Overview
DocLisboa is Portugal's leading international documentary film festival and the only Portuguese festival with Academy Award-qualifying status. The 24th edition runs October 15 to 25, 2026, in Lisbon. The festival screens national and international films of any length, produced after September 2025, across competitive and non-competitive sections. DocLisboa is a member of the Doc Alliance network, a consortium of seven European documentary festivals that collaborates on programming and the annual Doc Alliance Award.
The festival's programming reflects a broad conception of documentary practice. Alongside traditional nonfiction features, DocLisboa regularly programs essay films, hybrid works, experimental documentary, and films that blur the boundary between documentary and fiction. This openness to form has established DocLisboa as a destination for filmmakers working at the edges of documentary practice.
For international filmmakers: DocLisboa offers tiered submission fees (15 to 50 euros depending on film length and deadline), with the City of Lisbon Award for Best International Competition Film carrying a 10,000 euros cash prize. The festival's Best Short Film award (up to 40 minutes) carries Academy Award pre-nomination status, making the winner automatically pre-selected for the Oscar for Best Documentary Short Subject.
For Portuguese filmmakers: Portuguese productions receive free submission if completed and paid by March 31, 2026, with reduced fees thereafter. The Portuguese Competition offers a 6,000 euros Best Portuguese Film prize, a 2,000 euros Special Jury Award, and a 1,500 euros School Award. The Green Years section provides a dedicated platform for new directors taking their first steps in filmmaking, with free submission for Portuguese productions.
Submission Details
DocLisboa accepts submissions through the Eventival platform. The festival does not use FilmFreeway. Submissions open February 2, 2026.
Submission deadlines for DocLisboa 2026 (24th edition):
- Final deadline for all categories: May 31, 2026, at 23:59 GMT+1
- Green Years (Portuguese productions only): June 30, 2026, at 23:59 GMT+1
Submission fees for international films:
- Completed and paid by March 31, 2026: films over 60 minutes - 30.00 euros / films under 60 minutes - 15.00 euros
- Completed and paid April 1 to 30, 2026: films over 60 minutes - 40.00 euros / films under 60 minutes - 20.00 euros
- Completed and paid May 1 to 31, 2026: films over 60 minutes - 50.00 euros / films under 60 minutes - 35.00 euros
Submission fees for Portuguese films (Portuguese production and/or direction):
- Completed and paid by March 31, 2026: free submission
- Completed and paid April 1 to 30, 2026: films over 60 minutes - 10.00 euros / films under 60 minutes - 5.00 euros
- Completed and paid May 1 to 31, 2026: films over 60 minutes - 15.00 euros / films under 60 minutes - 10.00 euros
Green Years submission fees:
- Portuguese productions: free submission, deadline June 30, 2026
- International productions: 10.00 euros (by March 31) / 15.00 euros (April 1-30) / 20.00 euros (May 1-31), deadline May 31, 2026
Eligibility requirements:
- Films produced after September 2025
- Films of any length accepted
- International Competition: open to films of every length
- Portuguese Competition: open to films of every length, directed by Portuguese filmmakers or produced in Portugal
- Green Years: open to European-produced films of any length, for first-time directors. World, International, or European premiere required
- All non-English films must have English subtitles
- Submissions must include a screener with English subtitles (Vimeo link preferred)
- Registration is only considered complete after the festival receives email confirmation of fee payment
The festival does not guarantee consideration or evaluation of films received after May 31, 2026, with the exception of Green Years Portuguese productions.
Key Sections
- International Competition - new films from around the world, diverse poetics and forms, largely screening as international or world premieres
- Portuguese Competition - Portuguese produced and/or directed films, no format or length limitations, largely world premieres
- Green Years - world and international premieres of European films from students and new directors, with its own competition and jury
- New Visions - experimental cinema as a site for innovation in film practice and programming, challenging categories, formats, and durations
- From the Earth to the Moon - premieres of latest films by key documentary directors, out of competition
- Heartbeat - films exploring all forms of art and expression: music, sport, literature, performing and visual arts
- Cinema of Urgency - films responding to gaps in media narratives, anchored in reality, challenging citizens to active engagement
- Doc Alliance - programming from the Doc Alliance network, including the Doc Alliance Award winner selected by a jury of international critics
- Retrospectives - programs dedicated to established documentary filmmakers
Past Winners
2025 (23rd edition) - City of Lisbon Award for Best International Competition Film:
The Night Is Fading Away (La Noche Está Marchándose Ya), directed by Ezequiel Salinas and Ramiro Sonzini (Argentina, 10,000 euros). The film follows a projectionist who secretly moves into a dying cinema after losing his job, turning it into a nocturnal refuge. The jury praised it for celebrating "cinema as the ultimate collective adventure, where imagination and solidarity light the way in the darkness." The Médicos Sem Fronteiras Award for Best Director went to Fantasy (Fantaisie) by Isabel Pagliai (France), and the Jury Prize went to Tell Me a Fairy Tale by Ebrû Avci (Turkey).
