IGNITE-DOCS is a bilingual talent development programme led by Cork International Film Festival and Docs Ireland and directed towards emerging Irish and Northern Irish documentary filmmakers embarking on their first or second non-fiction feature film.
The programme is a cross-border partnership that aims to foster a new generation of documentary filmmakers, an innovative collaboration between the island’s first and newest film festivals, Cork International Film Festival and Docs Ireland.
IGNITE-Docs is a talent development programme directed towards emerging Irish and Northern Irish documentary filmmakers embarking on their first or second non-fiction feature film. This cross-border partnership aims to foster a new generation of documentary filmmakers, and is an innovative collaboration between the island’s first and newest film festivals, Cork International Film Festival and Docs Ireland.
Previous projects that have completed the scheme include Lesbian Lines (Dir: Cara Holmes, Producer: Evan Horan), Magilligan (Dir: Ross McClean) and Try! (Dir: Oisín Mistéil, Producer: Claire McCabe).
Applications are accepted in English and as Gaeilge, with a particular interest in Irish language projects:
Year seven of the IGNITE-Docs Documentary Talent Development Programme follows the success of the previous six editions, through which feature documentary projects from emerging filmmakers were developed through training, workshops and one-to-one mentoring.
This is a project-led scheme, which supports the progression of the selected projects and their teams through training focused on the development process of documentary from inception to exhibition. The scheme fosters a new generation of creative nonfiction talent from all over Ireland to pursue their first or second feature, and to provide them with a platform to develop the spectrum of skills and knowledge required to succeed as a feature documentary filmmaker on an international level.
During this comprehensive training initiative, participants will gain a grounding in all facets of project development. They will acquire market knowledge of the documentary industry, learning about the current trends in non-fiction film production, and an expansive understanding of the sector. The programme will include workshops, masterclasses, and in person conversations with established documentarians, broadcasters, funders, sales agents, and other industry professionals. All training will take place in a relaxed learning environment to allow for maximum learning potential and the opportunity to network and foster new relationships.
The IGNITE-Docs programme will provide a long-term engagement, comprising:
The IGNITE-Docs Documentary Talent Development programme is supported by TG4, the Arts Council of Ireland, Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland Skills Development Events Funding Scheme, Coimisiún na Meán, Cultural & Creative Industries Skillnet and Northern Ireland Screen.
Created in collaboration between Cork International Film Festival (Ireland’s first and largest film festival and destination for cinematic documentary) and Docs Ireland (the all-Ireland documentary focused festival from Belfast Film Festival), the IGNITE-Docs Documentary Talent Development Programme is a cross-border partnership that seeks to foster a new generation of Irish documentary filmmakers from the north and south of Ireland.
Feature documentary in Ireland has developed exponentially over the past decade, with countless award-winning non-fiction films gaining traction and being showcased both nationally, and on an international level; through festivals, cinema releases, television broadcast and VOD. The aim of IGNITE-Docs is to aid in the long term sustainable growth and artistry of talent in the Irish documentary film community, through training and skills development, mentorship and drawing from the resources and expertise of both festivals.
IGNITE-Docs is a project-led scheme which supports the progression of the selected projects and their teams through training focused on the development process of documentary from inception to exhibition. The scheme fosters a new generation of creative non-fiction talent from all over Ireland to pursue their first or second feature, and to provide them with a platform to develop the spectrum of skills and knowledge required to succeed as a feature documentary filmmaker on an international level.
During this comprehensive training initiative, participants gain a grounding in all facets of project development. They acquire market knowledge of the documentary industry, learning about the current trends in non-fiction film production, and an expansive understanding of the sector. The programme includes workshops, masterclasses, and in person conversations with established documentarians, broadcasters, funders, sales agents, and other industry professionals. All training takes place in a relaxed learning environment to allow for maximum learning potential and the opportunity to network and foster new relationships.
Th programme provides a long-term engagement, comprising:
Previous IGNITE-DOCS editions:
A Tune for the Girls tells the story of the rise and rise of Lisa Canny’s 11-piece, all-female trad band on their journey to revolutionise traditional Irish music for a new generation.
A film crew set out to make a film about Ireland’s tax system and Big Tech aided by a regional film board, when a series of blackouts derails the project.
A priest and an artist take a journey.
A sound engineer who shaped the sound of Irish folk legends The Dubliners embarks on a reflective journey through memory and music, revealing how their legacy continues to inspire and connect generations today.
Soso Ní Cheallaigh juggles being a working disabled artist and carer, while undertaking a dementia-friendly experience for an audience of one – their mother, Máire, who is currently suffering from Alzheimer’s.
A documentary on the life of Peter Perrett, lead singer and songwriter of The Only Ones, who retired from music after falling into addiction in the 1980s, only to return in 2024 with his most critically acclaimed album. A reflection on addiction, redemption, and the enduring legacy of one of the last true Rock and Roll Romantics.
Roger Miklos was a Las Vegas cop, a DEA agent in the Bahamas, and the last of the ‘great shipwreck hunters’. After his unexpected death, his family uncovers a legend too big to bury.
