MADISON is in production!

It’s not really news anymore because I completely forgot to mention here that MADISON received full production funding earlier this year!!! We are proud to be part of the German film funding initiative DER BESONDERE KINDERFILM and announced our plan to go into production at this year’s Berlinale.

MADISON supporters from left to right: Danny Krausz (producer at DOR Film), Christine Berg (FFA), Anke Lindemann (MDR), Margret Albers (Der Besondere Kinderfilm), Kim Strobl (writer/director), Astrid Plenk (KiKA), Alexandre Dupont-Geisselmann (farbfilm Verleih).

MADISON is a co-production between DOR Film West (Germany) and Dor Film (Austria), funded by KiKA, MDR, FFA, BKM, MDM, FFF, DFFF, ÖFI, FISA, FFW, Cine Tirol and ORF (Film/Fernsehabkommen).

As it’s a children’s film about strong girls I was asked for an interview by the Austrian Filminstitut for their genderinequality division:

https://equality.filminstitut.at/de/kim-strobl/

Let’s get this movie rolling!!!

MADSION receives funding for screenplay!

Amazing news! 

Milan Dor (my co-writer) and I have received funding from the 'Der Besondere Kinderfilm' initiative to write the screenplay for MADISON! We are so excited - as this German funding scheme (specifically for original children's films) offers full production financing if we manage to get through to the next stage. So let's get writing!

From left to right: Peter Dinges (Vorstand der Filmförderungsanstalt, FFA); Prof. Dr. Karola Wille (Intendantin, MDR), Ole Kampovski (Abteilungsleiter Kinder und Jugend, NDR); Philipp Budweg (Produzent Lieblingsfilm GmbH München, Projekt BREAK THE BALLET); Steffen Grimberg (ARD Sprecher); Michael Stumpf (Programmgeschäftsführer, KiKA); Margret Albers (Vorstandssprecherin des Förderverein Deutscher Kinderfilm e.V.), Jörg von den Steinen (Redaktion Kinder und Jugend, ZDF), Kim Strobl (Autorin, Projekt MADISON), Till Endemann (Autor und Regisseur, Projekt LUCY IST JETZT GANGSTER), Yvonne Abele (Producerin Indi Film, Projekt LUCY IST JETZT GANGSTER ), Dr. Cornelia Ackers (Leitung Kinderfilm/Einzelprojekte, BR) und Arek Gielnik (Produzent Indi Film GmbH, Projekt LUCY IST JETZT GANGSTER). Foto: Der Besondere Kinderfilm

MADISON wins Baumhaus/Boje Media prize

What an amazing last week at the Academy for Children's Media! We got to pitch our projects to a room full of producers, publishers and financiers. And best of all - I picked up the Baumhaus/Boje Media prize for my story of MADISON!

The jury of the book publishing company gave a really nice laudatory speech on why they had chosen my project:

„Was die Autorin aus dieser Entwicklungsgeschichte herausholt, beeindruckt in seiner Konsequenz: Wie sich dieses auf Radrennsiege fixierte 14-jährige Mädchen selbst im Weg ist, wie ihre Maxime, dass man sich nie auf andere verlassen darf, alle Freundschaften zuschanden macht, wie sie verbissen nur sich selbst im Blick hat, ist ein Abbild der gegenwärtigen Ellbogen- und Leistungsgesellschaft – das ist pointiert und durch das Verwenden regionaler Sprache authentisch gezeichnet und über diesen Mikrokosmos hinaus ein Stück Sozialkritik. Dabei treibt Strobl mit vielen Konflikten die Handlung voran und kontrastiert die Energie, die die Hauptfigur für ihr Training aufwendet, mit den Bemühungen ihrer Umwelt, sie aus der selbstgewählten Isolation herauszuholen. Als bei Madison dann doch Zweifel am eigenen Tun aufblitzen, wünscht man ihr nichts lieber als diese Erkenntnis: Dass Sport auch Spaß machen kann und Freundschaften viel wichtiger sind – eine Botschaft, die in unserer Zeit mehr denn je Gehör finden sollte.“ 

From left to right: Paula Peretti, Kim Strobl, Bodo Horn-Rumold. Foto: Akademie für Kindermedien

INNSBRUCK film CAMPUS

On Monday, the 23rd of May 2016, the 4th Edition of the INNSBRUCK film CAMPUS started. And as an alumni from the 1st Year I got to screen DANCING IN CIRCLES at the cinema for this year's talents and for the film commission Cine Tirol.

It was great to have editor Christin Gottscheber along - and she was super excited to see the film on the big screen for the first time. It was a fun night and I'm looking forward to sitting in on some of the masterclasses during the campus.

