Punto de Vista hits record high with film submissions for the 10th edition: 1378 entries

As many as 1378 short and feature films have been submitted for the 10th Punto de Vista Navarra International Documentary Film Festival, to be held at the Baluarte Centre in Pamplona from 8 to 14 February 2016. 

This is a new record high in the number of film submissions for the Festival, after the success of the 9th edition, when 1237 films were entered for the Festival’s Official Selection. In previous years, the number was around 700, which means the upward trend continues on its way to doubling. The figures reflect the Festival’s great shape and its recognition at the international level.

According to Punto de Vista Artistic Director Oskar Alegria, the increase in the number of submitted films is partly related to a stronger network of international representatives launched when he was appointed, multiplying the Festival’s tentacles and enhancing its prestige in all five continents. Members of this network are Asako Fujioka (Director of the Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival) in Asia, Nourddine Ben Driss (Director of the documentary section at the Tétouan International Mediterranean Film Festival), in Africa, Elena Fortes (Executive Director of the Ambulante documentary film Festival) for Latin America and Andréa Picard (curator of Wavelengths, Toronto) in North America.

The films submitted were produced in 86 different countries (78 last year). In terms of the number of entries, the most important countries of origin are Spain (180 films), France (123), USA (81), Argentina (61), Germany (58), Mexico (43), Italy (40), Brazil (39), Poland (37) and Belgium (28).

Works were entered from Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Haiti, the Philippines, Palestine, Jordan, India, Egypt, Bangladesh, Iran, Burkina Faso, Mozambique and Rwanda as well. Also, there were 220 co-productions from different countries (192 in the past edition). Once again, the number of entries from Latin America was very high, while the number of films produced in Africa went up. A curious fact: this is the first time Punto de Vista has got a film from Madagascar.

Registration closed on 30 September. The members of the Selection Committee – journalist and filmmaker Koldo Almandoz, journalist and programmer Özge Calafato, and filmmakers and programmers Alexei Dmitriev and Guillermo G. Peydró – are now watching the films to announce their selection in mid-December.