Over the past days, being isolated in Sheffield and trying to keep being informed about what went on in the rest of the world, I read in the on-line newspapers that thunderstorms, hail and rain had been tormenting Europe. I have to admit that it wasn’t that bad in Sheffield, but still, one can hardly call the view from my room very uplifting, can one? To be fair to this kind little town (and under slight pressure of the local Tourist Information Bureau), half-an-hour later the sun was shining and it became really warm.
Tuesday was the last day of the MeetMarket. Producer/director teams were frantically running around, trying to analyse what was said during the previous meeting and rehearsing what to say to the next decision maker. Some people left the table smiling, while others had – hollow-eyed – an expression of confusion on the face. In other words: you win some, you lose some.
It is clear that the majority of the participants are positive about the experience of the speed-pitching system. They appreciate the direct contact and the possibility to have a real discussion with the person in front of them. However, with only some exceptions, most of them understood that this meeting was only the first step of a long voyage to – hopefully – success.
For me personally, Doc/fest has been a very good place to catch up with colleagues and to discuss audiovisual policy matters that concern us all. I fly home with lots of ideas and plans about actions that EDN will have to carry out over the next months, even years. It was good to hear that more and more documentary film workers feel the need to be represented by one strong and dedicated organisation that can really speak for them, and they put their trust in us. We will not let them down.
I’m keeping this blog sort, for I’m now on my way to Bologna, Italy, for a two-day workshop during the Biografilm Festival. Do you want to know more about that? Keep an eye on this page.