About this opportunity
Docs in Progress is for films at the finishing stage rather than ideas on paper. The call takes original feature length documentaries of more than 60 minutes, and documentary series, from the wider regions of South Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean, including North Africa. Creative and television documentaries, episodic work, documentaries for children, hybrid documentaries, essay films, animation and non narrative or interdisciplinary works are all within scope, and projects produced or co produced by an eligible country, or carrying story elements tied to these regions, qualify.
You submit an online form in English together with a secure web link containing at least 25 minutes of selected excerpts or scenes from the film. That material matters most: the selectors say the visual quality of the excerpts, the artistic elements and the themes of the film drive the decision, with the track record of the director and the production company also weighed. One production company or producer may send up to two projects, and you state whether the project has already been presented at other workshops or markets, or note that this is its first showing.
Eight to ten projects are chosen. Selected teams then join a mandatory online workshop in late January 2027 that covers pitch training and feedback on the excerpt clips, and after that feedback each team prepares a 12 minute clip of film excerpts, with English subtitles, that is neither a trailer nor a promo reel. At least one representative travels to Thessaloniki for the full programme, with arrival on 6 March, rehearsal on 7 March, the presentations on 9 March, the awards on 10 March and online industry meetings on 12 March. The platform covers five nights of accommodation, one double room when both director and producer attend, and can reimburse part of the travel costs for each project team against receipts.
The awards attached to the 2027 edition include the Eurimages New Lab Award for Outreach, a EUR 30,000 cash prize for one participating project that is innovative and unconventional in content or form, plus the 2|35 Award for post production services, the Authorwave Post Production Sound Award covering sound design, mix, digital foley and deliverables, a subtitling award from Neaniko Plano and tailored consultancy sessions on festival strategy and promotion from Imprinta Films. Two further prizes, one from the Hellenic Film and Audiovisual Center and the Onassis Film Award, are reserved for Greek projects, so teams from other countries compete for the rest. The open call runs from 18 September 2026, submissions close on 25 November 2026 and notifications arrive in mid January 2027.
What you receive
- A place among the eight to ten projects presented to buyers, co producers, festival representatives and sales agents
- A mandatory online preparation workshop in late January 2027 with pitch training and feedback on your excerpt clips
- A live presentation in Thessaloniki on 9 March 2027, with rehearsal on 7 March and online industry meetings on 12 March
- Five nights of accommodation, one double room when both director and producer attend, and partial reimbursement of travel costs against receipts
- A route to the Eurimages New Lab Award for Outreach, a EUR 30,000 cash prize
- In kind awards for post production services, sound design and mix, digital foley and deliverables, subtitling, and consultancy sessions on festival strategy, marketing and promotion
- A curated meeting schedule built from the requests of the invited industry professionals
Who can apply
- Your project is an original feature length documentary of more than 60 minutes, or a documentary series
- The film is produced or co produced by a country in South Eastern Europe, the Eastern Mediterranean or North Africa, or its story carries clear links to these regions
- You can supply a secure web link with at least 25 minutes of selected excerpts or scenes from the film
- All application material and the subtitles on your excerpts are in English
- At least one representative can attend the whole programme in Thessaloniki from 6 to 11 March 2027
- One production company or producer submits no more than two projects
- Films from outside the listed countries are welcome to apply, and the selection committee evaluates every submitted project
Who should not apply
- Fiction features and works that are not documentary films or documentary series
- Documentary shorts of under 60 minutes submitted as a feature project
- Projects that cannot provide the 25 minutes of excerpts as a secure link
- Teams that cannot show any representative across the full Thessaloniki programme
Documents to prepare
- The completed AGORA Docs in Progress application form, in English
- A secure web link holding a minimum of 25 minutes of selected excerpts or scenes from the film
- English subtitles on the excerpt material you submit
- A note stating which other workshops or markets the project has been presented at, with dates, and any pending applications
- The Eurimages exclusion criteria declaration, uploaded with the application for co production support purposes
How to apply
- Read the AGORA Docs in Progress page on the festival website, including the list of eligible countries and the profile of the films the selectors look for
- Open the AGORA Docs in Progress application form for the 29th Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival
- Fill in the project details, the director and producer information, the stage of the film and the contact of the team
- Attach the secure link carrying at least 25 minutes of excerpts with English subtitles
- Submit before 25 November 2026, since the form cannot be changed once it is sent
- If you are selected, join the mandatory online workshop in late January 2027 and prepare the 12 minute excerpt clip and your travel
Selection process
- The selection committee is made up of the AGORA team, the festival programme team and international industry members
- Projects are judged mainly on the quality of the visual material you send, then on the artistic elements and themes of the film
- The track record of the director and the production company is also weighed
- The final selection aims for a balance across represented countries, regions, genders and themes
- Eight to ten documentary films are chosen, and notification arrives in mid January 2027
- A dedicated jury of at least three members, including an audience outreach expert and a Eurimages representative, decides the EUR 30,000 outreach award, presented on 10 March 2027
Sources and verification
Related opportunities
- Thessaloniki Pitching Forum 2027, A Funded Documentary Co Production Market For Film Teams From North Africa, The Mediterranean And South Eastern Europe With EUR 10,000 Development Awards
The Thessaloniki Pitching Forum is taking submissions for its 2027 edition, a co production and co financing platform for feature length documentary and docuseries projects from North Africa, the Eastern Mediterranean and South Eastern Europe. Twelve to fourteen teams are selected, receive a two day development lab and pitch in front of industry professionals, with cash awards of EUR 10,000 on offer. Submissions close on 25 November 2026.
Questions applicants ask
Can a documentary team from North Africa apply?
Yes. Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia and Palestine are among the eligible production or co production countries, and the call specifically looks for films from North Africa alongside South Eastern Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean.
How finished does my film need to be?
Docs in Progress is for work close to completion, which is why you submit at least 25 minutes of real excerpts rather than a treatment. Projects at the rough cut or finishing stage fit best, and completed films from the AGORA XR Lab at prototype or final production stage can also be submitted.
Is there an entry fee?
No. You apply through the official festival application form at no cost, and selected teams receive accommodation and partial travel reimbursement.
Can we submit more than one film?
One production company or producer may submit up to two projects to this edition.
What happens after the presentation?
Selected teams prepare a 12 minute excerpt clip with English subtitles for online and live use, take part in the festival programme with curated industry meetings, and can win the EUR 30,000 Eurimages New Lab Award for Outreach or one of the post production, sound, subtitling and consultancy awards.
Important disclaimer
Nextali researches and curates useful opportunities to make discovery easier. Before applying, verify every timeline, requirement, fee and application link on the official provider website. Do your own research into the organisation, its background and the authenticity of the offer. Nextali does not guarantee selection, funding or the conduct of third party providers.
