Davide Abbatescianni

Nardelli and La Rosa’s feature doc project is set in an isolated neighbourhood of Palermo, where three kids turn an abandoned building into a secret shelter. Together, they try to escape the violence of the outside world and share their dreams. “Here growing up means becoming part of a community wherein girls get pregnant at the age of 15, and boys drop out of school to get odd jobs or join the ranks of organised crime,” La Rosa told the Ji.hlava audience.

BDE takes a closer look at Dmytro Hreshko’s documentary Divia, pitched at this year’s New Visions Forum, hosted by Jihlava 2024. The film, fully financed and currently in post-production, examines the environmental impact of Russia’s invasion on Ukraine. “It’s hard to put some emotions into words because most of them are inside this project,” said Hreshko. “It’s really personal, and it’s hard to realise how many natural resources have been destroyed, mined, or occupied by Russian military forces.”

Haunted by the silence that defined his father’s life, director André Robert seeks to confront the legacy of intergenerational violence burdening the men in his family in his feature doc, currently in post-production and pitched at New Visions Forum. “I’m a queer filmmaker; I’m sure you know what ‘remaining silent’ means,” he told the professional audience at Ji.hlava.

On 29 October, Ji.hlava IDFF’s Industry Hub hosted a presentation and short previews of nine brand new Czech documentary films selected for the festival’s National Competition, all introduced by their authors. The showcase was hosted by Czech Television Deputy Editor-in-Chief Diana Tabakov. Czech Joy is the competition section for the best Czech documentary, celebrating “diversity of themes and cinematic expression.”

On 17 October, Rome’s MIA hosted a keynote titled ‘Unveiling Truth and Inspiring Change,’ delivered by the Oscar-winning producer Odessa Rae of US-based Raefilm Studios. Rae spoke about two of her most acclaimed works: Daniel Roher’s Navalny, an Academy Award, Sundance and BAFTA winner, and Ibrahim Nash’at’s Hollywoodgate which premiered at Venice 2023 and is set to be a frontrunner during the upcoming awards season.

On 16 October, MIA hosted a talk dedicated to Impact documentaries. During the event, the panellists shared their insights into crafting powerful stories that not only inform but also inspire action. The conversation saw the participation of, among others, France Télévisions Studio’s Head of Programmes Diego Buñuel, RAI filmmaker and journalist Giulia Innocenzi, Impact Partners VP of Production Kelsey Koenig, and Georg Tschurtschenthaler of German production outfit Gebrueder Beetz.

At MIA 2024, Business Doc Europe caught up with Andrea Cini, writer of The First Time, a feature doc chronicling Napoli FC's epic journey from underdog to footballing powerhouse, made possible by the arrival of Diego Armando Maradona in 1984. The project is pitched in the event’s Italians Doc It Better showcase.

At MIA 2024, BDE talked to Alessandra Cataleta, director of the Italian documentary Pulling My Own Strings, pitched in the Italians Doc It Better section of the Rome gathering. The feature in development, produced by Atomic, centres on the turbulent life of puppeteer Anna Cuticchio and is based on a treatment shortlisted for the prestigious Solinas Award for Theatrical Documentary in 2021.

Three weeks after its liberation from Russian forces, respected Italian war journalist Francesca Mannocchi navigates the devastated streets of Bucha, a city symbolic of the horrors of war. “The documentary reflects on suffering, resilience, and the power of storytelling, placing humanity at the centre of the ruins of conflict,” reveals the Ukrainian Whispers team.

The Paris-based producer/distributor took to the stage at the 10th MIA to discuss contemporary non-fiction storytelling and ZED’s rich slate of projects, as well as the business of doc. “By producing films, you don’t make a lot of money, but by distributing them, you can. Working on both production and distribution allowed me to balance my cash flow and made my business sustainable. That’s why I’m here today,” Catteau told Head of Doc & Factual,