DOKweb Content

www.DOKweb.net is a portal dedicated to East European documentary film. The news section provides up-to-date information on upcoming and just completed films, interviews with filmmakers and other documentary professionals, in-depth articles exploring the state of documentary filmmaking in various parts of the region, as well as insightful texts on current trends, funding, etc. The portal also boasts the largest published databases of completed and upcoming documentary films from Eastern Europe, an industry directory, as well as trailers and original video content. www.DOKweb.net is IDF´s key online project that provides comprehensive details on all IDF´s activities and links them with general information service.

Institute of Documentary Film’s Activities

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Founded in 2001, the INSTITUTE OF DOCUMENTARY FILM (IDF) is a non-profit training and networking centre based in Prague, Czech Republic, focused on the support of East European documentary films and their wider promotion. Our activities support filmmakers through all stages of completion – development, funding, production, post-production, and distribution. We aim at individual filmmakers (tailored consultations), groups of carefully selected professionals with projects or films (Ex Oriente Film, East European Forum, East Silver, Doc Launch, etc.), broader professional community (East Doc Platform), as well as the general public (portal www.DOKweb.net). We closely work with key int. festivals, broadcasters, distributors, sales agents, markets, or training initiatives and serve as the GATEWAY TO EAST EUROPEAN DOCUMENTARY FILM.

Ex Oriente Film

Ex Oriente Film Workshop – 3rd Session: The Market Opens

Venue: Jihlava, Czech Republic

Dates: October 21 – 28, Pitching Forum: October 25 – 26

In October 2010, the workshop will be completed with the East European Forum pitching sessions that will boost funding efforts of the attending projects. The third session deals mainly with practical skills that are required for the presentation of the project and pitching. However, its main theoretical themes are distribution plan and sales, post-pitching negotiation techniques for documentaries, as well as communication strategies to enlist the support of European broadcasters. The theoretical parts of this workshop discuss specific examples of international co-production using case studies presented by commissioning editors, producers and distributors.

The third session will be one day longer because we need to cover more useful content. Apart from being focused on project presentation, each day of the session will revolve around a specific theme. The first day will be dedicated to the opportunities of better marketing and packaging for documentaries. The second and third day will consist of group sessions, mini group sessions and individual meetings, combined with open session lectures on alternative documentary distribution. On the fourth day, we will also offer a parallel programme and rough-cut consultations for local (regional) filmmakers. Managing director of ETMA Paul Pauwels will have a half-day session for professional audience, focused on TV management and programming tailored for new and internationally inexperienced commissioning editors from the region and producers who would like to know more about the inner workings of TV networks.

The session will be concluded with the East European Pitching Forum and follow-up meetings with selected tutors.

All commissioning editors who will meet participants are selected on the basis of their slots and preferences. Their only individual initiative is presenting the TV network they work for and their slot a day before the Forum starts; during the pitching session they provide feedback on the presented projects, and later on they meet with the selected producers and directors in one-on-one meetings. They are also involved in the networking dinners organized for selected East European producers and participants.

All participants as well as interested professionals will also attend the East Silver Tour: How does the Doc Market work in practice? How can we use it? The session will also feature a presentation on IDFA's The Forum and Docs for Sale. In addition, all Ex Oriente Film workshop participants will again be offered an open programme of the East Silver market.

In 2010 we plan, for example, to have East Silver Breakfast with Israeli producers – Breakfast with Polish producers and distributors – Breakfast with Canadian producers and distributors. Breakfast events will focus on documentary production, new projects and co-production opportunities in the aforementioned countries.