Film Submissions FAQ 2024
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General Submission Information
- What kind of films can I submit?
- Can I also submit XR works?
- Are there any guidelines for the submission in terms of content or theme?
- What are the criteria for a submission?
- When, where and how can I submit?
- How can I submit my film to DOK Film Market?
- Can I submit my film for a particular competition?
- Who is considered an emerging director?
- Can I submit rough cuts?
- Can I submit a series?
- Can I submit a hybrid film?
- Can I submit additional material?
- When is the submission deadline?
- Is there a submission fee and when, where and how do I have to pay it?
- Can I be exempted from the submission fee or get a discount?
- Can I get a refund of the submission fee?
- Does my film need a premiere to be submitted?
- What is the difference between World premieres, International, European and German premieres?
- What do I do if I get an invitation to another festival?
- My film has been screened online. Is it still eligible?
- What kind of preview file/link should I submit?
- What language version must my submitted film have?
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What screening format does my film need when it is selected?
- What happens after I have submitted my film?
- Who can I contact if something changes in my submission?
- When and how will I know if my film is selected?
- How many films get selected?
- If my film was rejected last year, can I resubmit it?
- What happens to my film if it is rejected?
- Can I receive an explanation or feedback on the decision if my film is rejected?
What kind of films can I submit?
You can submit animated and documentary films of any length.
Films over 40 minutes qualify for feature film awards, films up to 40 minutes compete for short film awards.
Can I submit XR works?
Yes, the call for XR works is open 15 March to 1 July 2024. You can submit virtual or augmented reality works (experiences, installations, performances), 360° films, narrative driven sound installations or media art in new forms.
For more details head to DOK Neuland.
Are there any guidelines regarding content or themes for the submission?
We do not have any guidelines for films in terms of content or subject matter.
However, we are looking for films with a creative approach produced for cinematic release.
What are the criteria for a submission?
It is important that the completion year of your film is either 2023 or 2024.
In addition, your film should not have been shown publicly before 15 October 2023.
If your film is going to be released in Germany on television, streaming or with a regular cinema release by the festival edition DOK Leipzig 2024 (28/10 – 3/11/2024), it will not qualify.
When, where and how can I submit my film?
You can submit your film on our website from 15 February 2024 until 1 July 2024. Just log in to your existing myDOK account (or easily create one) where you will find the entry form, and off you go.
How can I submit my film to DOK Film Market?
When submitting your film for the DOK Leipzig festival selection, you can indicate in the entry form if you want your film to be considered as well for the DOK Film Market selection. There is no need to separately submit your film to the DOK Film Market.
If your film is officially selected for the DOK Leipzig festival programme, you can choose to include your film in the DOK Film Market Online Library free of charge. For films that are selected for DOK Film Market without being part of the festival programme a registration fee applies. The fee is charged only once you have accepted the invitation and agreed to register your film in the video library.
The DOK Film Market Online Library is accessible to 300 accredited international TV buyers and commissioning editors, festival programmers, curators, representatives of cultural institutes, funding institutions, distributors and sales agents looking for the best new films for their slots, festival programme or distribution slate.
If you don’t want to submit your film to the festival selection process but only to the DOK Film Market please write to film-market [at] dok-leipzig [dot] de (film-market[at]dok-leipzig[dot]de).
Read more about DOK Film Market
Can I submit my film for a particular competition?
No. With your film submission, you simply submit for the festival programme and not for specific competitions or sections. The assignment to the sections will be made by our selection team and artistic director.
Who is considered an emerging director?
Films by emerging directors qualify for the Silver Doves for a feature-length documentary and a short documentary in the International Competition Documentary Film, if the film is maximum the third directorial work. Films completed before graduation are not counted. The graduation film is considered the debut film.
Short films (up to 40 minutes) qualify if they are at most the third work of their director regardless of the length of the previous films.
Feature-length films (over 40 minutes) qualify if they are at most the third feature-length work of their director.
Can I submit a series?
So far, we do not have a separate section for series formats, but this does not mean that we generally reject series. Feel free to programm [at] dok-leipzig [dot] de (contact our programme team) – together we will certainly find a good solution.
Can I submit a hybrid film?
Absolutely and with pleasure! Films that combine documentary narration and animation have always been a natural part of our selection. We are also happy to receive films that combine fictional and documentary elements. And of course, we are also happy to consider fictional animated films.
Can I submit rough cuts?
Yes, we are happy to be entrusted with your rough cut. You should bear in mind that we rarely have enough time to view films in different versions several times. Therefore, we recommend that you should feel confident that the rough or fine cut version you want to send us is the version that best represents your vision. In the submission form, you can inform us of any changes that need to be made until the final version is ready.
Can I submit additional material?
You are welcome to provide us with additional material such as EPKs (Electronic Press Kit), links to trailers, stills, dialogue lists, biographies and filmographies of the directors. In the submission form you have the possibility to upload the documents.
When is the film submission deadline?
Our submission deadline is 1 July 2024. After that date submissions are no longer possible. All films will be notified by the end of August about their selection status.
Is there a submission fee and when, where and how do I have to pay it?
Yes, there is an entry fee, it depends on the length of your film and the time you submit it.
You can conveniently pay the entry fee at the end of the submission process via PayPal or credit card. With the payment of the fee you complete the submission – without payment the submission cannot be processed by our team.
The submisson fee for short films (up to 40 minutes) is organised in three steps:
- 15/2-31/3/2024: 35 € (incl. 7% VAT)
- 1/4-31/5/2024: 40 € (incl. 7% VAT)
- 1/6-1/7/2024: 45 € (incl. 7% VAT)
The submisson fee for feature films (over 40 minutes) is equally organised in three steps:
- 15/2-31/3/2024: 40 € (incl. 7% VAT)
- 1/4-31/5/2024: 45 € (incl. 7% VAT)
- 1/6-1/7/2024: 55 € (incl. 7% VAT)
Can I be exempted from the submission fee or get a discount?
