Sheffield Doc/Fest:

Tips to submitting your film to a film festival

This is my first time as programmer of Sheffield Doc/Fest. It’s also my first blog – welcome!

This is the year we hit Hotdocs in Toronto, Visions du Reel in Nyon, Cannes, Thessaloniki Documentary film festival in Greece and the London Romanian Film Festival. So many amazing documentaries, I’ll start thinking of the films as stray pets – I want to take them all home with me.

I’m getting the sensation that we’ll have enough. It’s right in the middle of the viewing season now and we have 10 people, some as far away as Australia, viewing scores of documentaries on our behalf. The number of entrants are higher than average. I think we’ll break a record or two with the number of films received. The quality of the filmmaking is higher than I expected too – great, but it makes the choices a lot harder...

In an attempt to stand out from the crowd some one sent in their documentary with a brand new syringe, needle and swab kit inside the DVD case. I dropped the package like a hot potato. I realised the film was about heroin abuse, and this was some kind of themed marketing gimmick for us to take a closer look at the film. I started to imagine what it would be like if I left that on my desk and a visitor dropped by the programmer’s desk.

Tips to submitting your film to a film festival:
1) Don’t put anything inside film packaging that makes the addressee drop it like a hot potato.
2) Make sure you put the name of the film on the front of our DVD in ink.
3) Try not to leave the DVD blank.
4) Make sure the ink dries before you put it in the case and post it.
5) Ensure you send it to the right festival
6) For your entry fee try not to send cash to accompany your film

There are some of course that are challenging viewing. So much on the war on terror and the ‘constantly changing social landscape of China’. Can you imagine what will happen if Obama wins? We’ll have to start a new festival called ‘Regime Change’ to handle the number of films coming in.

So many docs have a great character or a setting but no way to bring it out. Or the reverse is true. But just when I’m getting a bit despondent, something pops out that is unassuming and forthright and humble. The enthusiasm levels jump up again. I can almost rely on it.

The Clearance Culture and the Future of Film

NESTA presents James Boyle at Sheffield Doc/Fest

NESTA (National Endowment of Science, Technology and the Arts) are proudly sponsoring a keynote speech at Sheffield Doc/Fest about the legal future of film by James Boyle, a founder of Creative Commons.

Creative Commons is working to facilitate the free availability of art, scholarship, and cultural materials by developing innovative, machine-readable licenses that individuals and institutions can attach to their work.

James Boyle, who is William Neal Reynolds Professor of Law at Duke Law School, and his colleague Jennifer Jenkins, will share their expert knowledge with Doc/Fest attendees on subjects including copyright, licensing and digital distribution.

Film-makers around the world now have to deal with a tangle of legal rules: copyrights, clearances of ever smaller fragments of music or image and licensing disputes. This session which is also sponsored by Creative Sheffield, the Sheffield City Development Agency, will explore the solutions and explain how the law affects the conditions of creativity, offering some surprising answers.
Jon Kingsbury, Director of the Creative Economy Programme at NESTA, a sponsor of the event, comments on the progress Creative Commons is making in the area of intellectual property:

“One of the key barriers to innovation and new potential business models for creative content is a clear framework for optimising the value of intellectual property. Creative Commons provides that framework while also maximizing public value.”

Adding another legal element to Doc/Fest, The Rights Business, a specialist consultancy with more than 60 clients spanning all genres across the independent production and distribution sector, will be running a free legal surgery. The 15 minute one-to-one sessions will offer advice on development and underlying rights deals, co-production, broadcaster and talent agreements and distribution and licensing deals.

Andrew Baker, CEO of The Rights Business says: "Getting rights right is key to successfully running and growing a business. With the Terms of Trade, indie quotas and reductions in production budgets all hot topics at the moment, we can advise businesses on getting the best possible rights deal, as well as managing long term growth as the media sector endures a difficult economic period."

The “Clearance Culture and the Future of Film” will be held on 7 November at 4.15pm and is free for Doc/Fest delegates. Limited members of the general public will also be able to attend. Tickets are on sale from The Showroom Cinema’s Box Office priced at £10/£8 (concessions).

The Rights Business legal surgery takes place from Friday on 7 November 12 to 5pm in The Delegate Centre, The Workstation and is free for Doc/fest delegates.

To arrange interviews or for further information/images, contact

Natalie McKay

0114 275 6784

natalie@mkthingshappen.co.uk

Sessions, Keynote Interviews & Masterclasses Announced! Plus registration and hotel booking reminders.

Friday 03 October

This issue:

1. SESSIONS ANNOUNCED!

2. KEYNOTE INTERVIEWS AND MASTERCLASSES

3. GET YOURSELF REGISTERED BEFORE THE DEADLINE!

4. BOOK YOUR HOTEL EARLY

SESSIONS ANNOUNCED!

Highlights include ‘Long Arm of The Law’, a look at the shifting dynamics between investigative filmmakers and law enforcement agencies - the impact of injunctions, orders to share rushes and veiled threats.
‘Is It Easy Being Green?’ are broadcasters taking their green responsibilities seriously or is the green content on our screens is just ‘greenwashing’?. Chaired by Dave Sag from Carbon Planet.

Theatrical documentaries often win critical acclaim but underperform at the box office. ‘Theatrical Documentaries R.I.P.?’ nods to box office successes like Touching the Void, but asks if the theatrical route is a valid one in our changing world?
‘Here Come the Philistines’ Expect fiery debate from guest speakers including Sophie Fiennes and Roy Ackerman – chaired by Mark Lawson, who asks, can shows like ‘The Choir’ and ‘Maestro’ claim to have opened up the ‘arts’ genre?
Alternate reality games (ARGs) are interactive narratives which use the real world as a platform, telling a story affected by ideas from players. As part of the DigiDocs strand, ‘DigiDocs 360: Docs and ARGs’ explores how the world of documentary and ARGs can work together.
‘My Tube Your Face’ explores the increasing popularity of social networking shows such as Kate Modern and The Gap Year, and how doc filmmakers can reach these audiences and exploit this market.
‘As I Lay Filming: Self-Authored Documentaries’ Tempted to use that mobile phone to tell your own story? Lawrence Barraclough (My Penis and Me) will grill a range of filmmakers including Chris Waitt (The Complete History of My Sexual Failures) about the process of baring all.
Following Robert Thirkell’s 2005 C.O.N.F.L.I.C.T masterclass, he will return this year to run a new A.U.T.H.E.N.T.I.C masterclass. Multi-award winning Thirkell, described as Britian's hottest producer, will concentrate on storytelling and new tips on underpinnings, staying in time and keeping it real.

‘Distribution - that old chestnut’. Join feisty international distributors offering different perspectives on the digital revolution and debating whether cinema and TV are still important.
5 Commissioning Panels! Digital Channels, Specialist Factual, Factual Entertainment, Funding for New Platforms and Documentary.

KEYNOTE INTERVIEWS AND MASTERCLASSES

Rt Hon Andy Burnham MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport delivers a keynote speech on Public Service Broadcasting in the digital age.

James Boyle, ‘The Clearance Culture and the Future of Film’, sponsored by NESTA
The Channel 4 Interview with Hamish Mykura, Head of Documentaries at Channel 4 and Head of More4 interviewed by Nick Fraser, Editor of BBC Storyville
Richard Klein, Head of Independent Commissioning for BBC Knowledge and Commissioning Editor for Documentaries, interviewed by Guardian journalist Steve Hewlett.
Nick Broomfield - Britain's best-known documentary filmmaker – interviewed by writer Jason Wood.
Internationally acclaimed and BAFTA award winning Molly Dineen will be interviewed by Peter Dale

The James Marsh’s Masterclass discussing his career and showing clips from his films, including the award winning Man On Wire.

D.A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus Masterclass, Nick Fraser, Editor of BBC Storyville will talk to the landmark filmmakers including discussion about The Return of The War Room, which ahs its European premiere at Doc/Fest.
Michael Palin interviewed by Simon Calder is a unique opportunity to hear the legendary Sheffield comedian, actor, writer and TV presenter discuss his successful BBC travel documentaries, travel books and web presence.

For all interviews, masterclasses and other sessions: https://www.sheffdocfest.com/sessions

GET YOURSELF REGISTERED BEFORE THE DEADLINE!

To be sure of a place visit the Doc/Fest website before 8 October https://www.sheffdocfest.com/

The Doc/Fest delegate list is now live and the buyers list has been updated https://www.sheffdocfest.com/view/buyerslist– check out who is coming to what promises to be the biggest, most exciting Doc/Fest in our 15 year history!

BOOK YOUR HOTEL EARLY

The Doc/Fest hotels are filling up quickly this year. We have arranged special hotel prices for our delegates. To avoid disappointment in securing your room, view and book online at https://www.conferencebookings.co.uk/delegate/YSTDOCFEST08

We also have special discounted off-peak train rates for Doc/Fest delegates this year. We can offer return travel from London at the bargain price of £31.00. To view our other discounted train rates and take advantage of this great offer, visit our online form http://sheffdocfest.com/view/travel

Please make sure you book your ticket before 4pm on 24th October.

Packing for Sunny Side

Just packing for Sunny Side of the Doc - if you are going please come see us in the UK village.

I'll be talking on the festivals panel and we are putting on a brunch at the Sheffield stand on Thursday morning at 10am. Definitely serving coffee and croissants, if your lucky we might even have Yorkshire Tea and Bakewell Tart.

I should be getting to la Rochelle Tuesday evening if all goes well - this year I have
been evacuated from an airport due to fire, evacuated due to discovery of an unexploded WWII bomb in the area, grounded in an icestorm and delayed by 5 hours due to a man running across the tarmac at Heathrow 'wearing a backpack'. Hopefully no delays this time. See you there.

Film Programme Announced

Friday 24 September

This issue:

1. FILM PROGRAMME ANNOUNCED

2. SESSION PROGRAMME ONLINE

3. DELEGATE REGISTRATION DEADLINE 8 OCTOBER

4. VIDEOTHEQUE OPENS EARLY

5. DOC/FEST ON A SHOESTRING

6. ADOPT-A-VOLUNTEER and ADOPT-A-PRODUCER

7. BBC BLAST - HAVE YOUR FILM SCREENED ON BBC TWO

FILM PROGRAMME ANNOUNCED

Doc/Fest is very pleased to announce the film programme for 2008. This year the festival will embrace the excitement of the US presidential elections with a series of films about Regime Change including Frontrunners (Caroline Suh)- a documentary that follows a group of students vying for the role of Class President at America’s best high school; and Full Battle Rattle (Tony Gerber & Jess Moss) - an exploration of a billion dollar Iraq warfare simulation in California’s Mojave Desert.

Following on from the success of last year, Doc/Fest 08 will also be continuing its Green, Bent, Anti Doc, Sports and Music strands. Doc/Fest’s retrospective of Japanese documentary classics will also continue in 2008. And new for this year is Kinky Docs: a celebration of sex and its representation in documentary.

For more details visit: www.sheffdocfest.com
Tickets go on sale on 28 September – remember there are a limited number of 10 doc passes which get you 10 docs for the price of 8! All tickets for films and public masterclasses are available from the Showroom Box Office on 0114 275 7727.

SESSIONS PROGRAMME ONLINE

The session programme will be online from 29 September – check out all 55 sessions at: www.sheffdocfest.com

DELEGATE REGISTRATION DEADLINE 8 OCTOBER

Remember to register by Wednesday 8 October to guarantee your place at the festival and ensure your details are in the delegate guide.

See who else is coming at: https://www.sheffdocfest.com/delegates and which buyers and key decision makers will attend at: https://www.sheffdocfest.com/view/buyerslist

VIDEOTHEQUE OPENS EARLY

Last year the fully digitised and interactive videotheque proved to be an invaluable tool for buyers and delegates - so this year we’re opening early!

The videotheque will open at 9am on Wednesday 5 November allowing you extra time to see some of the films you might not be able to see between Thursday – Sunday. Book your slots on arrival at The Delegate Centre.

DOC/FEST ON A SHOESTRING

Doc/Fest has a launched a Budget Guide - an essential tool for doing the festival without debt. The guide includes tips on:

- Cheaper or free delegate passes
- Where to stay for free or nearly nothing
- How to travel to Sheffield on a budget
- Getting all the festival information for free
- Socialising and Networking at Doc/Fest on the cheap
- Budget eating and drinking

For more information visit: www.sheffdocfest.com/view/budgetguide.

And we want your tips as well - so if you want to make any more suggestions on doing Doc/Fest on a budget, contact us!

ADOPT-A-VOLUNTEER and ADOPT-A-PRODUCER

This year - as ever, we’ll be aided by our invaluable volunteer team. We have many people applying from all over the world all of whom will need a bed between 5-9 November.
We’d also like to help documentary producers and directors who are working on new projects independently of major documentary production companies, based in the UK or elsewhere in the world. These guests will need to stay for the evenings of 6-8 November.

