EWA Network at HER DOCS FILM FESTIVAL & FORUM
We will be participating in HER Docs Forum, a documentary forum which takes place annually in September in Warsaw, in the context of HER DOCS Film Festival. This year's edition will be held from September 17–19, 2025. Details about this year’s applications can be found HERE. Participation is free of charge.
HER Docs Forum is a platform dedicated to supporting women active in the world of documentary filmmaking, open to documentary professionals of all kinds. The Forum offers a diverse and free program combining workshops, discussion panels with invited experts, conversations, networking opportunities, and project presentations.
The Forum is the first event of its kind in Poland and one of the few international industry events exclusively for women working in non-fiction cinema. We focus on collective action, mutual support, and building bridges between creators from different countries and backgrounds. The Forum also supports women filmmakers who, forced to leave their homes, are trying to find their place in a new environment.
The first two editions of the Forum (in 2023 and 2024) brought together over 130 documentary filmmakers from Poland and abroad, with the number of applications for both editions being twice as high. The event has become an important platform for sharing experiences, enabling both professional and personal development, and gradually forming an international community.
HER DOCS FORUM SCHEDULE
18.09.2025
Austrian Cultural Forum, Próżna Street 7/9
10:00 am – 10:50 am
Opening of the Forum & conversation with Vibeke Løkkeberg i Mina Nybakke, authors of Road to Director’s Chair. Moderation: Katarzyna Trzaska – Polish Female Filmmakers Association
11:00 am – 12:30 pm
Networks of Creative Support. Organizations working at the intersection of film, education, and distribution, which have been strengthening the voices of women and minorities in culture for years.
Participants:
Alexia Muiños Ruiz – EWA Network
Charlotte Ducos – Association Lorrey Films, Switzerland
Ira Tantsiura – FILMA, Ukraine
Alexa Cardas – F-Sides, Romania
Katarzyna Trzaska – Polish Female Filmmakers Association
Moderation: Maria Krauss
12:45 pm – 2:15 pm
Motherhood in artistic work. What is the everyday life of mothers–creators like? Together with the Warsaw Observatory of Culture, which prepared a report on motherhood in creative work, we will explore the experiences, challenges, and strategies for preventing burnout.
Participants:
Aleksandra Wiechowska – Warsaw Culture Observatory
Agnieszka Strzeżek – illustrator and painter, one of the initiators of the “Mother Creators” collective
Jaśmina Wójcik – visual artist, director and author of listening-focused, participatory socio-artistic actions
Tereza Simikova – director, producer, consultant
Moderation: Marta Golba-Naumann – HER Docs Foundation
3:15 pm – 5:30 pm
Workshop: Microaggressions in creative environments and the workplace
Format: lecture + interactive discussion + case studies + individual, pair, and group exercises.
Facilitator: Dr Sandra Frydrysiak (she/her) – cultural studies scholar, sociologist, gender studies expert.
APPLY to HER DOCS FORUM
Applications are open to women professionals working in the documentary field, including directors, producers, cinematographers, editors, and film distribution and promotion specialists. If, however, you are not currently active in any of these fields, please write a few words about yourself and explain why you would like to take part in the forum.
The detailed programme and full list of speakers will be announced by 5 September 2025.
Participation in the event is free of charge, but places are limited. To apply, please fill in and submit the application form:
To support filmmakers balancing professional work and motherhood, we offer childcare assistance during the Forum. Please indicate this need in the application form (in the motivation field) and specify your child’s age. We will get in touch before the event to discuss possible arrangements.
Application deadline: 8 September 2025