The winners of the Doc Alliance Award 2025 were announced today during the Doc Day Lunch, held at the Marché du Film in Cannes.

The Doc Alliance Award for Best Feature Film, endowed with 5,000 EUR, was presented to “The Shards” ('Oskolky', Georgia/Germany) by Masha Chernaya. The film draws from the director’s personal experience. In spring 2022, Masha prepares to leave her homeland, Russia. What follows is a series of unexpected goodbyes: her mother dies of cancer, her partner escapes military conscription, and everything — including her former self — begins to fall apart. As a way to process her grief, she turns to her camera, capturing everything.

The jury praised the film “for its unique cinematic qualities” and honoured its “cinematic language that is quiet, resistant to classic narrative structures, and develops a striking ability to merge personal and collective mourning.”

The Doc Alliance Award for Best Short Film, endowed with 3,000 EUR, went to “We Had Fun Yesterday” (Belgium) by Marion Guillard. In her film, the director reflects on her relationship with herself and her body, her distance from conventional ideals of femininity, and unsettling encounters with men — an autobiographical exploration intertwined with reflections on how we perceive others: animals, whether wild or caged; nature, whether untouched or shaped by human intervention.

The jury described the film as “an honest and beautifully crafted work that creates a tender rhythm through its layering of image and voiceover. Marion Guillard pulls us into her imagery and stream of consciousness, through a narrative (full of surprises,) interweaving personal quests of identity and family relations with views of being a filmmaker.“

The winning films were selected by a jury of three distinguished film professionals: Fernando Ganzo (Deputy Editor-in-Chief at Cahiers du Cinéma), Caroline Kirberg (CEO of pong film) and Gerald Weber (Deputy Managing Director at sixpackfilm). The awards were presented by Alessandra Luchetti, Head of Department and Deputy Director at EACEA (Creative Europe – MEDIA).

A curated selection of the nominated films — including the four 2025 nominees “Grey Zone,” “Shuruuk,” “23:23,” and “Bamssi” — is now available to stream online on DAfilms.com.

The Doc Alliance network of documentary film festivals supports emerging talent in European documentary cinema. Each of the seven member festivals — CPH:DOX, Doclisboa, DOK Leipzig, FIDMarseille, Ji.hlava IDFF, Millennium Docs Against Gravity FF, and Visions du Réel — as well as guest festival Punto de Vista, nominated one short and one feature-length documentary from their recent programmes. Each festival will showcase at least three films from the Doc Alliance Award selection in its next edition. 

Full Jury Statements:

Best Feature Film

“This is a film that provoked long discussions among us – perhaps because it is made from raw material, yet crafted with a subtle and unexpected precision. “The Shards” depicts a lost generation, robbed of its democratic future by an autocratic regime and dragged into an imperial war.

The film challenged our own relationship to what we were seeing – making us feel both uncomfortable and moved, reminding us of the importance of not looking away, of facing this reality head-on. Perhaps it touched us even more when we recognized that the same feeling might be the starting point of Masha Chernaya’s gesture: picking up her camera, turning it toward her own country, collecting images of a society she finds trapped in agony but understanding that this atmosphere scares her. We should not forget: the day after tomorrow we might already have internalised a different value system because none of us stays unaffected.

We want to honor this film for its unique cinematic qualities, and its director for giving voice to her generation in a deeply personal, yet politically resonant way. This is a cinematic language that is quiet, resistant to classic narrative structures, and develops a striking ability to merge personal and collective mourning.”

Best Short Film

“We are pleased to present the Short Film Award to “We Had Fun Yesterday”, an honest and beautifully crafted work that creates a tender rhythm through its layering of image and voiceover. Marion Guillard pulls us into her imagery and stream of consciousness, through a narrative (full of surprises,) interweaving personal quests of identity and family relations with views of being a filmmaker.

Gradually, we begin to understand that the film explores how our experiences shape our perspectives, how content and form are intertwined. It reflects on how we look, what we see – and how this influences our perception of the world and our paths in life. Revisiting the images and clichés we have of the world and of ourselves, we are continuously attempting to define who we are and find a place where we feel at ease. We Had Fun Yesterday is a film about searching for the "adequate" image amidst all the inadequacies.”

Information about Doc Alliance: docalliance.org

The selection of films competing for this year's Doc Alliance Award has been revealed. Each of the seven European documentary film festivals that form the Doc Alliance network, along with this year‘s guest festival Punto de Vista, has nominated one short and one feature-length documentary film from their past programmes.

Scheduled for 20 May in Cannes, the Doc Alliance Award will be presented during the Doc Day Lunch, held at the Marché du Film. A jury of three distinguished film professionals—film critic Fernando Ganzo (Deputy Editor-in-Chief at Cahiers du Cinéma), Gerald Weber (Deputy Managing Director at sixpackfilm), and producer Caroline Kirberg (CEO of pong film)—will determine the winning films. Endowed with 5,000 EUR for Best Feature and 3,000 EUR for Best Short, the award provides financial support for the filmmakers' future projects.

