Visions du Réel announced March 19 details of its 2021 Industry projects, as well as associated prizes and jury members who will be deliberating over them.
29 projects are invited to participate in 3 core forums; VdR-Pitching, VdR-Work-in-Progress and VdR-Rough Cut Lab. The VdR-Industry Awards, which this year include three new cash prizes, will be handed out by an international Jury consisting of Eurimage’s Executive Director Roberto Olla, Italian film director Roberto Minervini and Rasha Salti, independent film and visual arts curator as well as Commissioning Editor for La Lucarne, Arte France.
Industry activities will take place from April 14-22, both online and on site in Nyon, Covid-permitting.
“We are more than honoured to be able once again to present a project line-up with a strong cinematographic identity, along with prestigious juries and awards,” says Madeline Robert, new Head of Industry and Artistic Advisor of Visions du Réel. “This year’s selection depicts not only the incredible diversity of contemporary documentary filmmaking, but also its ever wider ranging influence. We are proud and happy to welcome both established filmmakers and talented newcomers and to offer a relevant stage for their projects; a place to meet new partners and create reliable connections – all the more essential in this challenging moment.”
Out of the 527 submissions, VdR-Industry chose 29 projects by 35 filmmakers representing 32 countries. Seventeen directors are women while 18 are men. Fifteen projects are directed and produced by filmmakers from countries of the global South or global East.
According to their stage of development or production, the project holders will participate in 3 different activities:
• 16 feature length projects are invited to VdR-Pitching, the international co-production and financing forum. Set to go in to production, the projects are a combination of artistic ambition, strong topics and international potential.
• 9 upcoming creative documentaries at advanced stage are invited for VdR-Work In Progress, a showcase designed to enhance distribution opportunities, facilitate festival selection and attract post-production funding.
• 4 feature length projects at finishing stage are invited to the VdR-Rough Cut Lab, a workshop for creative documentaries seeking specific feedback and advice at their most up-to-date rough cut.
Projects: VdR-Pitching
#TimesUp Kyrgyzstan – Leigh Labobucci – Switzerland
Produced by Veronique Vergari, Agnès Boutruche (Framevox Sàrl)
Aana – Anna Eborn, Oscar Hedin, Åsa Ekman – Sweden
Produced by Oscar Hedin, Marina-Evelina Cracana (Film and Tell) – Sweden
But Dear Lord Why? – Rati Tsiteladze – Georgia
Produced by Nino Varsimashvili, Olga Slusareva (ArtWay Film)
Egypt, a Love Song – Iris Zaki – Israel, United States
Produced by Asaf Galay (Galay Productions)
Facing Darkness – Jean-Gabriel Périot – France, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Produced by Cécile Lestrade (Alter ego production)
King Coal – Elaine McMillion Sheldon – United States
Produced by Shane Boris (Cottage M)
Life After Siham – Namir Abdel Messeh – France
Produced by Camille Laemlé (Les Films d’ici)
Looking for the Words – Joel Stängle – Colombia
Produced by Carolina Campos (mnemo.cinema.lab)
Malqueridas – Tana Gilbert – Chile
Produced by Paola Castillo (Errante)
Our Money – Hercli Bundi – Switzerland
Produced by Susanne Guggenberger (Mira Film)
Science Fiction – Ezequiel Yanco – Argentina
Produced by Ana Godoy, Ezequiel Yanco (Isoi Cine)
The Last Year of Darkness – Ben Mullinkosson – China, United States
Produced by Sol Ye (Mutual Friends Films)
The Prince of Nanawa – Clarisa Navas – Argentina, Paraguay
Produced by Eugenia Campos Guevara (Gentil)
The Vanishing – Rama Thiaw – Senegal, France
Produced by Hortense Maunoury (Boul Fallé Images), Jean-Laurent Csinidis (Films de Force Majeure)
The Wolves Always Come at Night – Gabrielle Brady – Germany, Australia, Mongolia
Produced by Julia Niethammer (Chromosom Film GmbH)
Yoga Village – Rongfei Guo – China
Produced by Wenxin Zhong (Shanghai Jiemian CLS Technologies Co., Ltd.)
Projects: VdR-Industry projects 2021
VdR-Work in Progress
About Everything There is to Know – Sofía Velázquez – Peru
Produced by Carolina Denegri (Cultural Mercado Central)
Another Spring – Mladen Kovačević – Serbia
Produced by Iva Plemić Divjak (Horopter Film Production)
Blue Island – Tze Woon Chan – Hong Kong SAR China, Japan
Produced by Catherine Chan, Peter Yam (Blue Island Production Company Limited)
Flickering Lights – Anupama Srinivasan, Anirban Dutta – India
Produced by Anirban Dutta (Metamorphosis Film Junction)
The Home – Jessie Zinn, Chase Musslewhite – South Africa, United States
Produced by Jessie Zinn (Red Coat Films)
The Story of Looking – Mark Cousins – United Kingdom
Produced by Mary Bell, Adam Dawtrey (Bofa Productions)
Transfariana – Joris Lachaise – France
Produced by Line Peyron (Mujo)
Under Open Skies – Charlie Petersmann – Switzerland
Produced by Stephanie Argerich (mnemosyn films)
We, students! – Rafiki Fariala – Central African Republic, France, Democratic Republic of Congo
Produced by Daniele Incalcaterra (Makongo Films)
Projects VdR-Rough Cut Lab
I Will Be There Every Single Night – Tati Franklin, Suellen Vasconcelos – Brazil
Produced by Thiago Moulin Pai (Grande Filmes)
Silent Beauty – Jasmin Lopez – United States, Mexico
Produced by Jasmin Lopez (Corazon Oscuro Productions)
Silent House – Farnaz Jurabchian, Mohammadreza Jurabchian – Iran, Philippines
Produced by Elaheh Nobakht (Eli Image), Jewel Maranan (Cinema Is Incomplete)
Taamaden – Seydou Cissé – France, Cameroon, Belgium, South Africa
Produced by Eugénie Michel Villette (Les Films du Bilboquet), Dieudonné Alaka (TARA GROUP)
