, “Deer Boy” and “The Hoarder”.
   • In the 2017 NISI MASA event, two films produced by Ben Vandendaele, “Hunt” and “The Nipple Whisperer,” were selected.
   • In 2018, another film produced by Vandendaele’s company, “Vegeance Of The Vixens,” was selected, while he was working as a consultant in the organization.
   • In 2019, he again produced a film selected in the program “Creatures”, while again working as a consultant in the organization.
     
2. Multiple Roles in the Same Event:
   • In 2018, Ben Vandendaele played multiple roles:
     • He was a producer of a selected film.
     • He acted as a consultant to the organization.
     • He was involved in awarding a Distribution Award to a different project.
     • At the same time, he received an award for a film he produced.
       
3. Connections to Jury Members:
   • In 2017, Daria Vlasova, a jury member, was involved in a film where Bekke Films, owned by Vandendaele, was the agent.
   • Jury member Jérôme Nunes had connections to Ben Vandendaele.
   • In the same year, two films connected to jury member Marija Fridinovaitė were selected.
     
4. Potential Conflict of Interest with Jury Member Ola Jankowska:
   • Ben Vandendaele’s distribution company handled Ola Jankowska’s “Deer Boy,” while she was a jury member at the event.
     
5. Award Win Under Questionable Circumstances:
   • In 2018, “VENGEANCE OF THE VIXENS,” produced by Bekke Films (owned by Ben), won an award while Ben was also serving as a consultant.
6. Selection of a project produced by a fellow Cannes committee member:
   • GABRIEL Oren Gerner – Israel / France, produced by Melissa Malinbaum from Why Not Productions, which was later selected to the 2018 Official Selection in Cannes, where both Melissa Malinbaum & Wim Vanacker are members of the selection committee. In other words, a film produced by a fellow committee member, was selected to the festival.
     
7. Selection of film by a director / producer duo, later to be involved in a major controversy:
   
   • Notably, Wim Vanacker serves on the Selection Committee for the Cannes film festival. In 2017, the film “The Silence of the Dying Fish” by Vasilis Kekatos of Greece, produced by Eleni Kossyfidou of Blackbird Production, was selected for participation in NISI MASA. Then, in 2019, another film by Vasilis Kekatos, The Distance Between Us and the Sky, also produced by Eleni Kossyfidou, was not only selected for Cannes but also won the prestigious short Palme d’Or. However, this achievement is shadowed by the conflict of interest arising from the fact that one of the jury members, Panos H. Koutras, has a longstanding professional relationship with Eleni Kossyfidou – she has been his producer for over 10 years. Meaning the winning film was produced by the producer a the jury member, in an undisclosed conflict of interest.

The above situations raises concerns about conflicts of interest and favouritism, where the same individual or their connected entities are involved in multiple roles such as a producer, distributor, consultant, and award-giver or recipient, potentially influencing the selection and award processes. This can undermine the integrity of the competition and the fairness of the selection and awarding processes.

Please note that Wim Vanacker and Ben Vandendaele are both from Belgium.

Raw information:

NISI MASA	Short film jury 2017
	Antoneta Alamat Kusijanovic (Croatia)
	Aristotelis Maragkos (Greece)
	Daria Vlasova (Russia)		Thanked for help on this film for which Ben Vanderdaele/Bekke Films was co- producer and sales agent http://www.deerboy.pl/en
	Marijana Verhoef (Serbia)
	Marija Fridinovaitė (Lithuania)		Film by her previous? production company was selected. previousy worked with producer of another selected film
	Ola Jankowska (Poland)		Thanked for help on Deer Boy, for which Ben Vandendaele is sales agent
	Eoin Maher (Dublin)
	Franco Dipietro (Italy)
	Gábor Osváth (Hungary)		His own film was selected
	Tom Floyd (N Ireland)
	Wim Vanacker (Dublin)
	Thelyia Petraki (Greece)
	Jérôme Nunes (France)		Connected to Bekke Films. Got a “thanks” credit on “Joy Palace” which was co-produced by Bekke Films. https://www.facebook.com/BekkeFilms/posts/973830642665937 Bekke Films shared a Page — feeling excited with Jerome Nunes and 4 others at Vlaams Audiovisueel Fonds. May 15, 2016 · Brussels, Belgium ·
	Koen de Jongh (Netherlands)
	Kostas Tagalakis (Greece)
	Final selection short film 2017	Producer
	Aya– Samuel Sultana, Stephanie Sant (Malta/France)	Shadeena Entertainment Martin Bonnici (TLF decision maker 2012)
	Blood Group – Daan Bunnik (Netherlands)	Bunnik’s own Production company: PRPL
	Encountering Samir– Rand Beiruty (Jordan/Germany)	None	Won ESP grant from Interforum Berlin 2016: https://www.interfilm.de/en/festival2016/interforum/script-pitch.html
	Fluid Border– Joana Vogdt (Germany)	Fayal Omer, Miko Film (Hamburg) & Joana Vogdt (Berlin)
	Golden Minutes– Saulius Baradinskas, Titas Laucius (Lithuania)	Viktorija Seniut (Viktoria Films), Martynas Mickenas (Baltic Productions) Co-Producer: Mirta Puhlovski (Slavica Film)	JURY MEMBER Marija Fridinovaitė worked for Baltic Productions. She also worked for NISI MASA at the same time in other capacities:
	Hospitalities– Ronan Posnic (France)	None
	Hunt– Senad Šahmanovic, Claudia Bottino (Montenegro/Belgium)	Ben Vandendaele (Belgium), Senad Sahmanovic (Montenegro)
	Lazarus– Emanuele Milasi (Italy)	None
	Riga’s Lilac– Lizete Upite (Latvia)	Richard Van Den Boom Papy 3D (France)
	The Figurant– Kamila Dohnalova, Jan Vejnar (Czech Republic)	Kamila Dohnalová Silk Films
	The Nipple Whisperer– Jan Van Dyck (Belgium)	Ben Vandendaele Handelskaai Bekke Films
	The Shift– Luka Popadic (Switzerland, Serbia)	Ognjen Glavonic / Franziska Sonder Non Aligned Films, Serbia & Radar Film GmbH, Switzerland
	The Silence of the Dying Fish– Vasilis Kekatos (Greece)	Eleni Kossyfidou Blackbird Production	Read more about this relationship here.
	Tina and Sandy– Hani Damazet (Croatia)	Mirta Puhlovski slavica film
	Under the volcano there is always a man sleeping– Sameh Alaa (Egypt/Belgium)	Muhammad Taymour, Metropolis
	Vesela loves chocolate– Stefka Mancheva (Bulgaria	Vanya Rainova Portokal
work in progess pitch
	BANALITY Balazs Simonyi – Hungary	Gabor Osvath, Nora Alfoldi Filmfabriq	Gabor Osvath is on the 2017 jury
	BATHHOUSE Laurynas BareiĹĄa – Lithuania	Klementina Remeikaite (Afterschool)	Klementina previously worked with jury member Marija Fridinovaitė
	GABRIEL Oren Gerner – Israel / France	Melissa Malinbaum Why Not Productions
	I’LL PROBABLY NEVER SEE YOU AGAIN Mitja Mlakar – Slovenia	Mojca Pernat Filmfactory
	MALVA AND LESHY Marcin Karolewski – Poland	Olga Cyganiak Juice Ltd
	ESP Selection Committee 2018
	Emanuele Milasi (Italy)
	Eoin Maher (Ireland, UK)
	Jan Vejnar (Czech Republic)
	Jerome Nunes (France)
	Kostas Tagalakis (Greece)		Worked as location manager on film “Sto Spiti” in which Marisha Triantafyllidou was an actress
	Lizete Upite (Latvia)
	Marija Fridinovaite (Lithuania, France)
	Mitja Mlakar (Slovenia)
	Rand Beiruty (Jordan, Germany)
	Wim Vanacker (Belgium, France)
ESP 2018 CONSULTANTS	Ben Vandendaele
	David Verdurme
	ESP Final Selection 2018	Producer
	Beyond the River– Galaxy Spanos (Greece, Switzerland)	Maria Repousi Wholewave
	Deer– Istvan Hevesi (Hungary)	László Józsa, Speak Easy Project, Focus Fox
	Divine in his creatures– Katarina Stankovic (Serbia)	None
	Drawing Shadows– Maxence Vassilyevitch (France)	Les Films de la Capitaine – Laurine Pelassy (France)	Pelassy produced Memoria, a film selected in ESP 2016
	Elena– Birutė Sodeikaitė (Lithuania)	Agne Adomene, Artshot
	Gila Who Walks Alone– Yuval Shapira (Romania, Israel)	Ilya Marcus
	Home Sweet Home– Michalina Fabijanska, Agata Puszcz (Poland)	Katarzyna Fukacz, Tito Productions
	Maissa– Lea Triboulet (France, Spain)	None
	Pale Saint– Rhys Jones (UK, Ireland)	Alexander Polunin
	Rizi– Stella Kyriakopoulos, Marisha Triantafyllidou (Greece, Spain)	Fani Skartouli Either/Or Productions
	Sedra– Judita Gamulin (Croatia)	Rea Rajčić, Eclectica (Croatia)
	The Inheritance– Mihnea Rares Hantiu (Romania)	Oana Furdea
	the Rudeness of a German Lady– Silva Capin (Croatia)	Rea Rajčić, Eclectica (Croatia)
	Trampoline– Kristian Sjerbo (Denmark)	Maria Moller Kjeldgaard Production company: Manna Film (Denmark) Co-producer: Mélissa Malinbaum, Face Nord Films (France)
	Vegeance Of The Vixens– Leander Hanssen, Niels Snoek (Belgium)	Bekke Films
	When bodies fall from the sky– Yenni Lee (Norway	Ronny Fritsche Zentropa Sweden and Nina Barbosa (Barbosa Film)
Work in progress pitch	Eva -Xheni Alushi (Albania / Switzerland)	Noah Bohnert, LetterBox Collective (Switzerland)
	QUXUROBA – Teymur Gambarov (Azerbaijan / Russia)	Memuar Films, Fil Production,Etienne Ricaud
	Soy tu Papa – Garrick J Lauterbach (The Netherlands / Switzerland / Mexico)	Noah Bohnert,Letterbox Collective, Fidelio Films (Mexico)
	TINA & SENDY Hani Domazet (Croatia)	Mirta Puhlovski, Slavica Film	Film was in final selection NISI MASA 2017
	ESP Winners 2018
Best Pitch	THE INHERITANCE by Mihnea Rares Hantiu – Romania
	THE RUDENESS OF A GERMAN LADY by Silva Capin – Croatia
	VENGEANCE OF THE VIXENS by Leander Hanssen Jr – Belgium	Bekke films
The Aubagne International Film Festival award	ELENA by Biruté Sodeikaité – Lithuania
Gear award by 2K4K Film Rental Waclaw Maczynski	DIVINE IN HIS CREATURES by Katarina Stankovic – Serbia
Works-in-Progress Awards
Distribution Award – Radiator IP Sales – Ben Vandendaele (Belgium)	QUXUROBA by Teymur Gambarov – Azerbaijan/Russia
Image Award Poznanska Wytwornia Filmowa (Poznan Motion Pictures) – Anita Trzyna providing image postproduction (Poland)	QUXUROBA by Teymur Gambarov – Azerbaijan/Russia
Mastering award – The Fridge (Belgium)	QUXUROBA by Teymur Gambarov – Azerbaijan/Russia

