Nick Cunningham

On the day that his grandfather died, Greek director Nikos Ziogas finally decided to make the film he had always wanted to make, about the tiny village of Giromeri where, every Easter, the dead are serenaded in musical laments that are in equal part melancholy and joyous. The director talks to Business Doc Europe.

The eponymous Demetra K has a beautiful house in a friendly Athenian neighbourhood and loves her job. She is a workers rights campaigner, an animal lover and somewhat of a philosopher. As significantly she is also the flamboyant owner of an art deco brothel in Athens with one employee - herself. Director Stefani tells all to Business Doc Europe.

John Alexander’s new documentary, which world-premiered at Thessaloniki, tells the highly moving story of a woman rendered invisible for decades by a secret that had to be maintained by all parties. She was the love child of the legendary jazzman Louis Armstrong. Director Alexander explains more to Business Doc Europe.

Filmmakers Raphaël Dubach and Mateo Ybarra were on hand to record the full mobilization of the Swiss army (conscripted) during a simulated attack on Geneva and its environs. Their resulting film world-premiered this week at the leading Greek doc fest. The pair report to BDE.

Five Czech majority documentaries and one Serbian doc selected across Crystal Globe and East of West competitions, as well as Special Screenings. The 55th edition of the leading Czech festival to run August 20-28.

The Thessaloniki Doc Fest professional prizes were handed out June 30. Agora Docs continues its initiatives through to July 4. Fourteen projects participated in Thessaloniki Pitching Forum while ten projects from Southeastern Europe and the Mediterranean region were selected for Agora Docs in Progress.

Winners in the Doc Alliance feature and short film categories to be announced at the Doc Day Lunch of the Marché du Film in Cannes on Tuesday July 13. Doc Alliance is a network of 7 of the most influential European documentary film festivals.

Midnight June 30 is the deadline for submission of films and Nebulae projects for 19th Doclisboa (21-31 October), while FIPADOC (17-23 January 2022) opens its film registrations, with a deadline of 22 October.

CPH:DOX has declared itself open for film submissions for next year's festival which runs March 23 -April 3 2022. Deadlines are September 1 for finished films, and December 1 for films finished after the first deadline. Upcoming submissions deadline of July 6 for CPH:LAB, the festival’s talent development programme.

1500 industry professionals from 58 countries (including 380 decision-makers) and 891 companies (68% of which were beyond French borders) took part in the 32nd Sunny Side of the Doc online. Meanwhile, the 5th edition of PiXii Festival was held across La Rochelle, while offering industry professionals a digital and physical programme. All winners.