Dhaka DocLab

What Dhaka DocLab does

Dhaka DocLab is a Bangladesh-based non-profit organization founded in 2017 that operates as the pioneer platform for pitching and mentoring of documentary filmmakers across Asia. The organization runs an annual event that combines workshops, mentorship, pitching sessions, and networking with international decision makers from broadcasters, festivals, and funding bodies such as NHK World Japan, DocEdge, IEFTA, HAF Hong Kong, and Eurodoc. Each edition typically selects 15–19 projects from 10+ countries, with the 9th edition (2025) bringing together 17 projects from across Asia and a 10th edition announced for August 2026.

The platform operates through a core product (the annual pitching event and online submission portal) and three sub-brands: Dhaka DocSchool (structured training courses and workshops for Bangladeshi filmmakers), DocImpact Lab (impact storytelling initiative launched in 2024 with Perspective Fund), and the Bangladesh-CYMRU Climate Stories Project (an international co-production with Wales One World Film Festival funded by British Council). The Alumni Network serves as a year-round community continuation of the annual event. The technology stack is minimal: a website-based application portal and standard social media/email channels, with no proprietary software or AI components.

Dhaka DocLab's business model is a hybrid non-profit structure. Revenue comes from two streams: (1) participant fees — USD 100–200 for international participants and 6,000–12,000 BDT for Bangladeshi participants, structured as a cost-recovery mechanism rather than a profit driver; and (2) grants and funding from international partners including British Council, Perspective Fund, Bengal Foundation, Cosmos Foundation, and IEFTA. The organization is governed by a Trustee Board led by Luva Nahid Choudhury with Tareq Ahmed as Director, and operates with a small 7-person team out of Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Name

Dhaka DocLab

Legal name

Dhaka DocLab

Website

https://dhakadoclab.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Documentary Filmmaking Services

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Advanced Project-Based Learning & Portfolio Mentoring (STEM/arts portfolios, maker projects) (EDANAKAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Research & Lab-Based Short-Term Programs (Undergraduate/Graduate) (EDAIAIAF)

Keywords

• Documentary pitching platform
• Filmmaker mentoring programs
• Documentary film development
• Asian documentary films
• Documentary training workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

Dhaka

HQ country

Bangladesh

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Participant Fees: Dhaka DocLab charges participation fees to selected project participants and observers. International participants pay in USD while Bangladeshi participants pay in BDT. This is a cost-recovery mechanism rather than a profit-generating revenue stream.
2. Grants and Funding: The organization receives financial support from partners including British Council, Perspective Fund, Bengal Foundation, and other international organizations to fund programs and operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Dhaka DocLab is a non-profit platform that organizes an annual pitching and mentoring event for Asian documentary filmmakers, providing workshops, masterclasses, and pitching sessions with international decision makers. It also runs supplemental training programs including Dhaka DocSchool (filmmaking courses), DocImpact Lab (impact storytelling), and the Bangladesh-CYMRU Climate Stories Project (international climate documentary collaboration).

Product overview

Dhaka DocLab operates as a documentary filmmaking platform centered around its annual pitching event for Asian documentary filmmakers. The core product is the DDL Annual Program featuring workshops, mentorship, pitching sessions, and awards. Supporting products include DocSchool (educational courses and workshops), DocImpact Lab (impact-focused filmmaking program), the Bangladesh-CYMRU Climate Stories Project (collaborative climate documentaries), and the Alumni Network. The platform serves filmmakers from development stage through rough-cut projects, providing mentorship, networking opportunities, and connections to international decision makers and funding organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Dhaka DocSchool: A platform for learning, training, pitching and mentoring of documentary filmmakers. Organizes long and short courses, workshops, masterclasses, and seminars for Bangladeshi filmmakers.
• DocImpact Lab