Our organization is dedicated to unveiling the true decision-making processes and power dynamics within the film industry. The chart below provides a comprehensive summary of these elements. Our goal is to democratize access and provide talented, emerging young filmmakers with the opportunities they rightfully deserve to succeed in the industry.

Wim Vanacker Biography

Wim Vanacker is a Belgian filmmaker, producer, and script consultant known for his involvement in the short films The Naked Leading the Blind (2013), Endgame (2011), and The Mechanism of Love (2011). After an initial career in psychology, working with drug addiction in Dublin, he transitioned to filmmaking, studying at EICAR in Paris. His involvement in the European film industry deepened through his work with NISI MASA, where he became Head of the Script Department and managed the MEDIA-funded European Short Pitch initiative.

Vanacker has also been a member of the Selection Committee for the Official Short Film Competition at the Cannes Film Festival, a role that has sparked controversy due to allegations of conflicts of interest and favoritism during his tenure. He has maintained influential positions across various film industry platforms, including serving as a script consultant and programmer. Despite his achievements, his professional relationships and roles have drawn criticism in recent years, particularly in relation to questions about transparency and fairness within festival selection processes.

Ben Vandendaele Biography

Ben “Bekke” Vandendaele is a Belgian film producer and distributor, best known as the founder of Bekke Films, a Brussels-based production company, and Radiator IP Sales, an international short film distribution and sales agency. Through Radiator IP Sales, he has built one of Europe’s most prominent short film distribution catalogues, representing titles across festivals including Cannes, Berlinale, Sundance, and Locarno. His producing credits include co-productions spanning Belgium, Poland, Montenegro, and other European countries, with films such as “Deer Boy,” “Hunt,” “The Nipple Whisperer,” and “Vengeance of the Vixens” – many of which were developed or selected through NISI MASA’s European Short Pitch program.

Vandendaele has also been active as a consultant, jury member, and award presenter at various European short film labs and festivals, including European Short Pitch, where he served as a consultant in 2018 and 2019. His dual role as producer and distributor, combined with his presence on selection panels and industry juries, has drawn scrutiny regarding potential conflicts of interest – particularly given the recurrence of Bekke Films and Radiator IP Sales-affiliated projects within programs where he has held advisory or decision-making positions. Despite these concerns, he remains a central figure in the European short film distribution landscape.

SOURCES:

Sources:

1. https://www.europeanshortpitch.org/films
2. https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/press/press-releases/the-short-films-selections-at-the-71st-festival-de-cannes/
3. https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/press/press-releases/cannes-2020-the-short-films-competition/
4. https://www.flandersimage.com/titles/the-nipple-whisperer
5. https://www.centralafilm.pl/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/DEER_BOY_ANG.pdf
6. https://polishshorts.pl/en/news/2864/deer_boy_wins_european_short_pitch
7. https://www.midpoint-institute.eu/en/person/senad-9t0lpY
8. https://www.imdb.com/fr/title/tt11575400/companycredits/
9. https://arteurbanacollectif.com/en/cinema/european-short-pitch/

The post NISI MASA alleged conflicts of interests under the tenure of Wim Vanacker first appeared on Film Industry Watch.

Une révélation surprenante fait surface : de nouvelles preuves suggèrent qu’un conflit d’intérêts a entaché la sélection officielle du Festival de Cannes 2019 pour les courts métrages et le prix lui-même. La Palme d’Or a été décernée au court métrage grec “La distance entre le ciel et nous”, réalisé par Vasilis Kekatos et produit par Eleni Kossyfidou. Panos H. Koutras, membre du jury du court métrage du festival, entretient une relation professionnelle avec Kossyfidou depuis au moins 2004 – elle a produit tous ses films. En d’autres termes, la productrice de longue date du membre du jury et du film lauréat est la même personne.

Eleni Kossyfidou et Panos H. Koutras avaient déjà participé à Cannes avec son long métrage “Xenia” (2014), puis avec “Dodo” (2022). Tous deux sont des noms connus du festival. Autrement dit, il est peu probable que le festival ne soit pas au courant de cette connexion, et il est logique de supposer que Koutras, soi-disant, a été invité comme membre du jury pour garantir que le prix ira à Kekatos. Dans une industrie où le népotisme est normalisé, supposer le contraire serait extrêmement naïf. De plus, lors d’un événement de projection post-festival à Paris, Koutras a déclaré à plusieurs autres réalisateurs qu’il avait “écarté leur film”, donc ils n’avaient aucune chance d’être pris en compte par les autres membres du jury. Le fait de positionner Koutras comme membre du jury plutôt que comme président du jury maintient une plausible déniabilité.

Détails – Conflit d’intérêts révélé

Le conflit d’intérêts nouvellement découvert se concentre sur Eleni Kossyfidou, productrice du film primé.

Kossyfidou entretient une longue relation professionnelle avec Panos Koutras, un cinéaste grec qui a siégé au jury de la section “Courts métrages” en 2019. Leur collaboration remonte à 2004, Kossyfidou ayant produit tous les longs métrages récents de Koutras, dont “Dodo” (2022), “Xenia” (2014) et “Strella” (2009).

Kossyfidou a d’abord été directrice de production du film “Real Life” de Koutras en 2004.

Notamment, Kossyfidou a produit les deux films de Kekatos, le court métrage “The Silence of the Dying Fish” en 2018, en plus de “La distance entre le ciel et nous” lauréat de la Palme d’Or.

Il est évident qu’il y avait un clair motif financier pour que Koutras attribue le prix à un film produit par sa propre productrice, car cela attirera des fonds pour de futurs projets.

Connexions dissimulées

La relation entre Kossyfidou, Koutras et Kekatos n’a pas été divulguée pendant le festival et n’est devenue publique que récemment. De plus, il semble que des tentatives délibérées ont été faites pour dissimuler ce conflit ; le nom de Kossyfidou n’a été ajouté à la page Wikipedia du film que le 8 juillet 2021 – plus de deux ans après la fin du festival – alors que Kossyfidou était la principale productrice du film, en un acte de dissimulation évident. Cependant, comme mentionné ci-dessus, il est raisonnable de supposer que la connexion était connue des insiders du festival.

Pendant l’événement, des sources rapportent que Koutras a “blagué” en disant aux autres réalisateurs qui étaient en lice pour le prix qu’il “pouvait être corrompu” – un commentaire qui semble profondément ironique à la lumière de ces révélations.

Controverse Post-Festival

Lors d’un événement de projection post-festival à Paris, Koutras aurait dit à plusieurs autres réalisateurs qu’il avait “jeté leur film à la poubelle”. La décision d’attribuer la Palme d’Or à “La distance entre le ciel et nous” a surpris les participants et les cinéastes, car le film était largement considéré comme l’une des entrées les plus faibles de la sélection.

