Women are generally under-represented in Austrian cinema. Women account for about a quarter of those active in the fields of screenplay and directorship, and the figure is even lower for producers. The few women owning their own film production companies are mostly working in the low-budget sector where self-exploitation is not an uncommon practice.
The Austrian Film Institute wants to make a concrete contribution to remedy this misbalance through its programme “ProPro – The Women Producers’ Programme”.
This one-week workshop from 16 to 22 November and the following mentoring phase are designed to help women further develop their career and their film projects. 13 female producers were selected from 25 high quality applications and will participate in this initiative this autumn.
The workshop week focuses on the development of a company strategy and individual career plan with the support of international film financing expert Linda Beath (Ideal Filmworks, EAVE). Participants are also supported by top-class European women producers acting as mentors for their further development of fiction and documentary film project. Further focal points are business tools such as positioning, leadership skills and negotiation skills.
The programme includes group works, individual discussions with women experts, networking events and public lectures. Case studies, key notes and motivational speeches by international experts will provide inspiration, role models and an opportunity for effective networking.
Mentors invited are Bettina Brokemper/ Heimatfilm, (DE), Lise Lense‐Møller/Magic Hour Films, EAVE (DK), and others. The Leadership Skills coach will be Monika Schubert/ Film and Business Coaching (DE).
Public events will provide an interesting insight into current issues by and for women producers:
- a panel about Doc Distribution with Hanka Kastelicova/HBO Europe (HU), Lise Lense-Møller, Anne Laurent-Delage (International Relations, AFC), and Salma Abdalla/Autlook Filmsales (AT) ,
- a case study of HANNAH ARENDT by of Bettina Brokemper and
- a short privatissimum by Kathrin Zechner (Director of the Television Department, Austrian Broadcasting Agency, ORF) about strategic focusing in a career.
The ProPro team would like to thank FC-Gloria, EAVE, WIFT Germany, WIFT UK, Swiss Films, the Swedish Film Institute, Filmregion Stockholm-Mälardalen, and the Danish Film School for their support in designing this programme.
Special thanks also go to the Austrian Economic Chamber and the newly elected representatives of the film and music industry within the Economic Chamber Vienna who have confirmed their support of the workshop.
ProPro - Das Produzentinnen Programm (The Women Producers’ Programme): Concept & Coordination:
Ursula Wolschlager (producer/Witcraft Szenario, FC-‐Gloria), u.wolschlager@witcraft.at
Esther Krausz (Austrian Film Institute, former EAVE workshopmanager), esther.krausz@filminstitut.at
ÖFI gender issues: Iris Zappe-‐Heller