The Short Pitch Program 2026 returned to Warsaw on 10 May as part of Millennium Docs Against Gravity, bringing seven emerging short documentary projects from Central and Eastern Europe into contact with sales agents, distributors, festival representatives and other industry decision-makers.
Organised by the Institute of Documentary Film in cooperation with Millennium Docs Against Gravity, the initiative continues to serve as a focused platform for short-form documentary talent from the region. This year’s edition took place at the National Ethnographic Museum in Warsaw.
The selected projects reflected a broad geographical and thematic range. The 2026 lineup included Event Horizon by Jakub Gomółka from Poland, Kyiv Under My Wheels by Marina Baibarza from Ukraine and Poland, Lefek by Tomasz Misiukiewicz from Poland, Naples, Florida by Modesta Žemgulytė from Lithuania, Bell Boy by Akseli Leppänen from Estonia, Victory Day by Wojciech Węglarz from Poland and Norway, and Last Crime We Don’t Remember by Barbora Venclová and Mariana Kozáková from the Czech Republic.
Each team presented its project in an eight-minute pitch, followed by a Q&A with industry experts. The session was moderated by Emilia Mazik. Ahead of the event, participants also took part in an online training session on 17 April, where they refined their storytelling and presentation strategies through peer exchange and expert feedback.
The programme also included a panel titled Against Despair: Short Documentaries as Acts of Resistance, with Alisa Kovalenko, Anne Gaschütz and Anas Sareen discussing how contemporary short documentary can respond to political and social pressures. Later in the day, participants attended the Pole Position pitching session for completed Polish films, then took part in one-on-one meetings with invited decision-makers.
The event concluded with an awards ceremony. Prizes included the East Doc Award for distribution and festival strategy support, a Documentary Association of Europe consultancy award, a PLN 5,000 Polish Filmmakers Association Award and the Rising Doc Producer Award, offering mentorship from an experienced industry professional.
