Call for projects: CIRCLE Fiction Orbit 2024

After last year’s success, CIRCLE is launching the second edition of its tailor-made program in the fiction film industry Fiction Orbit!

CIRCLE is looking for 10 women and non-binary (second or third-time) directors and producers with strong feature-film projects in development to apply for this initiative.

ABOUT Fiction Orbit
Fiction Orbit is an intensive one-week workshop which aims to support directors and producers who are developing their second or third fiction feature film. During the workshop, a carefully selected group of filmmakers will work with leading experts to advance their projects and identify their needs based on solidarity, knowledge exchange and a hands-on mentality. Selected participants will receive feedback on their script, legal aspects and production options, including the best strategic choices and psychological support during their creative process.

Bianca Oana (award winning producer and screenwriter) is the Head of Programme for CIRCLE Fiction Orbit. The workshop will take place at the end of November 2024 in Montenegro.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

• To be a women and non-binary
• To be screenwriter, director or producer
• To have at least one feature film completed
• Only projects with a producer attached are eligible
• Directors can participate alone or together with their producer or screenwriter

FEE AND SCHOLARSHIP 

The participation fee (1.700 € per person) covers mentorship, accommodation and meals, as well as a variety of offers by our partners. If the producer and the director participate, both have to pay the fee.

CIRCLE may allocate one scholarship (covering 50% of the tuition fee) for participants from low capacity countries in need.

About CIRCLE:

Since 2018, CIRCLE has supported more than 70 women-identifying directors and producers. Films developed in the Accelerator framework have gone on to achieve great success, launching the careers of their authors and making a mark on the international festival circuit.

Some notable examples include TWICE COLONIZED by Lin Alluna (World premiere at Sundance Film Festival 2023, opening film for CPH:DOX and HotDocs 2023), LIGHT FALLS VERTICAL by Efthymia Zymvragaki (World Premiere IDFA 2022, nominated for IDFA Best First Feature Award, Thessaloniki Documentary Film Festival 2023, Málaga Film Festival, DOK.fest München, Docs Barcelona, Festival Internacional de Cine en Guadalajara, TIDF – Taiwan International Documentary Festival 2024), THE ECLIPSE by Nataša Urban (Main DOX:Award for Best International Feature Documentary at CPH:DOX 2022, Special Mention International Competition at DokuFest Prizren 2022, Makedox Onion Award For Best Film, nominated for European Film Award) and THIS RAIN WILL NEVER STOP by Alina Gorlova (IDFA First Appearance Award, 2020). This year, EVER SINCE I KNEW MYSELF by our alumna Maka Gogaladze received support from IDFA Bertha Fund and celebrated its World premiere at Vision du Reél, while the essay film XiXi by Fan Wu premiered in Hot Docs 2024, International Competition, receiving the Emerging International Filmmaker Award.

CIRCLE Women Doc Accelerator is co funded by Creative Europe MEDIA and is supported by: When East Meets West Co-pro Forum, Cannes Docs, Marché du Film, Film Centre of Montenegro, International Emerging Film Talent Association (IEFTA), Documentary Association of Europe (DAE), Cineuropa, TIFF – Agora Docs, European Women’s Audiovisual Network (EWA), EFM Toolbox Programmes (European Film Market), FestivalScope Pro, Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Serbia, City of Novi Sad, CED – MEDIA Office Croatia, CED – MEDIA Office Slovenia, Motovila, CED MEDIA Office Serbia, City of Novi Sad, IDM Südtirol Alto Adige, Kulturni Centar Novog Sada and EURODOC.