Nick Cunningham

Director Joke Olthaar and DoP Andre Schreuders talk about their precipitous alpine documentary Berg, shot at 2500 metres in Slovenia’s Triglav Natural Park, and selected for the 50th International Film Fest Rotterdam.

What is the point of documentary? What is the point of doc festivals? And given the plethora of rescheduled events competing for both industry and public attention, what is the point of Sheffield? To answer these questions Doc Fest director Cíntia Gil goes back to first principles with Business Doc Europe.

Doc Lab Poland, the documentary component of KFF Industry, kicks off June 2 as local doccers pitch their projects (in post-production) during the Docs to Go! programme. The following day the Docs to Start session! sees the pitch of a dozen brand new Polish projects. KFF Head of Industry Katarzyna Wilk discusses her professional event with Business Doc Europe.

The Greek market, running June 25 - July 4 will present “a series of actions,” aiming to strengthen documentary filmmaking in the wider geographical region, presenting new projects within its Forum, Docs in Progress and Agora Labs programmes, as well as shining the spotlight on the Serbian doc industry.

Institute of Documentary Film’s three-stage Ex Oriente Film training programme is focused on the development and funding of creative documentary films from Central and Eastern Europe. The first workshop will be presented online during the upcoming Sunny Side of the Doc.

The Original documentary Val, described as “a complete picture of actor and artist Val Kilmer with never-before-seen footage spanning 40 years,” is directed by Leo Scott and Ting Poo and marks the first feature in a slate of docs and doc-series produced by A24, the Academy Award-winning company company behind Minari, Lady Bird and Moonlight.

Netflix revealed May 27 the ten aspiring filmmaking teams from across the UK that it will fund as part of its inaugural Documentary Talent Fund. The ten filmmakers will receive up to £40,000 in financing to create their own documentary short film between 8-12 minutes long, answering the brief: “Britain’s Not Boring And Here’s a Story.”

The hybrid 61st Krakow FF kicks off May 30, running 8 days through June 6 and presenting 170 films across 3 competition and 12 non-competition sections. Festival director Krzysztof Gierat guides BDE through a film programme which emphasises the “protagonists' determination in their search for the truth and their fight against adversity.”

French theatrical distributor Urban Distribution has acquired the rights for the feature Swiss doc Kombinat, which premiered at Visions du Reel 2020 and since shown in numerous festivals, winning Jury Prizes at the 2021 Green Image Japan Film Festival and the Provinziale Festival in Germany. World sales are handled by Filmotor.

Taking place during 25th Ji.hlava IDFF (October 26-31), the 18th East Silver Market will again support producers and distributors from Central and East Europe. Approx 300 films from more than 29 countries to be selected. Upcoming submission deadlines: May 31 (final cuts), July 31 (rough cuts).