The 2026 edition of dok.incubator brings a renewed focus and an exciting new opportunity: a dedicated workshop for filmmakers from the Visegrad region. Eight documentary projects, each represented by a director, editor, and producer, will be selected to take part in two intensive residential workshops in September and November 2026. Both experienced dok.incubator REG 2026 is an intensive development program for filmmakers from the Visegrad countries: Czechia, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary. Designed for teams of three (director, editor, and producer) working on a rough cut, the program guides participants through the process of building strong dramaturgy, reaching wide international audiences, and developing a smart distribution strategy.
“This year’s dok.incubator is different – we had to adjust some things, but it also brings new opportunities and formats. We are excited to work with filmmakers from the Visegrad region and to offer them the best of dok.incubator know-how, tutors, and support. We felt a need to reshape our events so that we can continue to be relevant and useful to the filmmakers we work with. This mission matters the most to us, especially looking back at the 14 years of dok.incubator during which we supported more than 200 documentary projects,” adds Andrea Prenghyová, the workshop founder and director.
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 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. Experienced filmmakers and emerging talents will receive individual guidance throughout the post-production period from dok.incubator’s renowned international tutors. Participants will also explore how to integrate AI tools into their filmmaking workflow and use them to test and grow their audiences.
Who is the workshop for?
dok.incubator is looking for filmmakers from the Visegrad countries (Czechia, Slovakia, Poland, and Hungary, and co-productions with these countries) who are developing creative and ambitious documentary projects at the rough-cut stage for an international audience. The workshops are open 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.
The program is designed for teams consisting of a director, editor, and producer who are open to collaboration, feedback, and the intensive development of their films. 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.
What to expect?
- two intensive residential workshops in September and November 2026, covering rough cut and fine cut stages
- individual dramaturgical guidance from internationally renowned tutors throughout the post-production period
- personal feedback on your rough cut from key festival representatives, sales agents, and other decision-makers
- tailor-made marketing and distribution strategy using new digital technologies and online marketing tools
- exploration of AI as a tool to support creative decisions and filmmaking strategy
How it works?
Participants will attend two residential sessions at key project development stages:
- 1st session: September 14–22, 2026 // ROUGH CUT
- Between sessions: individual consultations in October
- 2nd session: end of November 2026 (to be confirmed) // FINE CUT & OPEN PROGRAM
Timeline
- May 2026 – Submission period
- June 1, 2026 – Deadline for submissions
- June 2026 – Selection and announcement of selected projects
- September 14–22, 2026 – 1st workshop / rough cut
- October 2026 – Individual consultations between workshops
- End of November 2026 – 2nd workshop / fine cut / open program (to be confirmed)
TAGLINES x SOCIAL MEDIA
- CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS! dok.incubator invites filmmakers from Czechia, Slovakia, Poland, and Hungary to an intensive rough-cut workshop focused on sharpening the final cut and building a tailor-made marketing and distribution strategy. DEADLINE: June 1, 2026. https://dokincubator.net/workshop/reg/
- APPLY for dok.incubator workshop 2026! Shape your documentary with world-class tutors, individual dramaturgical guidance, and a smart distribution strategy. Open to Visegrad region filmmakers. DEADLINE: June 1, 2026. https://dokincubator.net/workshop/reg/
- Directors, editors and producers of documentary projects at rough-cut stage from the Visegrad region can NOW APPLY for dok.incubator workshop 2026! Two residential sessions, renowned tutors, and individual support. DEADLINE: June 1, 2026. https://dokincubator.net/workshop/reg/
- Are you a filmmaker from Czechia, Slovakia, Poland, or Hungary working on a documentary? APPLY for dok.incubator workshop 2026 and get individual feedback and support from world-class tutors. DEADLINE: June 1, 2026. https://dokincubator.net/workshop/reg/
