PROXIMA is the section of Doc at Work - Industry dedicated to films in editing and post-production. It offers an opportunity to discover the documentary cinema of the immediate future and to present it to international festival programmers and other film professionals.

A maximum of six titles will be selected (three Italian films and three international ones). Each project will have 5 minutes to pitch the film and will be able to show an excerpt of up to 15 minutes. One-to-one meetings with festival programmers, sales agents, distributors, and other professionals will follow.

Submissions are open for the selection of the three Italian projects; the three international projects will be selected in collaboration with institutional partners and national film institutes.

Participation Requirements

Only projects that fully meet the following criteria are eligible for the selection:

• be a non-fiction film
• be a film intended for cinema distribution
• have a duration of more than 60'
• be a film of Italian production or co-production and/or directed by an Italian director or a director based in Italy
• be in the advanced editing or post-production status
• expect the world premiere no earlier than January 2027
• not have already confirmed agreements for the Italian and international premiere

Submit your application

Applications must be sent until September 4th, 2026 through the following submission form.

To submit your application, you must attach a dossier (maximum 4 pages) containing the following information:

• technical details of the film and of the artistic and technical cast
• Synopsis
• Director's note
• Producer’s note
• images or other artistic materials

You will also be asked to send a link (download option is mandatory) to the teaser or an excerpt from the film (maximum duration 15 minutes).

Selection

The results of the selection will be communicated privately after the 30th of September 2026.

The final selection will be announced in October 2026.

Conditions of participation

Participation in Doc at Work - Proxima is free of charge.

Director and producer of the selected films will receive free industry accreditation for the Festival dei Popoli, as well as an invitation to the festival networking activities. The festival does not cover travel and accommodation costs.