The Docudays UA International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival sees cultural diplomacy and the exchange of experience with global partners as one of its tasks. On this page, we have compiled brief information about the festival networks in which our organization is involved.
Throughout 2026, Docudays UA will take on the role of guest festival within the Doc Around Europe
Doc Around Europe is a festival network dedicated to supporting and promoting European documentary films by emerging directors, while helping them connect with audiences and the international market. The alliance brings together renowned festivals including VERZIO (Hungary), FIPADOC (France), DocBarcelona (Spain), MakeDox (North Macedonia), Biografilm (Italy) and Dok.Fest München (Germany). Over the past four years, the network has successfully facilitated the circulation of films across Europe and organised a range of events for participating festivals and the wider community of programmers, broadcasters, bayers and distributors.
An innovative feature of the network is its own VOD platform (an online cinema), designed as a strategic tool to enhance the visibility of European films. Each year, the platform presents a catalogue of 40 new documentaries, jointly curated by the network members from their festival selections. The films will be available for up to two years, ensuring a constant renewal and a steady offering of European documentary talent.
What is our role as a guest festival?
As part of this year’s programme, Docudays UA will select and invite three Ukrainian films to be showcased on the Doc Around Europe VOD platform.
The directors of the selected films will be included in the Doc Around Europe Talent Database. Ukrainian projects and filmmakers will also gain the right to apply for the network’s mentoring programmes, including project development workshops and Meet the Experts sessions.
The Docudays UA team will take part in the juries of the network’s member festivals. For instance, VERZIO has invited programmer Olga Sydorushkina, while VERZIO’s director Enikő Gyureskó will join this year’s DOCU/WORLD jury.
As part of the network, the Docudays UA team will join joint online sessions with fellow member festivals to exchange professional experience and maintain warm ties with European colleagues. On our website and social media, we will share the network’s news and opportunities for Ukrainian documentary filmmakers.
The Human Rights Film Network (HRFN) is a partnership of more than 40 independent festivals. Through the network, festivals cooperate in the representation of human rights in moving images. They exchange ideas on how to promote human rights films through festivals, broadcasting and educational programmes. They present films that discuss topical human rights issues and promote the screening of high quality films. They share experiences about the organisation of screenings and debates. They assist the emergence and establishment of new film festivals on a sound and independent basis. As such the HRFN works to foster an international environment conducive to the screening and promotion of human rights films worldwide.
Documentary Association Europe (DAE)
Founded in 2020 by folks concerned that a new advocacy and lobby group was needed to fight for the best conditions for documentary filmmakers. The membership is more than seven hundred institutions and personalities from across the world and documentary sector.
Membership of DAE access to market intelligence, up-to-date information on financing and distributing documentary internationally. Special insights into changing policy and laws on film financing and distribution. Access to key industry players and institutions. Members-only stands, dedicated meeting spaces, exclusive meetup and programming at these events.
Docs4Teens Network
Docs4Teens Network was created In 2021, when four European festivals, Krakow Film Festival (Poland), Festival Dei Popoli (Italy), FIPADOC (France) and Docudays UA (Ukraine), joined forces to create a new European festival network, with the common goal to promote and help circulate European documentary films to young audiences across the territories. In 2023, the network was joined by a 5th festival, Porto/Post/Doc. The network’s strong belief is that documentary film is an irreplaceable and unique way to learn about our world.
Doc Alliance festival network — Guest festival in 2024
The aim of the Doc Alliance festival network is to advance the documentary genre, support its diversity and continuously promote creative documentary films. Doc Alliance is the result of a creative partnership of 7 key European documentary film festivals: CPH:DOX, DocLisboa, DokLeipzig, FidMarseille, Ji.hlava IDFF, Millennium Docs Against Gravity, Visions du Reel.
Each year, the Doc Alliance network invites European documentary film festivals to apply as a guest festival. In this capacity, the selected festival forms part of co-operating network for one year and can expect regular exchange with colleagues at all seven festivals, joint presentations at major industry markets such as Berlinale EFM or Cannes Docs, and to participate in the selection of nominations for the annual Doc Alliance Award.
In 2024, Docudays UA became a guest festival at Doc Alliance Network and, along with activities mentioned above, hosted the Doc Alliance Award ceremony within the program of the 21st Docudays UA International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival.
