Nick Cunningham

The call for documentary projects is now open for the 30th edition of Baltic Sea Docs, the region’s leading documentary co-production pitching forum, taking place in Riga, Latvia on 6–11 September 2026. In addition to projects participating for the first time, up to four projects previously pitched at Baltic Sea Docs and now in post-production will be presented in the Coming Soon session.

In James Dawson’s new feature doc, selected for Thessaloniki Doc Fest International Competition, two Devon farmers work their farms in radically different ways. One is hugely into conservation, while the other opts for heavy industrial processes. And they’re both called Derek. Ask director Dawson where he stands on the core dilemma his film addresses and he answers without hesitation. “We produce this abundance of food, which is brilliant, but at the same time, we've destroyed biodiversity and nature along the way," he tells BDE.

Ana Castañosa Bielsa talks to Business Doc Europe on the eve of Impact Days 2026, which again seeks to channel the power of documentary film as a tool for concrete social and policy change. Yes, impact remains a “niche” sector within the film industry, she points out, but Impact Days’ effectiveness in underlining its importance is undeniable. “Cinema can be political,” Castañosa Bielsa reminds BDE of the context within which she and her colleagues are operating.

Enjoying its International Premiere March 7 in Thessaloniki’s Open Horizons section, Craig Downing’s Dad Genes tells the story of Aaron Long, a former sperm donor, whose discovery that he has fathered dozens of children thrusts him into the global spotlight and transforms him from anonymous donor to unconventional family man. The film is produced by Matt Isaac of New York-based Signal Brigade. Trailer and exclusive clip.

The East Doc Platform (EDP) will take place 19–25 March in Prague, presenting 40 documentary projects from more than 20 countries across the industry programme. With a theme of Afterimages, this year’s selection reflects on the consequences of historical upheavals, political conflict and personal turning points, exploring how individuals and communities navigate memory, identity and resilience in the aftermath of war, migration, family rupture and social change. The projects will compete for 13 industry awards.

It’s vast and it’s outrageous and, yes, a lot of sex goes on within its walls, but Berlin’s KitKatClub is first and foremost a safe, communal haven for folk whose nocturnal desires and activities differ radically from those of your average Berliner. Director Philipp Fussenegger explains to BDE why he shot his doc in black and white. “It's more like a fairy tale, you know, so we can see [the club] through a different lens as well. It puts away a little bit the realism of this world…A little bit of separation.”

The focus will mark the Swiss premiere of her film Bouchra, co-directed by Orian Barki. On 24 April, the artist will discuss her approach during a public conversation with artist and filmmaker Valentin Noujaïm, alongside a presentation of her films and video works. “The conversation around [Bennani’s] hybrid, pop and political practice will joyfully expand the spectrum of possibilities for this 2026 edition,” comments Emilie Bujès, Artistic Director of Visions du Réel.

The wide-ranging set of guidelines was presented by author Nora Philippe, Director of EURODOC, during EFM Archive day, and is intended for use by filmmakers, producers, archival producers, film funds, archives and commissioning editors. “We have plenty of really useful and well-made sets of recommendations when it comes to parity, when it comes to diversity…we have sets of recommendations when it comes to sustainability, to environmental justice, on the relationship to protagonists…but nothing has ever been done [on] archives,” Philippe underlines the necessity of her Roadmap to filmmakers and archive professionals alike.

Movies that Matter Festival (The Netherlands) has revealed the full programme for its 2026 edition, bringing together a selection of films that confront urgent human rights issues and global social challenges. From 20 – 28 March 2026, the festival will “transform The Hague into an international meeting place for filmmakers, activists and audiences, presenting 95 films, including 10 world premieres,” organisers write.

In 2026, the Geneva-based human rights festival presents 35 documentaries, nine fiction films and twelve short films competing in the various competitions, and/or accompanying the 21 Forums and three Impact Spotlights. The competing films will be reviewed by international and youth juries, who will reveal the Award winners during the Closing Ceremony. The upcoming edition of FIFDH runs 6 to 15 March.