BRITDOC partners with Sheffield
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The 15th annual Sheffield Doc/Fest kicked off with the announcement of a new strategic partnership with BRITDOC, the festival run by the Channel 4 BRITDOC Foundation. BRITDOC has cancelled its annual event at Keble College, Oxford and decided to take the festival online and on the road in order to add value to other successful fests.
BRITDOC 2008 attracted over a 1000 delegates, but it is thought that the new partnership will only strengthen the brand equity of both the festivals and bring rationalization to an already crowded festival calendar. The partnership will provide a new home for several BRITDOC activities, including the Channel 4 BRITDOC Best British Documentary Film competition.
Channel 4 BRITDOC Foundation CEO Jess Search said, “Working together, we can do something extraordinary for the British documentary scene all year round.”
Sheffield Doc/Fest Director Heather Croall said, “It makes so much sense for Sheffield and BRITDOC to come together as the one major documentary event in the UK. This move will have a major impact on the documentary community and, most significantly, that individual filmmakers are going to benefit. It’s our hope that by pooling our expertise, we can double the benefits to filmmakers.”
Over the last three years, the Foundation has given grants to over 40 independent projects including multiple-award winning We Are Together. This year, six Foundation films are showing at Sheffield.
The Foundation will also launch its Real Good programme, which will include collaboration with Working Films to offer a tailored service to UK broadcasters, NGOs and brands to maximise the impact of their documentary films.
Naman Ramachandran cineuropa.org