Nick Cunningham

The call for projects for the Rome-based Doc Co-Production Market will close July 8, 2024 (5 PM CET). The market accepts submissions across all genres and formats, at different stages of development (not yet in post-production). The projects must be suitable for international co-production, and aimed at representing “independent and diverse voices and perspectives.” The next edition of MIA runs October 14 to 18.

As Swedish artist Victoria Verseau examines her life more than a decade after the transition surgery she underwent in 2012, she also attempts to process the fragmented memories she has of her friend Meril who underwent similar surgery at the same time, but who died three years later. Verseau additionally follows Athena and Aamina, who are on their own journeys towards transition. “It’s a movie made by and about trans people, aiming for an honest portrayal of our lives,” says Verseau.

Al Jazeera Balkans Documentary Film Festival (AJB DOC) will examine the theme of ‘Justice?’ during its 7th edition, to be held 13-17 September 2024 in Sarajevo. “Art is tasked with dealing with issues of wider significance, sometimes painful, forbidden, ignored or marginalized, but too important to be quiet about. Our task is to give voice to those who have been denied it, and the festival theme of ‘Justice?’ speaks about and examines precisely that,” write AJB DOC organisers.

Over four days, the La Rochelle market hosted 2100 participants from 68 countries, over 1000 companies, 90 exhibitors, and 250 international decision-makers including major broadcasters, streamers, foundations, distributors, financiers, and museums from across the world. Award Winners from seven pitch sessions were announced plus numerous other cash and in-kind prizes.

The Czech doc fest reminds the international doc sector of its June 30 deadline, and unveils this year’s visual concept, that of islands, as authored again by the award-winning book graphic designer and illustrator Juraj Horváth. Ji.hlava will also present a major retrospective of directors Vit Klusák and Filip Remunda and their leading Czech production company Hypermarket Film. More news…

The award-winning documentary filmmaker Nicole Horanyi will head Zentropa’s new film initiative Zentropa Documentary, which aims to develop and produce documentary content in all formats, the company announced June 24. “I will collaborate with directors who dare to take a stand, push the boundaries of the genre, and tell stories with great originality,” she comments.

CIRCLE, the training programme and “safe space” for women and gender expansive filmmakers, has unveiled its cohort for the seventh edition of its flagship programme Women Doc Accelerator. Ten filmmakers and their projects have been chosen from 117 submissions by the selection committee of writer and producer Suzy Gillet, programmer and project manager Babette Dieu, producer Kesmat El Sayed, film scholar Jelena Mišeljić, and director/producer Rok Biček.

For the second year the 3-part Ex Oriente Series programme, dedicated to developing and supporting innovative docuseries projects from Central and Eastern Europe, kicks off at Sunny Side of the Doc. Six projects are selected. The programme continues in October 2024 at DOK Leipzig and in March 2025 at the East Doc Platform in Prague. The lead tutor is Ruth Reid, who is joined by Chris Westendorp, Catherine Chevassu, Malin Hüber, and Samuel Joyce.

ShareDoc founder Anne Marie Borsboom talks to Business Doc Europe about her QR code initiative that enables immediate financial engagement by audiences as soon as the credits roll. “We exist to amplify the social impact of documentaries for the protagonists/charities involved in the project,” she says. “We believe in guiding the audience towards immediate action while bridging the gap between the documentary industry and documentary lovers.”

The new Sunny Side of the Doc award bears the name of the Java Films founder, who passed away in 2023 and “who always loved coming to La Rochelle.” The €3,000 prize will be awarded to a project in the Global Issues or New Voices pitch that "best engages with the humanitarian issues of today or inspires us to make a difference."