Discover Industry Events at Docs Ireland 2025
Posted: 5th June 2025
Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland (Screen Ireland) is proud to support the 2025 edition of Docs Ireland and its line-up of special and industry events.
Industry Events
Andy Glynne - Marketplace Training
Wednesday, 25th June 2025, 12.30pm at Queen's Film Theatre Studio
This one day, in-person workshop, led by documentary trainer Andy Glynne, will give filmmaking teams the essential skills needed to navigate - and make the best out of - the Docs Ireland Marketplace. This isn’t just about the “pitch”, it’s about being clear on how to get the support for your film that it needs, both in terms of finance and strategic partnerships. This is an experiential workshop, using your project to help develop specific skills including:
- The Development Toolkit - Understanding and making the best out of your proposals, treatments, teasers and pitch.
- Finance Plans and Partnerships - Ensuring you have a solid and realistic finance plan, and how to ensure you understand all the mechanics of international co-production.
- Development Strategy - Ensuring you have the best strategy for the development of your feature documentary.
- Navigating the Market - How to get the best out of the market - strategic partnerships, working with broadcasters, and the role of distributors in helping to develop and finance your film.
All participants will rehearse their pitch throughout the day, and refine their development and financing strategy.
Creative Documentary Making in Focus
Thursday, 26th June 2025, 1.00pm at Queen's Film Theatre Screen 1
Docs Ireland's State of the Irish & UK Documentary Industry event will present a first public roundtable discussion addressing issues within the documentary filmmaking communities of the UK & Ireland from across the different sectors of the industry. In a friendly and inclusive environment, a panel of representatives from broadcasters, distributors, festivals, funders, platforms, producers and sales will be brought together for the first time with the aim of fostering dialogue between the different parts of the industry. As well as demonstrating different stakeholder views on the documentary filmmaking process the panel will also consider what currently works well within current industry structures, what needs updating and what needs to evolve and change in the near future.
Alongside this central event there will be a further shorter discussion framing the experiences and insights of doc-makers through case study and interview. This session will include a case study of the Doc Society supported documentary feature The Shadow Scholars (2024) directed by Eloise King.
The event will be followed by a short networking drinks reception.
Presented in partnership with BFI Doc Society (as part of BFI NETWORK)
Meet the Broadcasters
Thursday, 26th June 2025, 5.00pm at Queen's Film Theatre Screen 1
In advance of the seventh Docs Ireland Marketplace, the festival welcomes guests and attendees to join us for a networking event, giving an opportunity to hear from Irish, UK, European and International broadcasters, about what they are looking for from documentary makers and what opportunities are open to filmmakers for commissions, funding and training.
Those in attendance include representatives from ARTE, BBC NI, RTÉ, TG4 and POV.
How to Fund Market & Sell a Documentary in the Post-Covid Landscape
Friday, 27th June 2025, 10.00am at Belfast Exposed
This industry-focused panel will bring together film marketing specialists, producers and sales agents to explore how documentary filmmakers can get creative with ways of finding funding, audiences and screening opportunities in a production and distribution landscape that has been significantly reshaped by the after-effects of Covid.
We will discuss the issues around the new uplift on the Section 481 tax credit and it's non-extention to Creative Documentary.
Speakers:
- Libbie McQuillan - Director of Industry and Corporate Affairs, Screen Ireland (TBC)
- Anthony Muldoon - Director of Strategic Policy, Screen Producers Ireland
- UK Credit Credit Rep (TBC), UK Filmmaker with successful case study (TBC)
- Irish Filmmaker Lobbyist (TBC)
Presented in partnership with Screen Producers Ireland
Spotlight on Poland
Friday, 27th June 2025, 11.00am at The MAC
Docs Ireland is honoured to spotlight the documentary film industry of Poland, and the infrastructures and mechanisms that keep it sustainable. Partnering with Creative Europe Desk Ireland, through presentations, case studies and discussion with invited speakers (including distributors, film institutes and festivals), this event will give a holistic insight into the ecosystem surrounding the documentary community within Poland and how filmmakers based upon the island of Ireland can work with them.
The main aim of this panel is to foster future co-production opportunities with Poland for Irish filmmakers through knowledge-sharing and information exchange.
Speakers:
- Barbara Orlicz-Szczypuła - President of the Board of the Kraków Film Foundation
- Adam Ślesicki - Head of Doc Lab Poland
- Justyna Fogler - Festival Programmer & Distributor, Millennium Docs Against Gravity
- Host: Brigid O’Shea - Co-Founder, Documentary Association of Europe
Presented in partnership with Creative Europe Desk Ireland
The Gap in Consent
Friday, 27th June 2025, 11.45am at Belfast Exposed
14 Irish documentary filmmakers speak about ethics, consent and relationships with their subjects in the making of their films. The film aims to chart the filmmaker/subject relationship throughout the production process from first approaches, through production and towards the rough cut, and discusses the evolving role of consent in that relationship.
The title is meant to tease out questions of collaboration, consent and the limits of representation. The film is engaging for audiences interested in how documentaries are made.
There will be a discussion after the film with some of the film’s participants and Tom Burke.
Anatomy of the Frame
Saturday, 28th June 2025, 11.00am at Belfast Exposed
In a year when Docs Ireland will present a prize for cinematographic achievement in Irish Documentary in memory of celebrated Irish cinematographer Ross McDonnell this panel focuses attention upon that core creative-collaborative role within the documentary-making process. The event will utilise the expertise of leading Irish and international cinematographers to discuss the fundamentals of image-making and demonstrate how the cinematographer’s artistry helps to define the visual language of a documentary film.
The event will include a panel discussion with industry-leading cinematographers - including award-winning Irish cinematographer, Kate McCullough - regarding their craft and collaborative processes with directors, as well as an examination of how they built and developed their careers across film and television.
Speakers:
- Kate McCullough - Cinematographer, The Quiet Girl, Normal People, I, Dolours, The Farthest
- Magda Kowalczyk - Cinematographer, Cow, High& Low – John Galliano)
The event will be followed by a networking lunch at 2 Royal Avenue
Northern Ireland Screen Pitch
Saturday, 28th June 2025, 2.15pm at Ulster Museum
Docs Ireland and Northern Ireland Screen, in association with Yellowmoon Post Production, return for the seventh edition of the Northern Ireland Screen Pitch. This public pitch offers the opportunity for documentary makers, from established filmmakers to new and emerging talent, to receive an award of up to £9,000 towards a pilot for a documentary feature.
Shortlisted projects will present their project at this public pitch at Docs Ireland where they will receive feedback from a panel of leading Irish and international documentary industry players.
Previous winners of the pitch include A Want in Her (Formerly No Place Like Home) (Myrid Carten), The Last Balkan Cowboy (Dragana Jurisic), Asking for it (Grace Sweeney), They Say It Is Love (Roisin Agnew), The Unrest Collective (Lia Campbell), Shades of Blue (Katie McFadden).
Presented in partnership with Northern Ireland Screen & Yellowmoon Post Production
The Docs Ireland Industry Pass is now available on the Docs Ireland website (£85 full price, £55 students).
Visit the Docs Ireland website to learn more about the full programme and to purchase tickets