Documentary film festival Visions du Réel, which runs April 15-25, has unveiled the 29 projects that will be presented in its industry program, VdR-Industry.
The project will participate in the three key forums in the industry section: VdR-Pitching, VdR-Work in Progress and VdR-Rough Cut Lab. Industry activities will take place from April 14-22, both online and on site in Nyon, Switzerland – if sanitary measures permit.
The VdR-Industry Awards, including three new cash awards, will be granted by an international jury gathering 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.
“This year’s selection depicts not only the incredible diversity of contemporary documentary filmmaking, but also its ever wider ranging influence,” said Madeline Robert, new head of industry and artistic advisor of Visions du Réel.
VdR-Industry is designed as a springboard for projects, enabling them to find support for their production. Out of 527 submissions, VdR-Industry picked 29 projects by 35 filmmakers hailing from 32 countries. Seventeen directors are female, 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 production, the project holders will participate in three different activities:
– Sixteen feature length projects are invited to VdR-Pitching, the international co-production and financing forum. Ready for production, the projects marry artistic ambition, strong topics and international potential.
– Nine upcoming creative documentaries in their finishing stage are invited to VdR-Work in Progress, a showcase for excerpts shown in order to seek distribution opportunities, find festival entries and post-production funds.
– Four feature length projects at a finishing stage are invited to the VdR-Rough Cut Lab, a workshop for creative documentaries seeking specific feedback and advice on their most up-to-date rough cut.
VdR-Industry Projects
VdR-Pitching
“#TimesUp Kyrgyzstan,” dir: Leigh Labobucci (Switzerland)
Produced by Veronique Vergari, Agnès Boutruche (Framevox Sàrl)
“Aana,” dir: Anna Eborn, Oscar Hedin, Åsa Ekman (Sweden)
Produced by Oscar Hedin, Marina-Evelina Cracana (Film and Tell)
“But Dear Lord Why?,” dir: Rati Tsiteladze (Georgia)
Produced by Nino Varsimashvili, Olga Slusareva (ArtWay Film)
“Egypt, a Love Song,” dir: Iris Zaki (Israel, U.S.)
Produced by Asaf Galay (Galay Productions)
“Facing Darkness,” dir: Jean-Gabriel Périot (France, Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Produced by Cécile Lestrade (Alter Ego Production)
“King Coal,” dir: Elaine McMillion Sheldon (U.S.)
Produced by Shane Boris (Cottage M)
“Life After Siham,” dir: Namir Abdel Messeh (France)
Produced by Camille Laemlé (Les Films d’Ici)
“Looking for the Words,” dir: Joel Stängle (Colombia)
Produced by Carolina Campos (mnemo.cinema.lab)
“Malqueridas,” dir: Tana Gilbert (Chile)
Produced by Paola Castillo (Errante)
“Our Money,” dir: Hercli Bundi (Switzerland)
Produced by Susanne Guggenberger (Mira Film)
“Science Fiction,” dir: Ezequiel Yanco (Argentina)
Produced by Ana Godoy, Ezequiel Yanco (Isoi Cine)
“The Last Year of Darkness,” dir: Ben Mullinkosson (China, U.S.)
Produced by Sol Ye (Mutual Friends Films)
“The Prince of Nanawa,” dir: Clarisa Navas (Argentina, Paraguay)
Produced by Eugenia Campos Guevara (Gentil)
“The Vanishing,” dir: Rama Thiaw (Senegal, France)
Produced by Hortense Maunoury (Boul Fallé Images), Jean-Laurent Csinidis (Films de Force Majeure)
“The Wolves Always Come at Night,” dir: Gabrielle Brady (Germany, Australia, Mongolia)
Produced by Julia Niethammer (Chromosom Film)
“Yoga Village,” Rongfei Guo (China)
Produced by Wenxin Zhong (Shanghai Jiemian CLS Technologies Co.)
