We are pleased to present the first part of the DOCU/PRO programme. The events will be held from 6 to 11 June during the 23rd Docudays at KINO42 in Kyiv, with selected sessions available online.
We will host a total of 14 events for industry accreditation holders, covering international co-production, collaboration with leading broadcasters and film markets, as well as artistic development and dramaturgy in documentary filmmamking, among many other relevant topics.
We begin on 6 June with a morning workshop by Henrik Underbjerg, IMS adviser and independent producer whose projects have been honoured at IDFA, Sundance, Berlinale, Hot Docs, the Grierson Awards and the Emmys. He will introduce a value-based approach to film co-production. Building on real-world experience, an analysis of existing models, and the work of initiatives such as the EAVE Think Tank, participants will explore how to rethink fairness in co-production — ensuring that creative contribution, access to resources, and contextual sensitivity are all properly valued.
On the same day, we will present a key new partnership between Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne and French ARTE. The session will feature Sergiy Nedzelskyy, Executive Producer of the Outsourcing and Co-production Department at Suspilne Broadcasting, and Alexandre Marionneau, Head of International Co-production at ARTE France’s Society and Culture division. They will present the partnership, explain its working principles, and outline the opportunities it opens up for Ukrainian documentary filmmakers. The speakers will also address decision-making systems for co-production and commissioning, share experience from their work within the European Broadcasting Union, and highlight how the initiative strengthens international networks while expanding financial and production opportunities for Ukrainian producers.
In the evening session, industry pass holders will have a unique opportunity to join a workshop by Spanish producer and consultant Marta Andreu on the representation of trauma in creative practice. Andreu invites us to think of the world as a wounded space, marked by cracks and ruptures. This perspective raises a set of questions: if the world is wounded, should we seek — or even produce — wounded images? Should we intervene in existing representations in order to build a more truthful vision of reality? What does it mean today to look — at others, at landscapes, at ourselves — when everything we see, remember, and create bears the trace of this wound? In her workshop, Andreu weaves together images from painting, photography, and cinema with poetry, ideas, and music, inviting participants to approach cinema through a key concept: transformation.
On 7 June, a closed event will take place within the RAW DOC showcase, where participants will present their film projects to an expert panel and receive professional feedback. In the evening, we will also host a traditional networking event for industry pass holders, supported by DAE.
On the morning of 8 June, Danish documentary development specialist and consultant Mikael Opstrup will focus on character-driven documentary filmmaking. What is a character — and how does it differ from a real person? What does a documentary script look like? What do we search for when we “read” people rather than writing characters? What is the difference between events and stories? And how do we work with three versions of oneself? Opstrup will explore some of these questions through words and images, with the aim of inspiring participants to find their own answers — or, even better, to come up their own questions.
For the Kyiv festival, Mikael Opstrup will bring a very limited number of copies of his book Uncertainty— only 40 in total. The book will be available for purchase after the workshop. This offers a rare opportunity to obtain a copy directly from the author.
On the following day, 9 June, Alexandra Zakharchenko, Head of Programmes and Training and Director of Investors Circle at Marché du Film, will deliver a lecture on the specifics of the film market and the opportunities available to Ukrainian documentary filmmakers within Cannes Docs, one of the world’s leading international platforms. Marché du Film (the Cannes Film Market) is widely regarded as the heart of the global film industry. Each year, it brings together over 15,000 participants from 140 countries to connect, network, and discuss emerging trends in financing and distribution.
On 10 June, filmmakers will join a lecture by Alessandro Gropplero, Head of the WEMW co-production forum in Trieste, Italy, and Director of the FVG Audiovisual Fund. He will present WEMW’s programmes and focus on opportunities for documentary filmmakers. He will also explain how the Italian financing ecosystem is structured — including regional funds, film commissioning, and the national fund for minority co-productions — and highlight co-production opportunities offered by the Friuli Venezia Giulia (FVG) Audiovisual Fund, co-organiser of WEMW. The Fund manages €1.2 million annually and supports film development and production.
Alongside access to events, DOCU/PRO industry pass holders will have a unique opportunity to take part in one-to-one consultations with experienced experts from the global documentary field.
We will release the second part of the industry platform programme in early May. Stay tuned for event announcements on our website.
DOCU/PRO industry accreditation applications are open until 25 May.
