VdR Industry (VdR Pitching)

Overview

VdR Industry is the professional platform of Visions du Reel, one of the major documentary film festivals in Europe, held annually in Nyon, Switzerland. The 2026 edition (the 57th festival) runs April 17-26, with Industry Days taking place April 19-22. Under Head of Industry Sabine Fayoux Cantillo, VdR Industry selects 31 projects from more than 600 annual submissions across 4 categories, awarding more than 80,000 CHF in prizes.

VdR Pitching is the flagship competitive strand. It selects 15 documentary or hybrid projects in late development and launches them to the international market. Selected teams pitch to commissioning editors, distributors, sales agents, and co-producers, then participate in moderated roundtable discussions and pre-arranged one-on-one meetings.

The 2026 selection includes projects from 34 directors representing 28 countries, with 61% led by women directors, 45% by first-time feature directors, and 58% directed and produced by filmmakers from the majority world. VdR Industry is supported by the Federal Office of Culture (FOC), Media Desk Switzerland, and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).

History

Visions du Reel was established as a documentary film festival in Nyon, Switzerland. The festival has built a strong reputation in the creative documentary and author-driven nonfiction space over 57 editions. VdR Industry grew from a single pitching forum into a 4-category platform supporting projects from early development through post-production.

The pitching forum was originally called Pitching du Reel. Alice Burgin previously served as Head of Industry before Sabine Fayoux Cantillo took over for the 2026 edition. Cantillo joined from Chicken & Egg Films, where she served as associate director of program. The 2026 Industry Days opened with a conversation with Oscar-winning filmmaker Laura Poitras. The 2027 edition will take place April 11-14, with submissions opening September 8, 2026.

Award Value

VdR Pitching is not a cash grant program. The 80,000+ CHF in prizes is awarded by juries across all 4 VdR Industry categories, not solely to VdR Pitching participants. The primary value is access to decision makers and the opportunity to secure co-production deals, broadcast pre-sales, and distribution agreements through the pitch and meeting format.

The festival does not cover travel or accommodation. Based on a 2026 participant account published by the International Documentary Association, attending VdR Industry with a 3-person team can cost between 5,000 and 10,000 EUR depending on origin and team size.

Eligibility

• Project stage: Late development, ready to be launched into production
• Film length: Feature-length projects (the festival programs feature-length work)
• Format: Documentary and hybrid nonfiction projects
• Geography: No restrictions. The 2026 selection represents 28 countries.
• Team: Both director and producer must be attached and available to attend in person
• Language: Application materials and pitch must be in English

The selection process runs from October 2025 to February 2026. The Artistic Director and Head of Industry, together with an international selection committee, make the final selections. Shortlist updates go out in early January, with final confirmations in the first week of March.

Past Recipients

The 2026 VdR Pitching selection includes 15 projects from directors across 28 countries:

• A Season in Europe by Jean-Stephane Bron (Switzerland), produced by Lionel Baier (Bande a part Films), a Switzerland/France co-production examining European institutions
• Firing Line by Olga Gibelinda (Ukraine), produced by Malanka Studios
• The Vortex of Extinction by Ljubomir Stefanov, director of the Oscar-nominated Honeyland, drawing parallels between violence in animals and humans

VdR Work in Progress selections include A Road Less Travelled by Alexander Murphy, centered on an Irish Traveller family, and Job 1:21 by Haitian filmmaker Samuel Suffren, whose short screened at the 2025 Cannes Directors' Fortnight.

The full 2026 VdR Industry selection of 31 projects was announced on March 11, 2026.

What Made Their Application Stand Out

The selection committee seeks singular and original projects that combine artistic ambition, high visual quality, and international potential. Head of Industry Sabine Fayoux Cantillo noted that the 2026 selection shares a sensibility across very different geographies and stories rather than a single topic.

Projects that push the boundaries of documentary form stand out. The 2026 selection reflects this: 61% are directed by women, 45% are first-time feature films, and 58% are directed and produced by filmmakers from the majority world. The committee may assign a submitted project to a different category than the one applied for, based on the project timeline and in discussion with the project holders.

Renewal Requirements

VdR Pitching is a one-time competitive selection, not a renewable grant. Selected projects participate in a single edition. There is no renewal process or multi-year commitment.

Filmmakers with projects at different stages can apply to different VdR Industry categories in subsequent years. The VdR Development Lab offers a 9-month accompaniment program for early development projects. The VdR Rough Cut Lab supports projects in early edit. VdR Work in Progress supports projects in finishing stages seeking completion funding and distribution.

Application Process

Applications are submitted through the Visions du Reel industry portal at visionsdureel.ch/en/industry. The submission requires:

• Project description
• Treatment or detailed synopsis
• Director's statement
• Budget and financing plan
• Visual material (trailer, excerpt, or visual sample appropriate to the project stage)

The submission fee is paid online at the time of application. Early deadline submissions (by October 17, 2025) cost CHF 30. Final deadline submissions (by December 15, 2025) cost CHF 40. For the 2027 edition, submissions open September 8, 2026.

Selected projects receive pitch training: 2 online sessions with a professional pitch trainer plus on-site preparation on Sunday, April 19, 2026 in Nyon. Each project receives a 12-minute pitch slot, followed by 5 roundtable sessions of 20 minutes each and pre-arranged one-on-one meetings over 2 subsequent days.

VdR Industry Structure

VdR Industry consists of 4 categories that support projects at different stages:

Up to 4 participants per project receive industry accreditation, giving access to all screenings, talks, masterclasses, pitches, and ancillary activities during the festival.

What Filmmakers Should Know

VdR Pitching is not a cash grant program. The 80,000+ CHF in prizes is awarded by juries across all 4 VdR Industry categories, not solely to VdR Pitching participants. The primary value is access to decision makers and the opportunity to secure co-production deals, broadcast pre-sales, and distribution agreements. The festival does not cover travel or accommodation. Teams should budget 5,000 to 10,000 EUR for a 3-person team attending the 4-day Industry Days. The CHF 400 participation fee covers accreditations only. The pitch is public, delivered to an audience of all accredited industry professionals. The roundtable and one-on-one sessions that follow are where substantive deal conversations happen. The selection committee may reassign your project to a different category based on its stage. Both director and producer must attend in person for the full 4 days.

Watch

See Also

For documentary distribution strategies, see Documentary Filmmaking Guide. To plan your documentary budget, use the Indie Film Budget Calculator. For other documentary funding opportunities, browse the full Film Scholarships Directory. For another major European documentary pitching platform, see Locarno Open Doors in this directory. For a European co-production fund, see Eurimages Co-Production Fund in this directory.