Nick Cunningham

The 22nd CineLink Industry Days took place during 30th Sarajevo Film Festival, where projects in different formats and stages of development from Southeast Europe and the MENA region were presented. These included the Docu Rough Cut Boutique and Docu Talents from the East projects. On August 22, CineLink awarded prizes totaling €130,000 and €73,500 in-kinds across all sections, both documentary and fiction. Doc awards follow.

12 feature-length docs have been chosen for the Documentary Film section of the upcoming European Film Awards 2024. The selection honours “the greatest achievements in European cinema,” the Academy writes. Based on the subsequent votes of all members, the nominations will be made public on 5 November 2024, before the winner is announced on 7 December in Lucerne during the European Film Awards ceremony.

Small kids, small problems. Big kids, big problems. But then again, parents aren't always without fault. For as long as the Kolbas family can remember, father Silvestar has recorded the process of them growing up, warts and all. A decade ago he decided to turn the footage into a movie, continuing to record his family's ongoing evolution. “I believed that it would be a charming, fun and fluffy film, and not that it would turn into a drama. At that time, it did not seem that family relations would become so complicated," the director tells BDE.

Global streamer Netflix announced August 21 at the Edinburgh Television Festival that its Documentary Talent Fund will return for its third year in a bid to provide opportunities for under-represented filmmakers in the UK and Ireland. Five teams to each receive a budget of £30,000 to make a short doc. Deadline for applications closes 27th September. Completed documentaries to be launched in June 2025.

Nordisk Film & TV Fond announced August 20 this year’s nominees for the Nordic Council Film Prize. Doc noms are the Greenland production Twice Colonized (Sundance 2023, Grand Jury World Cinema Doc nominee), directed by Lin Alluna; and the Danish doc The Son and the Moon by Roja Pakari and Emilie Adelina Monies, which won NORDIC:DOX Award at CPH:DOX 2024. The €40,000 prize will be awarded October 22.

Amidst the desolation of war in Ukraine, nature stands as a silent witness, absorbing and beginning to heal from the scars of conflict. “This is observational meditative journey which contains neither dialogue nor a vocalized narration: its tone is set by the juxtaposition of images, music and sound design,” says Ukrainian producer Polina Herman. “A slow moving camera leads the viewer from harmonious nature to war and its consequences, and nature's attempt to recover."

The prizes followed the August 18 presentation of eight new projects from Central and Eastern Europe. During the ceremony, the representatives of Ji.hlava IDFF also revealed the names of the Emerging Producers 2025, a programme aimed at promoting talented European documentary film producers and providing them with a range of networking, educational and promotional support throughout the year.

In a remote Moldovan village, 42-year-old Elena defies social norms and family duties, embarking on a transformative journey to gain control of her life and pursue her dreams, even if it means leaving everything behind. “It is not just a documentary about one woman's journey; it is a testament to the human spirit and the quest for self-fulfilment,” producer Ion Gnatiuc tells BDE.

In conservative Bulgaria, a queer artist embarks on a journey of intimate home concerts before returning home to confront his past abuse by performing one final concert for his parents. “Our story is about all that can happen when you pursue your dreams against all fears, and society's opinion holding you back,” producer/director Kristina Nikolova tells BDE.

Polish master Tomasz Wolski returns with another archive-based doc, this time telling the story of Polish Jew Leopold Trepper, head of the legendary Soviet Red Orchestra and one of the most active spies of the WWII era. “The Big Chief will serve as a compelling narrative delving into the tumultuous and intricate era through which our fathers and grandparents navigated,” says producer Anna Gawlita of the Polish Kijora Film.