News
On Friday, January 27 at 11:00 CET we will hold an "Ask Me Anything" session on Zoom.
After one year of a break, Sabine Bubeck-Paaz is back to ESoDoc as Head of Studies.
ESoDoc will run the inspirational lab "Impact Zone" at When East Meets West 2024 and Joël Jent (ESoDoc 2023) will pitch the project "Rebelion de la Memoria" at the Co-production Forum.
At FIPADOC 2024 "Jump Out" by Nika Saravanja (ESoDoc 2018) will have its World Premiere, ESoDoc 2023 participant Carlotta Piccinini will pitch the project "Sereti" and "Domingo Domingo" by Laura García Andreu (ESoDoc 2021) will be screened in the "Taste of Doc" section.
The film "Life is Beautiful" by Mohamed Jabaly will premiere in the International Competition and "Flowers of Ukraine" by Adelina Boret will be at IDFA Forum.
Heidi Gronauer and Raimo Lång will be attending IDFA. Contact us to book a meeting!
The call to apply to ESoDoc Inspirational Lab "Impact Zone" that will take place at the next edition of When East Meets West is now open! Deadline: NOVEMBER 20, 2023.
"Domingo Domingo" - the project developed at ESoDoc 2021 by Laura García Andreu - will be screened at Inconvenient Films in Lithuania!
Heidi Gronauer and Thomas Righetti will be attending DOK Leipzig, and the project "Flower of Ukraine" by Adelina Boret will be presented at DOK Preview Training.
The film "Love Is Not An Orange" by Otilia Babara (ESoDoc 2016) wins the prize for Best Documentary at the TIFF - Tirana International Film Festival
It is hard to know you are no longer with us. We will miss your passion, your never-ending energy, and your engagement.
"Anima - My Father's Dresses" by Uli Decker wins Best Documentary at the Bayerischer Filmpreis.
18 film professionals from 16 different nationalities have been selected to participate to the 2023 of ESoDoc.
"Domingo Domingo" by Laura García Andreu will have its premiere at Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival
We have extended the deadline to apply to ESoDoc 2023! The new deadline for application is set for FEBRUARY 22, 2023!
After 8 year with Sabine Bubeck-Paaz, in 2023 ESoDoc will have a new Head of Studies
On Friday, January 27 at 11:00 CET we will hold an "Ask Me Anything" session on Zoom.
Heidi Gronauer (Head of Project) and Thomas Righetti (Project Coordinator) will be attending When East Meets West from Sunday the 22nd till Wednesday the 25th of January.
Two ESoDoc projects have been selected for the Co-Production Forum that will take place at the next edition of When East Meets West.
The film "Anima - My Father's Dresses" by ESoDoc alumni Uli Decker will be screened at Filmclub in Bolzano on October 19.
The film "Love Is Not An Orange" by Otilia Babara (ESoDoc 2016) will have its World Premiere at DOK Leipzig.
The project "Peace for Nina" by Zhanna Maksymenko-Dovhych has been selected for DOK Preview Training.
EXTENDED DEADLINE: NOVEMBER 25, 2022! We are launching the new call for ESoDoc's lab organised in partnership with When East Meets West! More info will be published soon on this page.
The project "TATA" is among the 10 projects selected by Chicken & Egg Pictures for the 2022 (Egg)celerator Lab.
The film "Anima - My Father's Dresses" wins the WIFT GR Award at Thessaloniki Documentary Festival.
"Anima - My Father's Dresses" by Uli Decker will have its international Premiere at Thessaloniki Documentary Festival.
"I'll Stand By You" wins the Best Documentary Award at Glocal Film Festival.
The film "Long Live My Happy Head" will have its international premiere at Thessaloniki International Film Festival.
The project "Peace for Nina" by Zhanna Maksymenko-Dovhych won the Impact Days Award at FIFDH Geneve!
The application period for ESoDoc 2022 is closed. We received 111 applications from 41 countries!
"Anima - My Father's Dresses" by Uli Decker wins Best Documentary and the Audience Award at Max Ophüls Preis 2022.
It's now available the recording of the "Ask Me Anything" session that took place on January 31.
On Monday, January 31 at 14:30 CET we will hold an "Ask Me Anything" session on Zoom.
Two ESoDoc participants have been selected among the 16 projects from all over the world that will participate in the FIFDH Impact Days.
"Dying To Divorce" has been selected as the UK’s entry to the international Oscar feature race.
The call for ESoDoc's lab organised in partnership with When East Meets West is now open! "The Impact Pyramid" will focus on the design of impact campaign strategies.
"The Art of Living in Danger" - by Mina Keshavarz (ESoDoc 2017) - has will be part of the section "Best of the Fest" at IDFA 2020.
