Welcome to Edinburgh’s first and only annual Documentary Film Festival!

The Close:Up Edinburgh Docufest launched for the first time in 2018 bringing documentary and non-fiction storytelling to the heart of Edinburgh. With the vision to be more than a film festival, Edinburgh Docufest takes place in local venues of historical significance that can serve as a connecting platform between the audience and filmmakers.

Covering a wide range of observational and experimental documentaries, fresh student films and shorts addressing social and environmental issues, we hope that Close:Up Edinburgh Docufest will open new worlds and give new perspectives.

Drawing our energy from Edinburgh’s bustling atmosphere and long history in arts, our film Festival comes as a fresh addition to steer independent cinema and give voice to all.

The Close:Up Edinburgh Docufest is organised by HFP, a pioneer organisation that runs Film Festivals and other events showcasing and championing ideas of diversity. Through our global series of film Festivals that spread over 13 countries, we open the path to voices with a compelling story to share. Our main mission is to honour independent cinema and establish a network of artists eager to join forces and spread their work across all nations. HFP runs 24 film Festivals worldwide.

✓ Award Winners receive a Doc-Maker Membership from the International Documentary Association. More information on the membership benefits can be found here: www.documentary.org/membership

✓ The Festival's award-winning films are presented at the end of the screenings and are announced on our official website and social media.

✓ All winners receive our official award certificate.

✓ All films must be submitted in English or with English subtitles (if in a different language).

✓ All films must have been made in or after 2025.

✓ Short films must not exceed 45 minutes.

✓ Filmmakers are responsible for sorting out the copyright on their own materials.

✓ By submitting to us, you give us consent and right to screen your film in front of a live audience, and, under special circumstances, online screening.

✓ Nominations: These are all the films that have been nominated for an award in a category. Not all nominated films will be screened.

Official Selection: These are all the nominated films selected for screening, which will be notified via email. If you received a Nomination email, but no Official Selection email, it means your film will not be screened, but is still a contender for an award in its category.

Award Winners: Chosen from the Nominations (which includes the Official Selection).

✓ Professional Feedback: An experienced film professional will review your submitted project and provide written feedback of approximately 1–3 pages, depending on the length of the film. Feedback is delivered within 1–3 months following the festival event. This optional add-on cannot be combined with discount codes. To request Professional Feedback, please indicate your selected submission category in your Cover Letter or Director’s Statement.

✓ We may promote clips from your film on social media, based on the press kits you provide us with.

✓ We retain the right to change the date and venue of the festival under special circumstances. All filmmakers will be informed about any changes through email and our online platforms.

✓ We place no restrictions on your work in terms of premiere status or whether your work has been made available online.

✓ We do not accept partial screeners, trailers, or screener links that require access other than password protected links.

✓ Any technical issues with the submitted films are 100% the responsibility of the filmmakers. If, at the time of judging, your video file doesn’t work or doesn’t have English subtitles (if in a language other than English), it will be automatically rejected, without a refund. Please contact the festival team ASAP if there are any issues with the submission process, and a solution will be found.

✓ We cannot provide refunds.

✓ If you have submitted your project in the previous year, please do not resubmit the same project to the current edition.

✓ By submitting to us you agree to our terms and conditions and to receiving marketing newsletters and discounts about film festivals in the form of emails. We will never sell your information to third parties.

✓ We reserve the right to update our terms and conditions.

Overall Rating
Quality
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Networking
  • Phoebe Cottam

    Such a gem of a festival showcasing interesting and genre challenging work! Lovely hosts and an amazing atmosphere. More festivals like this please. So grateful to have been included.

    May 2026
    Response from festival:

    Thank you so much for your thoughtful words, Phoebe! Hope to see you again next year.

  • David Baksh

    Thanks team Close: UP for showing The Moment of Truth - and nominating it for best short documentary. Gutted not to make it there in person THIS time - but we'll definitely be entering our films in the future.
    Well done for a very successful Edinburgh Docufest 2026! Do have a dram on us.

    April 2026
    Response from festival:

    Thank you for the kind words David! We’re so glad your film was part of the festival and congratulations again on the nomination.
    Sorry we missed you this time and we hope to see you at a future festival.

  • Suma Filmes

    It was a great honour to have my film selected at Close:UP Edinburgh Docufest! The communication with the festival was great, the quality of the film programme was incredible!

    April 2026
    Response from festival:

    Thank you so much for your kind words! We’re delighted you had a great experience and it was an honour to feature your film.

  • Fredie Chan

    Good festival, well organised and welcoming!

    January 2024
  • Caroline Strong

    We were delighted to be Finalists in the Best Scottish Production category, with our feature, The Bough Breaks. What a brilliant celebration of independent documentary film making. Thank you so much, we are honoured. Caroline, Danny & Gabriel.

    November 2023