11/03/2025 - The platform will present industry professionals with 28 projects telling powerful stories which probe the complex nature of reality through unique filmmaking approaches

Between 4 and 13 April, the Visions du Réel Festival in Nyon will host VdR-Industry, the festival sidebar dedicated to film sector professionals and unfolding across four intense days, during which film creation will be celebrated in an environment aimed at being open and conducive to discussion and exchange. Speaking of this year’s selection, Industry programme head Alice Burgin explains: "After a four-month selection process, we’re delighted to be presenting our 2025 line-up. If we had to imagine an invisible thread linking all of the filmmakers and production teams together, it would no doubt be their incredible determination in the face of increasingly complex working conditions".

A total of 28 projects hailing from 27 different countries have been selected for the event. VdR-Industry will provide professionals with an opportunity to take part in four different kinds of activities: two headline events, VdR-Pitching and VdR-Work in Progress, which will consist of fifteen projects in progress and six in the final phase; VdR-Rough Cut lab which will consist of four projects, and VdR-Development Lab with another four works in the offing. As specified in the press release, these 29 projects present "powerful stories and unique filmmaking approaches which help us to examine the world and its changes from a different angle, marked by originality, courage, a sense of a calling/enthusiasm and even hope". This selection looks to highlight the transformative power of documentary cinema, a privileged means of exploring the complexity of a continually changing world.

VdR-Industry is set to welcome filmmakers well-known to the festival, such as Sarvnik Kaur (Against the Tide) who’ll be presenting his new project Disruption, Mariana Otero (Looking for Gilles Caron) who’s making her return with From Body to Another, Justine Harbonnier (Caiti Blues [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]) who’ll be travelling to Nyon with La Simulation, Jonathan Perel (Camuflaje) who’ll be presenting Entre ríos, Hassen Ferhani (143 Sahara Street [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]), a director to whom the festival dedicated its Workshop in 2022 and who’ll be presenting Alea Jacarandas, and the filmmaking duo Mila Zhluktenko and Daniel Asadi Faezi (responsible for the short film Waking Up in Silence) who’ll be returning with Field Notes within the VdR_rough Cut Lab. A new documentary by Sepideh Farsi (Red Rose [+see also:
trailer
film profile], The Siren [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]), titled Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk, is also in the selection. When it comes to Swiss productions, two projects have been chosen: The Big Boom by filmmaker and journalist Gabriel Tejedor (Kombinat [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]) and the new project by Arami Ullón (El tiempo nublado [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Arami Ullón
film profile]) entitled Call Me When the Wind Blows.

New industry talent will also be represented by way of 16 projects, coming courtesy of Mushiva and Daniel Chein, the cognitive neuroscientist turned documentary-maker Isa Rao, Yveline Nathalie Pontalier, and Efraín Mojica and Rebecca Zweig. Four directors hailing from countries with low production capacity are getting ready to take part in the VdR-Development Lab, namely Iran’s Maryam Tafakory, Colombia’s Ricardo Rodriguez Osorio, India’s Yashaswini Sidlipur Raghunandan and Congo’s Mickael-Sltan Mbanza.

As for the three Industry jurists handing out prizes whose combined total exceeds 80,000 francs, we’ll feel safe in the hands of Sarah Choi, Michael Stütz and Bénedicte Thomas, while the Eurimages jury, awarding the prestigious Eurimages Co-Production Development Prize worth 20,000 francs, will be composed of Eleni Chandrinou, Gianluca Matarrese and Tamara Tatishvili, and, last but not least, the Visions Sud Est jury (10,000 francs) will be composed of Stefanie Rusterholz, Gaëlle Genet and Pamela Biénzobas.