For those German-speakers out there, here's a nice write-up about the INNSBRUCK film CAMPUS - and I even got a little mention, thanks!

www.6020online.at/ausgaben/mai-2016/talente-finden-meister

Fellow campus alumni Lukas Ladner on the left, Christin Gottscheber (editor), Kim Strobl, Evelin Stark (founder & creative director of the INNSBRUCK film CAMPUS)

Dancing in Circles is still touring around the world

Dancing in Circles is still busy touring around the world!

In February it screened at the North Carolina Film Festival and won the Board of Director's Award. In March it screened at the Haida Gwaii Film Festival. In April it screened at the New Vision Int. Film Festival, as well as the WorldFest Houston, where it was awarded a Gold Remi. And in June it will be screening at the Hoboken Int. Film Festival just outside New York.

Dancing in Circles screens on Saint Dwynwen's Day

What a lovely night we had!

DANCING IN CIRCLES screened at the London Welsh Centre on Saint Dwynwen's Day (the Welsh Valentine's Day) to a full house. 

Take a look at the event below.

Awards picked up in India

Dancing in Circles had a great run in India.

In November it picked up BEST FILM at the Delhi Shorts Int. Film Festival and in December I was awarded BEST DIRECTOR at the Mumbai Shorts Int. Film Festival.

Let's keep them coming!

Screening at Delhi Shorts Int. Film Festival

Dancing in Circles will be screening at the Delhi Shorts International Film Festival in India on the 1st of November 2015 - fingers crossed for one of their exciting awards!

Dancing in Circles wins BAFTA Cymru Award for Best Short Film!

I'm so proud and excited to announce that Dancing in Circles has won the BAFTA Cymru Award for Best Short Film!!! This is an incredible honour and the whole team is ecstatic.

Our film is about celebrating women, and this award is in recognition of the talented women who worked on this project. And of course, an equal thank you goes to the actors and men on the crew. We are a team and we did this together!

We would like to thank everyone who has been supporting us this past year, and a particular thank you to LAND TIROL and STADT INNSBRUCK for helping us fund this beautiful story.

BAFTA Cymru Award Nomination!!

I'm very proud to announce that Dancing in Circles has been nominated for a BAFTA Cymru Award in the short film category. I'll be attending the award ceremony with co-writer Iddon Jones on the 27th of September - please keep your fingers crossed for us!

Dancing in Circles is back in Wales!

It's been a while - but DANCING IN CIRCLES is coming back to Wales!

Our beautiful film will open the Carmarthen Bay Film Festival on the 12th of May 2015. The screening is at 11am at the Stradey Park Hotel in Llanelli.

I'll be in town for the screening and am looking forward to the Q&A, hearing new opinions about the film and meeting fellow filmmakers. Come and say hello if you're around! I'm most likely wearing very pink trainers so you can't miss me :)

http://carmarthenbayfilmfestival.co.uk

https://www.facebook.com/events/1507518829483184/

Screenings Screenings Screenings

In January 2015 Dancing in Circles featured in the Official Selection at the Always Being Made New Film Festival in San Francisco, USA.

On the 2nd of February 2015 you can catch the film at the Bafta Cymru accredited Chapter Moviemaker screening at Chapter Arts in Cardiff, Wales. Tickets are free but limited so hurry up and get your reservations in asap! 

https://www.facebook.com/events/1533895180193524

Dancing in Circles Premiere and Bolt Screening in Rouen

I'm so proud to be premiering my latest short film DANCING IN CIRCLES at the Cinematograph in Innsbruck, Austria on the 13th of November as part of the Cinema Next Screening.

Cinema Next is a great initiative that brings young Austrian filmmaking talents to the big screen.

The organisation is run by Dominik Tschütscher and Katja Jäger, who have been a supporter of DANCING IN CIRCLES from the very beginning.

http://www.cinemanext.at/events/7-kurzfilme-3

https://www.facebook.com/events/1495831510666745

Last week writer Kerry McIntosh and I were invited to attend the THIS IS ENGLAND Film Festival in Rouen, France with our short film BOLT. 

We screened it several times, to a mixture of young school children, students and adults - and got very interesting reactions!

We got great feedback and compliments, particularly on how we dealt with Autism in the film and how well our actors portrayed the characters. The teachers thought the film is a great tool to discuss this topic in the classroom and have asked to show the film a few more times.

Writer Kerry McIntosh enjoying the screening at THIS IS ENGLAND in Rouen, France

Dancing in Circles Trailer online!

And that's a wrap!

