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We are releasing a conversation recorded on Tuesday, November 14th, 2023, at IDFA, where I met with Julian Ross and Farah Hasanbegović to recap Corresponding Cinemas. Corresponding Cinemas was a new series at IDFA this year, and in many ways, it was an experiment to see what invisible connections surface when an institution decides to transfer over its curatorial control to filmmakers. The idea is simple and compelling. It would be a series of films and conversations with filmmakers who have inspired one another, and the day would follow this chain of inspiration, with each filmmaker selecting the works of the next. The series was planned months in advance and formally announced in September; in the very first announcement the festival made about its program - it reported that the event would kick off with Sky Hopinka and include Basma al-Sharif, Jumana Manna, Ibrahim Shaddad and Abderrahmane Sissako. In this episode, Farah, Julian, and I run through the events leading up to Corresponding Cinemas as we experienced them on the ground. We first discuss the opening night and the release of IDFA’s statement apologizing for a protest banner that appeared during the ceremony and condemning a slogan that was on the banner proclaiming it should not be used in any way and by anybody anymore - despite a recent ruling by the Dutch Court of Appeals that this is not considered hate speech. In response to IDFA denouncing this slogan, Jumana Manna, Basma al-Sharif, and Sky Hopinka circulated a joint statement refusing to comply with IDFA’s statement the evening before their participation in Corresponding Cinemas. The series took place, and Farah, Julian, and I recount how the day unfolded, detailing how each filmmaker used their screenings in different ways to transform a cinema space into a forum for urgent, meaningful, and needed exchanges.   TIMECODES: 0:00  INTRO & GUEST INTROS 4:23: OPENING NIGHT + IDFA STATEMENT 12:30 CORRESPONDING CINEMAS - FILMMAKERS REFUSAL TO COMPLY  14:30  SKY HOPINKA SESSION 17:40 BASMA AL-SHARIF SESSION 25:14  JUMANA MANNA SESSION 39:10 IBRAHIM SHADDAD SCREENING SESSION 43:12 SOLIDARITY ACTIONS FOLLOWING CORRESPONDING CINEMAS STATEMENTS REFERENCED: Opening Night: Workers for Palestine Intervention IDFA Statement #1: IDFA and Artistic Director’s Statement about the Opening Night IDFA Statement #2: IDFA Calls for an Immediate Ceasefire I/We Do Not Comply - Artists' Refusal IDFA Statement #3: A Message from IDFA to the Documentary Community RELATED PODCAST EPISODES Orwa Nyrabia on Corresponding Cinemas, Docs in Orbit, Episode 71 Jumana Manna on Docs in Orbit, Episode 44 Basma al-Sharif on Docs on Orbit,  Episode 27  For show notes, visit docsinorbit.com and be sure to follow us on social media @docsinorbit

Today is the first day of the 36th edition of IDFA, the world's largest documentary film festival - a twelve-day event in Amsterdam featuring more than 250 titles in 22 sections.  Earlier this week, I sat with Orwa Nyrabia, the Artistic Director of the festival, to speak with him about the role, responsibility and relevancy of film festivals and how IDFA is meeting the current moment.  We also discuss some of the new sections in the program, including SPECIAL SCREENINGS,  SIGNED, and the highly anticipated introduction of CORRESPONDING CINEMAS, a unique program featuring a series of films from filmmakers who have inspired one another, including Sky Hopinka, Basam al-Sharif, Jumana Manna, Ibrahim Shaddad, and Abderahmane Sissako.  We end the conversation with an amusing story of how Wang Bing came to be this year’s Guest of Honor.  [Image from the short film, Deep Sleep by Basma Al Sharif, which is screening in the Corresponding CInemas section on Saturday 11 November] Time codes and Films Referenced 00:03:30 How is IDFA meeting the current moment00:08:22 Films in the Program on Orwa's mindOccupied City (2023) by Steve McQueenSocialist Realism (2023) by Raul RuizArna's Children (2003)00:12:00  SPECIAL SCREENINGS00:13:34  SIGNED00:16:28 16 WORLDS ON 16, including works by Agnes Varda, Sarah Maldoror, Chantal Akerman, Maya Deren, Robert Frank, and The First Year (1972) by Patricio Guzman and First Case. Second Case (1979), by Abbass Kiaristami 00:21:30 FABRICATIONS, including notable works from Shirley Clarke, Rosine Mbakam, Safi Faye, and David Schickele00:26:26 CORRESPONDING CINEMAS, including works of Sky Hopinka, Basma al-Sharif, Jumanna Manna, Ibrahim Shaddad Abderahmane Sissako 00:40:00 - 00:46:00 WANG BING, Guest of Honor and his curated TOP 10 films For show notes, visit docsinorbit.com and be sure to follow us on social media @docsinorbit

