Documentary makers and buyers from around the globe will descend on Adelaide to work and play at the Australian International Documentary Conference which is taking place from February 23 to 26, alongside the Adelaide Film Festival.
The AIDC is a must-attend four-day event for the factual film and broadcasting industry, focussing on debate, discussion and deal-making opportunities. In addition, masterclasses and forums raise and explore current challenges and showcase work.
The 2007 program looks at what inspires us, how to use new tools and techniques and what are current best practice models in factual filmmaking.
It’s a year of celebration as Australia’s key event in the international documentary film calendar comes of age. Twenty years ago (in the year that Gorbachev signed the missile treaty with Reagan, and Pat Cash won Wimbledon) a small community of film-makers came together to talk documentary in Adelaide at McLaren Vale. This year, once again the conference takes place in Adelaide but will play host to over 600 national and international delegates.
Said incoming director Joost Den Hartog. “AIDC continues to grow hand in hand with the Australian documentary industry. At 20 years of age in 2007, we celebrate over-coming past growing pains and gear up for what will come. Together, we can look proudly at our past and approach the future in an inspiring and sustainable way.”
The 2007 program will focus on international co-production opportunities as well as the impact of new and emerging platforms on documentary production. Masterclasses with filmmakers and commissioners will offer practical and personal revelations into the current issues faced by documentary makers.
A major feature will be DOCUmart; a vital one-day marketplace for documentary content creators. Shortlisted projects will be pitched by the respective production teams to a panel of leading international commissioning editors and distributors of documentary programs, Documart is intended to assist in securing the development, production and investment deals that will pave the way to programs getting onto television and computer screens across the world. See www.aidc.com.au for more details. Submissions close 4 December 2006
The Australian Film Commission in conjunction with the Australian International Documentary Conference will once again present Meetmarket, an exciting new initiative intoduced at the 2006 Conference. Meetmarket will provide an opportunity for creative and original ideas to be fast tracked in a supportive, structured setting. Selected documentary ideas will be presented in one minute pitch teasers made available online to local and international buyers. After viewing the teasers buyers will meet with selected project teams in a market environment during the AIDC. See www.aidc.com.au for more details. Submissions close 15 December 2006
AIDC 2007 will present a number of award-winning filmmakers, international delegations and leading buyers from around the world. Already confirmed to attend are Claire Aguilar, Independent Television Service (ITVS) – USA; Michelle Berridge, Discovery Communications Inc. - UK; Michael Burns, The Documentary Channel – Canada; Rudy Buttignol, TV Ontario – Canada; Kevin Dawson, Radio Telefís Éireann (RTÉ) Television – Ireland; Pat Ferns, Ferns Productions Inc – Canada; Laura Glassman, Discovery Networks Asia – Singapore; Nobuo Isobe, NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) – Japan; Christoph Jorg, ARTE France – France; Catherine Le Clef, Doc & Co – France; Sydney Neter, SND Films – Netherlands; Catherine Olsen, CBC – Newsworld - Canada; Ralf Quibeldey, ARD-NDR – Germany; Patricia Schiesinger, – NDR – Germany; Stephen Segaller, Thirteen/WNET New York (PBS) – USA; Barbara Truyen, Films Transit International – Netherlands; Iikka Vehkalahti, YLE TV2 – Finland; and Jan Younghusband, Channel 4 - Arts & Performance


AIDC is timed perfectly to coincide with the Adelaide Film Festival ( 22 February to March 4) with screenings being held at three cinemas around Adelaide and special discounts available for AIDC delegates.

The 2007 Australian International Documentary Conference will take place at the Hilton Victoria Square from February 23 - 26. Program and registration details are available online at. www.aidc.com.au or telephone 08 8271 1488.