CIRCLE has opened applications for the eighth edition of Doc Accelerator, its tailor-made, year-long training programme for documentary directors and producers working on projects at different stages of development and at any point in their careers.

Building on seven previous editions, Doc Accelerator is centred on collaborative group work within carefully curated international cohorts, fostering peer-to-peer exchange and long-term professional growth. The programme offers a safe and inspiring working environment - combining creative development with strategic guidance - and is fine-tuned each year to the specific needs of the selected projects and participants.

For the 2026 edition, CIRCLE will select ten documentary projects led by women and gender-expansive filmmakers. Participants will work closely with leading international experts to strengthen both their artistic vision and production strategies, through a process grounded in solidarity, hands-on practice, and sharing knowledge.

The programme is structured around three intensive sessions, each lasting one week, which will take place across Europe: in Greece in June 2026, at a location to be confirmed in September 2026, and in Trieste, Italy in January 2027.

Applications are open from 20 January to 20 February 2026, with the results to be announced in April 2026. The application form and additional details are available on CIRCLE’s website. The organisation can allocate up to two scholarships, covering 50% of the tuition fee, for participants from low-capacity countries in need. Click here to apply.

Since its launch in 2018, CIRCLE Women Doc Accelerator has supported more than 115 women-identifying filmmakers from over 50 countries worldwide. Projects developed within the programme have gone on to premiere at major international festivals, including Perla [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Alexandra Makarová
fiche film] by Alexandra Makarová (IFFR’s Tiger Competition in 2025), Tata [+lire aussi :
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interview : Lina Vdovîi et Radu Ciorni…
fiche film] by Lina Vdovîi and Radu Ciorniciuc (TIFF’s TIFF Docs section in 2024), Twice Colonized [+lire aussi :
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interview : Lin Alluna
interview : Lin Alluna
fiche film] by Lin Alluna (Sundance’s World Cinema Documentary Competition in 2023), The Eclipse [+lire aussi :
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interview : Nataša Urban
fiche film] by Nataša Urban (CPH:DOX 2022) and This Rain Will Never Stop [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Alina Gorlova
fiche film] by Alina Gorlova (IDFA 2020), among many others.

CIRCLE Women Doc Accelerator is co-funded by Creative Europe MEDIA and held under the patronage of Eurimages.