The film "One More Jump" - directed by Emanuele Gerosa (ESoDoc 2016) - wins the Best European TV Documentary Award at Prix Europa 2020.
Maka Gogaladze (ESoDoc 2020) wins EWA Women's Talent Award at DOK Leipzig with her project "Ever Since I Know Myself".
“Thinking the Future” is the conference that will focus on the future of the audiovisual industry and the role of documentary within the industry, organised in partnership with Inconvenient Films.
The project "Love is not an Orange" by ESoDoc participant Otilia Babara has been selected for DOK Preview, DOK Leipzig's showcase of new documentary projects developed within European trainings.
"The Art of Living in Danger" will have its world premiere at Sheffield Doc/Fest and - a few days later - its Asian premiere in Busan International Film Festival (BIFF).
Speak to Awaken is a two part virtual reality series that throws light on indigenous languages from Nepal and Taiwan that find themselves at different stages on their reclamation journey.
"Acasă" - directed by Radu Ciorniciuc and written by Lina Vdovîi - has been nominated for the EFA - European Film Awards in the documentary selection! The film is also in the Documentary Competition of the Zurich Film Festival.
"A tunnel" - by ESoDocker Nino Orjonikidze and director Vano Arsenishvili - wins the Golden Gentian for Best Film at the 68th Trento Film Festival. "One More Jump" by Manu Gerosa wins the CinemAMoRE Award.
The deadline to apply to ESoDoc 2020 has been EXTENDED! The new deadline for application is FEBRUARY 28, 2020!
"Acasa, My Home" by Radu Ciorniciuc wins World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Cinematography at Sundance Film Festival.
Ion Gnatiuc has been awarded an EAVE scholarship for Producers Workshop 2021 at When East Meets West 2020.
Also this year we will join When East Meets West in Trieste from January 19 till 21, with one ESoDoc project and one member of our team.
The project "Acasa, My Home" - developed at ESoDoc 2018 by Radu Ciorniciuc - will have its world premiere at Sundance!
"A Tunnel" - developed at ESoDoc 2018 by Nino Orjonikidze - will have its World Premiere at IDFA.
The third and final session of ESoDoc 2019 will take place from October 11 till 17 in Vilnius, in partnership with the Inconvenient Films Human Rights Festival, with many events open to the public!
The third session of ESoDoc 2019 will take place from October 11 till 17 in Lithuania, thanks to the partnership with the human rights documentary film festival Inconvenient Films. EXTENDED DEADLINE: September 15
IDM Film Fund & Commission is offering one scholarship for one South Tyrolean professional to join the second session of ESoDoc 2019 from July 14 till 20 in Bolzano. Deadline for application: JUNE 28.
BAFTA Award in the "Game Beyon Entertainment" for My Child Lebensborn.
We are very excited to announce the 18 professionals selected to participate to ESoDoc 2019.
"Zero Impunity" selected in the Official Competition at Annecy International Animation Film Festival
"Zero Impunity" has been selected in the Official Competition at "Annecy International Animation Film Festival".
We have extended the application deadline for ESoDoc 2019: FEBRUARY 18, 2019
On Monday the 4th of February at 11:30am CET we will held an "Ask Me Anything" session regarding ESoDoc 2019.
French sales company CAT&Docs has picked up international distribution rights to the Lithuanian-Italian feature documentary "I’ll Stand By You".
Breathing Life Into Stone by Katinka Zeuner won one prize and one honorary mentioning at DOK Leipzig.
"I Woke Up This Morning" is the new Youtube Channel by former ESoDoc participant Anne Murat, questioning Change.
"Breathing Life Into Stone" developed at ESoDoc by director Katinka Zeuner will have its World Premiere at DOK Leipzig 2018, in the "German Competition" section.
Also this year an ESoDoc project will be presented in the framework of DOK Preview during DOK Leipzig. Also Heidi Gronauer and Sabine Bubeck-Paaz will be present at the event.
Three projects developed at ESoDoc have been selected for the IDFA Forum 2018.
The third session of ESoDoc 2018 will take place from September 17 till 23 in Bari (Italy), in the framework of IDS - Italian Doc Screenings, organised by doc/it in partnership with the Apulia Film Commission.
The second session of ESoDoc 2018 will take place in Bolzano, from July 16 till 22.
We are glad to announce the 22 participants selected for ESoDoc 2018.
"Mr. Gay Syria" - developed at ESoDoc by director Ayse Toprak - will premiere at MoMA's Doc Fortnight 2018 in New York on February 16, at 4.30pm EST.
"Nowhere to hide" by ESoDoc participant Zaradasht Ahmed won the "Best Documentary" award at the latest Sima Awards.
La Chana - by ESoDoc participant Lucija Stojevic - won 5 awards in January, among which the "Premis Gaudí" and the "Premios Feroz".
