Documenta Pro

Within the framework of Documenta 2026, Cineteca Madrid and the Madrid Film Office, the audiovisual office of Madrid City Council, are organising the fourth edition of Documenta Pro. This event is aimed at fostering reflection and exchange of experiences on the challenges and opportunities of the documentary film industry from a professional perspective. 
  
This year’s programme seeks to build on themes that have gained prominence in recent editions and that are now proving essential to understanding the present and future of documentary films. The discussion will focus on promotional and marketing strategies for documentary projects, a constantly evolving field in which a work’s identity, its connection with audiences and its ability to stand out in a saturated ecosystem increasingly determine its trajectory. The event will showcase some of the opportunities offered to the documentary industry by platforms operating in Spain, with an analysis of trends, models of collaboration and production criteria. Access to and work with archival materials will remain a key focus of the conference, building on the programming of the previous edition. Finally, one of the most celebrated features of previous editions will return: the presentation of Madrid-based documentary projects currently in progress. This will provide an opportunity to learn about the lines of work, requirements and initial images of projects linked to the various audiovisual support schemes provided by Madrid City Council and other institutions, thereby fostering connections with potential collaborators, co-producers and distribution agents. 
Two days of panels and lectures featuring leading industry professionals and representatives from institutions, production companies and platforms, with a shared commitment to continue expanding and strengthening the documentary sector in both industrial and creative terms. 

TUESDAY, MAY 26
 
12:00 PM – Visit to the Carlos Saura Film Collection Conservation and Restoration Center (CCR)

Aimed at documentary producers/directors
(Participants registered for the activity confirmed)


WEDNESDAY, MAY 27 – Morning Session

10:00 – Opening of the Conference and Welcome Remarks

Presented by: Luis E. Parés (Director of Cineteca and Documenta Madrid) and Raúl Torquemada (Director of Madrid Film Office).


10:15 – Presentation: The Collections of the Regional Archive of the Community of Madrid (ARCM)

Presented by: Ana Isabel Pozo Rivas (Head of the Outreach and Cultural and Educational Activities Department)

Description:
Documentary cinema has traditionally drawn from every available source in an attempt to interpret, understand, or simply inhabit a complex and frenetic reality that continually escapes us. The archive, as a place of memory, certainty, and documentary records that guarantee truthfulness and integrity, reveals itself not only as a resource but also as a refuge to which one may turn in the difficult and necessary task of giving names and faces to the anonymous stories that surround us and to the characters of official history. From this perspective, the documentary collections preserved in the Archives of the Community of Madrid will be presented with the aim of bringing them closer to documentary professionals.


11:00 – Masterclass: Understanding the Industry: The International Festival and Market Circuit

Presented by: Susana Fernández (documentary consultant, programmer, and industry advisor)

Description:
This session will explore how to approach festivals and markets strategically from the earliest stages of documentary development, taking into account how projects are positioned, perceived, and supported within the international ecosystem. Topics will include selection processes, the sector’s key players, networking dynamics, and the key stages in a project’s trajectory, with the aim of providing tools for informed decision-making.


12:00 – Break


12:15 – Panel: The Road to the Goyas and How Not to Die Trying

Presented by: Carlos d’Ursi (director of El Santo, winner of the 2026 Goya Award for Best Documentary Short Film), Cristina Urgel (director of La conversación que no tuvimos, nominated for Best Documentary Short Film in 2026), Álvaro Longoria (producer and director of The Sleeper. The Lost Caravaggio, nominated for Best Documentary Feature in 2026)

Moderated by: Luis E. Parés (Director of Cineteca and Documenta Madrid)

Description:
From a practical and strategic perspective, the roundtable “The Road to the Goyas and How Not to Die Trying” offers an overview of the work producers and creators undertake to position their projects within the awards calendar. Through real-life experiences, the session will examine the communication and promotional actions needed to give visibility to a work and attract the attention of Academy members and industry professionals. A space for reflection on the challenges, strategies, and lessons involved in competing for nominations to the Goya Awards and, consequently, promoting the distribution of the works.


