Verzió Doclab Call for Applications /// EXTENDED DEADLINE + APPLICATION FOR PARTICIPANTS WITHOUT A PROJECT

I. DOCLAB INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY WORKSHOP ON DISTRIBUTION STRATEGIES

Apply for the Verzió DocLab international documentary workshop on distribution strategies for directors and producers! 

Workshop dates: Budapest, November 10-12, 2021.

Deadline: September 12, 2021. /// EXTENDED UNTIL September 22, 2021

DocLab is an international documentary workshop for directors and producers, organized during the Verzió International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival in Budapest on November 10-12, 2021. Our focus in 2021 is distribution. The workshop provides three days of individual tutoring and master classes by world-class distributors, producers, and marketing experts.

Who should apply?
Creative professionals committed to social, political, and human rights issues. We can offer financial travel assistance and accommodation on a competitive basis.

The six selected project teams will be invited to work on their distribution strategy and marketing at the production, or post-production phase of their film with our outstanding mentors, Christine Camdessus, Leena Pasanen and Stefano Tealdi. In the framework of the DocLab master classes, we provide deep insight into the current film market and new tools to target and attract a wider audience internationally. At the same time, we also offer individual tutoring and one-on-one meetings to build a tailor-made distribution strategy for all the selected projects.

At the end of the workshop and after group work on pitching with Stefano Tealdi and Leena Pasanen, participants are introducing their projects to key broadcasters, sales agents, and festival selectors at an exclusive presentation on their upcoming films. The tutors will select the best project of the workshop which will be granted.

In order to apply, please submit: 

  • link to a rough cut of your film or a selection of edited scenes with English subtitles
  • link to an edited pilot/trailer/teaser of the film
  • link to previous film(s) by the director if applicable
  • three high-resolution stills from your film
  • a short, max. half-page synopsis of your film
  • a film treatment
  • a rough distribution plan, including the estimated premiere time and place
  • a high-resolution portrait photo of the director and the producer, their short CVs, and contact details

Please send the applications to industry@verzio.org until September 12, 2021. 

II. DOCLAB INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY WORKSHOP ON DISTRIBUTION STRATEGIES – APPLY AS AN OBSERVER!

Apply for the Verzió DocLab international documentary workshop on distribution strategies as an observer, without a project!

Workshop dates: Budapest, November 10-12, 2021.

Deadline: September 26, 2021.

DocLab is an international documentary workshop for directors and producers, organized during the Verzió International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival in Budapest on November 10-12, 2021. Our focus in 2021 is distribution. We invite documentary producers, directors, film school students to participate in Verzió Doc Lab as an observer, without a project.

The observers will get full access to the three-days-workshop, where the six selected project teams will work on their distribution strategy and marketing at the production, or post-production phase of their film with our outstanding mentors, Christine Camdessus, Leena Pasanen and Stefano Tealdi. They can participate on the group work sessions and master classes by world-class distributors, producers, and marketing experts.

Who should apply?
Creative professionals and students committed to social, political, and human rights issues, who want to expand their networks internationally and deepen their knowledge in documentary distribution.

In order to apply, please submit:

  • motivation letter
  • short CV, and contact details

Please send the applications to industry@verzio.org until September 26, 2021.

MENTORS

CHRISTINE CAMDESSUS

After being a lawyer-in-firm and a film finance banker, Christine launched her production company, ALEGRIA PRODUCTIONS, in 2001. Among more than 60 creative documentaries, distributed in most of the world, are: Pakistan Zindabad, The Vatican's Lost War?, Five Broken Cameras by Emad Burnat and Guy Davidi (Sundance Director’s Prize 2012, Oscar Nomination 2013, International Emmy Award 2013), Divided Korea, The Wonderful Kingdom of Papa Alaev, Erdogan, the Making of a Sultan, One Day in Tehran and Forman versus Forman (selected in Cannes Classics in May 2019). Christine is chairwoman of NIPKOW’s jury (Berlin). She was vice-president of USPA (leading TV producers union in France) from 2014 to 2018. In June 2018, Christine was appointed Managing & Artistic director of FIPADOC.

LEENA PASANEN

Leena Pasanen started her career as a journalist in print media. In 1993, she joined the Finnish Broadcasting Company YLE where she worked as a reporter, political commentator, TV presenter and the head of documentaries for YLE TV1. In 2000, she was appointed the Head of Programmes responsible for cultural, factual and fiction programmes in YLE Teema. She stayed with the channel until November 2005, when she started working as the Director of the European Documentary Network (EDN) in Copenhagen, Denmark. From 2011 to 2014, she led the Finnish Institute in Budapest, Hungary and served as cultural attaché at the Finnish Embassy in Budapest. From 2015 to 2019, she was based in Leipzig, Germany, working as Managing and Festival Director of DOK Leipzig. In January 2020, she took over the direction of Biografilm Festival in Bologna, Italy. She has been a regular expert, tutor and lecturer at several training programs, for example: EDN, Discovery Campus, EURODOC and Television Business School. She has been a board member of IDFA Forum and served as a jury member at several international festivals, such as Sundance and IDFA.

STEFANO TEALDI

Stefano established Stefilm in Torino, Italy in 1985 where he develops, produces and/or directs drama and documentary film features and series. Recent films: Exemplary Behaviour (winner of Dok Leipzig Golden Dove, Fipresci and Interreligious Award, 2019), My Home, in Libya (Locarno FF 2018); The Strange Sound of Happiness (Special Mention Next Masters DOKLeipzig 2017); Char, No Man’s Island (Berlinale Forum 2013). He tutors for Biennale Cinema & VR College Venice, Cannes Film Market, Documentary Campus, La Fabrique - Les Cinemas du Monde, Films de 3 Continents – Produire au Sud, New Chinese Film Talents, Ouaga Film Lab, Scuola Holden, TFL-Torino Film Lab, ZagrebDox Pro, and ZELIG Film School/ESoDoc.