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The Virtues of Virtual Festivals

Put together in just a few weeks, the online edition of Visions du Reel is perhaps the first festival which really moves the dial on the virtues of virtual festivals, suggesting that, at least when it comes to festivals or markets whose titles are most commonly seen in a broadcast space – drama series, doc features – the onus is now on events to justify doing nothing at all. 95 out of the 97 films selected for Visions du Reel accepted screening online, with one of the Remainers unable to finish postproduction post-lockdown. “There was a real readiness on the audience and filmmaker and producer side,” said Visions du Réel artistic director Emilie Bujes. Though she is fascinating in person, the Claire Denis masterclass was watched by 1,400 viewers around the world who might not have time to attend a three-hour talk at a physical event or fly to Switzerland in the first place.

Joining Italian director Francesca Mazzoleni’s film on the podium is the Finnish offering Anerca, Breath of Life by Markku and Johannes Lehmuskallio. Despite unfolding entirely online, the 51st edition of the Visions du Réel Festival has managed to retain its characteristic convivial feel: the 134 films featuring in the various sections (and representing the larger part of the original selection) were viewed online 60,500 times, most of them reaching their capacity of 500 (virtual) viewers. The masterclasses delivered by Claire Denis (Maître du Réel 2020), Petra Costa and Peter Mettler were particularly well received and hugely exciting, despite the technical limitations and physical distance between participants. From Paris to Brazil and then north to Toronto, this year’s three guests of honour managed to share their experiences with the public, with the moderators (Emilie Bujès and Lionel Baier for Denis’s session) and with students from Ecal and Head, displaying great generosity...

“There are audiences in remote places that we wouldn’t have imagined would’ve been interested.”

Visions du Réel artistic director Emilie Bujès said attracting new audiences has been the highlight of the 2020 online edition (April 17 - May 2), as the festival handed out its prizes on Sunday.

She said “there are still some feelings of sadness” over having to move the entire event online following the coronavirus shutdow but also ”some excitement because we’ve realised that there are audiences in remote places in Switzerland that we wouldn’t have imagined would’ve been interested”.

“There is this potential to...

Francesca Mazzoleni’s “Puntasacra,” Francisco Bermejo’s “The Other One” and Nick Brandestini’s “Sapelo” scooped the top prizes in the three major sections at Switzerland’s Visions du Réel prize ceremony Sunday night, held online as the whole of the documentary festival.

Major plaudits in the festival’s main International Feature Film Competition also went to Markku Lehmuskallio and Johannes Lehmuskallios “Anerca, Breath of Life,” Afsaneh Salari’s “The Silhouettes,” Mo Scarpelli’s “El Father Plays Himself” and José Permar’s “Off the Road.”

The Audience Award, one of the key prizes for distributors,was nabbed by Chines-German feature “Mirror Mirror on the Wall.”

Acquired by Italy’s True Colours for world sales, “Puntasacra” won Visions du Réel’s top Sesterce d’Or la Mobilière for a doc feature that portrays the resilient inhabitants of the last triangle of habitable land at the mouth of the Italy’s Tiber...

Claire Denis, Petra Costa and Peter Mettler to give online masterclasses.

Swiss documentary festival Visions de Réel, which was to have taken place from April 24 to May 2 in the lakeside town of Nyon, has revealed details of the online format it has developed to replace the physical event which was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“Visions du Réel 2020 will not take place at the Place du Réel, in the cinemas, in the tent and in the bar, in Nyon,” said artistic director Émilie Bujès, referring to the event’s traditional festival and industry hubs. “But it will resolutely be held on the internet,...

Claire Denis, Petra Costa and Peter Mettler to give online masterclasses.

Swiss documentary festival Visions de Réel, which was to have taken place from April 24 to May 2 in the lakeside town of Nyon, has revealed details of the online format it has developed to replace the physical event which was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“Visions du Réel 2020 will not take place at the Place du Réel, in the cinemas, in the tent and in the bar, in Nyon,” said artistic director Émilie Bujès, referring to the event’s traditional festival and industry hubs. “But it will resolutely be held on the internet,...