If your film was made as part of your education or studies, we charge a discounted submission fee of 10€. Simply have your education or study certificate ready when you fill in the submission form in our myDOK section. The validity is checked when processing the submission and the bill adjusted to show the reduced submission fee.
The upload of a student ID does not guarantee a fee reduction; a discount is granted at the discretion of DOK Leipzig.
Films produced exclusively in the following production countries are exempt from the entry fee. The exemption happens automatically in the submission form:
Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Bangladesh, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, Comoros, Congo, Congo Dem. Rep., Cuba, Djibouti, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Micronesia, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, North Korea, Pakistan, Palau, Palestinian Territories, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Rwanda, Samoa, Solomon Islands, São Tome & Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Timor Leste, Togo, Tonga, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmentistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Co-productions with countries not listed here do not qualify for an exemption.
Can I get a refund of the entry fee?
We cannot refund the entry fee. Please make sure that your film complies with our regulations before you submit.
Sometimes it happens that a film is submitted by more than one film team member. Please check with your distributor, production, director or film school to see if your film has already been submitted.
Does my film need a premiere to be submitted?
World or International premieres are preferred for the International Competition Documentary Film, and European premieres are required for films over 40 minutes, German premieres for films up to 40 minutes.
World premieres are required for the German Competition Documentary Film.
A German premiere is required for the International Competition Animated Film, the Audience Competition, and the out-of-competition sections (Camera Lucida and Panorama: Central and Eastern Europe).
If your film has already had its German premiere, it will no longer be considered for the competitions, except for the Kids DOK programme.
Any public screening, publicly available streaming or TV broadcast in the respective territory is considered the premiere. Any non-geoblockend streaming disqualifies from participation in the festival.
What is the difference between World, International, European and German premieres?
World premiere means that your film has never been shown publicly, whether in a cinema, on TV or via streaming. Strictly private screenings of the film or team premieres with no public access whatsovever do not count as a premiere..
International premiere means that your film has already been shown publicly in its main country of production but not yet in another country. For example, if your film is from Malaysia and has already been shown there but nowhere else, its screening in Germany would be an international premiere.
European Premiere means that your film has already been shown to the public outside Europe, but not yet in Europe (including the UK). For example, if your film has already been shown in India and Argentina but nowhere else, its screening in Germany would be a European premiere.
German premiere means that your film has never been shown publicly in Germany but has been shown outside of Germany and outside of its main country of production. For example, if your film is from Greece and has already been shown there and additionally in Sweden and Canada, but not yet in Germany, its screening in Germany would be a German premiere.
Any public screening, publicly available streaming or TV broadcast in the respective territory is considered the premiere. Any non-geoblocked streaming disqualifies from participation of the festival programme.
What do I do if I get an invitation to another festival?
If the premiere status of your film changes after submission, if you have been invited to another festival or because a release date is coming up, please contact our programm [at] dok-leipzig [dot] de (programme team). In exceptional cases, we can speed up the decision-making process for a film so that you can weigh up our decision against the other options for your film.
My film has been screened online. Is it still eligible?
We cannot consider your film for our programme if it has been previously released online, unless the availibility was limited by geoblocking. In that case, the same rules as for public screenings apply:
If the film was only accessible in its main country of production, we will still consider it for an International premiere. If its accessibility was limited to countries outside Europe, for a European premiere, and if it was limited to European countries outside Germany, for a German premiere.
What kind of preview file should I submit?
In our submission form you have the possibility to insert a screening link. A password-protected vimeo link, for example, is a good idea. The file must be accessible for us until mid of November 2024.
Which language version must my submitted film have?
In general, of course, we are happy to view and evaluate films in all languages. However, films whose original language is not German or English need subtitles in German or English in order for us to understand them.
If your film is selected, it will need English subtitles in any case.
What screening format will my film need once it has been selected?
For the screening of your film we need a DCP or a HD video file, which we can convert into a DCP. You do not need to have a screening format ready when you submit your film – this will only become relevant once your film has been selected.
What happens after I have submitted my film?
After you have submitted and paid your entry fee, the submitted data will be checked by our programme team. If anything is missing or unclear, we will contact you immediately. So if you do not hear from us, your submission is complete and ready for review.
Our selection team will review your film and discuss it and all other submitted films over a period of several weeks.
As soon as the selection is completed in August, our programme team will contact you and inform you of the selection decision.
When and how will I know if my film has been selected?
You will be notified about the decision of our selection team at the end of August.
The decision letter will be sent by e-mail to the person who was specified as the main contact in the entry form.
Who can I contact if something changes in my submission?
If your submission has changed or if an error has crept in, you can always programm [at] dok-leipzig [dot] de (contact our programme team). We will be happy to adjust the data record of your film.
How many films get selected?
For DOK Leipzig 2024 we will invite about 80 films for the competitions.
If my film was rejected last year, can I resubmit it?
Films that were submitted and rejected in the previous year cannot be resubmitted and will be automatically disqualified
Please contact our programme team before resubmitting your film, otherwise it will automatically be disqualified.
What happens to my film if it is rejected?
If your film is rejected, the basic film information will remain in our database for archival and research purposes. Film files and viewing links are deleted after the festival (mid of November 2024).
Can I receive an explanation or feedback on the decision if my film is rejected?
Our team makes decisions based on a lot of different factors and cannot provide individual comments.
