Category: Open Call

  • We announce the program of the short films Showcase

    We announce the program of the short films Showcase

    We announce the program of the short films Showcase

    We are pleased to announce the results of the open call for short films for this year’s edition of HER Docs Film Festival. Thank you so much for all your submissions! We watched over 70 documentary, experimental, animated and video art films.

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    For the sixth time, we are selecting films that show that documentary cinema does not have to fit into a single form or tell stories in an obvious way. This is exactly what we love about them: they can afford to do more – to experiment with form, combine documentary with animation, video art and other techniques, search for their own language, and tell stories that are difficult to accommodate within the traditional frameworks of documentary cinema. We are particularly happy to showcase the work of female directors who are just starting out on their filmmaking journeys: students, debut filmmakers and creators taking their first steps in the industry.

    We have selected 16 films. We warmly invite you to the screenings during HER Docs Film Festival, taking place 1–6 October, followed by Q&As with the filmmakers!

    MIX, dir. Klaudia Szott

    SELECTED FILMS

    A CO BYŚ DZISIAJ ZROBIŁ INACZEJ? (WHAT WOULD YOU DO DIFFERENTLY TODAY?), dir. Jaśmina Wójcik
    BEST REGARDS, dir. Katarzyna Romatowska
    CZY TY MNIE SŁYSZYSZ? (CAN YOU HEAR ME?), dir. Anastazja Naumenko
    DOBRE SERCE (A GOOD HEART), dir. Aleksandra Kubisa
    FOUR PERCENT, dir. Monika Masłoń
    GŁOSY KRYZYSU (VOICES OF CRISIS), dir. Katarzyna Małyszko
    HORYZONT (HORIZON), dir. Małgorzata Mazur
    KRÓTKIE MGNIENIA PIĘKNA (BRIEF GLIMPSES OF BEAUTY), dir. Katarzyna Karwańska
    MIX, dir. Klaudia Szott
    OBIETNICA SZYBKIEJ ŚMIERCI W DOLINIE KREWETEK (A PROMISE OF A QUICK DEATH IN SHRIMP VALLEY), dir. Zuzanna Orch
    OSTATNIA DZIKA RZEKA (THE LAST WILD RIVER), dir. Agnieszka Kokowska, Anastazja Dąbrowska
    OSTATNIE MIEJSCE NA ZIEMI (THE LAST PLACE ON EARTH), dir. Ewa Japola
    THE TONGUE THAT GRASPS, dir. Marta Hryniuk, Nick Thomas
    TWIN DAYS, dir. Sara Szymańska, Nadia Szymańska
    UKRYTE (HIDDEN), dir. Monika Kotecka
    WOLNO, SZYBKO, WOLNO (SLOW, FAST, SLOW), dir. Jagoda Czarnek

    A Promise of a Quick Death in Shrimp Valley, dir. Zuzanna Orch
  • Applications are now open for HER Development

    Applications are now open for HER Development

    Applications are now open for HER Development

    We invite women directors working on their first or second documentary to apply for the HER Development workshop, held as part of the HER Docs Film Festival & Forum [only in Polish].

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    The HER Docs Foundation invites documentary filmmakers to participate in the fifth edition of HER Development, a workshop for women directors. The workshop will take place as part of the HER Docs Film Festival & Forum on September 29–30, 2026, in Warsaw.

    We welcome applications from cis, trans women directors and non-binary persons working on their first or second documentary film (mid-length or feature-length). Projects should be at the development or early production stage.

    The workshop will be led by film marketing expert Joanna Solecka, producer Anna Wydra, and director Zuzanna Solakiewicz.

    In an intimate and supportive setting, participants will have the opportunity to discuss the potential of their projects, the challenges of the creative process and production, and gain an understanding of the basic tools of film marketing.

    Participation is free of charge, but the number of places is limited. Applications should be sent to info@herdocs.pl by September 3, 2026.

    Applicants will be notified of the results by email no later than September 10, 2026.

    Applications should be submitted as a PDF and include:

    • full name, email address, and phone number,
    • a short biography and filmography,
    • a logline (1–2 sentences summarizing the film),
    • a film synopsis (1–2 pages),
    • a director’s statement (max. 1 page),
    • a motivation letter including a brief description of the current stage of the project and its most important needs (max. 1 page),
    • if available, video materials (teaser, trailer, or film excerpts/scenes; the material should be available via a Vimeo link and should not exceed 10 minutes in total).

    The workshop is funded by the Polish Film Institute, with the support of the Andrzej Wajda Centre for Film Culture.

    The industry programme HER Docs Forum will take place on October 1–2, 2026. Follow programme updates on herdocs.pl and our social media channels.

  • OPEN CALL: Polish Short Films at HER Docs Film Festival

    OPEN CALL: Polish Short Films at HER Docs Film Festival

    OPEN CALL: Polish Short Films at HER Docs Film Festival

    Submissions are now open for the showcase of Polish short films at HER Docs 2026!

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    We love short-form cinema, especially works that experiment with form, tell unconventional stories at the intersection of art and non-fiction and explore diverse filmmaking techniques such as video art and animation. The HER Docs showcase is an annual short film program accompanied by Q&A sessions with the filmmakers.

    What films are we looking for?

    • Works created within the broad field of non-fiction, including documentary films, experimental films, animations and video works;
    • Films produced in Poland, Polish co-productions or works by Polish filmmakers produced abroad;
    • Running time of up to 30 minutes;
    • Films produced in 2025 or 2026.

    We welcome submissions from women, non-binary, and gender-diverse filmmakers.

    The submission deadline is June 30, 2026.

    Detailed information about the regulations and the submission form can be found here:

    SUBMISSION FORM
  • Submit your film

    Submit your film

    Submit your film


    Submit your film to the showcase of Polish shorts directed by women at the HER Docs Film Festival 2025.

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    HER Docs Film Festival, an international festival of women’s filmmaking, announces an open call for the showcase of Polish short films, which will take place during the upcoming edition of the festival on September 17-21, 2025 in Warsaw, Poland. 

    We invite all women documentary and experimental filmmakers, animators and video artists to submit films that were created no earlier than 2024 and whose country of (co)production is Poland.

    Detailed information can be found in the application form below.

    Apply here


    Deadline for submitting application forms: July 18, 2025. 

    Submitting a film is tantamount to accepting the regulations: herdocs.pl/en/terms