Dear All,

So! Onto the 4th DOK Leipzig Lake Festival! Easter weekend, March 25 to 28, 2016. It is heavy tourist season in these parts, so this time at least, early decisions and bookings!

Some news to share for this edition. DOK Leipzig remains our primary base for co-operation.

Meanwhile, we were looking at widening the platform and opening windows for different ‘streams’ of documentary (if that is the right word!).

So, we now have the beginning of a small co-operation with Cinema du Reel in France and Locarno International Film Festival in Switzerland. The special news is: Locarno has offered the option for a European Premiere for Indian documentary film-makers. That is really good news!

Of course, the curation from DOK Leipzig is superb as always. We will have 9 films from DOK Leipzig, 1 film from Cinema du Reel and 1 from Locarno. Additionally, we have a Special Space screening of 2 films by a veteran Dutch film-maker Louk Vreeswijk, who will be present for Q&A.  Synposes of all films coming up in a few days!

The venue, of course, is The Lake Resort (Naukuchiatal, District Nainital, Uttarakhand) – thanks to Mahendera Verma who, as our Associate Partner, continues to be the backbone.

None of this can be possible without the unstinting support of Goethe Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan. We remain ever humbly grateful to them. The Embassy of Switzerland also continue to be our loyal support base.

Last, but not least at all, Chaudhry Bhupinder Singh Phougat is supporting the screening fees this year. Last year we were lucky with no requests for them. This year, we have quite a few…but all graciously reduced in context of DLLF.

Here, let us PLEASE celebrate the Indies who give us their films at no cost – year after year, it is amazing how the international community responds and supports us!

Clearly, but for the enduring backing of all the above, this festival could not have reached here. PLUS – P. D. Valson, our technical consultant, who ensures superb screening (greatly enhanced by Bhupi’s gift of a silent genset and chairs).

We strive to remain niche in our way - non-competitive, non-agenda driven, with no parallel events to stress you out. Special Space continues, where you can screen a film you wish to share – yours or of someone else you admire. Same with the Film-maker Evenings and the Pow-Vows around a bonfire. It doesn’t get better for building a relationship between Docs and you.

Join the DLLF community and find your soul mates who appreciate the art of the documentary and deeply ponder on the issues they throw up…

As always, we await your arrival!