IDFA Podcast

​Film critic Dana Linssen speaks to author/filmmaker David Shields about his experimental archive film 'Marshawn Lynch: A History at IDFA 2019.

​Film critic Dana Linssen speaks to Kivu Ruhorahoza about 'Europa, Based on a True Story'​, his new Hybrid film at IDFA 2019.

Film critic Dana Linssen interviews Marija Stojnić, director of the IDFA 2019 film 'Speak So I Can See You'. The film was screened within the IDFA Competition for First Appearance.

Film critic Dana Linssen interviews Laura Herrero Garvin, director of IDFA 2019 film 'La Mami'. The film was part of the IDFA Competition for Feature-Length Documentary.

Film critic Dana Linssen interviews Alan Berliner, director of IDFA 2019 film 'Letter to the Editor'. The film won the IDFA Beeld en Geluid Reframe Award for the best creative use of archive in a documentary film.

​Film critic Dana Linssen spoke to Madeleine Leroyer about her film #387, which had its world premiere at IDFA 2019.

This episode features the Doc Talk with filmmaker Wang Bing, after the screening of his monumental film Dead Souls. This Doc Talk was moderated by Ian Yang and it was recorded on November 22, 2018.

This episode features the Filmmaker Talk with Audrius Stonys. Using excerpts from his films, film programmer and journalist Pamela Cohn talks to the filmmaker who has more than 20 films to his name. This talk was recorded on November 20, 2018.

This episode features the Filmmaker Talk with Maria Ramos. Following the screening of her film “The Trial”, Brazilian-Dutch filmmaker Maria Ramos’ speaks to Jean Perret about her film work and her view of Brazil today. The talk was was recorded on 22 November 2018.

This episode features a recording of the Industry Talk: SVoD Platforms: Repositioning the European Digital Single Market. Our documentary industry is going through major changes that we, the documentary community, need to discuss. Between new EU regulations and the influential demand of streaming giants, are we facing a great new opportunity or losing one? Industry Talk co-hosted with Creative Europe Desk for the Netherlands and Flanders. Guests: Marijn Duijvestein (European Commission), Axel Arno (European Broadcasting Union, SVT), Justine Nagan (POV), James Bridges (iwonder), Paul Pauwels (European Documentary Network).  The session is moderated by Simon Kilmurry (International Documentary Association) and was recorded on November 20, 2018.

This episode features the recording of the IDFA 2018 Industry Session: Data driven audience engagement. Speakers are Sarah Mosses from Together Film and Sonja Henrici of the Scottish Documentary Institute. The session was recorded on November 20, 2018.

This episode features the recording of the IDFA 2018 Industry Talk: The Act of… Releasing: How to Bring Documentaries to Theatres Successfully. Is there an ‘X factor’ that makes a documentary suitable for theatrical distribution? And what are the recipes to get audiences in the screening room? This Talk was co-hosted by Europa Distribution. The guests are: Huub Roelvink (Cherry Pickers), Kateřina Dvořáková (Aerofilms), Greta Akcijonaite, (Greta Garbo Films), Cecilie Bolvinkel (EDN/Moving Docs), Dan Braun (Submarine Entertainment). The session is moderated by Mathias Noschis (Alpha Panda).

This episode features the DocTalk with among others director Steve James that took place after the full-day screening of the documentary series America to Me. It was recorded on November 18, 2018 and hosted by Sean Farnel.

Industry Talk: Solidarity with Filmmakers at Risk This episode features the recording of the IDFA 2018 Industry Talk: Solidarity with Filmmakers at Risk With civil society shrinking in many parts of the world, documentary filmmakers are increasingly struggling to make their voices heard, leading to their arrest, imprisonment and sometimes even murder. IDFA invited filmmakers and other stakeholders to share their experiences, and to try to outline a possible coordinated strategy for action, a strategy that effectively serves filmmakers at risk. Guests - among others - are: Maxim Tuula (Marx Film), Tuki Jencquel (Oninokia Filmproduktion), Steven Markovitz (Big World Cinema), Andrea Kuhn (Human Rights Film Network), Cara Mertes (JustFilms, Ford Foundation), Claire Aguilar (International Documentary Association), Jess Search (Doc Society), Julie Trebault (Artists at Risk Connection, PEN America), Rasmus Steen (International Media Support), and Rebecca Lichtenfeld (Bertha Foundation). This session was moderated by Boris Dittrich - human rights activist, former politician and writer - and was recorded on November 18, 2018

