Submissions have opened for the 41st edition of #DOK.fest München#, which will take place from 6–17 May 2026 in cinemas across Munich and from 11–24 May 2026 on the festival’s nationwide digital platform, DOK.fest München @home.
Filmmakers, producers, students, composers and inclusive film teams are invited to submit new work for one of Europe’s key platforms for artistic and socially engaged documentary film. The festival is seeking formally ambitious, emotionally resonant and politically relevant titles that foster dialogue on social, personal and aesthetic questions.
For the main DOK.fest München film programme, the festival is looking for German and international documentaries of at least 52 minutes, completed after 1 January 2025. Eligible films must not yet have had a regular theatrical release in Germany, a German TV broadcast or free streaming availability. Premieres are prioritised. The submission deadline is 15 December 2025.
The DOK.education film literacy strand is calling for 10–30 minute films aimed at or about children and young people aged 6–19. Works may already have been broadcast or shown elsewhere, and submission is free of charge. The deadline is also 15 December 2025.
By invitation, the Student Award showcases documentaries from students at German-speaking film schools, including experimental and hybrid formats of any length. Selected films compete for the €3,000 megaherz Student Award; submissions are free and close on 15 December 2025.
Several industry prizes are also open for entries. The German Documentary Film Music Award (€5,000) honours outstanding original scores for feature-length documentaries from German-speaking countries. The VFF Documentary Production Award (€7,500) and VFF Documentary Production Talent Award (€3,000) recognise producers’ contributions to feature-length documentaries, while the all inclusive Award (€5,000) celebrates productions in which filmmakers with disabilities hold leading roles. These awards are free to enter, with a submission deadline of 2 February 2026.
