The Doc Edge Festival is New Zealand’s only international documentary film festival. Now in its 11th year, it has been steadily growing in audience numbers and profile since it began.
Portfolio Leader for the Arts Councillor Ray Ahipene-Mercer is excited about the partnership between the festival and the Council.
“This is a film industry premier event and our support for it essential. I am looking forward to it being a more sustainable fixture on the arts offerings of our city,” he says.
The Council’s support will help to build the festival programme, with an emphasis on education.
Doc Edge Executive Director Dan Shanan says the primary goal of the festival is to celebrate local and international documentary stories and to support homegrown documentary makers.
“Since the festival’s launch it has fostered a community of documentary makers. We’ve built a programme around the screenings as well as industry events, facilitating meetings with some of the world’s leading filmmakers and industry,” says Dan.
We hope the Docs for Schools programme opens up new worlds for young people and inspires the next generation of documentarians.”
The Screen Edge Forum gives filmmakers the chance to learn from and meet with distinguished local and international speakers. The Forum will also allow filmmakers to network and discuss their works in progress.
With the growing interest in transmedia and interactive projects, the Trust is spearheading the development of interactive digital storytelling as well as the facilitation of stronger and innovative working relationships between filmmakers and technologists.
Doc Edge Festival – which has been selected as a qualifying festival by the Academy Awards® – will showcase more than 50 of the best documentaries in the world, including award-winners and international premieres.
The Festival will screen at Wellington’s Roxy Cinema 4–15 May. The Forum will be held on 13 May at Park Road Post. The full programme will be launched at the end March.