The project "I'll Stand by You" by ESoDoc participant Virginija Vareikytė won the "Baltic Award" at When East Meets West 2018 in Trieste.
"Newtopia" by Audun Amundsen (ESoDoc 2016) and "Soora: Breaking the Silence" by Mina Keshavarz (ESoDoc 2017) have been selected for the next edition of DocEdge Kolkata.
Part of the ESoDoc team will be present at When East Meets West, from January 21st till 23rd. Moreover the project "I'll Stand By You" by ESoDoc participant Virginija Vareikyte has been selected for the co-production forum.
"Mr. Gay Syria" - directed by ESoDoc alumni Ayse Toprak - won several awards in the latest months during its festival tour, from the USA to Eastern Europe.
Also this year, two films developed at ESoDoc have been selected for IDFA: "The Next Guardian" by Dorottya Zurbó and Arun Bhattarai (IDFA Competition for first appearance) and "Mr. Gay Syria" by Ayse Toprak (Panorama)
We awarded 2 prizes at the third session of ESoDoc 2017, one in partnership with Cross Video Days and one with When East Meets West. Here are the winners!
We are extremely happy to report that Peter Steudtner has been finally released after months of detention in Turkey!
We are deeply saddened to hear that Ritchie Cogan died last Saturday night. Ritchie died suddenly and without suffering.
Two ESoDoc projects will be present in two different sections of DOK Leipzig 2017: "Jabulile Learns to Fly" by Sarah Gross in DOK Preview and "Are you thinking about suicide?" by Virginija Vareikyte in DOK Co-pro Market.
The project 4GENWOMEN by ESoDoc alumni Paula Onet won the "Cross Video Days Award" at the final pitching of ESoDoc 2016, and will now be present in the Content Market at Cross Video Days, taking place in Paris from October 2 till 4.
"La Chana" - by ESoDoc participant Lucija Stojevic - has been selected among the 15 documentaries for the 30th European Film Awards, which will take place on December 9 in Berlin.
The film Punishment Island by ESoDoc 2014 alumni Laura Cini will premiere in Uganda, Italy and Taiwan.
The third session of ESoDoc 2017 will take place for the first time in Lithuania! The session - organised with the support of the Lithuanian Film Center and in partnership with the FESTIVAL - will take place in Vilnius, from October 15 till 21.
"Nowhere to Hide" by Zaradasht M. Ahmed and "Thank You For The Rain" by Julia Dahr will be screened at the next edition of Dokufest in Prizren, Kosovo.
"Outside Peace, Inside War" - developed at ESoDoc by director Katja Berls - will have its World Premiere at the 5th London Feminist Film Festival on August 20, 2017!
"Nowhere to hide" - by ESoDoc alumni Zaradasht Ahmed - will be screened at Traverse Film Festival, the film festival founded by Michael Moore.
"Mr Gay Syria" - directed by ESoDoc participant Ayse Toprak - received a Special Jury Mention at the Lovers Film Festival held in Turin (Italy).
Afroroutes is a VR music experience, an immersive journey through the diverse slavery roads, documenting and exploring todays afro-cultures, rites and traditions worldwide.
"Mr. Gay Syria" by Ayse Toprak will have its international premiere at Sheffield Doc/Fest, while "La Chana" will have its UK premiere at the festival.
"Nowhere to hide" wins the main competition award at DOK.fest München and "El Color Del Camaléon" by Andres Lübbert gets a Special Mention by the jury.
We are glad to announce the 22 participants selected for ESoDoc 2017 and the open lectures which will take place at Session 1 in South Tyrol.
"La Chana" wins the Audience Award at Le Voci dell'Inchiesta in Pordenone (Italy).
The team of "Burning Voices" just launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise funds for the first filming period in Pakistan in autumn 2017.
"The Geshe Ma Nuns" by Malati Rao chronicles the incredible journey of 4 women who walked from Tibet to India, surviving life-threatening hardships, with the singular intent to follow the path of Bodhisattva.
Nowhere to Hide by Zaradasht M. Ahmed and The Pearl Of Africa by Jonny von Wallström shortlisted for One World Award 2017.
There are just 5 more days to support Elin Festøy's project "My Child Lebensborn" on Kickstarter!
"The Earth Masters" (Original idea by Alba Sotorra Clua, Script by Marina Dessau, Produced by Nadja Smith) won the HBO Development Award at East Doc Platform.
The film "La Chana" by ESoDoc alumni Lucija Stojevic has been selected for Hot Docs, the biggest documentary festival in North America.
Zaradasht Ahmed's "Nowhere to hide" won the Best Film Award at One Wolrd 2017, one of the major human rights documentary festival in the world.
