DocsBarcelona 26

“We don’t separate cinematic quality from impact,” DocsBarcelona’s Èric Motjer tells BDE before doors open on the festival’s 29th edition. “We value both. We look for films that connect with the world we live in and that have cinematic value. I would say that giving value to the collective cinematic experience is central to how we think about the programme.” The festival runs May 7 to 17. Motjer is joined in interview by co-Artistic Director Maria Colomer.

The ARTE European Talent Development Award is part of “a strategic alliance that strengthens the role of the professional market as a key space for promoting new documentary projects in the context of increasing complexity in sector financing,” the festival writes. The ARTE professional prize joins others offered by the of Al Jazeera Documentary and 3Cat. Total prize money at DocsBarcelona Pro this year exceeds €66,000, of which €52,500 is in cash.

Running May 7 to 17, the 29th Barcelona International Documentary Film Festival will open with Mehrdad Oskouei's story of resistance, A Fox Under a Pink Moon. John Wilson returns to DocsBarcelona with The History of Concrete, a humorous reflection on concrete and urban life, and the festival will tawad its Docs d'Honor prize to filmmaker Mark Cousins, who will present a retrospective of his work.

Running May 9 to 14, DocsBarcelona Pro will present 63 projects within its Forum and Training programmes. “With a clear commitment to diversity in perspectives, narratives and formats, the selection brings together documentaries from nearly 40 countries at different stages of development and production, which will receive tailored support and guidance according to their status and needs,” organisers underline.

The maverick US filmmaker will return to the festival to present the Spanish premiere of his feature doc debut on May 12 with a Q&A. The 29th edition of the festival also focuses on the ‘contemporary city’ with Docs&City, a mosaic of perspectives on Gaza, Barcelona, Granada, Tokyo and Damascus. DocsBarcelona runs May 7 to 17, opening with A Fox Under a Pink Moon by Iranian Mehrdad Oskouei.

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 Catalan docfest will also present a retrospective of Cousins’ work during the upcoming edition, which will take place May 7 to 17. Furthermore, during his visit to Barcelona, Cousins will give a masterclass and present the Spanish premiere of the first episode of his new series, The Story of Documentary Film, following its world and European premieres at the Sundance and Berlin festivals respectively.

In 2026 DocsBarcelona Pro will double the value of its awards to nearly 60,000 euros, of which 42,500 euros are paid in cash. The event will run May 9 to 14 during the 29th edition of DocsBarcelona (May 7 to 17, 2026). Professionals from around the world can apply for sic initiatives which include the Public, Rough Cut and New Tech pitches. The deadline for submissions is January 30, 2026, through Docs&Me.