If you are have a spare bed and are able to help please get in touch. As a little thank you - we offer all adopters a free 10-docs pass.

BBC BLAST - HAVE YOUR FILM SCREENED ON BBC TWO

Following the success of last year, BBC Blast’s Film Festival and Bursary are back!
If you are – or you know - a budding filmmaker between the ages of 13-19 you have the opportunity to see your film screened on BBC TWO.
And if you’re 16-19 you can also apply for the Blast Bursary - a chance to win a £3,000 budget to work with industry professionals on your next film and to have your film shown at Blast Film Live Festival 2009.
Successful submissions will be aired in November and December on Blast on BBC TWO.
For further information and to download a Submissions Form which needs to accompany your entry visit: www.bbc.co.uk/blast/film/bbc2/submissions_form.doc
Entries for the Blast Bursary should be submitted in one of the following categories: animation, comedy, documentary, drama, or music video.
All entries should reach Doc/Fest by 5 pm, 17 October, 2008.

Workshopping

As you may have seen, we've launched a series of regional Marketplace workshops for this year's Doc/Fest Marketplace events. I started writing this late at night after our first one, in Belfast, and we've now done Cardiff as well.

And I can say for sure it was a success - we had 8 participants in Belfast all with great ideas on a massive range of subjects. Special mention goes to Derville Quigley, whose budgie documentary was pitched to me and Karolina in an almost anti-pitch relaxed style which we really adored.

So why are we doing these 6 workshops? It's for lots of reasons, but it's also for the simple reason that we want more people from outside London to apply to the MeetMarket and take part in the wonders of the Doc/Fest Marketplace. Last year we had more projects submitted from Holland than from Hull and though all selected are there on merit, in terms of applications we can make a better drive for non-London UK project submissions.

Look, I'm a Yorkshireman born and bred, so you can let me be firm about this sort of thing. So there's still time to apply for our Inverness and Sheffield workshops - check out the regional pitch workshops page for how to be at these workshops, and I'll keep updating you on how they've gone (more on Cardiff soon too)

By the way welcome from me to the Doc/Fest blog. Hope you'll keep checking in on all of us writing here - some of it will be Doc/Fest related and some of it really won't be, but hopefully it'll all be interesting if you follow the world of documentary. Let us know what you think...

Try Out Broadcast for free

Wednesday 17 September

This issue:

1. TRY OUT BROADCAST FOR FREE

2. GET YOURSELF REGISTERED BEFORE THE DEADLINE!!

3. IT’S BACK! APPLY FOR THE CHANNEL 4 PITCH COMPETITION

4. APPLY FOR THE NEW WELLCOME TRUST PITCH

5. JOIN THE DOC/FEST TEAM AS A VOLUNTEER

6. GOOD ADVICE FROM OUR GUEST SERVICES DEPARTMENT

7. TAKE PART IN BOOM!

TRY OUT BROADCAST FOR FREE

From production to post, radio to multimedia, Broadcast gives you the complete picture on what's happening in UK broadcasting. To make sure you don't miss a thing, we are giving you the opportunity to try it out free of charge!

Subscribe today to receive this exclusive discounted rate and you will get to try out Broadcast for free. That's £20 off an annual subscription, plus an additional four free issues worth £17 - a total saving of £37.

You’ll receive the latest news on commissioning, production, multimedia and technology, the best selection of industry jobs, ratings of what’s hot in scheduling and industry people moves.

Broadcast also brings you up-to-date funding information, including guidance for submitting your documentary idea into competitions such as Doc/Fest’s Channel 4 pitch (for details on how to apply, scroll down this newsletter!)

This offer is only available until 30 September, so sign up now http://www.subscription.co.uk/broadcast/B221

GET YOURSELF REGISTERED BEFORE THE DEADLINE!!

The deadline for registering to attend Sheffield Doc/Fest is Wednesday 8 October.

Remember, you must register before this date to guarantee your place at Doc/Fest 2008! Get registered now!
www.sheffdocfest.com
The Doc/Fest delegate list is now live and the buyers list has been updated – check out who is coming to what promises to be the biggest, most exciting Doc/Fest in our 15th year history.

IT’S BACK! APPLY FOR THE CHANNEL 4 PITCH COMPETITION

The Channel 4 Doc/Fest Pitch is back! Apply to become one of six new directors who will pitch to a panel of television executives, including Channel 4 commissioning editors, to win the chance to make a 24 minute film for Channel 4’s documentary new talent strand, First Cut.

This pitch is open to UK-based, experienced AP’s and up-and-coming directors, who have not yet received a director credit on a network primetime documentary film.

To receive an application form to participate in this year's pitch, email Jen Botting at Channel 4 on jbotting@channel4.co.uk as soon as possible. The deadline for applications is strictly FRIDAY 17 OCTOBER 2008. No late applications will be accepted.

For more information and the pitching process visit http://www.sheffdocfest.com/view/channel4pitch

APPLY FOR THE NEW WELLCOME TRUST PITCH

The Wellcome Trust and Sheffield Doc/Fest have joined forces to bring an exciting new event to Doc/Fest: the Wellcome Trust Broadcast Development Awards Pitch, part of Science Saturday on 8 November.
Filmmakers can apply for the chance to pitch a science idea (documentary, online or games formats) to a panel of Wellcome Trust executives and Science commissioning editors. The ideas need to engage the audience with biomedical science, in an innovative and accessible way.

The £10,000 funding prize may be awarded to more than one winner, which will be announced on Science Saturday at Doc/Fest. The prize will enable the pitched ideas to be developed into high impact, well-researched proposals to secure a broadcast platform or further funding.

For more information and to download an application form please visit www.wellcome.ac.uk/broadcast
or email Tom Ziessen t.ziessen@wellcome.ac.uk
Closing date for applications is 10 October 2008.

JOIN THE DOC/FEST TEAM AS A VOLUNTEER

Sheffield Doc/Fest is the UK's premier documentary festival, conference and marketplace, with some of the biggest names in documentary film attending.

If you have an interest in film/TV, festivals, event organisation or want to meet new people in a fast-paced, fun, energetic environment then get in touch!

We are looking for volunteers in the following areas:
Front of House Team, Guest Services Team, Information Desk, Videotheque, Marketplace Team, Festival Ambassadors, Production Team, Executive Assistants, Conference Programme, Event Crew Assistants, Marketing Assistants.

For more information or to apply email Volunteers Coordinator Tom Gatis volunteers@sidf.co.uk or call 0114 276 5141.

To apply online visit www.sheffdocfest.com/view/volunteer

GOOD ADVICE FROM OUR GUEST SERVICES DEPARTMENT

TAKE PART IN BOOM!

BOOM! is a unique volunteering project for 16-25 year olds, challenging you to make films about where you live, what you think and your interests, passions and concerns. It aims to help you make a positive difference in your community and in society by raising awareness and campaigning for change.

As a BOOM! volunteer community film-maker you will be required to run BOOM! activities at your local youth club and to share the skills you’ve learnt with other young people keen to get involved. You will be given training and have access to film-making equipment and editing software.

To get involved contact Becky Hedgcock, Head of Volunteering at Clubs for Young People becky.hedgcock@clubsforyoungpeople.org.uk

To find out more and look at the training toolkit in the Resources & Downloads section, visit www.boomnation.net

Sunnysiders

As Heather said yesterday, we're at Sunnyside this week, soaking up the sunny weather and having strong coffee. Lots of coffee.

Ignoring the weirdness of my prison-like hotel, it's a fascinating place to be. All the factions of the international docs world have their stands (or in our case, squashed-in table) and use their charms to allure passing trade. We call MeetMarket speed-dating or match-making for documentary people but this is one step further - personal sales booths for your documentary credentials. It's a bit like a Moroccan Bazaar for factual people's wares.

One tip if you happen to be here, or just like to have your finger on the pulse - go see The Age of Stupid, the new movie from uber-doctivist (documentary activist - get it?) Franny Armstrong. I banged on about it for ages in my last place and having now seen the final piece, I can tell you that you will cry, you will feel like you need to change the world and you will feel really very depressed and hopeless at the end.

It's a total slap in the face, I love it. Anyway, back to the coffee...

DFG Newcomers Day – More Details Announced

Tuesday 2 September

This issue:

DFG Newcomers Day – More Details Announced

DocDay Afternoon – Get your Tickets

MeetMarket Deadline Approaching

Special Advertising Opportunities for E-News Subscribers

BAFTA and DocHouse Presents... Documentaries – Degrees of Inspiration

DFG Newcomers Day – More Details Announced

Do you want to work in Documentaries? Do you need help making your first documentary? Do you want to win a commission from Current TV?

Newcomers Day is a fantastic and unique opportunity to get into the documentary world. You will have the opportunity to hear from and meet Executives who are hiring, Commissioners who are buying and the Directors who are inspiring the next generation of doc filmmakers.

This year the day will be packed with events including:

“The ABC (and XYZ) of getting into television”

A comprehensive Beginners Guide to Getting Into TV. Hosted by Andy Glynne, with a surprise special commissioner guest, this session will involve contributions from first time filmmakers, experienced Directors and Executive Producers.

“My Glorious TV Career”

A case study of a successful filmmaker and the chance to ask questions about the process that the whole team went through in delivering the goods.

“Making the most of the world outside broadcast”

A session to help you think about the many ways in which you could get started in the world of documentary. With that world changing, if you’re building a career it’s just as important to get seen on the web as it is on TV. Get some pointers from the people who are part of this media revolution.

“The Current TV pitch”

A chance for eight lucky individuals the chance to pitch live to a panel of Current TV Executives.

Plus, in a special extension of Newcomers Day, the Mini-MeetMarket will return for the third year running. This will be your chance to pitch your documentary idea to a top Executive Producer who can give you tips on how to develop your idea and improve your pitch and might just be interested in commissioning the film.
The event will be held Thursday 6 November, 10am–6pm, at the Showroom Cinema, Sheffield.

Tickets for the DFG Newcomer’s Day (including a reception with complimentary drinks) are £35 and are now on sale from The Showroom box office on 0114 275 7727.

DocDay Afternoon – Get your Tickets

DocDay Afternoon is an inspiring, intensive day of workshops, screenings and filmmaking surgeries. The aim of the day, which runs as part of the main Doc/Fest festival in November, is to prepare finished docs of about 4-minutes in length. Some of the best documentary practitioners from around the UK – Directors, Producers, Editors and Commissioners - will be on hand to help you with the production process. This is unique access to industry advice not to be missed.

Tickets are selling fast so if you know any 16-19 year olds who would love this opportunity please let them know.

See our website for more information

www.sheffdocfest.com

DocDay Afternoon takes place on Wednesday 5 November, between 10am-6pm at the Hallam University Student Union Building.

Tickets cost £10 per student (teachers accompanying a group of students go free) and are available from The Showroom Box Office on 0114 275 7727.

MeetMarket Deadline Approaching

The deadline for this year’s MeetMarket is in 9 days (12 September), so get online and submit your project!

Don’t miss your chance to pitch your most innovative projects one-on-one to the decision-makers who matter. This year there will be four Commissioning Editor panels and there are more Buyers, Commissioners and decision makers still to be announced. Find out the latest confirmed buyers and decision makers at

https://www.sheffdocfest.com/view/buyerslist

Special Advertising Opportunities for E-News Subscribers

Doc/Fest is the place that the British documentary family gets together each year. In 2008 we celebrate our 15th birthday, which will be our biggest ever gathering of film and TV professionals, new and emerging talent and high profile decision makers from the UK and the world.

We are currently finalising our printed publications and have a limited number of advertising opportunities in our Delegate Guide and Catalogue. We are also offering the opportunity for companies to have an insert in our pack given to all industry delegates.

For more details and to talk about the best way to get your message out, contact Freya Waterson on 0114 276 5141 or marketing@sidf.co.uk – hurry, time is tight!

BAFTA and DocHouse Presents... Documentaries – Degrees of Inspiration

BAFTA and DocHouse will be presenting a series of lively discussions between master Documentary-Makers and younger Directors who have been influenced by their work.

In the first of this exciting series, multi award-winning documentary Director Kim Longinotto, famous for her powerful, observational documentaries including Sisters in Law (2005), The Day I’ll Never Forget (2002) and Divorce Iranian Style (1998), will be interviewed by Simon Chambers (Every Good Marriage Begins with Tears, 2006) and George Amponsah (The Fighting Spirit, 2007). Together they will explore the elements of her work that have influenced their own styles, and in turn, Kim will discuss their creative process and the difficulties in finding finance for observational documentaries in the current climate.

The event will be held Thursday 11 September 2008 7pm-8.30pm (with a complimentary drinks reception at 6.30pm) at BAFTA, 195 Piccadilly, London W1J 9LN.

