Ibero-American Green Cinema: Advisory Workshop for Environmental Documentaries in Development

Proposal for technical advisory workshops for documentary film productions in development with an emphasis on the environment for emerging Ibero-American collectives and/or filmmakers.

General information

Justification

Currently, documentary production with an environmental focus has become a key tool for raising awareness and activism. However, emerging Ibero-American filmmakers face challenges in the development, production and marketing of their projects, due to the lack of access to specialized technical training and distribution networks. This program seeks to fill that gap by providing technical advice and practical tools for environmental documentaries in development to reach wider audiences and generate impact on society.

The program, structured in two phases (virtual and on-site), will enable participants to acquire fundamental knowledge about documentary production and develop key materials, such as mini-documentaries, teasers and video pitches, which will strengthen their positioning in international markets. Suchitoto, El Salvador, was chosen as the venue for the on-site workshop due to its suitability as an environment conducive to immersive training, with access to communities and technical resources suitable for audiovisual practice.

General Objective

Strengthen the technical and narrative capacities of emerging Ibero-American filmmakers in the production, promotion and marketing of environmental documentaries in development.

Specific Objectives

• Provide personalized technical advice to environmental documentary projects.
• To train participants in distribution and marketing strategies for documentaries.
• Provide practical tools for the creation of audiovisual presentation material (mini-documentary or teaser and video pitch).
• Encourage collaboration among Ibero-American filmmakers, creating support and dissemination networks.

The workshop is targeted to:

• Emerging Ibero-American filmmakers with environmental documentary projects in the development stage.
• Audiovisual collectives interested in documentaries with social and ecological impact.
• Film and communication professionals interested in strengthening their knowledge in production and promotion of environmental documentaries.
• Teams made up of director and producer who are working on a documentary project.

Priority will be given to filmmakers from countries with emerging audiovisual industries and with projects that address urgent environmental issues in their local contexts.

Modules

The program is divided into four thematic modules, each one with theoretical and practical sessions:

1. Narrative and approaches to environmental documentary filmmaking
2. Production and filming strategies
3. Promotion and distribution strategies
4. Circulation and commercialization in the international market

Each module will be taught by experts with experience in the audiovisual industry and environmental documentary filmmaking.

Phases

The workshop will be divided into two phases:

• Phase 1: Virtual Workshop (January 2026, 2 weeks): will focus on the analysis and conceptual development of the projects.
• Phase 2: On-site Workshop (January 2026, 1 week, Suchitoto, El Salvador): Will include practical activities, the production of a mini-documentary or teaser and the elaboration of a video pitch.