International Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animated Film - 2023 and 2024

ended

The International Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animated Film (DOK Leipzig), held every autumn, is unique among festivals worldwide in offering a combination of documentary and animated film. During the week-long festival, more than 200 artistically outstanding, socially relevant films and extended reality (XR) experiences are presented in various cinemas and venues in Leipzig. DOK Leipzig is both a public festival and, via DOK Industry, Germany’s premier meeting place for the international documentary film industry. The festival programme and its organisation are guided by the values of diversity, human dignity, inclusion and peace. The 66th and 67th edition of DOK Leipzig aim to make watching films and talking about them a communal experience again, a practice that was made much harder during the pandemic. The festival is, more than anything, a platform for dialogue and debate. In the films and in the various discussion forums, opposing standpoints are deliberately juxtaposed and the audience is prompted to engage with the world we live in. DOK Leipzig does not pursue any political or aesthetic ideology. Instead, its programme is designed to allow a variety of perspectives and to encourage intense discussions on all subjects without taboos, in a fair and respectful manner. The festival takes a clear stand against any form of discrimination, racism, or physical or emotional violence. DOK Leipzig is firmly rooted in Leipzig as a city of arts and culture and regularly collaborates with local arts institutions. The festival is also closely involved with other initiatives and institutions on a national and international level. Through its films and its collaborations, the festival maintains its longstanding affinity with Central and Eastern Europe and brings filmmakers from these regions together with other international representatives of the industry.