Tickets cost £5 and can be booked at www.bafta.org/whats-on

Getting docs info online - where to go

So I'm really into this blogging malarkey. Yes, partly because I like writing and I have opinions so I write, but also because blogs are pretty much my major source of information about what's happening in documentary.

My Firefox bookmarks toolbar is taken up with a massive array of dropdown blog feeds, some of which I scan speedily (a photographic memory helps with being an avid blog reader) and some of which I treasure like fine informational wine. It's kind of amazing how you can spend ten minutes blog-checking and suddenly feel like you've participated in hours of gossiping and knowledge-gathering. It's also amazing how much obscure new film information you can amass, so that when you come to places like this (sorry, I'm still at Sunnyside), someone can mention a small Puerto Rican film to you and you genuinely know exactly what they're talking about.

Anyway blogs are also about finding the nuggets of gold in the sludge, it has to be said, so here's my regular 'fine wine' blogs of choice:

Spout Blog, where Karina Longworth blogs a billion times a day with funny and intelligent slices of coolness.

GreenCine Daily, which is my major source of world film information, with a report on seemingly every single festival in the world however small and links to, well, every news and magazine article about film too. Honestly. Amazing.

All These Wonderful Things by AJ Schnack, which is at the longer-form end of things and more considered and occasional, but always very in-the-know.

The Guardian's film blogs which are for me the best British film bloggings you can get (although to be fair there isn't a lot of competition) and react really quickly to breaking news.

And finally The Lipster, which is a sort of feminist culture blog with some of the cleverest and most entertaining writing you see anywhere on or offline, always making you nod fervently in agreement, and being brilliant at recontextualising old bits of film culture with modern-day developments. And they also seem to write particularly well on documentary from a UK perspective, which is a rare find in the land of blogs as you may have noticed.

The Youth Jury Have Been Chosen!

Wednesday 20 August

This issue:

Early Bird Deadline

The Youth Jury Have Been Chosen!

Apply to Cross-Over Docs

Submit Your Meetmarket Project

Exclusive Screening of Alham Ahead of Doc / Fest Screening of War, Love, God and Madness

Early Bird Deadline

The Early-bird deadline is fast approaching. If you buy your pass online before 1 September, you will only pay last year's fantastic price of £180 + VAT. And don’t forget full registration closes on 8 October 2008!
This year there will be four Commissioning Editor panels and there are more Buyers, Commissioners and decision makers still to be announced. Find out the latest confirmed buyers and decision makers at https://www.sheffdocfest.com/view/buyerslist

The film programme has almost been finalised, and we will be announcing speakers and films soon.

The Youth Jury Have Been Chosen!

Our 12 finalists had a great time in the big smoke last week, as they took part in the 4 Talent Hothouse. After a week of doc-watching, debating, learning from the professionals and seeing the London sights, they have finally decided who will make the Youth Jury panel.

The final five, who will choose the winner of the Grierson:Sheffield Youth Jury award at this year’s Doc/Fest are Will Hall, Lucy Sneddon, Ben Coren, Keshia Harper and Ruth Newrick. Congratulations!
Our other finalists will not go home empty handed though, as they have been invited to attend and participate in the festival. The young enthusiasts will help to profile the nominated Youth Jury Award films by setting up their own press room and developing a marketing campaign to persuade more young people to attend the screenings and get excited about docs!

You can check out the Youth Jury Facebook group http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=20117432868
as well as spy photos of the week, the youth jury team photo and some images of the awards ceremony from last year.

Apply to Cross-Over Docs

The Crossover Docs deadline for applying has been extended to 8 Sept.

The lab will be held from 5-10 October and we are accepting applications from documentary makers, games producers, animators, new media producers and people working in areas including mobile, the web and all other media forms.

The lab brings together 24 people from different disciplines and helps to foster new collaborations and ways of generating and developing innovative cross platform projects. Participants are eligible to pitch in the Crossover Pitch at Doc/Fest where you can win a development prize of £10,000.

Crossover 2007 participant Roy Ackerman, Creative Director, Diverse Productions said: “The most brilliantly stimulating workshop I have attended. Crossover has the capacity to change entire businesses as well as creatives such as myself.”

Matt Locke, Commissioning Editor Channel 4, who also took part in Crossover 2007 said Crossover is "the most effective and productive way of identifying and developing new ideas for cross-platform teams".

Submit your MeetMarket Project

There are only a few more weeks left to get your MeetMarket project submission in to us. MeetMarket is a chance to pitch your most innovative projects one-on-one to the decision-makers who matter. The deadline is 12 September. Visit http://www.sheffdocfest.com/meetmarket for more information.

Apply for the Cross Media Challenge

The Cross Media Challenge, presented in association with the NFB, is a co-production competition aimed at generating innovative, interactive, socially engaged, documentary based content with applications for mobile and broadband. The theme of the challenge is ‘environmental’.

The prize is a £5,000 co-production development deal with the award-winning NFB. The deadline to apply is 10 October.
For more details and how to apply, visit www.nfb.ca/crossmediachallenge

Exclusive Screening of Alhaam Ahead of Doc/Fest Screening of War, Love, God and Madness

The first film by UK-based, Iraqi-born filmmaker Mohamed Al-Daradji AHLAAM will play 3 Nights at the Showroom in Sheffield ahead of the exclusive UK launch screening of the follow up-documentary 'WAR, LOVE, GOD AND MADNESS' at this year's Sheffield Doc/Fest in November.
For more info and to see the trailer go to: http://www.ahlaamthemovie.com/
The multi-award winning ALHAAM, filmed in and around Baghdad in 2004 - one of the first films to be made in Iraq since Saddam came into power, will screen at the Sheffield Showroom this Friday 22nd and Saturday 23rd (both at 6:00 pm) and Sunday 24th (8:20 pm).
The film charts the descent of three Iraqi citizens from their once normal lives into the chaos and confusion of the war and occupation that has engulfed the Iraqi nation.
Guardian Article:
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/film/2008/04/how_we_picked_the_best_film.html
This exclusive series of screenings of AHLAAM in Sheffield Sheffield Doc/Fest

Tickets from Showroom box office: 0114 275 7727

Greenwashing documentaries

Yesterday at Sunnyside, I went to the panel on "green programmes" and it was a case of high hopes and good intentions, but muddled outcomes. I don't mean that to criticise any of the people on the panel, all of whom I think are great, but I think we need to look at two key issues which were not the focus of this panel - firstly, ask more from documentaries than to just point out the issues we already know and advocate assuming a non-life-changing solution will just come ; and second, countering the dispassionate stance of standing aside as if the mechanics of the documentary industry itself played no role in climate chaos.

So the first - much was talked about regarding people tiring of images of withered plants, deserts and dead birds. Now that's true, but it's no improvement to replace them with happy animals and delighted multinational energy company executives telling us they're spearheading a solution. People, we're genuinely in crisis and any environmental documentary or series that tells you that we need anything other than a immediate change in lifestyle, and advocates anything other than an extremely depressed attitude to (Western?) humanity, is for me suspicious. And dangerously time-wasting.

I'm not saying there aren't many ways to approach this, but this happy-clappy attitude to 'green' docs serves to do little beyond offering easy 'awareness'. We don't need 'awareness' - if you're not aware already, then you need to get up to speed fast, turn off the telly and look out the window, and then take action. And two more things - a. just cos your documentary has lots of the colour green in it doesn't make it Green and b. if your doc is sponsored by a car company, I think you've been duped.

Second point - as the Green Code Project are leading on, the documentary world itself needs to take decisions on its own contribution to climate change. The infrastructure of going from development to screen, with all the travel and power therein, needs assessing - just like in every other industry. That's the real green revolution that, for me, documentary people can spearhead. We're doing something ourselves with our Carbon Neutrality here at Doc/Fest but it's no more than a start and I certainly think there's way more we can do...so we will - hold me to it, I've got plans, all of your ideas welcome.

PS Totally irrelevant, but on a less hectoring and more fun note, I'm sitting in a session here, above where the headphone man translates from French to English. I can only see his hands waving and gesticulating madly, emerging from the darkness, and it's kind of amazing, and really quite bizarre

Meet the Buyers – Get your Early Bird Pass Rate Now

Tuesday 5 August 2008

This issue:

Meet the Buyers – Get your Early Bird Pass Rate Now

Channel 4 Pitch Competition Announced

Horror Short Film Competition

Jobs at Birds Eye View

Meet the Buyers – Get your Early Bird Pass Rate Now

The Early-bird rate remains at last year's price of £180 + VAT (available until 1 September) and is available to buy online. Don’t forget to register before 8 October 2008!
This year there will be four Commissioning Editor panels and there are more Buyers, Commissioners and decision makers still to come...

Buyers and decision makers confirmed so far include:

Claire Aguilar, Vice President of Programming, ITVS, Michael Allder, Executive Producer Science & Natural History CBC-TV Documentary, Ewan Angus, Commissioning Editor, BBC Scotland, Mark Atkin, International Buyer, SBS Television, Stella Brilley, Acquistions Executive, Electric Sky, Bruni Burres, Sundance Documentary Fund, Meredith Chambers, Commissioning Editor Documentaries, Channel 4, Nina Chaudry, Senior Producer, Wide Angle Thirteen/ WNET/ PBS, George Chignell, Head of Television, Passion Pictures, Anais Clanet, Head of International Sales, Wide Management, Jo Clinton-Davis, Controller Popular Factual, ITV, Burgl Czeitschner, Commissioning Editor ORF, Editor, Discovery Network, Peter Dale, Sue Davidson, Consultant Commissioning Editor, Factual, Five, Margje De Koning, Commissioning Editor, IKON, Danielle DiGiacomo, Head of Docs Acquisitions, IndiePix, Hans Robert Eisenhauer, Commissioning Editor, ZDF/ARTE, Isabelle Fauchet Collier, MD Embrionic Arts, Maxyne Franklin, Editorial Director, Britdoc, Nick Fraser, Commissioning Editor Storyville, BBC, David Glover, Commissioner (Specialist Factual), Channel 4, Julie Goldman, Distributor, Cactus 3, Susanne Guggenberger, Distributor, Autlook Film Sales, Lowri Gwilym, Commissioning Editor S4C, Eamon Hardy, Executive Producer (Independents), BBC, Ryan Harrington, Head of Operations, Indiepix Studios, Christiane Hinz, Commissioning Editor, ARD/WDR, Mette Hoffman Meyer, Commissioning Editor, DR TV, Kristina Holstein, International Co-pro and Development, ZDF, Diana Holtzberg, Project Development, Acquisition, (Pre) Sales, Films Transit Intnl, David Hooper, Managing Director Espresso TV, Nobuo Isobe, Senior Producer (Program Production), Satellite Broadcasting Department, NHK/Asia Contents Centre, Rebecca Johnson, Senior Commissioning Editor, Virgin 1 and Bravo, Christoph Jorg, Commissioning Editor, ARTE France, Simon Kilmurry, Executive Director, P.O.V., Jonathan Kingsbury, Film Fund, NESTA, Richard Klein, Commissioning Editor, Documentary, BBC, Philippa Kowarsky, General Manager Cinephil Distribution & Co-Productions, Jo Lapping, Executive Producer, BBC, Catherine Le Clef, Senior Vice President, TV and Ancillary Sales, Fortissimo Films, Marianne Levy-Leblond, Commissionner, Feature Documentaries and History, Arte, Alan Maher, Production Executive, Irish Film Board, Charlotte Moore, Commissioning Executive, Documentaries, BBC, Sarah Mulvey, Commissioning Editor, Documentaries, Channel 4, Hamish Mykura, Head of Documentaries, Channel 4, Amy Nelson, Acquisitions Executive, TVF International, Sydney Neter, Distributor, SND Films, Aysha Rafaele, Commissioner (Documentaries), Channel 4, Emma Read, Commissioning Editor, Sky One, Ian Russell, Commissioner (Specialist Factual), Five, Emily Renshaw-Smith, Head of VC2, Current TV, Outi Saarikoski, Commissioning Editor, YLE Co-productions, Greg Sanderson, Commissioner, Storyville, BBC, Claudia Schreiner, Commissioning Editor, History, Culture and Science, ARD/MDR, Charles Schuerhoff, Director for Acquisitions and Sales, WGBH Intnl, Jess Search, Chief Executive, Britdoc, Kerime Senyücel, Commissioning Editor, TRT, Andre Singer, Chief Executive, West Park Pictures, Molly Thompson, Executive Producer, A&E IndieFilms, Michael Treves, Distributor, JMT Films, Barbara Truyen, Acquisition, (Pre) Sales Europe & Australia, VPRO, Annemiek Van Der Zanden, Commissioning Editor, NPS, Wim Van Rompaey, Head of Acquisitions, Lichtpunt, Peter Van Steemberg, Manager of Acquisitions, Magnolia Pictures, Kate Vogel, Commissioning Editor, 3 Minute Wonder, Channel 4, Sandra Whipham, Editor, More4, Sally-Ann Wilson, Projects Manager, CBA-DFID Fund, Jan Younghusband, Commissioning Editor, Arts & Performance, Channel 4, Tom Ziessen, Project Manager, Public Engagements Development Group, The Wellcome Trust, Debra Zimmerman, Executive Director, Women Make Movies.

