Presentation of the Balkan Documentary Centre

Documentary film is one of the main informal channels of communication of critical social issues to the wide audience.

Martička Božilova, director of BDC' Bulgaria
8 June 2010, Tuesday, Public Room 11.00 -12.00  

Documentary film is one of the main informal channels of communication of critical social issues to the wide audience. Addressing problems in a creative manner, it challenges political inertness and promotes an informed, active and engaged civil society. However, in the Eastern block realization of ideas with a critical view and impartial interpretation is impeded by restrictive practices and weak support. Many open-minded projects falter at conception stage because their realization proves extremely difficult.

The Balkan Documentary Centre (BDC) is a mediator in the creation and distribution of critically minded documentaries and social campaigns in the Balkan region. The BDC will consolidate the creative potential of film-makers, journalists and media professionals, connect them with institutions promoting human rights and civil society, and bring the development of documentary films and campaigns up to international standards. The venue of the BDC is a historic building in the centre of Sofia, which is currently being completely renovated. It will host three intertwined lines of activities:

1) Providing educational and institutional support. Target: documentary authors, journalists, producers, distributors and broadcasters. Located in the centre of the Balkans, the BDC will be an accessible venue for training regional film-makers in the standards of European film production, and nurturing grassroots projects. Thus the centre will support the gradual bringing-up of a generation of professionals matching the highest criteria of the European audiovisual industry, with a potential for distribution not only within the region but internationally.

2) Promoting debate and increase the level of awareness and publicity. Target: Balkan and international audience. BDC projects will be supported by debates and publicity campaigns, organised in partnership with civil society organisations and the media. The aim is to inform larger segments of society about problems omitted from public discussion, and to provoke active personal involvement in critical social issues.

3) Fostering networking and international collaboration. Target: organisations dealing with human rights, freedom of speech, social justice and civil liberties, production companies and professionals in the audiovisual sector. Stimulating cross-sectored cooperation and building links between countries in the region will provide a platform for collaborations in documentary and social projects. The BDC will have its virtual doppelganger – a specialised networking web portal with a database of industry professionals, as well as providing the technical and organisational platform for initiating, funding and distributing joint documentary projects.

Balkan Documentary Center
an initiative of AGITPROP and Bulgarian Photographic Association. Supported by a grant from the Trust for Civil Society in Central and Eastern Europe MEDIA INTERNATIONAL Programme of the EU and the State Institute for Culture at the Bulgarian MFA
In partnership with Dokufest – Prizren (Kosovo), Public Room (Macedonia), Documentor (Romania)
www.bdcwebsite.com

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