Activity report IDFA Bertha Fund 2012

IDFA Bertha Fund

ACTIVITY REPORT 2012

jan vrijman fund

1

Contents Introduction

1. IDFA Bertha Fund General

2. Strengthening documentary production in developing countries 3. Increasing Access to Images and Stories from Local Cultures and Disseminating These to Other Cultures

4. Opening up and connecting networks

3

5 7

18

26

5. Organisation

30

Appendix II IDFA Bertha Fund Selection 2012

32

Appendix IV IBF supported films at IDFA 2012

36

Appendix VI Organisation 2012

40

Appendix I Selection procedure

Appendix III Cinema Mondial Tour 2012/2013 Appendix V Screenings Benelux

Appendix VII Statement of Income and Expenditure

31

35

39 41

2

IDFA Bertha Fund

Introduction 2012 was a turbulent year for the Fund. A year in which the Fund

In this annual report, we will examine the activities carried out and

was changed from the Jan Vrijman Fund to the IDFA Bertha Fund. In

organisations during the period 1 January through 31 December

was forced to downscale its activities, and in which the Fund’s name addition, this was a year in which the Fund’s working method was extensively reviewed, and new partnerships were entered into.

In view of the loss of government subsidy from 2013, the work of

the Fund necessarily focused principally on guaranteeing its future.

Personnel were freed up to focus on fundraising in order to assure

the continued existence of the Fund after 2012. A major consideration in this respect was that the budget available with which to support

projects decreased in 2012, while the number of applications received and the amount of work involved remained the same. One outcome of this was that there was only one regular selection round in 2012,

namely in January – the second selection round was cancelled. Eventually, the Fund was able to hold a (small) second selection round in

September, for which a number of filmmakers were invited to submit an application.

The Fund’s fundraising efforts were fruitful. The Fund found a new

main partner in the Bertha Foundation, the name of which has been

partly incorporated into the Fund’s new name from 2013: IDFA Bertha Fund. This brings the Fund substantial financial support, up to and

including 2015, ensuring that the Fund can carry out its basic tasks.

Nevertheless, other financiers remain essential.

In addition, a review was undertaken of the categories for support

and a feedback session was held with the members of the selection committee. From 2013, a number of operational and organisational changes will be implemented.

the impact of the support provided by the Fund to filmmakers and

2012. Alongside an extensive review of the facts and figures, this will

include statements by the Fund’s partners and the stories behind the documentaries supported. For the third year in succession now, the annual report follows a format developed in cooperation with the

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Hubert Bals Fund. In June 2013, the two Funds will draw up an additional report giving their joint figures for the period 2010–2012.

In total, during the period under review the Fund selected 20

documentary projects from 15 different countries, including Cuba, Yemen, Syria and Rwanda. In addition, the Fund supported three

workshops and training courses and five film festivals. For example, two workshops in Rwanda and Egypt/Syria were made possible;

countries in which there is an emerging documentary industry and filmmakers have a need to develop to international level. Among the five festivals supported, there were two – in Iraq and Sierra

Leone – that had previously received support from the Fund, and

with which a regular relationship is being built up. Given the lack of

normal screening facilities, film festivals are a good alternative way of screening documentaries to local audiences in these regions. In

2012, the distribution initiatives supported by the Fund drew almost 140,000 visitors.

Filmmakers reflect their environments, histories and everyday lives. Our selection strongly reflects the political events currently taking place in North Africa and the Middle East. The Fund has also offered logistical

support to the documentary festival in Syria, meaning that the festival

Special Hivos screening in the presence of Iranian filmmaker and Syrian producer An extraordinary occasion during IDFA 2012 was the special Hivos screening of the Syrian film Morning Fears. Night Chants and the Iranian film Forced Confessions. The screening was followed by a Q&A with Syrian producer Orwa Nyrabia and Iranian filmmaker Maziar Bahari. Both men have been imprisoned for their work as filmmakers. They discussed with each other the role of culture in their countries governed by totalitarian regimes. “Authoritarian regimes flourish in darkness. If a film manages to cast a little light in the darkness, then this changes the perspectives of even the accomplices of that regime. All dictators and their accomplices do have a sense of humaneness; it is our task to help them discover it.” Nyrabia sees it as invaluable that the young generation expresses itself creatively as a result of the revolution in the region. The number of films from Syria and Iran has increased immensely. “We live in a time where it’s become possible to change the world with an old Nokia cellphone.”

3

can continue in another form: Dox Box Global Day, in which Syrian films

The cooperation between the Hubert Bals Fund and the IDFA Bertha

The extra attention the Fund devotes in its selections to countries in

made with support from these Funds toured ten film festivals in

will be shown at more than 30 different locations worldwide.

the two left-hand columns of the DAC list1 and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Development Cooperation (DC) Partner Countries2

means that 39% of the entire selection during 2012 was drawn from

these countries. The Fund has therefore easily fulfilled the Ministry’s

criterion that at least 25% of selected projects must come from these countries. Appendix II includes an overview of the entire selection,

the project support allocated in each category, as well as descriptions of the selected projects.

The added value of the Fund’s work has been clearly demonstrated in a number of cases during the period under review. Following on from the successful premiere of 5 Broken Cameras at IDFA 2011, in 2012 the film started out on a world tour and has now played at more than

50 festivals, as well as receiving a cinema release in nine countries.

Time and again, 5 Broken Cameras and its makers have been able to

contribute to discussion of the Israel-Palestine conflict, and they are assured of significant attention from local and international media.

Early in 2013, the film even reached the Oscars, as one of the five nominations for best documentary.

Fund was continued with the third Cinema Mondial Tour. Ten films

Africa, and this year for the first time could also be seen in cinemas in North Africa.

At IDFA 2012, fourteen Fund-supported films were presented, four of

which were selected for a competition program. Two films supported by the Fund taking part in the IDFA Mid-Length Competition – Red

Wedding and Camera/Woman – were nominated for the IDFA Award in this competition, with Red Wedding going on to win the award.

As at year end 2012, since its foundation in 1998 the Fund has supported a total of 127 festivals, distribution initiatives and workshops and 399 documentary projects (contributions to project development or

production/post-production). Of the latter projects, 244 documenta-

ries have now been made. In recent times, the Fund has been assured of support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the DOEN Founda-

tion and Hivos. These regular partners of the Fund made it possible for the Fund to continue its activities in 2012. In addition, the Fund

received contributions from the Culture of Resistance Network and CBA Worldview. For the WDE program, finance was received from – alongside other parties – Media Mundus. The Fund is extremely grateful to all of its financiers for the support provided.

1 The DAC list 2011, 2012, 2013 as drawn up by the OECD, http://www.oecd.org/ dac/stats/49483614. The two left-hand columns on the DAC list are the column Least Developed Countries and the column Other Low Income Countries.

2 The Ministry of Foreign Affairs determines which countries receive development aid – these are known as the Development Cooperation [Dutch: OS] Partner Countries. For reporting on the year 2012, the Fund has taken the 33 Development Cooperation Partner Countries from 2009 – when the Fund signed its contract with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Although the Fund operated in 2012 under the name Jan Vrijman

Fund, in view of the impending change of name at the time of writing this report, a decision was made to use the Fund’s new name, the IDFA Bertha Fund, throughout this report.

Catalyst

The IDFA Fund has helped boost the production of documentaries in development cooperation countries.

Catalyst

The IDFA Fund has helped boost the production of documentaries in development cooperation countries.

Recently, the IDFA Fund’s focus has shifted from Latin America and Eastern Europe towards countries with fragile, dictatorial regimes such as Syria, Afghanistan, Recently, the IDFA Fund’s focus has shifted Tunisia and Iraq. from Latin America and Eastern Europe towards countries with fragile, dictatorial regimes such as Syria, Afghanistan, Tunisia and Iraq.

From 1998 to 2002, the IDFA Fund supported 24 documentaries from Latin America.

From 1998 to 2002, the IDFA Fund supported 24 documentaries from Latin America.

Support IDFA Fund (1998-2012)

4

1-4 projects supported Support IDFA Fund 5-9 projects supported (1998-2012) 10-15 projects supported 16-20 projects supported 1-4 projects supported 21+projects projectssupported supported 5-9 10-15 projects supported 16-20 projects supported 21+ projects supported

In the Early Years (1998 – 2002), 50% of projects supported were in Latin America and Eastern In the Early Years (1998 Europe.

– 2002), 50% of projects supported were in Latin America and Eastern Europe.

Of the 33 African projects supported between 2003 and 2007, 50% were festivals and workshops for filmmakers.

Of the 33 African projects supported between 2003 and 2007, 50% were festivals and workshops for filmmakers.

In the Middle Years (2003 – 2007), Asia became more prominent in the Fund’s selections. Support for Chinese documentaries increased and countries such as Malaysia, Pakistan and Indonesia began to In the MiddleNepal, Years (2003 – 2007), Asia became appear on the IDFA Fund map.selections. Support for more prominent in the Fund’s

Chinese documentaries increased and countries such as Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan and Indonesia began to appear on the IDFA Fund map.

In Recent Years (2008 – 2012), support for African documentaries, festivals and workshops accounts for more than 25% of the total. 10 documentaries have already been completed and 23 are currently in production.

In Recent Years (2008 – 2012), support for African documentaries, festivals and workshops accounts for more than 25% of the total. 10 documentaries have already been completed and 23 are currently in production.

15 years of the IDFA Bertha Fund The Fund celebrated its 15th anniversary in 2012. To mark this major milestone, the Fund has commissioned a series of visual stories from XML architects that illustrate the diversity and scope of the Fund’s activities over the past 15 years. The illustration above, Catalyst, shows the countries in which the Fund has provided support since being established.

IDFA Bertha Fund

1. IDFA Bertha Fund Aims

‘stepping stone’ to filmmakers and producers. On the other hand, the

stimulate the documentary film climate in Asia, Africa, Latin America,

their creative process. For example, every year several IBF supported

Since its foundation in 1998, the IDFA Bertha Fund has striven to

the Middle East and parts of Eastern Europe. The IDFA Bertha Fund (IBF) supports independent filmmakers who make creative docu-

mentaries. In addition, the Fund supports initiatives in the areas of

the organisation of film festivals, the distribution of documentaries

and the provision of training for filmmakers. Through these, the Fund aims to stimulate initiatives that address the shortage of screening opportunities and film education in developing countries.

Way of working

The IBF acts as a financier, matchmaker and promoter of talented

Fund offers a range of activities aimed at supporting filmmakers in filmmakers take part in the IDFAcademy’s Summer School, where

they receive intensive coaching from leading documentary makers

from all over the world. Furthermore, each year the Fund invites all

IBF supported filmmakers whose documentary has been selected for the IDFA program to attend IDFA, where they can attend all manner of workshops, masterclasses and panels. Every year, the Fund

also sends consultants to workshops and festivals the world over in order to provide concrete professional support to participants from developing countries.

filmmakers, documentary films and documentary film festivals from

Increasing access to images and stories from local cultures and dis-

projects for financial support. The IBF then makes efforts to promote

The Fund believes that providing support in the realisation of films

developing countries. Initially, the IBF does this by each year selecting these projects and to ensure that filmmakers and festival organisations have access to an international network of film professionals.

Each year, the IBF holds two selection rounds, the deadlines for which are 15 January and 15 May. The applications the IBF receives for the

two selection rounds are then assessed by an international selection

committee consisting of members active in various capacities within the documentary film world. Appendix VI gives an overview of the selection committees in 2012 and Appendix I shows the selection criteria applied in making the selections.

Core activities

The Fund’s activities serve three purposes. First and foremost, the

Fund focuses on strengthening documentary production in developing countries by providing financial assistance and professional

support to filmmakers. In addition, the Fund strives to increase access to images and stories derived from local cultures and to spread these to other cultures. Lastly, the Fund uses its own contacts to help filmmakers and organisations grow their networks.

Strengthening documentary production

The Fund provides financial contributions to creative documenta-

ries at different phases in their production. The contribution in the early phase for ‘script and project development’ plays a crucial role in starting up a project. Financial support during the production

phase of individual film projects allows filmmakers to make a start on the actual realisation of their projects. During the post-production phase (the last stage of the filmmaking process), the film is

edited, finished and made suitable for screening in cinemas and at

seminating these to other cultures

is not enough by itself, and sees strengthening the regional dis-

tribution of independent films in developing countries as a major

component of its activities. Through providing financial support to

festivals, co-production markets and alternative distribution projects, the Fund creates new opportunities for the screening of films. In addition, the Fund itself also initiates projects to improve the regional distribution of films, such as the Cinema Mondial Tour that has

taken place in the past three years. This tour is a joint initiative with the Hubert Bals Fund (HBF) and consists of films that have received

support from the HBF and the IBF spending a year touring more than ten African festivals. To also stimulate the international distribution of films supported by the Fund, each year the completed films are presented at IDFA. The Fund considers it important that IBF films

start their careers at IDFA, as IDFA is the place where international

distributors, festival programmers and television buyers come to see

the new documentary harvest. After IDFA, the films are often invited to countless other international festivals or are broadcast worldwide on television.

In exchange for a contribution to the development or production of a film, the Fund is given the distribution rights for the Benelux. The films are offered to television channels, cinemas and festivals, and each year a number of the titles are released on the IDFA’s Delica-

tessen DVD label. The highlight, however, is always the screenings at IDFA, where images and stories from all over the world attract

many, many curious visitors. The IBF-films contribute to the cultural

diversity of IDFA and bring the activities of the IBF to the attention of audiences in the Netherlands.

(international) festivals.

Opening up and bringing together networks

professionalization, through which the quality of the documentaries

with local partners and knowledge of the documentary industry.

Another area in which the Fund is involved is talent development and supported can be improved. On the one hand, financial support is

provided to workshops and training courses aimed at raising the professional level of new filmmakers from the focus areas. In countries

in which there are few or no film bodies or training institutes in par-

ticular, there is often a great need for initiatives that offer a practical

After 15 years, the Fund has many contacts, a wealth of experience As part of the documentary institute that is IDFA, the Fund has also built up an extensive international network of contacts. Making

these contacts, this experience and knowledge available to filmmakers and organisations in developing countries is one of the Fund’s

crucial tasks. In addition, the IBF attempts, as far as possible, to bring 5

filmmakers and organisations from developing countries into contact

with the worldwide documentary industry. To achieve this, every year

the Fund invites several filmmakers and programmers of festivals and workshops to attend IDFA. IDFA is the major meeting place for the

documentary industry, and during IDFA a large number of activities take place aimed at stimulating filmmakers and organisations to make use of existing networks and co-production markets.

The Fund’s activities in 2012 are described in detail in Sections 2, 3 and 4.

Organisation and Finances

The IDFA Bertha Fund is an independent foundation, made up of a

Board, a selection committee and a Staff consisting of a director, manager and producer. In administrative terms, the Fund is a completely

separate entity from IDFA and conducts its own financial administra-

tion. Nevertheless, IDFA is closely associated with the Fund, and makes an office and facilities available to the Fund. The exchange of knowledge and information that takes place is also of great importance to

both organisations. The organisation and finances of the Fund in 2012

are described in more detail in Section 5. The Acitvity Report shows the exact number of 2012 and can be requested seperately.

6

Activities and Results 2012

2 Strengthening documentary production in developing countries 2.1 Activities

For the second (small) selection round, the Fund chose to invite

Support for documentaries

ting out the usual call for entry. On the basis of the first selection

a number of filmmakers to submit their projects instead of put-

In 2012, a single regular selection round took place in January, followed by a smaller selection round in September. As described in

the introduction, after this first selection round the Fund needed to

invest all its available time and resources into finding ways of guaranteeing the Fund’s continued existence after 2012.

