Doc Biz in Thessaloniki
The festival’s Doc Market and European Documentary Network (EDN) Pitching Forum bring creators and buyers together

A budding documentary filmmaker stays up all night in her hotel room, writing and rewriting the description of her work-in-progress. The next day, she pitches the project to a roomful of peers and buyers with passion and clarity. A few stations express interest. Cut to: A commissioning editor from a prominent TV station leaning closer to the monitor, captivated by the strength of a documentary he’s discovered. Rewinding the preview tape, he thinks to himself, “I’d love to air this one”.

These scenes are not fiction, but actual events that take place every year at the Images of the 21st Century: Thessaloniki Documentary Festival. The festival features two major doc biz events – a Doc Market and an EDN pitching forum. Here’s some info on both.

Doc Market (March 13-17, 2006)
Twenty-five individual viewing stalls – and a thick little catalogue of films produced throughout the world in the previous two years - make up the Doc Market.

It’s organized by the festival and the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation (ERT), with hospitable Myrto Rigopoulou making sure filmmakers and buyers from the world over have a positive experience.

The inscription fee of 70 euros covers up to six films. Buyers, mostly from major European stations, but also companies from the Middle East to North America, have free access to screenings and events, as well as festival assistance in booking hotels.

Some commissioning editors leave the festival with one sale, others with a handful. All have ample opportunity to search (and hopefully not fast forward too much!)

For more info on the Doc Market contact Myrto Rigopoulou at Tel +(30) 210 8706000, Fax: +(30) 210 6448143, e-mail: docmarket@filmfestival.gr

EDN Pitching Forum (March 15-19)
Sweet agony. This is what the European Documentary Network’s intense five-day pitching forum puts filmmakers from Greece, its Balkan neighbors and beyond through every year.

The first few days are a crash course of pitching, with lectures and filmmakers telling their stories in small groups again…and again…and again. Through discussions with peers and EDN tutors, the project presentations are reworked until it’s time to pitch for real.

In front of a panel of commissioning editors with the classic 7 minutes to pitch- their words and visual materials are put to the test. PS- A good trailer that clearly presents characters and the director’s approach never hurts!

EDN, whose Greek membership keeps climbing, is still accepting proposals for projects whose initial research/preparation has already been started. To apply, producers were asked to send in a 2-page description by February 1, 2006. (Contact EDN for details) There’s a 250 euro participation fee, if accepted, or a 150 euro fee for auditors.

This year, commissioning editors have been invited from YLE, ARTE, ZDF/ARTE, TV3 Catalunya, WDR, VRT, ORF, the Jan Vrijman Fund, FR5, NPS, DRTV, SVT and ERT.

For more information on the Pitching Forum contact Anita Reher, EDN, Tel +(45) 33 13 11 22, anita@edn.dk

Angelike Contis

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