DOK Leipzig 2026 festival announced

The 69th edition of the DOK Leipzig festival is scheduled to take place from October 26 to November 1, 2026, at various venues in Leipzig, Germany. The festival will open on Monday, October 26, with a free screening of Ina Borrmann’s documentary, ‘Guten Abend, du Schöne’, at the Leipzig Hauptbahnhof.

Festival director Ola Staszel noted that many films in this year’s competitions will focus on Central and Eastern Europe to provide more visibility for cinematic works from those regions. The award ceremony for the Golden and Silver Seagulls will be held on October 31 at the Schaubühne Lindenfels. For the audience award, festival visitors will decide the winner of the Golden Seagull for best documentary via an online vote.

Total prize money and benefits for the festival exceed 50,000 euros. Additionally, the ‘Dok Stream’ online platform will offer a diverse selection of films, with a new feature film available for 24 hours each day from October 27 to November 1. Online tickets are priced at five euros.