Crossing Borders

Crossing Borders, held from 2010-2018, brought Documentary Campus' renowned training programmes to the Asian market with a free program of masterclasses, 1-to-1 training and pitching events. Past editions took place in China, Malaysia, South Korea, Indonesia and Taiwan.

Participants received tailor-made training from internationally acclaimed industry experts, including advice on how to develop your story, make a trailer, set up a budget, access the international market and work with coproducers, pitch and distribute your finished film. Through masterclasses, participants got a behind-the-scenes look into successful international coproductions and learnt how their film can go from local to global. They also received invaluable peer-to-peer learning as networks were formed across countries and local documentary traditions were shared.

Projects developed in the Crossing Borders program were pitched to international decision makers, ensuring the documentaries had a head start in the global market, and the participants' production company's network expanded exponentially.

Testimonials

"My time at Crossing Borders South Korea was invaluable and I hope that other filmmakers will get a chance to reap the benefits of such a program, if not for the lessons learnt, then the real-life filmmaking experiences shared by the mentors and an extended network of filmmakers from Asia and Europe. I've always loathed public speaking but because I know now what commissioning editors really want, got practical speaking tips and encouragement from my mentors, and many hours of practice in the room – I found my voice in front of a roomful of commissioning editors. I'm happy to say that two years later, one of the executive producers of a regional broadcaster liked what she heard and we're now collaborating on making it come true." – alumni Hon Yuen Leong, Malaysia, "Legs Not Required"

"Crossing Borders quite literally changed my career. Through the workshop, I was introduced to the international documentary community – including filmmakers, industry veterans and funding parties. The exposure, support and guidance which I received gave me the confidence to make my debut feature-length documentary film independently. It went on to become the first film from my country to screen at Hot Docs." – alumnus Mak CK, Singapore, "The Most Fashionable Prison In the World"

„It was well organised and cared for. I am recommending Crossing Borders to many people. I know my project would have NEVER got to this stage (WDR-NHK-BBC-SVT-IKON-Knowledge Canada coproduction) without being part of the CB. I am really grateful for the opportunity.“ - Kyoko Miyake, Project: My Atomic Aunt, Japan

“The CB workshop has been useful to give me a more panoramic view of documentaries as a business as well as a crafted product. Having both the perspectives allowed me to get the ability to produce a documentary that is market-worthy, yet compelling to my own artistic nature. CB also provided me an amazing opportunity to meet other filmmakers and opened up wonderful opportunities for future collaboration." - Vaibhav Ingole, Project: Climbing Uphill, India

“I found Crossing Borders an extremely important professional and human experience – having a chance to share my work and meet new professionals, not just from Europe but also from Asian countries, has broadened my mind and soul as few other workshops have done before.” - Cristina Picchi, Project: About The End, UK/Italy

 “To be a great filmmaker, you need a great team and partners. Crossing Borders is one of the best partners to support you to be the best of you. They not only train you to tell the story, but also train your mindset to believe in yourself.” - Martin Chen, Project: The Road Less Traveled, Taiwan