D’Hub is set to return as a dynamic industry space where brave ideas meet hands-on tools, championing non-fiction storytelling that cuts through the noise. Taking place over three packed days from 13-15 June, this year’s edition of the Dokumentale industry strand will zoom in on the ethics and politics of representation, care, equity and co-creation.

Amid a rapidly shifting media landscape shaped by AI, social-media virality and deepening divisions, D’Hub invites participants to reimagine documentary as a site for connection, integrity and real-world impact. The programme features a blend of deep-dive workshops, keynotes and panels, culminating in The Good Media Pitch – the public presentation of six outstanding projects developed through the Good Media Lab’s six-month incubator. These works foreground underrepresented voices and urgent global concerns, and seek out partners, funders and collaborators ready to shape the future of non-fiction media.

The selected projects reflect a wide geographical and thematic range, each taking a distinct formal approach to storytelling while remaining grounded in lived experience. In 9 Month Contract by Ketevan Vashagashvili (Georgia/Bulgaria/Germany), the story of Zhana, a Georgian woman who repeatedly rents out her womb for $14,000, unfolds with intimate complexity. Trapped in a system that commodifies her body, she does this out of a mix of fear, hope and maternal love – a haunting metaphor for the transactional economies that govern reproductive labour in post-Soviet spaces. In AutoQueens (India), Haricharan Sraiyanti captures the determination and humour of Mohana and Leela Rani, two female auto-rickshaw drivers in Chennai who face harassment, infrastructural neglect and patriarchal norms every day on the road. Their growing friendship becomes the spark for a grassroots mobility movement, challenging who gets to occupy public space and on what terms.

Meanwhile, Julian Dykmans’ Build It and They Will Come (Germany/Ghana) offers a vibrant snapshot of youth-led change and the fragile ecosystems of grassroots culture. The film follows a crew of young women who build “Freedom”, West Africa’s first female-led skate park, in Ghana. The project blossoms into a cultural hub, only to be destroyed overnight by a local politician’s bulldozer. Katharina Haverich’s Dude, Where Is the Metaverse (Germany, working title) steps into speculative territory with a short-form documentary series exploring the mythology and materiality of digital futures. Composed of vignette-style clips and featuring insights from international creators, researchers and policymakers, the project asks what became of the utopian promises surrounding virtual worlds. Made partially in VR environments, the series cleverly blurs boundaries between critique and participation.

Karoline Rößler’s Intersection (Germany) innovates both in form and in function, combining a documentary series with an interactive mobile game to make systems of discrimination visible and experiential. Following six individuals who confront inequality with resilience and integrity, the project doesn’t just tell their stories; it invites the audience to engage, make choices and reflect on their own place within these structures. Finally, Sorry for the Genocide (Germany, working title), co-directed by Theodora Shandé and Matteo Sant’Unione, examines Germany’s colonial past and its unresolved aftermath in Namibia. Amplifying the voices of descendants of the 1904-1908 genocide in German South West Africa, the film questions the value and sincerity of the Joint Declaration signed by the two nations.

Alongside these pitches, the D’Hub programme offers a series of public events designed to ground theory in practice and foster meaningful dialogue. On 13 June, a presentation and talk titled “Storytelling in a Polarised World” opens the proceedings, featuring Marina Adami from the Reuters Institute. This conversation explores how media narratives shape societal divides and what kinds of stories are needed to bridge them, especially in an era of algorithmic reinforcement and AI-generated content. On 14 June, two practical workshops will provide participants with actionable tools. The first, “Working Together: Eye-level Collaboration”, led by Alejandra Nieves, of the Berlin University of the Arts, tackles the ethics of co-creation, and the dynamics of trust between filmmakers and their protagonists. The second, “Impact Now: Activating Change Through Film”, convenes Vivian Schröder (The Good Media Network), Kristie Robinson (impact producer), Elisa May (Kern des Ganzen) and Leslie Thomas (Mira Studio) to lead breakout sessions on campaign design, advocacy work and strategic distribution.

On 15 June, the keynote “Information Sickness”, delivered by Marek Tuszyński, of Tactical Tech, addresses the psychological and societal toll of misinformation, conspiracy and tech-driven overload. Tuszyński offers frameworks for strengthening media and social literacy in response to information fatigue and polarisation. That same day, the conversation “The Engaged Female Gaze: Power & Perspective” brings together acclaimed directors Havana Marking (Undercover: Exposing the Far Right), Karolina Domagalska (Abortion Dream Team [+leggi anche:
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Meanwhile, evenings at D’Hub are designed to keep the energy going in a more informal key, with rooftop terrace gatherings offering drinks, music and the chance to forge new collaborations.

Speaking to Cineuropa, Vivian Schröder, the festival’s impact director, underscored the necessity of events such as D’Hub: “We see impact not as an afterthought, but as an integral part of documentary practice, [especially] when it aligns with a project’s values and vision. At D’Hub, we’re creating a space where filmmakers, activists and audiences meet eye to eye – where stories don’t just describe the world, but actively shape it.”

The full programme is available to peruse here. The full list of projects set to be pitched is below:

Build It and They Will Come - Julian Dykmans (Germany/Ghana)
Producer: Lou Savoir

Dude, Where Is the Metaverse (working title) - Katharina Haverich (Germany)

Intersection - Karoline Rößler (Germany)
Producer: Jascha Loos

Sorry for the Genocide (working title) - Theodora Shandé, Matteo Sant’Unione (Germany)
Producers: Theodora Shandé, Matteo Sant’Unione

AutoQueens - Haricharan Sraiyanti (India)

9 Month Contract - Ketevan Vashagashvili (Georgia/Bulgaria/Germany)
Producers: Martichka Bozhilova, Sylvia Nag