residents
2014
Philippe Barriere
Philippe Barrière is a writer and script editor from France. He has a Masters in philosophy and formal logic at La Sorbonne University.
Andreea Bortun
Andreea Bortun is a Romanian writer and filmmaker, a graduate of UNATC, Bucharest and BARD College Berlin. Andreea’s debut short Blue Spring was selected in 2015 for the official competition of the 40th Toronto International Film Festival, and her second short film, Love Locker was purchased by France 3, to be broadcasted in 2016. She has been an active contributor for various film and art magazines, is an alumnus of several prestigious international training programs and since 2006 is the co-president of the biggest Theatre Festival for Youth in Romania (Ideo Ideis), an event supported by actors Jeremy Irons and Marcel Iures. She is the co-founder of Pustnik, an international writers’ residence. From time to time, she also works as a playwright. She had her debut in a theatre show directed by Neil LaBute, and her first play (Ashes Afar) was part of Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2015.
Bryn Chainey
Bryn was born in London but, after the family’s roof blew off during the Great Storm of 1987, the Chaineys migrated to Australia for what is fashionably known as ‘a better life’. From here things got even worse and Bryn eventually became a filmmaker. He graduated from Griffith Film School at the age of 21. During his studies Bryn was also a coach and writer-in-residence for the youth drama school, the Australian Acting Academy. In 2009 he participated in the Berlinale Talents, where his screenplay Jonah and the Vicarious Nature of Homesickness received a production grant and then emerging director’s prize at the following year’s Berlinale. His next short, Moritz and the Woodwose was screened in more than 50 international festivals, including Edinburgh and Warsaw. Aside from short films, Bryn directs music videos, co-founded Pustnik Writers Residence, and continues to avoid storms and roofs.
Nagy V. Gergo
Nagy V. Gergő studied sociology, aesthetics and screenwriting, and is currently a doctoral student in Film at the University of Theatre and Film Arts in Budapest. He has written for some major Hungarian cultural publicatons and a great many minor ones. He works as a critic and screenwriter. His films have been in competition in Cannes, Sarajevo and Sao Paulo. At the moment he is develoing a script with György Pálfi.
Arne Kohlweyer
Arne Kohlweyer was born in 1981 in Wolgast (Island of Usedom) and grew up in Berlin. After studying literature in Frankfurt/Oder, film theory in Göteborg and photography in Graz, he finished in 2008 his post-graduate studies in film directing at FAMU in Prague.
Arne has made various short films and directed for German television. He was a Berlinale Talent in 2009 (Script Station) and 2010 (Talent Project Market). Additionally Arne has been a participant of the European Short Pitch 2010, the Locarno Summer Academy 2012, the Reykjavik Talent Lab 2012, MIDPOINT's Training the Trainers-program 2013 and Torino Film Lab 2014.
Arne is a member of the German Screenwriter's Guild (VDD) since 2010. He is currently in his fifth year coordinating the Script Station of Berlinale Talents and since 2014 he is also Head of Development for 42film in Halle/Saale.
Frances Poletti
In 2013 Frances completed her screenwriting masters from the National Film and Television School. Her graduation film MISS TODD won Gold at the 2013 Student Oscars. A first in 40 years for an animation in the Foreign Film Category, the film was then long listed for the 86th Academy Awards 2014. WOODLAND, which Frances wrote and directed, was in competition at Underwire Festival, where she was nominated for Best Director with lead Shannon Tarbet winning Best Actress. Stop-motion musical MISS TODD, exploring the life of the first female aeronautical engineer, played over 50 festivals worldwide, winning 16 awards, including a Student Oscar and a Royal Television Society Award. Frances and co-writer/ director Kristina Yee were part of the BAFTA and NFTS ‘Stars of Tomorrow’ showcase in 2014. They have just finished writing MISS TODD the feature. In 2015, MISS TODD AND HER WONDERFUL FLYING MACHINE was released as a children’s book. With publishers, Compendium Inc., Frances and Kristina brought Miss Todd’s story to life on the page. After the book’s success, they will be working with Compendium again, to celebrate the incredible story of how BOBBY GIBB became the world’s first female marathon runner. The book is due for release in 2017. Salon Pictures is producing Frances’ sci-fi feature MEET ME IN TEN YEARS. Sharon Horgan, (Pulling, Catastrophe, Divorce) is attached to direct.