At IDFA 2023, BDE caught up with Kathryn Bonnici, Head of Acquisitions and Development of Paris-based sales agent Java Films. Founded in 2005 by the late Roch Bozino, Java Films rapidly established itself as one of Europe’s leading independent distributors, handling both pre-sales and distribution for documentaries.
At the Dutch gathering, the firm is handling seven titles, including three new projects tackling topics at the centre of public debate, namely Hezbollah, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the impact of global tax evasion.
Bonnici outlined her company’s editorial policy. “We really focus on current affairs and geo-politic investigations and have developed long standing relationships with many leading producers specialising in these areas,” she said. “With those producers, we tend to distribute most of what they produce, and we always prioritise long-term relationships over individual acquisitions. Then, we go to the festivals and pitching forums to search out other titles that complement our catalogue,” she explains.
“These are usually along the same editorial lines but […] boast a more personal approach and are more suitable for film festivals. When we assess a project, as well as the topic, we are looking at the style of the film. For example, it’s very difficult for us to take on films that are only subtitled, with no narration and we generally need there to be a TV version. Finally, we are looking at how that film would fit with the other films we’d be releasing in the same catalogue. [In other words] we can’t take two films on the same topic,” she continues.
Next, we delved into the slate of projects handled by Java Films. First, Bonnici underscored how the company’s docs “help audiences to understand the importance of global trends affecting their lives and to make sense of the world.”
The first – and perhaps most timely – project is a 3×52 current affair series, titled Hezbollah Inc. and focusing on the titular terrorist organization. Produced by Marc Berdugo and Barbara Conforti for French outfit Magneto and helmed by Jérôme Fritel and Sofia Amara, the premise of the series is based on how the “Party of God” got “stronger than ever” and transformed itself “itself from a small paramilitary group backed by Iran into an omnipotent political party with the largest private army in the world,” becoming a sort of “’state within a state, whose extensive charity network ensures the popular support of the Shiite community while its military wing attempts to redraw the borders of the region and erase Israel from the map.”
The other two new (untitled] projects comprise a film in production on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, billed as “an investigation into how autonomous weapons are changing the nature of warfare” and a doc exploring the issue of global tax evasion.
Java Films’ slate is rounded off by four further Docs for Sale titles. These are Sergio Ghizzardi’s Nenets vs Gas (set in the Yamal peninsula which is the world’s largest gas exploitation zone, and a symbol of Russia’s energy hyperpower), Sebastien Wielemans’ Nomad Solitude (which revolves around Laurie, Kristy and Linda, who live alone on the roads of America, sleeping in their vehicles and “just three among thousands of modern American nomads who can no longer afford to pay for conventional housing”), Jennifer Dechamps’ Poison (delving into the poisoning cases of Alexander Litvinenko, Kara-Murza, Sergei Skripal and Alexei Navalny) and Kate Stonehill’s Phantom Parrott (on the revelation of a top-secret British surveillance programme uncovered by human rights activist Muhammad Rabbani).
Zooming in on the current state of the market and the climate for doc sales, Bonnici adds: “It’s a lot harder to sell films that aren’t seen as having a direct relevance to the audience, or that don’t have some sort of exclusive or novelty factor. On the other hand, the growth of AVOD platforms and FAST channels have enabled films to have a much longer life [cycle] and for us to exploit our catalogue in a way that wasn’t possible before.”
As usual, Bonnici and Java films will be taking part in the festival’s different networking activities and will attend Forum. “We are looking for new clients and producers and [we aim to] keep [ourselves] on top of trends. For us, that’s one of the main advantages of [attending] IDFA. It’s such a good place to network,” she sums up.
