As an innovative initiative, the organisers of DOCUMENTA 08 and the EGEDA Digital team have decided to create the Filmotech.com Award, through which the festival will come to life on the Internet, beyond the official page. In this way the makers of the works in the Competitive Sections can, if they wish, present their films on the Net so that, with all the guarantees of legality, they can be downloaded from anywhere on the globe. Those directors who opt to do so can compete for the Filmotech.com Award for the best documentary, carrying a prize of 3000 Euro, and a diploma for the documentary which is downloaded most between the 30th April and the 8th May. The winner will be announced at the Press conference on the 9th May, along with the complete list of festival winners.

FILMOTECH AWARD

Filmotech.com award
The captain, de Sebastián Mantilla (Spain / 12´) To be awarded 3000 € and a diploma.

Documenta Madrid is an international film festival dedicated exclusively to documentary film. Its offices are located in the capital of Spain and it is organized by the City of Madrid. It is presently the city's most widely-attended festival.

The festival was born for the purpose of strengthening and disseminating the documentary genre, in so far as it understood to be a reflection of the social, cultural, economic, artistic, environmental, and other realities that exist in the world.

From the selection of films, which is done exclusively using qualitative criteria and respect for any and all critical viewpoints of our surroundings, Documenta seeks to provide an annual meeting place for professionals, creators, and the public to whom the work is aimed.

Documenta is a continuously evolving festival and aspires to improve year after year as a showcase for the best in international documentary film, one which brings us closer to both the classics as well as the latest offerings in the genre. For this reason, we dedicate our attention equally to three general blocks of activities: screenings (in both public and private screening rooms, and conserving the original language and formats), parallel activities (publications, exhibitions, presentations, gatherings, round tables, DVD releases, etc.), and training activities (conferences, instructional classes, workshops, etc.).

Our understanding of the documentary is based on a dual commitment. Firstly, a commitment to aesthetics, which shows how present day documentary filmmaking breaks new ground in its language and form, thus distancing itself for the most part from the standardized norms. Secondly, we are convinced that non-fiction work makes us all more aware of the need to change the world in order to improve it. Our most intimate calling, our dream, is that by opening some windows to the world in each screening, we make an audience member aware of an issue, and thereby make that person reflect on it, make the issue his/her own, and perhaps then... do something about it.

Along with this wish, two other priorities for the festival are to further enjoy making Documenta Madrid a reality and to make the guests and attendees feel at home among us.

The Captain directed by Sebastian Mantilla, produced by Novart Media Films, Bibi Films and Catalan Films & TV, will premiere May 2nd at Princesa Cinemas in Madrid.

Sebastian Mantilla has directed numerous short films such as WITH DIVA (Cannes, Sundance), THE CAPTAIN and a feature film debut with NEXT TO BABILONIA (Best First Film at Madrid Int'l Film Festival 2008 - FILMA MADRID 2008). He is currently developing CANAL at Script&Pitch 2008 laboratories (MEDIA).