Channel 4 Pitch Competition Announced

The Channel 4 Sheffield Pitch Competition is back, to help you get funding & guidance for your documentary idea.

Experienced Assistant Producers and up-and-coming Directors are invited to pitch an idea to a panel of TV Executives, including Channel 4 Commissioning Editors.

The winner, chosen at Doc/Fest in November, will make a 24 minute film for Channel 4’s documentary new talent strand, First Cut. The winner will spend 10-weeks at a production company to make the film, on a budget of £45,000, including a £5,000 Director's bursary.
You must be UK-based, be able to take up a freelance placement with a production company of Channel 4’s choice and have yet to receive a Director credit on a network primetime documentary film.
For more information about taking part in this year's pitch, email Jen Botting jbotting@channel4.co.uk

Keep an eye on www.sheffdocfest.com - full details to be announced soon!

Horror Short Film Competition

HorrorFest, Europe’s biggest short film TV channel (Sky Channel 195), is offering you the chance to win a holiday for two, Avid software or an XBOX 360, as part of
Propeller TV's search for the scariest horror short.

To enter, send your horror short (no longer than 10 mins) and submission form (download at http://www.propellertv.co.uk/Contributetofilmfirst.aspx)

to: Horrorfest, Propeller TV, C/O Screen Yorkshire, Leeds, LS2 7EY, UK

The deadline for entries is 12 September 2008.

All entries to HorrorFest will be broadcast on Propeller TV over Halloween (subject to terms and conditions).

For more information please contact john@propellertv.co.uk or www.propellertv.co.uk

Jobs at Birds Eye View

The Birds Eye View Film Festival was recently awarded the UK Film Council’s Film Festival Fund for the next three years, and are seeking individuals committed to developing the programme and marketing strategy until at least 2011.

Three key roles are currently available at the Birds Eye View Film Festival, Festival Programmer, Festival Marketing Manager and Festival Innovation Programmer.

These roles offer the chance to become a central part of the Birds Eye View creative team, shaping each festival by bringing the best films from women filmmakers around the world to London’s leading film venues, and ensuring that large, diverse audiences attend.

If you are interested, please visit the website for details http://www.birds-eye-view.co.uk/recruitment.htm

Sheffield Doc/Fest – this week the next generation!

Thursday 24 July 2008

This issue:

Sheffield Doc/Fest – this week the next generation! Plus special book offer and some reminders…Delegate Registration Now Open - get your early bird rate online now www.sheffdocfest.com Apply now to Crossover Docs go to www.crossoverlabs.org

DocDay Afternoon Tickets on Sale

Newcomers Day Tickets on Sale

Finalists Announced for the 4 Talent Grierson: Sheffield Youth Jury

Call for Young People – Be a Guerrilla Reporter!

New Book: Documentary Display – special discount for Doc/Fest subscribers.

DocDay Afternoon Tickets on sale
Tickets for DocDay Afternoon, an inspiring day of interactive workshops, screenings and filmmaking surgeries for 16-19 year olds are now on sale.

The aim of DocDay Afternoon, which runs as part of the main Doc/Fest festival in November, is to prepare finished docs of about 4-minutes in length. Some of the best documentary practitioners from around the UK – directors, producers, editors and commissioners - will be on hand to help with the production process. A unique access to industry advice: so don’t miss out.

Students should send a rough cut of their documentary by 15 October (maximum 10 minutes). Selected films will be digitised into the edit system and will receive tailored advice from mentors on the day. The mentors will watch students’ footage and give tips and evaluation to help students make the best documentaries they can. Cameras and editing systems will also be available, so students can take up the challenge to shoot or edit too.

DocDay Afternoon takes place on Wednesday 5 November, between 10am-6pm at the Hallam University Student Union Building.

Participants must all be working on a short documentary at the time of the workshop, whether individually or in groups.

Students and teachers are strongly encouraged to get advice in advance on getting documentaries ready: Contact Kerry McLeod – kerry@dfgdocs.com or Charlie Phillips – Charlie@sidf.co.uk

The event is proudly sponsored by Sheffield Hallam University, produced by DFG (www.dfgdocs.com) and in partnership with Showroom Cinemas (www.showroom.org.uk)

£10 per student (teachers accompanying a group of students go free!).

Tickets: Showroom Box Office 0114 275 7727 – On Sale Now

General information: Gez Walker, Showroom Education and Outreach Manager 0114 276 3534 or gez@showroom.org.uk

Newcomers Day Tickets on sale

Tickets on sale for DFG Newcomers Day at Sheffield Doc/Fest 2008!
Do you want to work in Documentaries? Do you need help making your first documentary? Want to win a commission from Current TV?
Newcomers Day is a fantastic and unique opportunity to get into the documentary world. Hear from and meet execs who are hiring; commissioners who are buying and the directors who are inspiring the next generation of doc filmmakers. All participants can compete for the Current TV commission.

Full details are still to be announced so watch this space or check our website for more details coming soon.

Newcomers Day is on Thursday 6 November, from 10am – 6pm at theShowroom Cinema, Sheffield.
Tickets are £35 for the day, including a reception with complimentary drinks.

For tickets, call the Showroom Box Office: 0114 275 7727 – ON SALE NOW

Finalists Announced for the 4Talent Grierson: Sheffield Youth Jury

Last year, Sheffield Doc/Fest partnered with The Grierson Trust to introduce an award called the Grierson:Sheffield Youth Jury Award, offering young people a chance to have their say about what documentaries they like. Overall, it was a great experience for the young people on the jury and everyone who took part.

This year, we partnered with 4 Talent to run a national competition to recruit members of the Youth Jury. Hundreds of young people applied, and after holding a number of workshop roadshows, we have now selected twelve people who will take part in an intense five-day 4 Talent Hothouse.

The Hothouse takes place between 11-15 August where the lucky twelve will meet industry professionals to give them advice on all aspects of docs, from idea to exhibition. The selected final five Youth Jury members will decide who gets the Grierson:Sheffield Youth Jury Award, after viewing nine films from a long list. The award winner will be chosen at the festival with the Chair, Emma Hindley from The Grierson Trust.

Our congratulations go to the finalists who are: Fortuna Burke, Nicole Burns, Samuel Burr. Ben Coren, Marian Edusei, William Hall, Keisha Harper, Ruth Newrick, Jon Parker, Nickque Patterson, Lucy Sneddon and Liam Wilson.

CALL Call for Young People – Be a Guerrilla Reporter!

NOISE Festival 2008, the Europe-wide media showcase for creative people aged 25 and under, is searching for the unheard opinions of young people in the UK and Europe.

Here’s your opportunity to be a Guerrilla Reporter for your generation, your culture, your way of life and to champion your vision. This is your chance to stand up and be heard.

The challenge is to reinvent the definition of ‘Reportage’. The winner will receive a mentorship programme with their local BBC Station and the chance to develop and get a piece of work aired nationally across all media. The winner will also receive NOISE “Dream Job” placements at the BBC, Film24 and £1,000 worth of creative equipment.

You can submit stories using words, illustration, blogs, mobile phone pics/clips, photos, film/video, podcasts or animation. You can enter an existing piece of work that fits the Reportage brief, or produce an entirely new one.

For further information, and to download the brief visit www.noisefestival.com/reportage Deadline 31 July 2008.

New Book: Documentary Display – special discount for Doc/Fest subscribers.

Wallflower Press is offering a special discount on a new book Documentary Display – a fascinating read and important re-evaluation of documentary film. The book demonstrates that documentary, rather than offering sober depictions of reality, can present expressive, entertaining and spectacular images. Informed and accessible, the book analyses examples of found-footage, 'rockumentary' films, nonfiction surf film and video, the city film and natural science films. This is a must-read for any documentary fan!

For more information please visit www.wallflowerpress.co.uk. To order your copy for the reduced price of £12 (usually £16.99), please email Amanda O’Boyle at amanda@wallflowerpress.co.uk with ‘DOCFEST OFFER’ in the subject line.

Tuesday15 July 2008

This issue:

Register for Doc/Fest 2008

Apply to Crossover Docs

NFB AND Doc/Fest Open Submissions for Cross-Media Challenge

Come and Debate with us at Britdoc 08

Register for Doc/Fest 2008

Registration is now open for Doc/Fest 2008. As well as giving you full access to all the films packed into the five day festival, our Industry Delegate Pass will get you into industry sessions, marketplace opportunities and an exciting array of dinners and parties.

With the Early Bird rate remaining at last year’s price of £180 + VAT (available until 1 September), Doc/Fest is by far the most affordable documentary industry event. What’s more, students and concessions can gain a full access pass for only £75 + VAT.

This year, delegate passes are sure to sell out and we have a deadline for delegate registration for the first time: 8 October – so get in quick: www.sheffdocfest.com
And while you’re online, why not check out where to stay when you’re in Sheffield? Each year, hotel rooms in the city are completely sold out during the festival week. So to make it easier for you to find a comfortable place to lay your head, we’ve teamed up with South Yorkshire Tourism who have all the options in one simple place. Check out www.sheffdocfest.com/view/accomodation for more details.

Apply to Crossover Docs

What’s the future of documentary? How can film makers and factual producers work with games developers, web and interaction designers to invent new formats for new media? What’s the reality of “360”, cross-platform development and commissioning?
Crossover Docs, which is supported by the BBC and Channel 4, is a unique five-day residential laboratory for experienced creative professionals from all sectors of the audio-visual industries. Held in a remote country retreat, the lab will explore new approaches to engaging audiences with factual stories and issues. It will generate innovative ideas for cross-platform projects which address big ideas and contemporary challenges including climate change and other scientific issues.

Crossover is directed by Frank Boyd and Heather Croall with leading mentors from the interactive and documentary industries. A number of commissioning editors, channel controllers and other buyers will visit during the week, to engage in the process and to hear the ideas that emerge from it. Commissioners attending in 2007 included the BBC, Channel 4, More 4, SBS, Al Jazeera and Current TV.

The lab is for people with previous credits in either interactive/new media or documentary/factual projects. We are looking for up to 24 participants from across the audio-visual and creative industries: producers, designers, developers, writers, animators.

If you’re interested in applying or finding out more apply go to www.crossoverlabs.org , http://www.crossoverlabs.org or contact info@crossoverlabs.org

Application deadline is 31 August 2008. The Lab will be held between 10 – 15 October 2008.

“Crossover completely opened my eyes to the future of documentary” Roger Graef, Films of Record.

“The most stimulating brilliantly workshop I have attended… it has the capacity to change entire businesses as well as creatives such as myself.” Roy Ackerman, Creative Director, Diverse

Crossover Docs is funded by Skillset, NESTA, London Development Agency, The Wellcome Trust and Screen Yorkshire.

NFB AND Doc/Fest Open Submissions for Cross-Media Challenge

The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) and the Sheffield International Documentary Festival are pleased to issue a call for proposals for the second Cross Media Challenge.
The Cross Media Challenge is a co-production competition for innovative, interactive, socially engaged content with applications for mobile and broadband. It will award one producer a £5,000 co-production development deal with the award-winning NFB.
The 2008 challenge is based around an environmental theme and projects must be documentary based.
Three semi-finalists will be invited to present their projects at a panel session during Doc/Fest 2008 and the winner will be announced at our DigiDocs 360 program.
The winner of the 2007 Cross Media Challenge was My Dangerous Loverboy, an interactive web and mobile site that raises awareness of global sex trafficking and creates a virtual community for at-risk young girls.
Grant Keir, the film’s producer, says: “Winning the NFB pitching session opened up real industry interest in My Dangerous Loverboy. We were able to secure matching finance from the screen agency Northern Film and Media and our Canadian producing partner also won some extra development cash for the project. Annette Clark, a producer at NFB, is providing invaluable help to us in its development. We have just completed a short drama film and are now preparing to pitch a worked up proposal for production finance. None of this would have been possible without the fantastic platform afforded to us by Sheffield Doc/Fest.”
Deadline for entries is 10 October, 2008. See www.nfb.ca/crossmediachallenge for details on how to apply.

Come and Debate with Us at Britdoc 08!

Britdoc 08: 23 - 25 July, Keble College, Oxford. www.britdoc.org/festival
Britdoc 08 is only one week away, and loads of events to revel in our dual theme of Comedy and Music have been lined up. Highlights include king of comedy Larry Charles in conversation, a soundtrack masterclass with musicians Nitin Sawhney, Michael Nyman and Jonathan Dove, and a live Oxford Debate with Sheffield Doc/Fest! The full daily schedule can be found here: https://www.britdoc.org/festival/ThingsToDo/Schedule

The engine room of BRITDOC is the pitching forums, and the line-up for the Big, the Short and the Good Pitches have all been announced! Over the course of the festival’s three days a total of 27 projects will be pitched in front of funders like HBO, NHK, IFC, Participant and the Sundance Institute. Full details of all projects and funders in attendance can be found on our website. Just go here: https://www.britdoc.org/festival/ApplyFor/Pitchingforums
You can still buy your pass at https://www.britdoc.org/festival/ForDelegates/Buypass and we'll see you there!

