Nick Cunningham

Al Jazeera Balkans Documentary Film Festival has put out the call for filmmakers and production companies to participate in the seventh edition of the Festival, which will take place in Sarajevo September 13-17 2024. AJB DOC Film Festival is organized by the TV broadcaster Al Jazeera Balkans in cooperation with Al Jazeera Media Network, Al Jazeera Documentary Channel and Al Jazeera Media Institute in Doha. The submission deadline is May 27 2024.

The Copenhagen docfest revealed Feb 15 the films nominated across all six award categories. The selection features 66 films in competition, of which 47 are world premieres, 17 international premieres and 2 European premieres. For the second year row, all films in the main competition celebrate their world premieres in Copenhagen. CPH:DOX runs March 13-24.

CPH:CONFERENCE, curated in partnership with the Documentary Campus, unveiled Feb 14 its line-up for 2024. Back within a “refreshed format,” this year’s edition will gather industry leaders and visionaries “to share their experiences, insights, and strategies for fostering inclusivity and collaboration in the documentary landscape, and to rediscover unconventional approaches that defy the norms of non-fiction.” The theme of the conference is ‘Re-building Narratives’ and guest filmmakers include Alex Gibney, Johan Grimonprez and Laura Huertas Millán.

The programme is supported by the European Union's Creative Europe - Media Programme and the participating European national film promotion institutes (EFP's member organisations), and is open again to 20 producers from 20 different European countries. Once again the programme will be hybrid, consisting of a 3-day online pre-festival (30 April - 2 May) and on-site networking events during the Cannes Film Festival (18 - 22 May).

Visions du Réel announced Feb 13 that American filmmaker John Wilson will be Special Guest for the festival’s 55th edition running 12-21 April. Wilson is largely recognised for his 2022 Primetime Emmy Award-nominated documentary series 'How To with John Wilson'. To accompany a selection of episodes from his series and earlier works, Wilson will take part in a public discussion, as well as curate a carte blanche.

Christensen has over two decades of experience in the documentary industry, working for the last 10 years for Copenhagen based production company Final Cut for Real. “I am deeply honoured to return to my roots and contribute to a community I hold dear. As the industry continues to evolve, it is essential to uphold Nordisk Panorama's esteemed legacy, ensuring its relevance while fostering innovation and adapting to the ever-changing landscape,” she says.

The Copenhagen docfest also unveiled the first batch of confirmed decision makers and the new awards at CPH:INDUSTRY. The event will take place in Copenhagen from Monday to Thursday, March 18-21, 2024, with CPH:WIP and CHANGE presentations taking place on Monday March 18. The CPH:DOX festival runs March 13-24.

The UK opening follows the film’s June 2023 Tribeca premiere and a preview Q&A tour which saw director Jeanie Finlay and subject Aubrey Gordon travel across the UK and Ireland to sold out screenings. Made over six years, the film charts the rise of writer and activist Aubrey Gordon from anonymous blogger to NYTimes best-selling author and podcaster. Her aim has been “to facilitate a paradigm shift in the way we see fat people and the fat on our own bodies.”

The 26th Thessaloniki International Doc Fest will showcase the internationally acclaimed artist, director, choreographer, visual artist and performer, and illustrate the “multifarious aspects of [this] artist through different forms of art and expression, redefining the boundaries of representation, the allegorical power of images and the communication between a work of art and the audience.” TIDF runs 7-17 March 2024.

Sunny Side of the Doc announced Feb 7 the project Replica as winner of the Global Pitch Award for Global Change. The pitch event took place online 6-7 February. Replica is directed by Chouwa Liang and produced by Axel Rise Films (Australia) and The Why Foundation (Denmark). The fourth edition of the event focused on doc projects dealing with issues linked to the sustainable development objectives as defined by the United Nations.