Nick Cunningham

Entries opened April 1 for the 2021 Grierson Awards. New categories include Best Music Doc, Best Sports Doc and Grierson Hero of the Year. Best Cinema Doc category suspended for 2021 only. Natural History category expanded to include documentaries on the environment. Awards ceremony 10 November in London.

It may be approaching the close of its reconfigured 2020/21 edition, but plans are already at advanced stage for Doclisboa’s next edition, to run 21-31 October 2021. The Portuguese doc fest invites entries for films and industry projects, deadline June 30.

Inside the Red Brick Wall to open the 12th Taiwan International Doc Fest (April 30 - May 9). Shot by the anonymous collective Hong Kong Documentary Filmmakers, the film chronicles the 13-day stand-off between the police and protesters at the HK Polytechnic in November 2019.

German Films is again promoting its talent to the world in 2021 via its Face to Face series. This year all the talents are women, and each represents a core specialism within the film industry. Freya Arde, the first composer to be selected for the programme, harmonises with Business Doc Europe.

CPH:DOX presented March 30 its 2021 selection of 180 new films, interactive art, live debates and talks with artists, experts and opinion makers. The digital festival will be available on CPH:DOX’s digital platform April 21 to May 5. Between May 6 and May 12, a selection of films will be screened in Copenhagen newly-opened cinema theatres.

Running online 16 to 25 April 2021, the Dutch human rights festival launches two new international competitions: the Grand Jury Documentary Award and Grand Jury Fiction Award. Eight films will compete for each award, valued at €5,000, selected from the festival’s programme strands. New industry programme to run 19-21 April.

“From the meteors of the past to the climate solutions of tomorrow. From outer space to the insides of the brain.” This year CPH:SCIENCE presents an all-encompassing programme that puts our relationship to tech, research and natural science under the microscope with ten international films and live debates.

The 52nd edition of Visions du Réel (15-25 April) will present 142 films from 58 countries. 82 films will be presented as world premieres and 16 as international premieres. “This powerful and eclectic 2021 selection will once again enable us to take into account the independence and the emancipation of contemporary doc filmmaking,” says Artistic Director Emilie Bujès.

Leading Paris-based sales house acquires Hungarian Alexa Bakony’s tender portrait of a family dealing with teenage gender dysphoria. Colors of Tobi world-premiered at BFI Flare: London LGBTIQ+ Film Festival.

The Copenhagen docfest will now run April 21 to May 12 and is working on a special film programme to hit the big screen when doors re-open. In addition, David Byrne, Marina Abramovic, Seyran Ates and numerous Danish/international artists, experts and public voices to take part in the festival’s Big Digital Live event.