Japan is one of the countries that is central to the Venice Production Bridge, with Wallonia-Brussels & Luxembourg also in the spotlight. However, projects with Japanese directors, producers and financiers, in various combinations, can be found in both.

These projects will participate in the VPB’s Venice Gap Financing Market (Aug. 30-Sept. 1), where selected projects must have secured 70% of their financing. To find the missing 30%, filmmakers and producers will have one-on-one meetings with decision-makers from financiers to post-production houses.

Also under the VPB aegis is the Book Adaptation Rights Market (30 Aug.-1 Sept.). Thirty international publishers and literary agencies will participate, as well as two Japanese publishers as part of Focus Japan with the support of the Japan External Trade Organization.

VPB selects two focal points for each edition, one European and one international. A major reason Japan has taken the last place, says VPB head Pascal Diot, is that Japan and Italy recently signed a film co-production agreement.