Ethnofest, within the Erasmus+ UFemTP project framework: A Mobilizing Training and a Multimedia Platform, invites applications for the 2026 Audiovisual Lab, Ethnographic Cinema: Theory & Practice, a 3-part online workshop on Ethnographic Cinema. The Lab offers participants the opportunity to learn about the history and practices of the ethnographic approach while exploring its turbulent theoretical journey, from early attempts to the most recent experiments. The curriculum moves from the rigid origins of the “institutional gaze” to the experimental and decolonial practices, treating theory as a toolkit for the field.
Tutors
Konstantinos Aivaliotis
Assistant professor at the University of the Aegean, festival expert and visual anthropologist with extensive experience in ethnographic cinema, film festivals and film markets.
Andreas Anastasiades
PhD candidate (Uni Aix-Marseille) and documentary filmmaker, whose work spans feature-length and short nonfiction films, with a strong focus on contemporary social realities and collaborative production.
Coordination and Administrative Team
Nikoletta Charou
Nikoletta Charou is Greek Program’s collaborator at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival and the Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival. She is the Program Coordinator of the Ethnofest – Athens Ethnographic Film Festival. She has worked in film productions as a communication & production assistant.
Leda Dialyna
Cultural worker, general coordinator of Ethnofest and the Mediterranean Film Institute (MFI), and head of coordination for the international project development program Script2Film. She has decade-long experience in designing and implementing educational programs and activities.
Schedule: 16 – 18 October 2026
11.00-13.00 CET (12.00-14.00 Athens time)
Total Duration: 6 hours
Programme & Dates:
- October 16, 11.00-13.00 CET
Part 1. Early Encounters: The Origins of Institutional Anthropology & The Rise of Scientific Cinema
- October 17, 11.00-13.00 CET
Part 2. Shared Realities & Observing the Senses: Cinéma Vérité, the Participatory Approach, Direct Cinema & the example of the Sensory Ethnography Lab
- October 18, 11.00-13.00 CET
Part 3. Pushing Boundaries: Essay Film, Hybridity, and Feminist/Anti-Colonial Perspectives
Participants are expected to attend all three online sessions.
All sessions are online via Zoom.
The lab’s working language is English.
Who Can Apply
The lab is open to anyone interested in exploring ethnographic cinema, its theoretical approaches, and practical applications.
You can find the application form here.
Deadline: Monday, October 12, 2026
Participants can request a certificate of attendance.