After an expanded selection of projects, topics, and guests, Forum RIDM finally unveils the program for its 20th edition, presented by the Canada Media Fund. From November 22 to 27, over 400 documentary industry professionals will gather to discuss, connect, and invest in the future of documentary cinema.
＞ View the full Forum RIDM program
DOC LAB MONTRÉAL - November 22-24
Doc Lab Montréal, presented by Warner Bros. Discovery Access Canada, brings together Canadian and international filmmakers to develop their documentary projects through closed circuit work sessions. Discover all the selected Doc Lab Montréal projects here.
This year, the cohort includes projects from calls for submissions, in collaboration with Wapikoni, UQAM, the Conseil des arts de Montréal, and RACCORD; as well as from international locations: Cuba, Louisiana (United States), Egypt, Brazil, Mexico, Ivory Coast, along with Wallonia (Belgium) and Bavaria (Germany). The participation of international teams is made possible thanks to financial support from the Government of Québec.
The 2024 cohort projects:
FEATURE FILM PROJECTS
After Me, Nothing… directed by Chloé Raunet and produced by Jessica Hallenbeck (Canada/Vancouver)
Bangkok Nox directed by Christian Wittmoser and produced by Moritz Bundschuh (Germany/Bavaria), selected in collaboration with DOK.forum München
Ejo directed by Victoire Karera Kampire and produced by Ellen Meiresonne (Belgium/Wallonia-Brussels), selected in collaboration with the Regards sur les docs program / Festival En ville !
In the Shades of a Royal Palace directed by Hend Bakr and produced by Tamer Nady (Egypt) selected in collaboration with Cimathèque
Midwife Woman directed by Valentina Ortega Backhoff and produced by Carlos Alberto Cuesy Díaz and Antonia Lema (Mexico), selected in collaboration with DocsMX
Our Hearts Are Dark and Secret Like the Knots of Our Oaks directed by Loïc Darses (Canada/Quebec)
Queen of the Pen directed by Juicebox Burton and produced by Ausinikka Hunter (United States/Louisiana), selected in collaboration with Create Louisiana
School of Violence directed by Fidèle Koffi Kouakou (Ivory Coast), selected in collaboration with Africadoc Côte d’Ivoire
Shape of Silence directed and produced by Varun Trikha with Magit Lillak's participation (Estonia) in production (Canada/Ontario)
Starry Night directed by Bruce Thomas Miller and produced by Kevin Dong (Canada/Alberta)
Tackling body directed by Isabelle Grignon-Francke (Canada/Quebec)
Tehran: Good/Bad or Worse directed by Farnaz Jurabchian and Mohammadreza Jurabchian, co-produced by Étienne de Ricaud (Canada/Quebec)
The Children of the Ones that Disappeared directed by Juliette Balthazard (Canada/Quebec)
The Missing Place directed by Mariana de Melo and produced by Luana Melgaço (Brazil), selected in collaboration with Brasil Cine Mundi
The Place and the Hope directed by Ariagna Fajardo Nuviola and produced by Julio Raúl Vega Garcés (Cuba), selected in collaboration with Nuevas Miradas EICTV
To These Lands I Returned directed by Yann-Manuel Hernandez (Canada/Quebec)
SHORT AND MEDIUM-LENGTH FILM PROJECTS
Ariane's thread directed by Luiza Cocora (Canada/Quebec), selected in collaboration with the Conseil des arts de Montréal’s Regard sur Montréal residency
Canoe racers directed by Maïlys Flamand (Canada/Quebec), selected in collaboration with Wapikoni
Haven directed by Mirkö Lafrenière and produced by Irène Bessone (Canada/Quebec)
He was John Banks directed by Manuel Orhy Piron (Canada/Quebec), selected in collaboration with UQAM
In the night trees grow directed by Stéphane Mukunzi (Canada/Quebec)
In the Pit directed by Alexandre Forgues (Canada/Ontario), selected in collaboration with Regroupement des artistes cinéastes de la francophonie canadienne (RACCORD)
Plumage directed by Migzhe Zhou and produced by Yiqian Zhang (Canada/Ontario)
Rosie bye Kellie Nadeau (Canada/Quebec)
Sally's Courage directed by Nathalie Rankin and Roxanne Lauzon (Canada/Quebec), selected in collaboration with Wapikoni
Saying goodbye at 5pm directed by Alexia Roc (Canada/Quebec)
＞ More details about the selected projects
Awards and support will be given to the selected participants from the Canadian Directors Guild, Rogers, Eurodoc, CineGround, Main Film, Royal Photo, Vital Distribution, DOK.fest München, SLA Location, Lussier & Khouzam, T&S Coop, Parati Films, and Vidéographe. Additionally, Canadian participants based outside Québec benefit from financial support for their travel to Montréal, made possible through the generosity of the Peter Wintonick Travel Grant partners (EyeSteelFilm, Intuitive Pictures, John Walker Productions, Kensington Communications, Picture This Productions, Fathom Film Group, Bunbury Films, Colonelle Films, Invisible Hand Productions, and Cinema Politica).
