DocPro - 21st Verzió Film Festival’s industry program – for professionals and beyond!

This year, we’re excited to welcome you to Verzió’s industry program, open to all enthusiasts! Join us for four days filled with inspiring masterclasses, panel discussions, and the highlight of the industry program, the DocLab Pitc, where international documentary filmmakers will present their projects.

Date: November 7–10

Locations: Central European University (Nádor u. 15, 1051 Budapest) and Toldi Cinema (Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út 36-38, 1054 Budapest).

Nov 7, 14:00 to 15:30 CEU - Auditorium B

Masterclass with director Bálint Révész and producer Viki Réka Kiss

Crafting Stories Across 12 Years of Footage, the editing of KIX

Verzió Doclab, the only workshop and pitch platform dedicated to nurturing new voices in Hungarian documentary filmmaking, invites you to explore the exciting challenges of editing long-term documentary projects. Director Bálint Révész and producer Viki Réka Kiss will delve into their decade-spanning journey on KIX, a film that documents 12 transformative years in the life of Sanyi, a boy growing up in Budapest. Join us to learn more on editing documentaries from a special angle, the director and the producer perspective.

Who do we recommend it for?
Directors, editors, producers, film students

Nov 7, 16:00 to 17:30 CEU - Auditorium B

Archival Archaeology

Researching Abandoned Private Film Collection - A Dan Curean Masterclass

The masterclass takes you through the long journey of researching and making Family Movies film, how the creative process developed to the final form of the film through different stages from concept to production steps and editing. The masterclass is open to all interested in the behind the scenes research and the details of production and working with private archives. Full film will be screened on Friday in the framework of the Viewfinder section.

Who do we recommend it for?
The masterclass is recommended to film students and anyone who is interested in working with archival material and found footage. The language of the masterclass is English!

Nov 8, 14:00 to 15:30 CEU - Auditorium A

To Reveal and Protect

Ethics in Addressing Sensitive Topics

The discussion will focus on the ethical responsibility of documentary filmmakers. We will address sensitive topics such as suicide, disabilities, the involvement of children, and our own family stories as subjects for films. The panelists will discuss how to ethically navigate these complex situations, the impact of filmmaking on the subjects involved, and how to raise awareness among the audience regarding the issues presented.

Who do we recommend it for?
For anyone interested in the challenges documentary filmmakers encounter when addressing sensitive topics and working with vulnerable subjects. The discussion will be in English!

Nov 8, 16:00 to 17:30 CEU - Auditorium A

Outside Perspectives, Intimate Stories

Who Has the Right to Tell Them?

The discussion centers on the filmmaker’s personal connection to the subject in documentary filmmaking. In the industry, a longstanding question is: how closely does a director need to engage with the community they are portraying, and to what extent should they be involved with the subject matter? For example, can a European director create an authentic film about a South American tribe? Can a heterosexual filmmaker genuinely capture LGBTQ+ stories if they are not part of that community? Led by writer and screenwriter Krisztián Marton, creator of Crybaby, this roundtable brings together filmmakers to share their thoughts and experiences.

Who do we recommend it for?
For anyone who considers the topic of personal involvement important. The discussion will be in English!

Nov 9, 10:30 to 12:00 CEU - Nádor u. 15., 103

How to Represent Documentary in Media

Documentaries and Their Critical Approaches

Nov 9, 13:30 to 15:00

Uncensored and Unfunded

Filmmakers Overcoming Financial and Political Hurdles

The discussion will focus on the challenges of documentary filmmaking in countries where the political and social climate presents significant obstacles for filmmakers: ongoing wars, political pressure, censorship, and authoritarian regimes. The panelists will explore how political and social pressures impact the filmmaking process and the role that censorship, self-censorship, and freedom of expression play in creative work. The conversation will also address the difficulties of raising funds when public financing is unavailable, corrupted or politically motivated. The goal of the panel is to examine the strategies documentary filmmakers can employ to protect and preserve their creative freedom while making their voices heard. The discussion will be led by Alex Shiriaieff.

Who do we recommend this for?
For anyone who cares about the freedom of art. The discussion will be held in English!

Nov 9, 16:00 to 19:00 CEU - Nádor u. 15., 103

Verzió DocLab Pitch

The public pitch of the 6 selected projects of the 9th Verzió DocLab workshop and pitch platform! Verzió DocLab is the only workshop and pitch platform dedicated to nurturing new voices in Hungarian documentary filmmaking and supporting filmmakers of the region and Europe. Directors, producers and editors will pitch their film projects. The creative teams will also present the scenes they have worked on with the guidance of the DocLab mentors to an industry panel and audience. The evening will be moderated by factual storytelling expert and strategist Jesper Jack (DK) and Péter Becz (HU), director and producer, creative director of Verzió DocLab.  Verzió DocLab mentors are Flóra Erdélyi, editor (HU), Anna Kis, director and editor (HU) and Jesper Jack.

PITCHING FILMS AND CREATORS:

  • The freeSZFE Film (working title) / Hungary / FreeSZFE Film Collective, Dér Asia (director) and Dávid Kántor (editor)
  • Bee In My Mouth / Hungary, Germany / Balázs Imre Lóránd (director and producer)
  • Hide Me In The Light / Ukraine / Markiian Miroshnychenko (director), Nata Onysh (editor) and Oleksandr Krasen (producer)
  • Illuminated Geology / Spain / Pere Puigbert (director, cinematographer and editor), David Gimbernat (producer) and Pol Roig (Second Camera Unit)
  • Moving Sisters / Greece / Christos Stefanou (director), Eugenia Papageorgiou (editor) and Michalis Kastanidis (producer)
  • My Dear Vira / Ukraine / Maryna Brodovska (director) and Olga Chernyk (co-director and producer)

For detailed descriptions of the films and their creators, please visit the Verzió DocLab website.

Nov 10, 14:00 to 16:00 CEU - Nádor u. 15., 103

Almost Hollywood: Kazincbarcika

Screening and discussion