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In Rachel Lauren Mueller’s new feature doc, when a pagan white supremacist group arrives in a Minnesotan farming town, it sparks an intense struggle over who has the right to belong, offering a disturbing warning about the normalization of extremism. “Our aim with our film’s impact campaign is to repair the ruptures of communal polarization through the simple practice of bringing divided communities together to watch a film and share their perspectives,” producer Ariel Tilson tells Business Doc Europe.

Weaving together animation, observational cinema, and participatory filmmaking, Tetiana Khodakivska’s new feature doc, The Blue Sweater with a Yellow Hole, is a coming-of-age documentary that questions the impact of indoctrination and propaganda on children in the modern world. The subject of the film is three Ukrainian children who both process and draw memories from their six months in a Russian ‘re-education’ camp. Producer Elena Saulich talks to Business Doc Europe.

The UK’s Documentary Film Council (DFC) announced March 9 the appointment of Mandy Chang, as its first Chief Executive Officer. The appointment “marks a major step forward for the member-owned organisation, which was formed to represent the UK documentary sector at a critical moment for the industry,” the organisation writes. Chang recently served as Global Head of Documentaries at Fremantle, and previously as Commissioning Editor of the BBC’s prestigious Storyville strand from 2017 to 2021.

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.

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.

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.