Press Releases 2026

Filmed in Moscow at great risk: INNER EMIGRANTS wins the VFF Documentary Film Production Award

The VFF Documentary Film Production Award will be presented for the ninth time at DOK.fest München. The prize, worth 7,500 euros, is sponsored by VFF Verwertungsgesellschaft der Film- und Fernsehproduzenten mbH and recognises the special role of producers in documentary films. This year, the producer and director Lena Karbe is being honoured for the film INNERE EMIGRANTEN. The film was made in Moscow under great personal risk and in the strictest secrecy.

DOK.fest Augsburg returns for its second edition (14–17 May 2026)

For the second time, DOK.fest München is taking place outside the city limits. From 14 to 17 May, eight films will be screened at the Liliom and Thalia arthouse cinemas in Augsburg. DOK.fest Augsburg was launched through a partnership with the City of Augsburg’s Department of Culture, World Heritage and Sport.

The festival will be officially opened in the city of Brecht with HELENE WEIGEL – REVOLUTIONARY IN THE SPOTLIGHT: The film tells the story of Bertolt Brecht’s wife, who rose to become a theatre star in Berlin in the early 1920s with her explosive style and later became artistic director of the Berliner Ensemble.

The programme for the 41st DOK.fest München

The programme for the 41st DOK.fest München has been announced: 106 films from 49 countries will be screened. Of these, 82 films are being shown in Germany for the first time: 23 films will have their world premiere, and a further 59 films will have their international or German premiere. This year, the programme team was able to select from 1,440 submitted films – a new record.

The programme is divided into thematically curated sections. In each section, a signature film represents the theme and is accompanied by in-depth FocusTalks.

The new VFF Young Documentary Filmmakers’ Production Award goes to DRIVING EUROPE

The VFF Documentary Film Production Award has been presented annually at DOK.fest München since 2018. At this year’s festival, VFF Verwertungsgesellschaft der Film und Fernsehproduzenten mbH is sponsoring a further award for the first time: the VFF Young Documentary Filmmakers’ Production Award. It recognises the special role of producers in the creation of current university documentary film projects and is endowed with 3,000 euros. The first winners of the new prize are producers Lennart Heidtmann, Artur Althen and Felix Länge with the film DRIVING EUROPE. Felix Länge is also the film’s director.

WACKEN, SPORTFREUNDE STILLER and more music films at the 41st DOK.fest München (from 6 May)

At the 41st DOK.fest München, films about the Wacken Open Air and Sportfreunde Stiller will celebrate their world premieres. Also screening are films about the Ensemble Modern, the duo Amadou & Mariam, jazz legend Sun Ra, Irish folk and the female black metal trio Witch Club Satan.

Invitation to the press conference for the 41st DOK.fest München

We kindly invite you to the press conference for the 41st DOK.fest München:

Tuesday, 28 April, 11 am
University of Television and Film Munich
Bernd-Eichinger-Platz 1, 80333 Munich

The new festival director, Adele Kohout, will provide information about the 41st DOK.fest München, which will take place in cinemas from 6 to 18 May and on digital screens from 11 to 25 May. Adele Kohout will present the programme, featuring 106 films from 49 countries. She will welcome Julia von Heinz, Rüdiger Linhof and Florian Karner as guests at the press conference.

HELENE WEIGEL and more films about extraordinary women at the 41st DOK.fest München

The 41st DOK.fest München presents nine documentaries about the lives and work of extraordinary women in its “HerStory” series. Among them is Helene Weigel (1900–1971), the legendary actress, theatre director and wife of Bertolt Brecht: Maria Wischnewski’s film HELENE WEIGEL – REVOLUTIONARY IN THE SPOTLIGHT tells the story of the Jewish woman from Vienna who rose to become a theatre star in Berlin in the early 1920s with her explosive style and later became artistic director of the Berliner Ensemble. The film is also a portrait of the artistic and intellectual symbiosis between Helene Weigel and Bertolt Brecht. 

The all inclusive Award goes to “HELLO NEW BODY, HOW ARE YOU TODAY?”

This year, DOK.fest München is presenting the all inclusive Award for the second time. The award recognises documentary films by filmmakers with disabilities or inclusive film crews. This year, the award will be presented to HELLO NEW BODY, HOW ARE YOU TODAY? by Laura Kansy. The director developed ME/CFS (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) in her early 30s. In the film, she documents her new daily life with the help of her partner Övünç Baran Güvenışık (cinematography, editing).

The Program Sections of the 41st DOK.fest München (starting May 6)

This year, DOK.fest München is presenting its approx. 100 festival films across 15 thematically organized program sections. Festival director Adele Kohout is introducing a new feature: each series will have a signature film that represents the series’ theme, accompanied by a new discussion format: FokusTalks. In addition to the filmmakers, experts on the respective topic will also participate.

Iranian composer Atena Eshtiaghi wins the German Documentary Film Music Award for the second time

Iranian composer Atena Eshtiaghi has won the 2026 German Documentary Film Music Award for MATERIA PRIMA. This is her second win, following her 2024 award for MY STOLEN PLANET. The German Documentary Film Music Award is sponsored by the Versicherungskammer Kulturstiftung and comes with a prize of 5,000 euros. With this award, which is unique in Germany, the festival honors the artistic significance of music in documentary films. This year’s winning film, MATERIA PRIMA by director Jens Schanze, celebrates its German premiere at the 41st DOK.fest München (in theaters: May 6–18, online: May 11–25).

Film education takes centre stage at DOK.fest München

DOK.education, the film education programme of DOK.fest München, has been teaching school pupils how to interpret documentary films for over ten years. The successful school workshops run by the Schule des Sehens combine media literacy, empathy training and cultural education into a holistic learning experience. Two significant additions to this year’s programme are the ‘Gern gesehen!’ ticket, which enables pupils facing particular financial challenges to attend the cinema free of charge, and the ‘Schule des Hörens’ initiative.

The 41th DOK.fest München opens with INGEBORG BACHMANN – SOMEONE WHO WAS ONCE ME

The 41st DOK.fest München will open on 6 May at the Deutsches Theater with INGEBORG BACHMANN – SOMEONE WHO WAS ONCE ME. Regina Schilling's hybrid film combines dramatised scenes with documentary elements. The multi-award-winning actress Sandra Hüller plays the writer Ingeborg Bachmann (1926–1973). The film will celebrate its world premiere at DOK.fest München. It will be released in cinemas across Germany on 25 June, Ingeborg Bachmann's 100th birthday.