2024 (22nd edition) - City of Lisbon Award:
The Shards (Oskolky), directed by Masha Chernaya (Georgia/Germany, 10,000 euros). A personal documentary about death and love in contemporary Russia, following the director's chain of farewells as she prepares to leave her homeland. The CUPRA International Competition Jury Award was shared ex-aequo by Fire Supply by Lucía Seles (Argentina) and The Anchor by Jen Debauche (Belgium). The Anchor also won the TVCine New Talents Award for Best First Feature, with an honourable mention to Dad's Lullaby by Lesia Diak.
2023 (21st edition) - City of Lisbon Award:
earth altars (la tierra los altares), directed by Sofía Peypoch (Mexico). The film also won the cross-sectional New Talent Award for Best First Feature. The RTP Prize went to Terril by Jorn Plucieniczak (Belgium). In the Portuguese Competition, the HBO Max Award for Best Film went to The Melusinas at the Edge of the River by Melanie Pereira, which also received the Fernando Lopes Award and the Schools Award. The Doc Alliance Award went to An Owl, a Garden and the Writer by Sara Dolatabadi.
Notable Alumni Films and Where They Ended Up
- The Shards (2024), directed by Masha Chernaya - won the City of Lisbon Award at DocLisboa 2024. The film also won Best Film honors from Doc Alliance and the Mimesis Documentary Festival, and was nominated for the Doc Alliance Award 2025. It screened at CPH:DOX and continues to circulate on the international documentary circuit.
- The Melusinas at the Edge of the River (2023), directed by Melanie Pereira - won the HBO Max Award for Best Film in the Portuguese Competition at DocLisboa 2023, plus the Fernando Lopes Award and Schools Award. The film also screened at FID Marseille and was nominated for the Doc Alliance Award. Pereira is a previous DocLisboa winner for her first film To My Parents (2018).
- Man in Black (2023), directed by Wang Bing - screened as the opening session film at DocLisboa 2023. The film premiered at Cannes 2023 in Special Screenings and won the Frontier Grand Prize at DMZ Docs 2023. Distributed by Icarus Films in the US, it screened at the New York Film Festival and IDFA.
- Dad's Lullaby (2024), directed by Lesia Diak - received an honourable mention for the TVCine New Talents Award at DocLisboa 2024. The film world-premiered in the Documentary Competition at the 30th Sarajevo Film Festival and was nominated for the Heart of Sarajevo for Best Documentary Film. It follows a Ukrainian war veteran struggling to reconnect with his family.
Watch
Submission Tips Specific to This Festival
DocLisboa's International Competition is open to films of any length, which is unusual among major documentary festivals. Most festivals impose a minimum runtime (typically 50 or 60 minutes), but DocLisboa accepts everything from shorts to features in the same competition. This makes it an attractive destination for mid-length documentaries (30-60 minutes) that fall between the typical short and feature categories at other festivals.
The festival's commitment to formal experimentation is a defining curatorial trait. The New Visions section explicitly programs experimental cinema that challenges categories, formats, and durations. If your film is an essay film, hybrid documentary, or work that blurs the boundary between documentary and fiction, DocLisboa is more receptive than festivals with stricter nonfiction definitions. Past winners like The Anchor (an experimental film about psychosis featuring Charlotte Rampling) and earth altars (a personal excavation of trauma) reflect this openness.
Submission fees are modest (15-50 euros for international films) and tiered by deadline. Early submission by March 31 saves up to 20 euros. Portuguese productions receive free submission if completed by March 31, making the festival particularly accessible for local filmmakers.
The Best Short Film award carries Academy Award pre-nomination status, meaning the winner is automatically pre-nominated for the Oscar for Best Documentary Short Subject. This makes DocLisboa the only Portuguese festival with Oscar-qualifying status. Short films are eligible across all sections, not just a dedicated shorts program.
The Green Years section is specifically for first-time directors and requires a World, International, or European premiere. If you are a first-time filmmaker with a European-produced film, this section offers a dedicated competition with a 1,000 euros Best Film prize and a supportive programming context.
Industry Reputation Notes
DocLisboa is respected in the European documentary community but occupies a different tier than IDFA, Hot Docs, or CPH:DOX in terms of industry scale and market activity. It does not operate a formal film market. Its industry value comes from its Doc Alliance network membership, which connects it to six other European documentary festivals (including Visions du Réel, FID Marseille, and DOK Leipzig) and provides cross-festival programming and the annual Doc Alliance Award.
Compared to CPH:DOX (Copenhagen), which has built a large industry forum and acquisition market, DocLisboa is smaller in industry infrastructure but comparable in programming quality and curatorial ambition. Compared to DOK Leipzig, its closest peer in terms of scale and experimental programming, DocLisboa has a stronger Lusophone focus and a more diverse international competition.
The festival's Lisbon location positions it as a bridge between European, Latin American, and African documentary communities. Portugal's linguistic and historical connections to Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, and Cape Verde create a programming context that no other European documentary festival can replicate. For filmmakers from Lusophone countries, DocLisboa is the primary European festival destination.
