idfa November 19-29
The biggest documentary film festival opens in a couple of days. If you attend you will have an enormous lot of choices. Here is the introduction from the organisers: From November 19, Amsterdam will once again be the focal point of the international documentary world. More than 2100 guests will attend IDFA and its Markets. For those you can’t make it to Amsterdam: talkshows, debates, master classes and much more will be streamed via IDFA TV. www.idfa.nl
Some 700 film screenings will take place, of a total of 307 exceptional films and new media projects. A broad program encompassing 77 world premières, 53 international premières and 31 European premières. Also, talkshows and debates with appealing and controversial guests. Iran filmmaker Maziar Bahari, recently released from prison, will speak about his incredible personal experiences.
150 young professionals will be participating in the IDFAcademy program, which includes a lecture by Peter Broderick on hybrid distribution, three Master Classes, panel discussions and small-scale meetings with renowned (PHOTO: FREE TIME MACHOS by Mika Ronkainen in competition at idfa)
industry experts working in the fields of production, distribution and commissioning.
Docs for Sale: From 1 December 2009, the online platform offers 450 new documentaries in streaming video. Over the course of the 10 festival days, these films will also be available at the Docs for Sale venue. For more information and panels on distribution, as well as the full catalogue, see the DfS Program 2009 and the DfS Catalogue.
The FORUM: 43 projects will be pitched to commissioning editors and other financiers from all over the world. These pitches are complemented by more than 300 individual follow-up meetings, making the FORUM a unique combination of public pitches and individual conversations with the commissioning editors and other financiers.
IDFA TV is IDFA’s online documentary channel. IDFA TV now also allows you to watch full-length documentaries for free. The range of films on offer is set to be expanded with new titles over the coming year. In addition, IDFA TV provides video reports, trailers, the IDFA commercials and full coverage of IDFA events, all year round. The number of complete films that can be seen online will be expanded in the years ahead. Sign up for the IDFA newsletter through your personal MyIDFA account to be kept informed when new titles become available.
Jan Vrijman Fund: Among the films available on IDFA TV is a selection of the best films made with support from the Jan Vrijman Fund, IDFA’s fund for filmmakers in developing countries. IDFA’s Jan Vrijman Fund (JVF) supports filmmakers and festivals in developing countries. Every so often, world documentaries made with support from the JVF will be added to the films available to watch on IDFA TV. Twenty-five such films can already be seen on IDFA TV.
www.idfa.nl