Duisburger Filmwoche

50th Anniversary of one of the most important German-language Documentary Film Festivals

From Monday, November 2nd, to Sunday, November 8th, 2026, the Duisburger Filmwoche celebrates its 50th anniversary edition — half a century of festival for documentaries from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. The venue is the filmforum Duisburg at Dellplatz 16, which has served as the festival's home since 1977.

Tradition since 1977

The Duisburger Filmwoche was founded in 1977 by the city of Duisburg and has since established itself as the most important German-language documentary film festival. Unlike A-list festivals like Berlinale or DOK Leipzig, the Filmwoche is deliberately kept small, intimate, and discursive — the focus is not on glamour, but on artistic and critical reflection.

The Filmwoche Tradition: Discussion After Every Film

What makes the Duisburger Filmwoche so special is its specific format: after each screening, there is an in-depth discussion between filmmakers, film critics, and the audience. It addresses cinematic techniques, narrative strategies, and political implications — a form of film-cultural engagement that has become rare in modern festival circuits. These discussions have been the hallmark of the Filmwoche for decades.

Two Main Prizes: ARTE and 3sat

The Filmwoche awards two prestigious prizes, both endowed with €6,000 each:

• ARTE Documentary Film Prize — from the Franco-German cultural channel ARTE
• 3sat Documentary Film Prize — from the public cultural channel 3sat

These prizes are among the most important awards in the German-language documentary film sector and open doors for the awarded films to TV broadcasts, international festivals, and distribution.

Submission Deadline and Registration

The submission deadline for the 50th edition is July 24, 2026. Filmmakers submit via FilmFreeway (direct link: filmfreeway.com/duisburgerfilmwoche). Documentaries from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland are accepted — feature films, hybrid films, and essay films are excluded.

Active Festival Culture Throughout the Year

The Duisburger Filmwoche is not just a one-week festival — it maintains an active presence year-round:

• Film series “Duisburg im Bilde” (screenings throughout the year)
• Participation in other festivals (Austrian Film Museum Vienna, Diagonale Graz)
• Archive expansion on the Protokult platform
• Guest appearances at film clubs

filmforum Duisburg at Dellplatz

The filmforum Duisburg at Dellplatz 16 has been the festival venue for decades. A dedicated municipal cultural institution, not a commercial multiplex — this aligns with the Filmwoche's programming ethos: promoting art and documentary film rather than mainstream distribution.

Duisburg — Industrial and Film City

Duisburg, with nearly 500,000 inhabitants, is one of the major cities in the Ruhr area and has an unusual film tradition for an industrial city. Besides the Duisburger Filmwoche, there is the Duisburg Akzent Festival, the Komische Pferd Film Festival, and an active local film scene. The Filmwoche is the international highlight of this film culture.