The Guangzhou International Documentary Film Festival is held under the auspices of the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television of the People’s Republic of China (SAPPRFT) and the People’s Government of Guangdong Province. Its organizers include the People’s Government of Guangzhou Municipal, the Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television of Guangdong Province, and the Department of Culture, Radio, Film, TV, Press and Publication of Guangzhou.
GZDOC is a competitive film festival. Its international competition has no genre or theme restrictions. The only major application condition is that only finished documentary films are eligible for submission. The competition is open to shorts, feature-length films and documentary series.
The festival’s international jury bestows the Golden Kapok Award (kapok, also known as Java cotton, is a tropical tree widely cultivated in Southeast Asia). The award is given out in a number of categories including the Jury Grand Prix, Best Documentary, Best Documentary Short, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Chinese Producer, Best Editing, Best Sound Design, Best Documentary Series, Best Chinese Documentary, Best Documentary Co-Production, and others. The Golden Kapok Awards is the most prestigious documentary film award in mainland China.
Alongside competitive and non-competitive screenings, the program of the Guangzhou International Documentary Film Festival features the DocuMart Project (a film market which helps filmmakers and film producers find funding for their projects), special screenings, International Forum, and a series of networking events for film industry professionals (panel discussions, masterclasses, pitching competitions, etc.).
Photo: rifilmfest.blogspot.com