Pour contexte, il est intéressant de noter que 98 % des citoyens grecs pensent que la corruption est “répandue” dans leur pays, selon le dernier sondage de l’Union européenne sur le sujet.

MISE À JOUR:

Grâce à la contribution des lecteurs, il a été révélé que la relation entre Wim Vanacker, membre du comité de sélection du Festival de Cannes, Vassilis Kekatos, le lauréat de la Palme d’Or 2019, et la productrice du film, Eleni Kossyfidou, qui est également la productrice de Panos H. Koutras, membre du jury du Festival de Cannes, remonte à 2018, lorsque Kekatos avait invité Vanacker à siéger comme membre du jury de son propre festival de cinéma en plein air, le SeaNema Open Air Film Festival, avec Kossyfidou.

Comme détaillé dans les conflits d’intérêts entre Wim Vanacker, Ben Vandendaele et NISI MASA, Kekatos avait participé à NISI MASA avec son court métrage 2018 “The Silence of the Dying Fish”, également produit par Kossyfidou, lorsque Vanacker était directeur artistique de l’organisation. Selon l’article de presse 2018 ci-dessous, Kekatos avait invité Vanacker à siéger comme membre du jury dans un festival qu’il avait organisé et dirigé sur l’île de Kéfalonie, un festival qui avait eu lieu pendant quatre ans, mais qui n’a pas eu lieu depuis la victoire de Kekatos en 2019.

Les membres du jury des festivals reçoivent généralement une rémunération pour leurs services. À tout le moins, ils sont invités au festival avec leurs frais de déplacement et d’hébergement pris en charge par les organisateurs. Autrement dit, Kekatos aurait compensé Vanacker, membre du comité de sélection du Festival de Cannes, un an avant que le film de Kekatos “La distance entre le ciel et nous” ne soit sélectionné pour la sélection officielle du Festival de Cannes, pour ensuite remporter la Palme d’Or dans des circonstances controversées, car la productrice du film avait une longue relation professionnelle avec l’un des membres du jury.

Conséquences pour l’industrie et l’intégrité du festival

Ce conflit non divulgué soulève de graves questions éthiques quant au processus de sélection et de récompense des films du Festival de Cannes. Dans un événement de haut niveau où des centaines de cinéastes se disputent des distinctions prestigieuses, l’exigence d’un jugement impartial est primordiale.

Les révélations sur la relation entre Kekatos, Kossyfidou, Koutras et Vanacker suscitent des inquiétudes quant au potentiel d’influence indue et de favoritisme dans le processus décisionnel du festival. Le fait que le conflit n’ait pas été divulgué et que le nom de Kossyfidou n’ait pas été ajouté à la page Wikipedia du film avant deux ans après la fin du festival suggère une tentative délibérée de dissimuler la relation.

Il ne s’agit pas des premières allégations d’inconduite au Festival de Cannes. En 2018, Mélissa Malinbaum, membre du comité de sélection, a été accusée d’un conflit d’intérêts car elle avait produit un court métrage sélectionné pour le festival. De plus, Dominique Welinski a occupé plusieurs postes au festival, notamment celui de producteur et de décideur, ce qui a également soulevé des inquiétudes quant au potentiel de conflits d’intérêts.

Il ne s’agit pas des premières allégations d’inconduite au Festival de Cannes. En 2018, Mélissa Malinbaum, membre du comité de sélection, a été accusée d’un conflit d’intérêts car elle avait produit un court métrage sélectionné pour le festival. De plus, Dominique Welinski a occupé plusieurs postes au festival, notamment celui de producteur et de décideur, ce qui a également soulevé des inquiétudes quant au potentiel de conflits d’intérêts.

Le producteur de ce film était Guillaume Dreyfus.

Sources:

Historique de l’article Wikipédia (Différence entre les révisions) montrant comment les noms des producteurs n’ont été ajoutés qu’en 2021:

https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Distance_Between_Us_and_the_Sky&diff=1032591270&oldid=904440713

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10214916/

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8791506/

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3187519/

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3267450/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Distance_Between_Us_and_the_Sky

Commentaires et corrections
Si vous pensez que votre nom ou celui de votre entreprise a été répertorié injustement sur ce site Web, veuillez NOUS CONTACTER.

The post Conflit d’intérêts entache le prix de la Palme d’Or 2019 du court métrage “La distance entre le ciel et nous” de Vasilis Kekatos first appeared on Film Industry Watch.

Evidence suggests a conflict of interest marred the 2019 Cannes Film Festival’s Official Selection for Short Films, and the award itself. The Palme d’Or went to the Greek short film ‘The Distance Between Us and the Sky,’ directed by Vasilis Kekatos, produced by Eleni Kossyfidou and French producer Guillaume Dreyfus.

Editorial note: The facts made on this page are based on public production credits and information, with sources and screenshots provided at the bottom of this page.

Overview

Evidence indicates that the 2019 Cannes Film Festival Official Selection for Short Films, and the awarding of the Short Film Palme d’Or, may have been compromised by undisclosed conflicts of interest and irregular jury conduct.

The Palme d’Or was awarded to The Distance Between Us and the Sky, directed by Vasilis Kekatos, produced by Eleni Kossyfidou, with French producer Guillaume Dreyfus.

At the center of the concerns is the role of Panos H. Koutras, a member of the 2019 Short Film Jury, who has maintained a long-standing professional relationship with Kossyfidou, the producer of the winning film.

Summary of Key Findings

1. A multi-year professional relationship existed between Vasilis Kekatos and Wim Vanacker, a member of the Cannes selection committee, dating back to at least 2018. This relationship included reciprocal professional engagements prior to the 2019 selection.
2. Eleni Kossyfidou, producer of The Distance Between Us and the Sky, is the long-time producer of Panos H. Koutras, a sitting jury member in the competition that awarded the film.
3. Kossyfidou was not introduced at Cannes to other filmmakers as the producer of the film. Her producer credit was added to the film’s Wikipedia page only in 2021, more than two years after the award, raising concerns regarding concealment of material relationships.
4. At a post-festival screening event in Paris, Koutras reportedly told several competing directors that he had “pushed [their] films out of consideration” during jury deliberations.
5. Audio recordings from the same Paris event document:
   • Koutras stating, “as a joke,” that he “could be bribed.”
   • Another director replying, “I told you I don’t have my wallet on me,” followed by “I was wearing a dress.”
   • Koutras stating that he had been “very opposed” to several films and that he was “alone” in those objections.
   • In the same recordings, Koutras explicitly acknowledges opposing other films during deliberations, an admission made in his own voice.
6. These statements support an allegation of manipulation by elimination: rather than solely advocating for a preferred film, Koutras allegedly opposed competing entries one by one until only the film produced by his own producer remained viable for consensus.
7. A broader pattern of opacity is identified:
   • In 2018, a short film (Gabriel) produced by a Cannes selection committee member was selected from over 7,000 submissions.
   • In 2019, another selected short film (Parparim) credited a producer who was also an employee of the Cannes Film Festival.
   • These incidents suggest repeated governance failures across multiple years.
8. Additional concerns involving Wim Vanacker, reported separately, demonstrate recurring issues of transparency involving the same individuals across different institutions and projects.

Conflict of Interest: Jury Member and Producer Relationship

The central undisclosed conflict concerns the relationship between Panos H. Koutras and Eleni Kossyfidou.

Kossyfidou has produced all of Koutras’ feature films since 2004, including:

• Strella
• Xenia
• Dodo

She initially served as production manager on Koutras’ 2004 film Real Life. Their professional partnership spans nearly two decades.

Kossyfidou also produced both of Kekatos’ short films:

• The Silence of the Dying Fish
• The Distance Between Us and the Sky

This creates a direct overlap between:

• a jury member,
• his long-time producer,
• and the winning film.

Such an arrangement presents a clear financial and professional incentive for a jury member to favor a film produced by his own producer, particularly where future funding, prestige, and project development are implicated.

Recorded Statements and Jury Conduct

At a post-Cannes screening event in Paris, Koutras addressed several competing directors. According to witnesses and audio recordings:

• Koutras stated that he had “pushed [their] films out of consideration.”
• He told attendees that he had been “very opposed” to certain films and that he was “alone” in these objections.
• In jury practice, a strong objection by a single juror often renders a film non-viable, as juries tend to converge on consensus rather than confrontation.

In the same recordings:

• Koutras is heard saying that he “could be bribed,” described by him as a joke.
• Another director replies, “I told you I don’t have my wallet on me,” followed by “I didn’t have my phone either.”

These recordings are cited as direct evidence of Koutras’ own account of his actions during deliberations.

Mechanism of Influence: Elimination Rather Than Promotion

There are two recognized ways to influence jury outcomes:

1. Active promotion of a favored film.
2. Systematic elimination of competing films through objection.

The recordings support the latter. By opposing multiple films, Koutras allegedly narrowed the field until consensus could only form around The Distance Between Us and the Sky.

This conclusion is based not on inference, but on Koutras’ own recorded statements.

CRelationship Between Kekatos and Wim Vanacker

Further reporting establishes that the professional relationship between Kekatos, Kossyfidou, and Wim Vanacker predates Cannes 2019.

