This year Docudays UA launches it’s own industrial section - DOCU/PRO platform. The program includes lectures from experienced experts and public pitchings of documentary film projects on different stages of development.
The task of this year’s DOCU/PRO is to tell the young documentalists about the leading international platforms, share experience in promotion of films on different stages of development, teach them to present their film projects at pitching sessions, help them find international partners and much more. Full event schedule will soon be available at DOCU/PRO section.
What is most valued by producers and programmers in industrial platforms all over the world - answered by Uldis Cekulis, Anna Dziapshipa and Darya Averchenko.
Darya Averchenko
producer, PR-director of Docudays UA
It’s always harder for the young. They lack experience, professional advice, financial support. I remember how I was lost with my first documentary project, “Radunytsia”, how I’ve been carrying the idea for a long time, writing the script, looking for finances for expedition to the border village of Kliusy. But I was lucky - I got into a competition by Goethe-Institut and “Remembrance Responsibility and Future” foundation, where my script was supported with crucial 3000 Euro. When we have finished the film at last, we were invited to present it at Munich Film Festival. It was an eye-opener for me on many opportunities in Europe.
For many years we’ve been thinking about launching DOCU/PRO industrial platform for young Ukrainian documentalists. We wanted to share our experience, explain to them that moving forward depends only on them, tell them, what pitchings could be effective in Europe, what workshops they should apply to in order to improve their project. We’ve been organizing workshops during Docudays UA for two years now, inviting professional tutors from Europe and the USA. We want to believe that we are able to bring up a new wave of talented Ukrainian documentalists!
Anna Dziapshipa
producer
Nowadays the industrial section of the film festival are a a space to meet new people, inspiring projects and opportunities to realise ideas. It was 2010 when my colleague Salome Jashi and me were invited to pitch our first project Bakhmaro at the Final Pitching Session of the Documentary Campus Masterschool. It was at the same time challenging and crucial chance to present our project in front of the major European broadcasters. We have got our main partners right after that pitching.
Leipzig film festival was an inspiration to establish small scale pitching event in Tbilisi. We hope Pitch.Doc which already counts 10th edition could be a chance for Caucasian filmmakers. Each industry event is unique opportunity for filmmakers to realise their dream projects. I think our region needs more industry related events and I am happy now Docudays UA is one of them.
Uldis Cekulis
producer, director of independent production company VFS FILMS
I will be short about my experience, because nowadays more often you don’t hope to find money at those networking events or project pitchings, you are going to find potential partners and actually new friends, because filmmaking is very much also about personal relationships, trust and ability to risk together. Don’t forget to check the sense of humour, it will help in critical situations, believe me. And if you will establish the mutual synergy, the money will come, it’s true. You will be confident to find the minority grants at your local film funds or even convince patrons to join your boat.
And don’t underestimate also partnership with TV channels, they are people first and if they will like your joke, your motivation or passion for your story, they will become your ambassadors and one day you will find LOC in your letterbox.
So, to resume, industrial meetings in documentary field mostly are turning to become human meetings with long lasting industrial relationships.
Text was prepared by Viktoria Khomenko