This episode features a recording of the IDFA 2018 Doc Talk with director Avi Mograbi about his semi-documentary Happy Birthday, Mr Mograbi. In this 1998 film, screened as part of IDFA 2018 focus program “Me”, Mograbi connects the very personal with the geopolitical through an unforgettable tint of black humor. This Doc Talk was recorded on November 16, 2018

This Talk looks to the growing need for fair co-producing practices. How can we come to a just practice of co-producing that respects aesthetics, cultures, and economies across borders? This was discussed by guests: Cecilia Lidin (Danish Film Institute), Diana El Jeiroudi (Dox Box), Estelle Robin-You (Les Films du Balibari), Gema Juárez Allen (Gema Films) and Isabel Arrate Fernandez (IDFA Bertha Fund). The session is moderated by Mikael Opstrup of the EDN and was recorded on November 17, 2018.

Welcome to the podcast of IDFA 2018.  In this podcast we’re presenting a selection of recordings from this year’s industry sessions and doc talks. Please check out recordings of other talks and events of IDFA at idfa.nl and subscribe to the podcast to stay up to date. pod.link/1061632698

Director Raed Andoni enlists Palestinian former prisoners to first reconstruct the infamous Israeli prison that once held them, and then re-enact their own suppressed memories. After the screening, filmmaker Eyal Sivan interviews director Raed Andoni about his award-winning, poignant and confrontational film. (Recorded November 19, 2017 at De Kleine Komedie.)

In the late 1980s, Depeche Mode invited D.A. Pennebaker and his wife Chris Hegedus to make a film about the band, using Bob Dylan: Dont Look Back as an example. Like that film, Depeche Mode: 101 is largely in the Direct Cinema style that characterizes Pennebaker’s work, and it’s much more than a concert recording. After the screening, Eric Hynes talks with the legendary documentary duo about the film and shooting music documentaries in general. (Recorded November 19, 2017 at EYE Cinema.)

Wolfgang Thaler only filmed 30 days for the three-part Whores’ Glory by Michael Glawogger. He captured the lives of prostitutes in Thailand, Bangladesh and Mexico, and not without putting his own life in danger. Eric Hynes talks with Thaler, Ulrich Seidl’s go-to cameraman, about his cinematic choices and his experiences during the shoot. They also discuss his long-lasting collaboration with Glawogger, who died in 2014 and with whom he also filmed Megacities and Workingman’s Death. (Recorded November 18, 2017 at EYE CInema.)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wendy Bernfeld gives an updated overview of the evolving opportunities in video-on-demand, both in general and specifically for the documentary sector. Different VOD platforms (tvod, svod, advod, etc.) and various middlemen/aggregators are at the table: they can be subsidized or commercial, and involve a variety of business models and regions. Many buy and some even fund. How do they work, and how can you, as a filmmaker or producer, benefit from them? Bernfeld, founder and managing director of international content consultancy Rights Stuff, provides an overview of these opportunities and various angles around creating windowing and "hybrid" distribution possibilities.

Where The Girls Aren't. IDFA Industry Talk 20 November 2016 by IDFA Podcast

Leading distribution strategist Peter Broderick (Paradigm Consulting) gives an up-to-the-minute overview of the lay of the land and the perils to avoid in documentary distribution. He reviews possible destinations and explain the importance of beginning with clearly defined goals. Then he shows the old routes that have turned into dead ends including wide theatrical distribution and highlights promising new paths such as semi-theatrical campaigns. He also explains how essential windows are to be found in marking the legs of the journey. This session is designed to empower participants to design the best roadmaps for their distribution.