VdR-Work in Progress
“About Everything There Is to Know,” dir: Sofía Velázquez (Peru)
Produced by Carolina Denegri (Cultural Mercado Central)
“Another Spring,” dir: Mladen Kovačević (Serbia)
Produced by Iva Plemić Divjak (Horopter Film Production)
“Blue Island,” dir: Tze Woon Chan (Hong Kong, China, Japan)
Produced by Catherine Chan, Peter Yam (Blue Island Production Company)
“Flickering Lights,” dir: Anupama Srinivasan, Anirban Dutta (India)
Produced by Anirban Dutta (Metamorphosis Film Junction)
“The Home,” dir: Jessie Zinn, Chase Musslewhite (South Africa, U.S.)
Produced by Jessie Zinn (Red Coat Films)
“The Story of Looking,” dir: Mark Cousins (U.K.)
Produced by Mary Bell, Adam Dawtrey (Bofa Productions)
“Transfariana,” dir: Joris Lachaise (France)
Produced by Line Peyron (Mujo)
“Under Open Skies,” dir: Charlie Petersmann (Switzerland)
Produced by Stephanie Argerich (mnemosyn films)
“We, Students!,” dir: Rafiki Fariala (Central African Republic, France, Democratic Republic of Congo)
Produced by Daniele Incalcaterra (Makongo Films)
VdR-Rough Cut Lab
“I Will Be There Every Single Night,” dir: Tati Franklin, Suellen Vasconcelos (Brazil)
Produced by Thiago Moulin Pai (Grande Filmes)
“Silent Beauty,” dir: Jasmin Lopez (U.S., Mexico)
Produced by Jasmin Lopez (Corazon Oscuro Productions)
“Silent House,” dir: Farnaz Jurabchian, Mohammadreza Jurabchian (Iran, Philippines)
Produced by Elaheh Nobakht (Eli Image), Jewel Maranan (Cinema Is Incomplete)
“Taamaden,” dir: Seydou Cissé (France, Cameroon, Belgium, South Africa)
Produced by Eugénie Michel Villette (Les Films du Bilboquet), Dieudonné Alaka (Tara Group)
VdR-Industry Juries
International Jury
Roberto Olla, executive director, Eurimages (France)
Roberto Minervini, filmmaker (Italy/U.S.)
Rasha Salti, independent film and visual arts curator, commissioning editor for La Lucarne, Arte France (Lebanon/France/Germany)
Visions Sud Est Jury
Sebastiano Conforti, distributor at Outside the Box, programmer Fribourg International Film Festival (Switzerland)
Daniela Persico, film critic, programmer Locarno Film Festival (Italy/Switzerland)
Meret Ruggle, director, Trigon-Film (Switzerland)
VdR-Industry Awards
Awards for one VdR-Pitching or VdR-Work in Progress project.
Visions Sud Est Award
10,000 CHF in cash for the best project from the South (Africa, Latin America and Asia) or from Eastern Europe (excluding EU members).
Awards for VdR-Pitching projects
VdR-Pitching Award
5,000 CHF in cash for the most promising project.
The Party Film Sales Award
Acquisition of international rights.
RTS Award
Pre-buy of one film.
HEAD – Genève Postproduction Award
Color grading and creation of the files for diffusion.
Cannes Docs Award
Accreditation for the filmmaker and producer for the Marché du Film – Festival de Cannes, to participate in Cannes Docs.
Thessaloniki Documentary Festival Award
Accreditation and accommodation to TDF and access to AGORA for one person.
DOK Leipzig/DOK Industry Networking Award
Accreditation and accommodation at DOK Leipzig and observer access to the DOK Co-Pro Market for the filmmaker and producer.
Awards for VdR-Work in Progress projects
VdR-Work in Progress Award
3,000 CHF in cash for the most promising project.
Lightdox Award
3,000 CHF in cash for the project with highest international potential.
Raggioverde Subtitling Award
Subtitle creation including translation in one language.
EFM Award
Two market badges for the EFM and a consultations session at the Docsalon.
DAE Encouragement Award
Two memberships for the network plus four free consultations with network members, tailored to the needs of the project.
Freestudios Award
Creation of a DCP package.