On 14 July at Odessa International Film Festival within professional section ‘Cinema industry Office’ will take place a presentation organized by the British Council and Docudays UA Made In Ukraine, Produced In UK. It will be dedicated to new opportunities for Ukrainian documentary filmmakers in Britain. The most inspiring documentary film market in Europe, financial support schemes and new business models available for cinema professionals from Eastern Europe region will be presented by Sylvia Wroblewska, the Marketing Director at the largest British documentary film festival Sheffield Doc/Fest, and Luke Moody, a representative of BRITDOС Foundation. Besides, Christine Bardsley, a Film Advisor at British Council, and Darya Bassel, a Programmer at Docudays UA, will announce their common project The Guardian Pitch. Find out more details about the idea of pitching and participation conditions in Darya’s interview.

On project idea

In June Docudays UA, with the support of the British Council in Ukraine, visited International Documentary Film Festival Sheffield Doc/Fest, where Ukrainian delegation of documentary filmmakers was represented for the first time. This is a big documentary film festival in Great Britain, where much attention is paid to industrial component. For us it was important to acquaint British cinema society with our filmmakers and to provide a possibility for Ukrainian filmmakers to learn how the system of European cinema market functions and to demonstrate their projects to European producers.

By good fortune, this year The Guardian for the first time conducted in Sheffield pitching for its new slot. Starting from last year The Guardian has been weekly publishing on its online-platform a short documentary film. Every film is a story of a certain person told in the light of acute problems: starting from drug addiction in Mexico to radical nationalists in Poland.  At the moment The Guardian is in active search for new ideas and new films for its slot. Ukraine still remains one of the hottest points on the world map and without any doubt The Guardian, as the leading world news resource, is interested in stories from our country. To be more specific, in unique stories available only for Ukrainians. During our communication an idea arose to search and select possible Ukrainian projects for The Guardian documentary slot.

Let me tell you how it will work. In the end of the year there will be an announcement opening applications submission, out of which six projects will be chosen. They will participate in Pitching which will take place within Docudays UA 2016. Finally The Guardian will choose one project, which will receive a commission of £5,000 for its production, and also many other bonuses (i.e. the filmmaker will go to London to edit the film). Now we are looking for a possibility to provide a special prize from Docudays UA for the idea which our team will enjoy the most. We would be pleased to see as the result of this large-scale program not one film (though this is already not bad).

 On cooperation with Odessa International Film Festival

At present OIFF is the only festival in Ukraine which makes special focus on program for cinema professionals.  That’s why we found it a perfect place for The Guardian pitching announcement. Besides, Docudays UA has positive experience of cooperation with Odessa festival: last year we were partners of the special program The Way to Freedom: and this is becoming a good tradition – not to come to Odessa empty-handed.

On pitching participation conditions  

Anybody can apply for participation. The only exception is the age. An applicant must be under 37. This is caused by our intention to provide an opportunity for young filmmakers to develop actively. The application must include a treatment (explanation of the idea) with a detailed description of the story and a teaser /a trailer / a fragment of the film or at least photographs. All materials must be in English (video – with English subtitles).

Any subject can be chosen.  But one thing is important. Filmmakers can apply an original idea of a short-length film or a fragment of a full-length film which is under production at the moment. It is important to bear in mind that the filmmaker will have to delegate The Guardian exclusive rights for screening the film in internet. All in all, this is common European practice.

On documentary with British accent

Notwithstanding the fact that in Great Britain documentary is shown in cinema, there are developed VOD platforms there, numerous big and small festivals, various funds, the main demand for documentary films is formed by TV. And this greatly impacts the major part of production. However, there is always ‘Cape of good hope’ – films made not as production but as cinema. For example, these were Britons who shot an absolute blockbuster Virunga (Oscar nomination). This film was shot with great accuracy to details, following all rules of a Hollywood action film in the finest sense of this word. Such delicate work requires special skills of a craftsman (again – in the finest sense – a professional). And if we look at the director’s filmography, it is full of TV projects.

While discussing the project I asked my colleague from The Guardian, if there were any precautions against auteur documentary, the answer was as follows: 'Our task is to find amazing stories. We would be glad if the film had both a story and a cinematographic interesting form'. And this seams a real challenge for any filmmaker. I hope that this is what the chosen Ukrainian film for The Guardian will be: an exciting story and a talented and original film at the same time.

I would like to draw a special focus to the British Council in Ukraine, which made realization of the project possible.