In 2018:

• Kekatos invited Vanacker to serve as a jury member at the SeaNema Open Air Film Festival, organized by Kekatos on Kefalonia.
• Kossyfidou also participated in the same event.
• Vanacker was at the time Artistic Director of NISI MASA, where Kekatos’ film The Silence of the Dying Fish was presented.

Festival jury participation typically involves compensation, travel, and accommodation. This establishes a material professional benefit conferred one year prior to Cannes 2019.

Industry Context and Broader Implications

According to a European Union survey, 98 percent of Greek citizens believe corruption is widespread in Greece. While this statistic does not establish guilt, it contextualizes public sensitivity to conflicts of interest.

Comparable cases at Cannes include:

• Mélissa Malinbaum, a selection committee member whose produced short film was selected.
• Dominique Welinski, who holds overlapping roles as producer and decision-maker.

These examples reinforce concerns regarding structural governance failures rather than isolated incidents.

Final notes:

The undisclosed relationships, recorded admissions, delayed credit disclosures, and recurring selection irregularities raise serious questions about the integrity of the 2019 Cannes Short Film competition. The evidence presented does not rely on anonymous accusations or speculative interpretation. It consists of:

• documented production histories,
• contemporaneous statements by involved parties,
• and audio recordings in which a jury member describes his own conduct.

Together, these elements warrant scrutiny by the festival, the industry, and the public.

Vasilis Kekatos Biography

Vasilis Kekatos is a Greek film director and screenwriter recognized for his 2019 short film The Distance Between Us and the Sky, which won the Palme d’Or and Queer Palm for best short film at the Cannes Film Festival. His body of work includes The Silence of the Dying Fish (2018) and Retrograde, with his films featured in festivals such as Locarno, Sundance, and Telluride. In addition to filmmaking, Kekatos has worked in art photography, including a cover for Greek Vogue. In 2023, he released the teen drama series Milky Way, and he is in production on his debut feature film Our Wildest Days.

SOURCES:

Our organization is dedicated to unveiling the true decision-making processes and power dynamics within the film industry. The chart below provides a comprehensive summary of these elements. Our goal is to democratize access and provide talented, emerging young filmmakers with the opportunities they rightfully deserve to succeed in the industry.

Feedback and Corrections
If you believe your or company’s name was listed on this website unjustly, please CONTACT US.

Sources:

Wikipedia article history (Difference between revisions) showing how the names of the producers were added only in 2021:

https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Distance_Between_Us_and_the_Sky&diff=1032591270&oldid=904440713

All screenshots takes from public resources:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10214916/

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8791506/

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3187519/

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3267450/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Distance_Between_Us_and_the_Sky

https://greekreporter.com/2022/07/20/greeks-believe-corruption-widespread/

The post Conflict of Interest Taints 2019 Cannes Palme d’Or Award for The Distance Between Us and the Sky by Vasilis Kekatos, Guillaume Dreyfus, Eleni Kossyfidou first appeared on Film Industry Watch.

Πρόσωπα κλειδιά που συνδέονται στη βραβευμένη ελληνική ταινία

Σε μια εκπληκτική αποκάλυψη, νέα στοιχεία δείχνουν ότι μια σύγκρουση συμφερόντων αμαύρωσε την Επίσημη Επιλογή Ταινιών Μικρού Μήκους του Φεστιβάλ Καννών 2019 και το ίδιο το βραβείο.

Το Χρυσό Φοίνικς κέρδισε η ελληνική ταινία μικρού μήκους «Η απόσταση ανάμεσα στον ουρανό κι εμάς» σε σκηνοθεσία Βασίλη Κεκάτου, και παραγωγή της Ελένης Κοσσυφίδου. Ο Πάνος Χ. Κούτρας, μέλος της κριτικής επιτροπής ταινιών μικρού μήκους του φεστιβάλ, είχε επαγγελματική σχέση με την Κοσσυφίδου, τουλάχιστον από το 2004, εκείνη είχε αναλαβει παραξωξος όλων των ταινιων του Κούτρα. Με άλλα λόγια, ο επί χρόνια παραγωγός του μέλους της κριτικής επιτροπής και της βραβευμένης ταινίας είναι το ίδιο πρόσωπο.

Η Ελένη Κοσσυφίδου και ο Πάνος Χ. Κούτρας είχαν συμμετάσχει στο παρελθόν στο Φεστιβάλ Κάννών με την μεγάλου μήκους ταινία «Ξένια» (2014), και αργότερα με το «Dodo» (2022). Και οι δύο είναι γνωστά ονόματα στο φεστιβάλ. Με άλλα λόγια, είναι απίθανο το φεστιβάλ να μην γνώριζε αυτή τη σύνδεση μεταξύ τους και είναι λογικό να υποθέσει κανείς ότι ο Κούτρας, δήθεν, προσκλήθηκε ως μέλος της κριτικής επιτροπής για να εξασφαλίσει ότι το βραβείο θα πάει στον Κεκάτο. Σε έναν κλάδο όπου ο νεποτισμός είναι κανονικοποιημένος, το να υποθέσουμε κάτι  διαφορετικό θα ήταν αν μη τι άλλο αφελές.

Επιπλέον, σε μια εκδήλωση στο Παρίσι μετά το φεστιβάλ, ο Κούτρας είπε σε αρκετούς άλλους σκηνοθέτες ότι «πέταξε τις ταινίες τους απο τις λίστες προβολών», οπότε δεν είχαν καμία ευκαιρία άλλα μέλη της κριτικής επιτροπής να μπορέσουν να τις δουν και να τις αξιολογήσουν. Η τοποθέτηση του Κούτρα ως μέλους της κριτικής επιτροπής και όχι ως επικεφαλή της κριτικής επιτροπής, διατηρεί μια εύλογη στάση άρνησης απο τους υπευθυνους του Φεστιβάλ.

Λεπτομέρής παρουσίαση σύγκρουσης συμφερόντων

Η νεοαποκαλυφθείσα σύγκρουση επικεντρώνεται στην Ελένη Κοσσυφίδου, παραγωγό της βραβευμένης ταινίας.

Η Κοσσυφίδου έχει μακροχρόνια επαγγελματική σχέση με τον Πάνο Κούτρα, Έλληνα σκηνοθέτη που υπηρέτησε στην κριτική επιτροπή στο τμήμα «Ταινίες μικρού μήκους» το 2019. Η συνεργασία τους χρονολογείται από το 2004, με την Κοσσυφίδου να είναι παραγωγός όλων των πρόσφατων μεγάλου μήκους ταινιών του Κούτρα, συμπεριλαμβανομένων των “Dodo” (2022), “Xenia” (2014) και “Strella” (2009). Η Κοσσυφίδου αρχικά υπηρέτησε ως Διευθύντρια Παραγωγής για την ταινία του Κούτρα το 2004 “Real Life”.

Συγκεκριμένα, η Κοσσυφίδου είιχε αναλάβει την παραγωγή και των δυο ταινιών του Κεκάτου, τη μικρού μήκους ταινία του 2018 “The Silence of the Dying Fish”, καθώς και τη βραβευμένη με τον Χρυσό Φοίνικα “The Distance Between Us and the Sky”.

Είναι προφανές ότι υπήρχε ξεκάθαρο οικονομικό κίνητρο για τον Κούτρα να απονείμει το βραβείο σε ταινία που είχε για παραγωγό, έναν δικό του παραγωγό, καθώς θα προσελκούσε χρηματοδότηση για μελλοντικά έργα.

Κρυφές συνδέσεις

Η σχέση Κοσσυφίδου, Κούτρα και Κεκάτου δεν αποκαλύφθηκε κατά τη διάρκεια του φεστιβάλ και ήρθε στο φως της δημοσιότητας μόλις πρόσφατα. Επιπλέον, φαίνεται ότι έγιναν σκόπιμες προσπάθειες να συγκαλυφθεί αυτή η σύνδεση. Το όνομα της Κοσσυφίδου προστέθηκε στη σελίδα της ταινίας στην Wikipedia μόλις στις 8 Ιουλίου 2021 – δύο χρόνια μετά την ολοκλήρωση του Φεστιβάλ – παρά το γεγονός ότι η Κοσσυφίδου ήταν η κύρια παραγωγός της ταινίας, σε μια προφανή πράξη απόκρυψης. Ωστόσο, όπως προαναφέρθηκε, είναι εύλογο να υποθέσουμε ότι η σύνδεση ήταν γνωστή στους ειδικούς του φεστιβάλ.

Κατά τη διάρκεια της εκδήλωσης, πηγές αναφέρουν ότι ο Κούτρας «χαριτολογώντας» είπε στους άλλους σκηνοθέτες που ήταν υποψήφιοι για το βραβείο ότι «θα μπορούσε να δωροδοκηθεί» – ένα σχόλιο που τώρα φαίνεται βαθιά ειρωνικό μετά από αυτές τις αποκαλύψεις.

