WHAT
A warm hello to everyone reading our first post! To anyone who hasn’t already looked us up on the internet, we are a mentoring and pitching forum dedicated to wildlife and environment documentaries from Asia…to describe us in the simplest way. Supporting the community of documentary filmmakers in Asia is at the core of our existence, yes, but we are also fueled by the grim realities of the natural world today and want to extend our reach beyond the screen. We incubate stories that matter and are committed to seeing them through their full life — from development stage to final impact. Through access to industry, networks, and opportunity, greenstories bridges the gaps felt by the filmmakers in the industry here in Asia. We are building robust support structures that help filmmakers navigate the full landscape of their project — developing their narrative and visual structures, producing, distribution, sales, and marketing strategies that are grounded in the reality of their film and the world it is entering.
Our work is in three main areas: (1) supporting filmmakers through access to mentors, funders, distribution partners, broadcasters and other industry connections at our yearly in-person mentoring and pitching forum; (2) giving momentum to stories that have the potential to have impact in the real world through our newly launched impact lab and pitch; (3) bringing together, expanding, and strengthening the community of filmmakers in Asia through round-the-year online masterclasses and sessions as part of “greenstories Connect.”
Over a week-long incubation participants receive one-to-one mentorship from industry professionals, who help them refine their narrative, structure, and pitching material. At the end of the forum, participants get the opportunity to pitch to producers, broadcasters, festival programmers, and financing bodies from top-tier institutions over the world.
For films with an impact dimension, greenstories goes further. Through our impact pitch and mentorship programme, filmmakers who want their work to drive real-world change can come to the platform to find supporters, collaborators, and the strategic guidance to build a meaningful impact campaign.
At our heart is community. greenstories brings together mid-career and forward-career filmmakers to learn from one another and from global mentors, to challenge and sharpen each other’s work, and to build something larger than any single story with a shared purpose to protect and conserve.
WHY
Documentaries are a tool to map history. At this tipping point of the natural world as we know it, we need powerful stories that capture these phenomena as they happen and act as evidence for calls to action. And, so, the time is right for greenstories to happen. We chose this context because Asia holds some of the world’s most biodiverse landscapes, most urgent ecological frontlines, most vulnerable communities, and most underrepresented environmental stories. And documentary filmmaking in Asia has historically been limited by poor access to expertise, funds, and distribution channels. We believe we have the power to bring untold stories around the environment from this part of the world to the forefront and help them reach new audiences and markets.
WHO
At the ground level, greenstories is held up by its organising partners, who work at the intersection of documentary filmmaking, social justice, and environmental conservation: Earth Matters Foundation, Docedge, Documentary Resource Initiative, Dusty Foot Foundation, Green Hub, and Riverbank Studios.
greenstories is made possible by a community of organisations that share our belief in the power of story to shift how we see, feel, and act. National Geographic Society, Royal Enfield Social Mission, and Rainmatter Foundation are our principal supporters, whose commitment anchors the platform and makes our work possible.
We are proud to build this in association with Sunaparanta — Goa Centre for the Arts, whose dedication to culture and creative practice deepens the foundation on which greenstories stands.
Our industry partnerships extend our reach and ground our filmmakers in the wider world of documentary and environmental cinema. We are in partnership with RG Sustain, Jackson Wild, DMZ Docs, NEWF, SONY, AltEff, CCCL, Sheffield DocFest, — each bringing networks, platforms, and expertise that open doors for the stories and storytellers we support.
WHEN & WHERE
Our third edition will be held at Sunaparanta Goa Centre for the Arts and will include labs and pitching sessions for feature length documentaries, documentary shorts, and impact campaigns. The dates are 11th to 17th November 2026.
HOW CAN YOU PARTICIPATE/SUPPORT
We invite filmmakers from Asian countries working on environment, wildlife, or conservation documentaries to apply to our third edition in 2026. If you are not working on a project right now, you can participate as an observer or volunteer with us.
Our application calls are out on our website (www.green-stories.in) and Instagram channel (https://www.instagram.com/greenstoriespitch/)
We are always looking for financial or institutional collaboration and support through direct funding of the forum, grants and awards for participants, or providing industry exposure .
You could also help amplify our mission by following and sharing our updates on LinkedIn and Instagram.