Overview Lisbon Semester

The semester in Lisbon stands as the entry level of the study in which students develop their fundamental technical skills and knowledge of documentary film. The introductory curriculum encompasses the essential theoretical and aesthetics notions of documentary, the technical aspects of filmmaking, and the basis of creative documentary filmmaking through emphasizing the practical approach.

Classes are taught by local filmmakers, film scholars and professional specialized practitioners, as well as by invited international lecturers and experts. 

Theoretical and practical courses are conducted in short period modules and workshops, whose instructional content builds progressively throughout the semester. Workshops take in to account the different level of technical competences of each student upon entering the program, according to previous experience and study background.

Several film exercises are performed, either individually or collaboratively in small teams, guided by instructors or assigned mentors on a regular basis. In the last stage of the semester each student develops and produces a short documentary film aiming to enrich his/her portfolio of individual work.

Students also receive classes on documentary history, and are taught to examine critically a range of classic and contemporary films in various contexts, which should inspire the conceptualizing of their own strategies to film practices.

While attending DocLisboa International Film Festival students have contact with the industry side of documentary filmmaking by attending the public part of a pitching forum where new projects are presented each year before an international panel of commissioning editors, broadcasters, sales agents and co-producers.