Autlook Film Sales are handling the multi-director doc series Draw for Change! in Forum, a controversial documentary about Hitler and a new doc on the Cuban athletics god Alberto Juantorena.
Salma Abdalla, CEO of Vienna-based documentary sales outfit Autlook, revealed further details of Autlook’s new documentary project Draw For Change! to Business Doc Europe. The series, which is presented in IDFA Forum this week, is produced by Hanne Phlypo of Belgian outfit Clin d’Oeil films.
“It’s a really strong project, partly animated, with a €3 million budget,” Abdalla said of the 8 x 50 minute series which is being directed by some of the top female names in documentary, among them Kim Longinotto, Laura Nix, Nada Riyadh, Karen Vazquez Guadarrama, Sama Pana and Anna Moiseenko. The series looks at female cartoonists all over the world who are fighting for women’s rights. Around 50% of the budget is already closed. “Now we are trying to get more pre-sales partners aboard around IDFA.”
The project, originally unveiled at Hot Docs, is a co-production also involving the US, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Denmark and France. Co-producers include Estelle Robin You for Les Films du Balibari, Femke Wolting for Submarine and Sigrid Dyekjaer for Danish Documentary Production.
“We know Hanne from previous films and we have also wanted to work with her,” Abdalla commented of fast rising Belgian producer Phlypo.
The sales boss will also be introducing buyers to new project The Meaning Of Hitler at Docs For Sale 2020. “It’s contemporary. It’s a real good discussion starter and it is getting a lot of attention,” Abdalla said of the controversial film, which has been made by Petra Epperlein and Michael Tucker (the German-US team behind Karl Marx City). It is based on the 1978 book ‘The Meaning Of Hitler’ by Sebastian Haffner. “It is all about the cultural fascination with Hitler, told against the backdrop of the current rise of white supremacy.”
Autlook has also launched sales in earnest on Running For The Revolution, its new Mark Craig (The Last Man On The Moon) feature documentary about legendary Cuban runner Alberto Juantorena, who won both the 400 metre and 800 metre gold medals at the 1976 Montreal Olympics.
“Running For The Revolution is a perfect film for the Olympics,” Abdalla said of the documentary, which has just been picture locked. “It’s a really beautiful way to see Cuba from the point of view of sports.” Autlook is looking for “a short and efficient festival run” for the film in advance of the Tokyo Olympics, now scheduled to take place in July and August next year.
The company has various projects in IDFA’s programme and Docs For Sales. These include Best Of fests selections Acasă, My Home by Radu Ciorniciuc and Songs of Repression by Estephan Wagner and Marianne Hougen-Moraga.
Abdalla confirmed that heavyweight Austrian documentary director Nikolaus Geyrhalter is back filming during the second lockdown for his new Covid-themed doc, The Standstill, for which Autlook is handling sales.
