Production and development grants announced by the Cultural Endowment of Estonia on 28 September 2017.

 

Documentary films and news in the „POST-TRUTH” ERA

In the “POST-TRUTH” ERA, the 2017 edition of Astra Film Festival brings forward two programmes aimed to look into the issue of truth in documentary cinema and the media landscape. Documentary film has become known as the cinema genre that faithfully renders reality. Given that the production of documentary films has become more widespread over the last two decades and directors use a series of cinematic tools, the questions and discussions in relation to truth or untruth in documentaries have multiplied.   

Mockumentaries under arrest - masterclass -

Mockumentaries or fake documentaries (films in which directors or producers purposely use fake content for their documentary films) have gained notoriety after a few scandals, when commercial documentary channels that relied on commercial agendas produced and aired documentary series which were based on fake information and used the testimonies of fake experts, fooling millions of viewers. At AFF, on the 21st of October, at 3 p.m., at Auditorium, Ruben Vermeesch, the Belgian independent director and producer will bring up the question: Why are independent film directors drawn to mockumentaries?

FAKE NEWS- panel discussion

Along with the change in the media landscape and the information centers from print to online media, the audience has also migrated from classic journalism to social media. The speed by which information spread has changed as well, and in this current situation manipulation through information becomes very easy. Marian Voicu, journalist, director and moderator, Angela Cristea, Head of the European Commission Representation in Romania, and Yevhen Fedchenko, director of the Mohyla School of Journalism (UKMA), co-founder/chief editor at stopfake.org, will participate in the panel discussion held on the 18th of October and address the best solutions against the fake news attacks. 

For 24 years, AFF is a platform dedicated to documentary cinema, bringing to Sibiu the latest and most important names in the field worldwide. This year’s edition welcomes the audience with a collection of more than 130 films, discussions with film industry experts, concerts, and VR and full-dome events. Tickets and full-passes are on sale on www.eventbook.ro.

The schedule for the Post-Truth programme:

http://astrafilm.ro/films-2015-1.aspx?subsection=39

 

Astra Film Festival 2017 is organized by Astra Film, CNM Astra and the Astra Film Foundation
With the support of Sibiu County Council, the Ministry of Culture and National Identity, the European Union – through the Creative Europe-Media programme and the National Centre for Cinematography
Co-financed by Sibiu Local Council through Sibiu City Hall
In collaboration with Lucian Blaga University
Partners: Institutul Cultural Român, Uniunea Cineaștilor, Consulatul Republicii Federale Germania din Sibiu, Ambasada Elveției în România, Cinetic, Refresh, Habitus
Digital partner: Urby
Title sponsor: Construcții SA
Sponsors: Romgaz, Electrica, Banca Transilvania, Takata, Aqua Carpatica, Happy City, HBO, Cinelab, Swiss Sponsors’ Fund
Car of the festival: Toyota
Media partners: TVR, Europa FM, HotNews, Revista 22, VICE, Revista Timpul, Transilvania Reporter, Cineuropa, Film New Europe, Radio România Cultural, Radio România Actualități, Radio Cluj, Radio Antena Sibiului, Radio Târgu Mureș, RFI România, Cinemagia, LiterNet, Cațavencii, CineFan, Sub25, All About Romanian Cinema, Cooperativa Urbană, ÎnFestival, Recorder, Iqads, Filmtett, Thinkout of the Box, Zile și Nopți, Tribuna, Turnul Sfatului, Sibiu 100%, Eveniment TV, Ora de Sibiu

 

The EAST DOC PLATFORM, the largest international platform for Central and East European documentaries, takes place March 3 – 9, 2018 in Prague. Its 7th edition will introduce a number of new program features. In addition to its established sessions, the EDP will also host a pitch for interactive projects and, for the first time, for short documentaries.

“We’d really like the East Doc Platform to be an event that reflects on some of the challenges that have emerged in the field,” says the new EDP Manager Tereza Šimíková. “In the age of Netflix and with the massive shift to online viewing, we’ve seen a renaissance of short documentaries. We’re honored to help some of the best short docs in the region, and to secure funding and distribution on both sides of the Atlantic.”   

Thanks to the unique partnership between the Institute of Documentary Film and Tribeca Film Institute’s IF/Then distribution initiative, short-form documentary projects from Central and Eastern Europe can participate in a competition IF/Then Short Pitch. The winning project will receive USD 20,000 in completion support, ongoing mentorship and it will participate in a year-long distribution initiative run by the Tribeca Film Institute. “Our program has two main goals – to discover and empower an inclusive and representative group of voices in the thriving short documentary space, and to carve out a new model of financial sustainability for these filmmakers.” says Mridu Chandra, Director of the IF/Then Short Documentary Program.

In addition to the new features, the 16th East Doc Forum (formerly ‘East European Forum’) remains the EDP’s flagship program. Its 5-day preparatory workshop focuses on helping directors and producers finalize their visual material, outline a distribution strategy, and improve their communication and presentation skills. The event also includes a series of inspiring lectures for the general public. The pinnacle of the EDP is the central pitch for 21 feature-length documentary projects in development/early production.

The EDP will again host cross-media/interactive projects at any stage of development, production or post-production. The Doc Tank session is now part of the East Doc Forum workshop and will include
a new cross-media round table pitch – East Doc Interactive. Authors have an opportunity to get feedback and secure funding for their projects. It is also the key place to build partnerships with digital media and interactive web professionals, including broadcasters, online media, funds and experts in the interactive storytelling field.

Producers can submit their projects in production/post-production to the East Doc Market (formerly ‘Project Market’) that offers the opportunity to meet with over 100 international festival representatives, broadcasters, distributors and sales agents. Over the course of two days, filmmakers pitch their projects in 15-minute meetings through a speed-dating marathon to partners of their own choice or those who requested to meet the project.

For the third time, the EDP will present Czech Docs… Coming Soon, a selection of Czech documentary projects in production/post-production. Czech producers and directors will introduce their projects to international festival representatives, distributors and sales agents and later attend one-on-one meetings at the East Doc Market.

Application deadline for the 2018 East Doc Platform: November 10, 2017

For more details, go HERE.

The East Doc Platform is organized by the Institute of Documentary Film in association with the One World International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival.

Contact for media:
Marta Jallageas
+420 775 669 222

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