Monday, November 20----One of the unique professional programs at the International Documentary Filmfestival Amsterdam (IDFA), which will begin this coming Thursday, is the IDFA Forum, a major co-production and co-financing professional conference that parallels the public screening event. The Forum is Europe's largest gathering of television commissioning editors and independent documentary producers.

IDFA first organized the Forum in 1993, as a way for documentary producers to interest broadcast and cable networks in their projects at an early stage. Since most non-fiction programming still is still done for the small screen, the connection between documentary and television remains strong and vital. Even for feature documentaries that have theatrical potential, television, cable and satellite companies are often on board as producers for an eventual exposure on the small screen.

Before the creation of the Forum, commissioning editors and filmmakers rarely met face-to-face to discuss new projects and ideas or raise international financing and to set-up international co-productions. The Forum has served as a "midwife" in bringing together these two groups, and in beginning the momentum that has resulted in hundreds of completed film and television projects. Nearly 90% of the projects that have been included in the past 13 years have eventually been made....an astounding record of success.

Eugene Jarekcki's WHY WE FIGHT, 2004 Forum

Each year, the Forum selects 40 outstanding documentary projects that are in early stages of development and financing. Producers and directors are given the opportunity to pitch their projects, as a creative team, to a panel of commissioning editors who in turn give feedback and ask questions. The two day pitching workshops, done in co-operation with the European Documentary Network, helps filmmakers fine-tune their presentations, while also attracting early interest from distributors, sales agents and financiers.

Along with its parallel Docs For Sale initiative, IDFA serves as a breeding ground for discussion of trends in the marketplace and for discussions of innovative technological, distribution and financing schemes that benefit documentary filmmakers. IDFA plans to introduce an extensive on-line directory on the 40 projects selected, providing market intelligence and updates on the development of the projects throughout the year.

PETER SELLARS: The Renaissance Man, 2005 Forum

2006 IDFA FORUM PARTICIPATING COMPANIES AND PROJECTS

Australia
Soul Vision Films - My America

Brazil
Grifa Mixer - Bikini Revolution

Canada
Point Grey Pictures inc. - The Wild Horse Redemption
White Pine Pictures - Tar Sands: The Last Eldorado

Denmark
Tju Bang Film - Mechanical Love

Finland
Kinotar - All Boys
Making Movies Oy - Facing Changes

France
13 Production - Paris 1919
Dissidents - Renaissance in the New World (Mercosur vs. Alca)
Les Films d'Ici - Bouzkashi
Les Films du Tambour de Soie - Novela at the Santa Casa
Point du Jour Productions - The Rape of Nanking
Quark Productions - European Brains
Roche Productions - Back to the Empire State Building

Germany
Engstfeld Filmproduktion - The Tunnel of Sarajevo
Tangram Christian Bauer Film - Heavenly Voices-The Domspatzen
Zero One - The Sorcerer's Apprentice

Iceland
Poppoli Pictures - The Amazing Truth about Queen Raquela

India
Theme Entertainment - Journals of a Wily School

Israel
Alma Films - 1948-a Home Movie
Trabelsi Production Ltd. - Traffickers

Italy
GA & A Productions - Comic Books go to War

Lithuania
Era Film - The Bug Trainer

Norway
Skofteland Film - Harvesting the Wasteland

Poland
Film Studio Everest - Music Partisans

Portugal
FAUX - The City of the Dead

Sweden
Auto Images - Long Distance Love
Folke Ryden Production AB - Full Cover Girl
HB PeÃ… Holmquist Film - Young Freud in Gaza
RealReel - My Wives and Me

Switzerland
Dschoint Ventschr Filmproduktion - Heart of Gold
T&C Film AG - Challenge-Herzog and De Meuron in China

Syria
Proaction Film - Dolls

The Netherlands
IJswater Films - Bridging the Gap
Miroir Film - The Last Days of Shishmaref

UK
Apt Films - Heavy Load
Bergmann Pictures - Agent Moura-My Secret Agent Aunt
De-Caf Documentary Television Production - Through Chinese Eyes
Film & Music Entertainment Ltd. - The Turtle's Song
Seventh Art Productions - Angola Music School
Tigerlily Films - Naples
World of Wonder - Kubrick's Cubes

USA
Break Thru Films, Inc. - The Devil Came on Horseback

Sandy Mandelberger
Online Festival Dailies Editor