DOK Leipzig has unveiled the full DOK Industry Programme for the 68th festival edition (27 October - 2 November). The DOK Industry Programme presents a range of formats and events that address timely industry topics, encourage creative exchange, and give filmmakers a platform to showcase their work and connect with peers and potential collaborators. Find the full Industry Programme and Timetable on the festival’s website.
This year’s Industry Programme affirms a continued shared commitment to supporting film professionals working in precarious conditions. As part of the festival’s Doc Together joint initiative with the Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival to advocate for filmmakers whose livelihood and vital work is under threat, DOK Leipzig will host the Doc Together Think Tank. Guided by solidarity and collaborative principles, the dedicated invite-only event will bring together a curated group of professionals (filmmakers, funders, festival representatives, NGOs, lawyers, and members of the wider documentary community) for a closed-door discussion on supporting documentarians, including those who are displaced or exiled, unable to access national support due to political or structural barriers, or working at risk in their home countries beset by political strife and crises. During the event, small working groups will address recurring challenges such as funding gaps and visa restrictions, map out resources, and identify sustainable, long-term solutions to safeguard filmmakers’ work and its visibility.
The DOK Industry Talk “Doc Together: Documentary as Resistance” will also take place as part of Doc Together, highlighting filmmaking as a gesture and statement of solidarity in politically charged times. The event will spotlight case studies on the Palestine Film Institute and the making of the award-winning “Myanmar Diaries” by the anonymous Myanmar Film Collective. This will be followed by a panel featuring directors and producers from Georgia, India, and Hungary who will shed light on the challenges and perils they face in their countries, as well as joint strategies for building support and resisting the suppression of creative effort.
Also born from the urge to support filmmakers working in politically volatile and vulnerable contexts, ARTE’s ‘Generation Ukraine’ programme bolsters the realisation and distribution of Ukrainian projects since the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Drawing attention to this initiative for the third time, this year DOK Leipzig presents the DOK Industry Talk “Case Study: Documentary Production in War ‘ARTE – Generation Ukraine’”, which will examine the reality of making films in wartime and how documentary productions persevere despite the destroyed infrastructure and ongoing uncertainty. It will also delve into the international collaborations, exploring the role of broadcasters, funding bodies, and co-producers in championing the essential documentary work in times of adversity. Two Ukrainian documentaries will be in focus, developed through ARTE’s ‘Generation Ukraine’: Olga Gibelinda’s “Queens of Joy” and Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk’s “Silent Flood”.
Among other highlights in the Industry Programme is the DOK Industry Talk “Documenting Queer Realities: Representation on Screen”. In collaboration with Queer Media Society, the panel will reflect on non-fiction cinema as a space that can reimagine queer expression and representation, offering more honest, complex, and empowering portrayals of LGBTQIA+ lives. Three filmmakers participating in this year’s DOK Co-Pro Market will share their experiences navigating the questions of visibility and censorship as they embrace new narrative modes and forms: Julia Fuhr Mann (Germany), Zijian Zeng (China), and Jan Eilhardt (Germany). The panel will be moderated by Therese Koppe. In the DOK Industry Talk “Accessibility – Opportunities and Challenges for Film Productions and Festivals”, industry experts will discuss the current state of accessibility and how to embed it holistically in festival operations, from accessible film formats to barrier-free venues and inclusive communication. The panel will highlight concrete approaches to advancing inclusion in film and festival practices.
On the animation front, DOK Industry continues to deliver a vibrant programme of animation activities and events, mainly unfolding on festival Thursday and Friday. In close collaboration with GRAP, the Association of German Researchers and Archive Producers, DOK Industry continues its focus on archives and archive research at this year’s edition. The DOK Archive Market Talk “How Did They Do It? Sports Footage Licensing for the Documentaries ‘FC Hollywood’ and ‘Mädchen können kein Fußball spielen’” will present a practical session, moderated by archival producer, visual researcher, and clearance specialist Elizabeth Klinck. Her colleagues in the field Thorben Bockelmann and Janne Gärtner will join the Talk, mapping the rights landscape through the two case studies. Keynote presentations will also take place at the DOK Archive Market. In his keynote “Archival Tools: What Happens After the Rough Cut?”, Kasimir Marks will provide insights into the crucial final stages of a project from an archive producer’s point of view. Archive producer Gregor Murbach will give another keynote, “Archival Process in Productions”, unpacking the current and evolving realities of archive production.
DOK Exchange XR (Conference, Showcase, and Prototyping Zone) will again showcase an exciting programme on interactive and immersive storytelling with a focus on XR works. Among this year’s themes are the role of immersive practices in reshaping collective memory and cultural narratives, XR and technology literacy, and responsible creation and ethics in XR design. Short n’ Sweet, the festival’s short film pitch, has announced this year’s crop of projects. The selection presents eight exciting short film projects, encompassing short documentaries, animated documentaries, and animated films. This year’s projects for DOK Preview Germany and DOK Preview International will also be announced on the website shortly.
The Industry Programme also features several events organised by DOK Leipzig’s trusted partners. In “Documentary Film Meets Film Education – We Have a Match!” (held in German), AG DOK will examine film education as a form of sustainable audience development. In a roundtable discussion held by ver.di’s AG Festivalarbeit, labour conditions of festival workers will be in focus, along with best practices and steps to make festival work more sustainable for festivals and their increasingly international teams. The conversation will be followed by the launch of the 4th Fair Festival Award survey. AG Animationsfilm’s “AI in Animation: Curse, Blessing, or Both” will ponder the implications of the use of AI in animation.
At Industry Intros, accredited guests will have the chance to gain insights into the specific roles in the industry, such as sales agents and distributors. A case study will zero in on the distribution of Daniel Abma’s “The Family Approach”, which enjoyed a successful run in German cinemas. The film’s producer Britta Strampe and impact producer Lisa Nawrocki (both of Bandenfilm) will speak alongside Abma. Industry Connections will offer accredited attendees the opportunity to meet with experts in the field, including archive researchers and producers (one-on-one), sales agents and distributors (one-on-one), representatives of training initiatives (roundtable), and festivals and markets (meet-up). The DOK Toolkit for First Timers will help newcomers navigate various festival and DOK Industry’s offerings and learn more about the international markets.
Find the full Industry Programme: DOK Industry Programme A-Z
All dates and events: DOK Industry Timetable
