one of us

Source: My Accomplice

‘One Of Us’

Sheffield DocFest has selected 50 projects for the 2024 edition of MeetMarket, its pitching event for documentary films at development, production and rough cut stage.

Titles in the selection include Rachel Close’s One Of Us, a Romanian film in co-production with the UK. The film sees UK-Romanian filmmaker Close travel to Romania to help a stranger search for her birth mother. The project is produced by Monica Lazurean-Gorgan, who previously produced Berlinale 2023 selection Between Revolutions, and Elena Martin.

Scroll down for the full list of projects

The five Rough Cut projects include Isabel Alcantara and Alfredo Alcantara’s Mexican title The Age Of Water, in which a young mother leads a resistance movement when the water in her small Mexican town is found to be radioactive. Producers include Michele Stephenson, whose previous work includes 2020 Tribeca selection Stateless.

“Sheffield DocFest continues to strive for an open and inclusive Marketplace whose goal is to welcome and support original and impactful non-fiction storytelling, for professionals from across the world and across genres,” said Patrizia Mancini, head of industry at DocFest.

“The selection reflects eclectic, energetic and thoughtful approaches, which embrace a modern day urgency to the stories we tell,” added executive producer and DocFest Marketplace consultant Lisa Marie Russo.

The MeetMarket runs on June 13-14 as part of the wider DocFests marketplace offering. DocFest 2024 will take place from June 12-17, with the full public programme announced on Wednesday, May 8 followed by the full industry programme on May 15.

Sheffield DocFest MeetMarket 2024 projects

MeetMarket Rough Cut Projects:

The Age of Water

Production country: Mexico

Directors: Isabel Alcántara, Alfredo Alcántara

Producers: Lindsay Perna, Joe Brewster (Rada Studios), Michèle Stephenson (Rada Studios)

B-Side

Production country: Italy

Director: Agostino Ferrente

Producers: Gianfilippo Pedote (Casa delle Visioni), Agostino Ferrente

Our Land

Production country: United Kingdom

Director: Orban Wallace

Producers: Charlie Phillips (I am Charlie Ltd), Rebecca Wolff

Queer as Punk

Production country: Malaysia

Director: Yih Wen Chen

Producers: Yih Wen Chen, Mandy Marahimin (Talamedia)

Will They Ever Come Back?

Production country: Colombia

Director: Angela Carabal

Producers: Sandra Tabares-Duque (Sandelion Productions), Angela Carabal

MeetMarket Projects:

24 Strong

Production country: Belgium

Co-production country: Netherlands

Directors: Kristian Van der Heyden, Rieneke Van Santen

Producer: Kristian Van der Heyden (Harald House)

Co-producers: Rieneke Van Santen (Dendezo Media Support & Productions), Monique Busman (Tomtit Film)

Another Day Shall Come

Production countries: Palestine, Israel Director: Aida Kaddan

Producer: Aida Kaddan

Avoidance

Production country: France

Co-production country: Georgia

Director: Nika Nikulshina

Producers: Valerie Montmartin (Little Big Story), Vlad Ketkovich (Little Big Story) Co-producer: Seraphina Zinkovsky

Big in Gazi Baba

Production country: North Macedonia

Co-production country: United Kingdom

Director: Pauline Blanchet

Producer: Avdi Thachi (Lumiere Films)

Co-producers: James Collie (Violet Pictures), Jan Dunn (Violet Pictures)

The Blue Sweater with a Yellow Hole

Production country: Ukraine

Co-production countries: France, Czech Republic Director: Tetiana Khodakiviska

Producer: Elena Saulich (Pronto Film)

Co-producers: Johann Chapelan (Girelle Production), Martin Vandas (Maur Film)

Breaking the Wall

Production country: China

Co-production country: Canada

Director: Weichao Xu

Producer: Yiqian Zhang (Touchstone Productions)

Carmela and the Walkers

Production country: Ecuador

Directors: Esteban Coloma, Luis Herrera

Producer: Esteban Coloma (Cooperativa Audiovisual CoopDocs)

