The Copenhagen Intl. Documentary Film Festival (CPH:DOX), which runs March 23-April 3, has revealed its conference program. Among the filmmakers taking part are Sara Dosa (“Fire of Love”), Daniel Roher (“Navalny”) and Renzo Martens (“The White Cube”), and Brazilian indigenous cinematographer Tangãi Uru-eu-wau-wau (“The Territory).
The conference program, known as CPH:CONFERENCE, is presented in partnership with training initiative Documentary Campus. It runs online and in-person March 29-April 1.
The mornings will be devoted to “storytelling, craft, and creative dilemmas of documentary filmmaking at the intersection of art, science and society,” the fest said. Each morning will feature “a thought-provoking conversation” between two filmmakers in the CPH:DOX competition program.
The role of leaders nowadays and the themes of access and risk will be discussed by Roher and Christoffer Guldbrandsen (“A Storm Foretold”). Dosa and Lars Ostenfeld (“Into the Ice”) will delve into innovative storytelling, and the intersection between science and documentary filmmaking. The interconnection between past and present, and their relation to memory will be explored by Sierra Pettengill (“Riotsville, USA”) and Nataša Urban (“The Eclipse”).
The afternoons will “give access to unheard voices and explore new strategies for the documentary community,” the festival said. The program of March 29 will unravel the themes of ownership of the story and creative collaborations, including a case study of Alex Pritz’s Sundance awarded “The Territory.”
New opportunities of film funding will be explored on March 30 by innovators in the field including European equity investors Elisa Alvares (IPR.VC) and Sigrid Dyekjær (Real Lava), as well as the head of the European Commission’s Audiovisual Industry and Media Support Programmes Unit, Lucia Recalde.
Metrics of success and sustainable careers, including basic universal income for artists and other bold ideas, will be discussed by filmmakers and industry representatives including Mandy Chang (Fremantle), Jason Ishikawa (Cinetic Media), Aisa Villarosa (YBCA) and Stephano Mendelek (Beirut DC) on March 31.
Presented by Doc Society’s Climate Story Unit, a special program on March 31 will explore the art and impact of climate storytelling. Artists and climate experts will engage in discussion on how to document and communicate this moment in history and the possibilities of documentary filmmaking to cross political and cultural divides and resonate powerfully with audiences, inspiring them to take action.
The full CPH:CONFERENCE program is available here.
Katrine Kiilgaard, managing director of CPH:DOX, said: “CPH:CONFERENCE aims to be a contemporary and outward-looking platform that paints the picture of the market today. What is the future we want? How does culture become a leader of change and what is the institutional framework we need to secure a sustainable funding system? This year’s edition of CPH:CONFERENCE will explore new, sustainable ways of filmmaking and funding, not least from the climate perspective.”
Donata von Perfall, director of Documentary Campus, added: “We are excited to bring together diverse, creative voices and visionaries of the documentary filmmaking world with other forward thinkers to exchange ideas, network and create meaningful partnerships.”