IGNITE-Docs is a 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).
This cross-border partnership seeks to foster a new generation of Irish documentary filmmakers from the north and south of Ireland.
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.
The scheme is project-led, and supports the progression of the selected projects and their teams, through training that focuses on the development process of documentary, from inception to exhibition. The scheme aims to foster a new generation of non-fiction creative documentary talent from all over the island of 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 developing their project, and will acquire market knowledge of the documentary industry, learning about the current trends in non-fiction film production, and giving them 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 an intimate environment, which will allow a hands-on approach; facilitating maximum learning potential and the opportunity to network and foster new relationships.
The 2025/2026 programme provides a long-term engagement, comprising:
- Training days at Cork International Film Festival in November 2025, and Docs Ireland in June 2026
- Regular online training days from November 2025 – June 2026
- The opportunity to attend Sheffield Doc Fest in June 2026
- Application process CLOSED on Friday September 19th 2025
- Participants will be announced in late October 2025
Applications for IGNITE-Docs are now open, and will be accepted until Friday, September 19th 2025 at 5pm. Successful projects will be announced in mid-October.
Full IGNITE-Docs guidelines are available to view below:
Applications are accepted in English and as Gaeilge, with a particular interest in Irish language projects:
If you have any queries, please contact ignite@corkfilmfest.org
The IGNITE-Docs Documentary Talent Development programme is supported by TG4, the Arts Council of Ireland, Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland through the Screen Stakeholders Funding Scheme, Coimisiún na Meán, Cultural & Creative Industries Skillnet and Northern Ireland Screen.
Cuirtear fáilte roimh iarratais faoi shéasúr 6 do chlár IGNITE – DOCS
Fáilteofar roimh iarratas ar IGNITE – DOCS go dtí 5 i. in, Dé hAoine, 26 Mean Fómhair 2025.
Fógrofar na tograí ar eirigh leo tacaíocht a fháil faoin scéim faoi lár Dheireadh Fómhair.
Is clár forbartha tallaine atá in IGNITE – Docs, díirthe ar déántóirí scannáin fháisnéise ó Éireann atá ag tí an chéad nó an dara scannán fada fáisnéise a léiriú. Tá sé mar adhaim ag an páirtnéireacht tras teorann seo glúin nua scannanóirí fáisnéise a fhorbairt. Is comhfhiontar nuálach atá ann idir an dá fhéile Scannáin sa tír – Féile Scannán Idirnáisiúnta Chorcaigh agus Docs Ireland.
Fáilteofar roimh iarratais I mBéarla nó I nGaeilge, le spéis faoi leith sna scannáin Ghaeilge.
Leantar le feabhas an chéad chúig bhliana den scéim le forbairt tograí fáisnéise fada le scannanóirí atá ag teacht chun cinn tríd oiliúint, ceardlanna agus meantóireacht duine le duine.
Is scéim togra dirithe atá anseo, a thacaíonn dul chun cinn na tograí roghnaithe agus na foirne a bhaineann leo trid oiliúint a leanann an phroiséis oiliúna ón smaoineamh go dtí an chéad thaispeáint. Cothaíonn an scéim glúin nua cruthaíoch sa réimse fáisnéise ó fud fad na hÉireann atá mar adhaim acu a gcéad nó a dara scannán fáisnéise a léiriú, agus ardán a chruthú doibh le raon leathan scileanna agus eolas a fháil atá de dhith le dul chun cinn tograí fáisnéise ar leibhéal idirnáisiúnta.
Tríd an togra tréan oiliúna seo, beidh eolas á thabhairt ar gach gnéith do fhorbairt togra. Beidh eolas á thabhairt ar mhargadh an tionscadal fáisnéise, na nósanna nua fáisnéise agus eolas leathan ar scóp an tionscail ar fad. Beidh ceardlanna, máistir ranganna, cur I láthair le déantóirí faisnéise oilte, craoltóirí, maoinitheoirí, gníomhairí diolacháin agus daoine gairmiúla eile ón earnáil. Beidh an oiliúint ar siúl I suiomh réchúiseach foghlama a chuirfidh go leor le cumas foghlama na rannpháirtithe agus deiseanna caidrimh nua a bhunú.
Is Caidreamh fada a bhéas I gclár IGNITE – Docs:
- Laethanta oiliúna ag Féile Scannán Idirnáisiúnta Chorcaigh I Samhain 2025 agus Docs Ireland I Meitheamh, 2026.
- Laethanta oiliúna rialta ar line idir Shamhain 2025 – Meitheamh 2026.
- Deis freastal ar mhargadh Sheffield Docs Fest mar thoscaireacht I Meitheamh 2026
Comhfhiontar idir Féile Scannán Idirnáisiúnta Chorcaigh, Docs Ireland, Béal Feirste le tacaíocht ó TG4, An Comhairle Ealaíona, Fís Éireann (trís scéim na ngeallshealbhóirí scáileáin), Skillnet, Coimisiún na Meán, Fís Thuaisceart Éireann agus scéim na nEalaíona & Gnó, TÉ.