Nick Cunningham

International comp will comprise 12 feature/medium-length docs, Brazilian comp to present 7 features. Sundance winner 'Flee' to open the fest, Luiz Bolognesi’s 'The Last Forest' to close. Celebration of Chris Marker’s centenary; director Ruy Guerra and composer Caetano Veloso to be honoured with special programs. Festival to run April 8-18.

Copenhagen-based sales and aggregation outfit LevelK has acquired world sales rights for the Colombian documentary feature On the Other Side, selected for Hot Docs, about two brothers’ search for the FARC guerrillas who kept their mother hostage for 2 years.

Canadian docfest announced March 23 its line-up of films selected for the next edition, running online April 29-May 9. From 2,300 film submissions, the selection comprises 219 films from 66 countries within 12 programs. 50 per cent of the directors in the program are women.

Alexander Nanau discusses his shocking documentary Collective, nominated for two Academy Awards, which lifts the lid on both ministerial-level corruption and gross abuse of power in his home country of Romania.

Visionary Taiwan digital minister Audrey Tang, Iranian fake news expert/blogger Hossein Derakhshan, controversial economic commentator Grace Blakeley, award-winning producer Ted Hope and Hilda Flavia Nakabuye, founder of Fridays for Future Uganda to join CPH:CONFERENCE 26-30 April.

Simone van den Broek took over in March 2021 as Documentary Consultant at the Netherlands Film Fund with a determination to up the ante co-pro-wise and fire Dutch docs out into the world. But first, there is the matter of a pandemic to address…

29 projects to participate across Pitch, Work-in-Progress and Rough Cut Lab forums. Industry Awards, including 3 new cash prizes, to be granted by a jury comprising Roberto Olla (Eurimages), Italian director Roberto Minervini and Rasha Salti, Comm Editor for Arte France. VdR Industry to take place April 14-22, both online and on-site.

With $50,000+ up for grabs in prize money, the 20 projects selected for Hot Docs Forum 2021 represent 16 countries as far afield as Canada, Serbia, Japan and South Africa. The event runs live May 4-5 and will be subsequently published on the industry conference online platform for All-Access passholders.

Competition line-up comprises 64 titles, featuring 47 world premieres, 9 international premieres and 6 European premieres. 58% of the titles (or 37 films) are directed by one or more women (66% when including films co-directed by female and male directors). Fest runs April 21 – May 2.

Agnieszka Holland, Pedro Almodovar, Stephen Daldry and Peter Gabriel among artists adding their support in demanding the release of Pussy Riot’s Masha Alekhin and Lucy Shtein whose house arrest is anticipated to be extended for up to 18 months.