DOK.forum, the industry platform of DOK.fest München, will take place from 7 to 11 May. It consists of two pillars: DOK.forum Perspectives, a special programme for filmmakers on media-policy, technological, and narrative trends, and the DOK.forum Marketplace, a co-production and distribution market where filmmakers can present their documentary projects in development to an expert audience. This year more projects applied than ever before. Of the submitted projects, 44 were selected and invited to Munich. DOK.forum is funded by the Bavarian State Chancellery, the FilmFernsehFonds Bayern, the Cultural Department of the City of Munich, and Creative Europe MEDIA.
These are the highlights of DOK.forum Perspectives 2025:
Perspectives Talks
The Perspectives Talks will focus on the future of documentary film and filmmaking, including AI and XR as new technical storytelling formats in documentary and future job profiles in the film industry. Adobe invites you to the masterclass “Adobe Premiere Pro: Integrated AI tools and beyond”, where filmmaker Michael Münch will explain how AI tools can make editing faster and more efficient.
A two-day workshop in cooperation with AG Filmfestival will bring together festival organisers and industry experts from related fields to discuss the topic “Film festivals as employers in the creative industries” in best practice pitches and small working groups. These insights will be the starting point for a network that will focus on developing a knowledge base and a job board. The workshop is funded by FFF Bayern.
7 to 11 May, HFF Munich, more information here
Industry Training Talks: New Formats, Audience Development and Distribution
The international Industry Training Talks will once again take place at the University of Television and Film Munich (HFF) on 9 and 10 May in cooperation with Documentary Campus, Bayerischer Rundfunk and the partnership of Creative Europe Desk Munich. Themed “Beyond the frame: New possibilities in non-fiction formats, funding & distribution”, the talks will focus on current challenges and innovations in documentary film, new non-fiction formats, creative financing and distribution strategies beyond traditional models, and ways to involve the audience. The Industry Training Talks are curated by Paul Rieth (Get Your Crowd agency, audience strategist, speaker and content producer).
9 to 10 May, HFF Munich, more information here
These are the highlights of the DOK.forum Marketplace 2025:
Master's Pitch
At the Master's Pitch, filmmakers will present seven projects with potential for international co-production to industry experts. Through their constructive feedback, the filmmakers will gain valuable insights into the development and financing of documentary films. The Master's Pitch is moderated by Gitte Hansen and organised in cooperation with Documentary Campus and Creative Europe Desk Munich.
Friday, 9 May, 10 am – 1 pm, HFF Munich, admission free, registration required
Focus Region: the Baltics
This year's focus region of the DOK.forum Marketplace is the Baltics. Six projects from Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia will be presented, and on 8 May there will be a panel discussion on co-productions with the Baltics. This part of the programme is supported by the Estonian Film Institute, the Lithuanian Film Centre, and the Latvian National Film Centre.
Thursday, 8 May, 11.30 – 1 pm, HFF Munich, more information here
BIPOC EURODOC Delegation and Think Tank
This year, the DOK.forum Marketplace welcomes a delegation of five producers and alumni of the BIPOC EURODOC annual and local programmes. They will organise a think tank event on ethical issues in documentary co-productions. Producers, filmmakers, and industry representatives are invited to the discussion organised in cooperation with the Video Consortium.
Saturday, 10 May, 2 – 3.30 pm, HFF Munich, admission free, registration required
DOK.digital – Award for New Narrative Formats
DOK.digital, the Award for new narrative formats, will be integrated into the DOK.forum Marketplace for the first time this year. The award honours innovative solutions for documentary storytelling or journalistic content and is endowed with 2,500 euros, sponsored by the Bayerische Landeszentrale für neue Medien (BLM).
Pitch: Saturday, 10 May, 11 am – 1 pm, HFF Munich, more information here
Award ceremony: Saturday, 10 May, 5.30 – 6 pm, HFF Munich, more information here
New awards
This year there are two new awards that participants of the DOK.forum Marketplace can receive: the Baltics Sea Doc Award, which includes an invitation to Riga to the Latvian festival's industry programme, and the Impronta Films Award, which includes four individual consultations with the media sales company. In each case, an outstanding project pitched at the DOK.forum Marketplace will be honoured. As in previous years, the following awards will also be handed out: the DOK.archive Award (for the best concept for the use of archive material), the DOK.composition Award (for the best music concept of a documentary in development) and the DOK.talent Award (for the best student project).
Susana Fernandez (Head of DOK.forum): “We want industry professionals to get the most out of DOK.forum, and that's why we tailor our programme to their needs. This year we are focusing in particular on new formats, forms of distribution, and audience development in the non-fiction sector. We are working with high-level experts to create a forum that offers filmmakers support at all stages of documentary filmmaking.”
