The meeting place for all forms of documentary
Fipadoc, the first international documentary meeting in France, returns from January 19th to 27th in Biarritz for a 6th edition which opens the year and sheds light on winter and the world by sharing and celebrating all forms of documentary storytelling for all screens: from cinema, television, and series, including virtual reality, podcasts with the link to the musical creation.
The plural and unique meeting place in Biarritz between films, audiences and filmmakers from around the world, in all their diversity
For its 6th edition, Fipadoc confirms its extended format, starting on Friday January 17, to respond to public demand and professionals ‘enthusiasm.
In its extended format, initiated last year and including two weekends, the festival will offer to the spectators – general public and professionals – more than 140 films, 5 documentary series, 25 short films and 19 digital experiences.
Christine CAMDESSUS, general delegate of Fipadoc:
“Like every year in these first days of the year in Biarritz – these are projects that have since become short and feature films, virtual reality experiences, animated or archive films, series, testifying all of the infinite variety of forms that true stories can take on, as long as the sincerity of their authors carries them. »
Anne GEORGET, president of Fipadoc:
“Faced with the surge of images and information, faced with the ever-increasing speed of their arrival in our lives, we defend the celebration of the long term and the power of documentary views to bring us out of the shadows. In 2024, the program devotes a significant part of its selection to repairing the omissions of the past to better bring about a more desirable present. »
What’s new in the 2024 edition: Is this how people live? *
*Excerpts from the poem “Bierstube German Magic” by Aragon published in the Unfinished Novel, in 1956
Every year, Fipadoc vibrates – at each session – emotions, mutations and (r)evolutions, intimate and collective. The Festival is for everyone! All destinations, all writings and all tastes. The programming covers the urban and rural, cultural and scientific worlds, from the nearest – the Basque country to the most distant in Europe, Asia or Africa – So many bare exposures, highlighted and set in the context of stories. Who tells us the world, our worlds. Short, long, immersive, in series… by established directors and young talents: Fipadoc invites you to embark, from January 17, for an edition rich in new features.
Panoramas du Documentaire with La Scam and PROCIREP
As the Year of Documentaries celebrates its first anniversary, after months of meetings, festivals and events that celebrated the genre, Fipadoc, Scam and PROCIREP come together to offer three afternoons of collective reflections: “Panoramas du Documentaire”.
A new format initiated with La Scam and PROCIREP will allow us to take a critical and prospective look on the stakes of documentary writing, production and distribution, by giving a voice to all those involved in documentary creation: authors, directors, producers, broadcasters, distributors and institutions.
Examine the journeys of films from their birth to their circulation; analyze the strengths and obstacles of the French ecosystem and its repercussions beyond borders; observe the financial dynamics at work today to better anticipate them tomorrow; imagine possible futures: these are the objectives of these days so that the Year of Documentaries continues its dynamic.
Stories from Europe, stories from Africa
Telling the story of the construction of Europe, the history of one of its countries or dealing with European social issues: Stories of Europe is a competitive selection which connects us to our neighbors, shows us what brings us together or separates us and how to prepare for a common future.
This competitive selection initiated in 2020 is supported by Erasmus + and the Nouvelle Aquitaine Region and is part of Doc Around Europe Generation. Its jury is made up of seven young European directors.
In the geography of the festival, just like Europe, Africa stands out. For the first time, in our selection, nine films are labeled African Stories and reveal some of the issues of contemporary Africa.
A new Original Music Award with Sacem
For the first time, Sacem will award a new prize: the prize for best original music as part of the national documentary competition to celebrate the documentary and the music that composes it.
Biarritz Immersive: an immersion beyond the screens, alone or with others
Throughout the editions – Fipadoc continues to question our ways of receiving documentaries and transcending genre categories through the Smart programming offered to festivalgoers upon free reservation of 19 unique and new virtual augmented reality experiences to discover: Biarritz Immersive.
Noire: a unique immersive documentary experience.
This year, Noire, a unique augmented reality experience produced by Stéphane Foenkinos and Pierre-Alain Giraud, based on Noire, the little-known life of Claudette Colvin by Tania de Montaigne published by Grasset 2015 and presented at the Center Pompidou, will be available for the public of Biarritz.
Deployed through an exceptional device. Noire immerses spectators in the South of the United States, at the time of segregation. We meet Claudette Colvin, 15, who on March 2nd, 1955, refused to give up her seat to a white passenger on a bus. Nine months later, Rosa Parks repeated this gesture that history will remember. Claudette Colvin will be forgotten.
