The International Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animated Film (DOK Leipzig) has announced the winners of its 67th edition, with top honors presented during the closing ceremony at Schaubühne Lindenfels in Leipzig on Saturday evening.
Seven Golden Doves and two Silver Doves were awarded across the festival’s primary competitions, while the Partnership Awards were distributed earlier in the day. Winners of the Golden Dove in the International Competition for Documentary Film, as well as Golden Dove-winning shorts, are now eligible for Academy Award consideration, provided they meet the Academy’s submission requirements.
In the International Competition Documentary Film, the Golden Dove for feature-length work went to “La Jetée, the Fifth Shot” by French filmmaker Dominique Cabrera. British director John Smith won the Golden Dove for short film with “Being John Smith,” which comes with a €3,000 cash prize.
The Silver Dove for feature-length documentary by an emerging director was awarded to “Twice Into Oblivion” by Pierre Michel Jean, a France-Haiti-Dominican Republic co-production. The Silver Dove for short film, worth €1,500, went to “What Goes Up” by Samar Al Summary (Saudi Arabia, U.S.).
In the International Competition Animated Film, Hungarian filmmaker László Csáki earned the Golden Dove for feature-length animation with “Pelikan Blue,” while the short film prize went to “On Weary Wings Go By,” directed by Anu-Laura Tuttelberg (Estonia, Lithuania). The animation jury, consisting of Merlin Flügel, Isabel Herguera, and Nosipho van den Bragt, also presented a Special Mention to “Memory Hotel” by Heinrich Sabl (Germany, France).
The German Competition Documentary Film awarded its Golden Dove for feature-length film to “Tarantism Revisited” by Anja Dreschke and Michaela Schäuble. “The King of Spain” by Leonard Volkmer took the short film award in this category, also accompanied by a €1,500 prize.
In the Audience Competition, the Golden Dove went to “Once Upon a Time in a Forest” by Finnish director Virpi Suutari.
The 67th edition of DOK Leipzig, which opened on Oct. 28, concludes on Sunday, Nov. 3, following a week of screenings, premieres, and events celebrating the best in documentary and animated cinema.