No Man's Land Creative Retreat
In partnership with Curation Hour
A 17th century house in southern Italy, renovated by two filmmakers. Remote, warm, and built for creative work.
A place of quiet. Of early mornings and open water. Of walks through the forest and conversations that flow.
No Man's Land Creative Retreat is a space designed for filmmakers and creative professionals to step away from the noise, slow down, and remember why they do what they do. Away from deadlines, devices, and the stress of the industry. Towards the work that actually matters.
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THE PROGRAM
The No Man's Land Creative retreat is a 5 day program and will take place on October 2026
It's an intimate retreat of a maximum of 10 professionals
We want it to be friendly, safe, triggering insights
Every year the Retreat will be led by a different mentor.
This time the mentor is Rachel Leah Johns - a documentary Director and Producer
MEET THE MENTOR
Rachel Leah Johns:
Rachel Leah Johns is an Emmy award-winning documentary filmmaker, selected by the European Film Academy, honored by Cinema Eye, and shortlisted for the Oscars. A five-time Sundance Festival nominee, whose work has screened at leading festivals and been broadcast worldwide.
Rachel's trajectory in the field has spanned three decades and four continents:
500 DUNAM ON THE MOON (2002) ASHKENAZ (2007) TARGETED CITIZEN (2010)
GYPSY DAVY ( (Sundance 2012) ADVOCATE (Sundance 2019, Shortlisted for Oscars 2019,
Top prizes at Kraków Film Festival, Thessaloniki Documentary Festival, Docaviv,
Emmy Award for Best Documentary) COEXISTENCE, MY ASS1 (2026)
In addition to maintaining a prolific career as an activist-artist, Jones, a member of the Documentary Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, has collaborated extensively with other filmmakers and worked as a story consultant, directing mentor, and film curator.
WHO WILL BE THERE
A select numbers of international filmmakers
Curated based on the portfolio and fit for this specific adittion
WHAT WILL DO
Besides getting together in a beautiful place away from everything, we will have:
Workshops led by Rachel Leah Johns
Screenings on the roof on top of the old city
Walks in forests, beaches
Shared meals
Aperitif and talk about art, live and death (or maybe food and aliens- let's see what's the vibe)
THE COST
5 days / 750€
Accommodations
Food (3 Italian meals a day)
Programming
Local Transport
Please note: The price doesn't include the International transfers and the trains in Italy.
The closest airports are: Naples (3h train ride), Lamezia Terme (1h train ride) or Rome (3-5h train ride).
WHY TAKE PART
It's a chance to disconnect from the business of the world and take a breather in a truly beautiful and quite place
It's a chance to meet and spend some time with a select group of like minded artists and filmmakers
A chance to learn from one of the industry's most respected documentary directors
A chance to discover a new part of the world and enjoy the soul of Southern Italy
ABOUT US
The little boat of my intellect now sets sail
to course through gentler waters
leaving behind her a sea so cruel.
And I will speak of that second region
where the human spirit is purged
and becomes fit to climb to Heaven.
But, since I am yours, O sacred Muses,
here let dead Poetry rise again.
– Dante, The Divine Comedy “Part II: Purgatorio”.
