Doc Square will comprise seven programs, offering a multifaceted overview of the Asian documentary industry. It will begin with the Documentary WIP Showcase, which will present a diverse selection of documentary projects from across Asia.
A total of 13 projects will be presented and pitched, including three or four Works in Progress (WIP) documentary projects each recommended by major institutions and initiatives across Asia—such as Taiwan Docs, the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), Docs by the Sea (DBTS), the Asian Cinema Fund (ACF)-the Asian Network of Documentary (AND) Fund.
The program will serve as a networking platform to help enhance the quality of selected projects and broaden their prospects for future screenings and distribution, engaging both domestic and international film festivals and distributors. This year’s selected projects from the AND Fund will also take part in the three-day event, fostering meaningful exchange among participants.
The Documentary Festival Talk will bring together programmers and consultants from major international festivals—including the Sundance Film Festival, CPH:DOX (Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival), Hot Docs (Canadian International Documentary Festival), and Sheffield DocFest—to share the latest trends in the global documentary landscape and offer insights into the positioning of Asian documentaries within it. In addition, a continuation of the seminar “What Has Documentary Meant to Us?”—hosted initially at the JEONJU International Film Festival and hosted by the Creation & Production Support Team of the Korean Film Council (KOFIC)—will take place under the tentative title Korean Documentary Forum.
Additional programs will offer a comprehensive look at the Asian documentary landscape, including The Producer Talk(TBC), where producers from across Asia will discuss the production environments and current trends in their respective countries; a special session featuring directors and producers of Academy Award-nominated documentaries; and AND Talk & Share, which will present production updates from this year’s Asian Network of Documentary (AND) Fund selections. Together, these sessions are expected to provide a timely reflection on the current state of the documentary industry and foster meaningful dialogue on its future direction.
