Nick Cunningham

Guinean teenager Fanta is the acrobatic star of Marjolijn Prins’ feature debut, which world-premieres August 11 in Locarno Kids Screenings. Produced by Ellen De Waele and Mirna Everhard of Serendipity Films (Belgium), the film follows the girl as she seeks a place, together with her best friend Makhissa, within the world-renowned Amoukanama Circus. “Fanta’s discipline, openness, and drive to become an acrobat stood out immediately,” the director observes. “As I spent time with her, I saw the potential for a nuanced film about empowerment.”

Ji.hlava IDFF has unveiled the seven projects that will be presented at the 21st edition of Docu Talents from the East 2025, taking place at the Sarajevo Film Festival on August 17. Since 2005, Docu Talents has been a core industry event attended by festival advisors, distributors, buyers, and international journalists, showcasing some of the best documentary projects from the region.

TIFF announced August 6 its 2025 Docs programme which features 23 titles from 18 countries, and which includes 16 world prems. This year’s line-up includes new work by a host of celebrated doccers such as Jimmy Chin, Chai Vasarhelyi, Tamara Kotevska and Peter Mettler. Academy Award-winning Ben Proudfoot will open the section with The Eyes of Ghana, exec-produced by Barack and Michelle Obama. The 50th edition of TIFF will run September 4–14, 2025.

Swiss filmmaker Antshi von Moos discusses her feature documentary, world-premiering in Locarno, in which she explores the hyper-complex, borderline magical, connections between plants, insects and humans. The flying scents of the title are the volatile organic compounds used by plants and microbial organisms for communication (or, to put it scientifically, chemical signalling). “I wanted to make the plants perceptible as living beings,” Von Moos tells BDE. “And I wanted to find ways not to just talk about the plants, but also to make their hidden worlds tangible visually and also acoustically.”

The International Factual Forum is a pitch event dedicated to “celebrating and advancing talent and original international factual formats,” while Italians Doc It Better is dedicated to Italian documentaries in post-production, rough cut or completed, but not yet presented or screened at markets, festivals, showcases, cinemas, TV or platforms. Deadline for submission: August 10. The ninth edition of MIA will take place in Rome October 6 to 10.

Three documentary projects are selected within this year’s Sarajevo Film Festival CineLink Work-in-Progress programme that showcases “the most compelling new features emerging from Southeast Europe and the MENA region.” New prizes include the HBO Award (€30 000 cash) and the Avanpost Media Award (€30 000 in kind). The 31st Sarajevo FF will be held 15 to 22 August 2025.

Sold internationally by CAT&Docs, the feature documentary She gives voice to some of the 80,000 workers in one of the largest electronic industrial plants based in Vietnam, where 80% of the basic workforce are women who work 12-hour shifts, day and night. All protagonists are connected by the exploitation they are subjected to every day. Italian distribution rights are held by AntropicA and PFA Films, while Les Films de l’oeuil sauvage will distribute the film in France.

Fantastique is a magic‑realistic documentary that follows 14‑year old contortionist Fanta in Guinea Conakry. Fanta juggles between the care for her ailing mother, school and what she loves the most; training as one of the only girls within an acrobatic group, with the hopes of joining their next big tour. Trying to bridge all expectations, Fanta starts to doubt what she really wants. The film is produced by Ellen De Waele and Mirna Everhard (Serendipity Films, Belgium), who are also handling sales.

The 5-day intensive documentary development workshop will take place 8–12 November 2025 at the Central European University Budapest Campus. Applications are sought from directors, editors and producers with first or second feature-length documentary projects. The Lab focuses on story development and editing, offering emerging European docmakers the opportunity to strengthen their projects with the guidance of experienced mentors. The deadline for applications is July 31.

The 2025 edition of Nordisk Panorama Forum and Market (18-23 September) will present 54 projects from 140 entries. “The selection includes notable filmmakers who make their return to Nordisk Panorama as well as new talent emerging on the Nordic scene," write organisers.