Triple Palme d’Or nominated French filmmaker Bertrand Bonello (“Saint Laurent,” “House of Tolerance,” “Tiresia”) whose latest daring work “The Beast” was one of the hottest titles in the 2023 Venice competition, will be the guest of honor at the second ECAM Forum co-production platform, which will unspool over June 10-13 in Madrid.
On the heels of U.S. indie producer Ted Hope who kicked off ECAM Forum’s masterclass sessions with standout industry voices in 2024, Bonello will discuss his visionary work on June 12 at the Cineteca Madrid. Concurrently, the screening of three of his defining works –Cannes official entries “Tiresia” (2003), “House of Tolerance” (2011) and Directors’ Fortnight’s “Zombi Child” (2019) – will serve as entry points to his cinematic journey.
The Bonello tribute is organized by ECAM Forum – the new industry event spearheaded by Madrid’s prestigious film school ECAM – together with Cineteca Madrid and Filmadrid Festival, in conjunction with collection agent DAMA and the Institut Français in Spain.
“Bertrand Bonello is not only one of the most important contemporary filmmakers, but also one the directors who reflects with the greatest lucidity on the value of creating images today and on the power and prospects of cinema in this paralyzing present,” said ECAM Forum coordinator Alberto Valverde.
“It is an absolute luxury to host him at ECAM Forum, to be able to review three of his fundamental works, and to have him deliver a masterclass for this second edition,”.
Nuria Cubas, director of Filmadrid added: “We are very happy to begin this collaboration with ECAM Forum and to be able to bring back the Spotlight section, which allows us to delve deeper into the filmographies of filmmakers who are so relevant to the arthouse cinema scene. We are proud that Bertrand Bonello joins the list of names to whom we have dedicated a Spotlight in previous editions, such as Pietro Marcello, Lav Diaz, Dan Sallitt, and Deborah Stratman.”
The Bonello masterclass will be one of the highlights of EFAM Forum’s second edition next to the centrepiece pitching sessions Films to Come for features in development looking for international co-financiers and co-producers, and Last Push, for works in progress looking for distribution, sales and festivals.
To highlight ECAM Forum as the new go-to co-production market merging Spain’s wealth of talents with key international players, this year’s curated slate of 15 Films to Come and 8 Last Push projects will be unveiled May 19 at Cannes’ Marché du Film. The launch at the Spanish Pavilion will be attended by Ignasi Camós, head of Spanish film agency ICAA, as well as representatives from the Community of Madrid and Madrid City Council.
Novelties this year include the opening of the curated pitching slate to international projects, and a collaboration with the established Conecta Fiction & Entertainment co-production market to be held June 16-19 in Cuenca, Spain, a few days after ECAM Forum.
Through the Conecta partnership, a strong delegation of French professionals will attend the relaxed medium-sized industry confab in Madrid, which hosted 250+ delegates in 2024, from Goodfellas, MK2, Films Boutique sales reps to Berlinale, Rotterdam and Series Mania programmers.
Stellar talent which formed part of the first cohort of ECAM Forum pitchers who ended up world premiering their works at A-list festivals over the last eight months or so include Denise Fernandes (“Hanami”), Belén Funes (“The Exiles”), Ivan Castiñeiras Gallego (“Gods of Stones”) and Lois Patiño (“Ariel”).