Nick Cunningham

As of September 1 Korteweg will, with Artistic Director Margje de Koning, head up the organisation behind Amsterdam-based MtM, one of the world’s foremost human rights film festivals. Korteweg previously worked as Director Exhibitions at World Press Photo. He succeeds Ali Remmelts, who left the organisation in June, after 15 years. “Laurens understands like no other the power and impact of images and stories,” says de Koning.

Directed by Nenad Čičin-Šain and written by Čičin-Šain and Bill Carter, the film showcases the struggle of the citizens of Sarajevo during the city’s siege during the Bosnian War and the post-war concert performed by U2 “to help shine a light when the world wasn't paying attention.” The film is produced by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck for Pearl Street Films and Sarah Anthony for Good Wolves Productions.

The Vektor VR 2023 programme takes place within the framework of the Verzió Film Festival (Budapest), which celebrates is 20th edition November 22-29. The festival is looking for VR creatives whose work “delves deeper into our senses, methods of comprehension, and modes of interaction.” Additionally, the deadline for Verzió Young Documentary Film Critics Workshop (Nov 21-25) is September 8.

The Chilean/German Malqueridas by Tana Gilbert plays in Competition while Andres Peyrot’s God Is a Woman (France, Switzerland, Panama) will open the section. The Italian doc Passione critica by Simone Isola, Franco Montini, Patrizia Pistagnesi gets a Special Screening. Venice Critics Week runs 30 August to September 9. Malqueridas will compete for the Grand Prize of €5000 and the Audience Prize (€3000).

The Forum (24-26 Sept 2023) is the annual meeting place and funding event for Nordic doc professionals, looking to connect with a variety of Nordic and international decision-makers from TV, film institutes and regional film funds. 24 new documentary projects will be pitched to approx 70 attending decision-makers and 24 Observer+ projects have been selected for special access to meetings with the same decision-makers.

It was a shocking case that triggered an international media frenzy. In July 2000, 21-year old Lucie Blackman, from the UK and working as a hostess in a Tokyo bar, went missing. The case was initially baffling to Japanese detectives, but little by little they began to make progress, deciphering clues as to her disappearance and eventually homing in on a key suspect. In his new Netflix doc, Hyoe Yamamoto tells the heart-rending story of the search for Lucie from the detectives’ perspective.

The 20 docs will feature nine world, one international, seven regional and three B&H premieres. Filmmakers will compete for four awards including the Heart of Sarajevo for Best Documentary Film, valued at €4,000 and sponsored by the Government of Switzerland. Jury will comprise Chicken and Egg’s Iva Dimitrova, Niklas Engstrom (CPH:DOX) and director/producer Péter Kerekes. Sarajevo FF runs 11-18 August.

November 12 is the submission deadline for documentary films released after January 2023, and December 10 for documentary films in production. The Competition Programme consists of an International Competition and a Regional Competition. The 20th edition of Zagreb Dox runs April 14 to April 21 2024.

The festival will run 12-17 June in 2024 while MeetMarket will be presented 13 and 14 June. “Sheffield DocFest is a place for creative and international collaboration as well as an immersion in the world of documentary - from film to TV to new formats,” comments MD Annabel Grundy. “We are proud to play an important role as part of this ecosystem and cannot wait to welcome the community back to Sheffield next year.”

Selections so far include docs about the New York Dolls, (Personality Crisis: One Night Only by Martin Scorsese/David Tedeschi), the legendary Zombies (Hung Up on a Dream: The Zombies Documentary by Robert Schwartzman), and the cult American rock group Redd Kross (as documented by Andrew Reich in Born Innocent: The Redd Kross Story). The 21st edition of In-Edit will run 26 October to 5 November in Barcelona.