This year’s edition of DOK Neuland presents a total of eight works that explore the materiality of digital technologies, because: The virtual world is not as immaterial as it seems. It consumes water and energy, is used in wars, exploits human creativity and labour, has a real effect on bodies, and influences social structures and political power relations. The exhibition “Immaterial”, curated by Dana Melaver, presents four VR experiences, one 360° film, two media art works, and one AR installation from 28 October to 2 November 2025. 

All projects at DOK Neuland

DOK Exchange XR, the industry programme for interactive and immersive storytelling, will be held over two days in 2025 (30–31 October). Again, the programme includes the XR conference, the XR Showcase and the XR Prototyping Zone. Across all events, Extended Reality will be examined in the context of politics of memory, innovation, digital literacy, ethics, and neuroplasticity.

DOK Neuland and DOK Exchange XR are moving closer together with this festival edition: both the public Extended Reality exhibition (with the exception of one VR-Experience) and the events for XR professionals will take place in 2025 at Westkreuz/Heilandskirche.

Tune in: New podcast episode about XR

In addition, we just released a joint episode of the DOK Industry Podcast about the challenges of creating and curating XR works for the youngest audiences. Curated and hosted by Weronika Lewandowska (curator and coordinator of DOK Exchange XR), Dana Melaver (curator of DOK Neuland) and Prodromos Tsiavos (Head of Digital and Innovation at the Onassis Cultural Centre) share their experiences. Listen in now!

Also new this year: our close collaboration with CPH:DOX/LAB around immersive and interactive media. We are looking forward to our joint activities! 
 

We are excited to unveil the 2025 DOK Industry Programme, featuring a range of formats that explore timely industry topics, foster creative exchange, and give filmmakers a platform to showcase their work and connect with peers and potential collaborators. Find the Industry Programme and Timetable here.

First Glances at the Programme

Among the important highlights in this year’s Industry Programme is the Doc Together Think Tank, held as part of our joint initiative with the Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival. This invite-only event will bring together a curated group of professionals for a closed-door, solution-focused discussion on supporting filmmakers at risk. Small working groups will address recurring challenges such as funding gaps and visa restrictions and map out resources to protect filmmakers’ work and livelihoods. The DOK Industry Talk “Doc Together: Documentary as Resistance” will also take place as part of Doc Together, featuring two case studies and a panel discussion with directors and producers from Georgia, India, and Hungary.

The DOK Industry Talk “Case Study: Documentary Production in War ‘ARTE – Generation Ukraine’” will bring into focus two Ukrainian documentaries, developed through ARTE’s ‘Generation Ukraine’ programme: Olga Gibelinda’s “Queens of Joy” and Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk’s “Silent Flood”. The discussion will dive into the international collaborations and the role of broadcasters, funding bodies, and co-producers in supporting the essential documentary work in times of war.

In collaboration with Queer Media Society, the DOK Industry Talk “Documenting Queer Realities: Representation on Screen” will discuss non-fiction cinema as a space that can reimagine queer expression and representation. Three filmmakers participating in this year’s DOK Co-Pro Market will join the panel: Julia Fuhr Mann, Zijian Zeng, and Jan Eilhardt. The panel will be moderated by Therese Koppe.

DOK Industry continues to deliver a vibrant programme of animation activities and events and an assortment of offerings at the DOK Archive Market. DOK Exchange XR will again showcase an exciting programme on interactive and immersive storytelling with a focus on XR works. Short n’ Sweet has announced this year's crop of short film projects. DOK Preview Germany and DOK Preview International will reveal their project selections shortly.

We will host a number events organised by our partners, including by AG DOK ver.di’s AG Festivalarbeit, and AG Animationsfilm. Among the returning formats are also Industry Intros, Industry Connections, and the DOK Toolkit for First Timers.

All dates and events: DOK Industry Timetable

Three juries formed by esteemed filmmakers and arts professionals, along with an audience jury, will award short and feature-length animated and documentary films in competition at the 68th edition of DOK Leipzig.

Seven Golden Doves and two Silver Doves will be awarded to films across four competitions on 1 November.

International and German Competitions

The 2025 jury for the International Competition Documentary Film consists of Heleen Gerritsen, Alain Kassanda, Annie Ohayon-Dekel, Kazuhiro Soda, and Jim Stark. The jury will present a Golden Dove for best feature documentary and best short documentary, selected from the 9 nominated features and the 11 nominated short films. A Silver Dove will also be awarded to the best feature documentary and the best short documentary by an up-and-coming director.

This year’s jury for the International Competition Animated Film includes Betina Kuntzsch, Aneta Ozorek, and Jonatan Schwenk. The jury will select the recipients of a Golden Dove for best animated feature and best animated short film, from the 5 nominated features and the 23 nominated short films.

The jury for the German Competition Documentary Film comprises Maike Mia Höhne, Gerd Kroske, and Ines Weizman. They will present a Golden Dove for best feature documentary and best short documentary, picking the winner from the 8 nominated  features and 12 short films from Germany.

Audience Competition

Film enthusiasts and festival goers once again have the opportunity to serve on the jury for the Audience Competition. This year, the jury features Henry Engelberg, Fine Fritzke, Lara Goldberg, Višnja Jurić-Krappmann, and Moritz Mahltig. They will present a Golden Dove to one of the 10 nominated feature documentaries.

Read more about our jury members in our press release.

Overview of all jury members and awards.

We open this year’s festival with the new film by Claire Simon! In “Writing Life: Annie Ernaux Through the Eyes of High School Students”, French teenagers study the work of renowned author Annie Ernaux in school. How do they approach her texts? To what extent do her words speak to them, trigger new trains of thought or relate to their own lives? Simon observes the discussions these young people have – in Paris, in its suburbs, in Toulouse, and overseas in French Guiana, among other places.

Festival director Christoph Terhechte: “Claire Simon’s film shows in a straightforward and thus very powerful way how arts and culture can influence the development not only of our intellect, but also of our values and our political awareness. The arts often find themselves in a situation where they have to prove their relevance. Claire Simon’s film demonstrates smoothly why there should be no question about the value the arts hold for society.”

Save the dates:

Our Opening Ceremony takes place on Monday, 27 October 2025, 19:00 at CineStar.

Would you like to meet the filmmaker? Claire Simon will be the guest of one of our DOK Talks! Christoph Terhechte will talk to her about her cinematic approaches and themes. The DOK Talk is open to the public free of charge.
When and where: Tuesday, 28 October 2025, 16:00, ZFL – Zeitgeschichtliches Forum Leipzig.

We will publish our programme, including all screening times, on 9 October. Ticket sales start simultaneously.

You can find more information about the opening film in our press release.