Nick Cunningham

The leading Greek docfest revealed February 19 the fourteen-film selection for its International Competition. Prizes include the Golden Alexander, which is accompanied by a cash prize of 12,000 euros, and the Silver Alexander, accompanied by a cash prize of 5,000 euros. The 28th Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival runs March 5-15.

At EFM 2026 Ji.hlava IDFF presented the current cohort of professionals partaking in its Emerging Producers programme, and put out the call for the next programme that will run 2026 through 2027. Every year the festival selects 18 talented producers (17 European and one representing a guest country), which it provides with educational, networking and promotional support. The applications deadline for the next programme is March 31.

Academy Award-winning Ahmir 'Questlove' Thompson sat down with Geeta Gandbhir to discuss her Oscar and Bafta-nominated The Perfect Neighbor, about the shooting of Ajike Owens, a Black mother of four, by her white neighbour, who claimed "stand your ground" rights in her defence. “It's really about the intersection of racism, polarisation, anger and predatory laws that lead to violence,” says Gandbhir of her Netflix documentary.

Around Paradise is a film of opposites and extremes, of myths, legends and beliefs. Set in a poor region of Paraguay, it is also a film about neo-colonialism, as practised by “settlers” from around the world [many of whom are German]. Meanwhile, locals such as students Will and Yoha are trying to eke out a living. “We were actually there to listen and to explore," director Lokshina tells BDE. "This is how we work in general... we are genuinely interested in understanding the dynamics of the places we are spending time in, getting an idea of what's driving the people who we interact with.”

CPH:DOX returns to Copenhagen March 11–22 2026 for its 23rd edition, presenting more than 200 new films alongside debates, live talks, concerts, exhibitions and special events. 86 world premieres, 25 international premieres and 10 European premieres are featured in this year's festival, of which 63 are feature-length films. Key figures coming to Copenhagen include HBO cult icon John Wilson, French actress and director Juliette Binoche and acclaimed documentarian Louis Theroux, amongst many others.

The 28th Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival (Greece) announced February 17 the selections for its Newcomers and >>Film Forward Competition sections. Films will compete for the Golden Alexander “Dimitri Eipides” award (€10,000 ) and the Silver Alexander Award (€4,000) in Newcomers and the >>Film Forward Golden Alexander (€6,000) and >>Film Forward Silver Alexander (€3,000) in the latter. The Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival will run March 5-15.

BFI (British Film Institute) announced February 16 tat it will continue to prioritise dedicated support of the UK documentary filmmaking sector, thanks to National Lottery funding. As part of the BFI National Lottery Funding plan 2026-29, Doc Society will receive £7.2m over three years as BFI’s UK-wide delegate partner to distribute documentary funding across features, immersive, shorts and support talent development - an uplift of 20% from the previous three-year period. 

CPH:INDUSTRY 2026 unveiled February 16 the full CPH:DOX SUMMIT & CPH:CONFERENCE programme (March 16–19), tackling the 'infrastructure of truth' under political pressure, platform power, and AI disruption. Anchored by the Summit's focus on ‘Safe Havens’ – independent spaces where voices circulate without algorithmic suppression and outside pressure – the programme extends into Conference sessions exploring ethics, sonic cinema, and future alliances.

FIPRESCI and the Millennium Docs Against Gravity festival announced February 16 the nominees for the first FIPRESCI Documentary Grand Prix, whose winner will be announced at the Opening Ceremony of the 23rd MDAG in May 2026. Members of FIPRESCI from around the world will vote on the new award which will be given to the best documentary film of the year.

Traces, selected for Berlin’s Panorama section, addresses head-on the collective trauma suffered by survivors of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV), as perpetrated by the Russian military on Ukrainian women and men since 2014. More so, the film is about the refusal to remain silent, and centres on Iryna Dovhan, head of SEMA Ukraine, who documents the testimonies of survivors. “You see these women, you see their faces. They're not covered. They're not blurred. They're ready to talk. They're ready to sacrifice their privacy for the sake of truth,” co-director Kovalenko tells BDE.