The Cinéma du réel festival has announced the opening of the call for the 13th edition of ParisDOC Works-in-Progress, to be held on March 25 and 26, 2026, in Paris. The initiative seeks to support the distribution, promotion, and circulation of feature-length documentaries in the advanced stages of editing or post-production, connecting filmmakers and producers with key professionals from the international industry. Submissions, which carry a fee of 20 euros, will remain open until January 7, 2026.

The call is aimed at documentary feature projects of at least 60 minutes that already have a completed first cut and that do not have prior commitments in two of three essential areas: festival premiere, sales agent, or theatrical distribution. In addition, the presentation must be unpublished, without having shown similar versions in other professional spaces prior to Cinéma du réel. The selection will consider the project’s alignment with the festival’s editorial line and artistic vision, as well as its distribution potential in cinemas, platforms, festivals, or television. Productions from any country may apply, as long as they are submitted in English or French, or include subtitles in one of those languages.

The selected projects, to be announced in mid-February 2026, will be screened in full once during the program days, and the screenings will not be considered world premieres. Each presentation will be accompanied by an in-theater conversation and an informal meeting between the film teams and the invited professionals. Participation in these sessions will be by invitation or approval from the festival team, which will also bring in experts to exchange analysis and recommendations with the filmmakers. The list of selected titles will be publicly revealed at the end of February.

The representatives of the selected projects will receive a free professional accreditation — valued at 50 euros — granting access to the entire festival program and to ParisDOC activities, although travel and accommodation expenses will not be covered. Among the incentives, one of the participating titles will receive post-production support from Studio Orlando, and all selected projects will be able to submit free of charge to the 2026 Directors’ Fortnight for consideration by its selection committee.

Teams must provide screening materials in ProRes HQ format and stereo sound files, as well as the requested communication elements. Acceptance of the invitation entails a commitment to attend the event in person and to authorize the festival’s use of promotional materials. In addition, any film participating in ParisDOC Works-in-Progress must include the program’s official mention in its end credits, and the project winning the Studio Orlando award must also incorporate the “RÉEL Coup de Coeur Orlando 2026” laurel in its opening credits and promotional materials.

Registration is available through the website www.cinemadureel.org, and submission implies full acceptance of the regulations, whose authentic version is the one written in French.