Wednesday 8 July 2008

This issue:

Britdoc has announced its Best of Fests films
Get Tickets For MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival
Job Opportunity at Doc/Fest
Doc/Fest Delegate Registration Opens
Doc/Fest Announces a Taster of Films for 2008
Project Submissions for MeetMarket Now Open
Last Chance to Join Yorkshire Pitching Workshop
Win Tickets to ‘The Putin System’

Britdoc 08: 23 - 25 July, Keeble College, Oxford.

Just in! BritDoc has announced its Best of Fests films, including Sundance winners Man On Wire (by British director James Marsh) and ‘Trouble The Water’ (directed by Carl Deal and Tia Lessin). The line-up for masterclasses and surgeries has also been announced, including sessions led by Jeremy Chilnick (Producer for Morgan Spurlock), John Battsek (Passion Pictures) and David Courier (Programmer, Sundance Festival).
In keeping with BritDoc’S theme for 2008 - ‘Comedy and Music’- esteemed comedic director Larry Charles (Director, Borat and Curb Your Enthusiasm) will be at the festival, along with musicians Nitin Sawhney, Alex James and acclaimed composer Michael Nyman.

Visit www.britdoc.org/festival to buy a pass, view the film programme and find out how to enter the Online Pitch.

MediaGurdian Edinburgh International Television Festival 22 – 24 August 2008, Edinburgh, UK

The 33rd MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival, the annual event for the international television and media industry, will be held in Edinburgh over the August Bank Holiday.
This year’s festival boasts a stellar line up including Jamie Oliver, Sharon Osbourne, Richard & Judy, Gok Wan, Angus Deayton, Jimmy Carr, Ross Kemp, Heroes creator Tim Kring, Dawn Porter, Evan Davis, Armando Iannucci, Charlie Brooker, Danny Wallace, Russell T Davies, Richard Bacon, Graham Linehan, Trevor Phillips and many more.
View the festival programme and delegate list, and register online now at www.mgeitf.co.uk

Job Opportunity at Doc/Fest

Doc/Fest is looking for an experienced Marketplace Coordinator to work across the MeetMarket and all our market and industry events at the UK’s biggest documentary marketplace. For more information see http://www.sheffdocfest.com/view/jobs

Doc/Fest Delegate Registration Opens

Registration for Industry Delegate Passes opens online on Thursday 10 July. Sheffield is by far the most affordable documentary industry event with a delegate pass giving you full access to 5 days of films, industry sessions, dinners and parties as well as many marketplace opportunities.

The Early Bird rate remains at last year's price of £180 + VAT (available until 1 September) and you can buy it online from 10 July! Student / concessionary rate is still only £75 + VAT and this also gives you full access to everything at the festival.
This year delegate passes are sure to sell out and we have a deadline for delegate registration for the first time: 8 October – so get in quick: www.sheffdocfest.com

Doc/Fest Announces a Taster of Films for 2008

Doc/Fest is delighted to announce a taster of this year’s film programme, which includes award-winning documentaries from around the world.

Following on from the success of last year, we will once again be premiering documentaries in our Green, Bent, Anti Doc, Sports and Music strands. By popular demand, Mark Cousins will also curate and present the second season of Japanese docs at Sheffield this year after the huge success of his programme in 2007.
As Doc/Fest 2008 will open just after the announcement of the next US President, this year’s festival will be led by a series of films that investigate Regime Change.
Highlights in the Regime Change strand include ‘War Love God Madness’ (dir. Mohamed Al-Daradji, UK), which follows the crew of feature film Allah in war torn Iraq; ‘Bulletproof Salesman’ (dir.Micheal Tucker, Petra Epperlein, USA), a darkly comic film about a German Salesman who sells armoured vehicles to Iraqis; ‘Shadow of the Holy Book’ (dir. Arto Halonen, Finland), which exposes religious and political corruption in Turkmenistan; and ‘Front Runners’ (dir. Caroline Suh, USA), which follows the political wrangling of student elections in one of New York’s leading schools.
Other festival highlights include, ‘Letter to Anna’ (dir. Eric Bergkraut, Switzerland),a controversial analysis of the murder of Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya; ‘Bingai’ (dir. Fen Yang, China), which tells the story of a female Chinese farmer who takes on state beauracrcy; ‘Blast!’ (dir. Paul Devlin, USA), which follows a team of astrophysicists as they launch a revolutionary telescope on a NASA high-altitude balloon; and ‘Suddenly Last Winter’ (dir. Gustav Hofer, Luca Ragazzi, Italy), which explores why legislation that would give equal rights to gay partners is quashed by the Italian senate.

Project Submissions for MeetMarket Now Open

MeetMarket is the UK’s biggest international documentary marketplace - and it is now open for project submissions.
The unique pitching initiative is made up of pre-scheduled, match-made one-on-one meetings, where documentary makers pitch their newest projects to dozens of UK and international buyers, EP's, commissioning editors and distributors.
MeetMarket provides high quality, original ideas with the possibility to be fast-tracked from development to production, in a supportive and dynamic setting. The projected worth of sales in negotiation sparked at MeetMarket 2007 currently stands at £4,321,980, and is still rising.
Projects can be in any stage of development and applicants can be from any geographic location. Interactive and cross-platform projects are also very welcome. To see the full list of confirmed buyers, see www.sheffdocfest.com/view/buyerslist
For more information on applying, visit www.sheffdocfest.com/view/meetmarket

Last Chance to Join Yorkshire Pitching Workshop

Calling all Yorkshire producers and filmmakers – this is your last chance to attend our special pitch workshop in Sheffield on 29 July. This session will offer complete preparation for getting your project funded at this year's Doc/Fest Marketplace. Offering an exclusive window into the priorities of the international documentary market, this is a chance to learn what UK, European, North American and other decision-makers are looking for right now from you, and how you can get the most from them at Doc/Fest.
Last year's workshops led directly to 17 of the 39 projects eventually being selected for MeetMarket. For more information, email Marketplace Producer Charlie Phillips at charlie@sidf.co.uk and see www.sheffdocfest.com/view/pitchworkshops on the website.

This workshop has been made possible through the kind support of Yorkshire Forward, Screen Yorkshire, The MEDIA Programme of the European Union, and The Skillset Film Skills Fund. The Skillset Film Skills Fund is supported by the National Lottery through the UK Film Council and the film industry through the Skills Investment Fund.

Win Tickets to ‘The Putin System’ Closes Midnight Tonight!

Sheffield Doc/Fest has partnered with The Independent, Picture House Cinemas and joiningthedots.tv to give you the chance to win one of five pairs of tickets to see ‘The Putin System’ (Dir: Jean-Michel Carré and Jill Emery, France) at each of the participating venues across the UK.
To find out more and enter the competition visit: http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/film-and-tv/features/article853257.html

Check out the Lovely New Doc/Fest Website!

Wednesday 25 June 2008

This issue:

Check out the Lovely New Doc/Fest Website!
Deadlines – Get Your Submissions in
Still Time to Enter Green & Innovation Grierson:Sheffield Awards
Submit a Session Idea – Deadline 4 July
Partnership with Picturehouse Cinemas, Joining the Dots and The Independent – Win Tickets
UK Film Council Recognises Doc/Fest as Festival of National Significance
Delegate Registration Opens

Check Out the Lovely New Doc/Fest website!

Thanks to our award winning designers The Designers Republic and our amazing new digital partners Mint Digital, you can now take part in the smart and smooth running experience that is Doc/Fest online. Several of our team here in Sheffield have also worked very, very hard to make this happen so - check out our new-look website at www.sheffdocfest.com

You can see what we’ve been reading about this month on del.icio.us, join us on Facebook and MySpace and track our globe trotting team members on twitter; the new site is a gateway to further fun on the internet – all that and regular blogging from Heather, Hussain and Charlie plus ‘coming soon’ – live web feeds!

The website gets a special launch at Sunnyside of The Doc on Thursday – do pop along to the Doc/Fest stand in the UK Village if you are in town.

Deadlines – Get Your Submissions in

The film entry deadline closes 30 June. To ensure your film has a chance to be screened at Doc/Fest, enter online at www.sheffdocfest.com

Still Time to Enter Green & Innovation Grierson:Sheffield Awards

The deadline for entries to the Grierson:Sheffield Green and Innovation Awards has been extended to 15 July.

Entries are still being accepted via the Grierson website. You can enter online or download an entry form by going to http://www.griersontrust.org/howtoenter.htm or contact the Grierson Trust on +44(0)20 7580 7526 / awards@griersontrust.org

Submit a Session Idea – Deadline 4 July

The deadline to submit a session idea for this year’s Doc/Fest is fast approaching. Help shape Doc/Fest 2008 by telling us your thoughts for craft-based sessions, case studies, debates or masterclasses. Visit www.sheffdocfest.com for more info.

Partnership with Picturehouse Cinemas, Joining the Dots and The Independent – Win Tickets

Doc/Fest is very pleased to announce a partnership with Picturehouse Cinemas, Joining The Dots and The Independent which helps docs reach new audiences. There will be doc screenings across the country in Picturehouse Cinemas www.picturehouses.co.uk – and then online at www.joiningthedots.tv

A new doc will be premiered every 6 weeks – the next title lined up for screenings is The Putin System.

The Putin System 15 (contains moderate violence)

Director: Jean-Michel Carré. UK 2007. 95 mins. Winner of the Grand Prix, France 2008

This investigative documentary covers 30 years in the socio-political history of Russia through the personal history of Vladimir Putin. He is the supreme arbitrator in the Kremlin and has constructed a system in Russia that has stabilised the economy, developed military power and made oil and gas his weapons. But with democratic opposition in the country crushed, does Putin’s ultra-authoritarian leadership have more in common with his communist predecessors than previously thought?

The Independent is running a competition starting Thursday 26 to win tickets – to get your hands on some and for details of screenings near you visit (from Thur): http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/film-and-tv/features/article853257.html

UK Film Council Recognises Doc/Fest as Festival of National Significance

Sheffield Doc/Fest has been awarded £175,000 by the UK Film Council (UKFC) to help consolidate its position as a festival of National significance.

The funding will help Doc/Fest to widen its reach to a diverse public audience, particularly young people. The money, which will span over three years, will be used to make films available on the internet, present major masterclasses via the Digital Screen Network and help develop Doc/Fest’s infrastructure.

Steve Hewlett, Chair of Doc/Fest’s executive board says: “This is great news and welcome recognition of Sheffield Doc/Fest’s status as a major UK festival. We are indebted to the UK Film Council. It has shown considerable confidence in Sheffield and I am certain that festival director Heather Croall and the Doc/Fest team will repay that confidence with interest”.

Delegate Registration Opens

Registration for Industry Delegate Passes opens on 10 July. A full delegate pass for 5 days of films, industry sessions and the Marketplace remains at the 2007 price of £180 + VAT with our early bird rate (available until 1 September).

Student / concessionary rate is still only £75 + VAT.

This year delegate passes are sure to sell out and we have a deadline for delegate registration for the first time: 8 October – so get in quick!

Doc Events and Buyers Announced

Thursday 17 June 2008

This issue:

Doc Events and Buyers Announced
Happy Hour in Edinburgh
Lots of Buyers Already Confirmed for Doc/Fest in November!
See You at Intelligent Factual

Happy Hour in Edinburgh

Scottish Screen & Sheffield Doc/Fest Presents Happy Hour in the delegate centre café bar. Saturday 28 June 18:30 – 19.30. Just show your EIFF pass to get in and have a drink with us. Hope to see you there!

Lots of buyers already confirmed for Doc/Fest in November!

We’re very pleased to announce a stellar line-up of some of the worlds key buyers, EPs and Commissioners already confirmed for Sheffield 2008!

