Arché Porto returns for another edition, reaffirming its commitment to creativity and critical thinking around Ibero-American documentary cinema. Organized by the festival in collaboration with Apordoc, the Arché Porto Writing and Development Lab offers each year a unique space for creative reflection — free from immediate financial or logistical constraints — focused on the artistic and conceptual development of documentary projects in progress.
Over five intensive days, participants work closely with a specialized tutor, in an environment that encourages dialogue, experimentation, and the maturation of each project. At the end of the lab, the projects are presented to film industry professionals and an international jury, responsible for awarding the Arché Porto prizes.
This year, five projects have been selected for their originality and their innovative exploration of the boundaries and possibilities of the documentary form:
This is an activity co-organized in collaboration with Apordoc, with the support of Turismo de Portugal (which supports all Industry activities). It is also an initiative supported by the Ministère de l'Europe et des Affaires étrangères and the Institut Français, as part of the international promotion strategy for cultural and creative industries through the PICC program. Arché Porto is also organized in partnership with ECAM – Escuela de la Cinematografía de la Comunidad de Madrid, DAE – Documentary Association of Europe, MAD Sound Studios, Sound Force Studio, Nebulae/doclisboa, and Eurodoc.
More than a training initiative, Arché Porto stands as a laboratory of ideas — a meeting point for filmmakers, producers, and thinkers in contemporary documentary cinema, providing fertile ground for the development and reimagining of their projects and artistic practices.
