FIPRESCI, the International Federation of Film Critics, announced January 19 the launch of the inaugural Documentary Grand Prix, which will be awarded to the best global documentary film of the year. The winner will be selected following a vote by all international members of the organisation, and will be presented annually, starting in 2026, at Millennium Docs Against Gravity (MDAG). The first winner will be announced May 7 2026 during the Opening Ceremony of the festival’s 23rd edition.
“Members of FIPRESCI from around the world will vote for the best documentary film of the past year, making this award one of the most important distinctions in global documentary cinema,” MDAG writes. “It is a great honor for MDAG and for the Polish film industry that, among all festivals worldwide, Millennium Docs Against Gravity has been chosen as the place where this exceptional award will be presented.”
“Founded in 1925, FIPRESCI is the largest and most renowned organization representing film critics worldwide,” the festival continues. “The Documentary Grand Prix is a new award, created in response to the growing need to recognize non-fiction filmmaking. Until now, FIPRESCI has had juries at numerous film festivals around the world—including A-listed Cannes, Venice, and Toronto—with its pinnacle Grand Prix award presented annually in San Sebastián. Starting from 2026, MDAG will become home for the Documentary Grand Prix.”
Karol Piekarczyk, Artistic Director of MDAG, comments: “For us this is a great privilege. It shows that our hard work resonates and puts more spotlight on documentary films. Our festival team comprises of many amazing individuals who work year in, year out to make sure that documentary productions are given justice they deserve. A lot of them work behind the scenes but have been [essential] in achieving what we have in recent years, such as having an audience over 180,000 strong at the last edition, being awarded an Academy Award qualifying status, or now being from 2026 a place where the Documentary Grand Prix will be given by FIPRESCI. This recognition goes equally to members of the documentary industry that we have worked with: filmmakers, producers, world sales distributors, journalists – many of whom visited MDAG.”
“The award is planned as an annual celebration. It’s an indefinite agreement for years to come,” Piekarczykadds. “The FIPRESCI award at San Sebastian has been given for 25 years. We can circle back in 2051 and we will check how it’s going but I’m optimistic in this regard.”
He further underlines the significance of the new award. “It will be awarded by over 1500 critics from over 80 countries in the world, which for documentaries is quite unprecedented. This international aspect aligns very well with what best documentary films do – they are universal and are well understood wherever they might be screened. Both documentarians and film critics are sceptical about the idea of one truth, and rightly so, but in today’s world I think that audiences can feel that when they are watching well executed documentaries there is something that can resonate closer with their own human experience. Documentary films are showcased not just at film festivals but also in cinema distribution around the world, they are used as educational tools, they can aid advocacy, we even have examples where they were actors of social or legal change. As a form of art they have reached levels of exceptional masterfulness.”
FIPRESCI President Ahmed Shawky adds: “Today, documentary films play a powerful role – artistically, politically, and socially. The documentary landscape is richer than ever and increasingly influential. FIPRESCI partners with around a dozen documentary festivals, where we host juries and award outstanding films. Yet our annual Grand Prix, presented in San Sebastián since 2000, has never gone to a documentary, even though documentaries are eligible. With more than 1,600 critics from 80 countries voting, documentaries struggle to compete with high-profile fiction films. That is why we created a Grand Prix dedicated exclusively to documentaries, to spotlight the best documentary of the year.”
Following an initial vote by FIPRESCI members, a shortlist of five nominated films will be announced. The winner will be revealed on Thursday, May 7, during the Opening Gala of the 23rd MDAG. The festival will also host a screening of the winning film, followed by a talk with the director, moderated by a FIPRESCI representative.
“We have been monitoring the confident steps MDAG has been taking for years and have seen how quickly the festival is growing into one of the most vibrant meeting points of the documentary film industry,” FIPRESCI’s Shawky adds of the collaboration with MDAG. “Last year, we began our collaboration with a FIPRESCI anniversary celebration, which clearly showed how strongly MDAG shares FIPRESCI’s core values: appreciation of artistic excellence and a commitment to freedom of expression. Combined with festival dates that perfectly suit the annual viewing cycle and allow us to announce a true best documentary of the completed year, choosing MDAG as the home of the FIPRESCI Documentary Grand Prix was a natural and straightforward decision.”
The 23rd Millennium Docs Against Gravity will take place from 8 to 17 May 2026 in cinemas in Warsaw, Wrocław, Gdynia, Poznań, Katowice, Bydgoszcz, and Łódź, and online from May 19 to June 1 at mdag.pl.