Μεταφεστιβαλική διαμάχη

Σε μια εκδήλωση μετά το φεστιβάλ στο Παρίσι, ο Κούτρας φέρεται να είπε σε αρκετούς άλλους σκηνοθέτες ότι «πέταξε την ταινία [τους] αδιάφορα». Η απόφαση να βραβευτεί το «The Distance Between Us and the Sky» με τον Χρυσό Φοίνικα εξέπληξε τους παρευρισκόμενους και τους κινηματογραφιστές, καθώς η ταινία θεωρήθηκε ευρέως ως μια από τις πιο αδύναμες συμμετοχές στην κατηγορία.

Αξίζει να σημειωθεί ότι ένα εκπληκτικό 98% των Ελλήνων πολιτών πιστεύει ότι η διαφθορά είναι «ευρέως διαδεδομένη» στη χώρα τους, σύμφωνα με την τελευταία έρευνα της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης για το θέμα.

ΕΝΗΜΕΡΩΣΗ:

Χάρη στη συνεισφορά των αναγνωστών, αποκαλύφθηκε ότι η σχέση μεταξύ του Επιτρόπου Επιλογής του Φεστιβάλ Καννών Wim Vanacker, και του νικητή του Χρυσού Φοίνικα 2019 Βασίλη Κεκάτου και της παραγωγού της ταινίας, Ελένης Κοσσυφίδου, η οποία είναι επίσης παραγωγός του μέλους της κριτικής επιτροπής του Φεστιβάλ Καννών Πάνου Χ. Κούτρα, χρονολογείται από το 2018, όταν ο Κεκάτος είχε προσκαλέσει τον Vanacker να υπηρετήσει ως μέλος της κριτικής επιτροπής στο δικό του SeaNema Open Air Film Festival, μαζί με την Κοσσυφίδου.

Όπως αναλύεται στο Wim Vanacker, Ben Vandendaele – NISI MASA σύγκρουση συμφερόντων, ο Κεκάτος είχε συμμετάσχει στο NISI MASA με την ταινία μικρού μήκους του 2018 «The Silence of the Dying Fish», την παραγωγή της οποίας είχε πάλι αναλάβει  η Κοσσυφίδου, όταν ο Vanacker υπηρετούσε ως Καλλιτεχνικός Διευθυντής του οργανισμού. Σύμφωνα με το παρακάτω άρθρο του 2018, ο Κεκάτος είχε προσκαλέσει τον Vanacker να υπηρετήσει ως μέλος της κριτικής επιτροπής σε ένα φεστιβάλ που είχε οργανώσει και ηγηθεί στο νησί της Κεφαλονιάς, ένα φεστιβάλ που διεξήχθη για τέσσερα χρόνια, αλλά δεν πραγματοποιήθηκε ξανά ύστερα από τη νίκη του Κεκάτου το 2019.

Το Χρυσό Φοίνικα κέρδισε η ελληνική ταινία μικρού μήκους «Η απόσταση ανάμεσα στον ουρανό κι εμάς» σε σκηνοθεσία Βασίλη Κεκάτου, και παραγωγή της Ελένης Κοσσυφίδου. Ο Πάνος Χ. Κούτρας, μέλος της κριτικής επιτροπής ταινιών μικρού μήκους του φεστιβάλ, είχε επαγγελματική σχέση με την Κοσσυφίδου, τουλάχιστον από το 2004, εκείνη είχε αναλαβει παραξωξος όλων των ταινιων του Κούτρα. Με άλλα λόγια, η επί χρόνια παραγωγός του μέλους της κριτικής επιτροπής και της βραβευμένης ταινίας είναι το ίδιο πρόσωπο.

Επιπτώσεις για την ακεραιότητα του κλάδου και του Φεστιβάλ

Αυτή η άγνωστη σύγκρουση εγείρει σοβαρά ηθικά ερωτήματα σχετικά με τη διαδικασία επιλογής και βράβευσης ταινιών του Φεστιβάλ Καννών. Σε μια εκδήλωση υψηλού προφίλ όπου εκατοντάδες κινηματογραφιστές διαγωνίζονται για διακρίσεις κύρους, η ανάγκη για αμερόληπτη κρίση είναι πρωταρχικής σημασίας.

Υπενθυμίζουμε στους αναγνώστες μας την περίπτωση της Mélissa Malinbaum – μέλους της επιτροπής επιλογής του Φεστιβάλ Καννών που είχε δημιουργήσει μια ταινία μικρού μήκους που επιλέχθηκε στο φεστιβάλ, και του Dominique Welinski που έχει επίσης πολλούς ρόλους, ως παραγωγός και υπεύθυνος λήψεως αποφάσεων, σε κάτι που μοιάζει σαν μια σύγκρουση συμφερόντων για το φεστιβάλ και τη βιομηχανία γενικότερα.

Γάλλος παραγωγός της ταινίας ήταν ο Γκιγιόμ Ντρέιφους.

Εάν έχετε περισσότερες πληροφορίες για αυτήν την ιστορία, ή οποιαδήποτε άλλη ιστορία της ελληνικής ή ευρωπαϊκής κινηματογραφικής βιομηχανίας, ΕΠΙΚΟΙΝΩΝΗΣΤΕ ΜΑΖΙ ΜΑΣ.

Ο οργανισμός μας είναι αφοσιωμένος στην αποκάλυψη των πραγματικών διαδικασιών λήψης αποφάσεων και της δυναμικής ισχύος στη βιομηχανία του κινηματογράφου. Το παρακάτω διάγραμμα παρέχει μια περίληψη αυτών των στοιχείων. Στόχος μας είναι να εκδημοκρατίσουμε την πρόσβαση και να παρέχουμε σε ταλαντούχους, αναδυόμενους νέους κινηματογραφιστές τις ευκαιρίες που δικαιωματικά τους αξίζουν για να επιτύχουν στον κλάδο.

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If you believe your or company’s name was listed on this website unjustly, please CONTACT US.

Sources:

Wikipedia article history (Difference between revisions) showing how the names of the producers were added only in 2021:

https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Distance_Between_Us_and_the_Sky&diff=1032591270&oldid=904440713

All screenshots takes from public resources:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10214916/

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8791506/

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3187519/

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3267450/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Distance_Between_Us_and_the_Sky

https://greekreporter.com/2022/07/20/greeks-believe-corruption-widespread/

The post Σύγκρουση συμφερόντων αμαυρώνει το βραβείο Χρυσού Φοίνικα του Φεστιβάλ Καννών για το 2019 για την ελληνική ταινία μικρού μήκους Η απόσταση ανάμεσα στον ουρανό κι εμάς του Βασίλη Κεκάτου. first appeared on Film Industry Watch.

A more recent (May 2025) article about this subject was published here.

Dominique Welinski maintains a multitude of influential roles within the film industry, generating a potential conflict of interest.

She holds the dual position of curator and producer for the Factory program at Director’s Fortnight, a constituent part of the Cannes Film Festival. Beyond this, she serves as a consultant for the festival’s L’Atelier and Residency programs. Parallel to these roles, Welinski acts as the producer for Yona Rozenkier, an Israeli director. Considering her position at the Cannes Film Festival, it can be understood that her she had great influence in incorporating Rozenkier’s films and projects into the festival’s roster. Examples include Rozenkier’s short film ‘Butterflies’ forming part of the Official Selection in 2019 while his subsequent short film ‘The Sign’ showcased during the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight, which she curates, the very same year.

His feature film ‘Decompression’ (also known as ‘The Dive’) featured within the L’Atelier program in 2017, which Welinski advises on. Moreover, Welinski’s reach extends to the role of a “Decision Maker” at the Torino Film Lab, where Rozenkier’s project ‘Siberia’ was included in the 2020 program. The Torino Film Lab, as a whole, operates as a revolving door, where on one year producers act as “Decision Makers” and the next year, their projects are selected for participation, and where the Artistic Director had invited his sister to participate, not once, but twice.

Questions surface when a producer, such as Welinski, is strategically positioned to directly shape the selection of films at a festival and utilizes that sway to advocate the works of a specific director with whom they are professionally associated. This scenario could be interpreted as a conflict of interest, potentially disadvantaging other filmmakers who lack analogous connections within the festival’s administration and broader film festival community.

Welinski’s influence is wide, extending to, among many others, the Jerusalem Film Festival, which she is affiliated with, where Rozenkier’s films have been screened and awarded. She also lends her expertise as an adviser to the Jerusalem Sam Spiegel Film Lab, where Rozenkier’s project has been hosted. Given that the Cannes Film Festival holds the mantle as the world’s premier film festival, Welinski’s power and position are widely acknowledged within the industry. Her ability to leverage this authority to advance her professional and financial interests has led many industry professionals to seek her endorsement and reciprocate favors within their respective organizational roles.

Furthermore, there is reason to believe that Welinski may have used her influence to harm the career of another filmmaker who, in her view, posed a threat to the success of “her own director,” Rozenkier.

Such overlapping roles pose a fundamental conflict of interest that undermines the fairness and integrity of film festival selections. When individuals in positions of power – such as festival curators or committee members – also serve as producers or maintain close professional relationships with the filmmakers they champion, impartial decision-making becomes compromised. This can create an uneven playing field, reducing opportunities for filmmakers who lack similar connections while reinforcing a culture of favoritism. Over time, such practices erode public trust in the festival’s credibility and may deter fresh voices and innovative works from entering the industry’s most prestigious platforms.

