Swiss documentary festival Visions du Réel (VdR) has unveiled the 28 projects to be presented across four categories at its 2025 VdR-Industry section, taking place April 6-9.
Among 14 projects in development selected for VdR–Pitching are Sarvnik Kaur’s Disruption, which uses a board game to explore climate change, corporate greed, and identity. Kaur’s previous film Against The Tide won the special jury prize at Sundance in 2023
Also being showcased is France’s Mariana Otero, whose History Of A Secret played at VdR in 2023. Her new project From One Body to Another sees her collaborate with 10 visually impaired adults with mental health issues.
Canada’s Justine Harbonnier takes part with La Simulation, which follows 3,000 students participating in a simulation of the UN General Assembly. Her previous film Caiti Blues played in Cannes’ ACID sidebar.
Additionally, six projects in finishing stages will be presented at the VdR–Work In Progress, with four apiece selected for the VdR–Rough Cut Lab, and the VdR–Development Lab, which supports projects in early creative and production planning from the Global South.
Female directors or co-directors comprise 75% of the industry projects, with 48% of projects directed by first-time filmmakers.
Prizes worth a combined CHF 80,000 ($90,000) will be awarded by three juries featuring Field of Vision’s Sarah Choi, the Berlinale’s Michael Stütz and Arizona Distribution’s Bénédicte Thomas.
Alice Burgin, head of industry at Visions du Réel, said of this year’s line-up: “If we can talk about a unifying factor, it must be the incredible determination of these directors and their production teams, working in increasingly complex conditions, to bring us powerful stories and strong cinematic approaches that offer us another prism in which to see the world - one which is creative, brave, passionate and even hopeful.”
Visions du Réel runs April 4-13
VdR–Industry projects 2025
VdR–Pitching
A Nature Documentary On Dying Birds (Finland)
Dir. Mina Laamo
Prods: Mina Laamo, Sini Hormio (Koko Production Ltd)
All That Remains (Palestine)
Dir. Jumana Manna
Prods: Jumana Manna (Independant)
Anamiga (France)
Dir. Raphaële Benisty, Anamiga Joseph
Prods: Julie Perris (Zadig Productions)
Ashes Settling In Layers On The Surface (Ukraine, France)
Dir. Zoya Laktionova
Prods: Natalia Libet (2Brave Productions), Victor Ede (Cinephage)
Call Me When The Wind Blows (Switzerland, Paraguay)
Dir. Arami Ullón
Prods: Aline Schmid (Beauvoir Films)
Disruption (India, France)
Dir. Sarvnik Kaur
Prods: Monisha Thyagarajan, Apoorva Bakshi (Awedacious Originals), Quentin Laurent (Les Films de l’oeil sauvage)
Entre Rios (Argentina)
Dir. Jonathan Perel
Prods: Jonathan Perel (Independant)
Flotsam (United Kingdom, Scotland)
Dir. Isa Rao
Prods: Nadira Murray (Sylph Productions), John Archer (Hopscotch Films)
From A Body To Another (France, Belgium)
Dir. Mariana Otero
Prods: Carine Chichkowsky (Survivance), Carine Ruszniewski (GoGoGo Films), Hanne Phlypo (Clin d’oeil films)
I Eat With Two Hearts (France, Belgium)
Dir. Natyvel Pontalier
Prods: Mathilde Raczymow (Les Films du Bilboquet), Cyril Bibas (Centre Vidéo de Bruxelles)
Salut Robert (United States)
Dir. Laura Israel
Prods: Ryan Krivoshey (Correspondent Productions)
The Big Boom (Switzerland)
Dir. Gabriel Tejedor
Prods: Susanne Guggenberger (Mira Film Basel)
The Simulation (Canada)
Dir. Justine Harbonnier
Prods: Line Sander Egede (TAK films)
Time Hunter (United States, Germany, Namibia)
Dir. Daniel Chein, Mushiva
Prods: David Felix Sutcliffe, Daniel Chein (Waypoint Pictures), Thomas Kaske (Seera Films), Joel Haikali (Joe Vision Production)
Welfare (Czech Republic, Slovakia)
Dir. Adéla Komrzý
Prods: Nina Numankadić (Marina Films), Vít Komrzý (Universal Production Partners), Peter Kerekes (Kerekes Film)
VdR–Work in Progress
Alea Jacarandas (France, Algeria)
Dir. Hassen Ferhani
Prods: Eugénie Michel-Villette (Les Films du Bilboquet), Oualid Baha (Tact Production), Karim Moussaoui (Guelta Production)
Emergency Measures (Brazil)
Dir. André Bomfim
Production: Gustavo Rosa de Moura (Mira Filmes), Alessandra Orofino (Peri)
In Cod We Trust by (Norway, Finland)
Dir. Guro Saniola Bjerk
Prods: Benedikte Bredesen (f(x) produksjoner AS), Pasi Hakkio (Wacky Tie Films)
Jaripeo (United States, France)
Dir. Efraín Mojica, Rebecca Zweig
Prods: Sarah Strunin (Jaripeo Documentary LLC), Carine Chichkowsky (Survivance)
Memory (Russia, France, Netherlands)
Dir. Vladlena Sandu
Prods: Yanna Buryak (Mimesis), Ludovic Henry (Limitless), Raymond van der Kaaij (Revolver)
Put Your Soul On Your Hand And Walk (France, Palestine, Iran)
Dir. Sepideh Farsi
Prods: Javad Djavahery (Rêves d’Eau Productions), Annie Ohayon-Dekel (24images)
VdR–Rough Cut Lab
A Distant Call (Indonesia, United Kingdom, France)
Dir. Andrea Suwito
Prods: Finbar Somers (Umbra Motion Picture Company), Mandy Marahimin (Talamedia), Xavier Rocher (La Fabrica Nocturna)
Field Notes (Germany)
Dir. Daniel Asadi Faezi, Mila Zhluktenko
Prods: Alex Gerbaulet (pong film)
Strange Sea (Georgia, Azerbaijan)
Dir. Lala Aliyeva
Prods: Aysel Akhundova (Yaman Film)
The End Of Times (Colombia)
Dir. Juan David Cárdenas, Bibiana Rojas Gómez
Prods: Luis David Esguerra Cifuentes (Bruma Cine), Juan David Cárdenas (Allegro Films)
VdR–Development Lab
Eleven Ears (India)
Dir. Yashaswini Sidlipur Raghunandan
Prods: Yashaswini Sidlipur Raghunandan
P Versus NP (Colombia)
Dir. Ricardo Rodriguez Osorio (Colombia)
Prods: Fausto Tapias (Pivote Films)
Rising Sun (Democratic Republic of Congo, Belgium)
Dir. Mickael-Sltan Mbanza
Prods: Petna Katondolo (Alkebu Film Productions), Rosa Spaliviero (Twenty Nine Studio & Production)
Sukhte-del (Iran)
Dir. Maryam Tafakory
Prods: Maryam Tafakory
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