© Brigitte Bouillot

LIM | Less is More

The European feature film development programme for committed filmmakers in a changing world

Supported by Creative Europe – MEDIA Programme of the European Union, LIM | Less is More is led by Le Groupe Ouest (France), developed with Control N (Romania), Vlaams Audiovisueel Fonds – VAF (Belgium), and Krakow Festival Office – KBF (Poland), in partnership with the Norwegian Film Institute, Région Bretagne (France), Focal (Switzerland), MOIN Film Fund Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein (Germany), as well as Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland and Ffilm Cymru Wales.

LIM Training Programme for writers / directors

LIM is welcoming writers & directors from (and/or living in) the European Union, Eurimages Countries and non-EU countries participating in the Creative Europe Programme, as well as the United Kingdom*, applying with a fiction project at an early stage of development.
LIM is also open to candidates coming from theatre, documentary and visual arts.

Sixteen filmmakers, selected each year from all over the world, wanting to develop a feature film project with limitations in budget, film development and production structure. In addition, a selection of twelve Development angels, film professionals – creative producers, story-editors, development executives, commissioning editors… wishing to strengthen their skills in the development of feature film projects.

LIM Training Programme for Development angels

Limitations as a creative tool & a trigger for a more in-depth creative process

LIM | Less is More aims to help filmmakers, writers, producers and development professionals of the continent, fully integrate limitation as a creative tool and a trigger for a more in-depth creative process right from the start.

The Development Training Program is open to 1st, 2nd or 3rd feature films. Sixteen writers or writer-directors and twelve emerging producers or development execs, called Development angels, are selected each year from all over Europe. Supervised by high-level script consultants from March to October, they attend three one-week workshops set in a rural village providing total immersion in an ecological retreat.

Before the third workshop, LIM MEET, a two-day Showcase Event is organised for participants to meet a wide scope of industry professionals (producers, co-producers, sales agents…) in order to test development strategies and potentially start future collaborations for each film.

Parallel to the main training programme, the annual organisation of online masterclasses on “LIM’s approaches and new tools in script development”, “the virtues of limitations and the impacts on creativity”, LIM organises Boosting Ideas workshops for all its European partners (film centers, regions..), training young talent in a solid elaboration and exploration phase prior to the writing phase. This helps gain time and substance when launching into the actual act of writing.

© Brigitte Bouillot
© Brigitte Bouillot
© Brigitte Bouillot
© Brigitte Bouillot
© Brigitte Bouillot
© Brigitte Bouillot
© Brigitte Bouillot

LIM Manifesto

LIM | Less is More has been set up to empower a generation of filmmakers determined to open new avenues and find new audiences by tackling new issues. Our motto is Igor Stravinsky’s “The more art is bound by limitations, the freer it is”.

We live in an age of over-consumption and deep ecological concern. Humanism is in jeopardy and society is struggling to generate meaning. Stories lie at the heart of what makes us human. Cinema is a powerful storytelling tool for today. Plugged into our dreams and nightmares it helps restore our ability to create meaning, for present and future generations.

LIM uses creative limitations as a tool. Its spirit and ambitions far exceed the straightforward business of restricting budgets. Self-imposed limitations help dig deep into character and emotion. They are a catalyst for ground-breaking film-experiences.

This way, clever limitation strategies help reveal a filmmaker’s singularity, giving his or her work a strong advantage in an overcrowded market. Indubitably, introducing limitations early in the writing process increases a film’s chances of being filmed rapidly.

The job of a screenwriter is to streamline apparent complexity. A well-understood limitation strategy triggers strong formal choices that can help make the game of a more singular imagination meaningful to all.

 

Who can apply?

LIM is open to filmmakers who have already written or made at least one short film selected in national and/or international festivals. It is also open to proven talent from the visual arts, documentary film and theatre. The working language during the workshops and for the rendering of texts is English.

LIM programme includes three one-week workshops between March and October, as well as a customised event, LIM MEET, held in Plouneour-Brignogan, which will benefit from the input of cinema industry professionals from all over Europe.

More

Projects are submitted online in a dedicated area when the Call for Projects is open.

More

© Brigitte Bouillot
© Brigitte Bouillot
© Brigitte Bouillot
© Brigitte Bouillot
© Brigitte Bouillot
© Brigitte Bouillot
© Brigitte Bouillot

Partners 

Aneta Zagoórska Poland 2017
Gabi Suciu Romania 2017
Fred Prémel Brittany, France 2017
Jelena Miseljic Montenegro 2017
Hélène Mitjavile France 2018
Glykeria Patramani Greece 2018
Maaike Neve Netherlands 2018
Ana Maria Pirvan Romania 2018
Andraž Jerič Slovenia 2018
Selin Karli Turkey 2018
Jessica Loveland United Kingdom (UK) 2018
Eamonn Cleary Ireland 2018
Thomas Guentch France 2018
Anthea Devotta India 2018
Céline Pourveur Belgium 2019
Aleksandra Kostina Ukraine 2019
Joanna Solecka Poland 2019
Héloïse Ballade-Noe France 2019
Patricia Drati Danemark 2019
Elena Stanisheva Macedonia 2019
Susana Santos Rodrigues Portugal 2019
Michal Oleszczyk Poland 2019
Karla Lulic Croatie 2019
Alki Politi Greece 2019
Patrice Nezan France 2019
Marina Gumzi Slovenia 2019
Clarisse Goulart Brazil 2020
Ilse Schooneknap Belgium 2020
Aiste Dirziute Lithuania 2020
Magnus Kristiansen Norway 2020
Colette Quesson France 2020
Eva Chillón Spain 2020
Daniela Cölle Slovakia 2020
Ciaran Charles Ireland 2020
Tamara Babun Croatia 2020
Anna Bielak Poland 2020
Benjamin Taylor Scotland 2020
Eva Zabezsinszkij Hungary 2020
An Feyfer Belgium 2021
Amélie Quéret France 2021
Michal Reich Czech Rep. 2021
Almudena Monzu Spain 2021
Natalia Libet Ukraine 2021
Alice Lusher Wales 2021
Mariana Schneider Germany 2021
Rafael Sampaio Brazil 2021
Mar Vila Barcelo Spain 2021
Marika Kozlovska Latvia 2021
Sile Culley Ireland 2021
Nadja Lapcevic Serbia 2021
Andrès Bartos Spain 2022
Diana Caravia Romania 2022
Vitkorija Cook Lithuania 2022
Mirna Everhard Netherlands 2022
Cecilie Aspenes Norway 2022
Harry Flöter Germany 2022
Jules Reinartz Luxembourg 2022
Aleksandra Zakharchenko Ukraine 2022
Miriam Newman Scotland 2022
Judith Lichtneckert Switzerland 2022
Mira Staleva Bulgaria 2022
Kirsi Saivosalmi
The Netherlands & Finland 2022
Rebecca Anastasi Malta 2023
Nina M. Barbosa Blad Norway 2023
Marek Čermák Czech Republic 2023
Penny Davies Scotland, UK 2023
Paul FitzSimons Ireland 2023
Clara Kiskanc Switzerland 2023
Elena Martin Romania 2023
Gaia Meucci-Astley Italia & UK 2023
Nicola Ofoego Ireland & England, UK 2023
Joyce Palmers Flanders, Belgium 2023
Gemma Pascual Catalonia, Spain 2023
Anja Wedell Germany 2023

These films were developed with LIM | Less is More