INDUSTRY MARKET - November 25-27
Rough Cut Pitch
Rough Cut Pitch offers a unique showcase for auteur documentary projects in editing or post-production. Participants will present their projects in a pitch session to renowned industry professionals. This year's projects hail from Canada, Senegal, Italy, Taiwan, Mexico and Brazil. Prizes will be awarded to winning participants courtesy of Grandé Studios and Forum RIDM.
List of the projects:
Jamapa de Tania Ximena Ruiz Santos (Production : Paulina Villavicencio – Disruptiva Films, Mexique)
Wind and View de Sheng-Hung Hsieh (Production : Ina Hon - Moolin Films, Taïwan)
Liti Liti de Mamadou Khouma Gueye (Production : Rosa Spaliviero - Twenty Nine Studio & Production, Sénégal)
La Fête des pères de Ayana O'Shun (Production : Bianca Bellange - Bel Ange Moon Productions, Canada/Québec)
Land of the Living Skies de Mackenzie Reid Rostad (Production : Kristina Pedersen - Kristina Picture, Canada/Québec)
J’ai perdu de vue le paysage (un film en 15 tentatives) de Sophie Bédard-Marcotte (Production : Pierre-Mathieu Fortin - Office national du film du Canada, Canada/Québec)
Skin of the Sky de Andrea Bussmann (Production : Andrea Bussmann, Canada/Ontario)
Antes do nome de Luana Melgaço (Production : Luiz Pretti - Anavilhana, Brésil)
Sulla Frontiera Serba de Federico Cammarata et Filippo Foscarini (Production : Stefano Centini - Volos Films, Italie)
＞ More details about the projects
NETWORKING ACTIVITIES
Expert roundtables | November 25 and 26 | Cinémathèque québécoise
In order to foster networking and professional development, Forum RIDM holds roundtables bringing together various experts from the documentary film industry. In these sessions, participants have the opportunity to meet with several experts of their choice, allowing them to ask targeted questions and deepen their understanding of their counterparts' areas of expertise.
ONE-ON-ONE PITCHES | November 27 | UQAM - Coeur des sciences, Salle Polyvalente (SH-4800), Pavillon Sherbrooke
Forum RIDM’s flagship activity, the One-on-One Pitches consists of 15-minute one-on-one meetings between producers and industry representatives such as public and private broadcasters, distributors, sales agents, festival programmers, institutional and fund representatives and co-producers. For this 20th edition, the presence of some sixty local and international industry representatives provides a unique opportunity to forge new partnerships and expand the reach of new projects. Discover the list of industry representatives that will take part in the One-on-One Pitches.
TALKS AND CASE STUDIES
OPENING BREAKFAST: TOWARDS A MORE EQUITABLE, INCLUSIVE INDUSTRY | November 25
Intercepted: An International Co-production | November 25
Breaking into the International Market | November 25
Socially Engaged Cinema and Contemporary Forms | November 25
How to Incorporate Independent Documentaries in Quebec Schools? | November 26
Reinventing Co-production Between Francophone Regions | November 26
Navigating Sensitive Topics | November 26
Environmentally Responsible Documentary Production and Digital Sustainability | November 26
Deploying the Narrative Dimension of Sound Design | November 27
Cinematography in Contemporary Documentary Film | November 27
BOX OFFICE AND PASSES
Passes for Forum RIDM activities can be purchased via the Forum’s website and will continue to be available until the end of the industry market.