The project, pitched this week at DOK Co-Pro Market, the DOK Leipzig Festival’s co-financing and networking event, received a mixed but generally positive response from international sales agents and festival programmers.
“The project is strong. It’s very topical here and it’s certainly very author-driven, but I felt it was very positive,” said Killian Kiefel, head of sales at French company Media One Rights.
“A pleasant surprise for me was the strength of the projects. There are at least three or four very strong projects, which is above the average for most markets,” commented Rohan Berry Crickmar of French distributor Lightdox.
“I liked the choice of projects. There were a lot of different topics and different ways of dealing with those topics,” agreed Martina Dorondi of Odd Slice Films, a new youth sales organization based in Vienna. The company’s slate includes pick-up products like those for IDFA. Amilcar With Miguel Eek story of lies From Oria Veliopoulou.
However, several distributors complained that the proposed projects were in the early stages, difficult to commit to, and it was not yet clear when or if they would be completed.
One veteran sales agent commented: “It’s too early and too personal. There’s no market for it. My heart is broken, but I don’t know what to tell the filmmakers. If it’s scheduled to be completed in 2028, there’s nothing I can do.”
buzz title
Animation co-produced between Argentina and Germany black diarydirected by Patricio Plaza, about Roger Casement, a young, idealistic Irish diplomat who discovers the horrors of Belgian colonialism in the Congo, captured the imagination of several sales agents in Leipzig. However, some were worried that they would not be able to afford the high price of MG that would be required.
Finnish director Hanna Nordenswan sense and sensitivityThe film, about a mother working in a cemetery and her daughter recovering from alcoholism, has also already won an award at the Finnish Film Institute, with participants commenting on the project’s dark Nordic humor.
A feature-length documentary from Ukrainian director Roman Bondarchuk and Vadim Irkov. recovery, Produced by Darya Bassel of Moon Man Films, the title also garnered strong interest. The film, co-produced by Pauline Tran Van Lieu of France’s Hutong Productions, depicts the rebuilding of Ukraine.
“We’re trying to see if there’s a chance to rebuild this country in a modern way, to shake off its Soviet past and find a more modern way of thinking,” producer Bussell said. “This project is about the future, but the paradox of rebuilding is that it is happening at the same time as destruction.”
“It’s been a great two days,” Bassel added after holding around 30 meetings in Leipzig. However, he said it was too early to make a concrete agreement. The film is still in development and is expected to be completed by 2028. “Our main objective was to meet with representatives of foundations, broadcasters and distributors to put the project on the map, get a response and see how it goes.”
Other titles generating early buzz include the work of Czech director Tereza Bernatkova. sistersbased on 8mm footage found in a convent of teenage girls classified as intellectually disabled and the Paraguayan title A device that steals the soulfrom Giuliano Franco Occipinti.
Meanwhile, industry insiders made the following predictions: talk about images A frank documentary about the distortions and silences of Palestinian history, Berlin-based director Parry El Karkili’s film is expected to spark intense debate and subsequent sales.
The fable-like feel was also hot. Gongon Directed by Carlos Juri Choyninck, a film depicting the rapid social and environmental changes in a fishing village on the island of Cape Verde, directed by Polish director Magdalena Simkov. chef suffrage.
Some of the documents presented at DOK Leipzig’s Preview Germany – new German language documents and works in progress – also generated interest among vendors and festivals.
Sabine Riddle in English Siri – Dance Around the WorldCreated by Irene Höfer of Berlin-based Media Film Factory, the film about novelist and philosopher Siri Hustvedt received widespread positive reviews. The film follows the same director’s previous documentary about Hustvedt’s late husband, Paul Auster. What if? , It features the last interview with novelist Auster before his death last April. This has been suggested as a strong candidate for the festival in early 2026.
Another German feature, Florian Kammer’s find connectionsA piece about lonely people seeking love and companionship through an AI chatbot was similarly warmly received. Produced through Domar Film, the film is in the rough cut stage and is expected to be completed in early 2026.
However, Leipzig’s international distributors and agents generally agreed that they were there to scout projects rather than to close deals.
“In Leipzig you get a very strong feel for what is happening in the German market first and foremost,” said Lightdocs’ Krickmar. “Even within the co-production market, there are certain projects that are definitely chosen because of their potential for co-production in Germany.”
“My feeling is that DOK Leipzig is essentially a place for producers to find co-productions and present projects in various stages,” said Benjamin Kore, managing director of Berlin-based sales and distribution company Pluto Film. “For us, it’s not a market for sale, it’s a market for acquisition.”
(Tag translation) DOK Leipzig
