Ciclope Festival director Francisco Condorelli on why Berlin is the place to be

Talking to festival director Francisco Condorelli (pictured) ahead of the festival's kick-off Thursday 6 November in Berlin, Germany, we ask him what else we can expect of this year's event.

"In the last five years we’ve learned a lot, so I guess that you can expect the best version of the festival so far! As always, our aim is to celebrate craft and to gather the most interesting and inspiring people in the industry. That’s what Ciclope Festival is about: a meeting point where everyone who works in - or cares about - film craft can get together to learn from each other’s work."

What exciting changes have you seen in the industry in the last year and how will these be reflected in the festival’s content?

"I’m not being original, but we live in a changing world and technology is to blame. But I believe that technology is useless –or worse– if we don’t take time to think of what we want to do with it, of how to use it. That’s why in some of our talks we’ll discuss filmmaking in the digital era, concept design, the challenges of social media and other issues… The idea is to understand the world we are living in and find the best way to improve our work and boost our talent."

Will there be any surprises for those attending?

"Meeting people is always surprising, and you can bet that you’ll meet a lot of people from all over the world at Ciclope Festival. Actually, we are the ones looking forward to be surprised! Plus there will be amazing talks and panels that will enrich our views on film craft and business. And, of course, we’ll showcase the best works of the past year."

Which aspect of the festival are you as an organiser most excited about this year?

"We organise the festival, but we believe that the people attending are the true reason for the spirit of Ciclope. So we are kind of excited about the people who are coming. Not only have we an incredible guest list, but we also expect many amazing colleagues to join us as delegates. I also had the chance to have a glance at the award entries and the quality is superb, quite exciting."

What would you say is the main reason Ciclope is becoming such an important event in the calendar of production companies, production service providers and production service companies?

"New technologies have democratized film production, but they have also stressed the importance of craft. As Kasper Wedendahl (Bacon’s co-founder, who will be part of Ciclope’s jury) said recently in a Q&A for our website: you get nowhere without a good storyteller. As I said before, the industry -and everything- is changing and it’s important for advertisers and producers to take time to think and debate about their role, to see the bigger picture and celebrate craft."

This is your second time in Berlin – how does the location of your festival contribute to the content?

"It’s no news that Berlin is a bursting city, full of art, design and history (and stories). It is, definitely, an inspiring spot, with a unique character, something not that common in today’s world. An unusual and creative city seems to be the best place for an unusual and creative craft festival."

What would you say to those people who are still considering to buy a last minute ticket?

"Do it now or you’ll have to wait for another year to be part of a festival that is different, that is the right size and gathers the right people in the right place."

If you are going to Ciclope Festival this year then drop us a line to meet up with our team.