At the 22nd Verzió Film Festival, the 10th DocLab Awards were presented at the French Institute of Budapest. This year marks a significant milestone: for the first time, in collaboration with the Hungarian Documentary Association (MADOKE), four Hungarian projects were showcased at the Hun Docs Cookin’ presentations in front of international decision-makers.
The DocLab and Hun Docs Cookin’ awards aim to support the professional development of documentary filmmakers, help advance their projects, and strengthen their presence in the international documentary scene.
DOCLAB AWARDS
HBO and Warner Bros. Discovery are committed to the development of local documentaries. HBO offered a development award of €1500 to support documentary filmmaking and help bring unique visions and ideas to life, which could potentially become HBO content.
The Hungarian production and post-production company, FocusFox, provides the winning project with 18 hours of Baselight Digital Broadcast grading valued at €2,700 net. The grading takes place at the FocusFox studio under the guidance of senior colorist Szabolcs Barta.
https://www.facebook.com/focusfoxfilm/
https://focusfox.hu/
The DAE (Documentary Association of Europe) provides the producer of the winning project with a one-year DAE membership and a bespoke consultation with a DAE expert.
https://www.facebook.com/DocAssociationEurope
https://dae-europe.org/
https://www.instagram.com/documentaryassociationeurope/
Special Mention
MADOKE x Verzió – Hun Docs Cookin’ Awards
On the Spot, the award-winning documentary series on social and environmental issues, offered €1000 to support and celebrate the curious, courageous, and personal voices of documentary filmmaking.
The Hungarian Documentary Association (MADOKE) presented the award for the best Hungarian project. The association will support the winning project through a long-term mentoring collaboration.
https://www.facebook.com/magyardoku/
https://madoke.hu
SocialCaption aims to bridge Hungarian films and English-speaking audiences by creating subtitles that authentically convey the essence and cultural nuances of Hungarian cinema. The winning project received an English subtitle package valued at €700 net.
The Verzió What a DAE! Award, presented by the Verzió Film Festival, the Doc Around Europe Network, and DAE, supports the winning project’s participation at the 76th Berlinale and the European Film Market in February 2026.
