Each year, the Millenium Festival invites the greatest documentary filmmakers that have their heart set on sharing their field experience with film-lovers.
This year, we were proud to offer high-quality masterclasses with world-renowned filmmakers. Leading filmmakers, including director Oliver Stone, shared their expertise during the 16th edition of the Millennium Festival, which took place from 16 to 22 March 2024. The programme of masterclasses provided an exceptional cinematic experience.
The Millenium Festival was delighted to welcome nine-time Oscar-winning director Oliver Stone as its guest of honour. To launch the festivities of this 16th edition, Oliver Stone gave an exclusive Masterclass, offering the public a unique opportunity to (re)discover the director’s immense career. With over 20 feature films to his credit, including such iconic works as Platoon (1986), Born on the Fourth of July (1989), JFK (1991), Natural Born Killers (1994) and Nixon (1995), Stone has consistently challenged conventional codes. He talked about the creation of his cult films, touching on the highs and lows, the many successes and the setbacks of his unparalleled destiny and the golden age of Hollywood.
Patrick Duynslaegher, a respected film critic and former Artistic Director of Film Fest Gent, hosted this Masterclass, engaging Oliver Stone in a stimulating discussion about his cinematic journey and the societal reflections embedded in his work. Participants had an immersive experience of the legacy of this iconic filmmaker.
Oliver Stone’s latest documentary, Nuclear Now (2023), was screened at the Cinéma Vendôme on 18 March at 8.15pm as part of the festival. A panorama showing four major films, Platoon (1986), JFK (1991), Wall Street (1987) and Natural Born Killers (1994), was presented at Studio 5 in Flagey in partnership with Kinograph and Cinematek after the festival.
Establishing a coherent and impactful strategy for visual editing and sound design transcends every stage of film production. This Masterclass explored the art of conceiving and developing such a strategy in order to embody the film’s identity, creating an immersive experience and forging an emotional bond with the audience. Three artists shared their ideas, challenges and innovative solutions that had shaped their careers. An in-depth way to understand how images and sounds intersect in filmmaking. Attendees discovered how these strategies enhanced their cinema experience.
Hervé Schneid is a leading French film editor, renowned for his work on such hit films as Europa (1991), Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amélie Poulain (2001) and Un long dimanche de fiançailles (2004). In 1992, he won the César for Best Editing for Delicatessen.
Nicolas Becker is a renowned foley artist, sound designer, and composer. He has worked with filmmakers such as David Cronenberg, Christopher Nolan and Guillermo Del Toro. As a sound supervisor, he won the Oscar for Best Sound and a Bafta in 2021 for his outstanding work on Sound of Metal (2019), directed by Darius Marder.
Frédéric Le Louêt is a French composer and sound engineer, renowned for his work on films such as Pioneer (2013) and Day of the Falcon (2011). His excellence in the craft of sound is highlighted by his Ariel Award for Best Sound, won for his work on Days of Grace.
Adam Leipzig, a pioneer in the art of turning documentaries into box-office successes by improving production values, shared his expertise during a highly insightful Masterclass. He explored the strategies behind making documentaries more engaging and impactful, focusing on how to elevate production quality while maintaining authenticity. Leipzig discussed the importance of storytelling, audience connection, and how innovative techniques can transform a documentary from a niche project into a widely successful film that resonates with diverse audiences.
Adam Leipzig is CEO of Entertainment Media Partners, a film and theater producer and director, and an American author. A former Disney executive, he oversaw films such as Dead Poets Society and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. He went on to produce films such as Titus, The Way Back and A Plastic Ocean. When he was president of National Geographic Films, he acquired the international rights to The Emperor’s March and created the American version, which won the Oscar for best documentary. He is the author of two books on filmmaking. Adam Leipzig is currently CEO of MediaU, an online learning center for film and television making.
What’s more important: the naturalness of the shoot or the viewer’s sense of reality? The approach adopted is to share the responsibility for conveying a sense of reality to the audience with those directly involved in the subject of the film. This Masterclass explored the staging of reality, its consequences and its limits. In addition to the speakers’ experience as documentary filmmakers, the Masterclass is illustrated by film extracts and case studies.
Angelos Stavros Rallis talked about his approach, illustrated by his multi-award-winning documentary Mighty Afrin in the Time of Floods. Committed to pushing the boundaries between raw reality and fiction, the director explained how his work intentionally blurs these lines. Mighty Afrin in the Time of Floods was screened at Cinéma Vendôme on 19 March at 7pm.
Rob Rombout has been making documentaries for over thirty years. His films have been broadcast on international television and have won awards at various festivals. His documentaries draw on practices usually associated with fiction. In the road movie Amsterdam Stories USA (2012), he plays the role of a protagonist travelling by car alongside co-director Rogier van Eck. His documentary Amsterdam Stories USA – Part II was screened at the Centre Culturel Bruegel on 18 March at 8.30pm.