13:00 – Festival in Focus: “Three Decades of Festival: Documentary Film in Málaga 2026”
Presented by: Mirito Torreiro (film critic and historian. Member of the management committee of the Málaga Film Festival)

Description:
Since its very beginning, the Málaga Spanish Film Festival made a firm commitment to documentary cinema. It did so by opening its programming to Ibero-American cinema long before the festival management created the mixed fiction competition between Spain and Ibero-America that today constitutes the event’s most distinctive hallmark. Over the past 30 years, its programming lines have adapted to the vitality, openness, and diversity of proposals that today represent the best guarantee for the survival of nonfiction cinema among us.


13:40 – End of the Morning Session


WEDNESDAY, MAY 27 – Afternoon Session

16:00 – CIMA & DOCMA Intersections

Description:
Documenta Pro hosts this networking coffee event celebrating 20 years of advocacy for documentary cinema led by DOCMA, the Spanish Documentary Film Association, and CIMA, the Association of Women Filmmakers and Audiovisual Media. This gathering offers an opportunity to share experiences, strengthen professional ties, and acknowledge the collective effort that has made our industry more plural, committed, and equitable. Come share your experience and help highlight the work of both associations.


17:30 – End of the Day


THURSDAY, MAY 28 – Morning Session

10:00 – Presentation: New Cultural Channel by RTVE and ARTE

Presented by: Ana Peláez (Director of RTVE’s Arts and Knowledge Department and head of the launch of the new channel)

Description:
The launch of the new cultural channel promoted by RTVE in collaboration with ARTE represents a significant opportunity for the documentary sector. During the session, this initiative will be presented from the perspective of the industry, focusing on its capacity to stimulate the production of new projects, expand opportunities for international co-productions, and encourage the circulation of documentary content within a European context. It also opens a reflection on the role of public media as drivers of a more visible, diverse, and sustainable documentary ecosystem.


10:45 – Panel: Docuseries: Content, Formats, and Challenges in the Production and Creation of Documentary Series

Presented by: Alberto Ortega (Director and Executive Producer at Dadá Films & Entertainment), María Recarte (Head of Content at Cero Coma Producciones), and Santiago Aguado (General Director of CAPA España)

Moderated by: Yolanda Pividal (Vice President of DOCMA)

Description:
In recent years, docuseries have become one of the most dynamic formats within nonfiction content driven by streaming platforms. The serialization of documentaries has opened up new narrative possibilities and expanded the reach of stories. This panel will address how these types of projects are designed, developed, and positioned. An exploration of the possibilities and challenges of this genre through the analysis of recent experiences by the creators and producers behind projects such as Raphaelismo, Supergarcía, El Rey del Cachopo (Dadá Films & Entertainment), El loco. Los silencios de Quintero, La Chaparra. Yo nací en una secta, En guardia: mujeres contra el crimen (Cero Coma), Operación Brooklyn, Lucía en la telaraña, and (P)Ícaro: el pequeño Nicolás (CAPA España).


11:45 – Break


12:00 – Presentation: MEDIA Support for Documentaries: Development, Production, and Distribution

Presented by: Peter Andermatt (Director of the MEDIA Office Spain)

Description:
The MEDIA programme, a sub-programme of Creative Europe established by the European Commission, constitutes a fundamental pillar in supporting the European audiovisual sector and, significantly, the development of documentary filmmaking. Through its various funding lines, this instrument supports projects at every stage, from writing and creative development to production, circulation, and access to international audiences. This session aims to provide a practical overview of these opportunities, examining how documentary projects can benefit from the different support mechanisms available.


12:30 – Presentation: Projects in Development Linked to Madrid

  - Carlos Troncoso: El hombre que siempre existió
- Irene Cardona: Las voces
- Jelen Morales: (La) vista desde aquí
- David Varela: Entre peñas
- Bárbara Mateos:Y sin embargo, te quiero

Description:
In recent years, Madrid has established itself as fertile ground for documentary filmmaking, supported by a network of programmes promoted by the Madrid City Council aimed at fostering the development of new projects, such as the Film Academy Residencies, audiovisual funding schemes, and co-production forums including ECAM Forum and Ventana Madrid. During this session, the creators of five projects linked to these Madrid-based programmes and currently in development will present their creative approaches and production needs.


13:50 – Closing Remarks

Presented by: Luis E. Parés (Director of Cineteca and Documenta Madrid) and Raúl Torquemada (Director of Madrid Film Office)


14:00 – Cocktail & Networking at Cantina (invitation only)