Japan is one country in focus at the Venice Production Bridge, with Wallonia-Brussels & Luxembourg also under the spotlight. Projects with Japanese directors, producers and backers, in various combinations, can be found in both, however.

These projects will participate in the Vpb’s Venice Gap-Financing Market (Aug. 30-Sept. 1), whose selected projects must have 70% of their financing secured. 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 (Aug. 30-Sept. 1). Thirty international publishing houses and literary agencies will participate, as will two Japanese publishers as part of Focus Japan with the support of Japan External Trade Organization.

Vpb selects two focuses for each edition, one European and one international. A big reason Japan landed the latter slot, says Vpb head Pascal Diot, is that Japan and Italy have recently signed a film co-production agreement.