Nick Cunningham

‘Layers of Reality’ is the slogan of the 18th VERZIÓ Human Rights Documentary FF which kicks off across Hungary November 9, running to Nov 14 and presenting 64 films from 35 countries before going online from 15–21 November. “We feel our mission is to bring films that show the world in all of its complexity and diversity,” says Festival Director Oksana Sarkisova.

The Nordic Council Film Prize 2021 was awarded November 2 to Flee by director/screenwriter Jonas Poher Rasmussen, screenwriter Amin and producers Monica Hellström, Charlotte de la Gournerie and Signe Byrge Sørensen. The award was announced during the Nordic Council’s Autumn Session in Copenhagen.

The logline says it all, telling of two shamans, their tech-obsessed kids and a 1000-mile road trip that takes them back into the heart of the Amazon rain forest. Glasgow-based Basque director Borja Alcalde tells BDE about his doc that will be ready for early 2022, and which he describes as Little Miss Sunshine meets The Mosquito Coast.

It was the story that had the world on tenterhooks in 2018 as an international coalition of critical rescue and support teams, as well as an idiosyncratic group of caving enthusiasts, set out to rescue twelve young lads and their football coach from deep inside a flooded cave in Northern Thailand. Co-director E. Chai Vasarhelyi discusses the film, which opened in the UK on October 29, with Business Doc Europe.

DOC FORWARD is a project-driven co-production talent workshop for emerging Nordic documentary producers and directors. The focus is on new talent and nationally established directors with ambitions to go into international partnership with both new and established producers. Application deadline of November 22.

IDFA's Artistic Director Orwa Nyrabia also revealed selections for the main competitive sections; International and Envision Competitions, and IDFA DocLab Competitions for Immersive Non-Fiction and Digital Storytelling. Also cross section awards and 10 projects selected for the non-competitive IDFA DocLab Spotlight. The festival line-up comprises 264 titles.

The dust of the film’s title is what is discarded by men within the Vietnamese Sedang community when they retreat to the jungle during their annual process of spiritual cleansing. Director Franziska von Stenglin tells Business Doc Europe about this odyssey, as undertaken by main character Liêm and his three companions, that she recorded on 16mm.

Top international prize awarded to Lines by Barbora Sliepková. Best Czech doc is Brotherhood by Francesco Montagner. Testimonies award How to Kill a Cloud by Finnish Tuija Halttunen. Contribution to World Cinema award was granted to director Jana Ševčíková. Silver Eye Award 2021 for the Best Feature Film of the East Silver Market awarded to Sasha Kulak for Mara. All awards.

Arantza Santesteban’s 918 Nights wins Best International Film while Aline Lata and Helena Wolfenson’s The Safest Place in the World wins International Jury Award. Best Portuguese Film named as Distopia by Tiago Afonso. Portuguese Comp Jury Award to Half a Light-Year by Leonardo Mouramateus. In Cross-Sectional Competition, Sebastian Mihăilescu’s You Are Ceausescu to Me wins Best First Feature.

Golden Dove in German Competition goes to A Sound of My Own (pictured). Audience jury awards Dida. The Silver Dove for the best long documentary by an emerging director in International Competition is awarded to Karol Pałka for his first feature-length film Bucolic.