New Programme Structure, New Venues and Further Changes at the 40th DOK.fest München
(c) DOK.fest München
For its 40th anniversary, DOK.fest München has developed a new curatorial concept: The previous programme scheme will be dissolved. The 105 festival films will be divided into 16 topically focused sections. The three main awards will be awarded as before; from this year they will be called VIKTORIA (see below). Ten to twelve pre-nominated, outstanding films will compete for them – irrespective of the sections. The new structure makes it much easier for audiences to decide which films to choose.
Daniel Sponsel and Adele Kohout (Festival Directors):“On the occasion of the 40th edition of the festival, we have taken the time to further develop our mission and responsibility as organisers of socially relevant and artistically valuable documentary film culture. More than other genres, documentary film is the focus of all current topics and also stands for discourse, cultural education, and participation. We live up to this aspiration and our responsibility to our audience by reflecting our careful curation in the naming of the individual programme sections.”
These are the sections of the 40th DOK.fest München:
Retrospective – Films from Four Decades of DOK.fest München
“Never Again“ Is Now? – Films About Memory and Resistance
Crossing Boundaries – Films About Migration and its Realities
Reframing History – Films Exploring How the Past Shapes our Present
Subdue the Earth? – Films About the Relationship Between Humans and Nature
Empowered – Films About Defiance and Speaking Out
This is America – Films About a Divided United States
In Good Company? – Films About Life and Living Together
Coming of Age – Films About Childhood and Growing Up
Brave New Work? – Films About the Realities of Work
Family Affairs – Films About how We Love and Fight
Stranger Than Fiction – Films Between Reality, Archive, and Essay
The Sound of Music – Films About Musicians and Their Stories
Filmmaking in Exile – Films About Filmmaking Far from Home
African Encounters – Films and Talks About Climate Justice
Further information about the films and events in these sections will be announced in the coming weeks.
VIKTOR becomes VIKTORIA
To mark the anniversary, the festival's main awards will be renamed: The VIKTOR becomes the VIKTORIA. The statues by artist Johannes Brunner will be donated by the DOK.fest München organising association. In addition to the three VIKTORIAS, 13 other prestigious awards will be awarded this year.
Daniel Sponsel and Adele Kohout:“The film industry is still predominantly dominated by men. Diversity and the critical questioning of role models are very important to us at DOK.fest München, so it seemed logical and timely to rename the award.“
New Venues and Open-air Cinema
The festival will take place at two impressive new venues in Munich: For the first time, films will be shown at the Bergson Kunstkraftwerk in Aubing and the new Münchner Volkstheater in the Schlachthofviertel. Other special venues include the Münchner Kammerspiele, the Amerikahaus, the Literaturhaus, the NS-Dokumentationszentrum, the Staatliches Museum Ägyptischer Kunst, and the Pasinger Fabrik. KinoSolln will be joining the established partner cinemas for the first time.
On the first five days of the festival, films can once again be seen in the wonderful 1,400-seat auditorium of the Deutsches Theater. The opening ceremony of DOK.fest München will also take place here on 7 May.
There will also be an open-air cinema in this anniversary year: thanks to its sustainable partner Ciné Vélo Cité, DOK.fest München will be presenting outstanding films from the festival outdoors on six evenings – entry is free. Ciné Vélo Cité is a mobile bicycle cinema for the urban space, a mobile social venue for film culture in the city. The open-air cinema will take place in the courtyard of the HFF Munich, among one other location.
Daniel Sponsel and Adele Kohout:“We are delighted that DOK.fest München is not only taking place in the city centre, but now all over Munich, thus contributing to a lively neighbourhood culture, whether in Aubing, Pasing, Neuhausen or Solln. The open-air events will also contribute to this – in a particularly atmospheric way. And for all those interested who cannot attend a screening for various reasons, we will bring our programme to your home: our festival films can be seen online on the digital screen all over Germany.“