In 2012, a total of 20 documentary projects were supported by inde-

pendent filmmakers from Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East

and Eastern Europe. Seven projects received a contribution for project

development (research and development of a script or trailer) and thir-

teen projects were supported at the production and/or post-production

stages. For the first (regular) selection round, a total of 362 projects from

round of 2012, the Fund had drawn up a reserve list of interesting

projects for which no financial resources were available in the first

round. The filmmakers from these projects were asked to submit a

new proposal for the second selection round. In addition, the Fund

actively searched for filmmakers with a documentary in production

and invited them to submit an application. The selection committee for this round consisted of three people, as the number of projects

to be considered was just 20. An overview of the selection criteria is

included in Appendix I and the composition of the selection committee can be found in Appendix VI.

76 different countries were assessed by an independent selection com-

Wide range of subjects

ers, filmmakers and commissioning editors . Every year, the Fund invites

countries and subjects. Striking features of the selection for 2012

mittee made up of international documentary experts such as produc3

a documentary expert from a developing country to take a seat on this

committee. In 2012, Steven Markovitz, a producer from South Africa, sat

In each selection round, the Fund strives to select a varied range of are the projects on the Arab Spring and the quantity of projects from Africa.

on the selection committee for the first regular selection round.

The Arab Spring is central to some of the projects selected, for ex-

3 A commissioning editor is associated with a television station that invests in documentaries during the production process.

is about two police assistants who suddenly find themselves on the

ample from Egypt and Yemen. The Egyptian project Whose Country?

Whose Country?

Mohamed Siam, Egypt, in post-production The fund supported this project in 2011 with a grant for development and in 2012 with a grant for production and post-production. Director Mohamed Siam participated in IDFAcademy’s Summer School in June 2012.

The final result is expected for IDFA 2013.

7

wrong side of the revolution. During the days following the fall of

Filmmakers

fronted by issues of morality, loyalty and the suppression carried out

both experienced and talented young filmmakers. In addition, the IBF

Hosni Mubarak, a lot of former supporters of his regime were con-

by that regime. In Fatherland, the director returns to the country of

her birth, Yemen, to confront her family with the social and cultural

expectations in Yemen, which drove her away from that country. At

the same time, the whole country is undergoing a similar confrontation with its own identity, issues of nationality and existing norms and values, under the influence of the Arab Spring.

The number of applications from African countries and the qual-

ity of these is increasing every year, thanks in part to support from

The IDFA Bertha Fund (IBF) supports independent film projects by

is one of the few funds in the world that supports projects at the de-

velopment stage, as well as projects dealing with risky or experimental topics. Often, projects are selected by young, talented filmmakers who have almost no chance of finding finance elsewhere or who lack the experience to access the international co-finance markets. In this way, the Fund strives to encourage a new generation of male and female filmmakers to develop a voice and style of their own.

the Fund for festivals and workshops in Africa. This year, the Fund

Alternative support projects

first time, such as Rwanda, Kenya and Tunisia. The Rwandan project

their projects to the IDFA Forum, a three-day co-production market

supported documentary projects from a number of countries for the GITI – Paradise in the Hell tells the story of the GITI district in Rwanda: the only place where there was no genocide in 1994, thanks to the

courage of the local population. Logs of War from Kenya follows the struggle of activist Silas Siakor against the corrupt logging industry

in Liberia and the surrounding countries. The Tunisian project Zaineb

Hates the Snow is a small-scale story about 9-year-old Zaineb, who is

about to move to Canada, where her mother wants to start a new life with a new husband following an accident involving Zaineb’s father.

For a complete overview of the projects selected for project development and production/post-production, see Appendix II.

Filmmakers who have received support are encouraged to submit

for documentaries that takes place during IDFA. At this annual co-

production market, projects are presented to international financiers, such as television stations and distributors. This is an important way of attracting finance for the production of a documentary. Being se-

lected for the IDFA Forum means that filmmakers have access to the

most important documentary platform in the world. In 2012, four IBF

projects were selected for the IDFA Forum. The Devil’s Lair from South Africa was selected for a ‘Central Pitch’. Da Tong from China was

selected for a ‘Round Table Pitch’4 , at which the Fund supported the presentation as a financier of the project. Powerless from India and

4 A ‘Central Pitch’ is a large-scale presentation to all the financiers present and an audience of 300. A ‘Round Table Pitch’ is a small-scale presentation to several financiers at a round table.

Pitch The Devil’s Lair Financier Neiloe Khunyeli, director Riaan

Hendricks and producer Neil Brandt present their project to all present tv stations at the IDFA Forum. “Neiloe, Riaan and myself feel good about our pitch, and the tough discussions during the pitch led to very constructive discussions afterwards in our one-on-one meetings. We now have solid interest and follow ups to do with NHK in Japan, POV in America, TVO and Knowledge Network in Canada, YLE in Finland, ZDF in Germany, BBC in the UK and others, so we’re very happy about that.” Neil Brandt, producer The Devil’s Lair.

8

Activities and Results 2012

The Dream of Shahrazad from South Africa were selected in the new

Professionalization of filmmakers

costs for the makers of Powerless and The Dream of Shahrazad.

Support for workshops

ing the pitch with interested television stations and distributors, at

countries or countries in which little or no film training is available. In

category ‘Work in Progress Screening’5. The Fund also paid the hotel

For all of the projects, one-on-one meetings were organised followwhich the parties were able to discuss potential cooperation and possible finance in a more low-key environment.

Filmmakers whose projects have been selected for a ‘Central Pitch’

or ‘Round Table Pitch’ can take part in pitch training organised by the EDN . The Fund paid for this training for the project The Devil’s Lair.

When selecting workshops, the Fund concentrates on the poorer

these countries, filmmakers often have no access to cinemas, advice or funding, and there is often hardly any film tradition to draw on.

In 2012, the Fund supported two workshops aimed at education and professionalization for filmmakers in developing countries.

6

The filmmakers from the project Da Tong arrived too late to take part in this training.

BALADI Workshop

The BALADI Workshop was set up to support five directors and five

editors from Syria in the production of a documentary project on the theme: ‘The Lives of Syrians Today’. The first phase of the workshop

was aimed at the development of a narrative structure and a trailer.

In the second phase, filmmakers were assisted in editing the film. The contribution from the IDFA Bertha Fund (€ 10,000) was used for the

travelling and accommodation expenses of mentors and participants, and for payment of the mentors.

K-Dox Workshop

K-Dox is the first documentary workshop in Rwanda and is aimed at local Rwandese filmmakers. The aim of this ten-day intensive 5 The screening of a work-in-progress offers the selected filmmaker an opportunity to get professional feedback from IDFA Forum delegates and gives the commissioning editors a chance to see promising new projects that may be interesting for the television station for which they work.

6 European Documentary Network

workshop is to build up a documentary industry in Rwanda and to

introduce young filmmakers to the documentary genre. All costs for

the workshop (€ 10,000) were covered by the contribution from the IDFA Bertha Fund.

Participants of the K-Dox Workshop in Rwanda “The K-Dox

Workshop was a good starting point for documentary culture in Rwanda. It attracted different candidates and up-and-coming documentary filmmakers from a diverse range of backgrounds in the film industry. For them, being new to the documentary genre, the workshop offered a rich source of information, from practical experience to content analysis. The K-Dox Workshop turned out to be a breeding ground for a new generation of documentary makers.” Didier Rutafungira, organizer of the K-Dox Workshop

9

Support for training courses

Support to filmmakers and projects in relation to content

documentary industry is emerging and filmmakers need to develop

The fifth Summer School took place from 18 to 23 June 2012 in theatre

In 2012, one forum was supported in India; a country in which the up to international level.

IDFAcademy´s Summer School

De Brakke Grond in Amsterdam. Young filmmakers, editors and

producers from 14 different countries met to spend a week working

Trigger Pitch

In 2012, the Fund supported the second edition of the Trigger Pitch in

India. The Trigger Pitch is an outreach forum with the aim of bringing

Asian filmmakers with impressive documentary projects into contact with Asian media, NGOs, cinemas, Funds and companies involved with documentaries. Following a two-day workshop, the participating filmmakers’ documentary projects were presented to the

organisations present. The IBF contribution of € 10,000 was used for travelling and accommodation expenses for mentors and travel for participants and personnel.

intensively on the development or editing of their documentaries,

supported by renowned filmmakers and film professionals. During

the Summer School, the participants received individual coaching and followed group sessions and a program consisting of film screenings

and lectures. In 2012, a total of 16 projects were selected for the Summer School, eight of which received support from the Fund. A new feature of the Summer School in 2012 is the cooperation between CBA WorldView from the UK and the Fund, whereby WorldView

financed the travelling and accommodation expenses for the IBF participants in the Summer School.

In addition, after the Summer School the makers of the Fund’s eight projects were asked to submit the new versions of their projects to

WorldView, giving them a chance of a grant worth £ 10,000 (€ 12,340).

Table 1. IBF Participants IDFAcademy Summer School 2012 Documentary projects Logs of War The Devil’s Lair The Cleaner GITI - the Paradise in Hell Afrikaner Girl Whose Country Red Wedding Camera/Woman

Country

Participants

Category

Kenya

Anjali Anwar (director), Hawa Essuman (director)

Script Development

South Africa

Riaan Hendricks (director), Neil Brandt (producer)

Script Development

Morocco

Sarah Lamrini (director)

Script Development

Rwanda

Yves Montand Niyongabo (director)

Script Development

South Africa

Annalet Steenkamp (director), Lucien Barbard (editor)

Editing

Egypt

Mohamed Siam (director), Hisham Saqr (editor)

Editing

Cambodia

Guillaume Suon (director, editor)

Editing

Morocco

Karima Zoubir (director), Sofi Escudé (editor)

Editing

IDFAcademy’s Summer School Rwandan filmmaker Yves Niyongabo receiving feedback

on his project GITI – Paradise in the Hell from mentor Coco Schrijber. “Yves Niyongabo breathes filmmaking. He is eager to learn, driven, and hungry for exploring different ways to channel his ideas into a film that touches you. Please give him a bag full of money so more people can enjoy the works of this young talent.” Coco Schrijber, filmmaker

10

Activities and Results 2012

Visits to IDFA 2012

the program and attended both the panel discussions and individual

developing countries to attend IDFA to present their films to a large

• IDFAcademy

In 2012, the Fund invited 17 directors and three producers from

audience and to the international documentary industry. The Fund

paid for the flights and accommodation for these filmmakers, as well

as a per diem allowance. Each screening was followed by a Q&A with the filmmaker, giving the audience a chance to respond to the film.

Alongside the screenings of their own films, during IDFA the film-

makers got to see high-quality creative documentaries which often cannot be seen in their own countries.

In addition, directors and producers were able to attend many other

activities at IDFA aimed at professionalization of the filmmaker, such as the World Documentary Exchange program, the IDFAcademy, Industry Panels, the IDFA Forum and the First Aid Doc Clinic.

• World Documentary Exchange (WDE)

During Docs for Sale7, the World Documentary Exchange program

took place for the third time. The WDE program was set up in 2009

by Docs for Sale, the IBF and HotDocs from Canada, with support

from MEDIA International. In 2011, the Busan International Film Festi-

val from South Korea and in 2012 the Durban International Film Fes-

tival also became part of this trans-Atlantic cooperation. During the

WDE, young filmmakers and producers can attend panel discussions on various documentary markets, including the European, North

American, Asian and Arab markets. In addition, they receive individual advice from sales agents and TV buyers. The WDE aims to provide help to young filmmakers in their search for distribution channels

for their films, and to build up their knowledge of the documentary industry in general. The IBF filmmakers were invited to take part in

sessions.

During IDFA, young filmmakers can attend the IDFAcademy program, a three-day training course consisting of various masterclasses,

industry meetings and small-scale workshops supervised by expe-

rienced, renowned documentary professionals. During the sessions, they receive advice on financing, media, rights and presentation at

co-production markets such as the IDFA Forum. Four IBF filmmakers took part in this program.

• Industry Panels

During IDFA, panels are also organised for more experienced film-

makers, at which the latest developments in the area of documentary production, finance methods and distribution are discussed.

• The IDFA Forum

Each year, the Fund arranges for all IBF filmmakers present to pay a

visit to the IDFA Forum in order to gain insight into the mechanisms of an international co-production market and the kinds of projects

that can be pitched. Normally, the IDFA Forum is a closed event only accessible to ‘observers’ – documentary professionals selected in advance.

• First Aid Doc Clinic

The Doc Clinic was set up to show filmmakers and producers the way on the international festival circuit and at IDFA in particular. At the

Doc Clinic, filmmakers can put all of their questions to two documentary experts. Many IDFA Bertha Fund filmmakers visiting IDFA for the first time have made frequent use of the First Aid Doc Clinic.

7 Docs for Sale takes place during IDFA and is an extensive ‘video library’, with a catalogue of more than 500 new documentaries.

Filmmakers of Are You Listening! It’s the first time screening a film at

IDFA for the Bangladeshi filmmakers Kamar Ahmad Simon and Sara Afreen: “This is our first feature and the IDFA experience has been unbelievable because you get the best of audiences, the best of critics and the best of programmers, so you are testing yourself. This is just the start and we want to have a long-term relationship, coming back and forth to IDFA. I am much more confident after this festival.”

11

Other Initiatives

ers of Dox Box Global Day in producing and distributing all of the

ing the Doc Circle Pitch in South Africa and the Dox Box Global Day

the Dox Box festival during its first three years and since then has

In 2012, the Fund was involved in a number of other initiatives, includfrom Syria.

films worldwide, as well as paying for this. The Fund also supported maintained good contacts with the Syrian organisers.

The Doc Circle Pitch was organised for the second time in 2012. This

Consulting to promote the professionalization of filmmakers

FilmMart. The Durban FilmMart is an annual market during the Dur-

worldwide to provide concrete support to filmmakers from develop-

is a cooperation between IDFA, the IDFA Bertha Fund and the Durban ban International Film Festival. The Doc Circle pitch is a co-finance market for documentary projects from the region. The aim of this

pitch is to stimulate the documentary industry in Africa; the IBF and

IDFA have applied their expertise in this area and have been involved in the selection of the projects. The Fund presented an award to the most promising project from the Doc Circle Pitch in 2011. A new fea-

ture for 2012 was the cooperation with CBA Worldview from the UK,

which has also attached its name to the award, which is now known

as the IDFA WorldView Award. The award covered the travelling and accommodation expenses for attendance at IDFA and access to the IDFAcademy and the IDFA Forum.