As part of their presence in Cannes, representatives of the Doc Alliance network will also present their research packages at the Marché du Film. In a long-term research project, the network has been collecting information about all of the member festivals, focusing on the key areas new technologies, inclusive programming, sustainability, emerging talents and educational practices. The Doc Alliance presentation will take place on Monday, 19 May at 3 pm at The Viewpoint.

The Doc Alliance network of documentary film festivals supports emerging talents in European documentary film. Each of the seven festivals (CPH:DOX, Doclisboa, DOK Leipzig, FIDMarseille, Ji.hlava IDFF, Millennium Docs Against Gravity and Visions du Réel) as well as this year’s guest festival Punto de Vista have nominated one short and one feature-length documentary film from its past programme. Only debut or second feature-length films by directors qualify for the Best Feature Film category. Each festival in the network commits to screening at least three films from the selection at its next edition.

Best Feature Nominees:
 

• “An Oscillating Shadow” (Una sombra oscilante), Argentina/ Chile/ France, director: Celeste Rojas Mugica, nominated by FIDMarseille

• “Aurora”, Brazil/ Portugal/ France, director: João Vieira Torres, nominated by Visions du Réel

• “A Want in Her”, Ireland/ UK/ Netherlands, director: Myrid Carten, nominated by Millennium Docs Against Gravity

• “Flophouse America”, Norway, director: Monica Strømdahl, nominated by CPH:DOX

• “Grey Zone” (Šedá Zóna), Slovakia, director: Daniela Meressa Rusnoková, nominated by Ji.hlava IDFF

• “Moria Six”, Germany, director: Jennifer Mallmann, nominated by DOK Leipzig

• “The Shards” (Oskolky), Georgia/ Germany, director: Masha Chernaya, nominated by Doclisboa

• “Volver a casa tan tarde”, Spain, director: Celia Viada Caso, nominated by Punto de Vista

Best Short Nominees:
 

• “23:23” (Život jedna báseň, není peříčko), Czech Republic, director: Kateřina Dudová, nominated by Ji.hlava IDFF

• “Bamssi”, Belgium/ Tunisia, director: Mourad Ben Amor, nominated by Punto de Vista

• “Can you hear me?” (Czy Ty mnie słyszysz?), Poland, director: Anastazja Naumenko, nominated by Millennium Docs Against Gravity

• “Fear Fokol”, Sweden, director: Tuva Björk, nominated by CPH:DOX

• “Shuruuk”, France/ Germany, director: Amie Barouh, nominated by FIDMarseille

• “Sixty-Seven Milliseconds” (Soixante-sept millisecondes), France, director: Fleuryfontaine, nominated by Visions du Réel

• “Unstable Rocks” (Pedras Instáveis), Portugal/ Germany, directors: Ewelina Rosińska and Nuno Barroso, nominated by Doclisboa 

• “We Had Fun Yesterday”, Belgium, director: Marion Guillard, nominated by DOK Leipzig

Synopses of nominees & biographies of the jury members: Synopses & Jury Bios

More information about the Doc Alliance Award: docalliance.org

More information about the guest festival 2025: Punto de Vista

DOK Leipzig teams up with the Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival to launch "Doc Together", a new initiative dedicated to supporting displaced or exiled filmmakers and those working under perilous conditions in their home countries. "Doc Together" aims to explore how these professionals can access funding, resources and industry support in their current locations or in their countries of origin if they are excluded from national funding opportunities or unable to receive support.

The initiative was officially presented yesterday at the Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival by Nadja Tennstedt (Director of DOK Industry, DOK Leipzig) and Angeliki Vergou (Head of Agora, Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival) together with Talal Afifi (filmmaker, producer and founder of Sudan Film Factory) and producer Thomas Kaske (Seera Films). The event was moderated by Alex Shiriaieff (co-founder of B2B Doc and Chief Executive Producer of Euro Arctic Media Group).

Initiators Angeliki Vergou and Nadja Tennstedt: "Documentary filmmakers often face significant challenges in their home countries, compelling many to relocate for a variety of reasons. Some are persecuted due to their political views or aspects of their identity, including ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation, as oppressive regimes or religious establishments impose restrictions on freedom of expression. Others are forced to flee as wars devastate their homelands, while some struggle with the lack of necessary infrastructure to sustain a filmmaking career. At the same time, there are also filmmakers who choose to remain in their countries, navigating hardships while finding ways to continue creating under difficult circumstances. On countless occasions, documentary filmmakers have had to re-establish their careers in foreign countries." 

As part of this initiative, the Leipzig and Thessaloniki festivals will host events that foster critical discussions on these issues. These events will also provide a platform for selected filmmakers to present their works and share their stories, ensuring that their voices are heard and their creative endeavors are supported.

With "Doc Together", DOK Leipzig and the Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival reaffirm their commitment to fostering inclusivity and resilience in the documentary film industry, advocating for filmmakers whose creative expression is at risk.

Christoph Terhechte, artistic director of the DOK Leipzig festival for documentary and animated film and managing director of the Leipziger DOK-Filmwochen GmbH, has decided to terminate his contract for personal reasons two years before its expiry on 31 January 2028. He will therefore remain in his position until 31 January 2026 before taking early retirement. This means that the 68th edition of DOK Leipzig, which will take place from 27 October to 2 November 2025, will be the last under his direction.

