This pioneering initiative is a collaboration between DokuFest, Southeast Europe’s leading documentary and short film festival based in Kosovo, and the Scottish Documentary Institute (SDI), a globally recognized hub for innovative documentary filmmaking. Funded by the British Council’s Collaboration Grants, Breaking Borders brings together emerging filmmakers from opposite ends of Europe for a deeply immersive, cross-cultural residency.
A residency rooted in exchange and experimentation
Over nineteen days in Prizren, Kosovo, eight alumni supported by British Council - four from SDI’s Bridging the Gap and four from DokuFest’s Future is Here programs - come together to explore the theme: “Reimagining Cooperation in a Polarized World”.
The residency in two phases
Cultural Immersion: Through workshops, discussions, and screenings, filmmakers explore each other’s perspectives, laying the groundwork for meaningful collaboration.
Creative Production: Teams co-develop short documentaries that reflect urgent social themes, blending personal narratives with political consciousness.
A platform for emerging voices
Breaking Borders is more than a filmmaking lab—it’s a platform for dialogue, resistance, and transformation. The selected filmmakers, hailing from diverse backgrounds and artistic practices, will tackle themes such as displacement, memory, gender, and environmental justice. Their works challenge dominant narratives and offer fresh, nuanced perspectives on shared global challenges.
Why it matters
In an era of rising nationalism and cultural division, Breaking Borders demonstrates the power of artistic collaboration as a form of resistance. By fostering mutual understanding and creative synergy, the program nurtures new talent and builds lasting bridges between communities.
This initiative is a testament to what’s possible when local knowledge meets global vision, and when storytelling becomes a tool for empathy, activism, and change.