Al Jazeera Documentary Channel has officially announced the third edition of its annual Al Jazeera Documentary Industry Days (AJD Industry Days), which will take place from 14 to 16 September 2024 in Sarajevo. The event is held in conjunction with the Al Jazeera Balkans Documentary Film Festival.
This year’s edition will emphasise documentaries that explore human stories, address pressing social issues, and promote universal values, with a particular focus on regions typically underrepresented in the documentary industry. By bringing together a diverse group of filmmakers and decision-makers, AJD Industry Days seeks to promote cultural exchange and deepen understanding across global perspectives.
29 projects were selected to participate in the event, categorised into four segments: Main Pitch, Rough Cut, Balkan Star, and Special Selection. A panel of international judges will evaluate the competing projects based on their relevance, originality, pitching quality, production skills, and international potential, with a total prize fund of approximately €120,000 awarded to the winners.
The following projects will be pitched:
Main Pitch
- American dream: The return of captain Kabonga, Amir El-Shenawy
- Big in Gazi Baba, Pauline Blanchet
- K67, Filip Filkovic Philatz
- Power, Elaine, Mila Turajlić
- The amateur photographer’s family portrait, Nurlan Hasanli
- The dry period, Nihal Atasoy
- The last baron, Olga Lucovnicova & Annabel Verbeke
- The other Gaza, Wafa Jamil
- Wolf game, Patricia Echeverria Liras
- You are mine, Fariz Ahmadov
Rough Cut
- 3phrala – 3brothers, Katalin Bársony
- 32 meters, Morteza Atabaki
- Close to paradise – Zarema and her rebel family, Tatsiana Khamliuk
- Dom, Massimiliano Battistella
- Dreams of the wild oaks, Marjan Khosravi
- Eduard, Sophie Shevardnadze
- Jodari Meno, Jamal Al Khanji
- Magma, Mia Bendrimia
- Slav(e)s, Robert Tomić Zuber
Balkan Stars
- For whom the bells toll?, Denis Karam, Zlatko Ivanisevic
- Houses on sand, Vid Begić
- Phantom limb, Catherine Norman Tahirović
- Third person, Dragan Gmizić
- Weeping houses, Srđan Perkić
- Zanki, Marcella Zanki
Special Selection
- From ground zero docs, Ahmad Hassouna, Reema Mahmoud, Mostafa El Nabieh and Khamis Masharawi
- Inside Gaza, Hélène Lam Trong
- Is it all about money?, Emir Nuhanović
- The track, Ryan Sidhoo
The event will gather over 80 international decision-makers, 50 producers, and filmmakers, facilitating networking, collaboration, and project discussions that could lead to future funding opportunities. This initiative underscores Al Jazeera’s role in promoting global collaboration and supporting emerging talent in the documentary film industry.
