Nick Cunningham

He replaces Marion Döring who has been head of the European Film Academy since 1996

International prize to Radu Ciorniciuc’s Acasa, My Home. German award to The Long March Home (Weina Zhao and Judith Benedikt). Horizonte award to Sandra Beerends’ They Call Me Babu.

In the 1970s Ulrike Schaz was young, politicised and idealistic. But when she entered the Paris building where, two hours before, Carlos the Jackal had murdered two policemen, her life was to change for ever.

When Michael Kranz saw footage of a girl forced to work in a Bangladeshi brothel, he decided to do something about it, as evidenced in the Munich selection Was Tun.

Documentaries from Switzerland feature at DOK.fest Munich, both in the festival line-up and within the Marketplace presentations. Swiss Docs Catherine Ann Berger also reflects on the recent online Visions du Réel.

Former IDFA senior programmer Martijn te Pas has made the most of corona lockdown, deciding to launch a new documentary consultancy out of Stockholm. He explains all to Business Doc Europe.

Al Jazeera Short Pitch awards two projects, doubling prize money to US $100k

22nd Thessaloniki Documentary Festival (May 19 – 28) presents 210 documentaries from across the world, and three international competitions. Free access for Greek audiences up to 400 screenings per film.

At Visions du Réel, Canadian/Swiss filmmaker Peter Mettler discussed films, time and flying (and all of its inherent contradictions), during a fascinating and entertaining 2-hour online address.

Running 19-31 May 2020, the online selection runs to 35 documentaries including 13 tthat will compete for Best Documentary Award in the Official Panorama Section.