The 20th Guangzhou International Documentary Film Festival, China (GDZOC) will kick off at the Guangzhou Cultural and Art Center on December 4, 2023, featuring 7,280 documentaries from 156 countries and regions, according to a press conference on November 30.
This year's festival will involve more than 1,000 institutions and over 4,000 professionals. It will showcase 3,234 film works from 58 Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) partner countries and 214 film works submitted by cities within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).
The upcoming festival is geared towards a range of activities in five key areas: documentary collection and evaluation, market transactions, industry insight exchanges, professional forums, and international training programs, with over 80 professional documentary activities on offer.
The opening and closing ceremonies of GDZOC this year will feature traditional culture and intangible cultural heritage performances. The public can also anticipate the "Documentary Appreciation Night" activity and an online public welfare exhibition of outstanding documentaries.
The Golden Kapok Awards, as one of the highlights of the festival, will feature 13 categories such as Best Feature Documentary, Best Documentary Director, and Best Feature Documentary Award for China story. Furthermore, a variety of excellent Chinese and overseas documentaries will be presented to the public through the Golden Kapok Screening event.
What's more, there are 47 international forums on the agenda. Top broadcasting platforms overseas, such as Walt Disney Television, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) from the United States, will gather to provide in-depth insights into the latest developments in the documentary industry and share new projects and strategic layouts for 2024.
The festival will also invite internationally renowned directors, producers, and cinematographers to conduct master classes and workshops to offer experience sharing across the entire chain of documentary production.
Additionally, a special collaboration section dedicated to Asian content will be set up to deepen cultural exchanges with Asian countries. Other activities, including the "China Story" International Pitching Section, will serve to connect market capital and content production organizations.
Over the last two decades, the GDZOC has received over 33,000 entries for evaluation and exhibition, drawing tens of thousands of international visitors. It has successfully forged sister partnerships with over 40 globally recognized festivals and institutions, while also creating over 20 collaborative works between China and other countries.
