The programme of the 40th DOK.fest München has been published and is now available on the festival website. A total of 105 films from 58 countries will be screened at this year's edition. Of these, 75 films are being shown in Germany for the first time: 19 films are world premieres, 56 others are German premieres. The programme team had to choose from more than 1,400 films submitted this year – more than ever before. 51 per-cent of the films were made by a male director, 48 per-cent by a female director, and one per-cent by a non-binary director.
Daniel Sponsel and Adele Kohout (festival directors):“We are looking forward to an extremely diverse programme, which we are presenting this year in a new series format that focuses on topical issues. Our curatorial approach will be more visible than before. We are very excited to see how this categorisation and greater overview will be received by our audiences. More good news: the number of films made by female directors is approaching gender parity, which is a good development in the industry. We look forward to hosting our guests and discovering their different voices and perspectives on the world.”
The curated films will be screened in Munich cinemas and at special venues from 7 to 18 May. In addition, 90 per cent of the films can be seen on digital screens throughout Germany from 12 to 25 May at www.dokfest-muenchen.de. A total of 16 prizes will be awarded, including the three main awards DOK.international Main Competition, DOK.deutsch, and DOK.horizonte – Cinema of Urgency.
The VR Pop Up Cinema Featuring Egon Schiele, Marcel Duchamp and more
From SCHIELE - EINE PERSÖNLICHE BEGEGNUNG IN VR (c) DOK.fest München
DOK.fest München invites you to Virtual Reality Experiences in the Futuro-Haus: In cooperation with XR HUB Bavaria and Die Neue Sammlung – The Design Museum, the festival presents three documentary virtual reality experiences and one augmented reality experience. The VR Pop Up Cinema opens two days before the start of the festival and takes place from 5 May to 18 May at the Futuro-Haus in front of the Pinakothek der Moderne. Admission is free, a free ticket must be booked online in advance.
In the experiences, guests of the VR Pop Up Cinema can meet the expressionist Egon Schiele shortly before his death, see Munich through the eyes of graffiti artist Loomit, get to know the woman in Marcel Duchamp's painting “Nude Descending a Staircase No. 2”, and take a trip to the deep sea.
Journalists will be able to preview the four productions:
Press event Monday 5 May, 11 am Futuro-Haus, in front of the Pinakothek der Moderne Barer Straße 40 Directors of the projects will be present and available for questions and interviews. Registration is required. Please write to press@dokfest-muenchen.de
These are the VR Pop Up Cinema projects:
SCHIELE – EINE PERSÖNLICHE BEGEGNUNG IN VR Vienna, 1918. Egon Schiele will die at the age of just 28. But we still have the opportunity to visit the expressionist at his bedside. He decides to make one last drawing: a portrait of us. While Schiele sketches, he talks about formative moments in his life in an interactive dialogue – an immersive visit to the artist in VR. (Director and screenplay: Gerda Leopold / Germany, Austria 2024 / 25 min.)
CITYFLOW – LOOMITS MÜNCHEN
(c) DOK.fest München
Munich is his canvas – from the first graffiti of the 19th century to modern murals: graffiti legend Loomit takes us on a journey. In razor-sharp 16K VR, we experience his creative process and how urban spaces, design and chance influence his work. The first German VR documentary film in this image quality. (Directors and producers: Carl Amadeus Hiller, Janis Winkler, Sheila Uschkurat / Germany 2025 / 12-15 min.)
DUCHAMPIANA
(c) Lilian Hess
The woman from Duchamp's painting “Nude Descending a Staircase No. 2” rises from her passive representation into the three-dimensional space of the VR art installation. One becomes many; together they ascend an infinite staircase to heaven – a counter-movement that invites us to question our perspective on the female body. (Director: Lilian Hess / France, Germany 2024 / 10 min.)
CURRENT
(c) DOK.fest München
Seaweed swirls up, a shoal of herring passes by, sea urchins swim around. We dive into the deep sea. Little by little, the magical AR installation changes due to pollution and climate change: plastic islands appear, oil pollutes the water. CURRENT is a poetic and playful call to protect the marine ecosystems. (Directors: She‘s Excited! alias Anne Wichmann, Anke Schiemann, /p alias Peter Graf / Germany 2024 / 10 min.)
