May kicks off with two important documentary festivals in Spain: DocumentaMadrid (4th-14th) and DocsBarcelona (18th-28th).

 We’ll be treated to a whole host of stories told from different points of view thanks to the determination of fellow documentary makers.

DocumentaMadrid is celebrating it’s 14th edition this year, and has its bets firmly placed on cinéma d’auteur.  A new section, “Fugas”, has been created for innovative and radical film, opening its doors to filmmakers and cinematographers who are not afraid of pushing the boundaries of traditional cinema aesthetics, creating new audiences and, at the same time, maintaining and widening it’s contact with an ever-more demanding and critical audience.  Parallel activities include meet the directors, a Robert Flaherty seminar and an introduction to Webdoc production.

DocsBarcelona has doubled in duration for this year’s 20th edition, with films focussing on conflict in Colombia, Siria and Somalia, and textile factories in India amongst others.  Not to be missed are the opening and closing films: “La Chana” by Lucija Stovejic (Audience Prize, IDFA 2016) and “Amazona” by Clare Weiskopf.  Both films are directed by women forming part of the 50% of films that are directed or co-directed by women in this year’s festival.  DocsBarcelona market reports to be the third biggest financing market for documentary projects, and so has also strengthened its industry activities.

Consult the full DocsBarcelona programme here:
http://www.docsbarcelona.com/en/docsbarcelona-2017/festival/programacio-2017/

And the full DocumentaMadrid programme here: http://www.documentamadrid.com/en/programa/tipo/fecha