The Dox Box Global Day took place from 14 through 16 March, and acted as a platform through which to give audiences worldwide

greater insight into the complex situation in Syria by offering a program of documentaries. After the Syrian revolution, and the violent

events following it, the organisers of the Dox Box festival decided not to hold a regular edition of the festival in 2012. Instead, nine Syrian

films were screened at more than 30 different locations worldwide

Each year, the Fund sends consultants to workshops and festivals

ing countries. During these consultations, participants receive con-

crete feedback on their documentary projects, advice on fundraising

in general and on the IDFA Bertha Fund in particular and information on the international documentary industry, as well as festival strat-

egy or co-production markets. Many of the participating filmmakers

are also encouraged in this way to subsequently submit their projects

to the IBF. In 2012, consultants were sent upon request to documentary events in South Africa, India, Morocco and Colombia. During these events, individual sessions with filmmakers took place. In addition, in 2012 representatives of the Fund visited the Busan International

Film Festival in South Korea, the Dubai International Film Festival in

the United Arab Emirates, the Berlinale in Germany, the African Film Festival in Spain and the African Film Festival in Italy. Although the

Fund itself is not active in these countries, these festivals to a great extent focus on countries in regions where the Fund is active. Here too, the consultants held individual sessions with filmmakers from developing countries.

under the name Dox Box Global Day. The Fund assisted the organis-

Dox Box Global Day In March 2012 the Dox Box filmprogram travelled around the world. “It’s March 15th; the anniversary of the Syrian Revolution, and the closing night of the “missing” DOX BOX edition. So, here we are, carrying the best of Syrian documentary films to screen parts of the Syrians’ lives back from the seventies, and to tell more about Syria - what it is, who we are. And maybe give a glance of what actually made the country rise up shouting for freedom.” Organizers of Dox Box, Syria

12

Activities and Results 2012

2.2 Results

list and/from the Development Cooperation Partner Countries.

Strengthening film production

in the previous column.

The shifts in geographical spread in relation to 2011 are clearly shown Although in 2012 the largest number of applications to the Fund still

Documentary projects selected

As the Fund did not hold a second regular selection round in 2012,

fewer applications were processed over the year as a whole. Never-

theless, the average number of applications remained stable. In total, 362 applications were processed in 2012 for the categories project

development and production/post-production, most of these in the single regular selection round in February.

came from Latin America (35%), this continent’s share had fallen. The

increase in projects from Africa (28%) was striking, as was the decrease (for the first time) in applications from Asia (21%). The fewest applica-

tions were received from Eastern Europe (9%) and the Middle East (7%).

9% 10% 18%in the selection of projects.

Trends can clearly be seen The number of 7% 7% 28% projects selected from Eastern Europe and Latin America decreased

14 projects were selected during this February selection round. In the

sharply, to zero and one respectively. The tables below show the increase in the selection of projects25% from Africa 35% (39%) and the Middle East (20%).

40% 21%

general call for submissions was put out. This added to the selec-

Geographical spread of selected projects

spring, an additional mini-selection round was held, for which no

tion from the February round, meaning a total of 20 documentary

projects were selected in 2012: a decrease of 35% in relation to 2011.

% Selected projects in 2011 11%

Only 6% of the applications processed were therefore selected in

2012. Table 2 gives an overview of the selections in 2011 and 2012 and

11%

umns of the DAC list and from the Development Cooperation Partner

19%

Documentary projects

Total

Projects in development

2011

2012

2011

2012

Number of project submissions received

691

362

23%

34%

Number of supported film projects

27

20

33%

45%

2011

2012

2011

2012

18

20

33%

35%

Realised projects Number of IBF supported documentaries

The number of applications for documentary projects received from

the first two columns of the DAC list and the Development Cooperation Partner Countries increased in 2012 to 34%. This increase is principally attributable to an increase in the number of projects received

from Africa. The Fund has been investing in the recruitment of projects

from this continent for some time by making regular working visits and by entering into partnerships with local organisations. As a result, Afri-

can projects have featured strongly in the selections made by the Fund in the past three years. In the 2012 selection, 45% of the documentary projects (nine projects) came from the poorest countries on the DAC Geographical spread of applications

% Applications received in 2011 7%

10%

37%

40%

Africa

Asia 3

Latin-America 1

34%

Middle East 1

Eastern Europe 2

A particular feature of the selection in 2012 is the presence of projects 6 Egypt,7 Syria, Tunisia and Yemen. from the 3Arab region, including All of these projects are responses to the political unrest of the past 10 two years. The Fund is able to reach filmmakers in this region and 5 offer support to projects quickly and effectively. A number of these projects are described on page 8. Other countries from which the Fund has previously only seldom selected projects, but which are once again included in the selection, are Cuba, Rwanda, Kenya and Pakistan.

The Fund also attaches importance to female makers being represented among the selected projects. Of the 20 selected projects,

seven have a female director, one project has a female producer, and in another four projects the same woman takes on both roles. This

means that, in total, a woman is involved in the production process in more than 50% of the projects. In addition, new makers are prominent within the selection, with almost 50% of the projects being a first or second film.

Freedom of expression is an essential prerequisite for a blossoming

independent film industry. Some of the documentaries supported by

% Applications received in 2012

18%

25%

39%

7%

Countries.

% DAC and DC partner countrie

20%

22%

the percentages of the projects selected from the two left-hand col-

Table 2. Documentary projects

% Selected projects in 2012

7%

9% 28%

the Fund are from unstable areas or countries where freedom of ex-

pression is limited. In 2012, this was the case for 40% of the selected documentary projects.

Documentaries realised 35%

21%

In 2012, 20 documentaries were realised that had previously received a contribution from the Fund – a small increase compared to 2011.

The share of documentaries realised from the two left-hand columns

on the DAC list and/or from Development Cooperation Partner CounAfrica

Asia Latin-America 11% 22% 11%

Middle East

7% 19%

37%

Eastern Europe

20% 39%

tries remained virtually the same, at 35%. Half of the documentaries

13

came from Asia, and this year there were no documentaries from the Middle East. More than one third came from Latin America and just 9% 18% two films from10% Africa. In view of the increase 7% in the number of Afri7% 28% can projects in the 2012 selection, the Fund also expects to see more

African films among those realised in the years ahead.

25% fourteen were selected for IDFA 2012; Of the documentaries realised, 35% 40% 21% six of these are films made in countries in the two left-hand columns on the DAC list and/or in Development Cooperation Partner Coun-

tries. Debut documentaries and documentaries about and from areas

of conflict were also among the ‘harvest’ of films presented at IDFA. The IBF harvest11% was made films, of which Camera/ 20% 22%up of nine debut 11%Red Wedding were selected to compete in the IDFA MidWoman and 39% Length Competition, and Fallen City7% screened in the First Appearance competition.

19%

37%

1 6

3

to put their plans into practice and to make a start on production or research. Thanks to the international appreciation and recognition of the Fund and IDFA, support from the Fund also acts as a quality

hallmark for projects in development. In the annual evaluation un-

dertaken among IBF filmmakers who have completed their films, 80% stated that the project’s association with the IBF helped them find

other financiers. Projects supported by the Fund were also selected in 2012 for support from other funds and to participate in regional co-production markets.

Two projects, Logs of War and The Devil’s Lair, were selected for the

Durban FilmMart, where other international funds such as the Sun-

dance Documentary Fund and Hot Docs Blue Ice Fund, as well as re-

ful pitches at this co-finance market, both projects received the IDFA

Realized documentaries 2012

1

3

Financial support from the Fund gives filmmakers an opportunity

gional and local television stations, were present. Following success-

34% Geographical spread realized documentaries

Realized documentaries 2011

Appreciation of supported films and projects

2

WorldView Award, an award for the best pitch that pays for travelling expenses, accommodation and participation in the IDFA Forum. The Devil’s Lair went on to receive a production contribution from the

Hot Docs Blue Ice Fund. Other projects also received a production

7

contribution from this fund at the end of 2012, namely Bukom Fighter 10

5

and Ndiyindoda. Bukom Fighter was also selected by the Sundance Documentary Fund, as was the project Powerless.

A record number of IBF projects received a Puma Catalyst Award:

Songs form the Building, GITI –Paradise in the Hell, Kashmir – Beyond Africa

Asia

Latin-America

Middle East

Eastern Europe

the Line of Control, Cal Summits, Logs of War and White Volta.

Three projects were selected this year for the editing workshop at the

Winners IDFA WorldView Award for Best Doc Circle Pitch project in Durban. The best projects of the Doc Circle

Pitch at Durban International Film Festival received the IDFA WorldView Award. The price consisted of a stay in Amsterdam and attending IDFA, participating in IDFAcademy and the IDFA Forum. “The WorldView Award gave Anjali and me the chance to experience first-hand the role the IDFA Forum can play for a documentary in production and how to prepare for a pitch, both as a public event in front of commissioning editors as well as on a smaller, informal scale during social events or spontaneous conversations in a café. We met people who are interested in our project. And we learned what a collaboration looks like. Thanks to the training we received from IDFA, we now have a much clearer understanding of what we are looking for in a partnership, and what they are expecting from us in return.” Hawa Essuman, one of the directors of the project Logs of War.

14

Activities and Results 2012

Talent Campus in Berlin. The makers of Whose Country, I, Afrikaner

years. The number of screenings at festivals is counted for each year,

Berlin on the editing of their films.

figures for 2012 also include films that had their premieres in 2010 or

without regard to the film’s year of production. This means that the

and Are You Listening! received this opportunity to be given advice in

2011, but which are still being invited to screen at festivals. The Fund

International appreciation for a finished documentary project can

does its very best to collect all relevant data, but with the caveat that

give an impulse to local production, inspire new makers and allow

some data may be missing.

the filmmaker to build up a good reputation, making it easier for

In comparison to 2011, fewer films screened on the festival circuit in

his or her next project to attract financiers. One way of measuring

2012, with 10% fewer screenings taking place. This can be explained

appreciation for a documentary is to look at the number of festivals

partly by the fact that, of the 51 films that screened on the festival cir-

at which the film is screening and the awards it wins. 2012 was once

again a year in which IBF supported films were seen all over the world

cuit in 2012, only 14 were new films, and these are invited to festivals

and won many awards. Two films were nominated for the IDFA Mid-

more frequently. 11 films were only finished at the end of the year, and

Length Competition at IDFA 2012, namely Camera/Woman and Red

so have just begun their festival life.

Wedding. The latter won this competition.

A number of films have, following their premieres at IDFA in No-

Table 3 shows the results of the circulation of supported films in

vember 2011, gone on to make a real triumphal progress through

2011 and 2012 at national, regional and international film festivals.

the festival circuit. 5 Broken Cameras and ¡Vivan las antipodas! have

A film can be invited to attend festivals over a period of one or two

each screened at more than 50 festivals. The former has now won

Table 3. Screenings of IBF supported films at film festivals in 2011-2012

Documentaries from Number of IBF films shown at festivals

Africa

Asia

Eastern Europe

% DAC and DC partner countries

Latin America

Middle East

2011

2012

2011

2012

2011

2012

2011

2012

2011

2012

2011

Total 2012

2011

2012

9

6

11

15

20

19

3

5

11

6

54

51

9

12 124

Number of festivals that selected IBF films

49

24

66

73

205

123

11

88

102

87

433

395

72

% national screenings at festivals

4%

0%

14%

25%

7%

15%

0%

1%

7%

8%

7%

11%

6%

4%

% regional screenings at festivals

43%

63%

15%

16%

17%

17%

18%

15%

28%

20%

22%

20%

32%

25%

% international screenings at festivals

53%

38%

59%

79%

77%

68%

82%

84%

65%

72%

70%

69%

63%

71%

4

0

4

17

26

14

2

17

22

9

58

57

5

21

Total number of awards

Award Ceremony Red Wedding The Cambodian director Guillaume Suon receiving the IDFA Mid-Length Award for Red Wedding. Red Wedding received a grant from the fund in 2011 and participated in the IDFAcademy’s Summer School of 2012. “The support of the IDFA Bertha Fund highlighted the film and made it known to other organizations and funds that afterwards contacted us to know more about Red Wedding. This help was very valuable to us as it can be difficult from Cambodia to reach funds and TV stations based in Europe or the US. Some TV channels and funds contacted us in order to see the film as it was part of the ‘IDFA family’.”

15

more than 16 awards. Smaller films such as The Invisible Policeman

will be followed up in the first semester of 2013.

Cinema Komunisto, The Nightwatchman, The Peddler, Congo in 4 Acts

received support in 2011 took place. Palestinian Docs and Bangladox

and Drought have been to more than 20 festivals. But films such as and Last Train Home have also enjoyed great success at festivals in

the two years following their premieres. In total, IBF supported films picked up 57 awards in 2012.

In addition, in 2012 two workshops and a training course that

both aim to help professional filmmakers further their projects. In

Morocco, the film archive in Tangiers organised the Forum on Docu-

mentary Films. This forum, which included a broad range of speakers and films, was able to go ahead following some delay.

Professionalization of filmmakers

In total, 135 participants – 90 men and 45 women – took part in the abovementioned events.

Selected Workshops and Training Courses

For this category, only one selection round took place, so fewer

Strengthening the local film industry

however, that the number of applications received for this one round

plan for 2010-2012 a desire to act in a more targeted manner to

applications were received over the year as a whole. Table 4 shows,

was significantly more than half the total number of applications received in 2011. Of the three workshops and training courses selected,

one will take place in the countries from the first two columns of the DAC list and/or the Development Cooperation Partner Countries. A

description of the selected workshops and training courses is given on pages 9 and 10. K-Dox in Rwanda and Trigger Pitch in India have

in fact taken place in 2012. The BALADI Workshop started in 2012, but

Alongside supporting workshops, the Fund has specified in its policy strengthen the local film industries in a number of countries.

Since 2010, the Fund has been involved in setting up a documentary film festival in Afghanistan. In addition to supporting the initia-

tors of this project, in 2011 the Fund also allocated a contribution to the festival organisation and in 2011 and 2012, one of the festival’s

organisers visited IDFA. The festival was planned for 2012, but has been postponed and will, it is expected, take place in the summer of 2013.

Table 4. Workshops and Training Courses Workshops and Training Courses from

Africa

Asia

Latin America

Eastern Europe

Total

2011

2012

2011

2012

2011

2012

2011

2012

2011

2012

2010

2012

2011

2012

Number of received applications

14

8

11

5

4

3

3

1

2

3

34

20

44%

50%

Number of supported projects

1

1

3

1

0

0

1

1

0

0

5

3

40%

33%

Number of participants (m/f)

4/2

8/4

98/51

61/27

0

0

0

26/9

0

0

102/54

95/40

Winner IDFA WorldView Award for best IDFAcademy’s Summer School project Director Karima Zoubir receiving the IDFA

Worldview Award for best Summer School project for her documentary Camera/ Woman. “Being selected for the Summer School was one of the best experiences in my career as a documentary filmmaker. The Summer School provided me with valuable feedback from renowned mentors with so much experience and strong vision.

It was an enormous challenge to find the right narrative structure for my film that would help tell the story that I wanted to share with the audience. And all of this happened in just a few days.” Karima Zoubir, filmmaker Camera/Woman

16

Middle East

% DAC and DC partner countries

Activities and Results 2012

Planning an event in Afghanistan requires a rather different approach.

The huge quantity of material made this a challenging film to edit.

tinued. Following initial support to the BALADI Workshop in Syria, the

the Summer School, and the film premiered early in 2012 at the film

The partnerships initiated in 2011 in Syria and in South Africa have con-

festival in Nyon. The film is now travelling the world.

Fund further increased its financial and concrete involvement in 2012.

The Cambodian project Red Wedding was at an advanced stage when

A second workshop was also supported and the Fund has contacts

it took part in the Summer School 2012. During the Summer School,

available. In addition, in the extra selection round in the autumn, two

the filmmakers were able to strengthen the structure and narrative

projects from the BALADI Workshop were selected to receive a produc-

of the film. The project was one of the winners of the IDFA World-

tion contribution.

The Fund and IDFA have entered into a long-term relationship with the

View Award at the Summer School, and was selected for the IDFA

Durban FilmMart, whereby the Fund and IDFA will make their knowl-

Mid-Length Competition in 2012, going on to win this award.

edge available to assist in building up a regional documentary market

in South Africa. In 2012, the second Doc Circle Pitch took place. Alongside international funds and television channels, local and regional televi-

to IDFA can teach filmmakers to develop a project and allows them to experience how the international documentary market works.

