The first episode of our sixth season of DOK Industry Podcast is out! Four new episodes will be released in the run-up to the festival in autumn. The podcast is produced in collaboration with our long-term partners Programmers of Colour Collective (POC2) and What's Up With Docs Podcast — and brand new on bord: Talking Shorts.

As in our previous seasons, we will continue exploring burning issues in the documentary film industry with a special focus on power structures and lack of representation. The DOK Industry Podcast aims to inspire discussions about equality, solidarity and participation in documentary and animated film. Contributions are intended to question existing power structures and initiate change. Read more in the press release

The Curators

of this year’s DOK Industry Podcast are Toni Bell, Qila Gill, Sanne Jehoul, Weronika Lewandowska, Lucy Mukerjee and Niels Putman.

In the First Episode

Qila Gill, Nihan Sivridag (Selection Committee Berlinale Shorts) and Puiyee Leong (Programme Director of Objectifs Centre for Photography and Film Singapore) discuss the self-understanding of cultural institutions and their own roles as cultural workers in the face of today’s global political climate. How can they offer filmmakers an environment that is both appreciative and respectful? What does community building look like within cultural spaces such as festivals? How can institutions practice hospitality when filmmakers from different cultural backgrounds participate? Gill, Sivridag, and Leong talk about solidarity, art as a political moment, and the need to see one's own role as an enabler of open spaces for art and discourse, rather than a gatekeeper. They also reflect on the creative freedom that lies in the short film format—especially in light of the fact that it meets with little commercial interest.

Further Episodes

of Season 6 will focus on the US organisation “Disability Media Alliance”, which is set to launch in the summer; the political impact of cinematic storytelling; the unique characteristics and production conditions of short films; the responsibility of XR art towards young people; and unconventional distribution models used by filmmakers to reach their audiences — with a special spotlight on the research and networking project UNITED SCREENS.

Tune in to episode 1 – “Short Films, Big Questions”

This year, we have received around 3,000 films. We are overwhelmed and thank each applicant for your interest in our festival!

The selection committee is already deeply engaged in a viewing marathon. In addition to our festival director Christoph Terhechte and the programme coordinators Lina Dinkla, Jana Kraft, Victoria Leshchenko and Marcel Maïga, this year's selection team includes film experts Borjana Gaković, Marie Ketzscher, Jan Künemund, James Lattimer, Anke Leweke, Seggen Mikael, Irina Rubina, Carolin Weidner, Annina Wettstein and Luc-Carolin Ziemann.

We will announce the film programme and competition nominations on 9 Oktober, the same day that ticket sales start.

Is the festival firmly marked on your calendar? A reminder to film professionals: You can already apply for accreditation now!

Fotos: Oliver Dietze, Priscillia Grubo, Susann Jehnichen, Birgitta Kowsky, Adrien Michel, Maiju Saari, Dovile Sermokas, Daniel Wetzel

Whether you have a feature-length documentary, a short doc or animated film or an XR work in development or production – the time to apply is now!

DOK Preview Germany

Your feature documentary is almost completed and seeking to premiere in winter/spring 25/26? In collaboration with German Films we look for the most exciting new German documentary projects. Present your project to international buyers, editors, world sales, festivals and distributors.

We are looking for:

• creative, author-driven, feature-length documentary projects (min. 79 minutes)

• suitable for theatrical release and festival distribution with an international audience in mind

• with a majority of German participation

Apply until 4 September

DOK Short n’ Sweet 

You are excited about your current short film project and looking for an opportunity to pitch, network and find partners to come on board? Pitch it in front of an audience of producers and peers.

We are looking for:

• all project stages, from development to completion

• short documentaries / animated documentaries / animated films / series

• shorts with a strong point of view, creative vision and cinematic approach

• lengths of maximum 30 minutes

Send us your shorts until 14 August

DOK Exchange XR Showcase and Prototyping Zone

You are working on an XR project in development or in the prototype stage? Seize the opportunity to connect with cutting-edge experts, consult your work-in-progress projects and keep in touch with the international XR community. You can apply either for the XR Showcase or for the XR Prototyping Zone.

For both open calls we are looking for:

• an innovative and unique approach to storytelling

• artistic possibilities of immersive media, interactive technologies and augmented creativity

• projects seek international collaboration, partners, producers, distributors

• projects that (alternatively) take into account the ethical and social impact of XR and AI

Find out more and apply until 14 August

From 26 June to 7 August, we will be showing four audience favourites from the last festival programme – in the open air and on the big screen. Find everything you need for great cinema experiences with summer atmosphere in this space.

Open-Air cinema at the Spinnerei (in cooperation with Luru Kino)

The first DOK summer cinema night will take place during CSD week, on 26 June at 22:00. In “Sabbath Queen”, meet queer activist Amichai Lau-Lavie – born in Israel, son of a Holocaust survivor, drag queen, rabbi and spiritual leader of a Jewish congregation in New York. He wants to be a ‘virus inside the system’ to break patriarchal traditions and make Judaism more humane, more open. Director Sandi DuBowski followed Amichai for over twenty years for this long-term portrait.

2cl Sommerkino at Conne Island (in cooperation with the Cinèmatheque)

On 10 July, we celebrate the “Sisterqueens”: Jamila (9), Rachel (11) and Faseeha (12) are part of a rap project in Berlin-Wedding. For four years, this documentary film follows them through everyday life with their parents, siblings and their unusual chosen hip-hop family, where they learn a lot about hook lines and even more about self-respect. “Sisterqueens" starts at 21:30.

Summer cinema at the Plagwitzer Markthalle (in cooperation with Schaubühne Lindenfels)

Get ready for an incredible story: “Balomania” takes you to the heart of the Brazilian favelas, where so-called ‘baloeiros’ are dedicated to building, launching and chasing hot air balloons. A logistically complex endeavour – and dangerous, since the ‘baloeiros’ are prosecuted as a criminal organisation. An intimate, multi-layered and action-packed film that turns conventional ideas about life in the favelas on their head. It takes off on 24 July at 22:00.

“Blueberry Dreams”: The finale of our summer cinema is set for 7 August at 21:30. In the north of Georgia, a family starts growing blueberries. A courageous step for the farming newcomers, who spend month after month settling into their new life. In the evenings, the television is on in the background: images of a Ukraine under attack, news of the escalation in the Middle East remind the adults of the Russo-Georgian War sixteen years ago. The head of the family, Soso, looks thoughtfully at his home in the midst of the escalating political situation in the world. What dreams will still find a place there?

Tickets are available from the respective cinema partner and at the box office. We look forward to your visit and to summery film evenings together!