DOK Leipzig’s Industry programme will open October 9 with a panel titled Displaced by Dictatorship and War: Belarusian Independent Filmmakers in Europe which is designed bring “renewed attention to exiled Belarusian documentary filmmakers amid the country’s escalating political climate and curbs on (artistic) freedom,” organisers write.
The discussion will take place with the participation of the recently launched Belarusian Independent Film Academy (BIFA) and will shed light on the current state of Belarusian independent documentary cinema, address challenges faced by exiled Belarusian documentary filmmakers and those still living and working in the country, and discuss how to support fellow Belarusian colleagues through funding, festivals, and partnerships with European film institutes.
Among the panellists are film producer, director, and programme director of the Belarusian independent film festival Northern Lights Volia Chajkouskaya and German director Juliane Tutein who will discuss how to film in, and about, Belarus since the turmoil of 2020. Louis Beaudemont (Les Steppes Productions) will further join Chajkouskaya in addressing how to support Belarusian documentary filmmakers in exile. Beaudemont and Alice Syrakvash have co-launched a series of events in a bid to support Belarusian cinema in France and Europe. Chajkouskaya, film director Andrei Kutsila (When Flowers Are Not Silent) and film critic, cultural observer, and journalist Irena Kaciałovič will also present the work of BIFA during the panel.
Other highlights of the 2023 DOK Industry programme include the DOK Co-Pro Market, during which the teams behind 35 international documentary projects in development/ early production will join to meet potential co-producers, financiers, commissioning editors, distributors and sales agents, and Short n’ Sweet (11 October), the festival’s short film pitch session, which will see eight film professionals present their short documentary, animated documentary, animated film and series projects.
October 9 sees the DOK Preview Germany event which presents newly completed docs and works-in-progress, while the DOK Archive Market, taking place on 12 October, will feature a programme on archival research and production, including one-on-one consultations with archival researchers and producers.
On October 10, DOK Industry presents Generation Ukraine, an initiative by the ARTE group aimed at supporting the Ukrainian filmmaking industry by co-producing 12 documentaries that explore the Ukrainian reality from the inside, telling the effects of the war on the people, land, bodies and souls. “It’s also about creating a strong ecosystem with partners such as DAE – Documentary Association of Europe, Doc Society, Ukrainian Institute, French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, etc,” write organisers.
Key among the DOK Industry Talks is the October 10 panel titled Advancing Anti-Racism and Representation in the (Documentary) Film Industry which will bring together representatives of various organisations and collectives working in the areas of anti-racism and representation in the film industry and its structures. “The goal is to share experiences, successes, frustrations and lessons learned. The discussion aims to highlight opportunities for engagement and advancement, and – in the best-case scenario – dispel trepidations and inspire action,” write organisers.
On Friday October 13, DOK Industry will turn the spotlight on the art and industry of animated films. Focus on Animation will present an inspirational DOK Talk with animation filmmakers showing their films at the festival, and a panel organised together with the German Animation Association addressing diversity in animation filmmaking.
Leipzig’s focus on the CEE industries continues as DOK Industry partners with CEE Animation Forum, the largest industry platform for European animated projects in Central and Eastern European countries) to present the inaugural Animation Lab DOK Leipzig workshop. Documentary producers, who are developing their first animated documentary of any format (short, series or feature) will participate in the four-day workshop and gain insights into the animation industry as well as production and distribution.