Five IBF films screened at IDFA 2012 that had previously taken part in

Once a filmmaker has finally finished a film and gets the opportunity

the IDFAcademy’s Summer School.

The Fund was one of the first financiers of Are You Listening! (Bangla-

desh) and Sand Fishers (Mali): two projects that were awarded finance to carry out research and development of their scripts, and both of which

to visit a number of festivals, they are then able to also make all kinds

of new contacts. Filmmakers who may once have made their first film with support from the IBF can become professionals able to operate independently on the international market. Following up on a panel

were then able to work on the further development of their projects at tion from the Fund. In 2012, Are You Listening! was the opening film of the

contribution in 2009 and took part in the Summer School in 2010.

awarded the second IDFA WorldView Award. The film was completed

Taking part in the Summer School, the IDFAcademy or paying a visit

Concrete support to filmmakers and projects

Where the Condors Fly received support in the form of a production

successfully honed at the Summer School 2012. The result was then

Length Competition and nominated for the IDFA Mid-Length Award.

the process of finding local sources of finance for documentaries.

DOK Leipzig festival, a major documentary festival in Germany.

The final version of the documentary Camera/Woman was also

just in time for IDFA 2012, where it was selected for the IDFA Mid-

sion stations were also present at this. This represents the first step in

the Summer School. Both projects also received a production contribu-

The first steps towards finding the structure of the film were taken at

on the co-production of documentaries with Latin-America at IDFA 2011, the three participating producers – all supported by the Fund – were also asked to sit on similar panels at festivals in the UK and

Canada. All three have now built up an oeuvre and experience, allowing them to now share their knowledge with others as experts.

Gulabi Gang Nishtha Jain, Norway/India/Denmark The moving film Gulabi Gang was part of the Masters program of IDFA 2012. Gulabi Gang is the third film of director Nishtha Jain that came into being with the support of the fund. By now Nishtha Jain has developed into a master in the documentary.

17

3 Increasing Access to Images and Stories from Local Cultures and Disseminating These to Other Cultures 3.1 Activities

The Baghdad International Film Festival took place in October 2012

Regional distribution

of 2003. For Iraqis, the festival sends out the crucial message that

Financial support for regional distribution initiatives and mobile cinemas

Through supporting regional distribution initiatives, such as festivals and mobile cinemas, the Fund wishes to create screening opportuni-

ties for filmmakers in their own regions. This also presents opportunities for audiences in these countries to see documentaries from their own and other cultures. Particularly in countries with a dictatorial

regime and in conflict zones, there are hardly any cinemas in which to show locally made films. Three festivals were selected for the regular

selection round in 2012. In the autumn of 2012, it was decided that, in

the future, the Fund would offer more regular support to documentary festivals by reserving a contribution for several successive festival

editions, providing these festivals with a more solid basis from which they can then attract other financiers more easily. During the extra mini-selection round in the autumn, the Fund asked two partner

festivals to submit an application for their next editions, and finally

both festivals were granted support. It was also decided to reserve an amount with which to support festivals in Africa and Asia.

Festivals

When making selections, a choice was made for festivals in countries characterised by fragile government and a high level of censorship, such as Iraq, Uzbekistan, Cuba and Sierra Leone.

and is the first international film festival in Iraq since the invasion

culture, art and cinema can bring people who are separated by origin or ethnicity together. The Fund has also selected this festival for the 2013 edition, which will also take place in October.

The Central Asian Festival of Independent Cinema was first organ-

ised in May 2012, screening independent, non-commercial films from Central Asia, i.e. Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan,

Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. The festival was also aimed at intro-

ducing filmmakers from this region to one another and one another’s work, as the repressive regimes of many countries in this region restrict contact with the outside world as much as possible.

The International Documentary Film Festival “Santiago Alvarez in

Memoriam” in Cuba was selected in 2012, but will take place in March

2013. This festival will show documentaries dealing with contemporary themes and stimulate thought about the role documentaries can play.

At the same time, the festival is a major meeting place for filmmakers, producers and experts in the area of documentary in the region.

The Sierra Leone Film Festival was selected in June 2011 and took

place in March 2012. The aim of this festival is to promote both international documentaries and documentaries from Sierra Leone, with

a view to building up a film industry there. For a period of one week, documentaries, fiction films and short films will be screened. The

edition of this festival for 2013, which will take place in May, was also selected during the autumn round.

Sierra Leone Film Festival For the first time, the Sierra Leone festival was able to screen

‘homegrown’ documentaries. “The local population showed excitement at seeing their homeland represented in a hopeful way. Many had never watched a film about their own country, shot entirely in Sierra Leone. A proud achievement for the entire Sierra Leonean community. The festival brought the conversation of Sierra Leonean film to the foreground both locally and internationally. The filmmakers expressed throughout the festival how vindicated they felt in their choice to be filmmakers and how grateful they were at getting exposure in their home country.” Layna Fisher, director of the festival

18

Activities and Results 2012

Regional distribution of films realised

International distribution of supported documentaries

Following on from the success of the tours in 2010 and 2011, in 2012

IDFA Bertha Fund harvest at IDFA 2012

joint Cinema Mondial Tour (CMT), a program of films supported by

were selected to participate in a competition program. Who Will Be

Cinema Mondial Tour 2012

the IDFA Bertha Fund and the Hubert Bals Fund organized their third the Funds touring various African film festivals. With this tour, the Funds wish to raise the profile of these films in Africa. In addition,

the Funds wish by means of this tour to promote their work among

up-and-coming African film talent. The Cinema Mondial Tour toured the same festivals as in the previous years, with the addition of the

Lusaka International Film Festival in Zambia and the Festival Interna-

cional du Cinema et de l’Audiovisuel in Burundi. In addition, a number of festivals did not go ahead, such as the Zimbabwe International

Film Festival and the Festival du Film de Dakar. These festivals were unable to take place in 2012 owing to financial setbacks.

Alongside screenings at the various African film festivals, in 2012 the

CMT program was shown for the first time in art house cinemas and at cultural organisations in North Africa and the Middle East. To this

end, the Funds have entered into a new cooperation with the NAAS8 network, a network of independent art house cinemas and cultural institutions in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Sudan, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates. The aim of this network is to jointly de-

velop a cinema culture in the Arab region.

This year, the program consisted of a varied range of films, whereby

the emphasis was on films from the Middle East. This represented a

change in relation to the previous tours, in which the emphasis of the program was more on African films. In order to make the films more

accessible to the Arabic-speaking audience, the Funds have provided

In 2012, 14 new IBF films were presented at IDFA, and four of these

a Gurkha from Nepal was selected to compete in the IDFA FeatureLength Competition. Red Wedding from Cambodia and Camera/

Woman from Morocco were included in the IDFA Mid-Length Com-

petition and Fallen City from China took part in the First Appearance

Competition for beginning filmmakers. Two films also screened in the Masters section of the Reflecting Images program, i.e. Gulabi Gang

by Indian director Nishtha Jain and Magic Words (to Break a Spell) by

Mexican director Mercedes Moncada Rodriguez. Both directors have received support from the IBF since the beginning of their careers

and have gone on to become luminaries of the documentary world.

The film The Girl from the South had its world premiere at BAFICI in

Argentina, where it won the audience award and a Special Mention

from the jury; it then had its international premiere at the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival, which meant the film was in-

cluded at IDFA in the Best of Fests program. The other films screened in the Reflecting Images: Panorama section.

Alongside the regular screenings, several IBF supported films at-

tracted attention in IDFA’s special programs. These focused princi-

pally on Dutch audiences and will therefore be described in the next paragraph, Distribution in the Benelux of supported documentaries.

For brief descriptions of all IBF films at IDFA 2012 and numbers of visitors per film, see Appendix IV.

Arabic subtitles for all of the films. The films were eventually subtitled

Promotion of realised IBF films

For the program, dates and participating festivals, see Appendix III.

vals and distributors worldwide. As part of IDFA, the Fund’s activities

and seen in three languages: English, French and Arabic.

8 Network of Arabic Art House Screens

Various means are used to promote IBF supported films among festiare included in the festival’s communications, both digital and print.

Cinema Mondial Tour Dolls – A

Woman from Damascus by Diana el Jeiroudi from Syria was part of the Cinema Mondial Tour 2012. For the first time, the Cinema Mondial Tour visited Arabic cinemas and also screened Arabic titles. “The Cinema Mondial program offered us the opportunity to show the Tunisian public a selection of movies that are very difficult to find, to get your hands on and to screen.

We love doing that, especially with these kind of films. It gives us a chance to make sure these films and directors get more recognition.” Cinema CinemAfricaArt in Tunis, Tunesia

19

In addition, the Fund has a number of means of its own of attracting attention to its films:

• All films in competition have a special industry screening during IDFA, intended for festival programmers, buyers from television stations, sales agents and distributers.

• Each year, the Fund places the IBF films in Docs for Sale, an extensive ‘video library’ where the documentary industry can watch

the latest documentaries in video booths, allowing them to make

Furthermore, this flyer is also given out all year round, at festivals

worldwide where IDFA delegates are present, such as in Berlin, the USA, Cannes, Pusan, Toronto and Durban.

• Every month, IDFA publishes an Industry Newsletter containing

important information on the Fund, its activities and the films supported. This is distributed to an international network of press and professionals.

their own selection. Docs for Sale takes place during IDFA and has a

Distribution of supported documentaries in the Benelux

point for distributors, sales agents, television buyers and festival

mentary project, the IBF is granted the distribution rights for the

catalogue of more than 500 titles. Docs for Sale is a major meeting programmers worldwide. The Fund covers the cost of inclusion in Docs for Sale for all IBF titles. Afterwards, the filmmakers receive

an overview of the people who have watched their film, with their contact details. Appendix IV shows how often the various films were viewed in a Docs for Sale video booth.

• Professionals can watch documentaries at Docs for Sale Online

not only during IDFA, but the whole year round. Films from all over

the world can be watched online by people from the documentary industry using a special log-in code. The Fund pays for the IBF supported titles to be offered in Docs for Sale online for a period of

one year, in order to reach those documentary professionals who couldn’t be at IDFA in person.

• The Fund also places all IBF supported titles in HotDocs’ Doc Shop, the market for creative documentary in North America. Doc Shop

is comparable to IDFA’s Docs for Sale; a service offering professionals an opportunity to watch documentaries in booths during the

festival, and then online all year round. The Fund pays the registration fees for all films.

• Every year, the Fund creates a flyer presenting the new films, and

this is distributed to documentary professionals at IDFA. The flyer describes the films and gives contact information for each film.

In exchange for the financial support the Fund provides to a docu-

Benelux. This gives the Fund the opportunity to show the IBF films through various different channels.

IDFA Screenings

In the Netherlands, IDFA is the major platform through which the

IDFA Bertha Fund films can reach audiences. Through the films it supports, the Fund also makes a significant contribution to the diversity of the range of films on offer at IDFA. Alongside the regular screenings, several IBF films have received attention in special IDFA pro-

grams. During the last weekend of the festival, which features special audience programs, a World Documentary block was screened in 2012, with three IBF titles: Camera/Woman from Morocco, Magic Words (to Break a Spell) from Mexico and United Red Army from

Bangladesh. Additionally, during this last weekend, the Best of IDFA

program screens all of the award-winners from the festival. In 2012,

this included the winner of the IDFA Mid-Length Competition, the IBF supported film Red Wedding from Cambodia.

Alongside the new films presented at IDFA, a number of older IBF

supported films were brought to the attention of the Dutch audience at IDFA. Tishe!, Svyato and ¡Vivan las antipodas! screened in the Vic-

tor Kossakovsky retrospective. Russian filmmaker Kossakovsky, who

Who Will Be a Gurkha, Kesang Tseten, Nepal/England/Norway/Finland The film was selected for the prestigious IDFA Feature Length Competition. “IDFA is a great platform for documentary filmmakers. A film from Nepal premiering at IDFA is a huge huge deal....aside from generating festival invitations and tv sales, it has helped to bring a documentary into Nepali theatres! IDFA is an inspiration!” filmmaker Kesang Tseten, Nepal

20

Activities and Results 2012

has received support from the Fund several times in the past, was

Contacts with festivals and television broadcasters in the Benelux

My Father and Last Train Home also screened in the RE:Constructing

festivals in the Benelux. Each year, festival programmers attend IDFA

a special guest of the festival during IDFA 2012. The IBF films Sins of

History program. As part of the celebrations marking 25 years of IDFA, this program looked back at significant historical events of the past 25 years.

Many filmmakers are repeatedly surprised by the full houses for their films at IDFA. Appendix IV gives the figures on ticket sales per film.

Best of IDFA on Tour

Each year, IDFA organises a tour of the Netherlands featuring a selection of the best films from the last festival. The favourites from 2011, including the IBF supported title 5 Broken Cameras, were included

in the 2012 Best of IDFA on Tour. Together with three other festival

hits from IDFA 2011, 5 Broken Cameras screened in 37 different Dutch towns and cities, and in Antwerp, Belgium. The Best of IDFA on Tour was organised in cooperation with Cinema Delicatessen.

After IDFA, the Fund offers the IBF supported films to various themed and are actively approached by the Fund and encouraged to watch

the new IBF titles. These festivals can then screen the IBF titles free of charge. In addition, the Fund maintains contacts with a wide range of

TV stations which are on the lookout for documentaries for particular program strands. Nevertheless, selling documentaries to TV stations remains a difficult business, as they are bound by specific program lengths and predetermined themes. Because new filmmakers are

often not aware of TV length requirements, the Fund advises all IBF filmmakers to make an extra version of their film specifically for TV.

Such a version increases the chance of sales to television broadcasters – not only in the Benelux, but worldwide.

Appendix V gives an overview of festival screenings and purchases by television stations in the Benelux in 2012.

IDFA TV

IDFA TV, IDFA’s online documentary channel, was launched in 2009,

and since then has shown various documentaries free of charge within the Benelux. Each year, the Fund places a number of titles from the new documentary harvest on IDFA TV. In 2012, these included the big

hit and award-winner 5 Broken Cameras. Older films supported by the Fund also remain available on IDFA TV all year round. In 2012, a total

of 64 documentaries were screened which were made with support from the Fund.

United Red Army, Naeem Mohaiemen, Bangladesh

The experimental impressive film United Red Army from Bangladesh was one of the films that showed in the World Documentary program. The filmmaker Naeem Mohaiemen remembers missing his favourite tv program because of a live streaming of an aeroplane hijacking in Bangladesh. The film shows mainly a dark background, on which the written transcript of the crackly radio conversation between hijacker and hostage negotiator appears. “I don’t know if director Mohaiemen is a genius, but he is the trailblazer for a completely new documentary style.” Adam A. Donaldson, filmcritic.“The tension and drama that builds from the clipped verbal exchanges speaks volumes, escalating from polite courtesy to mortal threat.” Angie Driscoll, film critic

21

3.2 Results

The visibility of IBF films at national and regional level

Increasing and enhancing local screening opportunities

ment of the supply of local films in developing countries. Table 3 on

The supported films also contribute to the increase in and enrichpage 15 shows the worldwide festival participation of supported

In order to stimulate the screening of documentaries, the Fund sup-

films. In 2012, 51 films were screened at 395 festivals. Like in 2011, al-

ports various distribution projects. Applications can be accepted for

the organisation of festivals, mobile cinemas and for the distribution

most one third of these festivals take place in the film’s own country

of individual documentaries.

or region – 11% were national and 20% regional festivals.

