Doc Alliance

May 19 was not only about celebrating the Doc Alliance Award — we also proudly introduced our Doc Alliance Research Handbook 📚 Developed as part of a long-term research project, the publication brings together insights from across our member festivals, focusing on key areas such as new technologies, inclusive programming, sustainability, emerging talent, and educational practices.

Got curious? 🤓 You can find the handbook on the Doc Alliance website: tinyurl.com/4v9z477e

📣 The winners of the Doc Alliance Award 2026 are here — announced during the Doc Day Lunch at the Marché du Film - Festival de Cannes! 🎉

Congratulations to the incredible filmmakers:

🏆 THE CASE AGAINST SPACE by Graeme Arnfield takes home the Best Feature Film award (5,000 EUR)

🏆 SOME OF YOU FU**ED EVA by Lilith Grasmug picks up the Best Short Film award (3,000 EUR)

✨ A Special Mention went to FANTASY by Isabel Pagliai

A heartfelt thank-you to the jury – Wouter Jansen, Maria Palacios Cruz and Mark Peranson – as well as to Cannes Doc for co-hosting the ceremony with us! 🤝

Say hello to this year’s Doc Alliance Award Jury! 👋

The award winners will be revealed in May at Cannes Docs – and these three film experts will make the call:

👁️ Wouter Jansen is the founder of the sales company Square Eyes and an expert for Locarno Open Doors and First Cut Lab. He regularly engages in selection committees for funding bodies and industry programmes.

🎞️ María Palacios Cruz is a film curator, writer and educator. She has been the director of Open City Documentary Festival in London since 2021, is a co-founder of The Visible Press and regularly writes on artists’ moving image and avant-garde cinema.

✍️ Mark Peranson is a programmer, writer, producer, filmmaker and former editor/publisher of Cinema Scope magazine. He is currently producing a series of short films for the Museo Nationale di Cinema in Turin, and curating a screening series and writing a book on films and museums.

Which films will stand out from this year’s selection of 16 European documentaries? 🌿 Find out on 19 May at Cannes Docs!

Supported by Creative Europe

🏆Discover the nominated short films for the Doc Alliance Award 2026 ✨🎬

Eight films are competing for the BEST SHORT FILM AWARD!
👉 Swipe through to explore the full selection. In order of appearance:

🎥 Amma, Do Giraffes Cry? – Kartikeya Saxena
🎥 Apocalypse Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow, and the Day After Tomorrow – Anastasiia Bonadyha
🎥 Cold Call – Stefanie Schroeder
🎥 Conversations and Dreams – Melanya Hamasyan
🎥 Errabonda – Emma Harris
🎥 Some of You Fu**ed Eva – Lilith Grasmug
🎥 The Divided City of Mitrovica – Marko Grba Singh
🎥 The Interpreter – Mohamad Hafeda

Congratulations to all the filmmakers and their teams! 👏
Read more about each film via the link in bio.

https://www.docalliance.org/award/2026/

Who will take home the award? We’ll find out at .docs on 19 May 2026 👀

The Doc Alliance Awards highlight emerging talents in European documentary film. Each of the seven partner festivals in Doc Alliance nominated one short and one feature: CPH:DOX, doclisboa, DOK Leipzig, FIDMarseille, Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival, Millennium Docs Against Gravity, Visions du Réel. Golden Apricot Yerevan International Film Festival has joined the network as a guest for this year.

🏆Meet the contenders for the Doc Alliance Award 2026! ✨🎬16 remarkable documentary films have now been selected by our network’s festivals!

We proudly present: The films in the running for this year’s BEST FEATURE AWARD!

👉 Swipe through to explore the full selection. In order of appearance:
🎥 A Song Without Home – Rati Tsiteladze
🎥 Afterlives – Kevin B. Lee
🎥 Fantasy – Isabel Pagliai
🎥 Holler For Service – Ole Elfenkaemper, Kathrin Seward
🎥 Imago – Déni Oumar Pitsaev
🎥 Minimum Love – Maja Penčič
🎥 The Case Against Space – Graeme Arnfield
🎥 Two Mountains Weighing Down My Chest – Viv Li

Big congrats to all the filmmakers and teams involved! Dive deeper into each film: www.docalliance.org/award/2026/

Who will take this Doc Alliance award home? We’ll find out at @‌cannes.docs 2026, on 19 May!

The Doc Alliance Awards promote emerging talents in European documentary film. Each of the seven partner festivals in Doc Alliance nominated one short and one feature: CPH:DOX, doclisboa, DOK Leipzig, FIDMarseille, Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival , Millennium Docs Against Gravity, Visions du Réel. Golden Apricot Yerevan International Film Festival has joined the network as a guest for this year.