Nick Cunningham

Oscar-winning Juliette Binoche sat down with BDE to discuss her audacious directorial debut In-I In Motion, which records how, in the radical theatrical piece In-I (2007), she set out to dismantle the boundaries between movement and acting, together with acclaimed British dancer-choreographer Akram Khan. At the same time the pair explored the complexities of love and lust, devotion and jealousy, separation and reconciliation.

DocsBarcelona will open its 29th edition on May 7 with the Iranian film A Fox Under a Pink Moon, in which sixteen-year-old artist Soraya Akhlaghi documents her attempts to escape Iran, where she lives with her abusive husband, and reunite with her mother in Austria. The festival, which runs From May 7 to 17, 2026, also gives a glimpse of first selections in its Official and Visions Competition sections.

The awards of the 28th Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival were handed out March 15 2026. The Int’l Comp Golden Alexander was handed to Closure by Michał Marczak, while the Silver Alexander went to Birds of War by Janay Boulos & Abd Alkader Habak. The Newcomers Competition Golden Alexander “Dimitri Eipides” was won by At No Cost by Mary Bouli, while the Newcomers Silver Alexander went to Replica by Chouwa Liang. All awards…

Mr. Nobody Against Putin by David Borenstein and Pavel Talankin won the Oscar® for Best Documentary Feature at the 98th Academy Awards, held March 15 in LA. “In the name of our future, in the name of all of our children, stop all of these wars now,” the film's protagonist and co-director Talankin said in Russian from the stage via a translator. The Oscar® for Best Doc Short went to All the Empty Rooms by Joshua Seftel.

The 24th FIFDH attracted more than 32,000 festivalgoers who not only watched 50+ films (incl 35 docs) but attended discussions featuring more than 200 guests from the worlds of art, science, politics and activism. Thirteen films received awards at the prize ceremony, held on March 14. “These films shed light on realities too often overlooked, and open up powerful new perspectives. We are proud to celebrate works that inspire courage and give voice to those too often unheard,” said Laila Alonso Huarte and Laura Longobardi, Editorial Co-Directors, FIFDH. All doc winners, plus further Longobardi comment.

In Swiss filmmaker Ian Purnell’s feature documentary, selected for Main Competition at CPH:DOX, a cable-laying vessel traverses the high seas en route to one of the remote Aleutian Islands that separate the Bering Sea from the Pacific Ocean. The crew’s mission is to delivery fibre optic connectivity to the Arctic islanders, hitherto denied to them because of their sheer remoteness. Purnell connects with Business Doc Europe.

Martin, the younger brother of Danish director Emil Langballe, has learning difficulties, as has Martin’s best friend Casper. But that doesn't stop them talking about cars, working on cars, and buying cars. And Martin’s long-held dream is to buy a Honda Civic. “I've always been attracted to these kind of stories of beautiful friendships, and I always liked buddy movies myself, and I thought Martin and Casper were this iconic kind of couple who called out to be filmed,” Langballe tells BDE.

Organised by the Institute of Documentary Film in cooperation with the One World Festival, the 15th edition of East Doc Platform once again opens part of its programme to the public through talks, screenings, and discussions exploring contemporary documentary filmmaking. “This year’s programme focuses on questions shaping the field today – from audience engagement and distribution to creative practice and changing industry structures,” write organisers.

Four new Swiss documentary projects, ripe for outreach treatment, were presented this week during FIFDH Impact Days in Geneva, with To the Moon and Back by Elisa Gómez Alvarez picking up the Swiss Impact Award, valued at CHF 2500. Business Doc Europe reports on the winning project, and the three other presentations: A Search for Love by Carlotta Piccinini, Imagine Peace by Fabian Chiquet and One Step Closer by French director Mehran Tamadon.

Visions du Réel unveiled March 12 the projects selected to participate in the 24th edition of VdR–Industry, the festival’s four-day programme dedicated to industry professionals, and which features an “exciting slate with bold artistic ambition,” alongside returning talents and new faces to Nyon. The opening of Industry Days will feature a conversation with Oscar-winning filmmaker Laura Poitras. Under the direction of new Head, Sabine Fayoux Cantillo, the 2026 VdR–Industry Days will take place April 19-22.