Table 5 shows the distribution requests received and selected during

A striking feature is the increase in the number of screenings of films

the past two years. In 2012, only one selection round took place in this

from the Middle East. At IDFA 2011, the Fund presented two Palestinian

category, meaning that the number of applications received over the

films that went on to be screened all year round at festivals – the ma-

year as a whole was down on previous years. Nevertheless, of the 25

jority of these screenings were of 5 Broken Cameras. Screenings of this

applications received, 15 (60%) were from the countries in the two

film in its home country are lagging behind, however. This is attribut-

left-hand columns of the DAC list and/or the Development Coopera-

able to the complex situation in the region. The film was co-directed by a Palestinian and an Israeli, which opens up all kinds of possibilities, but

tion Partner Countries.

also means that screening the film in Palestine and Israel is a compli-

In total, five festivals received support, one of which takes place in a

country in the left-hand column of the DAC list. Owing to budgetary

cated issue. The film was eventually screened in a cultural centre in

restrictions, fewer distribution initiatives were selected than in 2011.

Ramallah, at two festivals in Israel, and on Israeli television.

Two of the selected festivals actually took place in 2012, the rest in

In the case of the Asian films, on the other hand an increase has been

2013. In addition, three festivals selected in 2011 took place in 2012,

seen in the number of screenings at local festivals. IDFA 2011 screened

namely the CNEX Campus Tour (China), People’s Mobile Cinema

four new films from India, and all of these screened at various differ-

(India) and the first ever Sierra Leone Film Festival. Together, these

ent festivals in their own country in 2012.

five events (which took place in 2012) accounted for 824 screenings

Generally speaking, it is still difficult for documentaries to achieve

of 252 films, of which on average 65% were drawn from their own

theatrical distribution. This is true not only in developing countries;

continent. These events attracted a total of almost 139,359 visitors.

in the Netherlands this also happens on a small scale only. Neverthe-

The CNEX Campus Tour and People’s Mobile Cinema were both film

less, filmmakers are increasingly trying to get their documentary

programs that toured various locations over a longer period, thereby

films into the cinemas. Often at their own initiative, and for a short

playing to very large numbers of people.

run only. Nevertheless, this does allow filmmakers to reach local

audiences with their films. Of the films that premiered at IDFA 2011, 5

Table 5. Supported distribution projects 2011 and 2012 Distribution projects 2011

Africa

Asia

Latin America

Middle East

Eastern Europe

Total

% DAC and DC partner countries

2011

2011

2011

2011

2011

2011

2011

Film

MC

Fest

Film

MC

Fest

Film

MC

Fest

Film

MC

Fest

Film

MC

Fest

Film

MC

Fest

Film

MC

Fest

Number of received applications

1

3

16

-

7

5

-

1

8

-

-

1

1

1

4

2

12

34

50%

58%

56%

Number of supported projects

-

-

3

-

2

2

-

-

1

-

-

1

-

-

1

-

2

8

0%

0%

50%

1

151

-

-

36

-

-

97

-

-

84

-

-

63

-

1

431

251

-

-

36

-

-

271

-

-

150

-

-

63

-

-

771

2.000

20.000

-

-

12.000

-

-

15.360

-

-

5.000

-

-

24.700

-

12.000

77.060

Results supported events 2011 Number of screened films

-

Number of screenings

-

Audience attendance

-

Distribution projects 2012

Africa

Asia

2012

Latin America

2012

Middle East

2012

Eastern Europe

2012

% DAC and DC partner countries

Total

2012

2012

2012

Film

MC

Fest

Film

MC

Fest

Film

MC

Fest

Film

MC

Fest

Film

MC

Fest

Film

MC

Fest

Film

MC

Fest

Number of received applications

2

2

3

-

1

7

-

2

3

-

-

3

-

-

2

2

5

18

100%

60%

50%

Number of supported projects

-

-

1

-

-

1

-

-

1

-

-

2

-

-

-

-

-

5

0%

0%

40%

Results supported events 2012 Number of screened films

-

-

49

-

48

50

-

-

-

-

-

105

-

-

-

-

48

204

Number of screenings

-

-

58

-

416

50

-

-

-

-

-

300

-

-

-

-

416

408

Audience attendance

-

-

1.759

-

130.000

600

-

-

-

-

-

7.000

-

-

-

-

130.000

9.359

Film= individuele films; MC= Mobiele Cinema projecten; Fest= Festivals

22

Activities and Results 2012

Broken Cameras stands head and shoulders above the rest, enjoy-

also being shown in these countries. Normally, most festival organisa-

Sweden, Ireland and Israel.

kinds of films. For the festivals, the CMT program was also a great op-

ing cinematic runs in the Netherlands, the UK, the US, France, Japan, In addition, The Invisible Policemen (Palestine), Char - The Island

Within (India), Bom (India), Citadel (Bolivia) and The Rat Race (India) were screened in cinemas in their own countries.

Other highlights included the screening of Nargis, When Time

Stopped Breathing from Myanmar. This film, from 2009, in fact

screened recently in its own country, at the Wathann Film Festival – the first human rights film festival in Yangon.

Cinema Mondial Tour

In organising the Cinema Mondial Tour, the Fund contributes to the

regional distribution of supported films. Ten films supported by the Funds have spent a year touring ten different African festivals and

eight art house cinemas in North Africa. Table 6 in Appendix III shows the provisional visitor numbers and the number of screenings (not all data was available at the time of reporting). The Funds will present the complete figures in June 2013.

Each festival is free to choose and make up its own selection from the

program. Some festivals selected all ten films, while others picked per-

haps just two films to screen. The festivals range from extremely small initiatives, such as the Rwanda Film Festival, up to the larger festivals on that continent, such as the Durban International Film Festival.

Once again, the CMT was met with great enthusiasm. Films that give a human face to the stories we hear from developing countries are now

tions in these countries lacked both information on and access to these portunity to associate their festivals with the prestigious IDFA and IFFR. Several festivals even selected films from the CMT to compete in their own competitions. And once again this year, CMT films won prizes,

including Goodbye at the Durban Film Festival and Qarantina, Winter

Vacation and City of Photographers at the Quintessence in Benin. The films were also received with great enthusiasm at art house cinemas in North Africa and in the Middle East. Independent world cinema is

often difficult to obtain for organisations from this region. The provisional visitor numbers show that their reach is limited.

Following three editions of the Cinema Mondial Tour, the Funds have decided to let go of the existing formula for the tour for the next

year. On the basis of responses received from our partner festivals, it

appears that the added value of the CMT lies primarily in the distribution of films in their own region. With a view to the limited harvest of

Fund-supported films from Africa and the Middle East in recent years, the Funds were nevertheless forced to offer a broader package, in-

cluding films from other regions. As most of our partner festivals do however seem to have a preference for films from their own region,

revising the CMT formula has proven essential. As a result of the cuts to the Funds’ budgets in 2013, continuation of the CMT in its present

form would in any event no longer be possible. We are therefore looking at a more focused role for the CMT, based on the specific needs of partner festivals and the harvest of Fund-supported films.

Screening of Nargis in home country Myanmar

“In 2012 we finally screened Nargis – When Time Stopped Breathing for the first time in Myanmar at the 2nd Wathann Film Festival in Yangon.

This festival was founded by students in 2011 and is the first independent film festival of its kind in Myanmar. The screening of Nargis was a marvellous, moving experience.

The entire 400 seat auditorium was full and some extra chairs had to be put at the back. Even so, this was not enough and some people had to sit on the floor. The team behind this film finally presented it inside Myanmar with their real names in the credits. The screening ended with a one minute silence for the people who died in Nargis.” Thu Thu Sein, festival director

23

Social discussion

The availability of IBF films worldwide

litical issues and thereby stimulate discussion of these issues within

tional career of a documentary. Films that screen at IDFA and are

Documentary is a powerful medium with which to raise social or posociety. The IBF often supports films that have controversial central themes or that tackle politically or socio-economically sensitive issues in a particular country or region.

As stated above in this report, 5 Broken Cameras stimulated debate

everywhere it was shown. The international media has also written extensively on this film.

In the countries where it was produced – Israel and the Palestinian

territories – the situation is even more complex, as the cooperation

between the two directors evokes mixed responses within their own communities. In the Palestinian territories, giving attention to this

film remains a sensitive undertaking. The film has received more at-

tention in Israel, where a campaign has also been started to show the film to young Israelis.

The Rat Race from India also stirred up a lot of discussion. This film

follows the pest control community (‘rat catchers’) in Mumbai. The Rat Race shows the onerous working conditions endured by these

men, who perform an essential task in a global metropolis such as

Mumbai. In 2012, the film screened in cinemas in New Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore, including ahead of municipal elections, thereby making a contribution to the social debate.

Participation at IDFA is an important starting point for the internaincluded in Docs for Sale often go on to have many more screenings at international festivals and on television worldwide.

In 2012, IBF supported films could be seen on the international circuit

at the large festivals in Berlin, Sundance, Toronto and New York. Table

3 on page 14 shows that 70% of the festivals where the films screened in 2012 are part of the international circuit, i.e. outside of the film’s

own country or region. The IBF supported films from the Middle East (84%) and Eastern Europe (72%) did particularly well internationally.

Smaller films that had their premieres at IDFA often go on to become successful films worldwide.

5 Broken Cameras occupied the number one spot on the list of mostwatched films at Docs for Sale 2011, and since then has screened

at more than 50 festivals, as well as being bought by more than 15

television stations. Cinema Komunisto, a film that premiered at IDFA in 2010, also enjoyed a remarkable festival life – following a highly

successful first year, in its second year (in 2012) it was still screened at more than 20 festivals worldwide.

The profile of IBF supported films in the Benelux

In 2012 in the Benelux, IBF supported films were shown at IDFA, on the internet, on TV, at festivals, in special themed programs and released on DVD.

5 Broken Cameras After its world premiere at IDFA, the documentary 5 Broken Cameras has made a triumphant journey across the world and won many awards in 2012. “5 Broken Cameras is a film entirely composed of footage taken by a West Bank Palestinian. This account of the oppression of a village is the kind of material that rarely makes the news” The Guardian. “5 Broken Cameras provides a grim reminder — just in case you needed one — of the bitter intractability of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. A chronicle of protest and endurance, punctuated by violence and tiny glimmers of hope, this documentary is unlikely to persuade anyone with a hardened view of the issue to think again.” New York Times.

24

Activities and Results 2012

For example, in 2012 ¡Vivan las antipodas! was added to the IDFA’s Delicatessen DVD label, and 5 Broken Cameras was acquired for

release in 2013. Under IDFA’s Delicatessen label, IDFA and Cinema

Delicatessen present a collection of quality contemporary documentaries on DVD, ranging from recognised public favourites to artistic highlights of modern film history. Since 2010, a selection of titles

from IDFA’s Delicatessen has also been offered on the Interactive TV service offered by telecom provider KPN, and since 2011 on pay-per-

view platform Ximon. Both of these are a form of digital TV, allowing consumers to choose themselves when to watch the content. The

titles offered in this way included the IBF supported titles Last Train Home, On the Way to School and 5 Broken Cameras.

The Dutch public broadcasters purchased the titles Svyato, Last Train Home and Sins of My Father for the digital Holland Doc channel. In addition, the IKON broadcaster was involved as a co-producer of 5

Broken Cameras and The Chilean Building. 5 Broken Cameras was also bought by Flemish broadcaster VRT.

62 Fund-supported films were available on IDFA TV during the year

under review, including a number of titles that were also presented

as part of special programs, such as Arab Spring and Football Docs. In total, these films supported by the Fund were watched almost 9,000 times in 2012.

For a complete overview of all screenings in the Benelux, see Appendix V.

5 Broken Cameras at Pluk de Nacht Open Air Film Festival 5 Broken Cameras was

screened in the Benelux at a.o. The Best of IDFA on Tour, Pluk de Nacht Open Air Film Festival, Docu

by Night at Pakhuis de Zwijger, Cinema al Kolenkit as well as online on IDFA TV.

25

4. Opening up and connecting networks 4.1 Activities

order to bring them into as much contact as possible with interna-

made up of both local organisations in developing countries and

was organised during the IDFA Forum, specially for Syrian projects. In

Having been around for 15 years, the Fund has an extensive network the international documentary industry. In 2012, the Fund under-

took a range of activities to bring organisations within this network into contact with one another, to stimulate joint ventures between

organisations and to allow filmmakers from developing countries to participate in activities in order to expand their own international networks.

Exchange of experience and contacts with local partner organisations

In 2012, the Fund gave a great deal of advice to and exchanged experiences with the organisation of the Durban International Film Festival in South Africa, the NAAS network in the Middle East and North

Africa and (as in 2011) a local organisation in Kenya that is setting

tional documentary professionals. In addition, an anonymous pitch

this way, it was possible for Syrian projects to continue their search for international finance after all. The Fund also advised on the setting up of the BALADI Workshop. As described on page 9 in Section

2, the BALADI project is a series of four or five unique documentaries about the lives of Syrians today. In 2011, the Fund had already organised a one-day workshop during IDFA 2011 for the Syrian filmmakers from the BALADI project. In 2012, the Syrian organisation set up an

extensive year-long workshop for the filmmakers, held in surrounding countries. Alongside support by means of a financial contribution,

the Fund gave advice on structure and mentoring and provided the organisation with the contacts it needed. The Fund now acts as a permanent adviser to the organisers in this respect.

up a film fund in East Africa. Alongside these activities, the Fund

Embassies

documentary festival Dox Box.

tries where the IBF has supported a festival or workshop or worked

maintained contact all year round with the organisers of the Syrian As described in Section 2, in 2011 IDFA and the IBF assisted the co-financing market (Durban FilmMart) of the Durban International Film Festival in setting up a documentary offshoot, the Doc Circle Pitch. In 2012, IDFA

and the IBF once again provided advice in the organisation of this pitch, assisted in making the selections and chaired the final pitching.

For the Cinema Mondial Tour (as described in Section 3), the Fund

was in frequent contact with the NAAS network, a network of inde-

pendent art house cinemas and cultural institutes in Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Morocco, Palestine, Syria, Sudan and Tunisia. Thanks to the NAAS network, the Fund has been able to acquire contacts with

Arab art house cinemas with an interest in documentaries. Through the Fund, the art house cinemas participating in the NAAS network now have access to a number of documentaries from the region, or documentaries on a topic of interest for the region.

Since 2009, the Fund has informed the Dutch embassies in the counclosely with a local organisation. In this way, the Fund attempts to expand its own network and open this up to local partner organ-

isations. The Fund also considers it important that the embassies are aware of the IBF’s activities in the many different developing

countries in which it is active. In 2012, the Fund informed not only the

embassies in the countries where selected projects were being made, but also the embassies in those countries where the Cinema Mondial Tour screened a program. A number of embassies worldwide are

already aware of the way the Fund operates, the selection rounds and

the application procedure – for example, the embassies in Cuba, Indonesia and Morocco. The embassies then disseminate this information within their own networks in order to stimulate filmmakers from these countries to submit an application to the Fund.

As early as 2011, the Fund was asked for advice by a local Kenyan or-

Festival visits

Bertha Fund also provided advice on the progress of this, the struc-

projects, every year the Fund visits a number of the festivals held by

ganisation on setting up a film fund for East Africa. In 2012, the IDFA ture of the organisation and finance, as well as providing contacts

to the organisation. The founder of this film fund again visited IDFA in 2012 and, with help from the IBF, was granted access to the IDFA

Forum, in which more than 540 documentary professionals took part.

