dok.connect

Selected projects will have the opportunity to receive professional feedback in one-on-one meetings. Two teams will screen their rough cuts to decision makers and hear the kind of candid feedback that’s hard to get anywhere else (see the list of attending professionals below).

All selected projects will also be featured in the official dok.connect catalogue, providing an additional opportunity to reach potential partners and industry professionals.

All dok.connect  participants are invited to join the open program lectures, discussions, festival presentations and networking events taking place throughout November 23–24.

SCHEDULE

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20

14:00–18:00 | Free Yourself to Create!
build your own AI editing assistant that knows your footage and gives you more space for creative decisions
a hands-on mini-workshop for editors with Hana Dvořáčková

How can AI truly support your daily editing workflow? In this workshop, you’ll learn how to build a custom AI assistant for a feature documentary. From syncing audio and managing complex data to generating visual structure maps based on a creative brief, you’ll see what’s possible in a real edit suite today. You’ll explore how to communicate with AI, give it the right context, and decide when to delegate and when to keep full control. You’ll leave with a clear understanding of how to build your own assistant and concrete steps to get started.

who is it for: primarily editors, no technical background required

apply here

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23

MORNING: AI WITHOUT HYPE OR PANIC

09:00–10:30 | Full-AI Film Production: Risk, Reward & Reality
with Gaëlle Guyader, Producer, ZED (FR), moderated by Christine Le Goff (FR)

Producing a film entirely with AI has become a reality and may become increasingly common. But what does this shift mean for documentary professionals in practical terms, from creative workflow and historical accuracy to budgets and timelines? How do we navigate the complex moral and legal questions it raises? Gaëlle Guyader, a producer with first-hand experience in this field, will share what it really takes to produce a film with AI from start to finish.

10:30–12:00 | The Legal Frontier of AI Filmmaking
with Gaëlle Guyader, Producer, ZED (FR), and a lawyer (to be announced), moderated by Christine Le Goff (FR)

AI filmmaking raises legal questions that legislation has not yet fully settled. Who owns an AI-generated image? Where does the training data come from? Which new rules apply, and how quickly are they changing?

Producing a film entirely with AI means balancing new creative and market opportunities against emerging risks. In this session, we will look at the current legal landscape, what producers need to consider, and where the boundaries may be heading next.

12:00–13:00 | Broadcasters and the AI Reality
with Karen Michael, ARTE (FR), Ivana Pauerová, Czech Television (CZ), and Tereza Bóna Keilová, HBO Europe (CZ), moderated by Liisa Karpo (FI)

Broadcasters are developing their own rules and guidelines for the use of AI in the programs they commission and acquire. What practices are already in place, and why? What should producers discuss with broadcasters from the early stages of a project? What reporting is required once production is underway? And how, if at all, do broadcasters supervise the use of AI?
Let’s find out how broadcasters are approaching AI today.

AFTERNOON: DOCUMENTARY INDUSTRY IN MOTION

15:00–16:30 | The New Documentary Landscape
with Karen Michael, ARTE (FR), Tereza Bóna Keilová, HBO Europe (CZ), Maëlle Guénégues, CAT&Docs (FR), and Jessica Kiang, Berlinale (IE), moderated by Liisa Karpo (FI)

The documentary market is changing faster than ever. For filmmakers, the old map no longer matches the territory. In this session, key players from across the documentary ecosystem explore how their roles have changed over the past two to three years. What concrete changes have they made in the way they select, finance, acquire, sell or release films? What are they looking for today, and how do they see the industry evolving over the next few years?
A practical look at how the documentary industry works right now, and what the market really looks like from the inside.

17:30–19:00 | Festivals Backstage
with Jessica Kiang, Berlinale (IE), Alexandros Diakosavvas, Thessaloniki IFF (GR), Cédric Succivalli, Giornate degli Autori, Venice (FR), Tomáš Poštulka, One World (CZ), and Adriana Čížek Belešová, Ji.hlava IDFF (CZ), moderated by Christine Le Goff (FR)

Programmers from leading European festivals will introduce their festivals, explain their selection strategies and share how decisions are made.
What are festivals looking for? How does the selection process work? And once a film is selected, how can filmmakers make the most of the opportunities a festival can offer.
An inside look at the people and decisions shaping the future of documentary cinema.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24

One-on-one Meetings
with European sales agents, festival representatives and broadcasters (for selected projects)

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26

09:30–12:00 | Fishing in the Big Pond
with Maëlle Guénégues, CAT&Docs (FR), moderated by Christine Le Goff (FR)

Being in the catalogue of a prestigious sales company can take your film to the best festivals and secure its future. But how do you get there, and how do you work successfully with a sales agent? What are their terms, and what do they expect you to do for your film? In the hot seat, producer Christine Le Goff questions a sales agent about how they select films, what they deduct from revenues, what filmmakers can negotiate, and what to watch out for in the contract.

apply to lectures here