Astra Film Lab

Astra Film Lab is a project development program for filmmakers to develop and strengthen their creative documentaries. It is a project-based intensive program, taking place concurrently with Astra Film Festival, consisting of workshops, mentoring from industry experts, one-to-one meetings and a public pitch to an audience of industry representatives.

Astra Film Lab emphasizes projects and teams from the region, aiming to facilitate exchanges within Europe and beyond. The goal of the program is to offer an auspicious platform to filmmakers currently developing internationally relevant stories that originate in countries belonging to what has been described as the “Eastern Bloc” to present their work and develop professional networks.

The Lab is tailored for professional director/ producer teams. During the Lab, tutors will give advice and feedback specially tailored for the directorial and production aspects of each participant project. This can include, but is not limited to the following topics: narrative structure, character development, project budgeting, and how to structure a project presentation to ensure maximum efficiency. Following the workshops, each project will be presented in a public pitch to an audience of industry experts of producers, distributors, festival representatives, commissioning editors, or sales agents.