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The feature doc project Finding Connection investigates the extent to which AI can provide help and comfort to folk who cannot receive these via human contact. “As AI increasingly mimics empathy, people turn to it not just for information, but for companionship and emotional support,” producer Martin Schwimmer tells BDE. “The film probes urgent questions about loneliness, authenticity, and what it means to form connections in a world where the line between human and machine is fading.”

The Respekt Award for the best audiovisual reportage on a political or social topic – went to Černá práce (Black Work) from Czech Television’s Reportéři ČT series. The Documentary Book Award, presented for the fifth time, was handed to Petr Třešňák for his book Důstojnost (Dignity), while in the Short Joy category, the winning film is wedLOCK tradWIFE by Austrian director Gabriele Neudecker.

Industry chief Nadja Tennstedt fills in BDE on what professionals can expect over the coming week, during the 68th edition of DOK Leipzig. This year, a record number of 391 projects were submitted for the DOK Co-Pro Market, of which 35 were chosen, and funders, broadcasters and sales agents were alerted in advance to the projects and filmmakers they may wish to focus on, and vice versa. “That’s how we schedule over 900 meetings that take place over the course of two days,” Tennstedt affirms to BDE.

The Irish-Scottish filmmaker will turn the January 17 event into "a live film-essay," working in close collaboration with film composer Dascha Dauenhauer and stage director Robert Lehniger. “I love playing with the form of film events, so I jumped at the chance to be part of the European Film Awards' evening,” says Cousins. “We hope to have some surprises. We'll try to conjure cinematic images, emotions and ideas.”

In an abandoned building in Lisbon, young people build a community, where art, affection, and resistance intertwine in a collective struggle for the right to housing. Meanwhile, like a Greek chorus, the choir of the Kantata of the Uncertain Roof sing songs of protest against housing injustice. “I’ve followed movements claiming the right to space in contexts from Mexico and Costa Rica to Rome and Lisbon,” says director Claudio Carbone. “In each project, I try to reflect on the everyday lives and collective desires of communities that resist displacement and alienation.”

End of the Present by Andrea Bussmann, and Hôtel Homère by Parastoo Anoushahpour, Faraz Anoushahpour and Ryan Ferko, have been selected for Jordà Residencies following the 2026 call for proposals. Both projects are “intertwined in their focus on memory and technological mediation,” the festival underlines. Organised by Museo Reina Sofía, Doclisboa and FIDMarseille, the residency is structured across three phases - in Madrid, Marseille and Lisbon.

Produced by Rodrigo Areias of Bando à Parte. André Guiomar’s feature project tells the extraordinary story of Mozambican Alex who, at the age of 4, escaped civil war in his country after his adoption by Chinese foster parents. Years later, as a Kung Fu master who trained at the Shaolin Temple, he returns to fight corruption, training the Special Forces. “It’s the Kung Fu mentality prevailing over the local culture, and martial arts and values transforming an unprepared police force into a high performance one,” Areias explains to BDE his fascination for the project.

Hugo Pedro’s deliciously-titled feature project portrays a “constellation” of young friends who refuse to kowtow to the world they live in. “By portraying this intimate space shared among a group of friends, we have this unfiltered and unique look into the lives of a non-conformed youth,” says production co-ordinator Vasco Esteves. “Hoping for a more humane world, their daily experiences are fuelled by the desire to conceive a parallel world, a refuge, a community, where they can play, feel happy and be free.”

Aleksandra (Ola) Staszel is set to take over from Christoph Terhechte who will leave the festival on January 31 2026. The pair will work together through January 2026 in order to ensure a smooth transition. “In Ola Staszel, the city of Leipzig will gain a general manager for DOK who brings with her a broad artistic vision as well as considerable experience in the documentary film industry and a thoughtful approach to it,” says Dr Skadi Jennicke, Leipzig’s Mayor for Arts and Culture, and Chair of the festival’s supervisory board.

Industry luminaries will determine winners across the Opus Bonum, First Lights, Testimonies, Czech Joy, Fascinations, Virtual Reality and Industry sections. The 29th Ji.hlava IDFF opens Friday October 24 with Virtual Girlfriends by Czech director Barbora Chalupová. The festival runs through to November 2.