“After quite a lot of films with personal approaches were made during the pandemic, this year the films are again looking more at socially and politically overarching themes. Also to understand what is happening in the present or how we can shape the future differently”, says festival director Christoph Terhechte about this year’s programme.

71 films are competing for the Golden and Silver Doves this year, and a total of 225 films and XR works will screen at the 2023 festival. We are proud and full of anticipation to see the works on the big screen soon! The release of the film schedule also marks the start of online ticket sales for the festival. Find all films and tickets here.

Four competitions with 35 world premieres

The International Competition Documentary Film includes 10 feature-length films and 13 short films. Debut films as well as productions by established filmmakers are part of the programme: Peter Mettler reflects on human existence, while Nikolaus Geyrhalter observes the stasis of life in Vienna during the times of Corona. A young Armenian family embarks on a quest for queer normality, and in Rwanda, young filmmaker Sarah Mallégol documents the impressive strength of the survivors of the genocide 1994.

For the International Competition Animated Film, a total of 27 productions have been selected. A virtual game and dystopian scenario becomes the place where filmmakers interview their protagonists, while in “Sultana's Dream” we travel to the utopian land of women. John Heartfield posthumously politicises a local graphic designer and in China the graduate of a music school is confronted with the professional reality of artists.

The German Competition Documentary Film features 8 short and 9 feature-length documentaries. Grit Lemke portrays the forgotten culture of the Sorbs, “One Hundred Four” documents a rescue at sea in the Mediterranean in real time and “Sick Girls” deals with ADHD from the female perspective. Old Super 8 footage of an idyllic family life uncovers the bitter truth of domestic violence, while three films deal with Germany's colonial past and and its remnants in the present day.

Eight feature-length documentaries have been nominated for the Audience Competition. Many of them have already made a name for themselves at major international film festivals. Some films in the competition tell true crime stories or look behind the scenes of Italian beach holidays. Others follow an 84-year-old female DJ through the night, and in “Bye Bye Tiberias”, actress Hiam Abbass (“Succession,” “Blade Runner 2049”) takes her daughter back to the Palestinian village she once called home.

Strong Artistic Signatures: 5 Films at Camera Lucida - Out of Competition.

In our section Camera Lucida we show five artful films - a must for all cinephile fans! Jim Finn returns to Leipzig with a humorous, psychedelic montage about the work of the apostle Paul, “The Tuba Thieves” explores the meaning of sound and listening, and “Man in Black” traces the cruelties of the communist regime in China with the artist portrait of composer Wang Xilin.

For more info on our competitions, see our press release.

“The world is constantly changing, but its discouraging structures remain,” says Lars Rummel, the curator of the exhibition presented this year under the title “Nowhere Is Only Somewhere”. The ten selected extended reality works throw down the gauntlet once again in the knowledge of the feat of strength that every utopia requires. They address war, colonialism and repression, also as patriarchal and heteronormative abuses of power. But they don't stop there, they invite everyone to open up to others, share thoughts and form collective identity.

DOK Neuland takes place from 10.10. to 15.10. at the Museum der bildenden Künste Leipzig (MdbK) and is open to the public free of charge. The exhibition takes place with thanks to Lars Rummel (curation), Marie Hinkelmann and Johanna Gerlach (production). As with previous years, the scenography was created in collaboration with artist Paula Gehrmann.

“DOK Neuland does not offer to contemplate in immersive worlds. Instead, we call for exiting the matrix in our minds,” says Lars Rummel. The audience is invited to witness, to feel community, and to take collective responsibility for ensuring that no fate is forgotten. “In the end, despite everything and perhaps because we have little left to stand on, we remain hopeful.”

XR, VR, AR, KI & Co

DOK Industry’s events include an exhilarating programme on interactive and immersive storytelling with extended reality (XR) or the use of artificial intelligence (AI). Discover the conference details of DOK Exchange XR and the European Creators’ Lab here.

We are thrilled to announce that our DOK Industry Programme 2023 is now online! Explore all events of the complete Industry Programme in our Industry Timetable or see the A-Z overview here. 

This year’s Industry Programme opens on 9 October with a panel on the current state of independent Belarusian documentary cinema and the challenges filmmakers face, with the participation of the recently launched Belarusian Independent Film Academy (BIFA).

Among other highlights of the Industry Programme is Short n’ Sweet (11 October), our short film pitching event. DOK Archive Market will take place on 12 October, featuring an exciting programme on archival research and production, including one-on-one consultations with archival researchers and producers.  

Want to join us in Leipzig this year? You can still get accreditations at the regular rate until 30 September. Last-minute accreditation requests are possible until the end of the festival with an extra fee.

Films from these parts of the world have traditionally a strong historical connection to our festival. With the section titled “Panorama: Central and Eastern Europe”, we have created their own platform last year. Many of the films from this year selection reflect Russia’s influence and the threat of Russian imperialism. The section includes a portrayal of the courageous and undaunted activists in Belarus as well as the opposition to Putin’s regime in Russia prior to the invasion of Ukraine and children of Kharkiv who experiences the nightmare of wartime from an underground station and struggle to find the miracle of hope.

This is complemented by the “Focus: Post-1991 Slovenian Documentary Films” and with our short film event 5x5 Shorts from the East, which presents 25 documentary and animated films on 14 October at the Polish Institute in Leipzig - free of charge and smart on a “hop on, hop off” basis.

Last but not least, we will be screening several short documentaries from the Doc Alliance Award competition held by this festival network, to which DOK Leipzig and six other European documentary film festivals belong. Doc Alliance promotes documentaries from Central and Eastern Europe.

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