An abandoned house opens the door to revisit the past by bringing to life a unique, nearly destroyed image archive from the unrecognized territory on the border of the Black Sea: Abkhazia. A place normally inaccessible for Georgians because of the ethnic conflict that happened between Georgia and Abkhazia back in 1993. Combining voice, archive, and recent footage, the film examines a lost and split identity stuck between the margins. The audio-visual fragments of this archive are intricately woven together to create a personal and political biography that recalls the complicated and controversial historical past of Georgian-Abkhaz relationships. The highly personal narration delves into the complexities of nationalism and identity in times of war and global displacement. Ultimately, these reflections on recent history become a potential manual for what can come next, once the wars are over. Conversation moderated by Hosein Jalivand as part of Docs in Orbit coverage of films at Dok Leipzig.  For show notes, visit docsinorbit.com and be sure to follow us on social media @docsinorbit

It's been a few days since Dok Leipzig wrapped up, but we are still reminiscing about the films we encountered and the people we met. So, we made a little souvenir of our time there, featuring a collection of voice memos from a cross-section of festival attendees sharing their favorite film discoveries from this year's event. FEATURING:  Juliette Menthonnex, director of Tale of the Three Flames, speaks about Man In Black by Bing WangEka Tsotsoria, editor of Self-Portrait Along the Borderline speaks about The Der Wind nimmt die mit by Ann Carolin Renninger Adheep Das, director of Moonless speaks about Drijf by Levi Stoops Pauline Blanchet, co-director of 2 or 3 Words About the Cité 4000 speaks about No Changes Have Taken In Our Life by Xu Jingwei Sara Jurinčić, director of Valerija speaks on Zima by Tomek Popakul & Kasumi Ozeki Tess Martin, director of 1976: Search for Life on Zoopticon by Jon Frickey, Thies Mynther, & Sandra TrostelDaryna Mamaisur, director of Smoke of the Fire on Universe Department Store by Taewoong Won Mariana Cadenas Sangronis, director of Draw for Change: We Exist, We Resist on The Mother of All Lies by Asmae El MoudirAnn Carolin Renninger, director of Der Wind nimmt die mit on It’s Just a Whole by Bianca Scali Jani Peltonen, director of 30 Kilometres per Second on The Tuba Thieves by Alison O’Daniel  For show notes, visit docsinorbit.com and be sure to follow us on social media @docsinorbit

Twenty-six years ago, for the 35th New York Film Festival, curators Gavin Smith and Mark McElhatten introduced the festival's experimental sidebar, Views from the Avant-Garde. While their inaugural program featured names like Stan Brakhage, Gregory Markopoulos, and Nathaniel Dorsky, it also opened a space where voices experimenting with cinema's language might meet new audiences. In the festival's intervening years, the vocabulary around this type of cinema evolved and Views from the Avant-Garde has since transformed, first into Projections and then into its most recent incarnation, Currents. When Currents was first announced in 2020, it was also the first year of Docs in Orbit, and every year since, it’s been where we have encountered gems of the festival to bring into conversation, such as My Mexican Bretzel by Nuria Giménez (NYFF58), A Night of Knowing Nothing by Payal Kapadia (NYFF59), and Rewind & Play by Alain Gomis (NYFF60). So, for this year’s edition, we decided to focus more intently on their programming to get a behind-the-scenes look at their curatorial approach. In today's episode, I sit down with the curators of Currents at the 61st New York Film Festival. Our guests are Aily Nash, Rachael Rakes, and Tyler Wilson. They put together an exciting collection of films, which we'll explore, and what sets Currents apart from other programs in New York and abroad. Moderated by Emile Klein SHOW NOTES / FILMS AND BOOKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Man in Black by Wang Bing, Last Things by Deborah Stratman, The Human Surge 3 by Eduardo Williams , Slow Shift by Shambhavi Kaul, A Prince by Pierre Creton, The Night Visitors by Michael Gitlin, The Fist by Ayo Akingbade, Nowhere Near by Miko Revereza, Live from the Clouds by Mackie Mallison, Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell by Thien An Pham, Mangosteen by Tulapop Saenjaroen, Bold Eagle by Whammy Alcazaren , Coral by Sonia Oleniak, ALLENSWORTH by James Benning, Ungentle by Huw Lemmey and Onyeka Igwe, and Film as a Subversive Art by Amos Vogel (revised edition with new forward by Herb Shellenberger) FOR GUEST BIOS AND MORE https://www.docsinorbit.com/nyff Image: Film at Lincoln Center NYFF61 poster by Jim Jarmusch For show notes, visit docsinorbit.com and be sure to follow us on social media @docsinorbit

