First Cut+
First Cut+ is a programme launched in 2020 for boosting the promotion & audience engagement strategies
of feature films that previously took part in a First Cut Lab workshop. First Cut+ work in close cooperation with two dynamic and well-established film industry platforms:
Trieste’s When East Meets West and Karlovy Vary IFF’s Eastern Promises.
The programme has been discontinued for 2025.
First Cut+ selects a portfolio of 16 feature films to be promoted each year: 8 films during the winter session at Trieste’s When East Meets West, and 8 films during the summer session at Karlovy Vary IFF’s Eastern Promises Industry Days.
Participating projects benefit from lectures and individual mentoring consultations on promotion, marketing, PR & press, festivals, and sales strategy from various film industry consultants. This is followed by a works-in-progress organized under the ‘First Cut+’ label, open to selected decision makers (sales agents & distributors, festivals’ programmers, etc). At each session, a jury awards a cash award of 5,000 Euros. For KVIFF Eastern Promises presentations the award is sponsored by Tatino Films and Karlovy Vary IFF.
Amongst the 56 feature films that have already participated over 3 years, previous First Cut+ projects include: Listen by Ana Rocha de Sousa (Lion of the Future for Best Debut Feature, Venice 2020); Immaculate by Monica Stan and George Chiper-Lillemark (Lion of the Future for Best Debut Feature, Venice 2021); A Piece of Sky by Michael Koch (Silver Bear - Special Mention, Berlinale 2022); The Maiden by Graham Foy (Cinema of the Future Award, Venice 2022); Levante by Lillah Halla (FIPRESCI Award, Cannes 2023).
You may find more information on the First Cut+ website here,
and on the First Cut Lab here.
