AJB DOC 24

Georgia, November 2003. For three days the family of President Eduard Shevardnadze finds itself at the epicentre of the country’s pivotal Rose Revolution. Producer Sergey Yahontov outlines to Business Doc Europe why professionals and audiences alike should invest in the feature doc, directed by Shevardnadze’s grand-daughter Sophie. “This film is a deep emotional personal experience for our director. It’s a story of the 23-year-old Sophie documenting her beloved relatives in a critical situation,” says Yahontov ahead of his September 15 presentation.

Inside Gaza tells the highly pertinent and powerful story of “a war most international media have been banned from covering,” as told through the experiences of Agence France-Presse (AFP) reporters trapped in Gaza. “Our film brings the unique perspective of what happened in Gaza, seen through the eyes of professional witnesses working for an independent international news agency, dedicated to fact-based journalism,” producer Yann Ollivier tells Business Doc Europe.

The seventh Al Jazeera Balkans Documentary Film Festival (AJB DOC), running September 13 to 17 in Sarajevo, will examine the question of ‘JUSTICE?’ and “bear witness to the violence against Palestinians and address the world's economic and political turbulences,” says Festival director Edhem Fočo. “We wanted to focus on the issue of Gaza and Palestine. It pains us that other film festivals have somewhat overlooked this topic, as if it were not the most important issue today."

The 5-member international jury who will select the Best Film in AJB DOC Competition comprises Deborah London-Harrington, documentary filmmaker and Head of Production Management at Dogwoof; Namik Kabil, film director and writer; Mila Turajlić, documentary filmmaker; Francesco Montagner, documentary filmmaker, and Myriam Francois, journalist and documentary filmmaker. The 7th AJB DOC FF will take place in Sarajevo from September 13-17.

Al Jazeera Balkans Documentary Film Festival (AJB DOC) will examine the theme of ‘Justice?’ during its 7th edition, to be held 13-17 September 2024 in Sarajevo. “Art is tasked with dealing with issues of wider significance, sometimes painful, forbidden, ignored or marginalized, but too important to be quiet about. Our task is to give voice to those who have been denied it, and the festival theme of ‘Justice?’ speaks about and examines precisely that,” write AJB DOC organisers.

The deadline for films for the 7th Al Jazeera Balkans Documentary Film Festival has been extended to midnight of June 3 2024, while project submissions for Industry Days (three categories: Main Pitch, Rough Cut, Balkan Stars) can be made up to and including June 15. AJB DOC Film Festival will take place in Sarajevo 13 to 17 September 2024. Industry Days runs September 14-16.