Nick Cunningham

The panel, moderated by FIFDH Impact Days’ Sophie Mulphin, sought to explore innovative models of storytelling collaboration, determine what drives interest from media funders, and investigate how strategic media engagement can elevate campaigns to greater levels of visibility and effectiveness. Panelists were Lindsay Poulton, Editorial Director and Head of Documentaries, The Guardian; Impact strategist Leni Velasco, and Abby Rapoport, Director of Media Impact Funders. BDE reports.

The winners of the East Doc Platform 2026 were announced on March 24 at the French Institute in Prague, where a total of 16 awards were presented across the programme, recognizing outstanding documentary projects at various stages of development. “The winning projects showcase a compelling and diverse slate defined by bold artistic vision, urgent social themes, and strong international potential,” write organisers.

The Central European Documentary Co-production Market (June 3 – 5) is held every year during the Krakow Film Festival in Poland. Building on its Central European location, CEDOC nurtures a cooperation between East and West, North and South with a special focus on Central European projects and talents. The event, organized since 2015, is part of the DOC LAB POLAND and KFF INDUSTRY program, which consists of workshops, consultations and pitchings of Polish documentary projects (DOCS TO START and DOCS TO GO).

Ji.hlava IDFF has repeated its call for the next Emerging Producers programme that will run 2026 through 2027. Every year the festival selects 18 talented producers (17 European and one representing a guest country, this year Japan), which it provides with educational, networking and promotional support. The applications deadline is March 31.

Traces by Alisa Kovalenko & Marysia Nikitiuk, and Morad Mostafa's Aisha Can't Fly Away win the festival’s Grand Jury Awards. Other winners include Cutting Through Rocks by Sara Khaki & Mohammadreza Eyni (Activist Lens); This Is My Body by Jérôme Clément-Wilz (Justice Frame); Between Brothers by Tom Fassaert (Dutch Focus); and Rahhala: Hayya ala Hayya by Lujain Jo (Shorts).

The Greek Documentary Association has repeated its call to the international doc community to sign a petition over the restriction of cultural content on Greek Public Television, and in particular over the transformation of ERT2 into a channel for exclusively sports-oriented programming. “We invite you, as members of the global documentary community, to stand with the Greek Documentary Association in defending a fundamental principle: that culture, documentary storytelling, and the free expression of creative voices must remain at the heart of public broadcasting,” the organisation writes.

Visions du Réel returns for its 57th edition (17 – 26 April 2026) with a programme featuring 164 films from a record 75 countries. While the representation of women continues to increase (44 %) compared to 39% in 2025, the Festival will also feature 7% co-directed films, as well as 1% directed by non-binary people and 48% by men. Among the 128 new films presented, 83 are world premieres and 8 international premieres. 58 first films, including 36 first feature-length films, complete the picture, with no fewer than 26 Swiss (co)productions.

The NEFTi International Short Film Comp and Movies That Matter Festival announced March 23 a new partnership to support displaced filmmakers living in the European diaspora and across the African continent. The organisations have together launched the 2026 NEFTi Competition, aimed at identifying and supporting emerging filmmakers whose perspectives are shaped by global displacement.

Dutch Bart van den Aardweg discusses his dynamic new documentary, shot in both Belgium and The Netherlands, which addresses alienation and how youths may resort either to criminality or radicalisation as an outlet. “I wanted to explore the mind of somebody on the so-called wrong path further and deeper, and to create an interior monologue, to connect their thoughts to the physical shape I had used before. And I knew that I had to live amongst my characters to catch the real story, make them talk to me.”

Director Eva Strating discusses her new documentary, co-directed with Roxanne Herder, both about Dutch women who are coerced into forced marriages by their own families, and the human rights activist Shirin Musa who is tirelessly working in their interests. The directors had, of course, heard about arranged marriages, “but we never knew that it's still actually something that takes place here, among girls born and raised in The Netherlands,” stresses Strating.