Confessions of a Female Gamer

Production country: Bulgaria

Co-production country: United Kingdom

Director: Dolya Gavanski

Producers: Martichka Bozhilova (Agitprop), Dolya Gavanski (Thea Films)

The Cord

Production country: France

Co-production country: Brazil

Director: Myriam Guillot

Producer: Estelle Robin You (Grande Ourse Films)

Derek’s Ark

Production country: United Kingdom

Director: James Dawson

Producer: Serena Kennedy (The Slate Works), David Broder (Loupe Films)

Desperately Seeking Rainbows

Production countries: Taiwan, Singapore Directors: Kenny Png, Frances Lu Producer: Stefano Centini (Volos Films)

Fatna, a Woman Named Rachid

Production countries: France, Morocco, Belgium

Director: Hélène Harder

Producers: Nadège Labé (Wendigo Films), Ilham Raouf (Abel Aflam), Jean-David Lefebvre, Delphine Duez (White Boat Pictures), Valentin Leblanc

The Gods Must Be Mistaken

Production countries: Slovenia, Germany

Co-production country: Croatia

Director: Jakob Krese

Producers: Ivana Naceva (Nosorogi), Annika Mayer (Majmun Films) Co-producers: Vanja Jambrović, Marina Gumzi

Good Morning Afghanistan

Production country: United Kingdom

Co-production country: Denmark

Directors: Shogofa Sahar, Bruce Goodison

Producers: Kate Cook (Indefinite Films), Camilla Nielsson, Waseem Mahmood

Green is the Fire’s Tint

Production countries: India, Romania, Italy

Directors: Arya Rothe, Cristina Hanes, Isabella Rinaldi

Producers: Arya Rothe (NoCut Film Collective), Cristina Hanes (NoCut Film Collective), Isabella Rinaldi (NoCut Film Collective)

Los Guaduales

Production countries Colombia, Canada Co-production country: Venezuela Director: Bryan Angarita

Producer: Sahar Yousefi (Nava Projects) Co-producer: Marcela Hernandez Guerra

Horse/Woman (working title)

Production country: United Kingdom

Director: Lizzie Mackenzie

Producer: Emily Copley (Of the Wild Productions)

Imago

Production country: France

Co-production country: Belgium

Director: Déni Oumar Pitsaev

Producer: Alexandra Mélot (Triptyque Films) Co-producers: Anne-laure Guégan, Géraldine Sprimont

In Cod We Trust

Production country: Norway Co-production country: Finland Director: Guro Saniola Bjerk

Producer: Benedikte Bredesen (f(x) produksjoner AS) Co-producer: Pasi Hakkio (Wacky Ties)

In the Winds of the Icefields (working title)

Production country: Estonia

Co-production country: Sweden

Director: Mihkel Oksmann

Producers: Hõbe Ilus (Sui), Sergio C. Ayala (Monserrate Films) Co-producer: Sergio C. Ayala (Monserrate Films)

Jaripeo

Production country: Mexico Co-production country: USA

Directors: Efraín Mojica, Rebecca Zweig Producer: Sarah Strunin

Jinwar - Land of Women

Production countries: Syria, United Kingdom Director: Beyan Yaher

Producer: Fleur Nieddu (Freelance)

Kikuyu Land

Production country: Kenya

Co-production country: USA

Directors: Bea Wangondu, Andrew H. Brown

Producers: Bea Wangondu (The Bea Company), Andrew H. Brown (Ragtag Collective) Co-producer: Joseph Njenga

Letters from Home (working title)

Production countries: China, USA

Directors: Xin Fang, Chenyu Kou

Producers: Xin Fang (Koi Fish Film), Nicole Tsien (Independent)

Life of Tipu

Production countries: Ireland, Bangladesh, USA

Director: Bob Gallagher

Producers: David Clarke (EZ Films), Bob Gallagher (Homebird Productions), Jeanie Igoe (Homebird Productions)

