Calling all emerging documentary filmmakers! - Cork International Film Festival
Skip to content

Calling all emerging documentary filmmakers!

|
News

APPLICATIONS OPEN FOR YEAR SIX OF IGNITE-DOCS TALENT DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

Applications for the 2025-2026 IGNITE-Docs programme are now open, and will be accepted until Friday, September 19th 2025 at 5pm. Successful projects will be announced in mid-October.

IGNITE-Docs is a talent development programme directed towards emerging Irish and Northern Irish documentary filmmakers embarking on their first or second non-fiction feature film. This cross-border partnership aims to foster a new generation of documentary filmmakers, and is an innovative collaboration between the island’s first and newest film festivals, Cork International Film Festival and Docs Ireland.

Applications are accepted in English and as Gaeilge, with a particular interest in Irish language projects: 

Year six of the IGNITE-Docs Documentary Talent Development Programme follows the success of the previous five editions, through which feature documentary projects from emerging filmmakers were developed through training, workshops and one-to-one mentoring. 

This is a project-led scheme, which supports the progression of the selected projects and their teams through training focused on the development process of documentary from inception to exhibition. The scheme fosters a new generation of creative nonfiction talent from all over Ireland to pursue their first or second feature, and to provide them with a platform to develop the spectrum of skills and knowledge required to succeed as a feature documentary filmmaker on an international level.

During this comprehensive training initiative, participants will gain a grounding in all facets of project development. They will acquire market knowledge of the documentary industry, learning about the current trends in non-fiction film production, and an expansive understanding of the sector. The programme will include workshops, masterclasses, and in person conversations with established documentarians, broadcasters, funders, sales agents, and other industry professionals. All training will take place in a relaxed learning environment to allow for maximum learning potential and the opportunity to network and foster new relationships. 

The IGNITE-Docs programme will provide a long-term engagement, comprising:

  • Training days at the landmark 70th Cork International Film Festival in November 2025, and Docs Ireland in June 2026.
  • Regular online training days from November 2025 to June 2026.
  • The opportunity to attend Sheffield Doc Fest as a delegation in June 2026.

The IGNITE-Docs Documentary Talent Development programme is supported by TG4, the Arts Council of Ireland, Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland through the Screen Stakeholders Funding Scheme, Coimisiún na Meán, Cultural & Creative Industries Skillnet and Northern Ireland Screen.

For further information, and to apply, please visit corkfilmfest.org/ignite/ or docsireland.ie/industry/ignite-talent-development/

CORK INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Cork International Film Festival is Ireland’s first and largest film Festival and celebrates its milestone 70th-anniversary edition 6th – 16th November 2025. The Festival is proudly supported by Principal Funder the Arts Council, along with its Industry Partner Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, as well as Cork City Council, Creative Europe MEDIA, Coimisiún na Meán, Murphy’s, Future Planet and Principal Venue Partner, ARC Cinemas. Media Partners are RTÉ Supporting the Arts and the Irish Examiner. Cork International Film Festival is a member of the Cultural Cinema Partnership which includes the Irish Film Institute, Galway Film Fleadh, Dublin International Film Festival and access>CINEMA. 

For full details, visit corkfilmfest.org, or see:


DOCS IRELAND
Docs Ireland is an annual industry focussed, all Ireland International Documentary Festival, which incorporates a marketplace, pitching sessions, masterclasses, new talent focus and funding information events. 

Docs Ireland is proudly supported by principal funders NI Screen, Department Of Communities, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Belfast City Council, alongside TG4, Belfast City Council, Film Hub NI, BFI FAN, Yellowmoon, Belfast Media, Screen Producers Ireland and Creative Europe Media.

For full details, visit docsireland.ie or see:

MORE ABOUT IGNITE-Docs
Created in collaboration between Cork International Film Festival (Ireland’s first and largest film festival and destination for cinematic documentary) and Docs Ireland (the all-Ireland documentary focused festival from Belfast Film Festival), this cross-border partnership seeks to foster a new generation of Irish documentary filmmakers from the north and south of Ireland.

Feature documentary in Ireland has developed exponentially over the past decade, with countless award-winning non-fiction films gaining traction and being showcased both nationally, and on an international level; through festivals, cinema releases, television broadcast and VOD. The aim of IGNITE-Docs is to aid in the long term sustainable growth and artistry of talent in the Irish documentary film community, through training and skills development, mentorship and drawing from the resources and expertise of both festivals.

The scheme is project-led, and supports the progression of the selected projects and their teams, through training that focuses on the development process of documentary, from inception to exhibition. The scheme aims to foster a new generation of non-fiction creative documentary talent from all over the island of Ireland to pursue their first or second feature, and to provide them with a platform to develop the spectrum of skills and knowledge required to succeed as a feature documentary filmmaker on an international level.

During this comprehensive training initiative, participants will gain a grounding in all facets of developing their project, and will acquire market knowledge of the documentary industry, learning about the current trends in non-fiction film production, and giving them an expansive understanding of the sector. The programme includes workshops, masterclasses, and in person conversations with established documentarians, broadcasters, funders, sales agents, and other industry professionals. All training takes place in an intimate environment, which will allow a hands-on approach; facilitating maximum learning potential and the opportunity to network and foster new relationships.

Return to top