Syria

The revolution in Syria meant that in 2012 the Fund devoted a great

As described on page 12 under Concrete support to filmmakers and

its local partner organisations. During these visits, help is provided not only to individual filmmakers from the region, but in the same

way local organisations are also brought into the Fund’s network, the Fund is promoted in developing countries and the knowledge and

contacts acquired can be shared. In 2012, working visits were made to documentary festivals in South Africa, India, Morocco and Colombia.

deal of time and attention to filmmakers in Syria. The Fund was in

Connecting DC partners to the international film industry

tion made up of various Syrian directors and producers, and the Fund

Local organisations

contact and keep them in contact with the international film world,

with organisations in the area of documentary worldwide, each

constant contact with the Syrian organisation Dox Box, an organisamade efforts to bring these filmmakers as much as possible into

as Syrian society became increasingly isolated. In the Dox Box Global

Day (Section 2), the Fund acted as the contact point for the screening locations worldwide, as well as ensuring that the film copies got to

the right places. The Fund brought a number of filmmakers to IDFA in 26

In order to put organisations in developing countries into contact year the Fund invites a number of programmers from festivals and

workshops to attend IDFA. Alongside the opportunities to see all of

the IDFA films and pick up ideas for the organisation of their own festival or workshop, attending IDFA is also a great opportunity for the

Activities and Results 2012

programmers to expand their networks. They can then make direct

contacts between the two organisations, more and more filmmakers

who are present in Amsterdam during the festival, and invite them

a good relationship with the Hubert Bals Fund for many years now.

contact with the approximately 2,500 international professionals

to their own festivals. In 2012, organisations from Syria, Zimbabwe,

Iraq, Afghanistan and South Africa were invited. Without the Fund, it would be almost impossible for the organisations from these

countries to attend IDFA and meet the international documentary

industry. The Fund pays for these programmers’ travelling expenses, accommodation and provides a per diem allowance.

Filmmakers

Thanks to the IBF’s reputation and its contacts worldwide, the Fund is able to offer filmmakers a number of services and networks.

The Fund has a number of close relationships with other organisations involved in working with filmmakers from Africa, Asia, Latin

America, the Middle East and Eastern Europe, such as the Sundance Institute Documentary Fund from the United States, WorldView from the UK and the Hubert Bals Fund of the International Film

Festival Rotterdam. The IBF provides the contact details of filmmakers from developing countries to the Sundance Documentary Fund.

And the Sundance Documentary Fund gives filmmakers who have already received a contribution from the IBF an extended period in which they can submit their project to Sundance. In 2012, the

IBF entered into a cooperation with WorldView from the United

Kingdom. Thanks to the contribution made by WorldView to the

IDFAcademy’s Summer School and the exchange of experiences and

are familiar with these two organisations. The IBF has maintained

Documentary filmmakers wishing to make a fiction film are referred on to the HBF, and vice versa.

The relationship between the IBF and IDFA allows filmmakers to profit from the presence of international documentary professionals and

organisations during the festival. A visit to IDFA is important not only for the professionalization of individual filmmakers (as described on

page 11), but also for the expansion of the filmmakers’ professional networks. For this reason, the Fund considers it important that both direc-

tors and producers attend IDFA. During IDFA, many activities take place aimed at stimulating filmmakers to make use of existing networks

and co-finance markets, such as the IDFAcademy, the IDFA Forum, the World Documentary Exchange program and Guests Meet Guests.

At the IDFAcademy program, young filmmakers can also register for the ‘Meet the Professionals’ section. This consists of sessions that give the participants an opportunity to make direct contact with

documentary professionals from a range of disciplines, to whom they

can put questions and from whom they can get advice, either general or of specific relevance to their projects. All of which makes the

­IDFAcademy a great addition to the network of any young filmmaker.

The IBF filmmakers present at IDFA can also visit the IDFA Forum,

IDFA’s annual co-financing market. This is one of the major meeting

places for filmmakers and the industry, which gives the Forum a very significant networking function.

One-on-One Meetings IDFA Forum 2012 During the IDFA

Forum one-on-one meetings, broadcasters and distributors meet the filmmakers of the selected projects. The intimate setup gives them the chance to discuss potential collaboration and possibilities of financing. These are the most important moments for networking during the Forum. Upon invitation by the fund, the Syrian filmmakers were able to present their projects in a private setting.

27

The World Documentary Exchange program gives the participating filmmakers an opportunity to get to know various sales agents and

4.2 Results

meetings between these distribution experts and the IBF filmmakers,

Exchange of experience and contacts with local partner organisations

time gaining insight into the business associated with the distribu-

new financiers have meant the Fund carried out fewer activities in

television buyers in person. Each year, the Fund organises private

allowing the filmmakers to expand their networks while at the same tion of a documentary.

Another important meeting place at IDFA is Guests Meet Guests, a

regular opportunity every day during the festival for all the documentary professionals present to come together in an informal atmo-

sphere. This is also an excellent occasion for the Fund to introduce

filmmakers to specific people from its own network who can be of use to the filmmakers.

In addition, during IDFA a lunch is always held for all IBF guests, the financiers and the selection committee and all the organisations

represented at IDFA and involved with filmmakers from Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and Eastern Europe.

As stated above, a smaller budget and the need to focus on finding

the year under review. As a result of this, the Fund has concentrated principally on continuing and reinforcing existing partnerships. The

Fund has maintained its relationships with its contacts in Kenya, and is continuing its partnerships in Syria and South Africa, providing advice where necessary and continuing the work it has started.

Thanks to their visit to IDFA, the organisers of the film fund in East

Africa were able to make new contacts and obtain knowledge of the functioning of the IDFA Bertha Fund. During the past year, the Doc Circle Pitch in South Africa has grown and, following advice from

the Fund, went in search of local financiers for documentaries. Three

local/regional television stations have been found who attended the presentation of the Doc Circle Pitch projects and made contact with the filmmakers from these projects.

Through its intensive contact with the Syrian organisers of Dox Box, the Fund was able to help spread the Dox Box Global Day event to

more than 30 locations worldwide. It was also essential for the Syrian filmmakers to visit IDFA. The filmmakers the Fund had invited to IDFA

had more than 20 one-on-one meetings in relation to the anonymous projects they presented during the Forum.

The more intensive contact maintained by the Fund with the Dutch embassies in Cuba, Indonesia and Morocco has resulted in the Fund

IBF Lunch during IDFA During IDFA 2012 the fund organized

a lunch for all attending IBF filmmakers as well as invitees such as programmers, the selection committee and the financiers of the fund. The lunch is an excellent opportunity for the guests to meet each other and get introduced to the fund in more depth. Pictured are filmmakers from Cambodia and Marocco during lunch with a festival programmer from Iraq.

28

Activities and Results 2012

receiving more projects from these countries. The Dutch embassy in

with contacts. Furthermore, the programmers were given access to

sending their application, and with sending audio-visual material.

access a catalogue of 500 documentaries in video booths. On aver-

Cuba assisted the filmmakers with a faster internet connection for

Cooperations

As stated above, in 2012 the Fund continued the Cinema Mondial

Tour in cooperation with the Hubert Bals Fund. The close cooperation between these two Funds is also on-going, allowing each Fund to

make use of the knowledge and contacts of the other. The coopera-

tions with the festivals in the various African countries and countries in the Middle East where the CMT program has been screened also

continue. In this way, the IBF and HBF have brought together a range of organisations in a joint initiative, at the same time putting these organisations in contact with one another.

With support from the EU’s Media Mundus program, the World

Documentary Exchange program (WDE) – a cooperation between

Docs for Sale, IDFA Bertha Fund, Hot Docs, Durban International Film Festival and Busan International Film Festival – has been organised since 2010.

During the IFFR and the film festivals in Cannes and Berlin, the Fund took part in a number of meetings with other international funds, including the HBF from the Netherlands, the World Cinema Fund from Germany, the Göteborg Film Fund from Sweden and Vision

Docs for Sale, the market for documentaries, where they were able to age, the programmers saw 70 new films during their stay.

Alongside the festival programmers, the Fund also invited the direc-

tors and producers of all IBF supported films to attend IDFA 2012. All of the directors and/or producers of the fourteen films represented were present. After IDFA, the Fund took a survey among the film-

makers who attended. All of the filmmakers stated that their visit to IDFA had been valuable. The most common reason for this was that

the visit had allowed them to expand their network. More than 90% of the makers invited to attend stated that they had met other film professionals and filmmakers. The survey also revealed that almost

all of these filmmakers (80%) gained knowledge of the documentary industry and also used their visit to watch other documentaries.

The directors and producers of Camera/Woman, Red Wedding, Are You Listening! and Sand Fishers took part in the IDFAcademy program.

In 2012, the Fund introduced more than 25 people to the Forum,

including 17 IBF filmmakers presenting their films at IDFA 2012, as

well as other IBF guests present at IDFA. This year, two projects were selected for presentation at the Forum: The Devil’s Lair by Riaan

Hendriks from South Africa and Da Tong by Zhou Hao from China.

Two other projects – The Dream of Shahrazad and Powerless – were

Sudest from Switzerland. The IBF was involved in close consultations

selected for the new program section Work in Progress Screening. By

for co-production and co-financing within the new plans by Media.

able to expand their networks massively. Ahead of their presenta-

between these European Funds and Media Mundus on the options The Funds’ input was used to shape these new plans.

Network expansion

In 2012, festival programmers from Iraq, Zimbabwe, South Africa,

Syria and Afghanistan visited IDFA at the invitation of the Fund. The

Fund spoke to all of these programmers about organisational matters and advised them in relation to their requirements, or provided them

participating in the Forum, the filmmakers from these projects were tions, each of them had already had more than ten meetings with

financiers interested in their projects, and during the Forum they had access to more than 540 film professionals. The Devil’s Lair and The

Dream of Shahrazad both found additional finance and are expected to screen at IDFA 2013. Powerless has now been completed and will premiere in 2013 at the prestigious Berlinale in Germany.

Filmmakers Powerless in Docs for Sale Most of the IBF filmmakers

made the most of the opportunity to engage in the many networking events of IDFA, such as Docs for Sale which is a market for festival programmers and distributors. Pictured above are directors Deepti Kakkar and Fahad Mustafa from India, showing the roughcut of their film Powerless to guests of Docs for Sale.

Docs for Sale is visited mainly by distributors and festival programmers.

29

5. Organisation Internal organisation

In recent years, the IBF has frequently consulted with the Hubert

producer. The director chairs the selection committee and is charged

Rotterdam and specialised in providing support to fiction films from

In 2012, the Fund’s staff consisted of a director, a manager and a

principally with the promotion of the Fund at national and interna-

tional level, and attracting sponsorship. The manager is responsible for the day-to-day running of the Fund, supported by the producer.

In total during 2012, the Fund employed personnel equalling 1.6 FTE and additionally employed an intern for a period of three months.

The financial controller of IDFA supports the manager of the Fund with administrative tasks.

Bals Fund, a film fund affiliated to the International Film Festival

developing countries. Since 2009, the Funds have been cooperat-

ing on several levels. For example, jointly looking for financiers, the organisation of the Cinema Mondial Tour, and the development in

close cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of a new form for reporting by the Funds. The Funds also exchange experience and knowledge of their working practices.

Alongside its operational personnel, the Fund has a Board and a

Finances

met twice in 2012. Two board members resigned in 2012. Replace-

received support from five partners, namely the Ministry of Foreign

selection committee. The Board supervises the Fund’s operations and ments for both of them will be sought in 2013.

During the period 1 January to 31 December 2012, the selection committee met once in full formation for the selection meeting of the January selection round. For the smaller selection round that took place in

autumn, a smaller selection committee of three readers was formed.

The Fund has a small committee for the selection of festivals and

workshops, and a large committee for the selection of the documentary projects. For each round, the committee is made up of a group of alternating members, and one permanent member. Appendix VI shows the complete Board and the members of the selection committee for 2012.

Selection procedure

The selection of projects in the two selection rounds each year lies at the heart of the Fund’s activities. For each round, the projects

that fulfil the regulations for each region are shared out. In pairs, the

members of the committee assess the projects from each region and make an initial selection, which is then read by the entire committee. The full committee met once for each round in order to arrive

at the final selection. To guarantee the best possible distribution of

the available financial resources, the projects are discussed by region and by category. There are no quotas for the different parts of the

world – more now than in previous years; however, the position of

the country of production in the low income columns of the DAC list

was a decisive factor in some cases. The aim of this is to give projects from the poorer countries more of a chance. In total, in 2012 39% of

the total selected projects came from the DC partner countries or the poorer countries according to the DAC list. An overview of the selection criteria could be found in Appendix I.

Partners of the IBF

IDFA is closely associated with the Fund and provides the Fund with an office and facilities. In addition, the exchange of knowledge and information is of great importance to both organisations. Further-

more, the IBF is able to benefit from technological developments at

IDFA. Thanks to its small, efficient organisation and close collabora-

tion with IDFA, the Fund is able to keep its management costs down.

30

During the period 1 January through 31 December 2012, the Fund

Affairs (€ 350,000); Stichting DOEN (€ 100,000); Hivos (€ 80,000); Media Mundus (€ 17,000), the Cultures of Resistance Network (€

14,620), and CBA WorldView (€ 24,840 of which € 12,420 was paid to two projects as prize money during IDFAcademy’s Summer School).

The Fund also received an amount of € 25,795 as income out of the

collaboration with Booking.com (the Fund receives a percentage of the hotel bookings processed through the IDFA website), as well as

sales and distribution of IBF-films in the Benelux, interest and dona-

tions. The Appendix VII shows the income and expenses of 2012.

appendices

Appendix I: Selection procedure Selection criteria:

In selecting the projects the selection committee uses the following criteria:

General criteria for selection:

• Intrinsic qualities of the proposed project

• The cinematographic qualities of the project • The importance of the subject

• Originality of the subject, the perspective on the subject and/or the style of the proposed film

• The narrative structure of the proposed project Secondary criteria for selection:

• Trust in the filmmaker and the proposed project

• Need for financial aid from the fund to achieve the proposed project

• The situation of the documentary climate in the region or the country • The presence of a documentary tradition • Options for fundraising

• Intensity of general documentary productions

• The position of the producing country on the DAC-list of the OECD7 For the financial support of organizations the fund has a preference for festivals that have a role in the distribution of locally produced

films. These festivals should stimulate the dialogue between film-

makers and between filmmakers and audiences. In the case of work-

shops and trainings the focus should be on the professionalization of filmmakers/producers.

7 O rganisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OEDC). The DAC list of the OECD gives an overview of countries which qualify as a developing country.

31

bijlagen

Appendix II: IDFA Bertha Fund Selection 2012 Total number of projects Documentaries

Number of projects

Granted amount

Number of projects

2011

% DAC- en OS-partnerlanden Granted amount

Number of projects

2012

Granted amount

Number of projects

2011

Bijdrage 2012

Project Development

8

37.000

7

35.000

5

25.000

3

15.000

Production & Post-Production

19

225.600

13

202.000

4

52.000

7

106.000

30.000

1

10.000

1

10.000

Other Activities Workshops and Training

5

50.000

3

Mobile Cinema

2

20.000

0

Festivals and Distribution

8

80.000

5

57.000

Total

42

€ 442.600

28

€ 324.000

0

0

4

40.000

14

€ 127.000

33%

1

12.000

12

€ 143.000

43%

Project Development

The Guitar School, Miriam Chandy Menacherry & Maheen Zia, India

Granted contribution: € 5.000

Today the 55 students of The Guitar School in Lahore are being sum-

Buddha of Africa, Nicole Schafer, South Africa Against the backdrop of China’s growing influence on the African

continent, Buddha of Africa tells the intimate story of a Malawian

orphan growing up at a Chinese Buddhist Orphanage in Malawi. Here his life is transformed as he learns Mandarin, practices Buddhism and

becomes a young master of the ancient art of Shaolin Kung Fu. But the surrounding community is suspicious of his upbringing and questions to what extent he will still be Malawian when he grows up one day.

