About

HER Docs Forum is a platform dedicated to supporting women active in the world of documentary filmmaking, open to documentary professionals of all kinds. The Forum offers a diverse and free program combining workshops, discussion panels with invited experts, conversations, networking opportunities, and project presentations.

The Forum is the first event of its kind in Poland and one of the few international industry events exclusively for women working in non-fiction cinema. We focus on collective action, mutual support, and building bridges between creators from different countries and backgrounds. The Forum also supports women filmmakers who, forced to leave their homes, are trying to find their place in a new environment.

The first two editions of the Forum (in 2023 and 2024) brought together over 130 documentary filmmakers from Poland and abroad, with the number of applications for both editions being twice as high. The event has become an important platform for sharing experiences, enabling both professional and personal development, and gradually forming an international community.

BREAK THE PATTERN

The Forum program emphasizes open and mindful communication between participants, specialists, and organizers. We replace lectures with inclusive discussions and workshops, creating a space for conversation, exchange of experiences, and networking.

Every meeting at the Forum is designed to have a tangible impact—providing knowledge and practical skills. Our goal is to raise participants’ industry awareness while inspiring and motivating them for professional and personal growth.

Panels focusing on the creative and production process are intertwined with discussions on new distribution strategies, identifying target audiences, and effective audience engagement. A key part of the program is analyzing current industry conditions and discussing outreach and impact campaigns for films.

Each year, we seek new solutions to the challenges women face in the film industry, such as female representation across various film professions, balancing work and motherhood, mental well-being, and preventing professional burnout.The HER Development workshops, designed for early-career directors, focus on recognizing the potential of their projects and developing the skills needed to position their films—and themselves—within the industry.

JOIN US!

HER Docs Forum is open to both emerging and experienced documentary filmmakers. The program prioritizes diversity and inclusivity, welcoming all professions related to non-fiction filmmaking, including those rarely given space at similar industry events. The program is also evolving to facilitate exchanges between film professionals and other professional groups.

FAQ

HER Docs Forum takes place annually in September in Warsaw.

The 3rd edition of HER Docs Forum will be held from September 17–19, 2025. Details about this year’s applications can be found HERE.

At the same time, the 4th edition of the HER Development project development workshops for directors of 1-2 feature- or mid-length films will also take place. MORE INFO SOON.