DOCVILLE, the largest documentary film festival in Belgium, has a strong focus on author driven documentary with special emphasis on the cinematic experience in general and cinematography in particular.

ScienceVille 2027 - A science-oriented subsection of the festival, dedicated to science-docs, lectures, activities, ... If you have a science docs (2024 and up), do submit. A special award will be handed out. We also specifically look for science documentaries for children (6-14) that are easily "dub-able" in Dutch (e.g. with a single voice over-voice).

For 9 days, the festival organizes masterclasses, seminars, master talks next to its screenings.

Awards & Prizes

- Jury Award for Best International Documentary (Academy Award Qualifying)
- Jury Award for Best Belgian Documentary
- TOPICS Award
- ScienceVille Award
- Audience Award

Rules & Terms

GENERAL RULES & REGULATIONS - APPLICABLE FOR ALL COMPETITIONS
- Only FEATURE LENGTH docs are accepted (50 minutes or more) for the Belgian, TOPICS and International competition.
- Short Documentaires are very, very rarely selected! Please only upload very short documentaries (<10 minutes strongly preferred).
- Submitted films should be marked as downloadable (film will be stored in the (secured) festival archives and can we watched on demand by accredited guest (press and av professionals only) ).
- Submitting your film means accepting we include the film’s preview file and information in the festival video archive.
- Submitted films can't be withdrawn from competitive sections.
- It is *not* necessary to submit for multiple sections. Please choose the section that best fits your doc. The festival will decide what section is the best fit for your film.

SPECIFIC RULES & REGULATIONS FOR THE BELGIAN COMPETITION
- All general rules & regulations apply
- Films should be finished after the previous deadline of DOCVILLE (January 1st, 2026)
- Films -although preferred- are not required to have premiere status at the time of the festival

SPECIFIC RULES & REGULATIONS FOR THE INTERNATIONAL, TOPICS & SCIENCE COMPETITIONS
- All general rules & regulations apply
- Documentaries sent in for the international competition need to be (at least) Belgian premieres (can't be shown on tv, S/TVOD, internet, festivals, cinemas or other public venues in Belgium).
- Submitted films should have been completed after January 1st 2026 (2024 for Science docs)

AUDIENCE AWARD
- If your film does not comply with one or more of the rules stated above, you can still submit your film. However, it will not be eligible for a jury award. If screened in one of the non-competitive sections, it will be eligible for the audience award.
- The Audience Award can only be awarded to non-Belgian, feature-length documentaries, made after 2023.

SPECIAL NOTE FOR SHORT FILMS
- There is VERY limited place in the current program for short films. (sorry :( ). So in all fairness, we *strongly(!) advise against* submitting your short film, although we love the short format, chances are *extremely small* that your short will end up in the selection. To be honest, we only included this category on the programme because in previous years people lied about the length of their film and paid even more than necessary.
- Short films OVER 15 minutes are strongly discouraged.
- Short films can NOT compete in any of the competitive sections.
2 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Steven Swancoat

    DocVille was an incredible experience, and I highly recommend this festival to any documentary filmmaker. The quality of both the festival and the films screened was truly top-notch—it's clear why it's Academy Award-qualifying.

    Frank, Barbara, and the entire team hosted a well-organized, welcoming event with excellent communication from the moment my film was accepted to the end of the festival. They made the entire process smooth and seamless, and I genuinely felt like part of the DocVille family.

    “Space Chasers” had its world premiere at DocVille, and the festival went above and beyond by organizing a special Space Day around the film. This included a solar eclipse viewing in the early afternoon, a photo gallery, an astrophotography workshop, a screening with Q&A and all followed by a well coordinated night sky observation party on a local rooftop. All this extra work and planning just showed their dedication to the films and genres being presented.

    Premiering in Belgium was an honor, and the vibrant town of Leuven left a lasting impression—it now holds a special place in my heart.

    Overall, attending DocVille was a 10/10 experience. I could talk endlessly about how amazing it was and the incredible people behind it. While I don’t plan to make another documentary anytime soon, if I do, DocVille will be at the top of my submission list. This is not only a festival to apply to but a must attend in person event.

    April 2025
    Helpful
  • Patrick Minks

    Nice and friendly festival. Good venues. Great city.

    April 2018
    Helpful