DOK.fest Munich has unveiled the programme for its 41st edition. 106 films from 49 countries will be screened, 23 of which will have their world premiere, and a further 59 films will have their international or German premiere. Films will compete for three main prizes, the VIKTORIAs for International and German Competition, and for Cinema of Urgency. This year, the programme team selected from 1,440 submissions – a new record for the festival.
DOK.fest Munich runs this year May 6 to 18, and the programme is divided into thematically curated sections. In each section, a signature film represents the theme and is accompanied by an in-depth FocusTalk. These talks feature not only film guests but also subject matter experts on the respective topic (scroll down for info).
Ten to twelve outstanding films, nominated in advance and from across all sections, will compete for the festival’s three main prizes:
- VIKTORIA DOK.international Main Competition. 10,000 euros. Nominations cover a broad spectrum of content and form and are distinguished by their high artistic quality.
- VIKTORIA DOK.deutsch Wettbewerb. 7,500 euros. The nominated films deal with people and topics from the German-speaking world.
- VIKTORIA DOK.horizonte Competition – Cinema of Urgency
The sections and signature films of the 41st DOK.fest München are:
- Interdependence – Films about how We Love and Fight. Signature film: BECOMING KIM (Susanne Kim / Germany, Korea 2026)
- EcoCinema – Films about the World at Tipping Point. Signature film: THE WEIGHT OF THE WORLD (Florian Heinzen-Ziob / Germany 2026)
- Politics – In times like these. Films about power, freedom and human rights. Signature film: WHISTLEBLOWER (Marc Bauder / Germany 2025)
- Young Perspectives – Films about growing up in this world Signature film: HAUS 4 (Philipp Schaeffer / Germany 2026)
- Empowered – Films about defiance and speaking out Signature film: CHOSEN FAMILY (Élisa Vdk / Belgium 2025)
- Reframing History – Films exploring how the past shapes our present Signature film: MEANWHILE IN NAMIBIA (Jonas Spriestersbach / Germany, Namibia 2026) https://www.dokfest-muenchen.de/films/meanwhile-in-namibia
- Life Together – Films about Community Signature film: DYING FOR BEGINNERS (Kurt Langbein / Austria 2025)
- Beyond Borders – Films about migration, exile and their realities Signature film: ONE IN A MILLION (Itab Azzam, Jack MacInnes / USA, UK 2026)
- The Artist is Present – Films on artists and their realities Signature film: ROBERTO ROSSELLINI. LIVING WITHOUT A SCRIPT (Ilaria De Laurentiis, Raffaele Brunetti, Andrea Paolo Massara / Italy 2025)
- Brave New Work? Films about the realities of work Signature film: DRIVING EUROPE (Felix Länge / Germany 2025) Winner of the VFF Documentary Production Talent Award 2026
- Visions of the Future – Tomorrow starts now! Signature film: FINDING CONNECTION (Florian Karner / Germany 2026)
- HerStory – Films about fearless women Signature film: SILENCED (Selina Miles / Australia 2025)
- The Sound of Music – Films about musicians and their stories Signature film: WACKEN – HEARTS FULL OF METAL (Cordula Kablitz-Post / Germany 2026)
- Personal Memoriams – A look back at great filmmakers More information on this section and our guests will be available shortly.
- African Encounters – Films and dialogues on resistance and activism More information on this section and our guests will be available shortly.
The curated films will be screened from 6 to 18 May in Munich’s cinemas and special venues. Furthermore, 80 per cent of the films will be available to watch across Germany on digital screens from 11 to 25 May.