Death in the Terminal IDFA Q&A 21 November 2016 by IDFA Podcast

Faster is not necessarily better or more efficient; the key is to find the right speed. Often it's better to do things a little slower, for better quality. Carl Honoré is an award-winning writer, broadcaster and TED speaker, and a globetrotting ambassador for the Slow Movement. The Wall Street Journal called him an "in-demand spokesman on slowness." To open the theme program The Quiet Eye, Honoré is giving a keynote entitled "In Praise of Slowness," referring to the nine films that are part the program.

An Insignificant Man IDFA Q&A 22 November 2016 by IDFA Podcast

Plastic China IDFA Q&A 22 November 2016 by IDFA Podcast

Dream Empire IDFA Q&A 23 November 2016 by IDFA Podcast

The core of this program will look at the role of opinion-forming in the way we see and think about race and identity, as well as the perspectives from which we do so. The starting point for Shifting Perspectives will be centuries-old historical relationships between Africa, Europe and the United States and how these still influence relations in our world today, both between countries and continents and between people within societies. The program consists of 13 new and classic documentaries which reveal how the history of colonialism, the slave trade and slavery and racial segregation influence contemporary social, cultural, economic and political relations.

Whose Country? IDFA Q&A 23 November 2016 by IDFA Podcast

Kirsten Johnson is an award-winning New York-based documentary filmmaker and cinematographer who started working on local fiction and documentary film projects in West Africa before graduating from the FEMIS (the French National Film School) in Paris. Asylum, a short documentary she shot in Ghana, was nominated for an Oscar in 2004. Since then, she has shot some of the most powerful documentaries in recent years, including A Place at the Table, the Oscar-nominated The Invisible War and most recently Laura Poitras's Citizenfour, which won Best Documentary at last year's Oscars. Traveling the globe with leading documentary filmmakers for 25 years, the many subjects she has covered range from Bosnian genocide to impoverished Nigerian maternity wards to Edward Snowden. She made her directorial debut with Cameraperson, drawing on footage she has shot over the course of her career and earning her the Sheffield Doc/Fest's Grand Jury Award. Cameraperson is screening in IDFA's special focus program Assembling Reality this year.

Burning Out IDFA Q&A 22 November 2016 by IDFA Podcast

The ways in which documentaries are commissioned are changing: in an evolving media landscape and a globalizing world, good stories can come from anywhere. But how to develop documentaries out of these stories, is another thing. In this talk, Nick Fraser will introduce his new online documentary platform Yaddo, a subscription-based streaming service that will co-finance films as well as show them. Unlike its big VOD brothers Amazon and Netflix, who are increasingly active in the documentary market, Yaddo is also a pitching platform for short films. Filmmakers can pitch their stories online even by Twitter or email and attract investors to fully commission their ideas. In what sense do VOD-services, big and small, open up opportunities and access for filmmakers who want to tell their stories? Will online pitching platforms change the future of documentaries and how they are created? Nick Fraser will tell you all about Yaddo and what it can mean for developing filmmakers' stories.

Over the past decade, the Internet has given rise to all sorts of new digital art forms and business models. This Industry Talk explores different ways pioneers have funded and created undefined non-fiction art. Now that the digital dust has settled, what should we take with us moving forward into the next decade? The ways of finding funding are as open and multifaceted as the forms of interactive art, but this doesn't mean it's easy. How can crowdfunding, traditional public funds, VOD platforms and money from venture capital be (re)defined and be used by other creators? A diverse panel shares its experiences on both financing and constructive business models for future work.

AH IDFA Q&A 21 November 2016 by IDFA Podcast

Cameraperson IDFA Q&A 21 November 2016 by IDFA Podcast

Kiki IDFA Q&A 21 November 2016 by IDFA Podcast

Monster in the Mind IDFA Q&A 21 November 2016 by IDFA Podcast

Who's Gonna Love Me Now IDFA Q&A 21 November 2016 by IDFA Podcast

Letters From Baghdad IDFA Q&A 20 November 2016 by IDFA Podcast

Those Who Jump IDFA Q&A 20 November 2016 by IDFA Podcast