This will be the sixth competition that will provide film clubs and their partners with methodological, advisory, and financial support to implement their own advocacy initiatives. The previous rounds of the program supported 105 participants who demonstrated that even a small team can drive meaningful transformations in a community.
Does your community face issues that need to be resolved? Are there citizens whose needs remain unattended? Do you want to influence the decisions of local authorities, bring people together on important issues, and drive real change?
The “DOCU ACTS 6.0” is your chance to turn your idea into a tangible plan for action!
What is “DOCU ACTS 6.0”?
It is a competition for advocacy projects aimed at supporting the Docudays UA film clubs’ moderators working on the most urgent issues in their communities.
The goal of an advocacy project is to achieve a specific decision regarding systemic changes in the community by engaging citizens, local authorities, institutions, organizations, and others who can influence the situation.
The advocacy projects may focus on protecting the rights of vulnerable groups, ensuring access to public spaces, addressing the needs of children and youth, promoting inclusion, preserving cultural heritage, addressing environmental issues, ensuring access to services, or otherwise addressing issues relevant to your community.
The key is that the project addresses or mitigates the impact of a community’s problem caused by the hostilities in Ukraine and aims to unite the community, support rebuilding, and promote recovery.
What could you do?
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Identify an issue requiring attention and systemic local solutions.
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Engage community members and those directly affected by the issue in the discussion.
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Use documentary films from the Docudays UA Network’s collection as a tool for dialogue, legal education, and raising awareness.
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Identify who can help resolve the local issue and establish cooperation with these individuals and institutions
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Develop a local advocacy campaign with clear goals, consistent steps, and measurable outcomes.
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Prepare a concrete proposal for the responsible authority or institution.
Who can take part in the competition?
Docudays UA film club moderators who are ready to address the challenges facing their communities, unite people around a common goal, and consistently advocate for necessary change.
How many projects will receive support?
Results of the competition will determine the 10 advocacy projects to be selected. The winners will receive financial support (in the amount of 50,000 UAH) and mentoring from the Docudays UA Film Club Network team.
What are the criteria for selection of applications?
To select the winners, the Network team will evaluate the projects according to the following criteria:
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relevance of the issue to the community;
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focus on solving a community’s problem (or mitigating its consequences) that resulted from the military hostilities in Ukraine;
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focus on community building, reconstruction, and recovery;
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involvement of IDPs and other vulnerable groups;
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clarity of the advocacy goal;
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feasibility and relevance of the proposed solutions;
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identified targets of influence;
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engagement of the community and partners;
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use of documentary films;
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measurable outcomes;
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potential for transformation and sustainable results.
During the selection process, it is crucial to demonstrate the issue's relevance to your community, analyse measures already taken within the community to address it, and explain exactly how you plan to solve it.
When to apply?
Fill in the application and the submission form by October 25, 2026, inclusive.
The competition will take place from October 13 to 25, 2026.
The winners will be announced on October 29, 2026.
The selected advocacy projects have to be implemented between November 1, 2026, and April 30, 2027.
If you have any additional questions, please contact Lina Babych, Coordinator of the Docudays UA Film Club Network ([email protected]), and Svitlana Pylypchuk, Project Manager of the Network ([email protected]).
The outcomes of advocacy projects from previous “DOCU ACTS” programs are available on our website.
Advocacy begins with a sense of commitment; however, it is a clear goal, partnerships, and consistent actions that transform communities.
Join the “DOCU ACTS 6.0” competition and let your idea spark real change!
The development of the DOCU/CLUB Network is funded by the Embassy of Sweden in Ukraine, Fondation de France, and the Czech organization People in Need within the framework of the SOS Ukraine initiative.
The opinions, conclusions, or recommendations are those of the authors and compilers of this publication and do not necessarily reflect the views of the governments or charitable organizations of the respective countries. The authors and compilers are solely responsible for the content of this publication.
