Nick Cunningham

Leading Greek doc fest to focus on travel and our relationship with it in an online tribute programme to run March 4-14. The festival is being presented in two parts in 2021, kicking off in March before its main presentation June 24 to July 4.

Two feature docs in main competition. Four feature docs in Berlinale Special (two of which focus on world-renowned singers - ‘Tina’ and ‘Per Lucio’). Berlinale 2021 kicks off March 1-5 with an online, industry-focused event before a Summer Special planned for June 9-20 that will feature physical screenings.

Les Films de l'Etranger, GoldenEggProduction, Lokman’s sister Rasha al-Ameer and his wife Monika Borgmann, invite doc industry to co-sign open letter addressed to leading European politicians, including Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission.

“The cinematic gazes of strong female directors, critical new cinema from the Middle East, as well as Indigenous and queer narratives are setting clear focal points in the Panorama,” comments Panorama’s Michael Stütz. “Each film in the second edition of Encounters is a line that crosses an unknown field,” adds Berlinale Artistic Director Carlo Chatrian.

Fifteen films to advance to next phase of voting in Documentary Feature category. Alexander Nanau’s Collective and Maite Alberdi’s The Mole Agent also shortlisted in International Feature category. Ten films to advance in Documentary Short category. Oscar nominations to be announced on March 15, ceremony on April 25.

Oscillating between between doc and fiction, the 51st Berlinale Forum stresses how, more than ever this year, the section “focuses on works that deal with uncertainties in the world outside by embracing unpredictability in their plots and structures.”

Tine Fischer, founder and CEO of CPH:DOX, will leave the festival after its 18th edition (April 21-May 2) to take over as Director of The National Film School of Denmark. Fischer founded the Copenhagen doc fest in 2003, and since 2019 has been CEO of Copenhagen Film Festivals which also includes CPH:PIX and the children’s film festival BUSTER.

Fifteen docs progress to Round Two within the Best Documentary category. Docs also prominent across other categories including Best Non-English Language and Outstanding British Writer/Director/Producer Debut categories. The nominations will be announced 9 March 2021.

First online edition of Global Pitch, a 2-day pitch forum organised by Sunny Side of the Doc, awarded its Grand Prize on 3 February to The Hungarian Playbook produced by Florian Schewe of Film Five (Germany) and directed by Bence Máté.

Vincent Boy Kars arrives at CineMart with ‘Future Me’, the third part of his millennial trilogy that attempts to understand the collective psyche of his generation. In his new project he presents and examines his developing self as he progresses into a very personal, very Karsian, future.