Love and hip-hop in Istanbul

The Turkish-German co-productionWhen I'm Done Dying by Director Nisan Dag (100,000 euros, Red Balloon, Hamburg) is a modern Romeo and Juliet tale set in the slums of Istanbul. The drama about hip-hopper Fehmi and wealthy Devin has already received funding from the German-Turkish Co-Production Development Fund. The animated sequences in the film are being produced by Hamburg-based company Studio Rakete.

In the DocumentaryJourney into the free-tic zone (60,000 euros, Thomas Oswald, Hamburg), three Tourette's sufferers set off in search of a place where they can live out their tics without being penalised. On their journey, they stop at various research centres - including Lübeck - to find out more about their illness.

HFBK professor and Director Pepe Danquart is travelling inThe south before me (60,000 euros, bittersuess pictures, Berlin) over 4,000 kilometres through Italy in an old Fiat Millecento. Inspired by the legendary Italian director Pier Paolo Pasolini, Danquart's road trip documents the social reality of Italy, migration and the consequences of globalisation.

The Documentary Immersive Dark Tourism (40,000 euros, fuenferfilm, Hamburg) is about former elite soldiers and illegal migrants who restage their border experiences for tourists. Filmmakers André Siegers and Philipp Diettrich followed them in their endeavours to use this business idea to secure a place of refuge in a world that they are suspicious of due to their personal history and experiences.

A total of eight projects receiveProduction funding totalling around 360,000 euros. Of this, 135,000 euros will go to three projects under female Directors, including the largest projectWhen I'm Done Dying. The production will also include Nicolas Fattouh's short filmHow My Grandmother Became a Chair funded with 35,000 euros. Hamburg-based Fabian & Fred are responsible for production and animation. The comedyBlue Moon of Kentucky (30,000 euros, Skalar Film, Hamburg) is the new project by Josef Brandl and Skalar Film, who have already realised their short filmNicole's Cage have celebrated festival successes worldwide. The documentaryAfganistanci - Facades of the crisis by Anabela Angelovska is being supported with 23,600 euros and the experimental filmIn the Limbo by Katja Pratschke with 12,000 euros. For Antje Hubert's DocumentaryEverything you need (mairafilm, Hamburg) received project development funding totalling 17,000 euros. Funding was also awarded to seven Hamburg cinemas.

The detailed overview of all funded projects isavailable here.

The funding decisions were made on Tuesday, 24 April 2018 by Birgit Glombitza, Timo Großpietsch, Katrin Klamroth, Maria Köpf, Joachim Kühn and Arne Sommer.

Photo: "When I'm Done Dying" (Nisan Dag)