Docs Talk 2010
Developing and Producing Documentaries if Europe
A 2 day seminar organized by Brave New Culture (Cyprus) in collaboration with Media Desk Cyprus and Documentary in Europe (Italy). The seminar, entitled DocsTalk,Cyprus, is part of the ‘Lemesos International Documentary Festival’ that will take place between the 4th and 8th of August 2010.
Introduction
Independent documentary production in Europe has been developing since the 80ies when the major public service broadcasters decided to reduce their staff and in-house productions. To have good documentary films they counted on filmmakers and companies that could raise financing through co-productions and could deliver high value documentaries at a limited cost for each co-producer involved. The production scene changed and thousands of filmmakers worked alone, teamed up or created their own company. They had to rapidly adapted to the market and learn skills they had never practiced before: project management and development, fundraising, pitching. Today filmmakers have to be able to think internationally to put together the money they need for making their films and there is a lot of competition.
DEVELOPING AND PRODUCING DOCS IN EUROPE is a two day seminar intended for filmmakers and young talents that want to know more about the documentary business in Europe and intend bringing their projects to the major audiovisual markets in the future.
Who can cover the development costs of a project? How can the development funds be accessed? Where can you present your project? How can a proposal be written to attract investors? What is a pitching forum? Who are the major players in the European and international documentary business? Where can support and help be found?
The seminar will answer these and many more questions. And it will make it clear that the documentary business is a small world, but it has its rules!
Seminar Schedule
1st day, 6th of August 2010
Open for all
Location: TEPAK
09:00
Opening of the seminar; Yiangos Hadjiyannis (Brave New Culture), Yianna Americanou (Media Desk Cyprus), Leena Pasanen (YLE Fact & Culture - Finland), Stefano Tealdi (Director of Documentary in Europe and head of development, Stefilm - Italy)
09:30
Development and production of documentaries for the international market. Stefano Tealdi
11:00
How to make a good first impression: guidelines to pitching. Leena Pasanen
12:00
Case history. A filmmker who pitched at an international event, got financing and made a film.
13:00
Writing a two page presentation that can attract the big money! Stefano Tealdi and Leena Pasanen
14:00
Lunch
15:00
Development budgets: investing is the best way of producing. Stefano Tealdi
17:00
No project can be pitched without a demo! The does and dont's of preparing the visuals you need for your project. Leena Pasanen
18:00
Closing of the workshop.
2nd day, 7th of August 2010
Individual Meeting with Selected Projects
Location: TEPAK
9:00 - 11:00
Greg Sanderson (BBC), Olaf Grunert (Arte), and Claudia Schreiner (MDR) will explain their policy in international co-productions.
12:00 - 17:00
Individual meetings for selected documentary projects.
For DocsTalk Individual Meetings
Who is Eligible
DocsTalk,Cyprus is open to all documentary makers, from any country and the submitted projects can be at any stage of development. No prior credits are necessary and projects do not need to have a financial plan already in place.
The projects submitted are encouraged to have an international appeal and take an innovative / fresh approach to either the content, the execution of the idea or both.
More than one person can participate for each project (eg. Both director and Producer can attend during the meetings).
Number of Participants
A maximum of 12 projects will be selected. All applicants need to submit a one-page treatment together with a CV and their application form. Scheduling of meetings is at the discretion of the organizers.
Working Language
English will be the working language of the workshop.
Registration
Application forms are available for downloading here
Please send by email the one-page treatment and the CV of the director to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.