CIRCLE Women Doc Accelerator is an annual educational program, accepting up to 10 female directors and producers per year, which offers support to documentary projects of strong international appeal at various stages of the production process. The program serves as a stepping stone for international collaborations, providing the chance to female professionals to make use of the possibilities offered, having set as its main goal the empowerment of women amidst the film industry. CIRCLE promotes the development of films, while focusing on the exchange and building of knowledge and other professional skills, by bringing its participants into contact with the full spectrum of the film industry and providing them with direct access to world-class mentors.
Masterclasses open to the public
Within the framework of the program a series of masterclasses will be held at the cultural center “Melina Mercouri” in Edipsos. Admission will be free for the audience, on a first-come-first-served basis. All masterclasses will be held in English, with no translation into Greek.
Masterclass by Gianluca Matarrese | Tuesday June 20th, 12:30
My own documentary lab
How do we recognize a good story? A narrative arc in the reality we are filming? How do we identify the best witnesses/protagonists/characters? Building storytelling and working on the borderline between reality and fiction. Director behind and in front of the camera? Prolific award-winning filmmaker and actor Gianluca Matarrese, known for his films The Last Chapter and Fashion Babylon, shares the secrets of his filmmaking practice.
Masterclass by Selin Murat | Wednesday June 21st, 09:30
Navigating the industry with your creative documentary
How to position your film in the actual industry landscape? How to preserve your personal POV and adapt to the market at the same time? An exclusive personal insight into the ever-changing film industry landscape by Selin Murat, (Markets Manager, IDFA), a leading figure at the Market of the International Documentary Festival of Amsterdam, one of the most prestigious doc festivals around the globe.
Masterclass by Salomé Jashi | Thursday June 22nd, 10:00
Taming the Garden: Case study
How can you find images for your story or find a story in the images you shot? Can you plan the success of your film from the very beginning? How to overcome challenges of working in a male-oriented context as a female artist? Salomé Jashi lays out the case study of her film, Taming the Garden, screened on Wednesday June 21st, at ciné Apollon.
Masterclass by Biljana Tutorov & Luka Venturin | Thursday June 22nd, 12:00
Learning from mistakes
What mistakes can we avoid when making a feature documentary? What are some good practices to nurture? How can we carve the best path for both our films and ourselves? Film director and producer Biljana Tutorov, founder of CIRCLE Women Doc Accelerator, and producer Luka Venturin, program coordinator at CIRCLE Women Doc Accelerator and producer of the short film Picnic, recipient of numerous awards in many international festivals and winner of the European Film Award for Best Short Film (2015), offer answers to the fundamental questions that concern all up and coming documentary filmmakers.
Masterclass by Hubert Sauper | Friday June 23rd, 10:00
We Come as Friends: Case study
Academy Award nominated Austrian director Huber Sauper, one of the leading documentary filmmakers of our time, shares his secrets by analyzing one of his award-winning films, We Come as Friends, which will be screened on Thursday June 22nd, at ciné Apollon. What is it like to work and create in dangerous zones? What is the best way to build an ethical approach to some of the most burning political issues of our time? How do we represent postcolonial heritage on screen?
