RAW DOC is a showcase created for filmmakers who are working on the final stage of editing (rough cuts) of their films and wish to hold a test screening for international industry experts and receive professional feedback.

During closed screenings, participants will have the opportunity to present and discuss their project with potential partners, including representatives of leading European public broadcasters, sales agents, and festivals.

The RAW DOC showcase has been running for three years. Last year, the participating films included Traces by Alisa Kovalenko and Marysia Nikitiuk, Another Man's Diary by Oleksandr Tkachenko, and It’s Not A Full Picture by Maryna Stepanska. The teams met with representatives of sales companies (Autlook, Lightdox, Square Eyes), international broadcasters (ARTE, HBO Europe, Suspilne), festival representatives (Berlinale Forum, IDFA, DOK Leipzig, Fipadoc, One World), and many others. The project Traces also received an award from Rough Cut Service, which provided the opportunity to receive a consultation with the outstanding film editor Niels Pagh Andersen. This year, Traces has its world premiere at the Berlinale festival. Recently, the film Another Man's Diary (new title: Where Everything Disappears) also had its world premiere at FIPADOC.

What kind of projects we are looking for:

— feature-length documentary film projects (at least 60 minutes of running time) at the final stage of editing, created by Ukrainian directors;

— projects that combine artistic ambition and high visual quality — we are interested in presenting a broad range of creative practices and approaches;

— projects that have not been presented at this stage of production on any other industry platforms in Ukraine (preference will also be given to projects that have not participated in work-in-progress presentations abroad);

— we expect participating projects to be represented by a team: director, producer, and (optionally) editor.

Projects for participation in the programme will be selected by the DOCUDAYS UA Selection Council and the DOCU/PRO team.

How to apply

Submissions are open to everyone and free of charge.

The applicant must complete the online form, providing contact details, a film synopsis, a link to a rough cut of no more than 120 minutes*, and other informational materials.

*Please note: if selected, the team must provide a rough cut of no more than 90 minutes for presentation in the cinema.

Key Dates

16 February 2026 — call for applications begins;

20 April 2026 — call for applications ends;

5 May 2026 — results are announced;

22 May 2026 — participants provide rough cuts with English subtitles, as well as textual materials for the project (logline, brief synopsis, editor’s notes, producer’s vision);

1–4 June 2026 — preparatory meetings with the DOCU/PRO team.

The date of the event is to be announced later.

How the screenings will take place

The screenings and discussions will take place in a closed format. Access to the screenings will be granted only to specially invited experts. Each screening will be followed by a moderated 60-minute discussion. The language of the event is English.

Experts

The list of RAW DOC 2026 experts will be announced later.

Here you can view last year’s experts. 

Awards

Among the selected projects, the team of experts will choose:

• one film that will be given the opportunity to watch its rough cut with the team at the KINO42 cinema.

Other awards will also be announced by the end of May.

Other conditions

By 22 May 2026, participants must provide rough cut materials of the film with English subtitles, which the organisers will send to international experts along with other project materials.

The programme will take place during the DOCU/PRO Industry Platform. That is when participants will watch the rough cuts of the films in a cinema hall and take part in a moderated discussion together with the experts.

Up to 3 members of the creative team may participate in the programme; the presence of the film’s director and producer is mandatory.

The teams of the selected projects will receive industry accreditations granting them access to the DOCU/PRO industry programme and the festival’s film programme.

The festival does not cover participants’ travel or accommodation expenses.

Participating projects will be required to include the Docudays UA and RAW DOC logos in the film’s end credits with the disclaimer: “Film Title participated in the RAW DOC programme, DOCUDAYS UA 2026.”

DOCUDAYS UA

The 23rd Docudays UA will take place on 5–12 June 2026 at several venues in Kyiv and online simultaneously. The festival will include: a film programme (at least 50 films in competition and non-competition sections), the RIGHTS NOW! human rights events, DOCU/CLASS discussions and masterclasses, the DOCU/PRO industry section for documentary professionals, and the DOCU/SYNTHESIS interdisciplinary art programme. The online component of the festival will take place on DOCUSPACE, featuring film screenings and live streams / recordings of offline events.

DOCU/PRO 

The DOCU/PRO Industry Platform works with the aim of supporting the community of Ukrainian documentary filmmakers and developing the Ukrainian documentary film industry. DOCU/PRO is a place where documentary filmmakers, both experienced and emerging, exchange knowledge, explore trends, build connections with experts from the documentary field, strengthen ties between the Ukrainian and international industries, and ultimately create Ukrainian film projects.