IDFAcademy announces participants and program for its 2024 edition

IDFAcademy will take place from November 14 to 17 at De Balie, which will serve as the main venue. This year’s expanding international selection, which includes participants from 57 countries, highlights IDFAcademy’s ongoing commitment to nurturing documentary talent and recognizing its diversity. The selection comprises first- and second-time directors and producers who applied through an annual open call. Some participants were selected through partnerships with a variety of European film institutes and organizations. As part of efforts to increase the presence of African filmmakers in the international documentary industry, select members of the two African delegations attending the festival have been invited to IDFAcademy: the Africa Delegation, led by Documentary Africa (DocA), and the Generation Africa 2.0 delegation, spearheaded by STEPS. A number of participants have also been invited to IDFAcademy through the festival’s other training programs and its year-round connections with filmmakers. 11 participating directors and producers previously received support for their projects through the IDFA Bertha Fund. 16 international participants from the project-driven IDFA Project Space program, along with six from IDFA Project Space NL, will take part in IDFAcademy. The work-in-progress of four international projects from IDFA Project Space and six projects of its Dutch counterpart will be presented in the IDFA Project Space Showcase.

This year’s IDFAcademy program will open with a talk featuring acclaimed filmmaker Sophie Fiennes, recognized for her uniquely philosophical approach and slow-burning visual style. IDFA's Artistic Director Orwa Nyrabia will have an in-depth conversation with Fiennes about her oeuvre, exploring the choices she makes and how they reflect her longstanding commitment to the exploration of the human experience, culture, and the nature of reality, as well as the political dimensions inherent in these realms. Fiennes is attending IDFA with her latest film, Acting, screened in the program section Signed. Another much anticipated talk features esteemed director Kazuhiro Soda. In a conversation with film critic Dana Linssen, Soda will venture into the dynamic between the filmmaker and the protagonists, examining his intuitive filming approach and dedication to crafting films that encourage audiences to keenly observe the seemingly mundane aspects of life, revealing moments of profundity along the way.

The program offers a blend of talks that create space for a diverse range of filmmakers and perspectives to engage with one another, from in-depth conversations with directors about their process to discussions on co-producing and the craft of editing. Among the highlights in the program is IDFAcademy Talk: Personal stories, political landscapes – layers of intimacy, which will center on two contrasting films from Iran and Afghanistan. Farahnaz Sharifi, the director and editor of My Stolen Planet, and Afsaneh Salari, the editor of Najiba Noori’s Writing Hawa (selected for this year’s International Competition), will burrow into varied storytelling tools in crafting intensely personal narratives that reflect broader political and societal realities, while grappling with the questions of identity and belonging.

IDFAcademy Talk: Releasing your story presents an IDFA Bertha Fund case study, where the writer/director/producer duo of Nada Riyadh and Ayman El Amir, along with sales agent Estelle de Araujo of The Party Film Sales, will dive into the complexities of releasing their documentary The Brink of Dreams (Egypt, France, Denmark, Qatar, Saudi Arabia), which lenses a group of girls in a conservative village in Egypt. The film, which premiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival and scooped the L’Oeil d’Or for best documentary, will serve as a focal point of their conversation, highlighting the importance of a release strategy that stays true to the film and its filmmakers.

IDFAcademy Talk: How to collaborate in a (co-)production spotlights another IDFA Bertha Fund case study, where producer Palmyre Badinier will offer insights into international co-production. The discussion will tackle various challenges related to creative control, contracts, and budgets, as well as straddling different economic realities and available funding in co-production countries, particularly when war and geopolitics affect financing and production strategies. The talk will be followed by a conversation, moderated by Selin Murat, with producers Darya Bassel (Moon Man) and Anne Köhncke (Final Cut for Real) about their experience co-producing Olha Zhurba’s Songs of Slow Burning Earth (Ukraine, Denmark, Sweden, France).

The program also boasts a series of interactive sessions and round tables, providing a platform for industry professionals from across the board to exchange their experiences and expertise on financing, (co)-producing, festival strategies, and more. One such session, dubbed IDFAcademy Session: Debunking the myths – producer relationship, and intended solely for directors, will be moderated by Mikael Opstrup. The discussion will focus on the intricacies of navigating the relationship with producers, offering insights into the producer’s role and responsibilities, the director’s rights, and the nuances of author contracts. Debunking the myths – co-production relations, moderated in separate sessions by Palmyre Badinier and Christian Popp, will examine all the nuts and bolts of co-producing: from balancing funding needs with the terms of a co-production deal, to addressing the disparities in economic realities, to highlighting essential articles to include in a memo deal for an equitable partnership.

IDFAcademy Round Tables: Finance & funding will explore how to meet the financial needs and demands of a documentary project. During the dedicated round tables, IDFAcademy, participants will be able to meet representatives of different funds to learn about their support programs and selection process, as well as the do's and don'ts of writing funding applications.

In IDFAcademy Workshop: Presenting your documentary, led by seasoned film producer Mikael Opstrup, four participants will have the opportunity to pitch their projects and receive feedback from a panel of industry experts, including Erika Dilday (Executive Producer, POV), Jane Mote (Editorial Consultant, The Whickers), and Liselot Verbrugge (CEO, Film Harbour).

Along with the interactive sessions and round tables highlighting legal and production aspects, the program features IDFAcademy Session: Me & the filmmaker, led by BACP registered psychotherapist and former documentary producer Rebecca Day (Film in Mind). This session will open space to discuss the creative and emotional complexities underpinning the filmmaking process and examine how the director’s role impacts the film and its protagonists throughout all stages of production.

IDFAcademy is delighted to kickstart yet another exciting edition this November and looks forward to welcoming participants from all corners of the globe. The packed program of talks, sessions, and round tables is made possible thanks to the active participation and support of a wide range of documentary professionals eager to share their experiences and knowledge with new talent.