Discover Industry Events at Docs Ireland 2026
Posted: 2nd June 2026
Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland (Screen Ireland) is proud to support the 2026 edition of Docs Ireland taking place from 16-21 June 2026 and its line-up of special and industry events.
Industry Events
Creative Documentary Making in Focus
Thursday, 18th June 2026, 12pm at The MAC
This event will open the doors to documentary filmmaking talent from the UK & island of Ireland in a friendly and inclusive environment.
We aim to foster creativity and conversation, disseminate information and boost confidence for non-fiction storytellers to develop their creative filmmaking practice, and dissect the intricacies of the production process for documentary.
The event will frame the experiences and insights of doc-makers through presentation, case study and interview. Sessions will include a case study of the recent Doc Society-funded film Super Nature, an analysis of the current non-fiction festival landscape featuring Visions dú Réel, Dok Jihlava and Square Eyes, and a creative conversation with short filmmakers examining their creative process and experiences of producing successful shortform work.
The event will be followed by a networking drinks reception.
Presented in partnership with BFI Doc Society (as part of BFI NETWORK)
Docs Ireland Marketplace
Friday, 19th June 2026, 2-6pm at The MAC
Saturday, 20th June 2026, 9.30am-2pm at The MAC
The Docs Ireland Marketplace is an opportunity for filmmakers to meet one-to-one with leading international documentary industry players, including international funders, broadcasters, distributors and exhibitors. The only marketplace dedicated to documentary on the island of Ireland, it provides an outlet for filmmakers to pitch their project through carefully curated meetings organised by the Docs Ireland team. A hub for funding, sales and distribution of documentaries in Ireland and globally, the market is an incubator for nurturing domestic talent so that our industry can continue to thrive in the future. We also welcome international submissions.
Confirmed decision makers include:
ARTE France, ARTE GEIE, ARTE/SWR, Autlook, BBC NI, BBC Storyville, BiograFilm, B-Rated, Breakout Pictures, Dartmouth Films, Documentary Association of Europe, Doc Society, Dok Jihlava, DOC NYC, EyeSteel Film, Jacob Burns Center, Odd Slice, Jambika Docs, Met Film, Mediawan, Lightdox, NBC News Studios, Open City Docs, POV, RTÉ, SquareEyes, Stranger Film Sales, SVT, TG4, Visions du Réel and Wildcard Distribution.
The New Doc-Making Reality | Producing Docs in a Precarious Landscape
Friday, 19th June 2026, 10.15am at The MAC
Recognising that the ecosystem of cinema is experiencing its own downturn like the rest of the world, the reality of creating independent film is in a more difficult space than ever. Tighter funding margins and commissioning briefs, as well as shifting distribution models, has only added to the precarity of financing and finding a home for your film to be seen.
However, incredible documentaries are still being made and there are still pathways to funding your film. Much like working filmmakers, many institutions have had to adapt to this new reality themselves. This event will bring together film professionals across the value chain to discuss their experience of working in this new reality, providing a positive outlook and perspective on finding a route to production and exhibition, through presentations, case studies and honest discussion.
Through sharing the expertise and knowledge of the contributors, the aim of this event is to provide intel on pathways for financing and fostering strategies to get your film made.
Networking: 10am
Event: 10.45 - 12.45am
Speakers include:
- Gary Lennon: Director, An Irish Atlantic Rainforest,
- Alexandre Marionneau: Head of International Co-productions (Society and Culture), ARTE France
- Nevine Mabro: Head, BBC Storyville
- Bob Moore: Creative Producer, EyeSteelFilm
- Anne-Laure Négrin: Commissioning Editor, ARTE G.E.I.E
- Sally Roden: Commissioning Executive, Factual Documentaries & Series
Host: Brigid O’Shea Co-Founder, Documentary Association of Europe
This event is curated in partnership with Doc Association of Europe
Supported by Creative Europe & Screen Producers Ireland
From Pitch to Screen: A Live Scoring To Documentary Skills Event
Friday, 19th June 2026, 11.45am at The MAC
In collaboration with Docs Ireland, Screen Composers Guild of Ireland present a day-long music composition workshop where composers, under the supervision of SCGI mentors, work collaboratively to score and produce a music cue in response to a creative brief for a documentary. This year’s selected documentary is the 2025 Docs Ireland Pull Focus award winner A Want in Her.
SCGI Members will collaborate in the morning, with the public invited to join us for an open feedback session, where the musical outcomes and mentors’ opinions will be shared in a panel event. This live feedback session will offer audiences a rare fly- on-the-wall opportunity to witness how composers respond musically to a creative brief and the process of scoring to screen.
Making Your Movie Matter
Friday, 19th June 2026, 2pm at The MAC
Impact Distribution is no longer a nice-to- have for social issue documentary filmmakers developing a social impact strategy - thinking beyond traditional distribution is essential for reaching and engaging audiences. This panel will feature international experts who will discuss the key elements and opportunities of modern impact distribution.
Speakers:
- Ana Castañosa: Head, FIFDH Human Rights Film Festival Geneva Impact Days, Switzerland
- Patricia Finneran: Founder, Story Matters Media, US
- Ben Kempas: Founder, Film & Campaign, UK
Presented in partnership with the Guth Gafa and Story Matters Impact Lab.
Who Gets To Tell The Story
Friday, 19th June 2026, 4pm at The MAC
At a moment when industry data continues to demonstrate the global under-representation of women in film, Irish filmmakers will come together for an honest conversation about creative autonomy, finding funding for self- driven work, and what it really takes to build a lasting career.
The session will feature international award-winning filmmakers based on the island of Ireland, whose work has travelled far and cut deep. Here they discuss how to navigate the current climate while creating distinctive, self-driven work in a challenging landscape.
Host: Eimhear O’Neill - CEO, Chapterhouse Films
Speakers:
- Kathryn Ferguson - Director, Nothing Compares, Bogart: Life Comes in Flashes
- Cara Holmes - Director, Lesbian Lines
- Alison Millar - Director, The Disappearance of Captain Nairac, Lyra
- Sinéad O’Shea - Director, All About the Money, Blue Road: The Edna O’Brien Story
This event is supported by WFTV UK.
Anatomy of an Audio Doc
Saturday, 20th June 2026, 10am at Oh Yeah Music Centre
Docs Ireland is delighted to centre the art of audio-making as a focal point of our industry programme for 2026. Audio can provide a dynamic medium for projecting reality and cogent non-fiction narratives, with endless possibilities for creative expression and telling compelling stories via aural interpretation.
This event will analyse audio outlets through panel discussions and case studies with renowned audio makers and commissioners, including a focus on award-winning podcasts Where is George Gibney? and Stakeknife, BBC Radio Ulster’s popular and prolific Assume Nothing series, as well as London’s renowned creative audio production house Falling Tree.
Northern Ireland Screen Pitch
Saturday, 20th June 2026, 10am at The MAC
Docs Ireland and Northern Ireland Screen in association with Yellowmoon Post Production, return for the eighth edition of the Northern Ireland Screen Pitch in 2026. 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) and The Loneliest Boy in the World (Medb Johnstone & Ann Ni Chiobhain)
The Docs Ireland Pure Class Delegate Pass is now available on the Docs Ireland website (£90 full price, £55 students).
Visit the Docs Ireland website to learn more about the full programme and to purchase tickets