Artdocfest / Asia annually organizes industry meetings with internationally recognized documentary filmmakers in the format of ArtdocSchool.
The program will be useful for everyone interested in documentary filmmaking and journalism — from aspiring authors to professionals already working in the field. Participants will have an opportunity to gain deeper insight into the profession, ask questions to the speakers, discuss their own projects, receive practical recommendations, and exchange experiences with colleagues and like-minded people.
In 2026, ArtdocSchool will take place in Bishkek as part of the festival “Artdocfest / Asia”.
SCHEDULE-2026
May 26
13:00 — photojournalist and documentary filmmaker Anna Artemyeva (Russia)
“Documentary Filmmaking Here and Now: How to Make a Film While Being at the Center of Events”
14:30 — director Alina Rudnitskaya (Czech Republic)
“Documentary Cinema for Television Channels and Online Platforms”
May 27
13:00 — director and producer Marianne Kaat (Estonia), producer Guntis Trekteris (Latvia)
“Documentary Cinema in Central Asia: Cooperation with European Producers”
14:30 — director and producer Vitaly Mansky (Latvia)
“Working with a Character in Documentary Filmmaking”
May 28 (online)
13:00 — “Safety in Documentary Filmmaking: Information, Legal, and Physical Security”
14:30 — “Documentary Cinema: The Road to Festivals”
All masterclasses will take place in the conference hall of Olive Hotel (21 Abaya Street).
The History of ArtdocSchool
From 2015 to 2022, Artdocfest organized industry meetings in Moscow.
Since 2023, within the framework of “Artdocfest / Asia”, they have been held in Central Asian countries:
- April 8–15, 2023 — ArtdocSchool took place in Almaty,
- April 2–8, 2024 — in Tashkent,
- May 19–22, 2025 — in Bishkek,
- May 26–28, 2026 — will take place in Bishkek.
In 2023, together with ArtdocSchool and in partnership with Internews and the ALMAU Media and Film School, the “Internews Documentary Film School” was also organized and conducted.
During the festival, the school becomes a platform for daily meetings, public talks, and discussions devoted to journalism and documentary filmmaking. Participants discuss screenwriting, directing, cinematography, technical aspects of production, as well as strategies for promoting documentary films and participating in festivals.
The masterclasses are conducted by invited guests and festival participants — directors, producers, journalists, and documentary filmmakers from different countries. Experts share practical experience, speaking about finding and attracting producers, the specifics of independent producing, and the professional challenges faced by documentary filmmakers.
The school brings together a wide range of knowledge and practices essential for the professional development of emerging documentary filmmakers.