When the first edition of this festival took place in 1996, crowds of tourists gathered at the top of the Twin Towers to celebrate the end of the year, Michael Moore worked for TV, and Eduardo Coutinho hadn’t released a film in theaters for a decade. Times have changed, and in the area of culture one of the most notable - and universal - changes is a new appreciation for the documentary. In quantitative terms, one can remember that consecutive box office records were broken worldwide in this period and that production multiplied, catalyzed by new sound and image recording and editing technology. But the bigger and more relevant impact cannot be measured by numbers: the expansion of the idea of non-fiction cinema in hearts and minds around the world.

Our celebration is not only nostalgic. The selection of Brazilian and international documentaries presented in this festival proves the new aesthetic level reached by the productions of this new decade of the 21st Century. The strong presence of young filmmakers, side by side with consecrated auteurs like Frederick Wiseman and Jorge Bodanzky, is reason for certain optimism regarding the genre’s future.

The special tributes highlight one of the most surprising French filmmakers active today, Alain Cavalier, who is about to become an octogenarian, and the centennial of the multi-talented Benedito Junqueira Duarte, who photographing, filming, and writing generously fertilized documentary production among us. In addition to being fearless figures to worship, both are beacons for the future.

No less special is the celebration at the Cinemateca Brasileira of the 10th edition of the International Documentary Conference, dedicated this year to the use of archival material. In a decade, the project conceived and co-piloted by Maria Dora Mourão has established itself among the principal international encounters for debate and reflection on non-fiction cinema, annually reuniting the most renowned academics, critics, and filmmakers of the documentary field.

In the name of the It’s All True team, I would like to thank above all the directors, producers, and technicians who once again trusted us with their creations, whether or not they were included in the final selection. We have infinite gratitude for the entities and partners that have coalesced with us in order to reach this goal.

The party is about to begin: have fun!


Amir Labaki
Founder and Director
It´s All True
International Documentary Film Festival