What can you look forward to at the East Doc Platform 2021? The open programme is accessible to all accredited guests. The livestream links can be found in the Guest Zone on this website.
Saturday, March 6
10:00 am - 11:00 am (CET)
Lecture by Mikael Opstrup: What Am I Presenting
Within the documentary genre, there are sub-genres. But there are also different genres of pitch trailers. What trailer genre am I able to make? And what film does my trailer present? What do I do, if I don’t have the material that is needed in order to make a pitch trailer that I feel represents my film project? These are some of the questions Mikael Opstrup will address in this opening talk that will kick start a week where there will be a lot of focus on the fact that you will pitch your project in about a weeks’ time from today.
Monday, March 8
10:00 am - 11:30 am (CET)
Case Study by Ruth Reid: 10 Lessons Learned while Producing a Series for HBO.
In conversation, Producer Ruth Reid and Commissioning Editor Hanka Kastelicova offer ten honest lessons learned while producing the new true-crime documentary series, PRAY OBEY KILL, 6x 45’ for HBO Nordic & HBO Europe, Premiering Spring 2021. Followed by Q&A.
Tuesday, March 9
1:00 pm - 2:30 pm (CET)
Masterclass by Alexander Nanau: Collective (2019)
Masterclass dedicated to the Academy shortlisted feature documentary Collective (RO, 2019) by German-Romanian film director and producer Alexander Nanau. Followed by Q&A.
In his latest award-winning documentary director Alexander Nanau follows a team of investigators at the Romanian newspaper Gazeta Sporturilor as they try to uncover a health-care fraud that led to the deaths of innocent citizens. Collective is an uncompromising insight into the fatal dangers of a corrupt political system and the vast impact of investigative journalism can have on it.
Tuesday, March 9
3:30 pm - 5:00 pm (CET)
Lecture by Fraser Bensted: Story Selling - creating audio visual marketing materials that engage an audience
The theoretical and creative process of producing audio visual marketing materials; examining the impact they have on the positioning of a film and its reception by the chosen target audience. With a focus on documentary trailers but also looking at drama we will see how a film can be shaped into various marketing materials in order for it to be presented in a way that creates maximum engagement with an audience. Covering sales promos, mood reels or taster tapes, and teaser and regular trailers, this will be an in-depth examination of the thoughts and considerations being made when the time comes for a film to be pitched or sold to potential financiers, buyers or the general public.
Tuesday, March 9
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm (CET)
Presentation: Czech Docs... Coming Soon
Five Czech upcoming feature documentaries are presented by the producer-director team to an audience of invited representatives of leading international film festivals, sales agents, distributors, and to the wide public. This event is organized in cooperation with the Audiovisual Producers’ Association (APA). Moderated by Diana Tabakov (DAFilms.com).
Wednesday, March 10
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm (CET)
Lecture by Arash T. Riahi: Beating the Big Problems with Small Solutions
Producer´s Lecture by Austrian producer and director Arash T. Riahi of Golden Girls Film on the struggles and issues that he has experienced as a producer and co-producer of documentary and fiction films and how to fix them.
As a co-producer, Arash T. Riahi is behind recent festival hits such as The Bubble (2020), Once Upon a Time in Venezuela (2019), Solo (2019), School of Seduction (2019), Born in Evin (2019), Little Germans (2018) or The Good Death (2018). In his talk Arash T. Riahi will talk about the conditions for development of documentary film, but also about the cooperation between European documentary filmmakers and producers in an extensive lecture with examples from his films. The lecture is followed by a discussion
Wednesday, March 10
3:00 pm - 4:30 pm (CET)
Masterclass by Anja Salomonowitz: Hybrid Films
Well-known Austrian director Anja Salomonowitz will talk about contemporary creative documentary film and its hybrid forms. Where are the boundaries between documentary and fiction? What are the new forms and possibilities of documentary film and new forms of narration? In her films It Happened Just Before (2005), The 727 Days Without Karamo (2013) or This Movie is a Gift (2019), Anja Salomonowitz regularly pushes the boundaries of different genres and searches for a creative approach to reality. Her films thus often balance on the edge of documentary and feature film. The masterclass explores, questions and discusses new forms of narration in documentary film on the examples of Anja’s award-winning works. The lecture is followed by a discussion.
Wednesday, March 10
8:00 pm – 9:00 pm (CET)
Virtual Guests Meet Guests Drink hosted by One World International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival
Daily informal meetings for the documentary film industry. Open a beer, or pour yourself a glass of wine and join other EDP guests in this informal “doc & chill” meetup.
Thursday, March 11
10:00 am – 10:50 am (CET)
Presentation: Pitch the Doc – Don't Let Them Lose Your Thread
Introduction to Pitch the Doc as an example of web-based tool for professional preparation of “film packs”, and for continuous promotion and building the international recognition of documentary projects – how to use it to establish new contacts, and to maintain business relations initiated at pitchings and co-production meetings.
Thursday, March 11
11:00 am - 12:30 pm (CET)
Lecture by Che Lin: XR worldwide—thoughts on content and curations
Che Lin, curator of the Beijing International Film Festival VR screening programme, will present thoughts and ideas on the emerging XR market and approaches towards curation of the content,that has quickly found its way in the programmes of many A-list film festivals.
