The 2019 Guangzhou International Documentary Film Festival, China (GZDOC) will be held in the city between December 9th and 12th, bringing together industry professionals, filmmakers and documentary aficionados with a variety of events. With this year’s theme ‘Documenting Today For Tomorrow’, GZDOC has received 3,441 submissions from 130 countries and regions.

Click on this video to view the shortlisted documentary films for 14 awards in the Golden Kapok Award Competition. [Video provided to Newsgd.com]

The festival provides a platform to screen outstanding documentaries from all over the world. It features the Golden Kapok Award Competition, the Golden Kapok Screening, pitching sessions, marketing activities, international forums and industry training.

A total of 46 documentary films have been shortlisted for 14 awards in the Golden Kapok Award Competition, including 23 films from China. Some are the latest prize-winning blockbusters from other famous film festivals, such as the Berlin International Film Festival prize-winning documentary ‘Talking About Trees’ and the Sundance award-winning documentary ‘Honeyland’.

A poster of the Sundance award-winning documentary ‘Honeyland’. [Photo provided to Newsgd.com]

The Golden Kapok Screening has been successfully held on five occasions since it was established in 2014. This year, over 50 well-chosen documentary films will be screened in cinemas and cultural spaces across the city, including ‘Kabul, City in the Wind’ which won the First Appearance Special Jury Award from the Amsterdam International Documentary Film Festival. A total of 22 films will make their Asia or China premieres during the festival.

Some film screenings will be followed by talks with the production team, some come recommended by the China International Children’s Film Festival (CICFF) for both parents and children, and some are free to the public. Follow the official WeChat account of the Golden Kapok Screening (金红棉影展) or scan the QR code below to see the schedule and buy tickets (priced between 20 to 80 RMB).

Delegations from Italy, Finland, South Korea, Switzerland, Netherlands, France, and Germany will participate in the event looking for partnership. The Italian delegation is to set up a special exhibition to showcase their latest documentary films and stage a forum to explain financing strategies for films in Italy.

In addition, representatives from both international broadcast corporations and film festivals will attend the festival as well, such as the National Geographic Channel, BBC, NHK, KBS, Tribeca Film Festival and Festival International de Cinema Nyon.

With some classes open to the public for free, you will not want to miss out on the masterclasses where you will be able to meet and talk with world famous directors, BBC decision makers, and Oscar-winning producers to learn more about documentaries and filming.

A poster of a Chinese documentary film ‘Once Upon A Bite’. [Photo provided to Newsgd.com]

GZDOC is the sole documentary film festival in China. As an important part of the international documentary industry chain, it has established relationships with 45 renowned documentary professional film festivals and institutions to promote Chinese stories to an international audience.

The festival is hosted by both the National Radio and Television Administration and the People's Government of Guangdong Province, organized by the People’s Government of Guangzhou Municipality, the Film Bureau of Guangdong Province, and the Radio and Television Administration of Guangdong Province, implemented by the Guangzhou Municipal Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism Bureau, and operated Global Raytur International Public Communication Organization.

Author: Monica Liu

Editor: Simon Haywood