Post-production is completed and on the 6th and 7th of October the full film will be screened for the first time to the hard-working, talented and brilliant Cast & Crew.

Keep checking in on the blog to see where and when it will be screened next.

I can already reveal that the film will premiere on the 13th of November 2014 as part of the Cinema Next screening in Innsbruck, Austria.

And here is the trailer to the film:

Big thank you to all of the people involved and who have supported us through this production!

Wrapping up post-production

Last step for #DancinginCircles - dubbing mix done! pic.twitter.com/B25wR0Qpyt

— Kim Strobl (@KimStrobl) October 4, 2014

Watch Dancing on Circles on the Big Screen

We're all counting down - less than a week and the hard work of over a year will finally be seen on the big screen!

Come and join us at the Cast & Crew Screening on the 6th of October 2014, at 2pm in Cinema 2 at the Chapter Arts Centre in Cardiff, or at our London screening on the 7th of October at 7pm at the Exhibit Cinema in Balham.

Please rsvp if you would like to attend: kim.strobl@gmail.com

16 days until the final film!

#DancinginCircles Cast & Crew Screening at @chaptertweets at 2pm on the 6th of October. Msg if you'd like to attend x pic.twitter.com/AjTK0agJWO

— Kim Strobl (@KimStrobl) September 22, 2014

#DancinginCircles grading session- 16 days until the final film! @iddonjones @Anjaconti @AledBidder @AlexharwoodMuso pic.twitter.com/s81HFWC3He

— Kim Strobl (@KimStrobl) September 20, 2014

Post-production is rolling along

It's been a great summer so far but I miss everybody from the shoot as I'm down here in Austria working on the post-production whilst cast and crew are back in the UK.

I haven't got any clips to show yet as I don't want to give too much away until the premiere but wonderful Alex Harwood has just written the music for the ending which is absolutely beautiful. You might need to cry at the end, but that's okay :)

I'm so excited and can't wait to finish the film so I can show everyone our hard work. For now I can only reward you with a few teaser pictures from the rushes, enjoy!

Let the Press Games begin!

For all you lovely Welsh speakers out there, have a listen to Iddon Jones' interview about Dancing in Circles on BBC Radio Cymru last week.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b047wks4

But there is something for you lovely English speakers too! I love that Procam love that we loved the Amira on set in Wales - Loving in Circles!

OUR AMIRA in action in #WALES on Dancing In Circles-they LOVED the AMIRA! @KimStrobl @ARRIChannel pic.twitter.com/wqPb9jg31w

— Procam (@ProcamTV) July 7, 2014

And that's a wrap!

What a brilliant time we all had!

Anglesey treated us to its beauty, and even the weather was mostly on our side. After four long days the film is in the can and we can finally catch up on some sleep again. Take a look at the production stills to get a sense of our journey.

Throughout the shoot we got great feedback from local people about how much it meant to them to see Santes Dwynwen’s story being re-imagined. Filming on Llanddwyn Island was a beautiful, unique experience, and we hope the magic of Llanddwyn will come through in our tale.

Our lovely Cast & Crew have put in an incredible amount of hard work into the film and have shown diligence and passion, which we’re sure will come through on the big screen. This remarkable passion and sense of family will give a special nuance to the film.

A big thank you to all of you:

Sharon Morgan • Anja Conti • Aled Bidder • Carwyn Jones • Iddon Jones • Sion Emyr • Cara Braia • Gemma Lawman • Mark Hayes • Alan Prile • Gareth Roberts • Despina Goula • and our lovely band Sera & Jen

Amy Newstead • Paul Andrew • Samuel Stephenson • Helen Pritchard • Shane Nickels • Ioan Evans • Luke Wharton • Eleanor Brown • Christina McConnell • Jon Burke • Annie Maycox

We couldn’t have completeted the film without the support from:

Shireen Abbott & Peter Chicken at Twofour Broadcast • Paul Sargeant & Andrew Black at Procam • Nerys & Richard Jones • Gwenan Rolands at Blas Mwy and Blas LLynnon • Michael Neumair • David Ramsell • Mari Emlin at Galeri • Pat West at Oriel Mon • Ali Saunders at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama • Fern George at Wales Millenium Centre • Dave Buckland at the Surf Café Rhosneigr • Mark Bayley at the Oystercatcher • Menna Evans at Cyngor Cymuned Aberffraw  • Graham Williams at Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru • Cyngor Plwyf Niwbwrch  • Dylan Edwards at Cyngor Sir Ynys Mon • Anglesey Transport Museum

Now the next exciting stage of this project commences – post-production!

We’re also already in talks about possible premiere opportunities so keep checking in for updates.

Kim & Iddon