Claire Aguilar,ITVS, USA / Michael Allder, CBC, Canada / Ewan Angus, BBC, UK / Mark Atkin, SBS Television, Australia / John Battsek, Passion Pictures, UK / Meredith Chambers, Channel 4, UK / George Chignell, Passion Pictures, UK / Anais Clanet, Wide Management, France / Alex Cooke, Renegade Pictures, UK / Burgl Czeitschner, ORF, Germany / Peter Dale, More 4, UK / Sue Davidson, Five, UK / Margje De Koning, IKON, The Netherlands / Danielle DiGiacomo, IndiePix, USA / Hans Robert Eisenhauer, ZDF/ARTE, Germany / Maxyne Franklin, Channel 4 British Documentary Foundation, UK / Eamon Hardy, BBC, UK, Mette Hoffman Meyer, DR TV, Denmark / Diana Holtzberg, Films Transit International, Canada – Dale Hooper, Espresso TV, UK / Marijke Huijbregts, AVRO, The Netherlands / Nobuo Isobe, NHK / Asia Contents Centre, Japan / Christoph Jorg, ARTE France, France / Richard Klein, BBC, UK / Philippa Kowarsky, Cinephil Distribution & Co/Productions, Israel / Jo Lapping, BBC, UK / Catherine Le Clef, Fortissimo Films, France / Alan Maher, Irish Film Board, Ireland / Charlotte Moore, BBC, UK / Sarah Mulvey, Channel 4, UK / Hamish Mykura, Channel 4, UK / Amy Nelson, TVF International, UK / Jan Rofekamp, Films Transit International, Canada / Outi Saarikoski, YLE Co/productions, Finland / Charles Schuerhoff, WGBH International, USA / Kerime Senyücel, TRT, Turkey / Andre Singer, West Park Pictures , UK / Barbara Truyen, VPRO, The Netherlands / Wim Van Rompaey, Lichtpunt, Belgium / Sandra Whipham, More 4, UK / Jan Younghusband, Channel 4 UK.

Registration for Doc/Fest opens 10 July – you can get your early bird pass before 1 September for only £180 + vat. Get in early!

See you at Intelligent Factual

Televisual Intelligent Factual Festival starts tomorrow! Don’t miss out.

No time for further hesitation, you must book today to make sure of your place at a crucial industry event for the factual community: Televisual’s Intelligent Factual Festival 2008. 50 speakers comprising the cream of the factual industry’s commissioners, producers and financiers all under one roof debating the topics that shape and impact your world. If you’re serious about making factual TV, you mustn’t miss out on this great value event.

For information and to book, hurry now to www.televisual.com/festival The festival takes place on Wednesday and Thursday this week (18 and 19 June) at The Arts Club W1. And prices are held at last year’s rate of £249 plus VAT for a two-day pass, £149 plus VAT for a one-day pass. See you there!

Film Submissions Extended!

Wednesday 11 June 2008

This issue:

Film Submission Deadline Extended!
MeetMarket Opens
Submit a Session Idea – deadline approaching
Doc/Fest Sponsors the Intelligent Factual Festival
Sunny Side Brunch with Doc/Fest
Doc/Fest Debate at BRITDOC
Delegate Registration Opens

Film Submission Deadline Extended!

The film entry deadline has now been extended until
30 June!

And that’s not all… this year Doc/Fest will be presenting an Audience Award. The honorary award for 2007 went to The English Surgeon, which came top in our post-festival survey last year. For 2008, we will conduct a survey at every screening, so if you haven't entered your film yet, and you missed the deadline for the Grierson:Sheffield Awards, don’t worry - your film can still be a winner!

Enter online at www.sheffdocfest.com

MeetMarket Opens

Submissions for Doc/Fest MeetMarket will open 16 June. The pitching initiative matches doc makers with UK and international buyers. Buyers view online one-minute pitch teasers of innovative doc ideas, and choose which projects they would like to discuss in one-to-one meetings at MeetMarket. Last year, 93% of participants said MeetMarket gave them access to commissioners, distributors and funders that they don’t normally have access to.

Apply online before 12 September at www.sheffdocfest.com
For more information or questions, plus info about Pitch Training Workshops that can help you prepare for MeetMarket and the marketplace in general, email charlie@sidf.co.uk

Submit a Session Idea– deadline approaching

The deadline to submit an idea for a Session at this year’s Doc/Fest is fast approaching – 4 July. Go to www.sheffdocfest.com with your ideas – either craft-based, case studies, debates or masterclasses. Help shape this year’s festival with your ideas!

Doc/Fest Sponsors the Intelligent Factual Festival

Doc/Fest is proud to be sponsoring the Intelligent Factual Festival 2008, on 18 and 19 June, at central London venues.

The two-day event includes 17 high-impact sessions. The sessions will take the form of focused interviews, debates and discourse, designed to deliver critical insight and understanding that will help you to get your doc commissioned and funded. The sessions have also been designed to provide you with opportunities to find new distribution revenues. All sessions are chaired by the best moderators working in media today, with 50 of the most important speakers presenting at the festival.

Book today and make sure you’re up to speed with the current thinking for today and tomorrow’s factual TV. The delegate pass rate is held at the 2007 rate of £249 (plus VAT) that gets you in to all seventeen sessions over the two days.

Doc/Fest will be attending this great factual programming event again this year - hope to see you there!

Book at http://www.televisual.com/festival

Sunny Side Brunch with Doc/Fest

Join Doc/Fest for coffee and croissants at Sunnyside of The Doc in La Rochelle between 10-11am, Thursday 26 June. We’ll have a stand in the UK Village and there will be an opportunity to meet Charlie Phillips, our Marketplace producer, who can tell you how plans are shaping up for the marketplace at this year’s Doc/Fest.

You can also meet with Heather Croall, Doc/Fest Festival director who will be revealing our new-look website for the first time.

We hope to see you there!

Doc/Fest Debate at BRITDOC

BRITDOC 08: Wednesday 23 – Friday 25 July, Keble College, Oxford.

This year BRITDOC's themes are Comedy and Music. Musicians and composers such as Nitin Sawhney and Michael Nyman will be joined by comedians and filmmakers like Larry Charles (director of Borat and Curb Your Enthusiasm). And for the first time Sheffield Doc/Fest is taking the Great Debate session to Oxford where we will debate whether documentaries are too serious.

The feature doc pitching forum returns with funders from Sundance, ITVS, IFC, ARTE, NHK, Participant and others, and there are also two short doc pitching opportunities. All delegates can also post their projects to the Online Pitch, and then message the attending funders, sales agents, distributors and producers for meetings and feedback.

Films include double Sundance winner Man on Wire and selections from programmers of SXSW, Sundance, Toronto, Berlin and IDFA.

For tickets and more info: http://www.britdoc.org/festival

Delegate Registration Opens

Registration for Industry Delegate Passes opens on 10 July. A full delegate pass for 5 days of films, sessions and the Marketplace remains at the 2007 price of £180 + VAT with our Early Bird Rate (available until September 1). Student / concessionary rate is still only £75 + VAT.

This year delegate passes are sure to sell out and we have a deadline for delegate registration for the first time this year – 8 October – so get it in quick!

Sheffield presents more New Media and Cross Platform Initiatives

Thursday 29 May 2008

This issue:

Sheffield presents more New Media and Cross Platform Initiatives
Pitch Training Workshops – Sheffield joins in with another free regional workshop
Discount offer on ‘Documentaries... and How to Make them’ book by Andy Glynne
Youth Jury Competition – deadline extended – tell all the young folk
Film Submissions Deadline Looms

Sheffield presents more New Media and Cross Platform Initiatives

Sheffield Doc/Fest will be giving you another series of cutting edge cross platform programmes this year - including panels, masterclasses, development labs and pitching opportunities.

DigiDocs 360 Strand

The DigiDocs 360 strand this year will be full of great sessions addressing the changing media landscape, with inspiring speakers from around the world looking at digital delivery and multi platform production models. Speakers announced soon.

Pitch in the Xmedia Challenge

For the second year running the National Film Board of Canada will present the XMedia Challenge in Sheffield where you can pitch to win a development purse and contract with the NFB. Last year the winning project of the NFB XMedia Challenge was Dangerous Loverboy - and the project has gone on to secure further funds in the UK and Canada. The NFB Xmedia challenge is a real opportunity to kick start a cross platform project. Details of how to apply announced soon.

Crossover Labs

Sheffield Doc/Fest and Unexpected Media produce and direct Crossover Labs - an unparalleled training opportunity for producers to prepare themselves for the digital and cross platform world. Each lab is an immersive 5 day residential programme where 20 individuals brainstorm ways to generate and develop innovative cross platform projects. Last year the CROSSOVER Lab, funded by Screen Yorkshire, LDA, C4 and BBC, was a great success and sparked a number of partnerships and projects. We are pleased to announce more Labs for 2008. The first CROSSOVER Lab this year, in June, is for Channel 4 and is aimed at, among other things, raising the awareness and understanding of C4’s commissioning editors and executives of the creative potential of interactive, cross-platform programmes. In September, CROSSOVER Nordic will be held in Sweden for producers in Nordic countries with a pitch session at Nordisk Panorama and there will be more Crossover Labs to follow. Watch out for calls for application and check out the information at www.crossoverlabs.org

There will once again be a CROSSOVER Pitch at Sheffield Doc/fest.

MeetMarket also Open to Interactive Projects

Doc/Fest's innovative Marketplace initiative - MeetMarket - is also open to cross platform projects and leading cross platform commissioners will be in attendance. So get your pitch ready to submit to the MeetMarket - submissions open very soon.

Pitch Training Workshops* – Sheffield joins in with another free regional workshop

Sheffield Doc/Fest is inviting producers to attend special workshops in 5 regions of the UK, offering complete preparation for getting your project funded in the Festival Marketplace.

Taking place in Belfast, Cardiff, London, Inverness – and just announced: Sheffield in June
and July, the workshops are an opportunity for producers and filmmakers in those regions to develop projects one-on-one with the Doc/Fest team, as well as peers. Applications are limited to producers in Northern Ireland, Wales, London, Yorkshire and Scotland.

Places for these workshops are very limited. To express interest, and for more information, please email Marketplace Producer Charlie Phillips at charlie@sidf.co.uk stating your name, company and region you are based in.

Discount offer on ‘Documentaries... and How to Make them’ book by Andy Glynne

Documentaries…and How To Make Them by Andy Glynne

Special Documentary Boo/DVD offer - 40% OFF

Usual Price - £16.99
Doc/Fest Offer - £9.99 (plus p&p)

Interviews with industry insiders and award-winning filmmakers who contribute their tips, tricks and advice, and a bonus DVD containing layouts for budget spreadsheets, release forms, contracts, plus three award-winning documentaries discussed as case studies ‘Lift’ (Marc Isaacs), ‘Footprints’ (Ben Hopkins) and ‘Boogie Woogie Daddy’ (Erik Bäfving) in the book and more...

To take advantage of the special Doc/Fest offer please visit The London Bookshop using the link below:

http://www.londonbooks.co.uk/shop/product.php/2441/

Or call 0207 430 1021 to order over the phone quoting ‘Doc/Fest offer’.

Youth Jury Competition – deadline extended – tell all the young folk

4Talent Search for the Grierson:Sheffield Youth Jury
4Talent have partnered with Doc/Fest to present an exciting national hunt for the documentary voices of the future. Due to popular demand we are extending our deadline for receipt of applications.

We want young people to have a bigger voice in the documentary world - and that's why we want to find 5 young people to be part of the Youth Jury at this year's Sheffield Doc/Fest, who will select the winner of the Grierson:Sheffield Youth Jury Award.

So if you're 16-21 and want to get involved – visit http://www.channel4.com/4careers/4careers_new/ and enter reference 4T SDF.

Film Submissions Deadline Looms

We’ve had more submissions than ever for this year’s Doc/Fest but we have noticed that some of you have not completed your online form! The deadline is 15th June – so get your submission completed to be included in the selection process. If you need help – call us! We are very happy to help you!
Documentary films from established or debut filmmakers, television and film school productions, and films of any style or subject are accepted for consideration into the 2008 official programme and/or into Doc/Fest's digitized videotheque.
Check out the festival website for complete rules and regulations and to enter their film using the on-line form. www.sheffdocfest.com
Submissions deadline 15 June.

If your film has already had a UK screening you can enter the Grierson:Sheffield Innovation or Green Awards. You can enter through the Grierson Trust website. Films accepted into the official festival 2008 programme may also be nominated for the Grierson:Sheffield Youth Jury award as well as the Green and Innovation categories.
Enter online www.griersontrust.org. Deadline: May 30.
For any questions email film programmer Hussain Currimbhoy at hussain@sidf.co.uk

Delegate Pass – Early Bird Price Held!

This year Delegate Passes go on sale on 10 July – you can get the EARLY BIRD PRICE! A full pass gets you 5 days of films, sessions, marketplace and masterclasses and is only £180 +vat. Deadline to get this price is 12 September.

*Pitch workshops have been made possible through the kind support of The MEDIA Programme of the European Union, The Skillset Film Skills Fund, Film London, Northern Ireland Screen, Teldwyr Annibynnol Cymru and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. The
Skillset Film Skills Fund is supported by the National Lottery through the UK Film Council and the film industry through the Skills Investment Fund.

