Circle 2026

forthcoming

CIRCLE is an international training initiative supporting women and gender-expansive filmmakers through specialized programs tailored to diverse career stages and formats. Its flagship Women Doc Accelerator (active since 2018) offers three residential sessions for 10 directors/producers developing documentary projects with international potential, emphasizing story development, funding strategies, and global positioning. Launched in 2023, the Fiction Orbit program provides week-long residencies for five mid-career fiction teams refining their second or third features through creative development and market navigation. The 2026 pilot Expanded Orbit will support 5-6 teams creating interactive/immersive or synthetic works (VR/XR) at the intersection of film and technology. Year-round Digital Empowerment launching in 2026 fosters community and tech literacy via 10 monthly online sessions for alums and partners. Residential programs prioritize talent development, a safe communal space and sustainable business models, particularly for filmmakers from low audiovisual capacity countries. CIRCLE emphasizes collaboration, knowledge sharing, and adaptability, redesigning annually to address industry shifts. Over seven years, it has become a leading training platform, amplifying underrepresented voices through masterclasses, panels, and public events while maintaining its grassroots flexibility as a filmmaker-driven initiative.