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dok.incubator REG

• 2 sessions | 8 documentaries

• dramaturgy, marketing, AI tools

• for filmmakers from Visegrad countries

Join an intensive development program for filmmakers from the Visegrad countries: Czechia, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary. Designed for eight teams of three (director, editor, and producer) working on a rough cut, the program will guide you through the process of building strong dramaturgy, reaching wide international audiences, and developing a smart distribution strategy.

 

The 2026 edition brings a new and expanded format: two intensive six-day workshops, in Banská Štiavnica and Kutná Hora, led by a broader team of tutors, with a dedicated focus on marketing and audience building. For the first time, the program also opens up to a wider range of storytelling formats, welcoming documentary TV and web series, hybrid films, web-based narratives, and innovative cross-genre projects alongside traditional documentary forms. Participants will also explore how to integrate AI tools into their filmmaking workflow and use them to test and grow their audiences.

participants with project
participants without a project

deadline: June 1, 2026

apply now!
apply now!

Timeline

May
Submission period
June
Selection and announcement of selected projects
September
1ST WORKSHOP / rough cut
October
Individual consultations
November
2ND WORKSHOP / fine cut / open program

1ST session/ rough cut / September 14–22

During the first session, the participants and their tutors are looking for the "DNA" of each film. In the editing rooms they focus on storytelling and start asking basic marketing questions.

Everything starts with screenings of the rough cuts, followed by discussions and in-depth analysis of the narrative structure and dramaturgy. The participants are assigned a supervising tutor and a ‘fresh eye’ consultant to work with on editing to enhance their project's potential for international audiences.

 

The producers start thinking about the best distribution and festival strategy, searching for opportunities for their films within different territories, platforms, or institutions.

 

The first session takes place in Banská Štiavnica, Slovakia, on September 14 –22.

2ND session/ fine cut / end of November (TBC)

The second session is about finding the right direction of the film. Participants have a chance to test their current rough cuts on important decision makers and discuss their distribution possibilities with them.

The almost finished films are “test screened” for an international audience: festival programmers, distributors and sales agents who provide the participants with feedback on the content and structure of the film, the release strategy and distribution. Editing sessions and individual meetings follow.

 

Marketing specialists teach how the documentaries can be promoted effectively using different strategies. The end of the workshop is dedicated to legal issues of distribution, providing the participants with a detailed overview of the European sales landscape.

 

The second session takes place in Kutná Hora, Czechia, in the end of November.

Who is the workshop for

We are looking for filmmakers, emerging film professionals & film students from the Visegrad countries (Czechia, Slovakia, Poland, and Hungary, plus co-productions with these countries) to take part in the workshop with their projects or as observers (without a project).

FILMMAKERS WITH ROUGH CUTS:

 

We are looking for filmmakers  from the Visegrad countries (Czechia, Slovakia, Poland, and Hungary, plus co-productions with these countries) who are developing creative and ambitious documentary projects at the rough-cut stage for an international audience. We are searching for a broad range of storytelling formats and voices – spanning traditional formats, documentary TV and web series, hybrid documentaries, web-based narratives, and innovative cross-genre projects with a strong documentary core.

 

We welcome teams consisting of a director, editor, and producer who are open to collaboration, feedback, and the intensive development of their films. We are looking for motivated filmmakers with a strong artistic vision who want to refine the dramaturgy of their film, strengthen the final cut, and think strategically about distribution and international audience reach. We also welcome people who want to learn how AI can support the creative process and inform strategic decisions in filmmaking. Both experienced creators and emerging talents are encouraged to apply. What matters most is a commitment to the project, openness to mentorship, and the ambition to push the film to its highest potential through focused creative work and exchange within an international environment.

 

EMERGING FILMMAKERS WITHOUT PROJECTS:

 

Emerging film professionals and film students from the Visegrad countries (Czechia, Slovakia, Poland, and Hungary) who are active in documentary filmmaking. We welcome editors, producers, and directors who are interested in deepening their understanding of documentary development, rough-cut dramaturgy, audience building, and the international co-production process. The workshop is designed for those who want to gain hands-on insight into how projects are developed and shaped in a professional environment, strengthen their creative and analytical skills, and build connections within the international documentary community.

 

No prior project is required — what matters most is a strong interest in documentary film, openness to collaboration, and a willingness to engage fully in the workshop process.

How we work

Our team of experienced tutors – producers, editors of award-winning films and creative PR and marketing experts – will provide you with individual mentoring. Internationally recognized tutors aim to inspire the participants to find their own way of telling their stories – and how to reach audiences.

We believe in an individual approach and providing a tailor-made development plan for each project we work with. Our tutors work with the whole teams to help the participants with their projects. In our opinion, each project is different and requires a unique approach, knowledge and support.

The group of dedicated tutors and participants works very hard to push beyond the limits of both the films and the individuals. It's an intensive period of hard work and creative energy.

How to apply

dok.incubator invites editors, directors and producers to a three–month workshop, focused on filmmakers’ professional development and providing access to top internationally experienced tutors. If you are thinking of applying, decide early enough so you can adjust your film production schedule to the schedule of the workshop. See the timeline section above for more details.

