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Organised by the Institute of Documentary Film in cooperation with the One World Festival, the 15th edition of East Doc Platform once again opens part of its programme to the public through talks, screenings, and discussions exploring contemporary documentary filmmaking. “This year’s programme focuses on questions shaping the field today – from audience engagement and distribution to creative practice and changing industry structures,” write organisers.

Four new Swiss documentary projects, ripe for outreach treatment, were presented this week during FIFDH Impact Days in Geneva, with To the Moon and Back by Elisa Gómez Alvarez picking up the Swiss Impact Award, valued at CHF 2500. Business Doc Europe reports on the winning project, and the three other presentations: A Search for Love by Carlotta Piccinini, Imagine Peace by Fabian Chiquet and One Step Closer by French director Mehran Tamadon.

Visions du Réel unveiled March 12 the projects selected to participate in the 24th edition of VdR–Industry, the festival’s four-day programme dedicated to industry professionals, and which features an “exciting slate with bold artistic ambition,” alongside returning talents and new faces to Nyon. The opening of Industry Days will feature a conversation with Oscar-winning filmmaker Laura Poitras. Under the direction of new Head, Sabine Fayoux Cantillo, the 2026 VdR–Industry Days will take place April 19-22.

Brian Logvinsky's creative feature project, exploring how young Ukrainians navigate war through music, nightlife and community, was presented to professionals at Agora Docs, where it won the 2|35 Post-Production Company Award. Immortal Flowers is currently in post-production and seeking partners for its final stages. “My hope is that audiences first connect with the characters and their energy, and through that begin to understand the reality they’re living in," says director Logvinsky.

Four international and one Swiss award were handed out March 10 as doors closed on the 8th Impact Days, the professional arm of FIFDH. The StoryBoard Impact Award, valued at CHF 10,000, was given to Olimbi - Mother Courage by Karlo Mlinar. The Swiss Focus Impact Award, valued at CHF 2,500, was given to To the Moon and Back by Elisa Gómez Alvarez. All awards…

Renowned Palestinian filmmaker Rashid Masharawi, born and raised in Gaza’s Al-Shati refugee camp, explored two vital aspects of film and filmmaking in Gaza during his Impact Days keynote on March 9. He articulated the urgent need to bring the works of Palestinian filmmakers to international audiences. At the same time, films from around the world must be delivered to children in Gaza, who have grown up surrounded by blockade, loss, and repeated wars, to offer moments of escape, imagination, and emotional relief.

The Polish filmmaker/producer team of Elwira Niewiera and Maciej Kubicki made a powerful impact pitch March 10 for their feature doc project Women and War, which explores the psychological toll of war through the personal journeys of four women – Julia, Lena, Iryna, and Olena – who have survived the horrors of Russia’s war against Ukraine. “What I have learned from them is that the war doesn't end when the war is over,” she told the professional audience in Geneva. “It stays in their minds, in their bodies, and in their everyday lives.”

An elementary school in northern Italy where all the pupils are children of migrants lies at the heart of The Last Class, a new creative documentary by Italian filmmaker Michele Fornasero (SmoKings) currently in late production. The project, pitched at this year’s Thessaloniki Pitching Forum, is produced by Epica Film and Indyca and is seeking co-production partners, financiers, broadcasters and sales agents as it moves towards completion. BDE reports.

Gaza Sunbirds follows Ala’a, a young Gazan cycling champion whose life changes forever after he’s shot by an Israeli sniper. Determined to rebuild, he sets his sights on the Paralympics, inspiring others to join him. Director Flavia Cappellini has followed Ala’a and his team for more than 8 years. “What makes the film important is precisely this long perspective,” Flemish producer Kristian Van der Heyden tells BDE. “We see Gaza before the war, the escalation towards October 7, and the consequences that continue to shape the lives of our protagonists today.”

French producer Tanguy Babin of PaladiOra Films outlines to Business Doc Europe the qualities of Hnin Thet Hmu Khin and Olivier Petrie’s story of Hnin’s secret return to Myanmar from Thailand (after having played a significant role in the 2021 anti-junta protests) where she encounters a new generation who are looking to rebuild the country without taking up arms. “The film aims to move beyond a strictly geopolitical reading of the conflict, and instead reveal human stories that are intimate and universal,” Babin underlines.