Kathmandu Doc Lab 2027 · Third edition

Applications open in January 2027.

For South Asian directors developing a first or second feature-length documentary. Apply with a project, or join as an observer. Dates, fees and the application guidelines for 2027 will be published with the call.

Get the call by email

A filmmaker rehearses her pitch at the 2025 Lab

What selected projects get

Six days with three mentors, then two pitches

Pre-lab workshops

Online sessions on writing, budgets and the international industry before you arrive.

Mentorship

Group work and one-on-one sessions with three South Asian mentors to sharpen story, budget and strategy.

Live Pitch

Pitch to a jury and a public audience in Kathmandu. All pitched projects compete for development awards.

Online Pitch

Pitch to international funders and broadcasters, then meet them one-on-one.

Stay and meals

Hotel stay for one representative per project, with breakfast and lunch on lab days.

Two ways to take part

With a project, or as an observer

With a project

Who can apply

01Region. The director is a national of a South Asian country, or part of the South Asian diaspora.

02Experience. Directing a first or second feature-length documentary. More experienced filmmakers may apply if they show how the Lab helps them move into international co-production.

03Project. A documentary intended as a feature (50 minutes or more), in development or early production.

04Commitment. All online workshops, the full lab in Kathmandu, and both pitches.

How 2026 worked: online workshops in April and May, the residential lab and Live Pitch in late May, the Online Pitch in June, with a subsidised participation fee (NPR 15,000 for Nepali participants, USD 100 for international participants). The 2027 call will confirm dates and fees.

As an observer

The Observer Programme

For emerging storytellers who want to learn the ropes of international co-production. Mostly Nepali participants, open to the wider region. You can apply with or without a project.

01Full access to masterclasses, group feedback sessions and case studies during the lab.

02Shadowing of one-on-one mentorship sessions, with mentor and participant approval.

03Mentor time. A dedicated one-on-one with one of the mentors.

04Both pitches and a festival pass for kimff.

How 2026 worked: eight observers, four of them from Nepal. Non-residential, with lunch, tea and coffee on lab days, for a subsidised fee of NPR 12,000. International observers covered their own travel and stay.

“The online pitch was a game-changer. It made the international market feel tangible and within reach.”
Bunu Dhungana, filmmaker, Nepal (2025)

“I left with a much stronger project and a clear path forward.”
Mahera Omar, filmmaker, Pakistan (2025)

“A turning point that empowered my creative journey.”
Sumair Shamsi, filmmaker, Pakistan (2025)

Apply