Make your movie
in 5 weeks

Immerse yourself in one of the world’s few hands on documentary experiences and discover your expression as an artist.
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The make or break filmmaking experience

One of the precious few hands on creative documentary workshops around the world.

ARISTOTELES WORKSHOP (AW) is a training and development center dedicated to fostering a new generation of creative documentary filmmakers around the world.

Since 2006, our graduates’ Aristoteles productions and sequel work shows up in the world’s most prestigious festival lineups, starting with 2007’s “Don’t get me wrong” by Adina Pintilie, winner of 2018’s Golden Bear with “Touch Me Not.”

In partnership with

The Hero

You and 11 other young, avid documentary lovers and learners from all over the world: filmmakers, writers, directors, DPs and editors.

The Challenge

To make an artistic documentary from scratch, development to final cut, with a crew you just met. Each group of director-DP-editor will have to deliver a documentary ready for broadcast and entirely marketable.

The Calendar

1-3 August: Masterclass with Arne Bro & Lotte Mick Meyer

4-18 August: Scouting, filming and editing with Isidore Bethel

9-31 August: Filming and editing with Laurent Becue-Renard

18-31 August: Filming and editing with Lotte Mick Meyer

The Consequences

Frequent side effects include first hand experience, confidence and festival lineups: Cannes, Berlinale, Locarno, Nyon, Leipzig, Amsterdam, and so on.

The Location

Beliș, Cluj County, Romania

Mother Nature did a fine job crafting this place located in the Apuseni Mountains – an area full of history and mistery, often called ,,the sea between the mountains”.

The Resources

Full accomodations, production and post production equipment and facilities, including latest High Definition technologies and techniques.

The Help

The programme offers both hands-on approach and a continuous tutoring from established, internationally acclaimed professionals shaping the future of documentary around the world.

The Stakes

Who you are as an artist.
Your freedom and sensitivity.
Your ability to pitch yourself and your work.
Your limits and their demise.

The magic of Aristoteles

I’ve learned more in 5 weeks at Aristoteles than in 3 years at the university.

Adina Pintilie

Filmmaker, Romania

Experience the AWorkshop

You can actually make a movie from scratch to jury night in 5 weeks. All of our graduates saw their work come to life like that. Many of our graduates have lived through many more jury and awards nights since. Which is what we wish for you!

On our awards shelf

AW in the News

The Aristoteles Workshop movies are on CINEPUB.RO

Watch

Official Media Partners

Amazing! I love it, I love it, I love it! Michal Bregant

Former Dean, FAMU Film School, Prague

It was intense. It was way beyond my expectations. It was challenging. I learned tons about myself and about movies. And we made a good movie, too.

Maria Balanean

Filmmaker, Romania

It was the first time I got professional feedback from a larger audience. Hearing all the different opionions makes you question your work. On one level this is very constructive but this may also demoralize you. It’s good we had this experience because in this industry we’ll have to confront a lot of situations like this.

Hedda Bednarszky

Filmmaker, Hungary

It was one of the most important filmmaking experiences I ever had. The amount of introspection I went through, thanks to the intensity of the program, and the new understanding I have in terms of shooting, viewing rushes, assembling scenes, finding the emotion in the material… I felt encouraged and supported to take a risk.
Mila Turajlic

Filmmaker, RS

You did a wonderful thing, you opened their eyes to a di erent future.

Roxana von Kraus

Tutor, US

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Fostering the new generation of creative documentary filmmakers