Nick Cunningham

In telling the story of ex-soldier and PTSD sufferer Kenny and his partner Kerry, who was sexually abused when she was a small girl, Scottish director Amy Hardie’s new documentary illustrates the power of therapy in overcoming severe trauma. “For me, it was very moving when Kerry said ‘I realise that suffering is not a given. I realise that anxiety doesn't have to be a lifelong condition. I realise that you can change feelings with thought,’” Hardie tells BDE.

Morrison is an executive producer and media consultant with a distinguished career in documentaries and factual programme-making and a long-term commitment to diversity and talent development. Previously CEO and Creative Director at the independent production company, Nevision, where she won BAFTA, RTS and Grierson Awards, Morrison was a trustee of BAFTA for seven years and the second woman to be its Chair.

€577,000 in support given to five doc features and one doc series in FFF’s latest funding round. Recipients include Fruitcakes – The Dawn of Drag by Vesa Kuosmanen, which was recently pitched at Finnish Film Affair and the the minority co-pro series Out Love (Sweden/Finland) by Hannah Reinikainen and Lia Hietala. Total FFF support granted in October amounted to €704,000.

IDFA Artistic Director Orwa Nyrabia announced October 15 the 13 films in International Competition this year at the Amsterdam-based docfest, one of which, About a Hero by Piotr Winiewicz, will open the festival on November 14. Nyrabia also announced the selections in its Envision, Luminous, Frontlight, and IDFA DocLab sections. “The diversity of artistic tendencies is staggering. The program introduces some of the most beautiful works of recent years, including a few instant classics,” he said. “It is a program that defends documentary cinema better than ever before.”

In Fauna, a Catalan shepherd grazes his flock in the woods beside a hi-tech lab that engages in animal testing, all during the time of Corona. Initially the film was going to focus on the lab’s work in finding an antidote to the virus, but its window looked out onto blissful and bucolic nature. “I told myself, if I find a story outside in these woods, this is going to be the film…and then I found the shepherd,” the director tells BDE.

Impact came to Berlin October 15 with the Good Media Pitch during which activist docmakers met non-profit organizations, foundations, civil society organisations, research institutes, policymakers, brands, and media representatives to address “today’s most pressing social and environmental challenges.” Six Impact campaigns were pitched on projects a diverse series of subjects. Each project was either completed or in late post-production.

In addition to the already announced Opus Bonum & First Lights International Competitions, the Testimonies will offer “the most daring documentaries from the fields of politics, nature and knowledge.” Czech Joy features the national competition and Fascinations and exprmntl.cz focus on experimental films. Meanwhile, Constellations will present the best docs form leading world festivals this year. The Czech film fest runs October 25 to November 3.

“For years, Movies that Matter has been dedicated to creating an internationally renowned platform for films about society, human rights, and activism,” says Margje de Koning, Artistic Director. "This recognition by the Academy is a significant acknowledgement of the filmmakers who, often under difficult circumstances, manage to bring their stories to life.”

The Cinéma du réel Competition comprises up to twenty international and up to twenty French documentary films of all durations. The 47th edition of the Paris-based festival runs March 22-29 2025. Only films completed after 15 January, 2024 are eligible. International films must be French premieres. Online submission deadline: 15 November 2024.

As of 2025, the Polish Millennium Docs Against Gravity festival will be an Oscar® qualifying event. “This means that the Grand Prix – Bank Millennium Award winner will have a clear path to the Academy Awards,” the festival writes. The deadline for submissions for the 22nd MDAG is January 6. The festival will take place May 9-18 2025 in cinemas, and from May 20 to June 2 online at mdag.pl.