The DOK.forum Marketplace of DOK.fest München has called for “strong projects for the German-speaking countries” for its upcoming edition, running 3 to 11 May 2023. Non-fictional formats at any stage of development are welcome. During the event, up to 45 selected project teams will meet around “250 committed partners from production, broadcasting, distribution and sales” during pitching events, round-table sessions and one-to-one meetings.
For the DOK.forum Marketplace, organisers are looking for projects that meet the criteria within the following sections:
Master’s Pitch for projects with great potential for international co-productions. The Master’s Pitch is described as “a unique format for training and collaboration, initiated by Documentary Campus and DOK.fest München. In the form of a public pitch, it offers up to nine selected teams the opportunity to present their documentary projects in the development stage to a jury of international experts.”
DOK.archive Award Donated by British Pathé, endowed with €2,500 or archive material worth 15,000 euros: projects with a relevant proportion of archive material. “The DOK.archive Award honours outstanding archive and compilation film projects in development. High-quality archive footage is often invaluable for documentaries. The use of historical or commercial film excerpts on a larger scale, however, increases the required production budget substantially. With the DOK.archive Award, British Pathé and DOK.forum aim at promoting projects utilising licensed material and thus strengthening this traditional documentary genre,” write organisers.
DOK.talent Award. Donated by Haus des Dokumentarfilms, endowed with €2,500 and aimed at current projects by students from partner film universities. “The pitch competition offers students…the opportunity to present their current projects to editors, producers and distributors in a speed pitch as part of the DOK.forum Marketplace. At the same time, it gives the students valuable first contact with the industry and direct feedback on their projects,” write organisers.
DOK.composition Award. Donated by Sonoton Music, and endowed with €2,500. The award is designed “to strengthen this unique artistic alliance and promote the development of contemporary compositions.”
The DOK.forum Marketplace call is aimed at “aspiring and experienced filmmakers” from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg and South Tyrol. International submissions that have a connection to these regions or a strong international theme and could be of interest to German-speaking co-producers or distributors are also welcome, organisers write.
The submission deadline is 1 February 2023 (except DOK.talent Award: 1 March 2023).
DOK.digital – Award for New Narrative Formats
The festival also announced details of its New Narrative Formats award. “How will facts and stories be told in an interconnected world in the future? DOK.digital seeks answers to the question of how the further development of technical possibilities affects non-fictional storytelling. The aim is to encourage the emergence of new innovative projects that combine different media formats and platforms with content in a meaningful way,” write organisers.
The award is endowed by the Bayerische Landeszentrale für neue Medien (BLM) with €2,500. Young journalists, filmmakers, games designers and producers from German-speaking countries are invited to submit their completed works by 1 February 2023. Further information on the award and the submission process
VFF Documentary Film Production Award
The VFF Documentary Film Production Award is donated by the VFF Verwertungsgesellschaft der Film und Fernsehproduzenten mbH and is endowed with prize money of €7,500. “Being a producer for documentary films means one thing above all: having courage,” writes the festival. “The VFF Documentary Film Production Award, unique in Germany, recognises the role of production in the creation of current cinema documentary film projects.”
The award is specifically intended for producers, who are invited to submit their current completed cinema documentaries. Submission deadline is 1 February 2023. Further information on the award and the submission process
