Crossing Time Zones: Negotiating International Expectations So I Can Finish My Documentary

As Western festivals and funding entities attempt to be more equitable and supportive of indigenous and non-Western filmmakers, they continue to exert pressure on filmmakers’ expectations of the commercial viability and artistic merit of their films, even if the filmmakers are tackling local topics. Furthermore, the labyrinthine systems of talent development, granting bodies, broadcast and streaming commissioners, and international co-production can be especially confusing for emerging filmmakers looking to access Western sources of funding and film festivals. How can you navigate the many markets and festivals? How can you remain true to your artistic vision, while strategizing about support? What are the challenges of various talent development and artist support programs in the name of “underrepresented” communities? What could be the responsibility of festivals and funding bodies in this dynamic?

This 90-minute event is developed through IDA’s Getting Real Fellowship and will bring together filmmakers from Bangladesh and Taiwan who have experience negotiating the international film circuit. Facilitated by programmer Pei-hua Chung (Taiwan International Documentary Festival), filmmakers Huang Yin-yu (Green Jail) and Farid Ahmad (Waiting for Winter) will share a film with event registrants ahead of their conversation around shared concerns. They will discuss this complicated landscape, touching on topics from international co-productions, the assumptions behind ideas of universality in narrative structures, and the unsaid challenges of being platformed. This event is presented in partnership with Dhaka DocLab, TFAI and Taiwan Docs.