19 Mar Announcing Filmmakers to Attend INTRO:DOX at CPH:DOX 2025
Collaborating with the Copenhagen International Documentary festival (CPH:DOX) in support of up and coming undiscovered talent for the third year running, IEFTA has sourced, selected and granted travel bursaries to two talented filmmakers to attend INTRO:DOX. Congratulations to Kazi Arefin Ahmed (Bangladesh) for his project Opekkha, and Etna Özbek (Turkey) for her project Walking Gently.
INTRO:DOX is an international program for emerging filmmakers and producers. As well as regular industry activities, participants receive access to interactive sessions providing essential tools for new professional talent to find their place and thrice within the industry.
* Packages consist of Flights, Accommodation and Accreditation.
Opekkha
Leela, 80, has spent decades longing to reunite with her family, scattered across continents. When she finally applies for a visa to visit her grandchildren in Norway, hope flickers—only to be shattered by rejection. As dementia begins to erase her past, her longing for family remains vivid. Will she ever hold her grandchildren again?
Kazi Arefin Ahmed
(Bangladesh)
Kazi Arefin Ahmed is an independent documentary filmmaker whose work explores migration, climate change, and social justice. His character-driven narratives capture the quiet resilience of those navigating displacement and loss, revealing the invisible threads that connect people and places.
His 2023 short documentary, Could You Be Free Yet Locked In?, won the prestigious FIPRESCI Award and received international acclaim. Now in development, Opekkha has earned critical recognition, securing both the IEFTA Award and the Docedge Kolkata Award at Dhaka DocLab 2023.
Walking Gently
After years away, Kashmiri artist Maumoon Lone returns home, searching for freedom on his own terms. Partnering with young villager Shahnawaz Malik, he revives traditional mud architecture to fight Kashmir’s debilitating cold. Walking Gently follows their journey of resilience, challenging class stigmas and restoring a lost connection to the land.
Etna Özbek
(Turkey)
Etna Özbek is a filmmaker based in Istanbul. She obtained her BFA degree in film/video from School of Visual Arts in NYC in 2017. Her BFA thesis documentary “Water, water everywhere” screened at various film festivals such as Jaipur International Film Festival and Cascadia International Women’s Film Festival. Her documentary “Nosema” won the Honorable Jury Mention at 40th Istanbul Film Festival, and made its international premiere at IDFA. Currently she is working on her first feature length documentary “Walking Gently”, which has been presented in markets such as DocEdge Kolkata, Dhaka DocLab, Dok.fest München and Antalya Film Forum. She is an alumni of IDFAcademy, and a participant of EURODOC 2025. She served in the jury of 42nd Istanbul Film Festival’s National Documentary Competition.