GITI – The Paradise in the Hell, Yves Montand Niyongabo, Rwanda Granted contribution: € 5.000

Granted contribution: € 5.000

moned for a special demonstration lead by Hamza, the lead guitarist of a band called The Beygairat Brigade (honorless brigade) and an

alumni of the school. Hamza and his band of two had the audacity to create a pop single that lampooned every extremist organiza-

tion in Pakistan. The Beygairat Brigade declares they are the voice of the “silent majority” in Pakistan. The filmmakers discover the quiet

revolution being stirred at The Guitar School in Lahore where young

Pakistanis are finding their voice in the face of guns, threats and state censorship.

GITI - The Paradise in the Hell, is the story of the GITI district in

The Marble Cow, Enrique Colina, Cuba

in 1994. Amidst the chaos and collapse of society around them, the

In the 80ies, an unprecedented event took place in the world of

Rwanda and its inhabitants who witnessed the genocide of the Tutsis inhabitants of the GITI district dared to say “No”. GITI district became famous as the only place in Rwanda where the genocide did not take place, thanks to the courage of its people.

Kashmir: Beyond the Line of Control, Sharmeen ObaidChinoy, Pakistan

Granted contribution: € 5.000

Kashmir: Beyond the Line of Control follows the lives of six Kashmiri children over a period of two years. Growing up at the frontlines of

a 65 year old war, this documentary examines their transition from

Granted contribution: € 5.000

cattle breeding. For the first time in history, a Cuban cow species

named Ubre Blanca (white udder) smashes all records of the world’s milk production. It is promoted as the new cow, generating world-

wide media attention and impersonating the socialist production’s excellence. The Marble Cow takes its title form the marble statue

made in honor of the cow, erected in its birthplace. The documentary humorously tells the story of the scientific perils surrounding the

record-breaking cow and its contradiction with the romanticized and publicity hungry political propaganda.

childhood to adolescence as they realize their roles in the current

Anonymous project

The Cleaner, Sarah Lamrini, Morocco

Production & Post-production

In Marrakech’s labor market, every day Naïma is waiting for a new

Granted contribution: € 16.000

political climate and renegotiate their identity as Kashmiri’s.

Granted contribution: € 5.000

client to show up. She offers herself as a housemaid or a prostitute,

depending on the wishes of her customers. Since more than 20 years, Naïma spends her life between the dirty sidewalks of the market, the clients’ houses, and her life as a mother and wife in a slum of Marrakech’s suburbs.

Afrikaner Girl, Annalet Steenkamp, South Africa Without courage, change is unbearable. Afrikaner Girl is the director’s journey to understand her family’s unbreakable connection to the

land. Documented over 9 years, it is a challenging portrait of 4 gen-

erations trapped between past and future. Central to the story is her

14 year-old niece, Shanel. As a product of post-Apartheid South Africa, Shanel embraces an African identity, but maintains strong ties to the

land and her Afrikaner family. The two worlds she inhabits are tied up in a bloody conflict, yet her life brings segregated worlds together, showing a path to true reconciliation.

32

appendices

Char… The Island Within, Sourav Sarangi, India

Shall I Accept, Ariani Djalal, Indonesia

Meet Rubel and Sofi, two kids taking rice to Bangladesh from India by

Shall I Accept is a documentary about the end of childhood, and the

Granted contribution: € 16.000

crossing Ganga, the river that acts as the border but also eroded their home. They settled in Char, a fragile island formed within the river, a no man’s land patrolled by army men. With death just a bullet away, Rubel dreams of a life in the big city while hiding and walking with a sack of rice to reach another country.

Da Tong, Zhou Hao, China

Granted contribution: € 10.000

process through which young Muslim girls growing up in today’s Indonesia slowly but surely lose their freedom. The documentary follows

two Indonesian families in a critical period of their daughters’ education. The excitement and restlessness that the girls feel clashes with the dominant values of Islam. On their way to becoming a woman, they begin to realize how society tries to control and define them.

Granted contribution: € 16.000

The Devil’s Lair, Riaan Hendricks, South Africa

Mayor Geng Yanbo is pulling down one of the world’s dirtiest cities

Briaam is a convicted ex-murderer who is the leader of a drug-gang

In the city of Datong, change is afoot. Controversial Communist Party to recreate its glorious past. The plan is radical and China’s ruling

elite are watching him closely. His radical reform plan is to recreate Datong’s four great ancient walls together with a mighty solar en-

ergy industry. Geng is remaking Da Tong with the speed which only China’s party cadres have in an autocratic, secretive web of power.

If Geng succeeds, Da Tong becomes a cutting-edge model case for

other cities. If he fails, he could be fired and Da Tong a failed testing ground. How Geng uses the power and the power uses him hints at how China’s ruling elite may be orchestrating its future leadership.

Fatherland, Sara Ishaq, Yemen/Egypt Granted contribution: € 16.000

After several years, Sara has returned to Yemen. The reason for her

return is motivated by personal demands – she is eager to confront

her family as to why she left. Sara is half Yemeni, half Scottish, but she

cannot find herself in the cultural expectations of her family in Yemen.

Her journey develops with unexpected events on both a personal and

Granted contribution: € 16.000

in the Cape-Flats. The film follows him up close and shows the

contrasts he is confronted with in every-day life. In the middle of a

gang war he must survive, protect his men and take care of his young family. The film explores the world of drugs and violence entrapping

the lead characters and exposes the consequences of a social system that has forgotten them.

United Red Army, Naeem Mohaiemen, Bangladesh Granted contribution: € 16.000

A strikingly designed reconstruction of a 1977 plane hijacking at

the hands of communist militants, the Japanese Red Army. In the

1970s, left-wing radicals who used violence to achieve their goals

often ended up helping right-wing leaders to power in countries like Bangladesh. A dark screen shows only the words as audiences hear

the tense, circuitous hostage negotiations. The relationship between these two strangers is one of power and trust.

political level. As the whole country undergoes a similar confrontation,

Whose Country?, Mohamed Siam, Egypt

father creates a different reality. She accidentally lands in the heart of

When two Egyptian police assistants find their realities turned upside

with its identity, nationality, and norms, Sara’s confrontation with her an emerging revolution which casts a different light on her situation.

Logs of War, Hawa Essuman, Ghana Granted contribution: € 16.000

Granted contribution: € 16.000

down following the Revolution, they are forced to face burning questions about morality, loyalty and their complicity in the repressive acts of the former regime.

Logs of War is the story of Silas Siakor, who risked everything to cut

Zaineb Hates the Snow, Kaouther Ben Hania, Tunesia

fund Liberia’s 14-year civil war. It continues half a decade later when

Nine-year-old Zaineb lives with her mother and little brother in a

off warlord Charles Taylor from the timber trade that was helping Siakor, winner of the world’s most prestigious grassroots environ-

mental award, the Goldman Prize, helps kick-start Liberia’s economy through a sustainable logging industry.

Selection: Who Will Be a Gurkha?, Kesang Tseten, Nepal Granted contribution: € 16.000

The Brigade of Gurkhas of the British army is famous for its courage

and fighting spirit. The Nepalese soldiers of the brigade fight, just like regular British soldiers, in areas of conflict such as Iraq and Afghanistan. This documentary gives us access to the century-old tradition

Granted contribution: € 16.000

small house in the suburbs of Tunis. Her father died in a car accident.

Her mother is about to rebuild her life with the man she was in love with before marrying Zaineb’s father. This man lives in Canada.

Zaineb is told that over there she will finally see snow! But she wants nothing to do with either this new man or his country. Because Zaineb has decided that she hates the snow.

2 Anonymous projects

and the rigorous selection procedure that young Nepali boys have to go through in order to become part of the brigade.

33

bijlagen

Selection Workshops and Training

Baghdad International Film Festival (BIFF)

Organization: Indian Documentary Foundation, India

Granted contribution: € 10.000 + € 15.000

Trigger Pitch (Outreach Forum)

Granted contribution: € 10.000

TriggerPitch is an Outreach forum in partnership with International Film Festival of Kerala. It aims at connecting filmmakers and their

powerful documentaries with a group of expert Asian participants that represent the media, NGOs, cinemas, foundations and corporations. Their partnerships form the basis for a movement around socially impactful documentary film to increase its audience and impact.

BALADI Workshop

Granted contribution: € 10.000

A workshop for five filmmakers and five editors from Syria and the

region, focusing on film structure. Through two phases they work on five projects in development and production. The first phase focuses on the development of a trailer that conveys the film’s focus and

helps sharpen the film’s dramaturgy, while the second focuses on developing the final structure of each film.

Organization: NO Borders Iraqi Cinematographer, Irak The Baghdad International Film Festival is the first international filmfestival in Irak after the invasion in 2003. It was initiated by the NO

Borders Iraqi Cinematographers (NGO). In 2012 the festival celebrated its fourth edition. The organization aims at showing the local population that culture, art and cimea kan unite people that are seperated by ethnicity or ancestry. The end of 2012 the festival also received a contribution for the 2013 edition.

Festival Internacional de Documentales Santiago Organization: ICAIC, Cuba

Granted contribution: € 10.000

The International Documentary Film Festival Santiago is held to render homage to Santiago Álvarez. Inaugurated in 2001, it has

grown into one of the most prestigious and representative events for documentary film in Latin America. The festival fosters the promotion of works covering the main issues of the contemporary world and promoting reflection on the role played by documentary.

K-DOX Workshop

Sierra Leone Film Festival

Granted contribution: € 10.000

Granted contribution: € 12.000

Organization: Didier Rutagungira, Rwanda K-DOX Workshop is an intense, ten day program for twelve locally-

based Rwandan documentary filmmakers and emerging talents. During the workshop, they produce two documentaries based on what they have learnt. The organizers of K-DOX believe that in a country

such as Rwanda with a strong narrative tradition, documentary film-

making can be a chance for local talents to provide the audience with new and creatively told stories.

Selection Distribution Projects

Central Asian Festival of Independent Cinema Organization: Rene Fischer, Uzbekistan Granted contribution: € 10.000

The first Central Asian Festival of Independent Cinema is a large

regional event embracing documentary, fiction and video art. After

running more than 20 smaller and partly underground film festivals in Uzbekistan, the initiative will be taken to a new level by creating the first independent festival of cinema in the entire Central Asian

region (i.e. including Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, and possibly Turkmenistan). With an international jury, as well as follow-up screenings in other cities in Uzbekistan and the region.

34

Organization: Lawnfish, Sierra Leone The Sierra Leone Film Festival aims to promote Sierra Leone documentaries and film industry to audiences around the country and

the world. SLFF is a week long festival showcasing the best in Sierra

Leone and international documentaries, features and shorts. The 2013 edition of the festival received a contribution of the fund after the small September selectionround.

appendices

Appendix III: Cinema Mondial Tour 2012/2013 Program

The program of the Cinema Mondial Tour 2012/2013 contained 10

films, of which 5 (short and long) documentaries supported by the

ing manager. Manal shows what this entails: she is at home and takes care of her husband and two daughters. But she wants more.

IDFA Bertha Fund. Below you can find an overview of these documen-

The Invisible Policeman

amount of screenings.

The story of Palestinian Nidal, a man living a double life. A law en-

taries. Table 6 contains the temporary attendance figures and the

Laith El-Juneidi, Palestina/Verenigde Arabische Emiraten, 2011, 59’ forcement officer with authority uptown and a poor citizen with nine

The City of Photographers

children in the old downtown center of Hebron, powerless in the face

Sebastian Moreno, Chili, 2006, 80’

During the period of Pinochet’s dictatorship (1973-1990), a group of

of daily confrontations with the Israeli army and the Jewish settlers.

photographers portrayed the harsh life conditions Chilean society

King Naki and the Thundering Hooves

these photographers developed and created a metaphoric political

Out on the vast expanses of the Transkei region, on South Africa’s

went through those years. In the streets, along the protests marches, language. To them taking pictures was an exercise of freedom, a

survival attempt, an alternative to stay alive. Not only did they collect fragments of life during those years of pain, but their work was useful as evidence to support the victims’ testimonies.

Tim Wege, Zuid-Afrika, 2011, 79’

Eastern Cape, King Naki is trying to make his dream come true. It is a dream that is embodied by a horse. King Naki has put every cent he

has into the horse - not by betting on it, but by buying it. The camera accompanies King Naki and his entourage in their preparations for the biggest annual horseracing competition.

Dolls, A Woman from Damascus

Diana El-Jeiroudi, Syrië, 2008, 52’

Last Train Home

housewife Manal and an interview with the marketing manager of

While workers are making long shifts in one of the countless facto-

Director El-Jeiroudi interweaves conversations with the Syrian

the Arab Barbie doll ‘Fulla’. With these images, El-Jeroudi reveals how in the year 2007, the toiling housewife and the veiled Barbie find

themselves in the same predicament. Since its release in 2003, Fulla

has become the dream of every Arab girl in the Middle East. “Fulla is a lifestyle, representing all values of Arab parents,” claims the market-

Lixin Fan, Canada/China, 2009, 85’

ries of the new China and are longing for home, their children are

dreaming of leaving for the big city. Once a year, on New Year’s Eve, they reunite after a long and exhausting journey. But will this be enough to keep the family together?

Tabel Cinema Mondial Tour Film Festival

Country

Number of films CMT

Number of screenings

Audience attendance

Ecrans Noirs

Cameroon

1

2

To be confirmed

Burundi International Film Festival

Burundi

Rwanda Film Festival

Rwanda

10

20

200

South Africa

1

1

178

Durban International Film Festival Salaam Kivu International Film Festival Kenia International Film Festival

To be confirmed

Congo

To be confirmed

Kenia

9

9

Amakula Kampala International Film Festival

Uganda

10

19

1000

Ethiopian Film Festival

Ethiopia

10

10

6000

Lusaka International Film Festival

Zambia

5

5

56

Benin

10

30

Quintessence

TOTAL

To be confirmed

12024 19.458

NAAS netwerk

Country

Number of films CMT

Number of screenings

Cinematheque de Tanger

Morocco

10

20

490

CinemAfricArt

Tunesia

4

4

To be confirmed

Ecole supérieure des Arts Visuels de marrakech

Morocco

The Pavilion Downtown Dubai

Audience attendance

To be confirmed

UAE

9

9

To be confirmed

Sudan Film Factory

Sudan

10

20

200

Al balad theater + sahab

Jordan

6

12

250

Metropolis Cinema

Lebanon

7

7

495

Cimatheque Cairo

Egypt

TOTAL

To be confirmed 1435

35

bijlagen

Appendix 4 IBF supported films at IDFA 2012 (S) = Project development, (P) = (Post) Production contribution, WP = World premiere, IP = International premiere, EP = European premiere

IDFA Competition for Feature Length Documentary

Who will be a Gurkha (Kesang Tseten, Nepal/England/Norway/Fin-

Led by the energetic and charismatic Sampat Pal, they travel long

distances to fight for the rights of women and Dalits. The film pulls

us into the center of these blazing conflicts and uncovers a complex story, disturbing yet heartening.

land, 2012, 75’ WP) / Selection round: February 2012 (P)

Magic Words (to break a spell) (Mercedes Moncada Rodríguez,

and fighting spirit. The Nepalese soldiers of the brigade fight, just like

2009 (S) and February 2010 (P)

The Brigade of Gurkhas of the British army is famous for its courage regular British soldiers, in areas of conflict such as Iraq and Afghani-

stan. In Who Will Be a Gurkha?, director Kesang Tseten observes how boys fare in the rigorous three-day selection procedure to become a Gurkha, a 200-year-old military ritual. Selection means partaking of the myth and glamour of the Gurkhas.

