The 29th DocsBarcelona International Documentary Film Festival is set to run in Barcelona from 7 to 17 May 2026, featuring a wide array of documentary films and related activities. Scottish-Irish filmmaker Mark Cousins has been named the recipient of the Docs d'Honor Award 2026, according to festival organisers.
The festival aims to bring the documentary genre closer to the public, offering a selection of feature and short films. Projections and activities will include participation from invited filmmakers from around the world. The main venue for the festival is the CCCB, with other screenings taking place at Aribau Cinemas, Renoir Cinemas, Filmoteca de Catalunya, Phenomena, Zumzeig, Espai Texas, and Casa Montjuïc.
Opening Film and Special Screenings
The festival will open on 7 May at 8pm at Aribau Cinemas with the Spanish premiere of A Fox Under A Pink Moon. This film, directed by Mehrdad Oskouei and co-directed by its protagonist Soraya Akhalaghi, documents Akhalaghi's five-year struggle to escape an abusive marriage in Iran and reunite with her mother in Austria. The film was recognised as Best Film at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), and its Spanish premiere will be attended by Oskouei and Akhalaghi.
Mark Cousins' film The Story of Documentary Film will be shown at 6pm at Filmoteca de Catalunya. Other notable screenings include 80 Angry Journalists at 8.45pm at Renoir Floridablanca Cinemas, and Replica, a special session with Leon Guallart, at 7pm at Renoir Floridablanca Cinemas.
Diverse Programme and Debates
The programme also features Cuba & Alaska at 8.30pm at Renoir Floridablanca Cinemas, and The History of Concrete by John Wilson at 8pm at the CCCB Teatre. A D-Talk debate on the digital divide is scheduled for 7pm at the CCCB Auditorium. The festival will also present A Paranormal Guide to the Brave Coast (Costa Brava) at 8.45pm at the CCCB Teatre and Under the Sky of Damascus at 8.30pm at Renoir Floridablanca Cinemas.
Short film sessions, including 'Singular and plural', 'Bodies in crisis', and 'Dream and truth', will be held at the CCCB Auditorium. The festival will conclude with an awards ceremony and a closing film, selected from the winning entries, at 7.30pm at the CCCB Teatre.
DocsBarcelona continues its tradition of showcasing diverse voices and narratives from the global documentary community. The full schedule of films and activities is available for consultation, providing opportunities for audiences to engage with contemporary documentary filmmaking and participate in discussions with creators.
