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ABOUT

After eight successful years, CIRCLE  is expanding and launching its first FREE CIRCLE Digital Empowerment Programme addressing women and gender expansive filmmakers. This pilot series explores the future of interactive, immersive, and synthetic media through eight online sessions with world-class creators and curators in the field.


This new programme is open to CIRCLE alumni, members and alumni of our  partner organisations. Across the series, participants will be guided by award-winning researcher and documentarian
Katerina Cizek, at the forefront of collective storytelling and emergent technologies.


Fostering dialogue at the intersection of artistic vision and emerging technology, the programme stays true to CIRCLE’s ethos of knowledge-sharing while at the same time building professional skills. Participants will be introduced to key creative practices, technologies, and cultural shifts shaping the future of storytelling — empowering CIRCLE’s alumni and partner organisations and their members to navigate and contribute to the evolving digital ecosystem. Keeping CIRCLE’s author approach at the heart of digital innovation.

“It’s been exciting to see how CIRCLE has grown organically, shaped by its participants and the needs of its community as it navigates an ever-changing industry. We are very happy to welcome Katerina Cizek to our team. She will lead this new programme and bring her extraordinary artistry and experience to CIRCLE. Kat is a pioneer in the field, and her creative vision expands CIRCLE’s mission into a new realm."

Biljana Tutorov, Programme Director

During the inaugural session on April 9th, Katerina Cizek will give an Introduction to the Interactive, Immersive and Synthetic Landscape, referring to her rich career and experience to share the possibilities of emergent media forms for creative expression and audience connection. 


Other confirmed speakers for the CIRCLE Digital Empowerment Programme include:

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  • Liz Rosenthal —  CEO of Power the Pixel & Curator of the Biennale's Venice International Film Festival’s Immersive Content Official Selection and Competition.

  • Ioana Mischie — innovative artist, multi-awarded for film, virtual reality, and pioneering concepts.  Her creative mission as transmedia artist (writer/director) and futurist is blending meaningful concepts, groundbreaking technologies and long-term social impact.

  • Rashin Fahandej — multimedia artist, immersive filmmaker, futurist, and cultural activist whose work centers around marginalized voices as well as the role of media, technology, and public collaboration in generating social change.

  • Archival Producers Alliance (APA) — Collective supporting archival and media production professionals. Addressing the impact of generative AI on documentary film and archival work through the development of a set of Best Practices guidelines.

​​Practical info
Sessions take place one Thursday per month, running time 90 minutes.

 

CIRCLE Digital Empowerment  - Session 1: Introduction to the Interactive, Immersive and Synthetic Landscape

With Katerina Cizek

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Thursday, 9 April 2026 at 3:00 PM CET  |  2:00 PM UK  |  9:00 AM US East Coast
 

Drawing on her 25+ years of working in documentary across emergent media and tech forms, Kat will give a personal introduction to the series — and the field. Why work with interactive, immersive and synthetic media, and why does it matter? She will map out the series for participants and prepare us for the journey ahead.

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Dates for next sessions:

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  • Thursday, 7 May — Where Virtual Works Meet Audiences — and Why They Matter

  • Thursday, 11 June — Making the Leap to Immersive

  • Thursday, 24 September — Interactivity and Co-Creation

  • Thursday, 15 October — Synthetic AI and Documentary Archives

  • Thursday, 26 November — Blurring Lines Between Documentary, Theatre, Games and Interactivity

  • Thursday, 10 December — Synthetic 3D and AR

  • Thursday, 21 January — Closing Session and Programme Summary

How to Register

This programme is open to CIRCLE alumni, women and gender expansive members, community of partner organisations and their members upon inscription, and it’s entirely free.

 

We ask all participants to commit to attending ALL or MOST sessions. Each session builds on the knowledge and conversations from the last, creating a cumulative learning journey. Participants who attend the full programme will receive an online certificate of attendance.

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To register and secure your free place, visit:​​

The deadline for applications is April 6th.

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If you have any questions, please contact info@doccircle.me.​​

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