Matriarchy

Production country: Sweden Director: Zara Arrehed

Producer: Zara Arrehed

The Mother of All Fights

Production country: Brazil

Co-production country: United Kingdom Directors: Ivi Roberg, Juliano Salgado Producers: Joi Lee, Alice Aedy (Earthrise Studio) Co-producer: Grain Media

The Noble Half (working title)

Production country: Pakistan Co-production country: USA Director: Khaula Malik

Producers: Brit Fryer, Afnahn Khan

not-yet-here

Production country: Italy

Director: Giorgio Bosisio

Producers: Giorgio Viscardini (x01 Srl), Beatrice Ratto

One of Us

Production country: Romania

Co-production country: United Kingdom

Director: Rachel Close

Producers: Monica Lazurean-Gorgan, Elena Martin Co-producer: Aleksandra Bilic

Pinball

Production country: USA Director: Naveen Chaubal Producer: Bryn Silverman

A Place Like Home

Production country: Estonia

Director: Kadriann Kibus

Producer: Kadriann Kibus (Rebel Frame)

Racing Hearts

Production countries: Sweden, Denmark, France Director: Milla Bergh

Producer: Martin Bergh

Co-producers: Christine Le Goff, Mette Heide

Reckoning

Production country: United Kingdom

Co-production country: Brazil

Director: Mauricio Monteiro Filho

Producers: Mauricio Monteiro Filho, Charlie Rosser Co-Producers: Hugh Davies, Clive Patterson (Insight Films)

Scarlet Girls

Production country: Dominican Republic

Co-production countries: Germany, Mexico

Director: Paula Cury Melo

Producers: Paula Cury Melo (Cristal Cine), Samuel Didonato (Cristal Cine) Co-producers: Natalia Imaz (parabellum film), Omar Lara (Disruptiva Films)

The Shape of Blue

Production country: Canada Co-production country: Japan

Director: Sybilla Patrizia

Producer: Ina Fichman (Intuitive Pictures)

Son of a Fisherman

Production countries: India, New Zealand

Director: Arjun Menon

Producers: Chippy Babu (Traintripper Films), Siddharth Vasani, Arjun Menon, Abhishek Sharma (Traintripper Films)

Still Pushing Pineapples

Production country: United Kingdom Co-production country: Scotland

Director: Kim Hopkins

Producer: Margareta Szabo (Labor of Love Films)

A Troop of Bears

Production country: Chile

Co-production country: Canada

Directors: Christian Martínez, Pachi Bustos, Paola Castillo Villagrán Producers: Christian Martínez, Pachi Bustos, Paola Castillo Villagrán Co-Producers: Daniela Mujica (Productions Ocho)

Untitled Eitaro Project

Production country: Japan

Co-production country: USA

Directors: Koodae Kim, Teruisha Yoshida

Producers: Koodae Kim (tenFrames), Teruisha Yoshida

Vena Acuática

Production countries: El Salvador, USA

Director: Amada Torruella

Producers: Seth Gadsden (Amuletos Projects), Brenda Avila-Hanna Co-Producers: María Luisa Santos

War on Women

Production country: Estonia

Co-production country: Slovakia

Director: Maris Salumets

Producer: Elina Litvinova (Three Brothers)

Co-Producer: Tereza Nvotova (Talking Stone Production)

The Way We Were

Production countries: United Kingdom, Hong Kong Co-production country: Taiwan

Directors: Ka-Ki Wong, Yuk-Fai Ho

Producer: Bambby Cheuk (Pōtocol)

Co-Producer: Chen Ping-chia

Widow Champion

Production country: Kenya

Co-production country: USA

Director: Zippy Kimundu

Producers: Zippy Kimundu (Afrofilms International Company Ltd.), Heather Courtney (10th Street Films LLC.)

With Their Backs to the Sky

Production country: USA

Director: Erik Nuding

Producers: Kendall Fitzgerald (A Dip in the Lake LLC.), Angelo Andrianiaina (A Dip in the Lake LLC.)