Montreal, Friday, November 12, 2021 – The 17th edition of the Forum RIDM will officially open on Saturday, November 13 in a new hybrid format that combines in-person activities with virtual networking. The first two days will be reserved for members of the 2021 cohort of Talent Lab, presented by Netflix. Discussions, workshops and networking opportunities will be open to the entire documentary community starting on Monday and continue until the Forum ends on Wednesday, November 17. Please note that the activities are open to accredited Forum attendees who have registered in advance.
TALENT LAB – Saturday, November 13 to Monday, November 15
The Talent Lab is an opportunity for sixteen emerging creators to reflect on their projects and artistic practices under the guidance of industry professionals and various stakeholders. The Lab consists of three days of private workshops and presentations. Participants will also be eligible for various grants and different forms of support offered by Canal D, ONF, NFB and CineGround.
OPENING BREAKFAST – Monday, November 15
In keeping with tradition, the Forum RIDM begins its 17th edition with a morning activity that explores key issues in the documentary industry. The event is presented by the Canada Media Fund. Led by the experienced Picbois Productions team, this edition will focus on the theme “High-Impact Production: New Strategies for Reaching New Audiences.”
This breakfast discussion will provide an opportunity to examine the scope and impact of documentary productions and which innovative strategies can be used to build community engagement in our projects, given the growing number of available platforms. Drawing on projects from Picbois Productions, guests will explore examples of Quebec's expertise in terms of innovative impact and promotion strategies in the documentary world.
VIRTUAL ROUNDTABLE ON CANADIAN FUNDS – Monday, November 15
At the Online Canadian Funds Roundtable event, participants will be able to meet with representatives of Canada’s leading funds in virtual breakout sessions, and ask targeted questions. Unlike making a pitch, this session will give participants a better understanding of what types of projects can be funded and sponsored, based on the criteria used by the various funding agencies in attendance. Participants will have four 20-minute online sessions to talk with representatives of the CrossCurrents Canada Doc Fund, the Canada Media Fund, the Bell Fund, SODEC and Telefilm Canada.
WORKSHOP: IS INTERNATIONAL CO-PRODUCTION A GOOD DEAL? – Monday, November 15
For the Forum's professional audience, local producers will share their experiences with international co-productions by recounting, in detail, the story of a project that was particularly significant to them. These stories will be followed by a discussion with the audience, moderated by Colette Loumède and Michel Pradier and presented by the Canada Media Fund. The workshop will help participants understand the potential added value of international co-production. It is mainly intended for producers who are new to foreign co-production.
OPENING EVENT – Monday, November 15
The opening event will celebrate documentary film and renew the Forum RIDM’s informal networking tradition, while taking care to follow health standards. It will provide an opportunity to rub elbows with Forum attendees, renew old acquaintances and meet new people.
ONLINE ONE-ON-ONE PITCHES – Tuesday, November 16 and Wednesday, November 17
For 2021, the One-on-One Pitches will take place entirely online, but with the same successful format. As usual, the event consists of two half-days of one-on-one meetings between producers, filmmakers and industry representatives: public and private broadcasters, distributors, sales agents, festival programmers, institutions and funding representatives. The event is open to accredited Forum attendees upon registration, and is presented in collaboration with the Alliance des producteurs francophones du Canada.
CRÉATION PLURIELLE SERIES – Wednesday, November 17
The Création Plurielle series, presented by the Bell Fund, offers practical workshops to meet the needs of professionals from First Nations, Inuit, Métis, African-descendant and racialized communities who are submitting an audiovisual project.
A short training session entitled “Approaching broadcasters”, facilitated by the producer Daniela Mujica, will provide an opportunity to learn more about broadcast licenses and explore various funding strategies in partnership with Quebec broadcasters. These partnerships are essential to be eligible for various funding programs.
“Producing a first project against all odds”, a workshop facilitated by filmmaker Ky Nam Le Duc, will provide an overview of the strategies first-time filmmakers need to know in order to successfully produce a film in a professional setting. The workshop will cover topics such as sources of funding, writing, preparing a minimum budget, and the art of the hustle.
ROUGH CUT LAB – Wednesday, November 17
The Rough Cut Lab is an in-depth workshop featuring a filmmaker and his producer in conversation with a panel of internationally-renowned experts. This year, the selected project is L’histoire les jugera (working title), by the director German Gutierrez, who will be accompanied by his producer, Carmen Garcia. First the project will be viewed in its entirety in the presence of the team, the panelists and the Forum’s audience. This will be followed by a discussion with the professionals on creative editing, festival strategy and marketing. Moderated by researcher and documentary filmmaker Caroline Martel, this year’s panel of experts will include editors Natacha Dufaux and Xi Feng, director of distribution at SPIRA Sébastien Merckling, and filmmaker Joana Oliveira.
DOC IGNITE: WRITING FOR DOCUMENTARY FUNDS – Wednesday, November 17
Presented in collaboration with Hot Docs, this workshop examines the keys to writing the best version of a project for submission to a documentary fund. It will look into the basics of a documentary application, including the tagline, synopsis and supporting material. Through the study of subsidized applications by the Hot Docs Fund, participants will have an opportunity to learn more about what funders are looking for in the submissions they receive.
DOC HOUR – Wednesday, November 17
DOC Québec invites you to a new edition of the Doc Hour event, a discussion led by a panel of experts. This year Doc Hour will focus on auteur documentary in Quebec in the digital age. The panel discussion will be moderated by Frederic Bohbot (Bunbury Films) and the panel members will be Benjamin Hogue (Les Films du 3 Mars), Mélanie Carrier (MÖ FILMS), and Naomie Décarie-Daigneault (Tënk).
CLOSING EVENT – Wednesday, November 17
The closing event of the Forum’s 17th edition will provide one last opportunity to network with professionals in the documentary industry, both from here and abroad. It will be at this gathering, presented by Doc Québec, that the winners will be announced in the contest for Talent Lab support. They will be selected by Canal D, the NFB and CineGround, as well as the recipient of the franC doc grant.
ACCREDITATIONS
Accreditations for the Forum RIDM activities are now on sale on our website and will remain available throughout the festival.
About Forum RIDM
Each year, the Forum RIDM offers an intensive program of business meetings and professional development workshops.
The Forum RIDM has been made possible thanks to the support of our major and institutional partners: the Société de développement des entreprises culturelles (SODEC), Telefilm Canada, Canada Council for the Arts, Ville de Montréal, the Conseil des arts de Montréal, Netflix, the Bell Fund, the Canada Media Fund, Canal D, the Office national du film du Canada, and the National Film Board of Canada.
The 17th edition of Forum RIDM will take place from November 13 to 17, 2021.
Information: RIDM.ca
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For more information, please contact:
Caroline Rompré | pixelleX communications | 514-778-9294 | caroline@pixellex.ca