DN Academy and Alumni Event held in Budapest
The fifth DocNomads Academy Seminar and the eighth DocNomads Alumni Event were held in the 9 and 10 of February at the conference hall of Premier Kultcafé in Budapest.
The fifth thematic seminar of DocNomads Academy, which aims at extending the boundaries of the regular curricular programme of DocNomads by focusing in specific thematic within an intensive one-day format of lectures and presentations, this year was held under the overarching topic “Networking, Promoting, Distributing: perspectives in Europe”.
The seminar started with a lecture of Peter Jaeger, an experienced sales agent, and Creative Europe expert, founder of Autlook Filmsales and Jaeger Creative focusing on innovative distribution, financing and marketing solutions for films and series. Guest participants Sofia Tocar, Veronika Dvořáčková and Ivana Formanová presented the various support initiatives promoted by IDF – Institute of Documentary Film (Prague, CZ) with the analysis of case studies from the testimonies of director Botond Püsök and also former or current students in DocNomads with film projects supported by IDF, such as Anna Gyimesi, Marta Smerechynska, Ana Barjadze. The seminar closed with the Documentary Association of Europe (DAE) mission and initiatives, presented by its Chair and co-founder Julianna Ugrin, also a nominated producer of the European Film Academy, and president of the Hungarian Documentary Association (MADOKE).
The Alumni Event, which already became a prominent feature amidst the thematic activities organized in Budapest at the moment of gathering the current enrolled classes in the transition between curricular semesters, also became a customary occasion for a reunion with the growing number of DocNomads alumni.
As one of the most participated Alumni Event since its inception in 2016, this year counted with the attendance of alumni representing the whole 12 classes of DocNomads programme up to date. Contributors to the event’s programme were Jethro Westraad (DN8), Jola Wieczorek (DN1), Atanur Nabiyeva (DN9), Ross McClean (DN5), Nuruzzaman Khan (DN4), Martha Appelt (DN4), Thiago Carvalhaes (DN4), who presented the current state of development or production of the most recent feature-length documentaries they have been involved, thus sharing their professional experiences with the event’s audience congregating students, teachers, alumni, co-workers and friends.