The selected projects are as follows:

VdR–Pitching

Anamiga - Raphaële Benisty, Anamiga Joseph (France)
Production: Julie Perris (Zadig Productions)

Time Hunter - Daniel Chein, Mushiva (USA/Germany/Namibia)
Production: David Felix Sutcliffe, Daniel Chein (Waypoint Pictures), Thomas Kaske (Seera Films), Joel Haikali (Joe Vision Production)

The Simulation - Justine Harbonnier (Canada)
Production: Line Sander Egede (TAK Films), supported at the development stage by 48° Rugissants Productions (Mael Cabaret, Victor Thomas)

Salut Robert - Laura Israel (USA)
Production: Ryan Krivoshey (Correspondent Productions)

Disruption - Sarvnik Kaur (India/France)
Production: Monisha Thyagarajan, Apoorva Bakshi (Awedacious Originals), Quentin Laurent (Les Films de l’oeil sauvage)

Welfare - Adéla Komrzý (Czech Republic/Slovakia)
Production: Nina Numankadić (Marina Films), Vít Komrzý (Universal Production Partners), Peter Kerekes (Kerekes Film)

A Nature Documentary on Dying Birds - Mina Laamo (Finland)
Production: Mina Laamo, Sini Hormio (Koko Production Ltd)

Ashes Settling in Layers on the Surface - Zoya Laktionova (Ukraine/France)
Production: Natalia Libet (2Brave Productions), Victor Ede (Cinéphage)

From a Body to Another - Mariana Otero (France/Belgium)
Production: Carine Chichkowsky (Survivance), Carine Ruszniewski (GoGoGo Films), Hanne Phlypo (Clin d'oeil films)

Entre ríos - Jonathan Perel (Argentina)
Production: Jonathan Perel (Indépendant)

I Eat with Two Hearts - Natyvel Pontalier (France/Belgium)
Production: Mathilde Raczymow (Les Films du Bilboquet), Cyril Bibas (Centre Vidéo de Bruxelles)

Flotsam - Isa Rao (UK)
Production: Nadira Murray (Sylph Productions), John Archer (Hopscotch Films)

The Big Boom - Gabriel Tejedor (Switzerland)
Production: Susanne Guggenberger (Mira Film Basel)

Call Me When the Wind Blows - Arami Ullón (Paraguay/Switzerland)
Production: Aline Schmid (Beauvoir Films)

VdR–Work in Progress

Emergency Measures - André Bomfim (Brazil)
Production: Gustavo Rosa de Moura (Mira Filmes), Alessandra Orofino (Peri)

Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk - Sepideh Farsi (France/Palestine/Iran)
Production: Javad Djavahery (Rêves d'Eau Productions), Annie Ohayon-Dekel (24images)

Alea Jacarandas - Hassen Ferhani (France/Algeria)
Production: Eugénie Michel-Villette (Les Films du Bilboquet), Oualid Baha (Tact Production), Karim Moussaoui (Guelta Production)

Jaripeo - Efraín Mojica, Rebecca Zweig (USA/France)
Production: Sarah Strunin (Jaripeo Documentary LLC), Carine Chichkowsky (Survivance)

Memory - Vladlena Sandu (Russia/France/the Netherlands)
Production: Yanna Buryak (Mimesis), Ludovic Henry (Limitless), Raymond van der Kaaij (Revolver)

In Cod We Trust - Guro Saniola Bjerk (Norway/Finland)
Production: Benedikte Bredesen (f(x) produksjoner AS), Pasi Hakkio (Wacky Tie Films)

VdR–Rough Cut Lab

Strange Sea - Lala Aliyeva (Georgia/Azerbaijan)
Production: Aysel Akhundova (Yaman Film)

Field Notes - Daniel Asadi Faezi, Mila Zhluktenko (Germany)
Production: Alex Gerbaulet (pong)

The End of Times - Juan David Cárdenas, Bibiana Rojas Gómez (Colombia)
Production: Luis David Esguerra Cifuentes (Bruma Cine), Juan David Cárdenas (Allegro Films)

A Distant Call - Andrea Suwito (Indonesia/UK/France)
Production: Mandy Marahimin (Talamedia), Finbar Somers (Umbra Motion Picture Company), Xavier Rocher (La Fabrica Nocturna)

VdR–Development Lab

Rising Sun - Mickael-Sltan Mbanza (Democratic Republic of the Congo/Belgium)
Production: Petna Katondolo (Alkebu Film Productions), Rosa Spaliviero (Twenty Nine Studio & Production)

P versus NP - Ricardo Rodriguez Osorio (Colombia)
Production: Fausto Tapias (Pivote Films)

Eleven Ears - Yashaswini Sidlipur Raghunandan (India)
Production: Yashaswini Sidlipur Raghunandan

Sukhte-del - Maryam Tafakory (Iran)
Production: Maryam Tafakory

(Translated from French)