Doc Station
The Doc Station invites ten participants to share their non-fictional scripts or concepts with a line-up of internationally acclaimed film consultants. In a tailored combination of group work and one-on-one sessions, each project is dissected, discussed and developed, culminating in a public presentation under the keen eyes of industry players.
Who can apply?
Directors who have developed and directed at least one feature-length documentary or series (>60 min) or two short documentaries (<30 min) or mini docu series that have been officially invited to international festivals or released widely on TV, online or theatrically. The focus of the lab is on developing your story and vision as well as finding creative collaborators, rather than working on your budget and finance strategy and receiving co-production advice in the first place. In multi-director projects, only one person will be allowed to participate. The lab is also open to Berlinale Talents alumni who have not yet taken part in the Doc Station.
What kind of project can I submit?
You can apply with written and visual materials for a feature-length documentary, feature length docu series or hybrid docu-fiction that comes with an advanced synopsis, topic summary, director's statement and audiovisual concept, and a well-written treatment is highly recommended. Projects already in rough-cut status or post-production are not eligible.
I showed up with the skeleton of an idea... with only my story to reference. I had no idea how I would translate my life experiences into a narrative, filmic form. By the time I left Doc Station I knew exactly what kind of film I wanted to make, down to imagining certain scenes. It was a tremendous incubator at such a vital early stage in conceptualizing the project.Angelo Madsen Minax, whose Doc Station 2016 project "North By Current" premiered in Panorama at the 2021 Berlinale.
Mentors 2025
What's the structure?
The Doc Station takes place digitally before the Berlinale. Participants can look forward to two individual mentorship sessions of up to 90 minutes each, as well as a number of group meetings. These take place online prior to the festival period, during one week in late January or early February. During the festival period, the Doc Station participants attend the six-day onsite Berlinale Talents Summit, with its programme of public talks, workshops and networking opportunities. During the Summit, they also have one session with a trainer to prepare to present their projects to industry professionals at the European Film Market.
What can I expect?
This is an opportunity to sharpen your project based on advice from industry professionals, the tutorship of dedicated mentors and feedback from fellow Talents alike. In comparision to other labs in the industry, our Doc Station is a rather compact and therefore very intensive experience, aimed at making you discover key insights on where and how to move your project forward, and to find new collaborators for the upcoming parts of that journey.
How do I apply?
Access to the additional application for the Doc Station is available once you apply for Berlinale Talents as an eligible director. Be sure to allow enough time to complete both applications. Alumni should apply through their existing online profiles. Any questions? Consult our How to Apply page, or you can also contact us at talents@berlinale.de or +49 30 25920 515.
Partners
Doc Station is supported by the German Federal Film Board (FFA)