MIPDOC Names International Trailblazers

PARIS, February 15: MIPDOC has selected eight documentary
filmmakers for the second edition of International Trailblazers, an initiative
to recognize achievements in the factual genre.

The 2007 International Trailblazers' are Marshall Curry from
the U.S., Larry Weinstein from Canada, Paolo Trombetti from Italy, Uldis
Cekulis from Latvia, Jean-Marie Teno from Cameroon, Vincent Moloi from South
Africa, Gan Chao from China and Nao Kubota from Japan.

The eight selected works were chosen by a panel made up of
representatives from documentary associations and festivals. These include the
International Documentary Association in the U.S., Hot Docs in Canada, the
European Documentary Network in Denmark, South Africa’s Encounters, South
Korea’s EBS International Documentary Festival and the Association of Japan TV
Programs. The selection criteria included use of new techniques, originality
and making an impact on the genre.

For the second year in a row the initiative is being
sponsored by the Sundance Channel and organized with the support of the
National Film Board of Canada (NFB). International Trailblazers will take place
during MIPDOC, which is being held at the Carlton Hotel in Cannes on April 14 and
15, the weekend before MIPCOM begins.

Sundance Channel acquired two titles that were showcased at
International Trailblazers in 2006: Conversations on a Sunday Afternoon from South Africa and Georgi & the
Butterflies from Bulgaria.