The documentary film, as an important component of the film art in the West there is often considered as the origin of the film, has the tradition of screening in cinemas. And complete mature film making and marketing system makes the outstanding documentary films to come out continuously and plentifully that can be confirmed from various international documentary festivals all have a long history.
However, in China, the documentary has narrow channels of communication, and there are no special cinemas for public screenings. The gap of the documentary development between China and the West is more than 50 years.The best international documentary films have little chance to spread in China, and Chinese movie goers have limited channels to watch these best films but also Chinese documentary practitioners have less communication with overseas peers and fewer opportunities to learn from them.
2009 Beijing International Documentary Forum will firstly screen the most outstanding international documentary films with such a large scale, and invite the most excellent directors to carry out in-depth discussion. The Forum will pay full attention to boost the development of multiple culture, share of the essence of world civilization and promote actively establishment of constructive cultural environment.
As a professional media company are focusing on the field of documentary all the time, Beijing Channel Zero Media is planning the 2009 Beijing International Documentary Forum specially on the basis of our first-line experience that understand the industry status of domestic and overseas documentary. We hope 5-days watching movies and seminars could give a chance for Chinese documentary practitioners, amateurs and various kinds of new emerging forces to expand their horizon and boost their professionalism.
The Forum granted by the foundation of International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA, which belongs to the highest level of international documentary film festival), and got the most fund €10 thousand. During the Forum, we will invite many well-known directors both at home and abroad, including Fahrenheit 9/11 director Mike Moore, Heddy Honigmann who is the great master of Dutch documentary director, Chinese very famous filmmaker Jia Zhangke, and Hou Xiaoxian.
