EAVE and MIDPOINT Bring International Training to Pernik

by Vasilena Grigorova

Two leading international training platforms, EAVE and MIDPOINT Institute, will return to IN THE PALACE International Short Film Festival in 2026, bringing high-level professional training to producers, directors, and screenwriters in Pernik.

Their participation is part of FILMER FORGE, the festival’s professional platform for the development of the short film industry. Through this partnership, accredited participants from Bulgaria and abroad will have access to an exclusive four-day training programme led by international experts.

The training will focus on the skills filmmakers need to present projects in a competitive environment, approach potential partners and investors, prepare for international co-production, and position their work for the global market.

From 22 to 25 June, EAVE experts will lead sessions at the Palace of Culture in Pernik. The programme includes training on the film business, sustainable planning, financing, script development, marketing, distribution, audience targeting, international positioning, and pitching.

Among the trainers are Romanian producer and international co-production expert Radu Stancu; French screenwriter Geoffroy Grisé, who will consult FILMER FORGE projects on script development; marketing and distribution experts Rudolf Sanze and Sofia Tokar; and German cultural manager and film programmer Sarah Schlüssel, who will lead a dedicated pitching workshop. Schlüssel heads the Short Form Station platform at Berlinale Talents and is a member of the Berlinale selection committee.

MIDPOINT Institute will also take an active role in the training programme through lecturers and tutors. It will provide a special opportunity for FILMER FORGE PITCH participants: automatic selection for the second phase of the institute’s short film project support programme, whose final event takes place during the film market in Trieste, Italy.

Together, EAVE and MIDPOINT bring international expertise directly into the festival environment. For emerging filmmakers, this means access not only to training, but also to the professional language, expectations, and networks that shape careers beyond national borders.