“Apart from allowing merging young directors to cowrite and codirect short films, the Factory project is also meant to enlighten actors of the local cinema industry in the hosting countries. It’s the first time we’re able to explore at the same time five different countries, five countries in the same region, five countries which used to be one… Since I first came to Sarajevo for the Festival, a couple of years ago, I’ve been dreaming to do a Factory in the region. It became a reality. For almost two months, I had the chance to work with incredible local producers, crews, actors to produce young directors from Bosnia & Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro Serbia and Slovenia – coupled with directors from Greece, Romania, Israel and Brazil… They all have been working non-stop, on five different films, with five different couples who didn’t know each other, stories, situations. They’re open, generous, more than professional, creative, and on top, funny! Every single day we did try to understand the region, we did learn, enjoy, benefit… Every single day has been a gift. We now have five wonderful short films, five stories, five different universes with a common spirit, should I dare to say, the Balkan one? This adventure has been an incredible experience which did open our eyes, our minds and our hearts. From now on, we’re all just dying to come back and shoot films in the region !”
Dominique Welinski, Amra Baksic Camo, Armin Hadzic

“The Factory is reaching its 5th edition. After Asia, Europe, South America and Africa, we’re in the Middle East. In the region, Lebanon was obvious to me for many reasons both personals and professionals. I know Myriam Sassine, from Abbout for a while and she was so enthusiastic about the project that she did easily convince Georges Schoucair to jump into this crazy adventure.
I knew we would together find talented directors, wonderful stories and great support, even though there is no cinema center yet in Lebanon.
We wouldn’t have been able to set up this Factory without the support of Fondation Liban Cinema and the enthusiastic and efficient Maya de Freige.
Shooting in Beirut and around was a real pleasure. I must thank Jessica Khoury at About, who has been my right hand during the whole process, and pay special homage to Abla Khoury who did the line production of the 4 films and was able to be on each set at any moment, I suspect she has at least a twin sister! We are more than pleased to present you these 4 great short films which, I think, will give you a faithful portrait of Lebanon.”
Dominique Welinski

“The Factory is reaching its 4th edition. After Asia, Europe and South America, my goal was to do one in Africa. South Africa was obvious to me for many reasons both personals and professionals. I knew we’d find talented directors, amazing landscapes, wonderful stories and great support. We did it with the precious support of NFVF, KZN and IDC. When it came to pick up the South African directors, we did interview the whole rainbow nation and we ended up we 4 very talented young directors: 3 women and a man… The crews, actors and post-producers were amazing and shooting in Durban was a real pleasure. I won’t deny South Africa is a tough country, but an intense one. We are more than pleased to present you these 4 great short films which, I think, will give you a faithful portrait of South Africa”
Dominique Welinski

“After Taipei Factory in 2013 and Nordic Factory in 2014, the Directors’ Fortnight, El Consejo Nacional de la Cultura y las Artes, Cinema Chile and the producers Quijote Films and the production companies, are thrilled to continue the adventure with Chile Factory 2015.
We are proud to present four short films co-written and co-directed by four talented tandems. The Factory aims at the emergence of new talents on the international scene, allowing young filmmakers, locals and internationals, to meet and create together. The Factory not only enables a whole country to promote its cinematography but also puts its professional crew and industry under the spotlight. The Chilean edition of the Factory has its specificities in the fact that, for the 1st time, the 4 films were shot in different places and different format. The 4 foreign directors all live in a country at the antipodes of the place they were born: a Japanese living in Poland, a Kenyan living in Dubai, an Iranian living in France and an Israeli living in Germany. We are more than proud to allow them to cross a new step in their director’s life.”
Dominique Welinski

“This is the second time the Factory-concept premieres in the Directors’ Fortnight
Nordic Factory is the result of a multitude of unique, international collaboration.
Four stories – all of them diving into meetings between people, into challenging relationships – long or brief – forced or sought out. The encounters all spring from four unique directorial meetings, and while one can definitely sense a Nordic atmosphere, the stories all share a deep, human emotional core that resonates from many nationalities and regions. Why this artwork then, you may ask? I saw a Liu Susiraja’s exhibition when working in Helsinki, they touch you, they shock you. To quote from her website: ”Ecce homo, look at the person! Maybe Susiraja’s pictures can entice people to look at their own reality, to find the strength to be their own unique selves, to ignore the vanity of the market.” This ability to entice, to look at the person, is one that all four films hold. It also speaks to the core of Nordic Factory: two directors looking at each other, looking at the world, finding a unique way into telling a story of their reality, together. The Factory idea creates a space where it’s only about film, about story, about working together – the market, and its vanities, were ignored, at least for a while. We trusted the artist blindly, as everyone has trusted this project, yet with our eyes open. All the results, I believe, can speak and stand on their own.”
Dominique Welinski

“The concept of the Factory was born in Cannes, after the Burmese director Midi Z introduced me to the Taipei Film Commission managers, who were themselves willing to promote their cinema through a specific event. This encounter resulted in four promotional short films that reveal the unseen visage of Taipei. I particularly wish to thank the international directors of this first edition, who honorably dealt with the teething troubles of the Factory, and the Fortnight who trusted us and programmed the films without even being sure that we’d be able to finish them.”
Dominique Welinski.