Home » News » The 15th edition of the Docu Rough Cut Boutique is now open for submissions!

NEWS

The 15th edition of the Docu Rough Cut Boutique is now open for submissions!

Unlock the full potential of your documentary project by applying for the 2025 edition, running from March to August. Application deadline: January 13, 2025

Organized by the Sarajevo Film Festival and Balkan Documentary Center, Docu Rough Cut Boutique is a platform dedicated to documentary projects in the advanced editing phase. Our tailor-made training accepts only five projects from the region of South-East Europe.

The workshop will take place in three parts, and applicants must submit a minimum of 60 minutes of material.

The programme is organized in three working modules: Sofia (March 2025), Cluj (June 2025) and Sarajevo (August 2025). The workshop programme includes editing tutorials, group sessions and individual meetings with renowned documentary experts and professionals. The programme culminates at the Sarajevo Film Festival where five projects will be presented to the CineLink Industry Days decision makers (funders, sales agents, distributors, broadcasters, and festival programmers) to assist their completion and enhance their distribution and festival presentation possibilities.

Previous projects that have participated at the Docu Rough Cut Boutique include a.o.: CITY OF THE SUN (Berlinale 2017), THE OTHER SIDE OF EVERYTHING by Mila Turajlić (IDFA -Best film, 2017), THE MAGIC LIFE OF V by Tonislav Hristov (Sundance Film Festival competition 2019), SRBENKA (awarded at Visions du Réel 2018), BOTTLEMAN (Sarajevo Film Festival, Heart of Sarajevo, 2023 for Best Documentary), HER MOTHERS (Hot Docs 2020).

Over the years, our mentors have been Tom Ernst, Hanka Kastelicova, Noemi Schory, Cat Le Clef, Kirsten Johnson, Albert Elings, Ilian Metev, Ivo Trajkov, Dimitra Kouzi, Rebecca Camisa, Ollie Huddlestone, John Apple, Dana Bunescu, Jordana Berg, Ranko Paukovic.

The submission deadline is January 13th, 2025.

Projects coming from the following countries are eligible to apply:
Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, North Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Ukraine.

Fees:
The fee per team* amounts to €1000 and for all three modules covers:
• Tuition
• Accommodation and subsistence
• Partial Travel bursaries
• Accreditations and access to industry events

* For the first two modules, a team consists of a director and an editor. For module three in Sarajevo, a team consists of a director and a producer.

Timeline:
Project Submission Deadline: 13 January 2025
Announcements of results:  mid-February 2025 during the Berlinale
First module: March 2025
Second module: beginning of June 2025
Third module: mid-August 2025

To apply, please click here.

Selection process:
Please submit your application by the deadline of 13th January. Our jury will review your rough cuts and make a shortlist of projects. With selected pre-final project teams, our jury will conduct an online interview. The selected applicants will be notified by the 10th of February, 2025.

The workshop’s official language is English. All team members must be fluent in English to participate. 

Selected participants must be in person present at all projects‘ sessions.

We are looking forward to receiving your projects!

If you have any questions, please contact:
Neda at: email@bdcwebsite.com

Our Partners

Back to top