Grierson: Sheffield Awards Call for Submissions

Wednesday 14 May 2008

This issue:

Grierson: Sheffield Awards Call for Submissions
English Surgeon Wins Award at HotDocs
Call for Entries!
Doc/Fest New Partners
Doc/Fest New Board and Advisory Members
BFI UK Tour – Doc/Fest Comes to You
Delegate Passes

Grierson:Sheffield Awards Call for Submissions

Doc/Fest is proud to partner with The Grierson Trust and, for the second year, will be awarding filmmakers with prestigious Grierson:Sheffield Awards at this year’s festival.

A single documentary, or an episode from a strand or a series exploring environmental issues or that has made a contribution to the climate change debate. A documentary that exhibits innovation in format, style, technique or content.

Youth Jury Award - A film that is engaging for young audiences; to be chosen by a jury of young people and chaired by a member of The Grierson Trust. Enter online www.griersontrust.org. Deadline: May 30.

English Surgeon Wins Award at HotDocs

Internationally acclaimed doc The English Surgeon, which was pitched and financed at MeetMarket 2006 and screened at Doc/Fest 2007, won Best International Feature Documentary Award at HotDocs on April 25. The film was loved by Doc/Fest audiences who named it in our survey as their favourite film in 2007. Doc/Fest would like to send big congratulations to the English Surgeon team!
Rachel Wexler (Bungalow Town Productions), Co-producer of The English Surgeon says, “Sheffield Doc/Fest was central in getting our film funded and into the international documentary arena. After attending the 2006 Interdoc course, Director/Producer Geoffrey Smith came to Sheffield and pitched The English Surgeon at the 2006 MeetMarket where he had some crucial meetings to raise co-production finance.
We came full circle when we were selected for the film programme of Sheffield Doc/Fest 2007 where we also presented a panel discussion on how we'd put the finances together for the film. All five of our co-funders were there to talk about the film after the screening and we were thrilled to be able to celebrate with the very people who had helped to get us started. We then had the opportunity to meet with broadcasters and other festival programmers at Sheffield to really launch the film internationally.”

Call for Entries!

Remember our call for entries is now open. Last year, filmmakers drowned us in great feedback abut how fabulous it was to be part of our screening programme – so get your film in now!
‘Sheffield rises to the top as one of my all-time festival favorites and now I know why so many people praise it as a hot, up-and-coming must-attend event!’
Sandi Dubowski – Producer – A Jihad For Love - USA
Enter online www.sheffdocfest.com Deadline: June 15.

Doc/Fest New Partners

We are very pleased to announce that The Independent newspaper is again our presenting media sponsor for 2008. The event will now be known as, Sheffield Doc/Fest in association with The Independent.
Ian Birrell, Deputy Editor of The Independent says: “Sheffield Doc/Fest has established itself as a highly respected event, with a tremendous range of discussions, debates and documentaries. We are delighted to continue our involvement and sponsorship of the festival.”

We are also delighted to be working with internationally renowned design agency The Designer’s Republic (tDR), who have designed a fabulous new visual identity for 2008 and beyond.
tDR has worked extensively within film and TV with recent clients including MTV and Nickelodeon channels, special effects team Moving Picture Company, and Warp Films.
In addition, MK, the Sheffield based PR company, will be working with us to deliver a combined programme of national and international media relations, marcomms and event management.
Be sure to keep your email address current with us so you get all our updates!

Doc/Fest New Board and Advisory Members

Doc/Fest is delighted to welcome more inspirational members of our industry to help shape and plan the festival of the future.

Alex Graham, ex-Chair of PACT has joined our board of directors and Jo Taylor from Channel 4Talent & indie Jan Bednarz are getting their hands dirty alongside other members of our advisory committee.

BFI UK Tour

The Doc/Fest - BFI Tour is nearly over – to catch the last few screenings check out our website www.sheffdocfest.com
Titles touring include All White in Barking, Jerusalem is Proud to Present, Cabal in Kabul, Operation Filmmaker and Hold Me Tight Let Me Go.

Delegate Passes

Industry Delegate Pass Registration opens on July 10. A full delegate pass for 5 days of films, sessions and the marketplace remains at the 2007 price of £180 + vat with our Early Bird rate! (Available until 1st September).
Student / concessionary rate is still only £75 + vat.
This year delegate passes are sure to sell out and we have a deadline for delegate registration for the first time this year – October 8 – Get it in your diary and get in quick!

Doc Fest Welcomes

Friday 18 April 2008

This issue:

Doc/Fest Welcomes...
Doc/Fest Team Descend on Toronto
Submit a Session Idea – we want your ideas
Films-Blog / Blog-Films – Call for entries!
BFI UK Tour – Doc/Fest comes to you.
UK Village at Sunny Side

Delegate Pass Registration Opens July 10
Early Bird Discounts Available Before September 1
Delegate Registration Deadline 8 October 2008 – Put this date in your diary (last year we sold out of delegate passes so get in early)

Doc/Fest Welcomes . . .

Doc/Fest is delighted to welcome our newest recruits: the Festival Producer who will work across the industry sessions and festival operations plus a London based Producer and an internationally based Executive Producer both for the Doc/Fest Marketplace.
Tam Nguyen has joined as the Festival Producer, directly from Los Angeles where she was Associate Producer for Academy Award nominated documentary film company Chain Camera. Prior to that Tam was the Program and Operations Manager at the AIDC.
Tam says: I am delighted to be living in Sheffield and working with this world-class team.
We are very excited to announce Karolina Lidin as the Executive Producer of the Doc/Fest Marketplace. Based in Copenhagen, Karolina has been involved in MeetMarket since the inception in Australia in 2005 and is thrilled to be Exec Producing the MeetMarket, now in its fourth year at Doc/Fest. Charlie Philips, former Editor of FourDocs, has joined Doc/Fest as the Marketplace Producer.
Charlie says: As a festival-goer, I have seen the MeetMarket develop into an unrivalled opportunity for documentary makers, buyers and commissioners to meet and do business in a supportive, professional and relaxed environment. I am very pleased to be joining the Doc/Fest team.

It is also a time for goodbyes. Our dear friend and colleague Fleur Knopperts has left Sheffield to pursue new horizons. Fleur helped to ensure that the MeetMarket was a fabulous success in 2007 and will be greatly missed. Fleur says: Working at Doc/Fest and on MeetMarket was a wonderful experience. It was great to see how well the new marketplace format works and to be able to support a lot of great new documentary projects in finding international funding. I wish great success to Doc/Fest and especially the new MeetMarket team - Charlie and Karolina – who I am sure will do a brilliant job.
Fleur - Thank You for all your hard work and our very best wishes for the future!
And finally, a big welcome to Paula Le Dieu from Magic Lantern who joins our board and to our newest festival patron, multi award winning director Kevin Macdonald.

Doc/Fest Team Descend on London and Toronoto HotDocs

Heather Croall (Festival Director), Hussain Currimbhoy (Film Programmer), and Charlie Philips (Marketplace Producer), will be representing Doc/Fest at HotDocs in Toronto. Please feel free to contact us to arrange a meeting if you are attending.
The newest addition to the Board of Directors, Nick Fraser (BBC Storyville) will be honoured as the HotDocs Doc Mogul this year – congratulations Nick!

Submit a Session Idea

The Doc/Fest programme has always been shaped by the documentary industry with invaluable input from the Advisory Committee. For the second year running we are delighted to broaden the invitation to everyone - if you have an idea for a session you would like to see at the festival - it can be craft-based, case studies, debates, masterclasses - then please submit your ideas online via our website. The deadline is 4 July. Session Ideas will go before our board and advisory committee for selection.

Films-Blog / Blog-Films … Call For Entries

Our Film Programmer Hussain Currimbhoy will be contributing to the soon-to-launch Doc/Fest blog, keeping you up to speed with the trials and tribulations (and jubilation!) of his daily festival life. It will be on our website soon, but in the meantime, here is the first installment:
Doc/Fest 2008 is going to be a killer. Film submissions opened in early March and entries have been coming in thicker and faster than Heather Mills hate mail. We are accepting documentaries of any length, style, form and genre, with special focuses this year on Doc Regime Change films, examining the Fine Arts, the Environment and Music to name but a few.
But where are the Comedy documentaries? If you have got one, Doc/Fest and our cabal of pre-viewers want to see them. It may sound like a long way away but submissions close June 15th! That is practically tomorrow.
Mate, would you mind telling me how exactly you intend to watch that many films? - Anonymous, Sheffield Post Office, UK. April 1 2008
Hussain is working hard as we speak with a number of film pre-viewers and a film selection committee working through the many entries to present another stellar line up for this year. Enter online www.sheffdocfest.com Deadline: June 15.

BFI UK Tour

Doc/Fest has teamed up with BFI Southbank to tour highlights of the 2007 festival. The tour will run until May and will travel around the UK, including Bristol, Edinburgh, Northampton, Cardiff and the NFT (BFI Southbank)
Titles touring include All White in Barking, Jerusalem is Proud to Present, Cabal in Kabul, Operation Filmmaker and Hold Me Tight Let Me Go.
For further details on the Doc/Fest BFI UK Tour visit our website www.sheffdocfest.com

UK Village Sunny Side

Once again, UK companies can register to have a stand in the UK Village at Sunnyside of the Doc - La Rochelle, June 24-27. Sheffield Doc/Fest will be there in the UK Village along with many other British companies - for details and to register for a stand please email sales@sunnysideofthedoc.com

Let's get 2gether - Doc/Fest news round-up

Well, it's my newsround anyway so it'll have to do.

I'm more than a bit tetchy that I'm not at 2gether today, especially since it's happening (at most) 30 seconds from the Doc/Fest London home. Although check out that website - you don't need to be there with reliable live streaming like that and, best of all, a beautiful young Twitter Feed full of observations on the day.

I think with this sort of brave new ideas thing, you either get excited about it or you need someone to make you excited. I don't have the space here to properly say why it matters just so much that as we speak people are pushing the boundaries of factual film, text, art and redefining what documentary means, but I will elaborate another time. Quickly and bluntly though, it's Channel 4 sponsoring a "festival of ideas, popular technologies and progress" and if you work in broadcasting and don't think that's really important, then...you're wrong my friend.

Anyway, other stuff - there's more from Sunnyside like the crisis in world public service broadcasting, and the hope that it's not dying, it's just being redefined...which is probably true. Great stuff from Paulo Markun, from Brazil's Fundação Padre Anchieta, who totally laid bare why PSB matters to us all, and not just if you're in an allegedly more unstable country like Brazil.

Plus over the last 2 days, we had the two London Pitch Workshops which were a real inspiration - such great ideas out there and such devotion to quality creative documentary. I have to gush - we have some great documentary-makers in London, and it's a crying shame that not everyone gets a fair crack of the ship. I mean, we find it hard enough to find space for more than a few attendees to pitch, and devote time to their ideas and presentations, so how enough time can ever be given by UK commissioners to talented people is bewildering to me and a bit sad too.

And by the way, Yorkshire people, get signed up for the Sheffield workshop on July 29th - I want an extra-special workshop in our back garden!

Well, time to go back to the 2gether web feed...and by the way, wondering why I'm not actually there if I love it so much? It's 9 days since I was last in the office,
I think I need to be here. Sometimes even in the digital age, you need to be in an uncomfortable chair with backache.

Documentaries - in crisis? Doing well? Getting 5 stars?

Wow, now 2gether has a posh polar explorer talking about blogging from the snow! Best thing ever.

Anyway, wanted to draw your attention to 3 ends of the documentary distribution wagon, partly because they're darn interesting and partly because they show that no matter how many words you devote to the good/bad/middling health of documentary, something will always contradict you.

So, here's the bad news - Docs aren't making enough at the box office and all the American distributors are dying or being absorbed. And if you think that's just an American thing, then have you heard that Tartan in the UK has also closed down? This is undoubtedly a bit rubbish, but as that Newsweek article says, documentaries are still well-watched on TV and that's particularly important considering the reliance UK documentarists have always had to place on television.

And for me, that's kind of the point - we've never had very good cinema distribution of documentaries so this isn't a shocker. Although, that doesn't mean we shouldn't, and that's where the importance of decent use of the Film Council's Digital Screen Network is so important. So look to initiatives like Joiningthedots working with Picturehouse to bring documentaries to the big screen and support them because the pressures on independent cinemas to just keep the doors open mean they can't be charitable to documentaries for the sake of it.

But like with joiningthedots, there is a future for filmmakers for new ways of distributing documentaries without placing yourself totally at the mercy of the credit crunch (etc, etc). This is the good-er news - I was really interested to see that a Sundance winner is self-distributing. It's not a documentary, but it is a model that could work especially well with the fleet-footed self-marketing that documentary producers are particularly good at (right?). I'll be interested to see how well it works, and whether it changes the rights models of the indie and not-so-indie parts of the docs market.

