In illustrating the effectiveness of the Doc Lab Poland pitch events over past years, Krakow Film Festival Industry chief Katarzyna Wilk points to a whopping 90% completion rate of documentary projects pitched during the Docs to Go! and Docs to Start! programmes.
“Almost all of them had their world or international premiers at major film festivals like IDFA, Hot Docs, DOK Leipzig, Locarno, Berlinale, Visions du Reel – and were awarded there,” she stresses, adding how “some of them – such as Over the Limit by Marta Prus, Communion by Anna Zamecka and The Wind. A Documentary Thriller by Michal Bielawski achieved spectacular international success and were distributed throughout many territories across the world.”
This year’s crop may be slightly reduced, numbering eight in Docs to Go! and a dozen in Docs to Start!, but that doesn’t overly concern Wilk. “It’s still a great representation, and the projects are really strong and different,” she underlines. Top Polish doc talent in attendance with new projects include Matej Bobrik (Guest Worker), Paweł Chorzępa (Father and Son), Eliza Kubarska (Step by Step),and Zuzanna Solakiewicz (The Soil). All the pitches are followed by meetings with experts, potential co-production partners, festival programmers, and sales agents.
Krakow’s Doc Lab Poland event, the largest in Poland program for the development, presentation and promotion of documentary films, was launched in 2015 by The Władysław Ślesicki Film Foundation (although Docs to Go has been running since 2012). Aside from the Polish pitches, the CEDOC – Central European Documentary Market – is the central Polish venue for international documentary teams looking to co-produce with Poland, and offers up one-on-one meetings, consultations and roundtables between June 2 and 4.
Like her counterparts at other co-production events, Wilk realises that as effective as Zoom has been in enabling European and global docmakers to ply their ongoing trade, online is no substitute for face to face. But given the ‘needs must’ scenario that we have all suffered over the mast 16 months or so, she has been determined to exploit the benefits that online has this far offered, and will continue to do so.
“We are learning every year, every edition is a new experience for us and we try to improve with each new edition,” she comments. “Last year was very special as we went completely online – which was great and horrible at the same time. This year we were again forced to move all our industry events to internet, but at the same time we are very happy because it means that we can virtually meet so many international guests that confirmed their virtual presence in Krakow.”
“For many reasons it won’t be possible in the normal – as we now call it – ‘old’ form of KFF Industry and similar events,” she continues. “I was afraid that after a year of being online, everywhere decision makers would be tired or bored, but it appeared that they got used to the new reality. They are prepared and very well organized in participating in online events. It also gives us and participants more flexibility. We are not sticking to the strict schedule – we can organize some more additional meetings outside of the program of KFF Industry like we do with the decision makers from the American continent who can’t participate in some live events because of different time zones, but they can meet individually according their availability.”
A core and necessary component of KFF Industry is the KFF Video Library which offers up 250 new docs, shorts, and animated films from around the world that are seeking theatrical, festival, and TV distribution, each one selected by the festivals partners at DOK Leipzig, East Silver Market, the Thessaloniki Doc Film Festival and Festival dei Popoli.
The annual KFF Industry Meetings (online) take place on June 4 and join filmmakers, producers, and film promoters in a series of individual consultations with film festival programmers from the likes of Berlinale, Sundance, IDFA, Hot Docs and Visions du Réel.
Other special features this year include a focus on Norwegian cinema, which also comprises a presentation of the country’s funding models, co-production opportunities, and international film festivals.
In addition online industryites can attend a round table session entitled Spotlight: Women in Documentary Film which will focus on such issues as representation of women in documentary world, both as protagonists and creators, collaboration in female-led teams and funding opportunities for women.
Panellists Wendy Ettinger (Chicken&Egg Pictures), Alessia Sonaglioni (EWA Networks) and Debra Zimmerman (Women Make Movies) will also discuss three projects from CEDOC Market that feature strong female protagonists.
