News

A Song Without Home by Georgian director Rati Tsiteladze, Land of Fire by Czech director Nikola Klinger and Armenian-Swiss co-production Flying Cows by directors Vahagn Khachatryan and Aren Malakyan were announced as Docu Talent Award winners August 18 in Sarajevo. Additionally, Ji.hlava IDFF unveiled its Emerging Producers for 2026, with Sub-Saharan Africa named as Guest Region.

Semaine de la Critique jury members Stéphane Gobbo (Switzerland) Mala Reinhardt (Germany) and Simonetta Sommaruga (Switzerland) handed out this year’s awards August 16 to Dennis Harvey and Lars Lovén for Celtic Utopia (Sweden/Ireland) and to Gaetano Crivaro, Silvia Perra, Ferruccio Goia and Alberto Diana for In the Penal Colony. The 78th Locarno FF ran August 6 to 16.

Docs are squarely in the frame at the 31st Sarajevo Film Festival and its accompanying CineLink Industry Days. Documentary Competition includes 20 feature-length and short films, while the professional programme includes the Docu Rough Cut Boutique and Docu Talents from the East pitch events, the latter organised by Ji.hlava IDFF. Additionally, CineLink Works-in-Progress includes two doc projects. Plus talks and panels. Sarajevo Film Festival kicks off 15 August, running to August 22.

Representatives of Doc Alliance, which unites seven of Europe’s major docfests, will partake in 3 industry panels at this year’s Sarajevo Film Festival, presenting results from the network’s ongoing research project. For several years, the network has been collecting information about all member festivals, “focusing on the key areas of new technologies, inclusive programming, sustainability, emerging talents and educational practices.’ The panels will be held August 18.

Paris-based distributor Astrea has acquired international rights to the VR title A Long Goodbye, directed by Kate Voet & Victor Maes. The animated interactive film tells the story of Ida, a 72-year-old pianist living with dementia, and will celebrate its world premiere in Venice Immersive competition. “A Long Goodbye is a poetic experience about the impact of dementia, but above all it is about love,” write the filmmakers.

Members of the Czech Film and Television Academy (CFTA) have selected the documentary feature I’m Not Everything I Want to Be by Klára Tasovská as the Czech Republic's candidate for the Academy Award in the International Feature Film category. “The formally daring documentary about identity, freedom and inner defiance follows the life of photographer Libuše Jarcovjáková – a distinctive artist who regardless of the times and her surroundings decided to be true to herself,” writes the Czech Film Center.

The Nyon-based festival is inviting films for its Official Selection, and projects for VdR–Industry activities. Films in competition receive their world, international or European premiere. Early deadline for films and projects: October 17. Final deadline: Dec 15. The additional deadline for the 2026 VdR–Development Lab is November 6. The 57th edition of Visions du Réel will run 17 to 26 April 2026.

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.

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.