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The Spanish Docs-in-Progress showcase featured four documentary projects at different stages of development, highlighting the diversity of contemporary Spanish non-fiction filmmaking through stories rooted in identity, environmental collapse, social control and collective healing. Organised with the support of ICEX, ICAA and Zinebi, the presentation took place on May 17 as part of the Marché du Film’s industry programme.

Amazomania, Nathan Grossman’s indictment of the colonial legacy, won the Best Film Award while The Travelers by David Bingong took home the award for Best Catalan Film at the 29th edition of the festival. The Audience Award – Moritz went to Corren las liebres by Lorena Ros, while the Jury Prize – Antaviana was won by Manuel Correa for Atlas de la desaparición. The festival closed with a record-breaking 12.300 attendees, 28 sold-out screenings, and 70% occupancy of theaters. All awards…

Chilean doccers are out in force at Cannes Docs 2026, where they will, for the first time, partner with Colombian counterparts during the May 18 Docs-in-Progress Chile & Colombia Showcase. Meanwhile, at the Marché, a diverse slate of Chilean doc product — including animated series, feature films, and emerging auteur voices — looks set to entice international buyers and investors. “Our documentary films generate high expectations in international markets,” says Paula Ossandón, Director of Chiledoc. “Proof of this are the sold-out presentations we have held at the Marché du Film and the awards received for five consecutive years at Cannes Docs.”

For the 7th year, CIRCLE Doc Accelerator has selected four alumni who will present their works-in-progress May 18 during Cannes Docs. The training programme for women and gender-expansive filmmakers has been a consistent source of films that go on to make their mark on the international festival circuit. “Each work in progress reflects the richness and diversity of our community — distinct voices, bold perspectives, and nuanced storytelling,” says CIRCLE programme director Biljana Tutorov who, together with Petar Glomazić, this year won the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Documentary for To Hold a Mountain.

Five Nordic documentaries at advanced stages of production were pitched May 16 to international decision-makers as part of  Cannes Docs’  Docs-in-Progress programme, with teams from Denmark, Norway, Iceland, Finland and Sweden seeking festivals, sales agents, distributors, gap financing and impact partners. The session was hosted by Elisabeth Aalmo of the Norwegian Film Institute. Business Doc Europe reports.

The Vienna-based outfit has picked up the debut film for world sales following its world premiere at Hot Docs & European premiere at Visions Du Réel 2026. The film follows Eka, one of the last remaining 'bissu', the spiritual leaders of the Bugis, one of the largest ethnic groups in South Sulawesi, Indonesia. A bissu is a recognised as a separate gender that is believed to embody both masculine and feminine souls, and which once held a special place in society and religious beliefs.

On May 14, the official MDAG Awards Ceremony took place at the Dramatic Theatre in Warsaw. The Grand Prix – Bank Millennium Award went to To Hold a Mountain by Biljana Tutorov and Petar Glomazić. For the first time at MDAG, the award of the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) was presented, with the prize going to A Fox Under a Pink Moon by Mehrdad Oskouei, Soraya Akhlaghi. All awards…

At MDAG 2026, US filmmaker Alan Berliner delivered a generous masterclass titled Think Like a Filmmaker, guiding the audience through more than four decades of work built around memory, family, identity, insomnia, archive and the “fragility of the human condition.” Opening the session, Berliner gently questioned the very idea of a masterclass. “I have a little trouble with this word 'master,'” he said. “I’ve been making films for more than 40 years and really what that means is that I’ve made more mistakes than you.”

No Friend but the Mountains wins the DocsBarcelona Award for Best Project. Crossed wins the 3Cat Award for Best Project, the highest-value award at DocsBarcelona Pro (15,000 euros). My Sister Gaza won the ARTE European Talent Development Award and the Al Jazeera Documentary Co-production Award for Best Forum Project, each valued at 10,000 euros. All awards…

In Lucía Flórez’s feature doc project, a boy from a fishing family and a pioneering female marine scientist set out to tag whale sharks for the first time in Peru. Together they forge an unlikely bond, reshaping both the fate of the species and the boy’s future. “We started working on this film in 2023, we are currently in production, and we want to complete the film by the end of 2027,” the director told the Barcelona audience. “We think that by connecting a young protagonist's journey with a scientific and conservation story, we invite audiences to see the complexity of how we relate and coexist with the ocean.”