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Running 24 March to 1 April, the festival kicks off with the world premiere of Waves of War by Daan van Citters. Over 90 films - including 14 world premieres, 1 European and 29 Dutch premieres – will screen in The Hague and in cities across the Netherlands. This year the festival focus is on Iran with three Iranian filmmakers as main guests: Nafiss Nia, Maryam Ebrahimi and Ali Asgari.

Twelve titles will compete for the Audience Award (CHF 10,000) in Vision du Réel’s Grand Angle competition, featuring “premieres of films that are soon to make waves at festivals, as well as those that have already won over international audiences.” The non-competitive Highlights section will also present “an eclectic programme that testifies to the current vitality of non-fiction film.”

Dutch Anne Marie Boorsboom of ShareDoc told Business Doc Europe about her innovation that allows audiences to respond immediately – and financially - to the docs they have just watched. “With a QR code at the end of the credits, they can scan it and they can act on their feeling of empathy,” she explained of the potential audience engagement.

The 5th Impact Days of the FIFDH human rights fest opened with an address by Industry Head Laura Longobardi who welcomed guests to “the annual gathering of all those who believe that storytelling can play an essential role in advancing positive values such as human and civil rights, social and environment justice and peacekeeping, right here at the very heart of Geneva, the city of multilateralism, of peace, and, of course, of human rights.”

Daniel Roher’s documentary about Alexei Navalny, the Russian opposition leader and outspoken critic of Putin, garnered the Best Documentary Feature at the Oscar ceremony held March 12 2023. The Netflix film The Elephant Whisperers, about an Indian couple’s relationship with a baby elephant, received the nod for Best Short Doc.

Under the Sky of Damascus by Heba Khaled, Talal Derki and Ali Wajeeh wins the International Competition Golden Alexander (€12,000), securing its place in the selection shortlist for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature Film. The Silver Alexander, accompanied by a €5,000 cash prize is awarded to Who I Am Not by Tünde Skovrán. All competition awards…

On March 9 the 25th Thessaloniki Doc Fest bestowed an honorary Golden Alexander upon the revered filmmaker for his entire body of work. "I would like to thank all of you who are present in this room and honour us, as well as the people who participated in the films and illuminated them with their presence. I want to thank the collaborators and contributors of the films, each of whom added their work and talent to what you see," Psillakis said.

Healing from trauma is the main theme of Zaina Erhaim’s very intimate debut feature. “For the last seven years, I’ve been trying to suppress my memories and my traumas…Two years ago I decided to face it all, once and for all,” explained the helmer during her presentation. The creative documentary project is being produced by Brian Hill for London-based independent film and TV production outfit Century Films.

The Sacred Way was the famous road connecting Athens to Eleusis. Ancient Greeks used to walk this 21 km path to engage in body-cleansing and spirit-awakening, as part of the initiations known as the Eleusinian Mysteries. In her debut feature Nikoleta Paraschi embarks on her own pilgrimage visiting what today, at first glance, looks just like a busy highway, like many others.

A painful and deeply intimate father-daughter story is the main focus of Ksenia Ciuvaseva’s debut feature, pitched at this year’s Thessaloniki Docs in Progress. “The insight into my father’s life did make me understand him better, but there was still something I was struggling with and couldn’t find my peace with,” the director told the festival’s professional audience.