MDAG Industry, the professional arm of Polish doc fest Millennium Docs Against Gravity, has issued a call for its 2026 Progress Pitching session. The goal of the pitch event is “to promote international co-productions, leverage the expertise of festival guests, and create a space where globally impactful films can emerge.”
The festival is inviting proposals for feature films and documentary series in development, or at pre-production, production, post-production or rough-cut stage, and seeking international co-production or distribution opportunities. Applications are sought from productions/co-productions within Poland and Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries.
Up to 12 projects will be selected for presentation at session, and guests will include producers, world sales agents, festival programmers, and commissioning editors from European broadcasters. The deadline for submissions is February 1, 2026.
A prize of €3000 will be awarded for the best project. Last year’s prize pool included awards from The Polish Filmmakers Association, Smakjam, SoundMind, and Visioni dal Mondo. A new prize this year is a residency at the Jacob Burns Film Center (Pleasantville, NY).
In 2025 the winners of Progress Pitching were:
- CANAL+ Polska – Main Prize of €3,000 – LOVE LETTERS by Paweł Ziemilski, prod. Alicja Gancarz, Paweł Ziemilski, Mateusz Wajda (MX35 Wajda Ziemilski sp. j.) Could there be a better place to explore love than the Juliet Club in Verona, where for over 50 years people from around the world have sent their heartaches, hopes, and confessions?
- Polish Filmmakers Association. Cash prize of 10,000 PLN (2,360 euros). LESSONS FROM “CHEMISTRY”, dir. Magda Grudniewska – alias for security reasons. Lessons from Chemistry is a documentary film about Belarusian activist Levon, who lost everything in his home country and, after emigrating to Poland, is trying to rebuild his life and repair his relationship with his family.
- SMAKJAM – Color grading service worth 15,000 PLN (3,540 euros): CLOSURE, dir. Michał Marczak, prod. Monika Braid (Braidmade Films). Daniel scours the Vistula River after his 16-year-old son vanishes from a Warsaw bridge. While his wife clings to hope he’s alive, Daniel fears a darker fate.
- SoundMind – Sound post-production service worth 10,000 PLN (2,360 euros): BECOMING CHRISTINE GRANVILLE by Sylwia Rosak, prod. Justyna Kluczewska, Maciej Ostatek (Raban) The story of Krystyna Skarbek, a woman who dedicated her entire life to becoming Christine Granville, the finest agent of British intelligence, and the inspiration for the character of James Bond.
- VISIONI DAL MONDO – Accreditation and project participation in the Visioni dal Mondo pitching forum in Milan: LOVE LETTERS by Paweł Ziemilski, prod. Alicja Gancarz, Paweł Ziemilski, Mateusz Wajda (MX35 Wajda Ziemilski sp. j.) Could there be a better place to explore love than the Juliet Club in Verona, where for over 50 years people from around the world have sent their heartaches, hopes, and confessions?
“We’re proud to support these outstanding projects at every stage of their journey. With such bold voices and powerful stories, we truly believe the films developed here will resonate with audiences around the world,” said Anna Szczypińska, Head of MDAG Industry, as the awards were handed out.
