As the new academic season gets underway, we have published recordings of two key events for filmmakers that took place this summer as part of the DOCU/PRO platform: a lecture by an IMS adviser on an alternative approach to co-production, and a panel discussion on AI featuring a former head of Google Ukraine, a co-author of the official AI use guidelines issued by the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, and leading documentary filmmakers. The videos are now freely available to watch on the festival’s YouTube channel.
Within the documentary industry, co-productions between high- and low-capacity countries often mirror existing inequalities — rewarding financing over creativity. What if we flipped the script?
In this session, IMS adviser and independent producer Henrik Underbjerg introduces a value-based co-production model: a practical framework allocating rights according to real contributions to the film — not just cash.
The session presents the model and then opens the floor for dialogue. The aim is to examine how the framework can work in real negotiations and how it may evolve through discussion and shared experience. This is not just a proposal for fairness — it is a strategy for sustainability, ownership, and authentic storytelling. Whether you are a filmmaker, funder, or festival interested in rebalancing global co-production practices, the session invites you to engage from the producer’s side of the table.
Artificial intelligence has already become part of documentary and television production: it assists in working with archives, generates voice-over texts, restores images, and reshapes approaches to post-production. For documentary cinema grounded in trust in reality, an authorial perspective, and ethical responsibility — this opens up not only new opportunities but also new questions: where the boundary of authorship lies, how the nature of documentary evidence is changing, and who bears responsibility for decisions made with the involvement of AI.
At the same time, the discussion around artificial intelligence is not only about ethics or philosophy but also about practice. AI is already affecting the economics of production, transforming workflows, and opening up new tools for independent and small teams while also creating legal and professional risks.
Ukraine is one of the few countries where legislation provides legal protection for content created with the assistance of AI. At the same time, what is recognized and protected in Ukraine may not carry the same authorship or ownership status in the United States or the European Union.
This professional discussion by Suspilne PRO serves as a space to discuss practical experience with AI tools, the ethical boundaries of their use, the transformation of authorship, and the legal challenges already facing today’s media landscape.
Speakers: Dmytro Sholomkо. Dmytro Doroshenko, Zvika Gregory Portnoy, Eli Savala
Moderator: Olena Andriienko
In addition to recordings of DOCU/PRO events, over the summer, our YouTube channel gathered a collection of 14 episodes of the Documentaries from the Inside podcast, featuring guests of the 23rd Docudays UA and members of the festival team.
We invite you to watch!
Photo: Serhiy Khandusenko
