IDFA Podcast

After the screening of Atman, film journalist Nicolas Rapold speaks with Pirjo Honkasalo, who in addition to directing is also responsible for the impressive camerawork of the film. A conversation about filming documentaries in the pre-digital age. (Recorded November 17 at EYE Cinema.)

Joumana El Zein Khoury (Director at the Prins Claus Fund) discusses the opening film of IDFA with director Mohamed Siam. (Recorded November 17, 2017 at De Kleine Komedie.)

After the screening of Chris Marker’s classic Le joli mai at IDFA 2017, Nicolas Rapold talks with cinematographer and co-director Pierre Lhomme. Lhomme, who worked as cameraman on several of Marker’s films, discusses their collaboration and the cinematography of this film. (Recorded November 18, 2017 at EYE Cinema.)

Everardo González is one of the strongest voices in the documentary genre in Latin America today. In this Filmmaker Talk, he discusses his work, methods and views in a conversation moderated by David Wilson. (Recorded November 21, 2017 at De Brakke Grond.)

Nicolas Rapold talks with cameraman Ed Lachman about Tokyo-Ga by Wim Wenders. Lachman, who has also worked with Werner Herzog, the Maysles brothers and Ulrich Seidl, discusses the specific cinematography of Tokyo-Ga and his collaboration with Wenders. (Recorded November 20, 2017 at EYE Cinema.)

What is happening at a European level in terms of harmonizing authors' rights laws? While new distribution models and VOD platforms are mushrooming, in many countries appropriate legislation to guarantee author royalties is a step behind. While filmmakers are making films, European collective management organizations are working to secure rights for the creators of these audiovisual works in the future. What does the single digital market concept mean for filmmakers? Cecile Despringre of the Society of Audiovisual Authors sets the scene on European legislation in a talk moderated by Martijn Winkler, president of the Dutch Directors Guild.

Sandi DuBowski has been Good Pitch Outreach Director for BRITDOC for the last seven years and has successfully worked with numerous directors to craft innovative outreach, funding and impact campaigns for their films. He tells you all about the opportunities of this rapidly growing field, which can enlarge the impact, love, and life for a film, as well as a filmmaker's long-term sustainability as a creator and changemaker who is truly making a difference. DuBowski shares tips from his work in the field and case studies for his own films Trembling Before G-d and his film-in-progress Rabbi.

The IDFA Bertha Fund (IBF) supports filmmakers of creative documentaries from Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and parts of Eastern Europe. Over the last 19 years, IBF has supported over 600 film projects with funding for development and production. In 2015, the Fund expanded its funding opportunities, launching IBF Europe, which supports the production and distribution of documentaries realized through co-productions between European producers and producers from developing countries. The Fund's Managing Director Isabel Arrate Fernandez and Project Manager Mélanie de Vocht explain the different funding opportunities the Fund offers.

Getting a documentary noticed in a heavily crowded market requires a solid marketing strategy and creative solutions. This session by Mathias Noschis (Alphapanda) provides the main tools to identify a film's target audiences and to reach them through clear positioning. Two practical case studies show how the strategy can be translated into promotional activities, in particular in the digital space.

VR has been proven to change attitudes and provide powerful visceral experiences in lab-based experiments, but can that power apply to storytelling? And how does that work in the real world? Zillah Watson, a former journalist and BBC pioneer in Virtual Reality, discusses these questions as well as recent examples of the BBC's story-led VR, which embrace emerging consumer technology and set out to demonstrate the power of 360 films and CGI-based VR.