As we prepared for the festival, we had the pleasure of sitting down with Franka Sachse, a director and animator who is also the curator for the Animation Night at DOK Leipzig.   Aylin Gökmen moderates the conversation. The Animation Night is scheduled for Friday, October 13th, featuring Tess Martin showcasing several of her short films that provide a fascinating insight into the artist's creative journey. The event will be divided into two parts: the first part will focus on her accomplished works as a professional filmmaker, while the second part will delve into the inspirations behind her earlier creations.  Franka Sachse - Biography  After her studies at the Bauhaus-Univeristät Weimar, Franka was selected to realise a film during the European Animation Masterclass in Halle, Germany. This marked the beginning of her career as an independent filmmaker. To create her films, she assumes the role of a scriptwriter, director and animator. Furthermore, Franka is animating young talents to animate through her sessions at international workshops and her lecturing positions at the Kunsthochschule Kassel. As a board member of the ASIFA Germany, she is committed to young talent in her home country. She is part of selection committees and juries for festivals such as DOK Leipzig, the Festival of Animated Film Stuttgart and the Festival of Animation Berlin and curates film programmes independently for various occasions.. Together with her colleagues Ana Vallejo and Catalina Giraldo, she founded the we animate collective. In the darkness of the night, she projects her colourful live visuals and handmade loops as VJ Loov. For show notes, visit docsinorbit.com and be sure to follow us on social media @docsinorbit

The 76th edition of the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland has come to a close, but we are still thinking about many of the films we encountered there. For our recap, we invited a cross-section of attendees to share their favorite film discoveries.  Included in this episode are films from nearly every section of the festival - the Concorso Internazionale (International Competition), the Concorso Cineasti del presente section (Filmmakers of the Present), the Pardi di domani (Leopards of Tomorrow, competition for short films), Semaine de la critique (Critics’ Week) and Fuori concorso (Out of Competition section).   Aylin Gökmen, Docs in Orbit Co-Producer and the director of EVER SINCE, I HAVE BEEN FLYING  on THE ISLAND by Julien Pujol, and I LOOK INTO THE MIRROR AND REPEAT TO MYSELF by Giselle Lin Julien Pujol, director of THE ISLAND on THE INVISIBLE FIGHT by Rainer Sarnet Giselle Lin, director of I LOOK INTO THE MIRROR AND REPEAT TO MYSELF on DREAMING & DYING by Nelson YeoNelson Yeo, director of DREAMING & DYING on DO NOT EXPECT TOO MUCH FROM THE END OF THE WORLD by Radu Jude Arya Cagin from EVER SINCE, I HAVE BEEN FLYING on SCORCHED EARTH by Markela Kontaratou Markela Kontaratou, director of SCORCHED EARTH on CONANN by Bertrand Mandico Anna Joos, filmmaker and academic on THE FIRST DAYS by Stéphane Breton Ruth Baettig from Film Explorer on  BEEN THERE by Corina Schwingruber Ilić and THE HUMAN SURGE 3 by Eduardo WilliamsFor additional show notes, please visit  For show notes, visit docsinorbit.com and be sure to follow us on social media @docsinorbit

This year was a special year for the Golden Apricot International Film Festival in Yerevan. It celebrated its 20th anniversary and also the 100-year anniversary of Armenian cinema. To recap the event, we invited filmmakers, film critics, and other guests to share their impressions about a favorite film they encountered at the festival.  We hope you enjoy listening to this mosaic of impressions from a cross-section of participants! Jude Chehab, Director of Q , speaks about Silent House by Farnaz Jurabchian Fahd Ahmed, editor and co-producer of Q, speaks about Silent House by Farnaz JurabchianFarnaz Jurabchian, Co-Director of Silent House , speaks about Luca by Jessica WoodworthMohammad Reza Jurabchian, Co-Director of Silent House on Black Stone by Spiros JacovidesLeonardo Goi, Film Critic on Our Body by Claire SimonForrest Cardamenis, Film Critic on Samsara by Lois PatiñoKetevan Kipiani, Producer of Kartli in the Works in Progress Workshop on The Magic Mountain by Mariam Chachia and Nik Voigt Levan Tskhovrebadze, Film Critic on Landshaft by Daniel KötterDaniel Kötter, Director of Landshaft on Eureka by Lisandro Alonso For show notes, visit docsinorbit.com and be sure to follow us on social media @docsinorbit