The documentary that brings us together with Goût du doc and En famille
Out-of-competition selections, Goût du doc returns to awaken our taste buds, from the excellence of gastronomy to local products and En famille offer meetings for young and old, together.
Olympiadocs: being as close as possible to athletes, a few months before Paris 2024
Passionately sporty in 2024! In this exceptional Olympic and Paralympic year, Olympiadocs celebrates sport from every angle with this non-competition selection which follows on from En Mêlée which put rugby in the spotlight of the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France.
Documentary series
Since 2023, Fipadoc has created a selection dedicated to documentary series shown in their entirety in theaters. In January 2024, in Biarritz, Fipadoc will offer 5 new series.
In March 2024, as an extension of the Year of Documentaries, Fipadoc is joining forces with Séries Mania (from March 15th to 22nd in Lilleand online) with the support of La Scam to offer two new documentary series, one French and one international.
Focus 2024: Italy with Bella Ciao to open the Festival.
The European commitment of Fipadoc – founding member of the network of European festivals dedicated to documentary Doc Around Europe – is reflected in particular with the traditional FOCUS selection. This year, it is dedicated to Italy taking the audience on a journey to discover the richness and documentary creativity of this country and its culture.
On January 19th, 2024, the opening evening of Fipadoc will feature, as for the first time, the activist music of Bella Ciao.
Exhibition “An Iranian revolution: woman, life, freedom”
In support to the “Women, Life, Freedom” movement, and to the activist and journalist Narges Mohammadi, imprisoned in Tehran, 2023 Nobel Peace Prize for her fight for democracy and human rights in Iran – Fipadoc presents a selection of posters from more than 50 graphic designers and press cartoonists committed to supporting the fight for women and freedom in Iran with graphic creations inspired by posters from the Russian or Cuban revolutions, from May 68 and strong graphic codes specific to Persia.
Protection of the right to information with the Etats Généraux de l’Information and the International Journalism Festival of Couthures
Fipadoc is committed to protecting the right to information and supports the place of journalists in the dissemination of information. In 2024, Fipadoc welcomes to Biarritz: the Etats Généraux de l’Information. The International Journalism Festival in Couthures-sur-Garonne will host, in July 2024, a selection of 3 films programmed at Fipadoc which pay tribute to journalists and their ability to document reality.
Fipadoc Pro: the documentary factory of tomorrow
The first international professional documentary meeting of the year, Fipadoc brings together – as part of the Fipadoc PRO program, from January 22nd to 25th, all the players in the regional, national, European and international documentary ecosystem.
Industry days bring together those who make documentaries to shed light on the current documentary industry and allow the projects of tomorrow to exist and be shared with as many people as possible, through pitch sessions, filming, speeches, debates, conferences, and presentations.
New actors and partners in documentary creation are joining Fipadoc PRO this year: M6 will present the editorial lines of its new documentary offer for the first time in Biarritz. Likewise, the National Music Center (CNM) will be hosted for a round table on the links between documentary creation and the music industry.
Campus: discovery tours and programs for the documentary genre during the Festival and throughout the year
CAMPUS continues its missions as close as possible to young people for image education; the professionalization of young actors in the documentary sector and the promotion of new talents.
Its European component is reinforced by the support of Europe Créative for the actions developed within Doc Around Europe Generation and Docs4Teens, partnerships of European documentary festivals.
At the crossroads of local, regional, national and international territories
From Biarritz, the Basque Country, the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Region, France, in Europe and internationally, during the Festival and all year round, Fipadoc is deployed as close as possible to those for whom the documentary is a job, a passion, an openness to others, a window onto the world: from school to nursing homes.
Fipadoc in figures
◤ More than 160 documentary works
all formats — feature film, short film, virtual reality, podcast, series, all forms combined — cinema, television, radio
◤ 250 sessions organized during the festival
◤ 110 meetings with film crews and the general public
◤ 41 French and international jurors
◤ 15 prizes
Including 5 grand prix — International, National, Musical, Impact & Panorama of French-speaking creation
◤ 8 screening locations in 3 towns in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region — Biarritz, Bayonne & Saint-Jean de Luz
◤ 50 countries represented in the selected films
◤ 32 400 spectators from all over the world (2023)
◤ 2 200 accredited — professionals, talents, press (2023)
Poster for the 2024 edition: Pascal Maitre – MYOP Agency.