What Filmmakers Should Know
For International Documentary Filmmakers
DocLisboa's International Competition is open to films of any length, making it one of the few major documentary festivals that does not impose a minimum runtime requirement. The City of Lisbon Award for Best International Competition Film carries a 10,000 euros cash prize, one of the larger documentary awards in Southern Europe. The Special Jury Award adds 3,500 euros and the Best Directing Award adds 2,000 euros.
Submission fees are modest compared to major US festivals, ranging from 15 to 50 euros depending on film length and deadline tier. Early submission (by March 31) saves up to 20 euros per entry. The festival accepts films produced after September 2025, meaning very recent work is eligible.
For Short Documentary Filmmakers
DocLisboa's Best Short Film award (up to 40 minutes) carries Academy Award pre-nomination status. The winner is automatically pre-nominated for the Oscar for Best Documentary Short Subject, making DocLisboa the only Portuguese festival with this status. Short films are eligible across all sections, not just a dedicated shorts program. The cross-sectional short film award is selected from all sections except retrospectives.
For Portuguese Filmmakers
Portuguese productions receive free submission if completed by March 31, 2026. The Portuguese Competition offers a 6,000 euros Best Portuguese Film prize, a 2,000 euros Special Jury Award, and a 1,500 euros School Award in services. The Audience Award for Best Portuguese Film (1,000 euros) covers competitions, New Visions, Heart Beat, and From the Earth to the Moon sections. The Pedro Fortes Award for Best Director in a Portuguese film includes a participation grant for Doc's Kingdom, an international seminar on documentary film.
For First-Time Filmmakers
The Green Years section is specifically dedicated to first-time directors. It requires a World, International, or European premiere and is open to European-produced films of any length. The Best Film award in Green Years carries a 1,000 euros prize. The section creates a platform for dialogue and reflection, seeking to contribute to the development of new filmmakers. An annual programme from an invited film school is also featured.
Industry Value
DocLisboa is a member of the Doc Alliance network, connecting it to six other European documentary festivals and providing cross-festival programming opportunities. The festival's Lisbon location positions it as a bridge between European, Latin American, and African documentary communities, with particular strength in Lusophone programming from Portugal, Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, and other Portuguese-speaking countries. The festival does not operate a formal film market but provides professional networking through its industry activities and Doc Alliance connections.
Awards / Accreditation
DocLisboa is the only Portuguese festival with Academy Award-qualifying status. The Best Short Film award (up to 40 minutes, selected from all sections except retrospectives) carries Oscar pre-nomination status, meaning the winner is automatically pre-nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject. The festival does not hold FIAPF accreditation. DocLisboa is a member of the Doc Alliance network, a consortium of seven European documentary festivals that collaborates on programming and the annual Doc Alliance Award.
DocLisboa awards consist of a trophy and a monetary prize and/or technical support. Awards are attributed to the film director(s):
International Competition:
- City of Lisbon Award for Best International Competition Film - 10,000 euros
- Special Jury Award - 3,500 euros
- Award for Best Directing - 2,000 euros
Portuguese Competition:
- Best Portuguese Film - 6,000 euros
- Special Jury Award - 2,000 euros
- School Award for Best Film - 1,500 euros in services
Green Years Competition:
- Award for Best Film - 1,000 euros
- Pedro Fortes Award for Best Director in a Portuguese film - participation grant for Doc's Kingdom International Seminar on Documentary Film
Cross-Sectional Awards:
- New Talent Award for Best First Feature-Length Film (over 60 minutes, across all sections except retrospectives) - 3,000 euros
- Award for Best Short Film (up to 40 minutes, across all sections except retrospectives) - winner automatically pre-nominated for the Oscar for Best Documentary Short Subject
- Healthy Workplaces Film Award (European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, for best feature-length film dealing with work, across all sections except retrospectives) - 5,000 euros
- Audience Award for Best Portuguese Film (competitions, New Visions, Heart Beat, From the Earth to the Moon) - 1,000 euros
- Audience Award for Best Film Dealing with Human Rights (across all sections except retrospectives) - 1,500 euros
Cash amounts or support associated with awards yet to be confirmed are finalized prior to the program announcement for the 24th edition. Producers of award-winning films must mention the Doclisboa award in all promotional materials and credits of copies produced after the festival.
Festival History
DocLisboa was founded in 2002 and has grown into one of the most respected documentary events in Southern Europe. The festival's commitment to formal experimentation and hybrid documentary forms has attracted international attention and positioned Lisbon as a European documentary destination.
The 23rd edition ran October 16 to 26, 2025. The 24th edition runs October 15 to 25, 2026. The festival is organized through the Eventival platform for submissions and festival management. DocLisboa is a member of the Doc Alliance network alongside six other European documentary festivals.
The festival's Lusophone positioning gives it a unique cultural role. Portugal's linguistic and historical connections to Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, and other Portuguese-speaking countries create a programming context that no other European documentary festival can replicate. The festival regularly programs documentary work from these countries alongside international and European productions.
See Also
Use the Festival ROI Calculator to weigh submission fees against potential cash prizes and Oscar pre-nomination value. For documentary filmmaking guidance, see Documentary Filmmaking. For festival circuit planning and submission strategy, read Film Festival Strategy. For understanding European documentary distribution, see Distribution Deals Explained.
