The successful launch of the Belarusian Independent Film Academy took place on February 17 at the Berlinale European Film Market. The room at the Martin Gropius Bau, at the heart of the EFM, was packed with attendees. The team of the Academy’s founders was supported by several prestige organizations and their representatives from the fields of culture and cinema.

Congratulatory words for the Belarusian Independent Film Academy were said in person by Claudia Roth, German Federal minister for culture and the media, Mariette Rissenbeek, Berlinale’s executive director, European Film Academy CEO Matthijs Wouter Knol and German Films Managing Director Simone Baumann. Every one of them publicly offered support for the newly founded Film Academy.

Matthijs Wouter Knol officially announced that the Belarusian Independent Film Academy will become the first new member of the European Film Academy association this year. In Claudia Roth’s strong speech she said: “We should not allow Belarus to be forgotten”, – and then added: “I think it's a very important step forward that there will be a Belarusian Independent Film Academy. In this Academy filmmakers in exile will have a basis for their work and perspective for their lives. From the bottom of my heart I hope that this initiative, this Academie will be successful”.

Later at the Academy's event, 10 Belarusian upcoming film projects were presented. Authors pitched their feature and documentary films in the making to the enthusiastic audiences and attending press. The presentation included films by co-founders of the BIFA Aliaksei Paluyan, Darya Zhuk, Andrei Kutsila, Volia Chajkouskaya and also by invited filmmakers Mara Tamkovich, Sasha Kulak, Vlada Senkova, Ksenia Halubovich, Nikita Lavretski and Marta Veras.

Academy declared a wish to unite independent Belarusian filmmakers both in exile and within the country and to create a strong platform which supports member’s film projects by helping with funding, finding partners, festival launches etc.

The founding group includes directors Darya Zhuk, Aliaksei Paluyan and Andrei Kutsila, producer, film director and director of the Northern Lights film festival Volia Chajkouskaya, senior programmer and consultant Ihar Sukmanau and film critic Irena Kaciałovič. The team also organized the work of the stand of the Belarusian Independent Film Academy at the second EFM venue – Marriott Hotel. Belarusian participation in the European Film Market turned out to be the most active to date in the years of Berlinale existence.