IDFA Competition for Mid-Length Documentary

Camera/Woman (Karima Zoubir, Morocco, 2012, 60’ WP) / Selection

Mexico/Nicaragua/Guatemala, 2012, 82’) Selection round: June Moncada Rodríguez returns to Nicaragua to explore the country´s history and her own memories which go back to 1979 when the

Sandinistas came to power and ousted the ruling Somoza family. Managua Lake is used as the garbage dump for the capital city and has

become a metaphor for the corrupt, degenerate and polluted state.

By alternating present-day reminiscences with archive footage, the film becomes a contemporary frame story about the past.

round: June 2011 (P)

Reflecting Images: Best of Fests

woman determined to go on working as a wedding videographer

Selection round: June 2009 (S) and June 2010 (P)

Camera/Woman chronicles the life of Khadija, an illiterate, divorced despite the overwhelming resistance from her family. As the wedding season in Casablanca unfolds, Camera/Woman follows her closely as she moves back and forth from her hostile home life to the hopeful world of the wedding parties, that she films, taking us into a world where veils are lifted and no men allowed.

Red Wedding (Guillaume Suon, Lida Chan, Cambodia/France, 2012, 59’ WP) / Selection round: June 2011 (P)

The Girl from the South ( José Luis García, Argentina, 2012, 94’) / In 1989 José Luis García travels to North Korea, for an international

conference of communist youth, where he learns of Lim Su-Kyong,

a South Korean activist, who had come to demand the reunification of North and South Korea. She promises to cross back into South

Korea on foot at the border in Pyongyang, where soldiers stand in

a perpetual face-off. 20 years later García tries to find out what has happened to the girl named “The Flower of Reunification”?

Between 1975 and 1979, at least 250,000 Cambodian women were

Reflecting Images: Panorama

At the age of 16, she was forced to marry a soldier who raped her.

round: February 2010 (S) and June 2010 (P)

forced into marriages by the Khmer Rouge. Sochan was one of them.

After 30 years of silence, Sochan has decided to bring her case to the international tribunal set up to try former Khmer Rouge leaders. Red Wedding is the story of a survivor who pits her humanity against an ideology and a system designed to annihilate people like her.

IDFA Competition for First Appearance

Fallen City (Qi Zhao, China, 2012, 88’ WP) / Selection round: February 2010 (P)

Are you Listening! (Kamar Ahmad, Bangladesh, 2012, 90’) / Selection Since a tidal surge hit the coastal belts of Bangladesh, Rakhi lives with a million others on an age-old dyke. Rakhi´s family and their community have been waiting for the last two years for the Bengali govern-

ment help since their homes disappeared under a thick layer of mud.

Are You Listening! is about Rakhi’s hope of a future for her son; it’s

about her jobless husband’s frustration, and a community’s struggle to get back the land they have lost.

When an earthquake struck the Chinese mountain city of Beichuan

The Last Station (Catalina Vergara, Cristian Soto, Chile/Germany,

damaged family lives of three survivors marked by painful memories

In the Last Station the residents of a Chilean nursing home are filmed

in 2008, it was completely destroyed. Fallen City zooms in on the

and deep sadness. A devoted father, a divorced older woman, and a

runaway teenage boy, each on their own journey, become a collective image of the Chinese people, struggling to find their place in a new China torn between tradition and modernity.

Reflecting Images: Masters

Gulabi Gang (Nishtha Jain, Norway/India/Denmark, 2012, 107’ IP) /

2012, 90’) / Selection round: February 2007 (P)

in their isolation, capturing both their touching helplessness and their strength. One of the residents has his own radio station and plays

nostalgic songs and other recordings he makes for his housemates

outside, like the sound of the sea. The various portraits of people who have been forgotten by the outside world but still have a very rich inner life are beautifully filmed.

Selection round: February 2009 (S) and June 2009 (P)

Sand Fishers (Samoute Andrey Diarra, Mali/France, 2012, 72’) / Selec-

desolation, dust and despair. And yet it is hope that this film discov-

The Bozos in Mali have been renowned for many generations for their

Enter the badlands of central India and you have entered a place of

ers, as it follows the Gulabi Gang, an unusual group of rural women.

36

tion round: February 2009 (S) and February 2011 (P)

skills in fishing. In recent years, however, fish stocks are declining

appendices

dramatically due to climate change. Gala is one of many young Bozo

Last Train Home (Lixin Fan, China/Canada, 2009, 85’) / Selection

some money as a “sand fisher” for the construction industry. The film

While workers are making long shifts in one of the countless facto-

men who feel compelled to leave their family and go upriver to make follows Gala as he goes about his exhausting work, and shows how competition is becoming increasingly intense.

United Red Army (Naeem Mohaiemen, Bangladesh, 2012, video, 70’ EP) / Selection round: February 2012 (P)

round: February 2008 (P)

ries of the new China and are longing for home, their children are

dreaming of leaving for the big city. Once a year, on New Year’s Eve, they reunite after a long and exhausting journey. But will this be enough to keep the family together?

A strikingly designed reconstruction of a 1977 plane hijacking at

Victor Kossakovsky Retrospective

1970s, left-wing radicals who used violence to achieve their goals

June 2005 (P)

the hands of communist militants, the Japanese Red Army. In the

often ended up helping right-wing leaders to power in countries like Bangladesh. A dark screen shows only the words as audiences hear

the tense, circuitous hostage negotiations. The relationship between these two strangers is one of power and trust.

Voice of a Nation: My Journey through Afghanistan (Jawed Taiman,

Svyato (Victor Kossakovsky, Russia, 2005, 40’) / Selection round: Victor Kossakovsky, whose films often feature mirror images, covered every mirror in his house starting on the day his son Svyato was born.

Now his child is two years old, and he will see his own reflection for the first time in his life. According to the director, the result is a film about “self-cognition and loneliness.”

Afghanistan, 2012, 52’ WP) / Selection round: June 2011 (P)

Tishe! (Victor Kossakovsky, Russia, 2002, 80’) / Selection round: June

he’s making a trip through his home country, looking back over the

From his window, Victor Kossakovsky filmed a St. Petersburg street

Taiman fled Afghanistan with his parents in the 1980s, but now

past decade together with several Afghanis. He speaks with bakers,

farmers, children, well-educated people, students, civil servants and

even insurgents with the aim to capture their uncensored and honest opinions and views on their lives, framing for Taiman a new perspec-

2002 (P)

over the course of a year, during endless roadwork in preparation for

the city’s 300th anniversary celebration in 2003. Time and again, the street is ripped open and repaved.

tive on a homeland he was forced to leave behind as a child.

¡Vivan las antipodas! (Victor Kossakovsky, Germany/the Nether-

When Hari got Married (Ritu Sarin, Tenzing Sonam, India/England/

Four geographic antipodes are the lead characters in this grand

VS, 2012, 75’) / Selection round: February 2011 (P)

Hari, a 30-year-old taxi driver, is getting married to Suman, a girl he has never met. Tradition dictates that they will only see each other

on the day of their wedding. But Hari has found another way to get to know her: on the mobile phone. Over the past few months they have

lands/Argentina/Chile, 2011, 105’) / Selection round: June 2007 (P) cinematic portrait in which the landscape plays a more important

role than the people in it. The playful camera and editing take you on a trip through Argentina and China, Spain and New Zealand, Hawaii and Botswana, and Russia and Chile.

spoken to each other every day. Hari’s unusual courtship provide a

warm insight into the changes taking place in India as modernisation and globalisation collide with age-old traditions.

Where the Condors Fly (Carlos Klein, Chile/Switzerland/Germany, 2012, 90’) / Selection round: June 2009 (P)

A Chilean director accompanies Russian filmmaker Victor Kossakovsky during the shooting of his latest film !Vivan las Antipodas!. Where the

Condors Fly is a personal, critical and humorous reflection about filmmaking and its possibilities and limitations. Like a matryoshka doll, it tells the story of a filmmaker making a film about another filmmaker who is himself making a film.

RE: Constructing History

Sins of my father (Nicolas Entel, Colombia/Argentina, 2009, 94’) / Selection round: February 2009 (P)

In the 1980ies, drug lord Pablo Escobar was responsible for a slew of murders in Colombia. After he was killed himself, his wife and

only son fled the country under a false name. His son always stayed anonymous but now he wants to come to terms with the past by reaching out to two children of the drug lord’s victims.

37

bijlagen

Admissions / Audience attendance IDFA and Docs for Sale

The admissions for IDFA are listed seperately for each screening with the number of tickets sold and the occupancy rate of the theatre.

The calculated number of admissions for Docs for Sale are based on the number of Docs for Sales professionals that have watched a specific film in a viewing booth.

Screenings:

1

2

3

4

Total

Docs for Sale Total

96%

481

38

IDFA Competition for Feature-Length Documentary Who Will Be a Gurkha

101

96%

191

100%

88

50%

101

IDFA Competition for Mid-Length Documentary Camera/Woman

96

100%

191

100%

126

83%

76

58%

489

57

Red Wedding

175

100%

105

100%

105

100%

108

62%

493

39

110

82%

89

50%

91

69%

96

100%

386

45

109

29%

60

58%

75

83%

82

34%

326

21

31

24%

26

15%

30

23%

303

57%

390

13

29

22%

74

56%

74

42%

57

42%

234

21

IDFA Competition for First Appearance Fallen City Reflecting Images: Masters Gulabi Gang Magic Words (to Break a Spell) Reflecting Images: Best of Fests The Girl from the South Reflecting Images: Panorama Are You Listening!

40

16%

86

90%

111

85%

98

55%

335

36

The Last Station

51

57%

84

93%

103

98%

48

27%

286

17

Sand Fishers

75

56%

45

47%

102

76%

222

19

United Red Army

16

12%

35

37%

39

29%

303

57%

393

18

Voice of a Nation: My Journey through Afghanistan

96

100%

191

100%

126

83%

76

58%

489

19

When Hari Got Married

70

52%

96

100%

135

100%

44

56%

345

16

Where the Condors Fly

40

16%

135

100%

79

82%

84

65%

338

12

Last Train Home

93

71%

92

71%

185

n/a

Sins of My Father

177

33%

130

100%

307

n/a

RE: Constructing History

Victor Kossakovsky Retrospective Svyato

126

93%

132

98%

258

n/a

Tishe!

54

40%

75

56%

129

n/a

ยกVivan las antipodas!

101

75%

102

97%

293

n/a

6.379

371

Total

38

90

100%

appendices

Appendix V Screenings Benelux IDFA Programs Benelux Title

Location

Description

Docu By Night in Pakhuis de Zwijger

Amsterdam

In the open air program of Pakhuijs de Zwijger, compiled by IDFA, the IBF documentaries Last Train Home and 5 Broken Cameras were screened.

IDFA 2012 Commercial

Campaign in Dutch cinemas and on Dutch tv

Screening of short fragments Last Train Home, ÂĄVivan las Antipodas!

Name festival

Location

Description

Pluk de Nacht

Amsterdam

Screening 5 Broken Cameras

Movies that Matter Filmfestival

Den Haag

Screening 5 Broken Cameras

Cinema al Kolenkit Open Air Film Festival

Amsterdam

Screening 5 Broken Cameras

Movies that Matter Filmfestival

Den Haag

Screening Little Voices

Latin American Filmfestival

Utrecht

Screening Little Voices

Milennium Film Festival

Brussel

Screening Salata Baladi

CinEast

Luxemburg

Screening Cinema Komunisto

Organisation

Location

Description

Het Nutshuis

Den Haag

Screening Invoking Justice

De Lindenberg

Nijmegen

Screening 5 Broken Cameras

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Amsterdam

Screening 5 Broken Cameras

Technische Universiteit Eindhoven

Eindhoven

Screening 5 Broken Cameras

Filmhuis Cavia vanuit Stichting IMSTAR

Amsterdam

Screening 5 Broken Cameras

Pax Christi

Utrecht

Screening Tambogrande

Pax Christi

Utrecht

Screening Little Voices

Amnesty International

Enschede

Screening Little Voices

ProDemos - Huis voor Democratie en Rechtsstaat

Den Haag

Screening Shungu, the Resilience of a People

Location

Description

Festival Screenings Benelux

FilmScreenings Benelux

TV Screenings Benelux TV Screenings Benelux VRT

BelgiĂŤ

Purchase 5 Broken Cameras

Holland Doc

Nederland

Screening Svyato, Last Train Home, Sins of My Father

IKON

Nederland

Screening 5 Broken Cameras, The Chilean Building

39

bijlagen

Appendix VI Organisation 2012 Board

In 2012 the board had four members:

• Chairman: Walter Etty, partner at Andersson Elffers Felix • Member: Laugé Nielsen, director Pathé Theaters

• Member: Arend Jan Heerma van Voss, former chairman VPRO, board member IDFA

• Member: Jan Hoekema, mayor of Wassenaar, former director Cultural Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Staff

Director: Ally Derks

Manager: Isabel Arrate Fernandez Producer: Mélanie de Vocht

Selection committee:

The selection committee of the documentary projects is composed of a group of alternating members and guest readers for each selection round. The committee consists

of a minimum of five and a maximum of seven members per round. The first selection

committee was composed of seven readers. For the second smaller round in October, a smaller selection committee of three readers was formed due to the small amount of

projects that had to be reviewed. The Fund has a small committee for the selection of Other Activities made up of four members of the IDFA staff.

Selection committee February 2012:

• Nick Ware, producer/consultant (UK)

• Denis Vaslin, producer Volya Films (the Netherlands/France) • Steven Markovitz, producer (South Africa)

• Barbara Truyen, commissioning editor documentary VPRO (the Netherlands) • Adriek van Nieuwenhuijzen, Head of Industry IDFA (the Netherlands) • Ally Derks, director IBF and IDFA

• Carmen Cobos, producer Cobos Films (the Netherlands/Spain) Selection committee October 2012:

• Denis Vaslin, producer Volya Films (the Netherlands/France)

• Carmen Cobos, producer Cobos Films (the Netherlands/Spain) • Isabel Arrate Fernandez, manager IBF

Selection committee Other Activities 2012: • Ally Derks, director IBF and IDFA

• Adriek van Nieuwenhuijzen, Head of Industry IDFA (the Netherlands) • Isabel Arrate Fernandez, manager IBF

• Martijn te Pas, coordinator program department IDFA

40

appendices

Appendix VII Statement of Income and Expenditure Foundation Jan Vrijman Fund, Amsterdam

STATEMENT OF INCOME AND EXPENDITURE 2012 2012 FNL. STMNT 2012

€

2011

BUDGET 2012

FNL. STMNT. 2011

€

€

INCOME Government grants Other grants Other income EXPENDITURE

292.255

254.040 25.795

350.000

425.000 25.000

572.090

800.000

68.498

66.600

96.773

100.100

400.000 229.542 19.513

649.055

Administration costs Staff Housing/support costs Total administration costs

28.275

33.500

65.672

27.604 93.276

Activity costs Staff Projects and programmes Total activity costs Contingency

Net result

31.422

448.664

480.086

1.825

43.900

651.000

694.900 5.000

33.067

521.779

554.846 1.682

578.684

800.000

649.804

6.594-

-

749-

41