"Nowhere to Hide" (winner of "IDFA Award for Best Feature-Length Documentary") and "La Chana" (winner of "VPRO IDFA Audience Award") have been selected to participate to the 19th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival.
"Thank You For The Rain" - developed at ESoDoc by Julia Dahr (director / Differ Media) and produced by ESoDoc alumni Hugh Hartford (producer / Banyak Films) - will have it's world premiere at CPH:DOX, on Tuesday 21st of March at 8pm, at Empire Bio (Guldbergsgade 29F, Copenhagen).
"Mr. Gay Syria" is the documentary developed by Ayse Toprak at ESoDoc 2015. After a year and a half of shooting and months spent editing, they are looking for support to fund the final part of the post-production as well as community outreach.
Heidi Gronauer will present ESoDoc and will be on the pitching panel at DocedgeKokata 2017. Also Zaradasht Ahmed will be at DocedgeKolkata with the film he developed at ESoDoc 2015 "Nowhere to Hide", winner of the "IDFA Award for Best Feature-Length Documentary" at IDFA 2016.
ESoDoc will select one project at idw - interactive documentary workshop to take part to the final session and public pitch of ESoDoc 2017 in Vilnius.
"El color del camaleon" - developed by Andrés Lübbert at ESoDoc 2014 - will have its avant-première in Brussel, on Tuesday 7th of March, at Cinéma Aventure
ESoDoc and WEMW have renewed the partnership also for 2017, thus a participant of ESoDoc 2017 will be selected to participate to the next edition of WEMW in January 2018 in Trieste.
Two projects developed at ESoDoc win two important awards at IDFA 2016: “Nowhere to Hide” by Zaradasht Ahmed wins the IDFA Award for Best Feature-Length Documentary, and "La Chana" by Lucija Stojevic wins the VPRO IDFA Audience Award!
3 films developed at ESoDoc have been selected for IDFA 2016: “Nowhere to Hide” by Zaradasht Ahmed (IDFA Competition for Feature-Length Documentary), “La Chana” by Lucija Stojevic and “The Pearl of Africa” by Jonny von Wallström (both in the Panorama section).
At the final pitching of ESoDoc 2016 we distributed 3 awards assigned by 3 of our partners: IDF - Institute of Documentary Film, Cross Video Days and When East Meets West.
The When East Meets West Award at ESoDoc 2016 has been assigned to "One More Jump" by Manu Gerosa.
The East Doc Platform Award at ESoDoc 2016 has been assigned to "The Earth Masters" by Nadja Smith.
The Cross Video Days Award at ESoDoc 2016 has been assigned to "One Roof 4GENerations Women" by Paula Onet.
The last session of ESoDoc 2016 will take place in the framework of the training and networking event IDS Academy 2016 - promoted by Doc/it - which will take place in Palermo from September 12 till 16, 2016.
We are glad to announce the participants line-up for ESoDoc 2016!
"The Pearl Of Africa" by Jonny Von Wallström (ESoDoc 2013) will make its world premiere at Hot Docs 2016!
We would like to congratulate Verjana Abazaj (ESoDoc 2015) for winning HBO Europe Co-Production Award at East Doc Platform with her project "Prisoner Without Prison"!
ZeLIG is partner of the Italian Doc Screening Academy 2015. During the event, ESoDoc will open its public seminars and the final pitching session, which will take place at Albergo delle Povere in Palermo, on September 18 and 19.
ESoDoc will organize within the framework of the Documentary Campus Industry Session a Pannel with the Title: MAKE MEDIA MAKE CHANGE. With this panel we want to share some extraordinary case studies of "Media for Change" from different angles and point of views.
Sheffield Doc/Fest MeetMarket and Crossover Market submissions for 2015 are open! Apply for both here and gain unparalleled access to the international documentary film market.
Sunny Side of the Doc is calling for Interactive Factual Projects. Application deadline: April 23, 2015.
EMERGING PRODUCERS is a promotional and educational project which brings together talented documentary film producers from EU countries. Registration deadline: April 30, 2015
UnionDocs is promoting two interesting documentary initiatives: Branded Documentaries (March 20-22) and Summer Intensive (starting in July). The early birds deadlines for both initiatives is approaching fast!
DOK.Incubator, an international documentary rough-cut workshop for editors, directors and producers, calls for submissions before March 3rd.
Cross Video Days 2015 is launching new call for projects for its 6th edition. Deadline for submission is March 16, 2015.
One World Media is now accepting new entries for the 2015 One World Media Awards! Deadline for submission: February 5, 2015.
The application deadline for DocedgeKolkata is December 7, 2014. DocedgeKolkata, Asian Forum for Documentary, is an international documentary event attended by some of the most noted documentary makers from across the globe along with foundations and broadcasters.