Docu Rough Cut Boutique call for projects is now open!

Organized by Sarajevo Film Festival and Balkan Documentary Center, Docu Rough Cut Boutique is a platform dedicated to documentary projects in the advanced phase of the editing process. 

Our team is very eager to see your upcoming documentaries and offer tailor-made training to five projects from the region of South-East Europe and the Caucasus. In this edition, the programme will be organized in three working modules: Sofia (May 2026), Online module (July 2026) and Sarajevo (August 2026). 

What to Expect at Docu Rough Cut Boutique

The workshop programme includes editing tutorials, group sessions, and one-on-one meetings with renowned documentary experts and industry professionals.• The programme culminates at the Sarajevo Film Festival, where five selected projects will be presented during CineLink Industry Days to key decision-makers-funders, sales agents, distributors, broadcasters, and festival programmers-with the aim of supporting project completion and strengthening distribution and festival positioning.

Eligibility & Terms and Conditions

• Projects must have a minimum of 60 minutes of edited material.

• Eligible countries: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, North Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Ukraine, Turkiye, and Kosovo*.

• Teams must consist of a director and editor for the first and second sessions, and a director and producer for the second session. The producer may also attend the first session, provided they cover the additional subsistence costs.

• The official language of the workshop is English. All team members must be fluent in English to participate.

• Selected participants are required to attend all project-related sessions.

Participation Fee and Entitlements

The fee per team amounts to €1,500 and for all modules covers:

• Tuition

• Accommodation and subsistence

• Accreditations and access to industry events

Timeline and Selection Process

Project Submission Deadline: 20 March 2026

Announcements of results: mid-April 2026

First module: May 2026 (provisional dates 11-15 May), Sofia, Bulgaria

Second module: July 2026, Online

Third module: mid-August 2026, Sarajevo

Please note that shortlisted projects will be contacted and invited to an online interview prior to the final selection.The submission deadline is March 20th, 2026 and you can apply using this LINK.

If you have any questions, please contact us:

at email@bdcwebsite.com