Miramax mans Mannheim Meetings

The four-day Mannheim Meetings saw 450 one-to-one discussions (compared with 320 last year) between 120 indie producers from around the world.

The strong turnout came despite the malaise plaguing the global film business -- or perhaps because of it: Producers buzzed from meeting to meeting in search of foreign partners and alternative ways to finance projects.

"It's the better alternative," said Olaf Aichinger, coordinator of the Mannheim Meetings. "We have a huge database of international producers, a catalog of 60 low-budget arthouse projects, and we preschedule the meetings."

Fest topper Michael Koetz admitted he nabbed the concept from Rotterdam's Cinamart but improved on it by setting up specific meetings between producers.

It impressed Maddy Elles-Hill, Miramax's coordinator of European production, who was scouting for projects and talent: "It was brilliantly organized and very useful to meet so many people from around the world."

Tero Kaukomaa, head of Helsinki-based Blind Spot Pictures, was in Mannheim looking for partners for his new project, "Jade Warrior," a Finnish-Chinese kung-fu fantasy that takes place in modern-day Finland and ancient China.

Kaukomaa, a regular visitor to Mannheim since it started in 1997, discussed the project with 16 producers -- most from Germany, the U.K. and Canada. Kaukomaa's recent pics, 2001's "Cyclomania" and 2000's "Geography of Fear," were co-produced by German and Danish partners found at Mannheim.

Other recent pics that found backing include Icelandic-German-Danish co-production "Fiasco," Mexican-German pic "Francisca" and Austrian-German films "Dog Days" and "Lovely Rita."

The organizers are using a similar concept for this year's new Sales & Distribution Market ending Thursday although attendance is expected to be low due to the recently wrapped Mifed film mart in Milan.

Many of the expected 40 distribs and 20 sales agents canceled after Mifed. Aichinger said the new market won't be scheduled so close to Mifed next year. The market is financed by EU subsidy org Media Programme and is limited to European participants.

The Mannheim-Heidelberg fest continues through Saturday.