11/11/2021 - The 63rd edition of Zinebi is readying its fourth professional forum for documentary movies, set to unspool on 16 and 17 November

Among the industry activities scheduled to unspool at the 63^rd edition of Zinebi – Bilbao International Documentary and Short Film Festival, of particular note is the fourth edition of its professional forum for documentary movies, Zinebi Networking. Dokumentalen Sorgunea, which will be held on 16 and 17 November. This activity is aimed at fostering audiovisual production in the field of Basque documentary cinema. This year’s edition will be a particularly important one because, as the Zinebi team has announced, after an especially complicated time dominated by the pandemic, it is now “more necessary than ever to support the Basque audiovisual sector along with its creators and producers”.

Zinebi Networking. Dokumentalen Sorgunea is an initiative organised by the festival itself, in collaboration with the Basque Producers Association (EPTE-APV), Euskal Telebista (EITB), Creative Europe – MEDIA Desk Euskadi and Zineuskadi, focusing on supporting local talent and developing the area’s audiovisual production. On this occasion, the seven feature-length documentary projects selected – from among the 16 that were submitted during the most recent call for applications – will have the opportunity to take part in a personalised tutorial session with filmmaker Virginia García del Pino, followed by a public presentation on 16 November during a meeting moderated by documentary film expert Aida Vallejo, which will return to being an in-person event this year. In addition, the selected projects will be vying for the Zinebi Networking. Dokumentalen Sorgunea Award, valued at €10,000, which will be handed out on 19 November, at the festival’s closing ceremony, set to be held at the Arriaga Theatre.

Thus, through this union of creators and other professionals from the sector and the provision of funding, this professional forum represents an opportunity to further develop and provide a boost to upcoming documentary film projects. Proof of this can be seen in the titles that won awards at prior editions: Inland [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (2018) by Juan Palacios, the winner of the prize at the first edition, which subsequently had its world premiere at the famous CPH:DOX documentary film festival in 2019 (taking home a Special Jury Mention to boot); Bost minutu (2019) by Amaia Nerekan Umaran, which will be premiered at this year’s edition of Zinebi, in the Bertoko Begiradak – Views From the Basque Country section; and Bayo Bayo Baby (2020) by Amaia Remirez and Raúl de la Fuente, which scooped an award last year and is due to be premiered in 2022.

Below, we detail the seven feature-length documentary projects selected for this edition, all of which are at the advanced development stage or are in production:

To Books and Women I Sing [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: María Elorza and Marian Fer…
film profile] - Maria Elorza
Producer: Txintxua Films

Amak esan zidan - Irati Cano Alkain
Producer: Kalakalab

Aupa Maurizia! - Gentzane Martinez de Osaba
Producers: Bideografik SL, Marmoka Films

Cabeza y corazón - Ainhoa Andraka and Zuri Goikoetxea
Producer: Doxa Producciones

Eñaut Zuazo - David Álvarez and Meritxell Valls
Producer: Eñaut Zuazo

Hezurrak – Ainhoa Gutiérrez del Pozo and Olatz González Abrisketa
Producer: Maluta Films

My Way Out [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] – Izaskun Arandia
Producers: Izar Films SL, Alt Content

(Translated from Spanish)