And so getting more maverick, and even more good-est, I was really pleased to see that one of the most maverick, Guy Maddin got 5 stars in Time Out for his new docu-fantasia, My Winnipeg. It's beautiful and it's a whole new strange version of documentary for you. It's an autobiography in black and white, obsessed with Mothers and the cold. And it looks like it was shot in the 1940s but it wasn't . So if you really want to support docs on the big screen, this is your chance. Just don't think too much about the obituary for Tartan that I just spotted is also on the Time Out site.

That Old Chestnut!

At Sunny Side I spoke in a session about festivals – the panel had reps from Leipzig, Hot Docs, Sheffield, CPH Docs, IDFA, Silverdocs, Jihlava and Nyon. We outlined the different elements and focuses of our events - the marketplace activities, the film programmes, the industry panels, the videotheque libraries and so on.

Questions were invited from the audience, and the topic immediately turned to premiere rules. The elephant in the room that noone had talked about. Why not get down to it?

In general, the festivals on the panel all had fairly specific not-too-demanding premiere rules (if they had any at all) – a Toronto premiere is required at HotDocs, a German premiere at Leipzig, etc. IDFA had the widest reaching premiere rules on the panel and "very strict rules" for the films in competition.

This is something we all know and I can't count the number of times I have been in this very discussion with filmmakers, distributors and commissioners. It is always cropping up. So what's new? what's the solution? how do we make it easier for the filmmakers to navigate?

One issue is making sure filmmakers understand all the different rules and how they relate to their own situation. For example – you can screen in your own country (maximum 2 fests) and still be invited to competition at IDFA, and there's similar caveats at many festivals - someone else has probably drawn up a road map to festival rules on their blog to help make sense of all this… I don't want to get into the details here.

The problem is not so much the IDFA rules in isolation. Partly the problem is the bottle neck of so many Euro based doc festivals all together in the Autumn (Leipzig, Sheffield, CPH and IDFA all in about 6 weeks) and on top of that, the chronological order of those Autumn festivals– unfortunately the festival with the strictest premiere rules, IDFA, comes last in the calendar. So other Autumn doc fests (like CPH Docs, Sheffield and Leipzig) feel the impact of the IDFA prem rules without actually making similar style asks on filmmakers. If we came immediately after IDFA, life might be easier for the filmmaker, but unfortunately that's not how it is. So what to do? All flip dates? So IDFA would be the first in the Autumn?...then CPH, Leipzig, Sheffield follow? Well, it could make life easier… But its not as simple as it sounds to just move dates of long established festivals when they have existing relationships with local authorities, funders, sponsors, venues, etc. And then there's Christmas.

Ultimately, filmmakers have to make the choice – each festival does things differently and you choose where you want to go. If filmmakers want to go for Leipzig, CPH Docs and Sheffield as a triangle of festivals in the Autumn, rather than wait for IDFA, that's an option. But it's still a choice of one OR the other - unfortunately that's just the way it is.

One of the sad things that often happens is that filmmakers call us in late September to say they didn't get selected for IDFA so they want their film in Sheffield afterall– but our programme at that point is already locked and at the printer (so is CPHdocs and Leipzig) and they miss out.

So, the premiere rules present a dilemma with many layers and there's no quick fix on it - I think the more we all discuss it, the better. Filmmakers in the end have to make the call; mapping a festival strategy can be a massively confusing process and in the words of a classic 70's sitcom theme tune "The world don't move to the beat of just one drum.
What might be right for you, may not be…" You know the rest… "It takes, Diff'rent Strokes to move the world."

There are many filmmakers who waited for that big premiere and got the bang they wanted, some filmmakers wait for the one big fest and feel disappointed when they are lost in the sea of films. Other filmmakers take a long burn approach and watch their profile build and build at many festivals… Last year, The English Surgeon was voted best doc at Sheffield and 6 months later won at Hot Docs and then won at Silverdocs and is still going strong.

So, there is no one golden rule that fits all films, and the different premiere rules aren't going away soon – so talk about it out loud and find out what worked for others and what might work best for you.

Back at our festivals session in La Rochelle, I don't think the Q and A even moved on from the Premiere questions at all for questions on any other issue - so it's obviously a hot topic for filmmakers.

Changing technologies and the growing number of distribution platforms will be another key issue in the development of this debate.

It's a regular question in the film festival exam. Premiere Rules. Discuss.

By the way, thanks to everyone who came to our Sheffield Doc/Fest Tea Party at Sunny Side - I smuggled 150 Bakewell Tarts into France in my suitcase and lashings of Yorkshire Tea (did I break any EU laws?)And what a lovely time we had! I have a feeling Tea Parties might be The New Cocktail, and Sheffield Doc/Fest will be having more of them… we'll let you know when the next one is.

Greenwald speaks to the world and other good onlining

Robert Greenwald does interesting things with his Brave New Films whether you agree with his politics or not and indeed, whether you like his documentaries or not. And I enjoyed reading this mini-profile of the agitator, mainly for a small insight into how we works and thinks. I know a lot about his films but not so much about him. And he makes it sound so easy to do new things - good man.

And speaking of people with revolutionary agendas, do you know the Centre for Social Media? Despite being a mine of intelligent information about the legalities of online video, fair use, democratic media, and other buzzwords, etc, their articles are satisyfingly and unfashionably very long indeed. When you're used to skimming blogs like me, these kind of things feel like War and Peace. But boy are they good - there's a brilliant essay on The Rise And Fall of the British Public Service Publisher which they linked to in the newsletter today but ummm, I can't find it on the website so you'll have to have a little dig.

By the way, in my own contribution to increasing the wordiness of the internet, I'll be responding to requests from out there for notes from all the pitch workshops for those of you who can't make it to them physically. There'll be a summary of all the pointers from them in August, when they're all done and dusted.

I'm going to Docs in the Alps

Quick note to say that I'm going to Doc in Europe tomorrow in what sounds like a mountain idyll in Northern Italy. I'll give you full reports back as I go. And if you're going, let me know

Documentaries, amazing people and the Alps - this festival malarkey ain't bad sometimes, you know...

Edinburgh International Film Fest comes and goes

Came back from Edinburgh International Film Festival last week and I gotta say that I think I want to move there. This was my first time past Manchester and I was totally taken by the place. There is a very specific light, attitude and film festival there that has to be seen to be believed.

The festival changed its dates to get away from the throng of other festivals that engulf the city in august (like the Fringe) but I had no complaints. No one I talked to had a bad word to say about the date shift and I thought it could only make the festival stand out and be its own without other events to compromise its impact.

The cinemas were close enough together and even though I was there only for the tail end people still had a smile on their face and were helpful.

Of course I was smiling the most after Shirley Clarke’s masterpiece, Portrait of Jason, which is on my top three films of all time list (after Close Up by Abbas Kiarostami and Tsai Ming Liang’s The River). I thought because I missed the retro at Cinema du Reel earlier this year I would have missed it forever. Thank god for EIFF.

For those who haven’t seen it check out the DVD if you can:

Second Run DVD

It was Clarke at the height of her career; it was America in the prime of its independent filmmaking life. The film will break you up!

The best thing I saw that was new was THE NEW TEN COMMANDMENTS guided by Nick Higgins. I say guided because it’s an omnibus collection with Irvine Welsh, Mark Cousins (Doc/Fest Japanese strand curator no less), Douglas Gordon (director of the brilliant ZIDANE), Kenny Glenaan, Nick Higgins, Sana Bilgrami, Alice Nelson, Tilda Swinton, Doug Aubrey, David Graham Scott and Anna Jones.

What do they all have in common? They are some of Scotland’s best filmmakers, visual artists and writers. With the 60th anniversary of the UN Bill of Human Rights celebrated this year each film takes one ‘right’ and interprets it through the prism of Scotland. Most everyone I spoke to loved Douglas Gordon’s segment – not a word spoken yet the tension in the room was palpable – and Alice Nelson’s ‘Right to Privacy’ about a guy who was arrested in Scotland for getting intimate with his bicycle was hysterical. They were not just a look at rights that effect everyone in the UK and really, the world, but – and not to say they were patriotic – they were also a very Scottish look at what it means to be a Scot in contemporary Scotland.

Doc/Fest is assembling a special celebration on Scottish docs

Doc/Fest - Sheffield

In association with The Independent

5 - 9 November 2008

Tips to submitting your film to a film festival

The Clearance Culture and the Future of Film

Sessions, Keynote Interviews & Masterclasses Announced! Plus registration and hotel booking reminders.

Friday 03 October

1. SESSIONS ANNOUNCED!

2. KEYNOTE INTERVIEWS AND MASTERCLASSES

3. GET YOURSELF REGISTERED BEFORE THE DEADLINE!

4. BOOK YOUR HOTEL EARLY

SESSIONS ANNOUNCED!

KEYNOTE INTERVIEWS AND MASTERCLASSES

GET YOURSELF REGISTERED BEFORE THE DEADLINE!

BOOK YOUR HOTEL EARLY

Packing for Sunny Side

Film Programme Announced

Friday 24 September

1. FILM PROGRAMME ANNOUNCED

2. SESSION PROGRAMME ONLINE

3. DELEGATE REGISTRATION DEADLINE 8 OCTOBER

4. VIDEOTHEQUE OPENS EARLY

5. DOC/FEST ON A SHOESTRING

6. ADOPT-A-VOLUNTEER and ADOPT-A-PRODUCER

7. BBC BLAST - HAVE YOUR FILM SCREENED ON BBC TWO

FILM PROGRAMME ANNOUNCED

SESSIONS PROGRAMME ONLINE

DELEGATE REGISTRATION DEADLINE 8 OCTOBER

VIDEOTHEQUE OPENS EARLY

DOC/FEST ON A SHOESTRING

ADOPT-A-VOLUNTEER and ADOPT-A-PRODUCER

BBC BLAST - HAVE YOUR FILM SCREENED ON BBC TWO

Workshopping

Try Out Broadcast for free

Wednesday 17 September

1. TRY OUT BROADCAST FOR FREE

2. GET YOURSELF REGISTERED BEFORE THE DEADLINE!!

3. IT’S BACK! APPLY FOR THE CHANNEL 4 PITCH COMPETITION

4. APPLY FOR THE NEW WELLCOME TRUST PITCH

5. JOIN THE DOC/FEST TEAM AS A VOLUNTEER

6. GOOD ADVICE FROM OUR GUEST SERVICES DEPARTMENT

7. TAKE PART IN BOOM!

TRY OUT BROADCAST FOR FREE

GET YOURSELF REGISTERED BEFORE THE DEADLINE!!

IT’S BACK! APPLY FOR THE CHANNEL 4 PITCH COMPETITION

APPLY FOR THE NEW WELLCOME TRUST PITCH

JOIN THE DOC/FEST TEAM AS A VOLUNTEER

GOOD ADVICE FROM OUR GUEST SERVICES DEPARTMENT

TAKE PART IN BOOM!

Sunnysiders

DFG Newcomers Day – More Details Announced

Tuesday 2 September

DFG Newcomers Day – More Details Announced

DocDay Afternoon – Get your Tickets

MeetMarket Deadline Approaching

Special Advertising Opportunities for E-News Subscribers

BAFTA and DocHouse Presents... Documentaries – Degrees of Inspiration

DFG Newcomers Day – More Details Announced

DocDay Afternoon – Get your Tickets

MeetMarket Deadline Approaching

Special Advertising Opportunities for E-News Subscribers

BAFTA and DocHouse Presents... Documentaries – Degrees of Inspiration

Getting docs info online - where to go

The Youth Jury Have Been Chosen!

Wednesday 20 August

Early Bird Deadline

The Youth Jury Have Been Chosen!

Apply to Cross-Over Docs

Submit Your Meetmarket Project

Exclusive Screening of Alham Ahead of Doc / Fest Screening of War, Love, God and Madness

Early Bird Deadline

The Youth Jury Have Been Chosen!

Apply to Cross-Over Docs

Submit your MeetMarket Project

Apply for the Cross Media Challenge

Exclusive Screening of Alhaam Ahead of Doc/Fest Screening of War, Love, God and Madness

Greenwashing documentaries

Meet the Buyers – Get your Early Bird Pass Rate Now

Tuesday 5 August 2008

Meet the Buyers – Get your Early Bird Pass Rate Now

DocDay Afternoon Tickets on sale
Tickets for DocDay Afternoon, an inspiring day of interactive workshops, screenings and filmmaking surgeries for 16-19 year olds are now on sale.

Newcomers Day is on Thursday 6 November, from 10am – 6pm at theShowroom Cinema, Sheffield.
Tickets are £35 for the day, including a reception with complimentary drinks.

Doc Events and Buyers Announced
Happy Hour in Edinburgh
Lots of Buyers Already Confirmed for Doc/Fest in November!
See You at Intelligent Factual

Film Submission Deadline Extended!
MeetMarket Opens
Submit a Session Idea – deadline approaching
Doc/Fest Sponsors the Intelligent Factual Festival
Sunny Side Brunch with Doc/Fest
Doc/Fest Debate at BRITDOC
Delegate Registration Opens