Which Regions are Under-Represented in Programming of Film Festivals and Why?

In the time of growing concern over gender and racial equality in the film industry we have decided to bring attention to the programming selection process of film festivals with regards to balance of the world regions. Let us explore the specifics of programming of documentary film festivals in different national contexts and discuss if it is possible to achieve a wider diversity of films across the world. Where are the boundaries between the purely curatorial approach emphasizing artistic forms of films and the focus on capturing the variety of current movements in world cinema? What should the filmmakers do in order to have their films screened at film festivals outside their cultural milieu?

With speakers Álvaro Arroba, Programmer, Bafici, Argentina; Emilie Bujès, Festival Director, Visions du Réel, Switzerland; Wanling Chen, Programmer, Taiwan International Documentary Film Festival, Taiwan; Asako Fujioka, Board member and former Programmer, Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival, Japan; Veton Nurkollari, Artistic Director, DokuFest, Kosovo; Thom Powers, Artistic Director of DOC NYC, USA, & documentary Programmer for the Toronto International Film Festival, Canada. Moderated by Marek Hovorka, Festival Director & Jarmila Outratová, Head of Industry, Ji.hlava IDFF, Czech Republic.