Hence, allegedly, Dominique Welinski represents an example of how power dynamics within the film industry can be exploited to, allegedly, advance personal agendas and financial objectives. The potential repercussions of such alleged dynamics deserve comprehensive scrutiny and ethical consideration.

Please note the similarity with the alleged case of Producer Mélissa Malinbaum, who produced a film selected for Cannes short film competition, where she serves as a committee member. Similarly, the relationship between another selection committee, Wim Vanacker, and Greek filmmaker Vasilis Kekatos winner of the short Palme d’Or in 2019.

For further reading, see this case study or our latest post about the European Film Industry being set up like a syndicate, here.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Please note that this article is not meant to be an ad hominem attack on any specific person. The individuals mentioned and their positions in various organizations are used as examples for the way that the film industry operates. The positions, roles and professional relationship between individuals are public information. Sources are provided throughout the website. If you would like to report any inaccuracy please do not hesitate to contact us. Our aim is to improve and democratize the film industry by analyzing the way its institutions are set-up. In order to do so, we must list those organizations and the people who work for them or with them, and their relationship with each other. Also, to be clear, there are certainly much bigger fish in the swamp than the individuals listed below but we publish information which is available to us and which was brough to our attention. If you can disclose further information about other individuals or organizations, please contact us.

SOURCES:

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1179406/ – Listed as a Producer in Yona’s films.

https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/2017/l-atelier-2017/

https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/372414/

https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/f/parparim/

https://variety.com/2020/film/global/torinofilmlab-scriptlab-1203490498/

https://www.torinofilmlab.it/people/654851/Dominique-Welinski

Dominique listed as a “Decision Maker” on the Torino Film Lab website, which details her roles at the Cannes Film Festival:

IMDB page lists Dominique as a Producer on Yona’s films:

Yona’s short ‘Parparim’ at the Cannes Film Festival:

Yona’s feature project Decompression (The Dive) took part at Cannes’ L’Atelier. Dominique is part of the committee that decides which films will participate in the program.

Yona’s film The Sign takes part of Cannes’ Factory. The program is produced by Dominique.

Yona’s feature ‘Siberia’ takes part of the Torino Film Lab, where Dominique is a ‘Decision Maker’.

Our organization is dedicated to unveiling the true decision-making processes and power dynamics within the film industry. The chart below provides a comprehensive summary of these elements. Our goal is to democratize access and provide talented, emerging young filmmakers with the opportunities they rightfully deserve to succeed in the industry.

Feedback and Corrections
If you believe your or company’s name was listed on this website unjustly, please CONTACT US.

The post CASE STUDY – Producer & Festival Decision Maker – Dominique Welinski’s Multiple Conflict of Interests Roles in the Industry first appeared on Film Industry Watch.

Film Industry Watch

Denormalizing Nepotism & Misconduct in the Film Industry

Film Industry Watch is a community based journalistic and academic effort aiming to protect working members of the film industry from companies and individuals who have allegedly affected crew or cast either through non-payment, disregard for the health and safety of the crew, unsafe work environment, racism, gender bias, sexual misconduct, conflict of interests, or any other issue or challenge. In particular, we aim to collect information about companies that have been liquidated and restarted again under a different name and serial producers who have a track record of alleged misconduct or abuse, be it financial, or in any other.

Our organization is also dedicated to unveiling the true decision-making processes and power dynamics within the film industry. Our goal is to democratize access and provide talented, emerging young filmmakers with the opportunities they rightfully deserve to succeed in the industry.

The film industry is dying, brought down by corruption, greed, and a system where merit is overshadowed by favoritism and, in recent years, identity politics and discrimination, leading to a sharp decline in artistic quality.

As independent journalists, we maintain a professional distance from festival organizers and film funds, which sets us apart from those in traditional media. Our team does not attend exclusive parties or red carpet events, nor are we engaged in external activities like script reviews for funds, consulting or editing. This independence ensures that our content remains unbiased and unswayed by external influences. On this website, you will find nothing but the unfiltered truth, as our commitment to integrity is unwavering.

We are excited to offer sponsorship opportunities for individuals passionate about pursuing a Master’s or PhD. Our focus is on nurturing research that investigates nepotism, favoritism, and power structures within the European film industry, including the UK.

We are also thrilled to offer an anonymous annual Post Production Grant of $5,000 to support film students worldwide in completing their graduation projects. This grant is tailored to assist with post-production and related costs. For this grant, a ‘film school’ is defined as any professional program exceeding three months, ensuring inclusivity for those with limited resources. Unlike other film grants, funds, labs and programs, you do not need to “be someone” or “know someone” to be considered.

Please note that the information on this website is not meant to be an ad hominem attack on any specific person. The individuals mentioned on our site and their positions in various organizations are used as examples for the way that the film industry operates. The positions, roles and professional relationship between individuals are public information. Sources are provided throughout the website. If you would like to report any inaccuracy please do not hesitate to contact us.

We Are Hiring – APPLY HERE

Reporting to our website is free and confidential to anyone working in film or TV. Help improve the film industry by reporting any misconduct – contact us now – even anonymously.

All Community Reports & Posts

(NEW) UK Film & TV Industry: Challenges and Uncertain Future

(NEW) GREECE: Greece’s Film Industry Collapse: Missing Millions, Broken Promises, and a Deafening Silence

(NEW) GREECE: Politics, Power & the Bonfire of Vanities: The 2027 (!) European Film Academy Event in Athens

(NEW) GREECE: Decadence & Dysfunction: A Call for Greek Film Reform

(NEW) Παρακμή & Δυσλειτουργία: Έκκληση για Μεταρρύθμιση στον Ελληνικό Κινηματογράφο

UPDATE: US – Camera Gear & Lenses Stolen Again

(NEW) BERLINALE: Festival Invites Disgraced Greek Director Vasilis Kekatos

(NEW) SUNDANCE: Allegations of Insider Deals and Cronyism from a local Utahn

(NEW) UK: Construction Crew Left Unpaid on Major TV Projects, Helix 3D Faces Liquidation

(NEW) POLAND: A Power Play at the PISF, Filmmakers Claim a Political Takeover

(NEW) When Liberals are Caught in the DEI Crossfire: On Identity Politics, Sundance & Donald Trump

(NEW) ISRAEL: Right Wing Takeover of Israeli Cinema, Strengthening Existing ‘Mafia’ with Ties to Netanyahu

(NEW) Malta Film Commission’s Web of Alleged Mismanagement and Stalled Progress

(NEW) NORTH MACEDONIA: Milcho Manchevski Exposes Macedonia’s ‘Film Mafia’ (3rd post)

(NEW) “SUNDANCE IS DEAD”: A Downward Spiral of Failing Standards

Older posts:

GREECE: Corruption & Decadence at the Greek Film Center (Full 4000 word article)

GREECE: Corruption & Decadence at the Greek Film Center (Short 1200 word post)

Καταγγελίες για διαφθορά και παρακμή στο Ελληνικό Κέντρο Κινηματογράφου – Πλήρης έκδοση 4000 λέξεων

Καταγγελλίες για Διαφθορά και Παρακμή στο Ελληνικό Κέντρο Κινηματογράφου – Σύντομη εκδοχή 

CANNES: Short Palme d’Or Conflict of Interest

GREECE: “Oscar Selection Chaos” – Real Story Ignored by Local & Global Media

North Macedonia – Milcho Manchevski’s case against the National Film Agency and the Filmmakers Guild

ISRAEL: Decades Long Alleged Corruption at the Rabinowitz & Gesher Film Funds

How Corruption and Greed Led to the Downfall of Rock Music

ISRAEL: Controversial Gathering at Berlin FF

SPAIN: Nepotism and Arbitrariness

Hollywood: I Was Swindled By the Film Industry

MEXICO: Buying Oscar Qualifying Awards

ROMANIA: Alleged Conflicts of Interest in Romanian Film Awards Highlight Industry Practices

SPECIAL REPORT: Is the Integrity of the European Film Industry Compromised?

Gender Politics – Has the Industry Gone Too Far?

UKRAINE: Conflict of Interest and Nepotism in the local Film Industry

HUNGARY: Petition to the European Ombudsman

TALKING SHORTS: EU Funded, a Tool for Self Promotion?

Torino Film Lab: History of Nepotism

CASE STUDY: Concentration of Power, Influence & Control in the European Film Industry

CANNES: Selection Committee Member Producer of Selected Film

UK: BFI London Film Festival Conflict of Interest

TIFF: Chief Programmer EP on three of five Films

Munich: Bias in Award Selection Process

Venice, Locarno Programmers Own Sales Company

How Medium sized Festivals Grovel to the Big Boys, by Selecting the Same Films

Glasgow SFF Programmer Works @ Sales company (UPDATE)

ISRAEL: Questions Concerning Lapid’s Funding

UK: Bectu list December 2023

WorldFest-Houston: Cancels Screenings, No Refunds

CASE STUDY: Gender Bias in the Industry

More Gender Bias at the Jerusalem Film Lab

$5000 Post-Production Grant

תעשיית הקולנוע בישראל – ריכוזיות וחשד לניגודי עניינים ושחיתות לכאורה לאורך עשרות שנים

The film industry’s integrity has been deeply affected due to the high stakes involved in film production, festival selections, film sales, and awards. These activities are worth millions of Euros or dollars from funding grants, private investments, sales, in salaries and payments to service providers, annually. Over the years, this influx of money has led to widespread issues, undermining the industry’s integrity. The chart below illustrates how different organizations and individuals circulate among the members of the network power, influence, and hundreds of millions of public and private funds, every year. The industry is structured as a network of interconnected and affiliated organizations that benefit only those who are members of the network, distributing resources among each other. The chart is illustrative of a small portion of the network. Read our full report here.

