Our concept
First Cut+ is a program launched in 2020 for boosting the promotion & audience engagement strategies of feature films that previously took part in a TATINO Program (First Cut Lab, Full Circle Lab, Pop Up Film Residency).
First Cut+ works in close cooperation with When East Meets West and each year selectes and promotes 8 different films.
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 organised under the ‘First Cut+’ label, open to selected decision makers (sales agents & distributors, festivals’ programmers, etc).
Financial partners of the program include the Friuli Venezia Giulia Fund, the IDM South Tyrol Fund, and Projeto Paradiso. The sponsor of the First Cut+ Award is TRT – the national public broadcaster of Turkey.
Amongst 96 feature films that have participated in First Cut+, alumni films include:
Listen, dir. Ana Rocha de Sousa (Lion of the Future, Venice 2020)
Immaculat, dir. Monica Stan & George Chiper-Lillemark
(Lion of the Future, Venice 2021)
107 Mothers, dir. Peter Kerekes (Grand Prix, Les Arcs 2021)
A Piece of Sky, dir. Michael Koch (Silver Bear Special Mention, Berlinale 2022)
The Maiden, dir. Graham Foy (Cinema of The Future Award, Venice 2022)
Charcoal, dir. Carolina Markowicz (Toronto Platform 2022)
Sea Sparkle, dir. Domien Huyghe (Crystal Bear Special Mention, Berlinale Generation Kplus 2023)
Explanation to Everything, dir. Gábor Reisz (Orizzonti Award for Best Film, Venice Film Festival 2023)
The Garden of Earthly Delights, dir. Morgan Knibbe (Best Film, Torino FF 2025)
Our Secret, dir. Grace Passô (Berlinale 2026)
CO-ORGANIZER
