Nick Cunningham

National Film Board of Canada presents four world premieres exploring themes of identity and human rights by Indigenous, LGBTQ2+ and women film creators. The new docs (two features, two shorts) are by Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers, Sean Horlor and Steve J. Adams, Sheona McDonald and Courtney Montour.

CPH:DOX is set to mark the reopening of Danish cinemas with 120 films that will premiere on the big screen. All films from the festival's six competition programmes will screen in Copenhagen cinemas May 6-12. New world prem announced: Gabin Rivoire’s Laurent Garnier: Off the Record.

Polish documentaries are on the Industry agenda 29 April as seven projects at various stages are pitched to international decision-makers ahead of round-table meetings April 30.

Visions du Réel closed its doors April 27 on its hybrid 52nd edition, having garnered 46,600 admissions. “It was all so magical. I feel really proud that we made it,” said Artistic Director Emilie Bujès. "And of course we were very lucky with the timing, but also prepared. When the cinemas re-opened we were ready to adapt to it all.”

Director Johann Grimonprez and producers Daan Milius and Emmy Oost pitched their new project that fuses the promise of African decolonization in the 1960s, the rise of the US civil rights movement and the State Department’s mobilization of ‘jazz ambassadors’ for propaganda purposes.

Anna Serner, the progressive head of the Swedish Film Institute, will be stepping down from the role of CEO in the autumn of 2021. She has been in the post for ten years, during which she launched the ground-breaking 50/50by2020 gender equality initiative in 2016.

Ex Oriente organisers have extended the deadline for the submission of creative feature-length doc projects and docuseries from Central/Eastern Europe in development and early production, and which ‘challenge genres, format and media boundaries.’ Deadline extended to April 30.

Fifty-five projects have been selected for presentation to industry partners at the 16th edition of Sheffield DocFest’s flagship pitching forum, the MeetMarket (9-11 June). Furthermore, 22 projects are selected for Arts Talent Market, running in parallel.

The Norwegian/US Netflix Original feature doc Sisters on Track by Corinne van der Borch and Tone Grøttjord-Glenne tells the heart-warming story of three siblings (aged 9-12) whose prowess in running shoes is matched only by their indomitable charm and spirit, and by the guidance given them by a single mum and an inspirational coach.

Pippi Ehrlich and James Reed’s Netflix doc My Octopus Teacher wins Best Feature Doc Academy Award while Anthony Giacchino’s Colette, the story of a 90-year-old former French resistance member who visits the concentration camp where her brother was murdered during WW2, wins Best Short Documentary.