Following the experience of its first edition, which confirmed both the interest in and the need for a dedicated development path for archive-based documentaries, Past Forward – Archive Film Lab returns in 2026 with its second edition. The lab further consolidates its role as a space for specialised consultancy and tutoring aimed at projects working with the creative reuse of archival footage, responding to a production field that is rapidly growing and to an increasingly structured demand from the audiovisual industry.
Past Forward – Archive Film Lab is a project by Archivio Aperto and Bio to B – Industry Days | Doc.
The lab is addressed to Italian feature-length documentaries (minimum final length 52’), in development, production or post-production, based predominantly on archival footage and materials.
Archive-based documentaries and found-footage films are increasingly present today at festivals, showcases and in distribution circuits, as well as on television channels and streaming platforms. Past Forward – Archive Film Lab was created to engage with this production and market sector, offering a focused training and consultancy programme designed to provide specific expertise and concrete development tools.
A total of 6 projects will be selected:
4 projects in an advanced stage of production (work in progress / rough cut)
2 projects in development (early stage)
The selected teams will take part in a programme coordinated by Sergio Fant (Archivio Aperto) and Caterina Mazzucato (Bio to B – Industry Days | Doc & Drama), including one in-person in-depth feedback session and two online sessions, with contributions from professionals with specific experience in working with archival materials:
Ilaria Fraioli, editor
Martina Parenti, director
Alessia Petitto, archive producer
Call opening: 21 January 2026
Call deadline: March 1 2026
Participation is free of charge, subject to selection.
KOSOMBO
Directors: Helena Falabino, Teresa Sala
Production country: Italy
Synopsis: A childhood spent in Ghana that a father has never told his daughter about. The discovery of photographs from that time marks the beginning of a journey to Akosombo, on the shores of Lake Volta. The story of a Piedmontese family intertwines with that of Ghana, the first African country to gain independence.
DIFFERENT COLOR OF SABIR
Director: Safaa Khatib (Italy, Palestine, Spain)
Production: Ginevra Films SRLS; Co‑production: Philistine Films, Damita Joe SL
Synopsis: The film follows a Palestinian woman who documents her father, an important political leader facing a possible conviction for “incitement to terrorism” and a potential return to an Israeli prison, portraying family life and resistance before the state can take him away.
IL Y A LONGTEMPS QUE T'AIME
Director: Chloé Barreau (France)
Production: POP’ FILMS
Synopsis: This film offers an unusual experience: telling a human life through that of a dog. In this archaeology of feelings, Lula, a funny and affectionate pug, becomes the common thread linking loves, cities, small and great events: the unwitting witness to 15 years of life.
MADE IN HEAVEN
Director: Alexander Markov (France)
Production: Verba Films & Les Films de l'Aqueduc
Synopsis: Made in Heaven brings back to life the unexpected and wild underground world of free artists during the Soviet era. It is based on footage by two artists, Rita Purishinskaya and Leonid Aronzon, their daring burlesque films, their drawings, and their poetry.
PLAYING INDIE
Director: Giovanni Merlini (Italy)
Production: Giungla Collective
Synopsis: I found out that my aunt, in the 1970s, lost all her money helping an old friend produce the film of his dreams starring Mara Venier. In a meta‑cinematic whirlwind, a group of young filmmakers tries to understand: what went wrong? And above all, why, then as now, is it so difficult to make a film?
THE THIRD DESERT
Director: Sandro Bozzolo (Italy)
Production: Filmine, Superottimisti
Synopsis: According to a prophecy, the Third Desert is the place where the world finds its order. Exploring an archive of home movies, a contemporary filmmaker pursues this prophecy. Faced with images of the Alps, his personal archive becomes a mirage, a place where everything seems to obey different laws.
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO FRANCESCO
Directors: Leonardo Dal Bo, Maria Girardo, Luca Lovisetto, Luca Mantovani, Cristina Pedersoli, Carola Visca (Italy)
Production: Ezme Film
Synopsis: Assisi, 1966. Under the sign of Saint Francis, two debutants, now over‑90 masters, collaborate on set: director Liliana Cavani and photographer Elio Ciol. A set that resonates like a destiny for two lives that span almost a century of Italian history, in constant dialogue with the figure of the saint.
Lab period: March–May 2026, with in-person and online meetings
Programme conclusion: final showcase within Bio to B – Industry Days | Doc, Cinema Modernissimo, Bologna, 9 June 2026, in front of an audience of experts and audiovisual industry professionals.