We have also reported on conflicts of interest and financial scandals in Greece, where filmmakers who served as proposal evaluators also received financial awards from the same funding calls, along with other related scandals. Some of these filmmakers were mentioned in other reports on our site. This is not coincidental – allegedly corrupt individuals appear repeatedly in various contexts involving irregular or ambiguous activities.

The following chart is an example for the type of social networks that exist in the industry, favoritism which erects barriers of entries to outsiders, leads to a concentration of influence and power, reduces the quality of artistic output, and discourages young filmmakers from trying to break into the industry. READ MORE

As the integrity of the industry has been degrading for years, so did the importance of artistic merit. The chart below provides a clear visual representation of the current unfortunate prioritized factors in decision-making processes within film festivals and film funding organizations.

Dominating the top of this hierarchy are nepotism and family connections, followed by a series of considerations — financial interests, social connections, identity politics, and the theme of the project — each of which, regrettably, tends to outweigh actual artistic or creative merit. The decline in the public’s interest in film can partly be explained by these facts.

This tendency is particularly evident in the operations of major festivals. Accompanying the chart is a depiction of the “revolving door” dynamic prevalent in the film industry, where a limited circle of individuals hold a variety of influential positions, rotating between being fund advisors on the one hand, and producers or directors on the other. This perpetuates a culture of exclusivity, hindering fresh talent from entering the field, and promoting self-interests that ultimately reduces the quality of the industry’s artistic output.

The charts below depict how a film or project’s actual merit relates to the director or producer’s contacts, political influence, and other factors within the film industry. They illustrate a trend: as a person’s social (“political”) or commercial power increases, the film’s merit decreases in importance. Similarly, the prestige of a festival inversely affects the significance of merit, with other factors becoming more prominent – READ MORE.

Please note that all reports are being made by 3rd parties but always include screenshots or other corroborating information. If you believe you’ve been listed on our site without merit, please contact us.

If you would like to become a contributor or have any information to provide – please contact us.

Film Industry Watch Featured on Film Threat:
“A Gold Mine of Material” – Chris Gore

($̶2̶5̶,0̶0̶0̶) $24,500 Whistleblower Fund

With unwavering support from our community, Film Industry Watch proudly announces the creation of a ($̶2̶5̶,0̶0̶0̶) $24,500 Whistleblower Fund. This pivotal initiative is devoted to identifying and exposing corruption and misconduct in the film industry. Our aim is to cultivate an atmosphere of transparency and accountability, ensuring an equitable and principled environment for all industry members. We encourage anyone aware of criminal activities or misconduct to reach out to us confidentially. Rest assured, your identity will be protected. Reports leading to articles posted on this website, significant organizational changes or legal proceedings will be eligible for a financial reward for between $100 to $5000 for each report.

We hold a special focus on Film Festivals, Screenwriting Labs, various awards, and public Film Funds. It’s important to remind our readers that these entities are predominantly supported by public funding, which necessitates a standard of fairness and transparency in their operations.

Stand with us in our quest for integrity in the film industry – your voice matters.

Community Reports Posts

Stay safe and informed in the film industry by browsing our Watch List of companies and individuals with a history of misconduct, abuse, corruption or conflict of interests.

Types of Scams

From sexual harassment to investment scams, the film industry is not immune to criminal activity. Learn about different types of scams and how to keep yourself protected.

Special Report – Europe

The European film industry is grappling with serious concerns regarding transparency and fairness, particularly in the context of the industry being largely funded by the public, where transparency and fairness are expected.

How to Get Paid

Have you been left unpaid by a production company? Learn your legal rights and what steps to take to recover your wages in the entertainment industry.

Know Your Rights

Know your rights as an employee or freelancer in the entertainment industry to navigate challenges related to payment, intellectual property, and legal liability.

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The post H first appeared on Film Industry Watch.

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January 14, 2026

Turning Off the Oxygen: The Calculated Gutting of Israel’s State Cultural Prizes

December 11, 2025

Inside Kosovo’s Film Funding Loop: The Same People Train, Curate, Judge – and Win

November 29, 2025

Friends Reviewing Friends: Conflicts of Interest in Israeli press & Cinema

All Community Reports & Posts

OLDER POSTS

May 11, 2026

Open Submissions, Closed Networks? Festival Programmers, Distribution Companies, and the Blurred Line Between Access and Influence

May 10, 2026

The Closed-Loop Economy of Short Film: DokuFest, Radiator IP Sales, and the Soft Power of Europe’s Festival Networks

March 14, 2026

Another Producer Describes the Same Closed Loop in European Film Funding“Everyone knew each other. Like true buddies sharing a secret.”

March 14, 2026

“I Am Scared for My Life and My Career”: Cannes Critics’ Week’s Next Step Studio Indonesia and the Same Closed Loop FIW Has Been Talking About

March 7, 2026

Radiator IP Sales, €9300 & Questions Around Access in Europe’s Short-Film System

March 6, 2026

Film Threat Reacts to FIW’s Queen’s Gambit Analysis: When Ideology Replaces Truth, Storytelling Suffers

January 26, 2026

How Prestige Television Rewrites History to Vilify Men

January 14, 2026

Turning Off the Oxygen: The Calculated Gutting of Israel’s State Cultural Prizes

December 11, 2025

Inside Kosovo’s Film Funding Loop: The Same People Train, Curate, Judge – and Win

November 29, 2025

Friends Reviewing Friends: Conflicts of Interest in Israeli press & Cinema

November 19, 2025

Alleged Conflicts, Zero Consequences: How Cannes Insiders Stay in Control

November 19, 2025

Cannes Critics’ Week’s “Next Step Studio Indonesia”: A New Pipeline or a New Conflict of Interest?

November 9, 2025

Sundance’s Hollow Indie Dream: What Film Threat and Filmmakers Already Know

November 8, 2025

London Film Festival – conflicts of interest

October 20, 2025

Film Investment Scams: The Risks Are Rising Across Asia

October 11, 2025

Power, Privilege and Pretenses: When Argentina’s Directors Turn Their Guild Against the Workers

October 10, 2025

AI in Entertainment: A Wake-Up Call from the Front Lines

September 21, 2025

Cinema’s Formula for Awards & Festivals: The Humiliation and Vilification of Men

September 17, 2025

Israeli Culture Minister Pulls Funding from Ophir Awards After Palestinian-Themed Film “The Sea” Wins Top Prize

May 11, 2026

Open Submissions, Closed Networks? Festival Programmers, Distribution Companies, and the Blurred Line Between Access and Influence

May 10, 2026

The Closed-Loop Economy of Short Film: DokuFest, Radiator IP Sales, and the Soft Power of Europe’s Festival Networks

March 14, 2026

Another Producer Describes the Same Closed Loop in European Film Funding“Everyone knew each other. Like true buddies sharing a secret.”

March 14, 2026

“I Am Scared for My Life and My Career”: Cannes Critics’ Week’s Next Step Studio Indonesia and the Same Closed Loop FIW Has Been Talking About

March 7, 2026

Radiator IP Sales, €9300 & Questions Around Access in Europe’s Short-Film System

March 6, 2026

Film Threat Reacts to FIW’s Queen’s Gambit Analysis: When Ideology Replaces Truth, Storytelling Suffers

January 26, 2026

How Prestige Television Rewrites History to Vilify Men

January 14, 2026

Turning Off the Oxygen: The Calculated Gutting of Israel’s State Cultural Prizes

December 11, 2025

Inside Kosovo’s Film Funding Loop: The Same People Train, Curate, Judge – and Win

November 29, 2025

Friends Reviewing Friends: Conflicts of Interest in Israeli press & Cinema

November 19, 2025

Alleged Conflicts, Zero Consequences: How Cannes Insiders Stay in Control

November 19, 2025

Cannes Critics’ Week’s “Next Step Studio Indonesia”: A New Pipeline or a New Conflict of Interest?

