Kia ora

Welcome to Documentary Edge Festival 2010.

2010 represents an important year for The Documentary New Zealand Trust as we celebrate half a decade of documentary events in New Zealand. To mark the 5th edition of our documentary film festival, and achieve our vision to become the documentary capital of Southern Hemisphere, we decided to re-brand.

Grouped under “Documentary Edge”, the new brand breathes new life and energy to our mission and objectives. New Zealand is considered by many as being at the edge of the world. We also wish to promote and advocate the cutting-edge of documentary media. This includes traditional film and television but embraces new interdisciplinary and cross-media platforms. It is our aim to challenge, educate, promote and create documentaries and in so doing, for The Documentary Edge to be a leading innovator in the world.

Comprising of the Documentary Edge Festival, the Documentary Edge Forum and the Documentary Edge Campus, we will continue to promote New Zealand as well as our documentary and media industry. The Documentary Edge Forum includes DOC Pitch and DOC Lab, the industry events. The Documentary Edge Campus will allow us to continue with our industry initiatives, advocacy and promotion year round. Documentary edge campus Resource Centre will provide a focus point for the public and industry.

The Documentary Edge Festival will screen for 16 days in each city, showcasing the best in New Zealand and international documentary films. This year has seen an increase in filmmakers deciding to hold their world or international premieres at the Documentary Edge Festival. This is exciting and a testimony to the increasing stature of both the festival and New Zealand.

Well over 500 films from all over the world were submitted for selection. 56 films comprise our 2010 programme which is divided into 6 categories. These are Best of Fest, World Cinema, Heroes & Icons, Culture Vultures as well as the premier International Competition and New Zealand Competition. There are two Spotlight sections. The first is on China. We are grateful of our festival partner, Guangzhou International Documentary Film Festival (GZDOC), in assisting with the GZDOC sourced films.

Regardless of your views about climate change and other environmental challenges we face, there is no denying the environment is one of the most important issues of our lifetime. This forms our second spotlight section – Eco-Warriors.

This year’s films are thought-provoking, will move you to tears, inspire you to action, challenge and inform you, entertain and always fulfill your quest for knowledge. They have all been carefully curated and selected with love and passion.

We are grateful for the support of our partners, sponsors and supporters who have helped us in this economically challenged time to realize the 2010 Documentary Edge Festival.

We welcome our guests and filmmakers. Please support our local filmmakers and welcome our overseas visitors, many of whom are travelling long distances to get here and eager to experience the legendary Kiwi hospitality that they’ve heard so much about. We look forward to seeing you at the cinemas.

Ka kite

Alex Lee and Dan Shanan
Directors
The Documentary New Zealand Trust