IDFA in the fast lane of the 5050×2020 movement
After the launch at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival the IDFA also signed charter 5050×2020 in September and took this as an opportunity to present its far-reaching goal „transforming an industry built on inequality”:
“At IDFA, we believe that meeting quotas in the film program is not enough. As the world’s largest documentary film festival, IDFA is in a position to do more. We seek to create long term change, which requires examining and transforming an industry built on inequality. In addition to the IDFA film program, it is through the IDFA Bertha Fund, IDFAcademy, IDFA Forum, Docs for Sale, Doc School, and all the other IDFA activities that we seek a solid policy of inclusion. With these efforts, IDFA hopes to enable and empower a new generation that is more inclusive, and provide more opportunities to build a new and different reality.
We strongly believe that equality begins with gender, but doesn’t end there. To act inclusively is to ensure a fair representation of filmmakers from the global south, from marginalized communities, and from all under-represented communities and regions in the four corners of the world. All these groups should have the opportunity to make good films, take ownership of their narrative, and share their work with the world, equally.
Finally, we would like to extend our appreciation to the 5050×2020 movement, for fighting on behalf of under-represented filmmakers, and challenging IDFA and our colleagues around the world to be accountable for our actions.”
With the advent of digitization into the media industry, a development has begun marked by“(t)urmoil and transformation, forcing industry leaders to reconsider established maxims about how screen media are created, circulated, and consumed“ (Crutin et al., 2014). A „rise of industry niches dedicated to art cinema“ (de Valck, 2014), accompanied by a boom on the worldwide film festival market (Krainhöfer, 2018), is clearly evident. This global film festival circuit, ranging from international A-film festivals to regional special-interest festivals, is surprisingly innovative and flexible in responding to the challenges of disruptive change. While festivals have long since expanded their radius of action beyond their original function of presenting (new) film works (Iordanova, 2015), in recent years formal and informal networks between film festivals increasingly appear to be the means of choice for actively shaping current changes. Networks serve to secure resources and form the basis for promoting the diversity of cinematic forms of expression, innovative distribution channels, new audience development measures, and much more.
film festivals. Irrespective of its diversity from small regional special interest event to international A-film festival, this festival circuit proves surprisingly innovative and flexible in responding to current cultural-political challenges, as well as to the disruptive changes in the global media landscape.