We are delighted to present further highlights of this year’s DOK Industry Programme, which features a variety of events and activities that foster creative exchange and provide a space for filmmakers to present their projects and connect with industry peers and potential collaborators. Find the entire Industry Programme here.

First Glances at the Programme

The DOK Industry Talk ‘Doc/Fiction’ (moderated by Brigid O’Shea, the director of DAE, the Documentary Association of Europe) will examine the relevance of the documentary/fiction binary and dive into the possibilities of collapsing traditional distinctions between the two.

At the DOK Project Presentation ‘Generation Africa 2.0’, four African filmmakers will showcase their projects as part of Generation Africa 2.0, an initiative of the non-profit South African media company STEPS. The filmmakers, who will present their projects in Leipzig, are Babucarr Manka (“Standing Up”, The Gambia), Fagamou Ndiaye (“Floods in Sotrac Keur Massar”, Senegal), Samira Vera-Cruz (“Plastic Atlantis”, Cabo Verde), and Karanja Ng’endo (“Forgotten Land”, Kenya). A producer from STEPS will also join the event, offering an overview of the initiative. 

Keeping on with our focus on archives and archive research, we are also presenting a variety of DOK Archive Market Screenings and Talks: The panel discussion ‘Archives of Colonialism and Socialism: The GDR, Namibia, and the Film Heritage of Today’ will take place alongside the screening of the GDR-produced TV documentary “Namibia – The Forgotten Colony” (Sabine Katins, 1976) about the Namibian struggle for independence, which was filmed by a Western crew. Another DOK Archive Market Talk ‘How Did They Do It? Researching and Producing “Stasi FC”’ will centre on the archive-rich Sky Documentary’s production “Stasi FC”, which will also screen at the DOK Archive Market. The DOK Archive Market Talk ‘Archive Producers: What’s Next? Discussing the Trends and Developments From the Inside’ will examine current industry developments as well as what lies ahead for archive producing, especially in light of the rising use of AI in this work. 

DOK Exchange XR, our exhilarating programme on interactive and immersive storytelling with a special focus on XR works, this year will revolve around the topic of “immersive sound”. Short n’ Sweet, the festival’s short film pitch, has announced this year’s selection of projects. The selection of projects for DOK Preview Germany and DOK Preview International will be announced on the website shortly.

We will also host a number of events, organised by our trusted partners. AG DOK will present their new mentoring initiative and reflect on the use of AI in documentaries (the two panels will be held in German). ARD will host speed meetings for serial storytellers and hold their TopDocs finale. AG Animationsfilm will run a panel, ‘Twentysomething – The Shift to Medium Length Film in Animation’, focusing on the emerging trend toward longer formats in animation films.

At Industry Intros, accredited guests will be able to dive into specific roles in the industry, such as producers, sales agents, and distributors. Industry Connections will offer accredited guests the opportunity to have one-on-one or roundtable meetings with experts in the field. Lastly, the DOK Toolkit for First Timers will help newcomers navigate various festival and DOK Industry’s offerings and learn more about the international markets.
 

All dates and events: DOK Industry Timetable