November 9, 2025

Sundance’s Hollow Indie Dream: What Film Threat and Filmmakers Already Know

November 8, 2025

London Film Festival – conflicts of interest

October 20, 2025

Film Investment Scams: The Risks Are Rising Across Asia

October 11, 2025

Power, Privilege and Pretenses: When Argentina’s Directors Turn Their Guild Against the Workers

October 10, 2025

AI in Entertainment: A Wake-Up Call from the Front Lines

September 21, 2025

Cinema’s Formula for Awards & Festivals: The Humiliation and Vilification of Men

September 17, 2025

Israeli Culture Minister Pulls Funding from Ophir Awards After Palestinian-Themed Film “The Sea” Wins Top Prize

September 15, 2025

Changing Names, Not Behaviour: Inside the LHC Scandal (The Disappearance of TSG Casting)

August 23, 2025

Gender Wars – The Vanishing Male Audience, Hollywood’s Self-Inflicted “Boy Trouble”

August 16, 2025

The Corruption of Creativity: How Film Industry Incentives Mirror Science’s Systemic Breakdown

August 5, 2025

Kazakh State Center for the Support of National Cinema: Alleged corruption, favoritism, sexism, censorship & friendship with Russia.

July 31, 2025

Rebuttal Regarding the Articles “Armenia’s Cash Rebate Plan for Foreign Films” and “Armenia: Turbulence in the Local Film Industry”

July 30, 2025

Is Cannes’s Factory a pay‑to‑play scheme?

July 25, 2025

Sundance’s Little Dirty Secret: How NYU’s Elite Grip is Crushing Indie Dreams

July 23, 2025

Gender Discrimination – Oppressed Voices from Turkey, US & Israel

July 19, 2025

Jerusalem Film Festival, a Celebration of Discrimination: How Israel’s Film Industry Is Punishing Its Men

July 19, 2025

Response from The Omladinski Film Festival Sarajevo

The film industry’s integrity has been deeply affected due to the high stakes involved in film production, festival selections, film sales, and awards. These activities are worth millions of Euros or dollars from funding grants, private investments, sales, in salaries and payments to service providers, annually. Over the years, this influx of money has led to widespread issues, undermining the industry’s integrity. The chart below illustrates how different organizations and individuals circulate among the members of the network power, influence, and hundreds of millions of public and private funds, every year. The industry is structured as a network of interconnected and affiliated organizations that benefit only those who are members of the network, distributing resources among each other. The chart is illustrative of a small portion of the network. Read our full report here.

We have also reported on conflicts of interest and financial scandals in Greece, where filmmakers who served as proposal evaluators also received financial awards from the same funding calls, along with other related scandals. Some of these filmmakers were mentioned in other reports on our site. This is not coincidental – allegedly corrupt individuals appear repeatedly in various contexts involving irregular or ambiguous activities.

The following chart is an example for the type of social networks that exist in the industry, favoritism which erects barriers of entries to outsiders, leads to a concentration of influence and power, reduces the quality of artistic output, and discourages young filmmakers from trying to break into the industry. READ MORE

As the integrity of the industry has been degrading for years, so did the importance of artistic merit. The chart below provides a clear visual representation of the current unfortunate prioritized factors in decision-making processes within film festivals and film funding organizations.

Dominating the top of this hierarchy are nepotism and family connections, followed by a series of considerations — financial interests, social connections, identity politics, and the theme of the project — each of which, regrettably, tends to outweigh actual artistic or creative merit. The decline in the public’s interest in film can partly be explained by these facts.

This tendency is particularly evident in the operations of major festivals. Accompanying the chart is a depiction of the “revolving door” dynamic prevalent in the film industry, where a limited circle of individuals hold a variety of influential positions, rotating between being fund advisors on the one hand, and producers or directors on the other. This perpetuates a culture of exclusivity, hindering fresh talent from entering the field, and promoting self-interests that ultimately reduces the quality of the industry’s artistic output.

The charts below depict how a film or project’s actual merit relates to the director or producer’s contacts, political influence, and other factors within the film industry. They illustrate a trend: as a person’s social (“political”) or commercial power increases, the film’s merit decreases in importance. Similarly, the prestige of a festival inversely affects the significance of merit, with other factors becoming more prominent – READ MORE.

Please note that all reports are being made by 3rd parties but always include screenshots or other corroborating information. If you believe you’ve been listed on our site without merit, please contact us.

If you would like to become a contributor or have any information to provide – please contact us.

Film Industry Watch Featured on Film Threat:
“A Gold Mine of Material” – Chris Gore

($̶2̶5̶,0̶0̶0̶) $24,500 Whistleblower Fund

With unwavering support from our community, Film Industry Watch proudly announces the creation of a ($̶2̶5̶,0̶0̶0̶) $24,500 Whistleblower Fund. This pivotal initiative is devoted to identifying and exposing corruption and misconduct in the film industry. Our aim is to cultivate an atmosphere of transparency and accountability, ensuring an equitable and principled environment for all industry members. We encourage anyone aware of criminal activities or misconduct to reach out to us confidentially. Rest assured, your identity will be protected. Reports leading to articles posted on this website, significant organizational changes or legal proceedings will be eligible for a financial reward for between $100 to $5000 for each report.

We hold a special focus on Film Festivals, Screenwriting Labs, various awards, and public Film Funds. It’s important to remind our readers that these entities are predominantly supported by public funding, which necessitates a standard of fairness and transparency in their operations.

Stand with us in our quest for integrity in the film industry – your voice matters.

May 11, 2026

by Vlad H

Alleged Conflict of Interest, Community Posts, Festivals

Open Submissions, Closed Networks? Festival Programmers, Distribution Companies, and the Blurred Line Between Access and Influence

May 10, 2026

by Film Industry Watch

Alleged Conflict of Interest, Community Posts, Festivals

The Closed-Loop Economy of Short Film: DokuFest, Radiator IP Sales, and the Soft Power of Europe’s Festival Networks

March 14, 2026

by Film Industry Watch

Alleged Conflict of Interest, Community Posts, Festivals

Another Producer Describes the Same Closed Loop in European Film Funding“Everyone knew each other. Like true buddies sharing a secret.”

March 14, 2026

by Film Industry Watch

Alleged Conflict of Interest, Community Posts

“I Am Scared for My Life and My Career”: Cannes Critics’ Week’s Next Step Studio Indonesia and the Same Closed Loop FIW Has Been Talking About

March 7, 2026

by Film Industry Watch

Alleged Conflict of Interest, Community Posts, Festivals

Radiator IP Sales, €9300 & Questions Around Access in Europe’s Short-Film System

March 6, 2026

by Film Industry Watch

Alleged Racism & Discrimination, Community Posts, Gender Wars

Film Threat Reacts to FIW’s Queen’s Gambit Analysis: When Ideology Replaces Truth, Storytelling Suffers

January 26, 2026

by Film Industry Watch

Community Posts, Gender Wars

How Prestige Television Rewrites History to Vilify Men

January 14, 2026

by Vlad H

Alleged Conflict of Interest, Community Posts, Political Intervention

Turning Off the Oxygen: The Calculated Gutting of Israel’s State Cultural Prizes

December 11, 2025

by Film Industry Watch

Alleged Conflict of Interest, Community Posts, Festivals

Inside Kosovo’s Film Funding Loop: The Same People Train, Curate, Judge – and Win

November 29, 2025

by Film Industry Watch

Alleged Conflict of Interest, Community Posts

Friends Reviewing Friends: Conflicts of Interest in Israeli press & Cinema

November 19, 2025

by Film Industry Watch

Alleged Conflict of Interest, Community Posts, Festivals

Alleged Conflicts, Zero Consequences: How Cannes Insiders Stay in Control

November 19, 2025

by Film Industry Watch

Alleged Conflict of Interest, Community Posts, Festivals

Cannes Critics’ Week’s “Next Step Studio Indonesia”: A New Pipeline or a New Conflict of Interest?

February 21, 2025

by Film Industry Watch

Community Posts

The UK Film and TV Industry: Challenges and Uncertain Future

Read More

February 9, 2025

by Film Industry Watch

Alleged Financial Misconduct, Community Posts, Political Intervention

Greece’s Film Industry Collapse: Missing Millions, Broken Promises, and a Deafening Silence

Read More

July 10, 2025

by Film Industry Watch

Alleged Conflict of Interest, Alleged Racism & Discrimination, Community Posts, Gender Wars, Political Intervention

11 Female Nominees, One Male: Inside Israel’s Ophir Awards, Chaos & Derangement

Read More

January 5, 2025

by Film Industry Watch

Alleged Conflict of Interest, Community Posts, Political Intervention

Decadence & Dysfunction: A Call for Greek Film Reform

Read More

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Community Reports Posts

Stay safe and informed in the film industry by browsing our Watch List of companies and individuals with a history of misconduct, abuse, corruption or conflict of interests.

Types of Scams

From sexual harassment to investment scams, the film industry is not immune to criminal activity. Learn about different types of scams and how to keep yourself protected.

Special Report – Europe

The European film industry is grappling with serious concerns regarding transparency and fairness, particularly in the context of the industry being largely funded by the public, where transparency and fairness are expected.

How to Get Paid

Have you been left unpaid by a production company? Learn your legal rights and what steps to take to recover your wages in the entertainment industry.

Know Your Rights

Know your rights as an employee or freelancer in the entertainment industry to navigate challenges related to payment, intellectual property, and legal liability.

Latest News

Get the latest news on the film industry’s most pressing issues, from unsafe work environments to financial misconduct, with Film Industry Watch.

The post Metro Blog first appeared on Film Industry Watch.