The DOKer Project was launched in 2011 by a group of enthusiasts who wanted to promote contemporary art documentaries in Russia. The project has held nine seasons of film screenings in six Russian cities, staging 300 screenings for over 200,000 viewers of different ages and backgrounds. Alongside screenings, the project organizes meetings with filmmakers, workshops, cultural activities, and more. The success of the DOKer project has inspired its organizers to create a separate film festival dedicated solely to high-quality documentaries.
The inaugural DOKer Film Festival was held in 2015. Its selection is based on three main principles:
- In “documentary film” the emphasis is laid on “film”; the festival is about the art of filmmaking.
- There are many ways to make a good documentary, but two aspects should remain intact: interest and drama.
- Image and sound are just as important for documentaries as for fiction films. They are the language of cinema that tells the story.
The program of MIDFF DOKer focuses on independent documentary cinema that incorporates both classic and experimental films, real footage and mockumentary, social blockbusters and poetic narratives. All genres and forms are welcome as long as films in question are of good artistic quality and make people think. Films screened at the festival help break down old stereotypes and find ways of understanding other cultures and mentalities.
MIDFF DOKer is a competitive festival. It has several juries consisting of international film industry professionals that present awards in several competitions: Feature Documentary Competition, Short Documentary Competition, and Let IT Dok! Competition. Let IT Dok! is a special competition dedicated to documentaries about information technology, it has two juries: a regular jury and an IT jury.
Alongside film screenings, the program of the Moscow International Documentary Film Festival includes special industry events for young filmmakers such as lectures and workshops.
Photo: midff.com