A conversation with Karen Avetisyan, the Artistic Director and CEO of the Golden Apricot Film Festival in Yerevan, Armenia, which took place from the 9 - 16th of July. This year it marked a double milestone for the festival, celebrating both its 20th anniversary as well as the 100th anniversary of Armenian Cinema. Eka Tsotsoria traveled to Yerevan for the occasion, and before making her way there, she sat with Karen to learn more about the programming. In this conversation, Karen shares the origins of the festival and a bit of historical background on the development of Armenian Cinema. He also lends some texture around how the “region” is defined and the festival's role in building a new wave of Armenian Cinema. - Moderated by Eka Tsotsoria For show notes, visit docsinorbit.com and be sure to follow us on social media @docsinorbit

Moving beyond Empathy and Equity in Global Stories - A panel discussion presented at this year's Cannes Docs - Doc Day with producer, writer, and director Mehret Mandefro. Mehret Mandefro is an Emmy-nominated producer, writer, entrepreneur, physician and thought leader who champions the creative arts as a path to developing a more just society. Her track record in both using narrative to shift culture and scaling media businesses secured her a spot on Variety’s list of most impactful women in global entertainment. Drawing on her training at Harvard University in Medicine and Anthropology as the foundation to approaching social issues as a filmmaker, Mehret co-founded the independent production company Truth Aid Media in 2008 in the USA. She has since set up A51 Pictures as its sister company in Ethiopia as well as the Realness Institute in South Africa, and was formerly Executive Producer of Kana Television in Ethiopia, which was subsequently acquired by Canal+. Her latest media venture, TBTM Studios, is headquartered in Dubai and has a slate of projects across documentary and scripted, featuring Africa’s leading voices. Mehret’s credits include the Sundance and Berlinale Audience Award winner Difret, the New York Times Critic’s Pick Little White Lie and she was showrunner for Ethiopia’s first-ever teen drama series Yegna. She executive produced the American Masters feature documentary film How It Feels To Be Free and feature narrative film Sweetness in the Belly, both on Amazon Prime. Her latest documentary feature about reparations in America, directed by Yoruba Richen, is called The Inheritance and is in post-production. A member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, Mehret is a sought-after speaker and has a widely watched TED talk about the impact of the creative industry on economic growth in Africa. Mehret has a BA in Anthropology from Harvard University, an MD from Harvard Medical School, a MSc in Public Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine as a Fulbright Scholar, and a PhD in Cultural Anthropology from Temple University. She was a White House Fellow in the Obama Administration. This discussion was organized by Cannes Docs - Marché du Film with the support of Doc Alliance, Participant, LaScam in association with L'oeil d'or, Année du Documentaire, DAE, CNC, & ACID. Distributed by Docs in Orbit in partnership with Cannes Docs.  For show notes, visit docsinorbit.com and be sure to follow us on social media @docsinorbit

An impenetrable Field of Optimism: Intersections of the Personal and Political in Documentary Filmmaking - Filmmakers Zeynep Güzel, Mina Keshavarz and Sahra Mani (Bread and Roses, Special Screenings, Festival de Cannes 2023), will come together to discuss their work, dreams, aspirations, and hopes for the future, both professional and personal. This discussion was organized by Cannes Docs - Marché du Film with the support of Doc Alliance, Participant, LaScam in association with L'oeil d'or, Année du Documentaire, DAE, CNC, & ACID. Distributed by Docs in Orbit in partnership with Cannes Docs.  For show notes, visit docsinorbit.com and be sure to follow us on social media @docsinorbit

Director & DOP Kirsten Johnson, President of the 2023 Œil d’or Jury, and writer, director, and producer Guetty Felin in conversation about the many ways filmmaking creates possibilities to search for the invisible, to bring life to the dead and to time travel in our own lives. This discussion was organized by Cannes Docs - Marché du Film with the support of Doc Alliance, Participant, LaScam in association with L'oeul d'or, Année du Documentaire, DAE, CNC, & ACID.  Distributed by Docs in Orbit in partnership with Cannes Docs.  For show notes, visit docsinorbit.com and be sure to follow us on social media @docsinorbit