The second session of the Ex Oriente Film 2023 workshop will be held at the DOK Leipzig festival from October 6 to 11. The Open Programme of the session “Ex Oriente Film x DOK Industry” will offer masterclasses, case study and a lecture dedicated to various aspects of documentary filmmaking, production and distribution and is open to all industry accredited audience. The 2nd session is organized by the Institute of Documentary Film in partnership with DOK Leipzig.
The Ex Oriente Film creative laboratory is unique in many ways, especially with its programme dedicated to the development of documentary series projects. The 2nd session will include extraordinary case studies dedicated to the series. The case study by Hanka Kastelicová, moderated by Ruth Reid will share best practices and other valuable experiences using the HBO Max original First Five as an example. Another exceptional case study will be presented by a creative duo - director and visual artist Dellfina Dellert and director Agnieszka Mazanek showcasing their work on the miniseries about a group of Polish burlesque and drag performers Naked. Loud. Proud.
The tutors joining the Ex Oriente Film Feature Docs program are: producer and consultant Iikka Vehkalahti; producer Christian Popp; doc developer and consultant Mikael Opstrup; attorney-at-law and consultant Stefan Rüll; producer, sales agent and distributor Manuela Buono; editor and producer Alexandra Melót, director Stefano Savona; producer and filmmaker Don Edkins; producer Sylvia Nagel; director and producer Filip Remunda, and director and script editor Ivana Pauerová Miloševičová.
The Ex Oriente Series programme will be led by producer Ruth Reid joined by HBO Max commissioning editor and producer Hanka Kastelicová; creative duo - director and visual artist Dellfina Dellert and director Agnieszka Mazanek and producer Malin Hüber.
Four more tutors are joining the 2nd session also as and also as guest speakers of the festivals Open programme: Ex Oriente Film x DOK Industry
Case study on producing docuseries by Florian Schewe (Film Five, DE), incl. Q&A
Monday, October 9; 14:30 - 16:00 Festival Centre
Independent producer Florian Schewe is the co-founder of Berlin-based production company FILM FIVE, an award-winning independent production company based in Berlin, dedicated to producing high-end documentaries, documentary series, and narrative features for local and global audiences. In this session, Florian Schewe will share details and various aspects of the company's path in producing a successful documentary series. Using his successful projects as an example, this interactive lecture will let producers find out more about the advantages and disadvantages of choosing different ways of producing episodic factual series for digital channels and streaming platforms from idea through the pitch, commission, and production to the broadcast. Is it sustainable to develop your documentary series projects independently without distribution and broadcaster in place? What are the risks and what are the gains?
Lecture by Joanna Solecka (Alphapanda, PL) The digital campaigns and audience engagement for documentaries
Monday, October 9; 17:00 - 18:30 Festival Centre
Joanna Solecka, a film marketing strategist and audience design expert (PL) from the European digital marketing agency Alphapanda, will present her case study using digital platforms used for film marketing and identify new approaches and challenges that have arisen as a result of digitalisation in the field of film promotion. Are documentaries an effective way to communicate serious matters to the public and motivate dialogue and action around important issues? This session explores the contemporary documentary within a networked, new media landscape. It addresses how filmmakers can utilise new media wishing to expand the dialogue around their film's subject and increase public awareness and engagement. Alongside traditional, on-the-ground approaches to audience engagement, new media tools and platforms can be used in a myriad of ways to increase communication and social impact. The session will focus on how new media can be applied effectively throughout the documentary process to heighten social engagement and impact, finding larger audiences.
Masterclass by film editor Yaël Bitton (CH/FR)
Tuesday, October 10; 12:00 - 13:30 St Trinitatis
Masterclass by award-winning documentary film editor, writer, story consultant, and director Yaël Bitton- whose credits include Invisible Demons, Hijos del Viento, KIX, Advocate, Devil’s Pie: D’Angelo, and Machines. She received the Sima Editing Award for Radio Silence (dir. Juliana Fanjul, 2020) and the Best Editing at Israel Documentary Forum for Advocate (dir. Rachel Leah Jones and Philippe Bellaiche, 2019).
Bitton began her career as a film editor in 2000 while living in New York and edits films internationally, as well as working as a mentor, editing, and story consultant for Rough Cut Service, Circle, and Doc Nomads, among others.
Bitton will share some of her most recent experiences in the editing room, showing clips from her latest films while discussing various topics about the art and craft of documentary editing and artistic collaborations within the context of international co-productions. She will focus on the importance of constructing and deconstructing narrative during the editing process, and how to approach structure, temporality, and the breath of a film. Moderated by festival consultant Martin Horyna.
Masterclass by Nikolaus Geyrhalter (AT)
Wednesday, October 11; 10:00 - 11:30 Festival Centre
Masterclass of one of world cinema’s most renowned and celebrated documentary filmmakers Nikolaus Geyrhalter, famous for his unmistakable style, compositions, and framed wide shots in films #Chernobyl, Homo Sapiens, and Our Daily Bread. Moderated by producer Karolína Fránková.