Quantifiable outcome

• Projects pitched at DDL have gone on to secure international funding and distribution
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Wales One World Film Festival (WOW)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2022UK-based film festival that collaborated with Dhaka DocLab on the Bangladesh-CYMRU Climate Stories project, supporting four filmmakers from Bangladesh and Wales to produce documentaries on climate change.
• Bengal FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor Bangladeshi cultural organization that partners with Dhaka DocLab for events and provides support including cash awards for Best Project categories. Luva Nahid Chowdhury serves as Director General of Bengal Foundation.
• Global Impact Producers Alliance (GIPA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational organization that partners with Dhaka DocImpact Lab to support impact production strategies for Bangladeshi filmmakers.
• Firelight Media HouseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUS-based organization that provides mentorship support through its Artist Programs Manager for the Dhaka DocImpact Lab program.
• Asian American Documentary Network (A-Doc)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUS-based network that provides mentorship support through its Impact Initiative Co-Lead for the Dhaka DocImpact Lab program.
• DocEdge New ZealandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOscar-qualifying documentary film festival from New Zealand that provides awards and scholarship opportunities for DDL participants. Alex Lee, Co-founder and Director, actively participates in DDL events.
• International Emerging Film Talent Association (IEFTA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMonaco-based non-profit organization that supports emerging filmmakers from developing regions. IEFTA has partnered with DDL since 2014, providing Cannes pitching opportunities and awards for selected projects.
• DocEdge KolkataminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndian documentary film festival that partners with Dhaka DocLab to provide awards and opportunities for selected filmmakers.
• EurodocminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean documentary organization that provides awards and professional development opportunities for DDL participants.
• Global Film and Media Initiative (GFMI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwedish organization chaired by Ragnhild EK that provides awards and support for documentary filmmakers through DDL.
• Bangladesh Shilpakala AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational fine arts academy of Bangladesh that serves as the primary venue for Dhaka DocLab events and provides support including awards for Bangladeshi filmmakers.
• Liberation War MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDhaka-based museum that partners with Dhaka DocLab to host annual events, providing venue access and supporting the documentary filmmaking community in Bangladesh.
• AdhunikaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBangladeshi organization that provides awards for young women filmmakers participating in Dhaka DocLab programs.
• Black Mirror Films BDminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBangladeshi film production company that participates in Dhaka DocLab events as industry partner.
• Channel-iminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBangladeshi television channel that provides awards for Most Promising Project categories in Dhaka DocLab.
• Ekattor TVminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBangladeshi television channel that provides awards and post-production support for Dhaka DocLab Best Project Bangladesh category.
• Gazi TV (GTV)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBangladeshi television channel that provides awards for Dhaka DocLab participants.
• Shilpokola AcademyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBangladesh Shilpakala Academy's earlier name - national institution for fine arts that hosted early Dhaka DocLab events.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Docs-port Incheon: Korean documentary pitching and co-production platform that has explicitly absorbed DDL-pitched projects (e.g., Last Visit by Anwar Chowdhury). Most direct regional competitor and partner, addressing the same Asian documentary filmmaker audience with similar pitching and mentorship model.
• Tokyo Docs: Japan-based international documentary co-production forum pitching Asian projects to global decision makers. Directly comparable event-driven pitching format and similar target market of Asian documentary filmmakers seeking international financing.
• DocEdge Kolkata: Indian documentary festival that has formal partnership with Dhaka DocLab and provides awards to DDL-selected projects. Closest geographic peer serving South Asian documentary filmmakers with overlapping pitching and mentorship activities.
• DMZ Docs Industry: Korean international documentary festival's industry program for Asian documentary projects, featuring pitching and co-production opportunities. Competes directly with Dhaka DocLab for the same pool of South and Southeast Asian documentary projects seeking Asian-region pitching opportunities.

Broad incumbents

• Sunny Side of the Doc: France-based international documentary market focused on pitching and financing. Provides similar service to Dhaka DocLab at a global scale and is a destination market for ambitious Asian documentary projects.
• Hot Docs CrossCurrents Canadian Doc Lab: Toronto-based Hot Docs festival's international lab for documentary filmmakers from underrepresented regions. Structurally similar to Dhaka DocLab as a regional documentary development lab and has historically supported Asian participants alongside other regions.
• IDFA Forum: International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam's pitching and co-production market — the global flagship for documentary project pitching. Operates at far larger scale and budget than Dhaka DocLab but offers the same core service (project pitching to international decision makers) that Dhaka DocLab replicates regionally for Asia.
• Sheffield DocFest MeetMarket: UK-based documentary marketplace where filmmakers pitch to international commissioners and buyers. Directly comparable event-driven pitching format and addresses the same pain point (limited access to international markets) that Dhaka DocLab serves for Asian filmmakers.

Regional players

• International Emerging Film Talent Association (IEFTA): Monaco-based non-profit supporting emerging filmmakers from developing regions through Cannes pitching opportunities and grants. Documented direct partner of Dhaka DocLab since 2014, providing Cannes sponsorship for selected projects, and operates an adjacent model for emerging-market filmmaker development.

Emerging players

• Bertha Foundation / Doc Society: Global documentary impact organization supporting social-issue documentary projects. Conceptually adjacent to Dhaka DocLab's DocImpact Lab vertical and increasingly intersecting with Asian impact-focused filmmakers that Dhaka DocLab serves.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dhaka-doclab

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Dhaka DocLab