A love letter to Inishbofin and a poignant reminder of the importance of memory, stories and cultural preservation, as we re-learn how to live and die in the modern world.
Rosemary Smith’s rip-roaring rise from Irish model to international motorsport legend, her tragic quest for love, and the triumphant legacy of a feminist icon.
Three women devote their lives to rescuing abused animals from across Ireland – a harrowing, heartwarming and sometimes hilarious task that makes us wonder: what is an animal?
The memories of an under-documented massacre haunt the inhabitants of a Palestinian neighbourhood in South Lebanon.
A grief-stricken brother uses home videos, diary entries, tattoo art, and paintings left by his late older brother to reconcile himself with his one-time childhood hero, their sometimes difficult relationship, and the huge loss his passing has left behind.
At the height of The Troubles, a generation of queer people battle their erasure against a homophobic political campaign and oppressive police treatment, formulating a path to peace.
In Ireland we have never known what to do about sex, let alone how to embrace it, but one woman is on a mission to completely change that forever.
Through the lens of his fading eyesight, a visually impaired man takes to the ski slopes with a group of friends, proving that even as vision decreases, his determination and lust for life does not.
In a pre-telephone era, a story of emigration (and much more besides), is recorded to cassette by those who left, and by those left behind.
The story of how a small pub in the Connemara Gaeltacht changed music forever.
“Amanda” intimately explores Irish painter Amanda Cullen’s life, from teenage institutionalisation to her transformative journey through art-making. The film is a visually immersive, non-linear diary, which crafts a portrait of the artist’s resilience
As time runs out for the Black Rhino in South Africa, an elite dog trainer in Cork trains a specialist anti-poaching dog for delivery to another Irishman, a conservationist working on the frontline.
An isolated yet ingenious teen skater in rural Ireland uses social media to propel himself from tricks in his cramped country shed to winning one of skateboarding’s biggest tournaments.
From celebrity stylist at the Eurovision to heroin-addicted sex-worker in Soho, Rebecca Tallon DeHavilland was Ireland’s first trans person. Ireland never forgave her for it.
“Embark on a captivating journey into the heart of Irish music in ‘Seamus Ennis: The Last Notes of an Era.’ This biographical documentary explores the extraordinary life of Seamus Ennis, the ‘Godfather of Irish Music,’ whose quest to preserve tradition during the Second World War era shaped global musical landscapes.
An up-close portrait exploring 40 years of rock n’ roll at the iconic venue Slane Castle, a natural amphitheatre by the banks of the River Boyne and home to the best loved concert series Ireland has ever seen.
Night raids and tear gas attacks are among the challenges of life as a Belfast native sets out to open a gym in the Aida Refugee Camp.
This cinematic documentary follows a professional dancer throughout her first pregnancy and interrogates what it means to be a woman whose identity is so interwoven with their career, on the cusp of motherhood.
Set on Ireland’s rugged north-west coastline, Answering the Call follows an audacious plan to save a tiny population of corncrakes by changing the mindsets of farmers. Writer: Geoff Power
An exploration of how a housing estate in the west of Ireland came to be known as Little Belfast.
The film explores the role of visual media in shaping our attitudes towards desire, the experience of attraction through blindness, and the invisible part other senses play in the process.
An Irish language feature documentary looking at the real legacy of the Irish fiddle maestro Seán McGuire. Who was this tour de force? What was the truth behind the many stories that surrounded his life? Who was the real man? Myth or legend?
When a young girl turns up outside the General Post Office in Dublin unable to speak, it sparks an international hunt to reveal her identity. But that’s just the start of the story.
Try! follows the colourful and diverse mixed ability rugby community in Ireland on their journey to the World Cup.
Cork International Film Festival is Ireland’s largest and longest-running film festival and celebrates its 69th anniversary edition in November 2024. The Festival is proudly supported by Principal Funder the Arts Council, along with Cork City Council, Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, Creative Europe MEDIA, Coimisiún na Meán, ESB Energy for Generations Fund, Future Planet, Murphy’s and UCC. Media Partners are RTÉ Supporting the Arts and the Irish Examiner. Cork International Film Festival is a member of the Cultural Cinema Partnership which includes the Irish Film Institute, Galway Film Fleadh, Dublin International Film Festival and access>CINEMA.
Doc Day at Cork International Film Festival is the festival’s flagship industry event, and seeks to inform, inspire and connect established and emerging non-fiction directors, producers and writers with international producers, directors, programmers, sales agents, distributors and film sector leaders to further understand and develop opportunities in the documentary landscape.
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Docs Ireland is an annual industry focussed, all Ireland International Documentary Festival, which incorporates a marketplace, pitching sessions, masterclasses, new talent focus and funding information events. Docs Ireland is proudly supported by principal funders NI Screen, Department Of Communities, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Belfast City Council, alongside TG4, Arts & Business NI, Belfast City Council, Film Hub NI, BFI FAN, Yellowmoon, Belfast Media, Screen Producers Ireland and Creative Europe Media. docsireland.ie
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