Nick Cunningham

Leading Swiss docfest will present the Honorary Award during its 52nd edition (15 to 25 April 2021). The homage will include a masterclass, a ‘carte blanche’ of films that influenced Carrère’s own work, and a screening of his doc Retour à Kotelnitch (2003).

Considered one of world's most prestigious doc events, the IDA Documentary Awards were handed out at a virtual ceremony January 16. Best Feature Doc named as Crip Camp. Best Director: Garrett Bradley for Time. Cinematography nod to The Earth is Blue as an Orange. Dick Johnson is Dead picks up Editing and Writing gongs.

Andrea Prenghyová, Project Director of dok.incubator, tells Business Doc Europe what project teams should expect during the 2021 post-production workshops, and in return what she is demanding from this year’s submissions. “The most important thing for our selection is the material and its originality,” she stresses. “We are simply looking for good films.”

In 'They Call Me Babu', set against a backdrop of WW2 and the Indonesian War of Independence, Sandra Beerends makes visible the invisible, giving voice to a generation of indigenous nannies who, while caring for the children of Dutch colonists, had their gaze fixed on freedom, suffrage and emancipation from patriarchy.

The decision follows the Portuguese government’s announcement 13 January of a renewed lockdown and suspension of cultural activities. The festival stresses its commitment to rescheduling this part of its 20/21 programme when circumstances allow.

Documentaries receiving their world prems at the online Glasgow FF (24 February to 7 March) include Anthony Baxter’s 'Eye of the Storm' and 'Poly Styrene: I Am A Cliché'. With a strong emphasis on local stories, the overall festival programme contains six world, two European and 49 UK premieres.

Six films are nominated for the Dragon Award Best Nordic Documentary competition section, including IDFA Winner Radiograph of a Family (pictured). Five further documentaries selected for Voyage and Social Distance sections.

The festival component of the Biarritz doc fest may be postponed until French cinemas re-open, but the packed Industry Days programme will continue online 18-22 January. This includes the pitch of 24 new international projects, eight of which are from Visegrad countries. Festival director Christine Camdessus explains all to BDE.

The Dutch feature documentary They Call Me Babu by Sandra Beerends has been submitted for consideration in the Best Documentary Feature category of the 93rd Academy Awards. The film is produced by Amsterdam-based Pieter van Huystee Film and Netherlands broadcaster NTR.

Leading Danish doc fest will run April 21 to May 2 2021. Industry component scheduled for April 26-30. Decision made “to better allow for physical events and screenings in movie theatres,” a festival statement reads.