Thursday, March 11
1:30 pm - 3:00 pm (CET)
Lecture by Anna Mauersberger: Social Impact Strategies Case Study: The Shape of Us
XR creator Anna Mauersberger will introduce her virtual reality project The Shape of Us, which was created together with Niki Smit (In My Absence), and in her talk will focus on the social impact that could be achieved through virtual reality.
Thursday, March 11
5:30 pm - 6:30 pm (CET)
Panel Discussion: Community Cinema in Pandemic Times
The pandemic disrupted the distribution very severely. But not only the traditional cinema distribution suffers – the community-driven distribution projects, which heavily relies on their faithful fans, had to re-create their programmes and find new ways how to work with communities. Representatives of three such projects will discuss and share their experience within this panel: Kristýna Genttnerová (Promítej i ty, CZ), Ivana Formanová (KineDok, CZ) and Maja Lindquist (Doc Lounge, SE).
Thursday, March 11
8:00 pm – 9:00 pm (CET)
Virtual Guests Meet Guests Special: Documentary Pub Quiz!
Join us for this unique opportunity to meet and test your knowledge of the documentary film. Create a team or join one on the spot and compete with others in this special virtual pub quiz. Together with our friends from One World we have prepared tricky questions and silly talks, so join us for “doc & chill”. And don’t forget to bring your drinks!
Friday, March 12
10:00 am – 11:30 am (CET)
Acquisition, promotion & distribution in CEE: Case study by Maëlle Guenegues, CAT&Docs, France
In her lecture, senior sales agent Maëlle Guenegues will share with us two different examples of successful CAT&Docs acquisitions of documentaries produced in the Central and Eastern European territory: The Earth Is Blue as an Orange (UA, 2019), Communion (PL, 2016).
Monday, March 15
10:00 am – 12:00 pm (CET)
Presentation: East Doc Forum, Day 1
11 feature-length documentaries in development and production from Central and Eastern Europe will be pitched to international industry professionals and potential funders. The prestigious pitch East Doc Forum has welcomed more than 1000 filmmakers and supported over 500 documentary projects, including award-winning films from key international festivals, such as Something Better to Come, Over the Limit, When the War Comes, Sofia’s Last Ambulance, Village without Women, Ukrainian Sheriffs, The Russian Job, or Brothers.
Monday, March 15
6:30 pm - 7:30 pm (CET)
Panel: Reviving European Cinema
Critics say that European film production is losing its spirit and it is a fact that European cinema lags behind America in terms of global box office revenues. A concern arises that Europe will become a colony of powerful streaming platforms. How to revive European cinema and what are the ways to address the viewers? What is it that makes European films different and authentic?
Four up-and-coming producers from different parts of Europe – all alumni of the acclaimed EMERGING PRODUCERS programme – will share their experience and take part in the discussion which will take place during the East Doc Platform and streamed as part of Ji.hlava’s Echoes in Brussels, Paris and New York.
Panelists: Anamaria Antoci, Tangaj Production (RO), Jasmina Sijercic, Bocalupo Films (FR), Radim Procházka, Produkce Radim Prochazka (CZ), Pedro Fernandes Duarte, Primeira Idade (PT). Moderator: Marek Hovorka, festival director, Ji.hlava IDFF (CZ)
Monday, March 15
8:00 pm – 9:00 pm (CET)
Virtual Guests Meet Guests Drink hosted by Sunny Side of the Doc
Daily informal meetings for the documentary film industry. This time with our friends from Sunny Side of the Doc, the international marketplace for documentary and narrative experiences in La Rochelle. If you are curious about the next edition, or just want to meet other guests, just drop by. Open a beer, or pour yourself a glass of wine and join other EDP guests in this informal “doc & chill” meetup.
Tuesday, March 16
10:00 am – 12:00 pm (CET)
Presentation: East Doc Forum, Day 2
11 feature-length documentaries in development and production from Central and Eastern Europe will be pitched to international industry professionals and potential funders.
Tuesday, March 16
6:30 pm - 7:30 pm (CET)
Meet the Polish Docs Pro Delegation
This event will be organized by Krakow Film Foundation with the support of Polish Film Institute.
Tuesday, March 16
8:00 pm – 9:00 pm (CET)
Virtual Guests Meet Guests Drink hosted by DAE – Documentary Association of Europe
Daily informal meetings for the documentary film industry. This time with our friends from DAE – Documentary Association of Europe, a brand-new network for documentary professionals. If you are curious about the DAE activities, or just want to meet other guests, just drop by. Open a beer, or pour yourself a glass of wine and join other EDP guests in this informal “doc & chill” meetup.
Wednesday, March 17
10:00 am – 12:00 pm (CET)
Presentation: East Doc Forum: Day 3: Factual Series and XR projects
For the first time East Doc Forum will present two format-focused, stand-alone pitches. The first one, running from 10:00 to 11:00 (CET) is dedicated to the factual series from Central and Eastern Europe. Five projects in development will be presented to the international audience.
The second pitch from 11:00 to 12:30 (CET) is bringing five XR projects from the region, offering a unique insight in this emerging genre, as well as introducing new talents of interactive storytelling.
Wednesday, March 17
6:30 pm – 8:00 pm (CET)
East Doc Platform Award & Closing Ceremony
Join us for the closing ceremony of the 10th East Doc Platform. It is also the moment when we will announce all the winners of various East Doc Platform awards given by IDF and our dear partners.