Please note, that to apply you will need:

 

Audiovisual materials:

  • An English-subtitled rough cut of your film or a selection of edited scenes with a length of 40 – 90 minutes (you can apply with a longer version, however we cannot guarantee the selectors will watch more than 90 minutes; max. 4GB, supported formats include MP4, AVI, MOV); an additional edited pilot/trailer/teaser of the film is an advantage
  • Link to director’s previous film
  • Link to editor’s previous film – preferably documentary feature (only the main editor’s work will be accepted)
  • Three high-resolution stills from your film

Information about the project:

  • Short synopsis (max. 1600 characters)
  • Film treatment based on the shot material
  • Motivation letters from all the team members: director, editor and producer
  • Rough distribution strategy, including the estimated premiere time and place
  • Financing plan of the film (with specified confirmed/non-confirmed funding)
  • Portrait photo of the director, editor and producer (high-resolution), their short CVs and contact details

 

Be aware that all three team members — director, editor, and producer — must be available to participate in three one-week online, hybrid, or residential sessions in September and November. Applications without an editor are not eligible. Please secure your editor in advance for an editing period between the first and second workshop. Please note that all participants must be able to work in English.

 

You can apply with a project here.

 

Observers can apply here.

 

Fees

FILMMAKERS WITH ROUGH CUTS:

CZ & SK €3,000 per team (includes accommodation and meals)

PL & HU €6,500 per team (participants not supported by PFI/NFI training scholarships will receive a dok.incubator scholarship)

 

FILMMAKERS WITHOUT PROJECTS:
€800 per person (includes accommodation and meals)

 

Please scroll down through the 'see more' section to see what the fee covers.

WHAT DOES THE PROJECT FEE COVER

  • two intensive residential workshops (5–6 days each), including accommodation in shared double rooms, breakfast, lunch, and selected joint networking dinners for a team of three, as well as access to editing rooms and technical equipment rental

  • individual, in-depth editing mentorship with an appointed editing tutor, as well as marketing, distribution, and other consultations with world-renowned experts over a period of three months

  • the opportunity to screen your rough cut for international festival selectors and receive feedback, as well as fee waivers for leading documentary festivals

  • marketing materials for further distribution, including a trailer draft, synopsis, and other promotional assets

  • an extensive PR campaign organised by dok.incubator among film industry professionals

WHAT DOES THE OBSERVER FEE COVER

  • participation in two workshops, including accommodation in shared rooms, breakfast, lunch, and selected joint networking dinners

  • hands-on insight into how projects are developed and shaped in a professional environment

  • strengthening creative and analytical skills

  • building connections within the international documentary community

see more

Our Films

FAQ
I do not have a rough-cut. Can I apply?
Yes. You can send us a compilation of edited scenes, but your chances of being selected are lower. Those who apply with edited scenes rather than a rough-cut will be asked for an update on the progress of the projects at the end of February. The later the rough-cut, the more likely your film is to be chosen by the selection committee. The minimum length of the audiovisual material submitted for the application is 40 minutes.

Or you can apply for other parts of the program - Visegrad co-production market or Distribution day open program.
How do we select projects?
We select 8 projects to participate in the REG workshop. The most important thing for our selection is the quality of the submitted material and its originality. We are simply looking for good projects, which could be developed into great films. Our selection is not limited by the genre.

We accept films of all genres and we like to mix different kinds of films with different kinds of film-making styles, we simply look for the uniqueness of the story and assess the approach of the filmmakers. Our condition is one – the story should be complex enough to allow feature length. In the first round of selection each of the applications is screened and considered by two selectors. 16 best rated projects proceed to the second round. The shortlisted projects are seen by another five selectors – future workshop‘s tutors.

They discuss not only the quality of the material, which is the basic criterion in the first round, but they also take into consideration the motivation of the team, we look closely on who the director and editor is and consider their
previous films.

We aim to support projects from different regions with a different background and we also combine participants with various levels of experience. The diversity of the participating group contributes highly to the final outcome. We guarantee to keep the rough-cut version you send us strictly confidential and only to share it with the selection committee for the selection purposes.
We are not three, but just two of us: I don’t have an editor yet, may I participate without them? I am a director/producer in one person, can I participate?
You only can participate if you complete your team and find motivated colleagues. According to our experience, filmmakers who work on the film alone, without an editor or producer, suffer at the workshop and do not gain as much from the programme. We often split the participants into groups for directors/producers/editors – and they work simultaneously on various tasks. It would be extremely difficult for you as the director + producer to develop your marketing and distribution strategy and at the same time as working in the editing room. The same goes for a director + editor.
Once selected, do we need to be present in person at the workshop sessions?
Yes, attendance of all selected team members (director, editor, producer) during all days of the workshop sessions is REQUIRED.
Can you also help me with financing the project?
To receive financing in this stage of development is difficult and takes time. Optimally you should be able to cover your expenses at least until the fine cut is concluded. Obviously, we will support you in finding financing, using all our network of contacts. Our support gives you credibility and makes people open the door and listen – but it is up to you to convince them. We cannot guarantee you success.
What are the dok.incubator participants’ obligations?
The conditions of the workshop participation are specified in the contract. In short, all the participants are obliged to participate actively throughout the entire workshop programme, and must allow the workshop to promote the participating film with our media partners (using your promo stills and texts).

When the film is finished, we ask you to put our logo in the final credits and send us the link to the final version of the cut, a final trailer, and the marketing materials (e.g. poster, leaflet, postcards) to promote your film and the workshop.
Can I submit the application in my native language, instead of English, to avoid mistakes and misunderstandings?
No. The whole workshop programme is held in English. Both lecturers and selectors are chosen internationally, so in order to be able to consider your application, all the materials you provide us with, have to be in English and all
The audiovisual material has to be subtitled in English. We even recommend that the English-speaking parts be subtitled too, to avoid any misunderstandings due to sound quality or accents.
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