Independent film production from A-Z

Independent filmmaking is not about making ‘cheap’ films without paying cast and crew. It is about being non-commercial, in a world ruled by money. To do that successfully, you don’t only need passion, you need to know the ‘know how’. This workshop aims to present and discuss all steps of independent film production- from script development to distribution- offering a ‘pocket guide’ to aspiring indie filmmakers.. We will present methods to help you structure the production process from pre-production to post, calculate and distributing budgets, and will give you tips which will help to realize your film. You will learn how to present your project textually and visually, and how to pitch it to sponsors and buyers. We will discuss funding opportunities, co-productions and training programs, as well as promotion and marketing strategies.

Marsia Tzivara is an awarded writer-director and producer from Greece, based in Berlin for the past six years. She offers creative consultancy on fiction and documentaries, and individual coaching to actors and young professionals. After completing her studies in England where she made her first steps as a filmmaker, she returned to Greece where she got involved in numerous film and TV productions as assistant director and casting director, undertaking both national and international projects. In 2013, she founded ‘Mars Productions’ in Berlin, and dedicated herself to the independent film industry. Her debut feature documentary ‘Burning from the inside’ (on the Greek-German neo-Nazi scene) got three international awards, found theatrical distribution in Greece and Germany, and was screened in more than 30 cities around the world. At the moment, she is about to release her new film ‘Dania’, while co-produces two international features on development.