"Guiding DOK Leipzig through the past five years and defending the international standing of the world’s oldest festival of documentary and animated film was a challenge for the team and for myself as artistic director", said Terhechte. "Our combined effort enabled us to rise to the occasion. Health issues have now prompted me to step down. I shall nonetheless remain loyal to the festival and hope that our recent successes can be continued."

Over the years, Terhechte has implemented a number of innovations: By launching a new programme structure and reducing the number of films, he streamlined the programme to create a clear, concise profile. With the introduction of a Golden Dove for feature-length animation films and the reorganisation of the competitions, he has strengthened the role of animated film at DOK Leipzig. He also established the audience competition with a jury of Leipzig film enthusiasts and created two new out-of-competition sections. "Panorama: Central and Eastern Europe" reflects an important regional focus of the festival and "Camera Lucida" brings together challenging and artistically outstanding films. After a hybrid festival edition in 2020 due to the pandemic, Terhechte consciously set the focus back on in-person events and emphasised the importance of cinema culture. He also expanded the festival's presence during the year with the "DOK Days" and the summer cinema.

"I deeply regret Christoph Terhechte's decision. With him at the helm, we were able to put the DOK-Filmwochen GmbH back on a solid economic footing. After the difficult years that the coronavirus pandemic caused for the festival industry, Mr Terhechte and his team have done an excellent job in stabilising the festival and recently achieved a record number of visitors in 2024," said Dr Skadi Jennicke, Deputy Mayor for Culture and Arts of the City of Leipzig.

Upon being informed of Christoph Terhechte’s decision, the Supervisory Board took steps to initiate the process of choosing a successor, which will begin shortly. A selection committee consisting of the chairwoman of the Supervisory Board, Dr Skadi Jennicke, members of the Supervisory Board and external consultants from the film and documentary film industry will work together to fill the position. A suitable successor is expected to be found by the third quarter of 2025.

Christoph Terhechte has been a key figure in the international film festival scene for 25 years. From 2001 to 2018, he was Head of the International Forum of New Cinema at the Berlinale, making it a global catalyst for independent artistic cinema. Before taking over as director of DOK Leipzig on 1 January 2020, he was artistic director of the Marrakech International Film Festival. Prior to his involvement in film festivals, Terhechte, who studied political science and journalism, worked for many years as a film critic in Paris and Berlin.

The festival network Doc Alliance is happy to reveal this year’s guest festival. At the regular Doc Alliance meeting in December 2024, the seven partner festivals thanked the 2024 guest festival Docudays UA for the fruitful collaboration and welcomed Punto de Vista, the International Documentary Film Festival of Navarra, as their partner for 2025.

As the DA guest festival, Punto de Vista will participate in joint events and meetings at which the network members exchange experiences and ideas regarding topics such as educational practices, supporting emerging talents, XR programming, inclusive programming and sustainability. Furthermore, the festival will nominate one short and one feature-length film for the Doc Alliance Award and co-select this year’s jury.

On 28 February, Punto de Vista will screen the latest Doc Alliance Award winner “The Landscape and the Fury” by Nicole Vögele as part of their festival edition (24 February – 1 March, Pamplona). The festival will also host two Doc Alliance presentations. In a long-term research project, the network has been collecting information about all of the network festivals, focusing on several areas. Two of the research packages are now being presented. On 27 February, FIDMarseille will shine a light on how the festivals support emerging talents and on 28 February, Millennium Docs Against Gravity FF will give an overview of the festivals’ educational practices. A delegation of Doc Alliance representatives will also be part of a programme of professional one-on-ones with Spanish filmmakers.

Punto de Vista is an annual event featuring the latest trends in the field of documentary film. Since the festival’s first edition, staged in 2005, it has been inspired by Jean Vigo’s film and ethical principles. Promoted by the Department of Culture, Sport and Tourism of the Government of Navarra, and organised by NICDO, the festival is hosted in the city of Pamplona every year. You can find the full programme of this year’s edition at puntodevistafestival.com. 

The Doc Alliance network of documentary film festivals supports emerging talents in European documentary film. Each of the seven members (CPH:DOX, Doclisboa, DOK Leipzig, FIDMarseille, Ji.hlava IDFF, Millennium Docs Against Gravity FF and Visions du Réel) as well as the guest festival select one short and one feature-length documentary film to compete for the Doc Alliance Award.

The shortlisted films for the 2025 Doc Alliance Award will be announced in early May. The winners will be presented at Cannes Docs (Marché du Film, 13 – 21 May). 

The network cordially invites European documentary film festivals to apply as guest festival 2026. Application forms can be found on the Doc Alliance website: Application

For more information contact Galya Stepanova, coordinator of the festival network: barbora [at] dafilms [dot] com (galya[at]dafilms[dot]com)

More information about Doc Alliance: Doc Alliance website

More information about the guest festival 2025: Punto de Vista

Press contact: Doc Alliance Press Office | press [at] docalliance [dot] org