The professional and educational program of the Verzió International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival returns again this year! Between November 12–16, DocPro welcomes everyone interested in the world of documentary film — from professionals to students and general audiences. The aim of Verzió DocPro is to create space for connection, exchange, and inspiration within the documentary community. Over five days, the program explores both current professional issues and broader topics that engage the public, through panels, masterclasses, and presentations.
Organized in collaboration with MADOKE, this day features two engaging professional panels and the launch of MADOKE’s new catalogue and White Paper — a long-awaited proposal for reforming the Hungarian documentary film funding model based on international standards. Media and industry representatives are especially invited, as the topic plays a crucial role in shaping the future of Hungarian documentary filmmaking.
Presented by Julianna Ugrin, MADOKE President, and Réka Pigniczky, Board Member.
Hungary’s largest professional film association introduces its latest publications: the MADOKE 2025 Catalogue and the White Paper, a proposal package aimed at renewing the Hungarian documentary film financing ecosystem for greater sustainability and international competitiveness.
Participants: Asia Dér (director), Eva Rybková (producer), Bojana Papp (director), Oliver Sertic (producer, Doc Future Jury member)
Moderator: Réka Pigniczky (director)
When is it time to let go of a film project? Every documentary filmmaker has faced the painful realization that some projects—no matter how compelling—simply can’t be made. Whether due to lack of access, funding shortfalls, dwindling interest, or creative burnout, the decision to abandon a project can be as defining as finishing one. This panel explores the difficult moments and reasons we decide to stop, and what that means for our creative lives and mental health.
Featuring filmmakers and industry experts from across Europe who will share candid “negative case studies” of films that never reached completion, we’ll discuss what they learned from the process—and even screen short clips from projects that didn’t fly.
Participants: Sára László (producer, Don’t Worry, Sári!), Rita Balogh (producer), Daniel Abma (director, The Family Approach), Rachel Leah Jones (producer, Coexistence, My Ass!), Rafael Balulu (Filmmaker)
Moderator: Julianna Ugrin (producer, My Chemical Information System)
How can filmmakers ethically and safely handle the most delicate, vulnerable subjects in documentary filmmaking? This conversation offers practical insight — from producers and directors — into navigating conflicts, personal stories, and emotionally sensitive content throughout the production process.
In this roundtable discussion, we invite creators, curators, and professionals — most of whom wear multiple hats and are actively engaged in the field of immersive arts in the Visegrad region — to explore our shared understanding of immersive arts today. We will examine what it means for a production to be immersive and to what extent an artwork can be considered immersive. Together, we will reflect on the current state of this field in our respective countries, consider topics that might be media-reflexive (if such exist), and discuss the themes that currently intrigue us or shape our ongoing work, with a special focus on what it means for immersive artworks to ‘leave traces.’
We also aim to explore the diverse ways research can be conducted for and with immersive formats, and to question where the boundaries of this evolving practice may lie.
This discussion is supported by the International Visegrad Fund and organized in connection with the Vektor immersive section of the Verzió International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival.
