News

Running in parallel with regular Cannes sections, ACID offers up three documentary world premieres including Ainara Vera’s French-Greenlandic co-production Polaris and La Colline (The Hill), co-directed by Denis Gheerbrant and Lina Tsrimova. The selection also features Marusya Syroechkovskaya’s How To Save A Dead Friend which debuted to acclaim in International Competition at the recent Visions du Réel.

European Film Promotion (EFP) has announced the 10-film selection for the fifth CHANGING FACE OF EUROPE collaboration with Hot Docs, running 28 April - 8 May 2022. This year’s selection includes nine feature films and one short that explore themes centred around environmental activism, the plight of refugees, the destructive powers of war and more.

Formerly head of Mercato Internazionale dell'Audiovisivo’s Scripted Division, Tridente succeeds Lucia Milazzotto as overall director of MIA, whose eighth edition will be held in Rome from 11 to 15 October 2022. “My ambition is to produce a high-quality new edition of MIA, representing a turning point that will meet the needs of the global industry’ ecosystem and bringing content in all its formats and genres at the centre of the market," she says.

The dok.incubator workshop announced April 19 the final selection of filmmakers whose international projects will be supported in 2022. “During the selection process we searched for films reflecting current social and political situation. I believe we brought up fresh and diverse perspectives on topics that carry an important message about the contemporary world,” says Andrea Prenghyova, dok.incubator CEO.

Running May 18-27 the non-competitive Cannes section includes two doc features in 2022; Annie Ernaux’s film The Super 8 Years (France), made jointly with her son David Ernaux-Briot, and De Humani Corporis Fabrica (Fr-US) by Véréna Paravel and Lucien Castaing-Taylor. The 2022 selection is the final one overseen by outgoing artistic director Paolo Moretti.

Creative feature-length documentary projects and docuseries from the region of Central and Eastern Europe at all stages of development and early production are invited to apply for the 3-part Ex Oriente Film workshop 2022, to be held in La Rochelle and Ji.hlava (June an October 2022 respectively) and Prague in March 2023. The extended application deadline is now Monday, April 25.

Previously the deputy director of Locarno Pro, Sophie Bourdon will join Visions du Réel as head of VdR Industry on July 1 2002. "The growing success of VdR-Industry is the fruit of the equally visionary and competent commitment of my predecessors Madeline Robert and Gudula Meinzolt…It is a great honour to step into their shoes and contribute to support independent filmmaking in all its diversity,” she says.

In International Competition the Grand Jury Prize went to L’Îlot, by Tizian Büchi; Special Jury Award to Bitterbrush by Emelie Mahdavian. In Burning Lights Comp the Jury Prize was won by A Long Journey Home while the Special Jury Award went to Herbaria, by Leandro Listorti. In National Comp the Jury Prize was handed to Fuku Nashi by Julie Sando. The Special Jury Award went to Le Film de mon père, by Jules Guarneri. The Audience Award was won by Fire of Love by Sara Dosa.

An often heartrending essay on grief and on how humans and nature rebuild after trauma, Jennifer Rainsford’s lyrically titled film is set against the backdrop of incidents of March 11 2011, when the largest earthquake in modern history hit Japan and then, some thirty minutes later, the dark tsunami waves roared in over the north-eastern coast, dragging cars, homes and lives back out to sea. Review: Mark Adams

Contrasting visions and perspectives of modern-day Armenia are played out in 5 Dreamers and a Horse with the film focussing on four protagonists as they aspire to fulfil their very different dreams. There is also – as the enigmatic title suggests - a horse…but in truth it plays a minor role in proceedings.