Cinematic Documentary Development Programme 2026

Cinematic Documentary Development Programme 2026

APPLICATION FORM
The Cinematic Documentary Development Programme 2026 is a year-long mentorship programme for directors who are making their first or second feature-length documentary film.
Personal Information
YES
Name*

First NameLast Name
Email*
example@example.com
Address*

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

CityState / Province

Postal CodeCountry
A short industry-related biography.*
1 page C.V. (optional).

PDF Max. 1MB
Cancelof

Information on the documentary project you will be working on during the mentorship.
Yes
Project title*
Logline*
Synopsis and/or project overview (max 1500 words). Please describe your story as you see it right now. It’s okay if you don’t know exactly how it will unfold - we just want to understand the main idea and the overall scope of the story.*

0/1500
Briefly outline the current stage of your documentary project, (i.e. is your project currently in early development, shooting and/or the editing stage?)*
Please give a brief description of the project’s history and what the next steps are, with indicative timeframes. *
Yes

Director’s statement outlining your inspiration and creative vision for the project.*
A brief paragraph about how you personally connect or relate to your documentary's subject matter - and what unique insight/s might you (and only you) bring to this film?*
If applicable, please outline any key collaborators you might already have attached to the project. (i.e. list the names and roles of other key creatives roles on your project - e.g. producer, DOP, editor).
Have you already received any funding or other support for this project? If yes, please briefly outline the nature of this support.
Please share up to 2 links that show your current project and/or previous work (Optional).
Link 1
Link 2

A short paragraph about why this mentorship programme would be beneficial to you at this time in your career and what you would like to get out of the programme.*
Key Dates
The programme will run from June 2026 - June 2027. All participants must be committed to actively progressing their documentary project during this timeframe - and also attend all the group sessions.

Group meet dates listed below. (Dates may be subject to change)
- WORKSHOP DAY 1: Auckland - Friday, 12 June 2026.
- ZOOM HUI Online (1pm - 2.30pm) - Wednesday, 24 June 2026.
- ZOOM HUI: Online (1pm - 2.30pm) - Friday 9 October 2026.
- ZOOM HUI: Online (1pm - 2.30pm) - Wednesday, 4 November 2026.
- WORKSHOP DAY 2: Auckland - Saturday, 5 June 2027.
YesNo
If you are unable to attend any of the above dates, please briefly outline your availability below…
Finally
Thank you for applying to the Cinematic Documentary Development Programme 2026 - we wish you every success!

The Cinematic Documentary Development Programme is made possible thanks to the generous support of the New Zealand Film Commission.
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Personal Information