One of the declared aims of the Kassel Dokfest is to present regional works next to the works of international filmmakers and artists – on equal terms. The festival program includes 23 experimental, animation, fiction or documentary films of filmmakers from Northern Hesse. The films explore, among other things, the staging of family life on social media, digital phenomena, mental states, and societal mechanisms, as well as the effects of the past, war, and trauma on the present. They examine truth and perception in the age of AI and algorithms and address civic engagement using the example of the “Nujin“ peace statue and its controversial removal. A selection of 15 works competes in the regional competition for the Golden Hercules (2,500 €). The award is donated by Qoncept Energy GmbH.
Eligible for the regional program are works:
- whose directors reside in North Hesse, or
- whose directors are studying at the University of Kassel, the Kunsthochschule Kassel, or a comparable media institution in North Hesse, or
- which were realized and produced in North Hesse.
Selection committee 2025: Constance Hahn, Lili Hartwig, Marie Kersting, Frauke Rohenkohl, Gerhard Wissner