First AJB DOC festival starts in Sarajevo

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - The AJB DOC documentary film festival, to be held in Sarajevo from September 21 to 25, has already generated significant public interest with its unique profile, even before the film screenings began, writes Al Jazeera.

Unique in that it is a documentary film festival of television format, AJB DOC is already becoming the epicenter of regional documentary filmmaking with its first edition, and the plans that the festival organizers have for its further development and all accompanying activities will positively impact the development of this format in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the countries of the region.

Sead Kreševljaković, one of the festival program selectors, explains that the festival selection aimed to achieve several things simultaneously. First, to present films of the highest artistic quality to the widest possible audience, and then, through production support, to encourage authors to engage in this non-commercial film form.

- In principle, this is one of the new documentary film festivals in the region, and it is the first international festival dedicated exclusively to documentary film. It has certain specificities compared to other festivals, primarily being a festival that does a good selection, and we try to find good films and select films that are 52 minutes long, because, although they are highly artistic films, they are also, in a way, television documentaries. This, in a way, classifies the festival as a festival of documentary and television film, as they are also television films. We broadcast this type of film according to our standards. That is why we insist on this television format duration. What is much more important is that we are completely dedicated to the authors and strive to be author-oriented, Kreševljaković says.

The fact that all selected films will be purchased for broadcast on Al Jazeera Balkans is particularly important for the development of documentary filmmaking in the region. This way, artistic projects will gain financial security and will no longer be in limbo, Kreševljaković explains. In addition, the purchased films will be shown on Al Jazeera's television program, receiving full promotional support, and the goal of such a systematic approach is to make documentary films "visible" to a wide audience.

- Perhaps this is the only festival, given that the organizer is Al Jazeera Balkans television, that allows us to purchase films from all participating authors immediately, which is the hardest part of the job for documentary filmmakers – finding a television station to sell their work to. The selection itself means we are purchasing films. We will also strive to focus on authors who are bearers of ideas, giving them as much space as possible to present their ideas to the public through, among other things, Q&A sessions. We will never devalue the idea they are working on. As for the editorial choice and the selector's job, we also strive to nurture the taste of our TV station, which is known for its quality documentary films, Kreševljaković pointed out.

Festival Director Edhem Fočo sees the festival as a much broader platform than just its screening aspect. Yes, it is extremely important to allow the audience to see the best documentary films made in the current year, but it is equally important to make the festival a forum and channel through which filmmakers from Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region can successfully communicate with the most important international production companies. Therefore, when talking about the festival, Fočo speaks of it as he sees it in three or five years, a place that will be the "European hot spot" for documentary film.

- I think the festival is a great opportunity for local authors. They can take advantage of the fact that AJB is here, that we cooperate with many filmmakers, and that recognized international authors will come and films that have attracted attention worldwide will be shown. Local authors will be able to see these films and compete with their projects. People from the industry will also come, directors of all Al Jazeera documentary segments will come. I am talking about the first year of the festival now, but we hope and expect it to grow in the future and that all authors will want to come here, Fočo says.

Fočo says there are very serious plans for the corporation's headquarters in Doha to get involved in organizing the festival, and if closer cooperation is established between the centers in Sarajevo and Doha, the festival could become "European relevant." AJB DOC has the creative strength and human potential to make the festival perhaps the strongest festival of its kind on the continent, Fočo is clear. If things develop in that direction, Sarajevo would become a place where the most significant documentary film authors and producers from around the world would gather.

- All buyers would want to come here because they would want to watch film premieres. If this happens here, in Sarajevo, then authors who are based here can say they have a chance. We can also think about creating a selection for our films that did not make it into the competition program. Then we will open it all to the public and accommodate potential clients. And make it so that people can live off of it, professionalize the entire activity. We must maintain this position, and therefore we do not want to work with only one or two production companies. We are expanding this, giving chances to new people and new projects to help our people production-wise, Fočo emphasizes.

Al Jazeera Balkans and AJB DOC are already playing an important role in strengthening regional documentary filmmaking. Beyond the financial, infrastructural, and production support for many regional projects, promoting the highest artistic standards is of exceptional importance for regional filmmakers, Fočo is unequivocal.

Al Jazeera Balkans has helped many regional authors shape their artistic ideas in a way that can be presented anywhere in the world, a value that is extremely difficult to achieve without systematically organized support.

- Al Jazeera has imposed and raised standards, so our people now have confidence and can work with anyone in the world. The festival should raise everyone's standards and strengthen people's confidence. The budget expected for documentary films is smaller than for feature films. Talents do not have the money to make their films. Our plan is for this to become one of the leading documentary film festivals in all of Europe within a few years.

The festival is organized by Al Jazeera Balkans television, in cooperation with Al Jazeera Media Network and the Al Jazeera Media Institute from Doha.

The goal of the AJB DOC festival is to promote authors and documentary films that deal with social phenomena, focusing on universal human values: courage, truth, justice, tolerance, and cosmopolitanism.

The festival consists of a competitive and non-competitive selection of films that will be screened at several locations.

The official competitive selection of the AJB DOC festival will present 15 documentary films (The Lost Warrior, Yellow people from the East will come and drink water from the Morava, Missing in Syria: The Case Against Assad, Where Are We Going?, Arkan's Legacy: Serbian Mafia, Grandson, I See Red People, Business in Russia, Fathers and Sons, Walking on Wire, Two Worlds, On the Edge of Freedom, Children Hostages of the System, and At the End of Darkness) intended for television broadcast.

The non-competitive selection will feature the best titles from European festivals, while three films have been selected for the accompanying program AJB Presents (Disappearance, All by Will, The Little Prince).

Three awards will be presented at the AJB DOC festival. An international jury of five members (Ingrid Falck, Karin Hayes, Montaser Marai, Robert Zuber, and Zoran Galić) will select the best film in the festival's competitive selection and present the "AJB Main Award," and all competitive films will also be in contention for the Al Jazeera Balkans program jury award, which presents the "AJB Program Award." All films screened at the festival are also in the running for the "Audience Award.".

The non-competitive selection of AJB DOC, "Last Minute Cinema," will present five documentary films (Unforgiven, Unwanted Heritage, When the Pigs Come, The Beast is Still Alive, and Louder Than Guns) that have achieved notable success when screened at established European festivals.

The first edition of the AJB DOC festival, in addition to film screenings, includes Q&A sessions after screenings, gatherings with authors, exhibitions, and other accompanying content that will create an environment for meeting and exchanging experiences and serve as a platform for ideas and new projects.