DURBAN, SA: NFVF-backed film development lab offers six documentary teams a route from a concept to an investment-ready project – and onto the world stage at documentary markets.
Mayibuye Doc Lab has announced its call for projects for the 2026/27 South African edition, inviting South African filmmaking teams to submit compelling documentary projects in development or early production. The second edition of the lab is hosted by Ehozini Retreat (Durban) and funded by the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) PESP. Applications are now open and close on 13 November 2026 at 23:59SAST.
Mayibuye Doc Lab is a hands-on development lab for creative documentaries: films with a strong authorial voice, a compelling narrative with a clear dramatic arc, and the potential to move audiences at home and abroad. Six projects will be selected. Over four months, each team – writer/director, producer and impact producer – will move from concept to a complete, investment-ready project package: a narrative treatment and draft script, a production and financing plan, and a distribution, marketing and impact strategy.
The Lab combines online workshops, a story writing residency and group sessions to strengthen each project’s story and visual approach, producing and financing strategy, and distribution, marketing and impact strategy. The mentorship in the lab will be guided by an experienced mentorship team and guest facilitators from the local and international industry.
Completing the Lab is the beginning, not the end. Through the Post-Lab Alumni Programme, Mayibuye alumni can network with colleagues across the continent and carry their projects to the international industry via partnerships with numerous documentary markets in 2027.
“We are looking to support filmmakers with character-driven stories, innovative approaches to documentary filmmaking and new perspectives. Our lab will create space for the key creative team on the project to invest time into deepening their storytelling, strengthen their project package and connect with collaborators to take the films to audiences,” says Tiny Mungwe, Programme Manager, Mayibuye Doc Lab
“We welcome applications from filmmakers with some experience or training in filmmaking. Applicants should have at least a completed short film (fiction or non-fiction) even if it hasn’t been screened at a festival or broadcast,” says Mitchell Haprer, Project Manager, Mayibuye Doc Lab.
The call is open to South African projects with South African key creative teams. It targets filmmakers at NFVF Tier 2 or Tier 3 looking for accelerated growth, and first-time documentary filmmakers with a track record in other formats – fiction, commercials or episodic – are welcome and encouraged. Each project must be ideally represented by a writer/director, a producer and an impact producer, available for the full programme.
Applications can be submitted through the online application form: HERE, and close on 13 November 2026 at o 23h59 SAST. Participants will be expected to be available on the following dates: Online workshops: 1–11 December 2026; eHozini (KZN) Writing residencies: January 2027 and online· Group sessions: January–February 2027 Mayibuye Doc Lab covers the cost of travel, accommodation and food for the on-site residency.
