Australian International Documentary Conference announces Doc.Lab.Interact

AIDC-Doc-Lab-InteractThe Australian International Documentary Conference (AIDC) has announced Doc.Lab.Interact.

Co-presented by AIDC and Film Victoria, Doc.Lab.Interact is an interactive documentary storytelling lab hosted by award-winning UK creative studio Anagram, designed to teach nonfiction creators how to turn a documentary project into a pitch-ready blueprint for a new interactive or immersive work.

Doc.Lab.Interact is aimed at Australian nonfiction practitioners looking to explore the possibilities for transforming documentary projects into a new interactive or immersive work, such as a playable game, virtual reality work, or large scale immersive experience.

Four projects teams will be selected to take part in a series of workshops, 1:1 mentoring sessions and pitch training exercises with Anagram, kicking off with a two-hour workshop as part of AIDC’s Innovation Day at AIDC 2022.

The goal is to develop their documentary project into a ready-to-pitch interactive or immersive blueprint to pitch to potential funders, developers, creative tech collaborators and exhibitors.

Leading UK creative studio Anagram have a background in documentary film, animation and interactive game design, and specialise in thought-provoking interactive storytelling and immersive experience design in acclaimed works such as Goliath: Playing with Reality (narrated by Tilda Swinton) and Messages to A Post-Human Earth.

Winners of the Grand Jury Prize for Best VR Work at the 2021 Venice International Film Festival (for Goliath), Anagram have also been awarded the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival Storyscapes Award, the 2019 Sandbox Immersive Art Award, part of the Best VR in 2019 at the Venice International Film Festival.

“Anagram is so excited to work alongside AIDC and Film Victoria on this new initiative,” said May Abdalla, Director, Anagram. “With backgrounds in documentary, we’ve spent the past nine years carving a path for ourselves in this innovative field, we’d love to share what we’ve learnt and continue to learn with the selected participants. It’s a great opportunity to get bespoke training!”

Applications are now open for Australian nonfiction practitioners who are currently completing or have recently completed a documentary or factual project.

Eligible practitioners are encouraged to submit an idea for workshopping in the lab, where they will develop their project pitch for a new interactive or immersive work and ready it for presentation to a panel of industry experts for feedback.

Applications are now open, with a deadline of Sunday 6 February 2022 11:59PM (AEDT). Any Australian nonfiction practitioners who are currently completing or have recently completed a documentary or factual project are eligible to apply.


The Australian International Documentary Conference (AIDC) will run 6 – 9 March (in person and online), with an online-only international marketplace 10 – 11 March 2022. For more information, visit: www.aidc.com.au for details.

Image: Doc.Lab.Interact (supplied)