How to Reach the Audience

… is the title of a two-day documentary film conference that takes place September 24-25 in Saint Petersburg within the frames of the documentary festival Message2Man. It is a Nordic-Russian look at documentaries in cinemas, festivals, vod’s, self-distribution, screenings at cultural houses where filmmakers meet the audience. Nordic Council of Ministers is supporting the conference that is a classic: Interesting speeches followed by discussions moderated by me and Cecilie Bolvinkel from EDN (European Documentary Network).

The man behind the conference is the Russian producer Viktor Skubey, who is President of the Russian Guild of Documentary Film and TV and who stood behind the DoxPro program in Saint Petersburg together with Ludmila Nazaruk. The production of the conference is in the hands of experienced producer Anastasia Lobanova.

Let me mention some of the points of the conference. First the

Nordic: From Denmark’s Danish Film Institute Liselotte Michelsen and Lisbeth Juhl Sibbesen will talk about their streamingsite ”Filmcentralen”, accessible for all citizens in the Kingdom. Mentioned Cecilie Bolvinkel will introduce ”Moving Docs”, an initiative of EDN with pan-European screenings. Swedish Stina Gardell speaks about ”How to Create an audience” with her own examples of self-distribution. The director of the Doc Lounge in the Nordic countries Maja Lindquist will introduce this exciting tool to attract a new audience to see documentaries. Lindquist is also the program manager of the festival Nordisk Panorama.

And the Russians: I am especially happy that I am going to see Irina Shatalova again, cameraperson and one of the filmmakers behind DOKer, an innovative film festival and screening initiative. Also a speech about the ”National Film Clubs Network” by Maria Muskevich looks inviting as does an intervention by film critic and distributor Anton Mazurov, ”Distribution of creative docs in Russia”.

From broadcasting side there will be a speech on the tv channel 24 DOC by Maria Miroshnichenko and Alexey Laifurov, and as the last intervention – crossing the borders of the Nordic and Russian – Diana Tabakov from exceptional DocAlliance will speak.

The conference takes place at Lendok – cultural space. Kryukov kanal, 12 in Saint Petersburg with nearest metro stations to be SennayaSadovayaSpasskaya (then 15 minutes by walk or take a minibus to Mariiskiy theatre).

To take part is free, but please be there 15 minutes before it starts the 24th at 10 in the morning – for registration.

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Tue Steen Müller
Tue Steen Müller

Müller, Tue Steen
Documentary Consultant and Critic, DENMARK

Worked with documentary films for more than 20 years at the Danish Film Board, as press officer, festival representative and film consultant/commissioner. Co-founder of Balticum Film and TV Festival, Filmkontakt Nord, Documentary of the EU and EDN (European Documentary Network).
Awards: 2004 the Danish Roos Prize for his contribution to the Danish and European documentary culture. 2006 an award for promoting Portuguese documentaries. 2014 he received the EDN Award “for an outstanding contribution to the development of the European documentary culture”. 2016 The Cross of the Knight of the Order for Merits to Lithuania. 2019 a Big Stamp at the 15th edition of ZagrebDox. 2021 receipt of the highest state decoration, Order of the Three Stars, Fourth Class, for the significant contribution to the development and promotion of Latvian documentary cinema outside Latvia. In 2022 he received an honorary award at DocsBarcelona’s 25th edition having served as organizer and programmer since the start of the festival.
From 1996 until 2005 he was the first director of EDN (European Documentary Network). From 2006 a freelance consultant and teacher in workshops like Ex Oriente, DocsBarcelona, Archidoc, Documentary Campus, Storydoc, Baltic Sea Forum, Black Sea DocStories, Caucadoc, CinéDOC Tbilisi, Docudays Kiev, Dealing With the Past Sarajevo FF as well as programme consultant for the festivals Magnificent7 in Belgrade, DOCSBarcelona, Verzio Budapest, Message2Man in St. Petersburg and DOKLeipzig. Teaches at the Zelig Documentary School in Bolzano Italy.

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