Ahmet Nurduhan
Monday September 11, 2023
SARAJEVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina
The 5-day Al Jazeera Balkans Documentary Film Festival (AJB DOC) kicked off in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s capital, on Saturday, marking the launch of a new platform called “Industry Days”.
The opening ceremony was attended by Adel Ksiksi, the Manager of Planning and Scheduling at Al Jazeera Documentary channel, and Edhem Foco, the director of AJB DOC.
In his speech, Ksiksi expressed enthusiasm about the diverse range of project submissions they had received from countries like Somalia, Germany, Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Arab world. He emphasized the excitement of collaborating with young talents presenting their debut projects.
The collaboration between Al Jazeera Documentary channel and AJB DOC will bring forth the Industry Days, a platform dedicated to promoting and facilitating the global dissemination of documentary film productions. This platform serves as a meeting point for documentary film writers and producers from the region and around the world to exchange ideas and perspectives.
One notable opportunity this year is the chance for participants to compete for the prestigious “co-production prize” worth $70,000.
Additionally, the festival will screen a total of 24 documentaries. The jury includes renowned directors and producers such as Vitali Manski, Bernadett Tuza-Ritter, Nermin Hamzagic, Vanja Jambrovic, and Mohamed Elmongy.
The AJB DOC aims to showcase documentaries from various parts of the world, promoting writers who tackle social issues through the lens of universal human values.
*Written by Zehra Nur Duz
