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FEATURE


house for distributors and equity financiers,” says one of its three co-founders, Ilann Girard, a financial adviser and producer. “By outlining the viability and financial soundness of a project, OLFFI should be in a position to facili- tate and encourage private investment in film production.” The online toolbox will enable producers to


We underwent a metamorphosis from marketplace to software-as-a-


service provider Moritz Viehweger, Mediapeers


assess the rules, eligibility and compatibility of EU funding programmes — research they would otherwise perform manually or pay a consultant some $6,700-$8,000 (¤5,000- ¤6,000) to conduct. “OLFFI will provide a different perspective


on funding potentialities in Europe,” claims Girard. “More transparency and better under- standing will create a different environment and lead to more specialisation among Euro- pean production centres.” Users will also be able to apply online to the various applicable funds. OLFFI has struck partnerships with the vari-


ous MEDIA-supported databases and news agencies. “We are also working in sharing data with private sources and professional organisa- tions such as producers’ unions and training programmes,” Girard explains. This constant updating of all transnational,


MEDIAPEERS (MPX) www.mediapeers.com


This Berlin-based company operates the Media- peers Exchange, which claims to be the world’s largest business-to-business marketplace for audiovisual content. By pushing sales and distribution into the


cloud, MPX reduces transactions costs and lib- erates buyers from the costly handling of screeners and broadcast tapes, not to mention billing runs with a multitude of suppliers. “We underwent a metamorphosis from mar-


ketplace to software-as-a-service provider as we initially underestimated the personal touch in acquisition decisions,” explains co-CEO Moritz Viehweger. “We were fortunate that our clients ultimately pushed us to reformulate our vision to become the Leatherman for content distributors.” Not that everything will be cloud-based.


“Once our customers entrust their entire media archive and vital business data to us or rely on our technology for their core business proc- esses, they want the reassurance of a local face. Thus we have team members in London, Los Angeles and Madrid, while our product devel- opment remains centralised in Berlin.” Last year, Mediapeers’ revenues jumped 70%


on 2010, with expectations of further growth in 2012 on the back of US demand. An iPad tablet version of MPX is also in the works that may answer executive grumblings about spotty wi-fi. “I am convinced in 2012 we will launch a


dedicated app for iOS devices that will support offline use cases, such as researching and screening at a market without relying on the typically poor internet connectivity,” says Viehweger.


Launch date January 2008. Key executives Moritz Viehweger, founder and co- CEO; Holger Hendel, founder and co-CEO; Torsten Graf-Oettel, founder and chief technology officer. Cost to users Software-as-a-service (SaaS) fees are based on the number of users and catalogue size. They range between $200-$10,000.


n 38 Screen International at the Berlinale February 10, 2012


Ownership structure Founding investors are T-Venture (Deutsche Telekom), Telepool and Fintage House. Business model Monthly software-as-a-service fee for cloud-based services; technical service fees; customisation and development of client- specific functionality, charged as a per diem for software development.


OLFFI — ONLINE FILM FINANCING www.olffi.com


A web platform designed to alleviate the head- ache of sifting through Europe’s 150 film funds and initiatives, OLFFI is itself a French-Irish co- production with development being done in Paris and all sales, marketing and technical sup- port undertaken from Dublin. A Beta version is set to be unveiled at Cannes 2012, followed by a launch at the International Rome Film Festival next October. “OLFFI will also be positioned as a clearing


national and regional funding programmes, plus the expense of developing the requisite search engine and budget tools, is seen as an entry barrier for would-be competitors.


‘By outlining the viability and financial soundness of a project, OLFFI should be in a position to facilitate and encourage private investment


in film production’ Ilann Girard, OLFFI


Launch date End of 2012. Key executives Joelle Levie, CEO and president; Francois Farrugia, managing director; Ilann Girard, director of development. Cost to users Consultation on funding rules, newsfeed and market data is free. Applications, budget tools and financing scenarios will be charged a licence fee. Ownership structure Owned by three founders and a private-equity fund. Business model Revenues derived from licence fees (paid by users), promotional and consulting services (paid by film funds and services providers) and public support from the MEDIA programme (likely to decrease over time).


REELPORT and PICTUREPIPE www.reelport.com www.picturepipe.net This Cologne-based short-film portal has spent the last several years packaging festival submis- sions into a shorter, more professionalised proc- ess. Film-makers register online, complete the form, provide a synopsis and film stills and then upload their films as digital files. With more than 70 international festivals conducting their submissions this way, Reelport claims it has saved on the production and shipping of some 320,000 DVDs. Reelport also operates the video library for six


events: Cannes’ Short Film Corner, Tampere Film Festival, Internationale Kurzfilmtage Ober- hausen, Ventana Sur in Buenos Aires, Abu Dhabi’s Industry Centre and Tallinn’s Black Mar- ket Industry Screenings. Only verified industry representatives


are given an access code and their names are overlaid when the film is played back, so illegal copies can be traced. Reelport’s white- label solution, PicturePipe, is the customisable technology behind a joint initiative from Stutt- gart’s public library and film festival to launch


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