This October I join the International Competition jury at DOK Leipzig — the 69th edition of the world’s oldest documentary and animation film festival, running 26 October to 1 November in Leipzig.

DOK Leipzig has been a recurring presence in my work for years — as a place to show films, to meet filmmakers, to think about what documentary cinema can be and where it is going. It carries a particular weight in my own history: in 2021, Republic of Silence received a Special Mention and the Goethe-Institut Documentary Award in the International Competition — the same section I now join as a juror. There is something quietly meaningful about returning in that capacity.

The International Competition is where the festival’s Golden and Silver Doves are awarded across feature and short documentary categories. I take the role seriously and I look forward to the films.

I will also be in Leipzig for the NNF Fellowship at the DOK Co-Pro Market on 26–27 October.

Photo © Jovana Semiz

I will be serving on the jury of the International Competition Documentary Film at DOK Leipzig 2026, October 26 – November 1. Alongside Ivan Ramljak and Raul Niño Zambrano, we will award the Golden Dove for best feature and best short documentary from the international competition selection.

DOK Leipzig holds a particular place in my work — it was here that Republic of Silence received the Goethe-Institut Documentary Film Prize and a Jury Honourable Mention in 2021. Returning as a juror feels like a meaningful full circle.

Learn more: DOK Leipzig 2026

Photo: © DOK Leipzig

#DOKLeipzig #Documentary #Jury #NoNationFilms

I will be in Portorož, Slovenia October 13–18 as a mentor for The Circle Women Doc Accelerator. This is the second module of the 2026 cohort — a residential intensive continuing a year-long development process with women and gender-expansive filmmakers.

Learn more: CIRCLE Women Doc Accelerator

Photo: © The Circle

#CIRCLE #WomenDocAccelerator #Mentorship #Documentary #NoNationFilms #Slovenia

Republic of Silence screened at AFAC Film Week 2026, September 6–13 at Metropolis Cinema, Beirut. Now in its eighth edition and the first since 2019, AFAC Film Week brought together nine films supported by the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture — a programme dedicated to independent Arab cinema exploring memory, displacement, and identity.

Photo: © AFAC

#AFAC #FilmWeek #Beirut #RepublicOfSilence #Documentary #NoNationFilms

I will be in Evia, Greece from June 22–28 as a mentor for The Circle Women Doc Accelerator.

This is the opening module of the new 2026 cohort — ten documentary projects led by women and gender-expansive filmmakers, entering the first stage of a year-round development process.

CIRCLE is a training initiative and safer space for women and gender-expansive filmmakers, working across documentary and fiction at every stage of project development.

Learn more: CIRCLE Women Doc Accelerator

#CIRCLE #WomenDocAccelerator #Mentorship #Documentary #NoNationFilms #Evia

I will be in Corsica from April 26 to May 2 as lead mentor for the EuroDocMed programme.

For this edition, I am leading the English–Arabic speaking cohort — bringing together filmmakers working across both languages and the documentary traditions of the Mediterranean and West Asian regions.

EuroDocMed is a training initiative for emerging documentary filmmakers from European and Mediterranean countries, focused on developing strong, author-driven projects through intensive mentorship and peer exchange.

Learn more: EuroDocMed

#EuroDocMed #Mentorship #Documentary #NoNationFilms #Corsica

Photo: © Nicolas Dufour / Memento

I will be in Prague from March 19–23 for the final session of the Ex Oriente Film 2025/26 cycle.

Since 2023, I have served as one of the four lead mentors for this Institute of Documentary Film (IDF) flagship program—one of the largest and oldest development initiatives in Europe.

This session marks the culmination of the year-long program. Alongside the core lead mentors and invited experts, I will continue guiding filmmakers through their final development stages, including intensive consultations, financing strategies, and pitch rehearsals. The week concludes with the East Doc Forum, where 25 projects will be presented to a panel of international broadcasters, distributors, and co-producers.

In addition to my mentoring role, I will be attending the final pitching sessions and holding meetings to discuss the current No Nation Films slate and explore new collaborations.

For me, this final term with Ex Oriente reinforces a deep commitment to the Central and Eastern European documentary community and the vital role of intergenerational mentorship in independent cinema.

Learn more: East Doc Platform 2026

#EastDocPlatform #ExOrienteFilm #Mentorship #NoNationFilms #DocumentaryCinema

Mar 15-20

I am heading to Copenhagen with my producer Orwa Nyrabia for CPH:FORUM 2026 to present my next film project, JOUD.

This marks the first time in many years that we are pitching a project and attending CPH:DOX.

The forum is a key opportunity to discuss new international co-productions and reconnect with colleagues and partners.

Discover the full selection: CPH:FORUM 2026 Projects

I am back at EICTV in Cuba for the Master’s International Film Program (February 1–13, 2026), leading another two-week intensive workshop on self-referential documentary filmmaking with 11 film master students.

This is an immersive workshop exploring the art of authoring and imagination within the constraints of reality. Through rigorous writing and filming exercises, I work with a new group of filmmakers to unearth their unique voices and catch the core of their drive and desire to make films — to communicate and connect: a people, a vision, a warning, or a history — that lies at the core of filmmaking.

It is a privilege to return to this unique environment of vital creative conversations in the free-spirited school.

#DocumentaryFilm #SelfReferentialCinema #EICTV #FilmmakingWorkshop

This summer, I am happy to accept the renewed invitation from South Korea’s Media Contents Education Department (RAPA) and beginning a new one with the EBS International Documentary Festival (EIDF).

I will join alongside Brigid O’Shea and Heejung Oh, as international mentors for the GPA programme, which supports emerging South Korean documentary producers.

After an initial online feedback session on July 25, I will take part in the Pitching Workshop in Seoul (August 15–17).

The workshop focuses on preparing projects for the international arena. While last year I mentored GPA participants at the final on-site workshop held in Amsterdam in preparation for their IDFA participation, this year I start with them much earlier on-site.

From August 20–23, I will also serve on the jury of the EIDF Industry programme, evaluating projects at K-Pitch Fresh, H!-Docs Pitch, and Young Pitch—all initiatives designed to help Korean and Korean-led international co-productions develop and connect with broader audiences and collaborators.

Right after, I’ll be heading again to Bali to resume my duties as a lead mentor at the Storytelling Lab at Docs by the Sea 2025.

Docs By the Sea (DBTS) is an annual international documentary lab and forum based in Indonesia, dedicated to cultivating creative documentary projects from Asia towards international collaboration and distribution opportunities.

I have already worked closely with the filmmakers through a series of online sessions in July to refine and shape their projects in both group sessions and intensive 1-on-1 sessions.

Onsite in September, I will regroup with them alongside the other mentors to prepare them for the pitching forum.

The entire cohort from all labs will pitch their film projects during the pitching forum in September to representatives from the international documentary film sector visiting Bali.

For more information about DBTS 2025, please visit their website.