Business Doc Europe

Cara Holmes’ Lesbian Lines not only tells the story of the helplines that were established in Ireland in the late 1970s, and which continue to this day, it also tells a history of gay and political activism within a deeply conservative country over which the Catholic church held (and continues to hold) considerable sway. “They would hate to hear me say this, but these women are absolute heroes of mine in terms of what they've done for me and for future generations coming up,” Holmes tells BDE, both of the helpline staff and the activists who have brought about radical change over past decades.

In her short film selected for Sheffield 2026, Netherlands-based Uyghur filmmaker Darya Andijan invokes the ancient myth of Gülem, a forgotten goddess of carpet weaving. The film is highly poetic and personal as it weaves female narratives across borders, all the time set against a background of oppression, and China’s erasure both of the Uyghur language and its sense of identity. “Globalisation is failing us, and people need a different hold on where their home is and what their identity is,” says Andijan.

Dutch producer Renko Douze discusses Ukrainian Helena Maksyom’s feature doc Don't Ask Me If I Killed, sold by Esther van Messel’s First Hand Films, that chronicles the director’s life as a soldier in defence of her country. “It’s such a special and individual story. It’s really her story - and a very human perspective on the frontline,” Douze says.

In his feature documentary, Nigerian-American filmmaker Ose Oyamendan investigates the highly suspicious death in 1998 MKO Abiola, the charismatic billionaire businessman and media mogul who should have been President of Nigeria. “Going into this film, my first objective was that I am going to take my biases out of it. I am going to take out whatever preconceptions I have,” Oyamendan tells BDE. He was always respectful but, as he further notes, he is an activist who “was brought up to question and fight authority.”

There is hardly a corner of the UK that Doc Rowe, the man described as “Britain’s great folklorist,” hasn’t visited and chronicled. He is indefatigable in his attempts to get to these events, if his health will allow it. “There’s a uniformity to them, in that they speak to people’s need for ritual and belonging, but there is also a uniqueness about every single one of them,” Curry suggests of the folk festivals, and Doc Rowe’s fascination for them.

“We are really a nurturing festival. We can take care of each of the films and we promise you will not get lost in an avalanche of too many,” Sheffield DocFest boss Raul Niño Zambrano explains why he favours a streamlined, yet expansive approach within his selection. “I think, for us, balance is the key word,” he reflects on how the festival addresses the huge social and political convulsions of the current era while also finding space for lighter fare.

Film Harbour has picked up Kristof Bilsen’s new feature doc The Apologist which has its world premiere in International Competition at Sheffield DocFest June 11. The film is produced by Belgian-based Limerick Films, and co-produced with Tangerine Tree (NL), Warboys Films (FR) and Wrong Men (BE). “It’s wonderful to have a sales agent of the calibre of Film Harbour work with us and it feels like a testament to the six years which this multi-layered project to unpick the nuances and challenges of apologising which is so important today,” says director Bilsen.

Netflix announced June 10 the five filmmaking teams, selected from thousands of applications, that will receive funding and professional support during the fourth year of the Netflix Documentary Talent Fund. The filmmakers were selected by a jury of industry experts (pictured above) after pitching their idea for a short documentary films inspired by the prompt, “On the theme of change.”

Chilean Oscar®-nominated director Maite Alberdi will give a June 12 Art of Storytelling masterclass, as well as present her latest documentary A Child of My Own at the 33rd Sheffield DocFest. Chile will furthermore be represented in MeetMarket with three projects: The Weight of Snow (rough cut), directed by Matías Bolla; Inside the Biggest Case on Earth, directed by Renan Flumian, and Isabel Allende: The Documentary, directed by River Finlay. Chiledoc will also host a co-production gathering June 11, with aim of fostering new international collaborations within the doc sector.

DOK Leipzig is seeking XR projects from immersive creators from around the world, and at all stages of development, for its DOK Exchange XR industry program, a 2-day conference and showcase offering an in-depth exploration of XR creation. The application deadline is 1 July, after which applications will be evaluated by an international jury. The 69th edition of DOK Leipzig runs 26 October to 1 November 2026.

On June 5, the Industry awards of Krakow Film Festival were handed out. A total of 23 awards and honourable mentions were presented: seventeen for documentary projects and four for animated projects. The documentary prizes were awarded to projects in the DOCS TO START and DOCS TO GO section. Two honourable mentions went to participants in the Animated in Poland Talent Market.

The Golden Horn for Best Film went to Tristan Forever (Switzerland), while the Silver Horn for the film with high artistic value was won by Silent Flood (Ukraine, Germany). The Silver Horn for the film on social issues went to If Pigeons Turned to Gold (Czech Republic, Slovakia). The FIPRESCI Prize went to The Tale of Sylian. The Golden Hobby Horse (Polish Competition) was won by Tickling the Devil, which also won the Audience Award, together with Where Music Grows by Katrine Philp. All winners…