This is the second year the Croisette has turned tartan. On May 18 there will again be a Scotland showcase at Cannes Docs. Four projects (Finlay Pretsell’s Cyclovia, Demelza Kooij’s Wolf Park, Gustav Littorin’s Elevated and Suki Chan’s Conscious) are being highlighted at the event, organised through Screen Scotland and Scottish Documentary Institute (SDI).
“We are very, very flattered to be there for the second year in a row,” says SDI Director Flore Cosquer of the Scottish doc delegation on the Riviera this weekend.
Conscious, produced by Aimara Reques of Aconite Productions, and now in the editing stage, explores dementia. Director Chan is an artist as well as a filmmaker. Here, she is exploring the limits of the human mind.
Cyclovia, described as an “immersive journey into the cycling scene in Colombia,” is produced by Sonja Henrici (Sonja Henrici Creates).
Elevated, a Scottish-Swedish co-production, looks at the experiences of a group of outsiders on the autism spectrum who bond through riding in elevators together.
Wolf Park focuses on a character who has obsessive dreams about wolves. Its producer is Anita Norfolk (Folk Film, Norway).
“For me, the fact that we have a lot of co-production is really a testament to the dynamism of Scotland,” Cosquer says of the increasing trend for Scottish directors and producers like those headed to Cannes to look for support internationally.
Scotland will be the ‘guest country’ at the next edition of Nordic Panorama in September – further evidence that Scottish doc makers are venturing far beyond home borders.
The Cannes showcase is aimed at projects in late production or in post-production. The idea is to give the documentaries a strong chance to find sales agent representation. “It’s a change to prepare for the life of the film once it is going to be completed. It is also an opportunity to meet with festival programmers and to secure the world premieres,” the SDI boss observes.
Last year, out of the four projects presented, three received offers for representation. This, then, is an excellent marketing and networking opportunity.
As it prepares to celebrate its 20th anniversary, the SDI is continuing to specialise in its usual production, distribution and training activities. Its “Bridging The Gap” programme continues to thrive. Six new filmmakers (Eva Babington, Mariana Duarte, Ciara Flint, Lipa Hussain, Theo Panagopoulos and Holly Márie Parnell) were commissioned in the latest round. Each received £8,500 in funding as well as in-kind production and distribution support.
“Their projects should be completed in the summer. In the meantime, several of the projects from last year are very successfully doing the rounds at festivals,” Cosquer says. She cites Friends on the Outside by Annabel Moodie about an imprisoned man searching for solace in nature, which won the Documentary Short Grand Jury Prize at Slamdance. Meanwhile, Big Moves (Sarah Grant) had its North American premiere at Hot Docs 2024 while A Border Between Us (Riad Arfin) won Best Short Film at the UK Asian Film Festival 2024 and was selected to DC/DOX while The Sound of the Wind (Maria Pankova) was chosen for Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, Big Sky Film Festival and DC/DOX 2024.
SDI is also shortly to hold the next edition of the Edinburgh Pitch event (28th May). This is aimed at international independent filmmakers and production companies raising finance for doc projects in late development, production or post-production. It’s also a networking event. The impressive list of panelists this year includes Charlotte Gry Madsen, SVT; Daniel Green, MUBI; Reva Sharma, Netflix; Luke Moody, Doc Society; Laura van Halsema, IDFA; Rebecca Lichtenfield, Inmaat Foundation; Ania Trzebiatowska, Sundance Film Festival; Jane Mote, The Whickers; Dani Carlaw, Screen Scotland, and Graham Fulton from CONIC.
“There is so much value in bringing the independent documentary community together at times that are not their easiest,” the SDI boss says of the strong support that participants receive from their peers. “It is such a difficult time in the UK currently [for documentary] in terms of funding, in terms of distribution, but the one hopeful note is that it feels the community is coming together. I have never felt so connected with all my colleagues as in the past year.”
Last year, SDI introduced the new initiative Write Now, aimed at Scottish-based filmmakers and intended to give them that vital push for kick starting their first or second features.
“It’s seed money, an early development grant just to support them writing.”
Cosquer feels that one of the main problems facing these doc makers is that they go into production too quickly, without fully thinking through their projects. “A trailer is demanded almost the second you have an idea,” the SDI boss notes.
The £3000 they receive through Write Now may not be a huge grant but it gives them much needed breathing space. “There is so much value in really having some time to write and research. Traditionally, it is the most underfunded moment in the life of a film because as a director you are expected to just work on it, develop it, in your own time with your own resources. For us, it was very important to be able to support filmmakers at that stage,” Cosquer says of the funding. The grants are ring-fenced. “They’re only for the director. They’re not something the producer can use for something else.”
The Institute has several new initiatives in the pipeline. One is around audiences and development. “You are haunted by the question – why support and make films if no-one watches them,” Cosquer reflects on why the Institute is working so hard on persuading cinemagoers to come back to cinemas to watch independent Scottish docs.
Another idea being explored is moving from project-based funding to filmmaker-based funding and exploring the possibility of a universal basic income for filmmakers in Scotland.
So, what will be happening to mark the 20th anniversary of the SDI? “We will hopefully be having a bit of a gathering. It’s likely to be in August,” Cosquer is a little coy on precise plans for the celebrations – but it looks a fair bet they will be happening during the Edinburgh Festival.
The Scotland showcase will be held on 18 May 2024, 10:00-11:15 (Lerins 4, Riviera).
