Consensual criteria that shape the final program selection of the section Feature Film are the political, social and cultural relevance of the topics as well as the cinematic treatment of the submitted contributions. Next to more classical forms of presentation, the Dokfest is open for the introduction of innovative formats, which show alleged boundaries of the genre, the might and the power of manipulation of images. Furthermore low or no budget productions, works by up-and-coming artists as well as new projects of well-known filmmakers at the Kassel Dokfest receive special attention during the selection process: because accompanying documentary works-in-progress continually is as important to us as offering a platform for the perspectives of bold and extraordinary projects.
A viewing committee, consisting of four people with different professional backgrounds (since 2009), is responsible for the selection of this section. Next to their interest in the political and cultural happenings of the world and their curiosity towards courageous and unconventional (life) stories, this group of four is unified in a cinematic obsession for documentary film in all its topical and aesthetic forms as well as their pleasure in passionate discussion about the best documentary films for the Kassel film festival.
Obviously, the selection is only able to show a part of the increasing abundance of documentary work every year, trying to none-the-less cover a broad spectrum of topics and forms and reaching an equally broad audience during the festival days.
Selection committee 2025: Sarah Adam, Paula Berger, Senem Aytaç, Joachim Kurz, Sita Scherer, Dennis Vetter
Cooperation: Stefanie Gaus, Anja Klauck, Cosima Lange, Christine Rogi
In today’s fast-paced world, optimists have become rarer. In places where new ideas for a more just future could flourish, hard-won achievements are being dismantled. Right-wing movements are gaining influence, wars continue. Artificial Intelligence makes many things easier, but at the same time it is destabilizing entire professions. The world’s resources are being depleted – and sometimes our own as well.
Countless eyes around the world see many things. How fortunate that much of this is captured and transformed into an artistic cinematic form. When we take our seats in the cinema, a window to the world opens for a limited time. From the nearly 600 feature films that reached us, we have selected 39 works that move us, challenge us, make us laugh and make us think. Many of them tell the stories of people who do not lose hope despite the most adverse circumstances. They weave urgent questions of our time into personal stories and make visible what is often lost in the noise of everyday life. This year, voices from Israel and Palestine are strongly represented, not only documenting the war, but reflecting on it through artistic and media processes. But the selected films show us much more than just political urgency. We encounter the absurd, the humorous, the unexpected, and the familiar in surprising forms. We immerse ourselves in complex family dynamics and utopian experiments, experiencing poetic and essayistic visual experiences. In terms of both form and content, we take on unfamiliar perspectives, broaden our horizons, pay attention to details, and seek the big picture. We focus our gaze on our immediate surroundings and remain open to new things. The shared viewing experience in the dark cinema also creates a sense of connection. All over the world, there are people who counter the insistence on yesterday with a strong look ahead, who counter isolation with community. The relationships between people, nature, and our planet that are explored in our film selection are numerous and diverse. All of these artistic positions show us that we are not alone, but connected: to the stories of others, to the world, to what was, and to what can still be.