Why Take Part

Grow skills. Share your voice. Make a real impact.


  • Tell stories that matter to you, from your local community - and share them with the world! 

  • Build future-ready skills, while evidencing you engagement with sustainability and global citizenship

  • Create a great film in as little as a weekend

Docathon Theme: Bridging the Gap: Your Story, Your Voice*

Date: April 22, 2026


April 8, 2026


About the event

The Dubai Docathon will be hosted at The Arbor School.

Students and teachers are invited to take part either by presenting a student-made documentary or by attending to watch and learn from the films created by peers from across the region.

This year’s Docathon theme is Bridging the Gap — focusing on stories that help important voices be heard.

Students might interpret the theme by:

  • Exploring a gap related to an issue, voice, representation, or understanding — a story that is overlooked, unheard, or misunderstood

  • Telling the story of someone who is building a bridge through their actions, experiences, and voice to create understanding and impact



How It Works:

Prompted by a Docathon theme, students create a 3–6 minute documentary around a real issue in their local community.

They are supported through:

  • A beginner-friendly filmmaking course (no prior experience needed)
  • Mentorship from professional storytellers and filmmakers


The Docathon ‘Sprint’ course can be completed in a few hours, while the extended version can be integrated into a 6–10 week curriculum.


Students share their films with a real audience at a Docathon event. Films can be showcased through:

  • Live in person screenings (selected films only*)

  • Online Student Film Exchanges, connecting students across countries.

    • Participating students earn the Global Perspectives Leader Credential from RMIT University

If your students are unable to attend this specific event, they can still share their films through other Docathon events worldwide. Learn more at madcourses.com.


Schools and students can organise a Docathon event of their own.

  • Schools can host a Docathon event and invite local schools

  • Standout students can earn leadership credentials (digital certificates) by leading workshops or screenings to inspire others


Register Your Interest

Get in touch with the Docathon team to learn more about how your school can get involved.

Register Your interest

About the organisers


Docathons take place on a regular basis across the world. Visit the Docathon website if you would like to know more. 


Docathon is initiative of MAD (Make A Difference) Courses, an organisation which, since 2019, has been leveraging the power of purpose-driven storytelling to create meaningful change in the world.  

At The Arbor School, we believe education should nurture both people and planet. Rooted in sustainability, wellbeing, and community, the school empowers students to learn through real-world experiences, develop empathy, and use their voices to create positive change — locally and globally.

The Docathon Course

Please see the full Docathon course below. A 'Sprint' Version is also available, making it possible to finish the course in a few hours, and make a film in just a few days.

    1. Welcome to Docathon!

    2. Everything You Need to Know

    3. Student Action Notebook

    4. Live Mentorship

    1. Introduction

    2. Why Tell a Purposeful Story?

    3. Many Ways to Serve a Purpose

    4. Looking at Purpose in a Docathon Film

    5. What Purpose?

    1. A filmmaking secret

    2. 3 questions you need to ask yourself

    3. Asking Meaningful Questions

    4. Types of Meaningful Questions or Prompts

    5. Student Action Notebook activity

    1. Introducing your Storyboarding mentor

    2. Storyboarding - What and Why?

    3. Storyboarding Techniques

    4. Storyboarding Tips & Tricks

    5. Practice Storyboarding

    6. From Storyboard to Shot List

    7. Download a Shot List Template

    1. It's time to film! What you need to know

    2. Types of Shots

    3. B-Roll

    4. Audio

    5. DOs and DON'Ts: Filming Quiz

    6. Getting permission to film

    7. Let's film!

    1. It's time to edit your film!

    2. Narrative

    3. A quick summary of next steps

    4. Video Editors

    5. Sound and Music

    6. Graphics

    7. DOs and DON'Ts: Editing Quiz

FAQ

  • Who can join Docathon?

    Docathon is open to students in grades 6–12. No prior filmmaking experience is required - 99% of participants have never made a film before. Our training materials and mentorship will guide you all the way.

  • Can we submit a film to a Docathon showcase event without signing up to the course?

    No. All teams must complete the learning journey because our training materials ensure: Fairness — everyone uses the same skills and guidelines. Quality & Alignment — films clearly connect to the theme and criteria. Safety & Ethics — students learn essential guidance before filming. We also offer a Sprint Course for students who are short on time, giving them all the essential fundamentals.

  • Will every submitted film be screened?

    The Docathon showcase events (held during plenary sessions) have limited screening slots, so not every film can be shown. However, every student filmmaker will still have the chance to share their work with a real audience — through our student film exchange, by contributing to a workshop at one of our events, or by hosting a showcase/workshop in your own school with our support.

  • What equipment do I need?

    A mobile phone is enough to film your documentary. You can also use cameras, microphones, and editing software like CapCut, iMovie, or Adobe Premiere Pro if available.

  • Your pricing is 350 USD per group of 5. Can I participate as an individual?

    The fee is 350 USD per group of up to 5 students. This keeps the cost affordable for schools, while enabling us to provide a personalised coach per team. If you wish to take part as an individual, and cannot find any colleagues to join you, get in touch and we'll see how we can assist you.

  • How much time do I need to make a film?

    The 'spint' version of the Docathon course takes under an hour to complete. Creating the film will take more time — students have been known to complete a film in a weekend, although we recommend at least 3-4 weeks for the best results. Teachers who choose to integrate Docathon into their curriculum or run it as an ECA can also roll it out over 6–10 weeks, allowing more space for research, reflection, and deeper storytelling.

  • What kind of support can teachers provide students?

    Highly motivated students can complete a film independently, but we recommend having at least one supervising teacher (no filmmaking experience needed). This teacher simply helps coordinate check-ins with the mentor, keeps students on track, and ensures communication runs smoothly.

  • How much creative freedom do we have in making our films?

    The only guideline is that your film should clearly connect to the Docathon theme. Beyond that, you’re free to be as imaginative and expressive as you like.