Published by IDFA International Documentary Festival Amsterdam

Nov 19, 2006

The 23rd edition of the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), the world's largest and most prestigious film event devoted exclusively to non-fiction film and media, will run from...

International Projects At IDFA Forum

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.

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.

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