Awards & Juries
Jury
- Diana El Jeiroudi, Syria/Germany
- Ivan Ramljak, Croatia
- Raul Niño Zambrano, Venezuela/UK/Netherlands
Golden Dove Feature-Length Film
10,000 €
“Letters from the Silenced Country“
Andrei Kutsila
(Poland, Lithuania, Germany)
granted by Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk
Silver Dove Feature-Length Film
6,000 €
“Concrete Land“
Asmahan Bkerat
(Jordan, Palestine)
granted by 3sat for the best feature-length documentary film by an up-and-coming director (with up to three directorial works)
Golden Dove Short Film
3,000 €
“They’re Here“
Laura Poitras, Rachel Lauren Mueller
(USA)
Silver Dove Short Film
1,500 €
“in memory of“
Florinda Ciucio
(Belgium)
granted by the Independent Saxon State Media Agency (SLM) for the best short documentary film by an up-and-coming director (with up to three directorial works)
MDR is dedicated to the large-scale promotion of documentary film and has been sponsoring the Golden Dove in the International Competition Documentary Film, endowed with 10,000 Euros, since 2013.
3sat has been presenting independent documentary films in its programme and supporting their production since 1993. By granting an award for up-and-coming talents at DOK Leipzig is underlining its engagement for international young directors.
As a cooperation partner and award donor of DOK Leipzig, SLM particularly promotes young filmmakers as well as offers for the development of critical media competence for all age groups. It supports the DOK Masterclasses, the implementation of the XR exhibition DOK Neuland as well as the media literacy activities of DOK Spotters and DOK Education.
The winning films of the Golden Doves in the International Competition Documentary Film will qualify for consideration for the annual ACADEMY AWARDS® provided that the films otherwise comply with the Academy’s rules.
Jury
- Waltraud Grausgruber, Austria
- Edmunds Jansons, Latvia
- Matea Radic, Bosnia and Herzegovina/Canada
Golden Dove Short Film
1,500 €
“Terminal“
Alexandre Siqueira
(Portugal, France, Spain)
Special Mention
“When the Sea Was Calm“
Mamuka Tkeshelashvili
(Georgia)
The winning film of the Golden Dove Short Film in the International Competition Animated Film will qualify for consideration for the annual ACADEMY AWARDS® provided that the film otherwise complies with the Academy’s rules.
Jury
- David Bernet, Germany/Switzerland
- Stefanie Eckert, Germany
- Adele Kohout, Czech Republic/Germany
Golden Dove Feature-length Film
10,000 €
“Transition“ (Übergang)
Peter Badel, Chris Wright
(Germany)
donated by Doris Apell-Kölmel and Michael Kölmel
Golden Dove Short Film
1,500 €
“Hello Debus“
Rosa Gocht
(Germany)
Special Mention
“The Core“
Rebecca Zehr
(Germany)
Jury
The whole audience decided on the winner of the Audience Award in an online vote after the cinema screenings.
Granted by the Leipzig Stiftung
4,000 €
granted by the DEFA Foundation for an outstanding feature-length film in the German Competition Documentary Film
Jury
- David Bernet, Germany/Switzerland
- Stefanie Eckert, Germany
- Adele Kohout, Czech Republic/Germany
The DEFA Foundation, in accordance with its statutory motto “Rediscover the Past – Support the Future”, has been awarding the DEFA Sponsoring Prize at DOK Leipzig since 2005. The prize is intended to support up-and-coming filmmakers in the critical investigation of contemporary issues.
MDR Film Prize
“Letters from the Silenced Country”
Andrei Kutsila
(Poland, Lithuania, Germany)
3,000 €
for an outstanding Eastern European documentary film
Jury
- Thomas Beyer, Germany
- Johannes Dicke, Germany
- Sylva Kleemann, Germany
- Claritta Kratochwil, Germany
- Annett Meltschack, Germany
- Anastasiya Miroshnichenko, Laureate 2025
- Anja Zhukova, Germany
Since 1995, the MDR has sponsored the MDR Film Prize for an outstanding Eastern European documentary, endowed with 3,000 Euros. The developments in Eastern Europe are one of the major topics the broadcaster has been following for years.
2,500 €
for an outstanding documentary film about human rights, democracy or civil engagement, granted by Stiftung Friedliche Revolution
Jury
- Christian Fuchs, Germany
- Tilman König, Germany
- Ute Lieschke, Germany
2,000 €
for a film in the International Competition Documentary Film, donated by Hotel Michaelis (VCH-Hotels) in Leipzig as well as the Interreligious Round Table and the Oratorium Leipzig.
The Interreligious Jury is appointed by INTERFILM and SIGNIS.
Jury
- Alexandra Ell, Hungary
- Joël Friso, The Netherlands
- Aida Schlaepfer Alhassani, Switzerland
- Teresa R. Tunay, Philippines
2,000 €
for a film in the German Competition Documentary Film
Jury
- Julia Cruschwitz, Germany
- Doria Jeanne Nollez, Germany
- Carmen Salas, Peru
Prize of the International Film Critics (FIPRESCI Prize)
“Auber 89“
Giuseppe Schillaci
(France, Italy)
for a feature-length film in the International Competition Documentary Film
Jury
- Igor Angjelkov, North Macedonia
- Marco D'Agostino, Italy
- Matthias Dell, Germany
Young Eyes Film Award
“Moving Sisters“
Christos Stefanou
(Greece)
2,000 €
awarded by the Youth Jury in cooperation with LFD – Fachstelle für Medien und Bildung
Granted by Rahn Dittrich Group’s European Foundation for Education and Culture
for the best short animated film
Jury
- Ricarda Angela Hamperl, Germany
- Chantal Kupper, Germany
- Paul-Luca Matthes, Germany
Gedanken-Aufschluss
“Last Round“ (Haus der Trinker)
Dieter Schumann
(Germany)
awarded by a jury of prisoners of the Juvenile Detention Centre Regis-Breitingen
film.land.sachsen-Prize for film culture in rural areas
„Garten der Hoffnung“
Dieter Schumann
(Germany)
in cooperation with Filmverband Sachsen e.V.
The film.land.sachsen programme of the Filmverband Sachsen is committed to promoting film culture in rural areas.
Jury
- Alina Cyranek, Germany
- Mario Kegel, Germany
- Barbara Wallbraun, Germany
