EUROPEAN DOCUMENTARY FILM AWARD: The House of Documentary Film and the Film and Media Foundation NRW Honor a Lifetime Achievement

For the first time, the House of Documentary Film – European Media Forum Stuttgart e.V. and the Film and Media Foundation NRW are presenting the EUROPEAN DOCUMENTARY FILM AWARD this year. The award is endowed with 15,000 euros and honors the lifetime achievement of a European filmmaker. The awards ceremony will take place on June 18, 2026, in Stuttgart and will be part of the DOKVILLE industry conference, which will be held on June 18 and 19 at the Hospitalhof.

Commenting on the joint initiative with the Haus des Dokumentarfilms, Walid Nakschbandi, Executive Director of the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW, which is providing the prize money, explains: “European documentary film possesses a special power: it opens our eyes beyond national borders and allows us to experience Europe in all its diversity. By bringing together different perspectives, realities of life, and cultural influences, it fosters a shared understanding of what drives our societies. Today, more than ever, it is important to look beyond borders, highlight connections, and foster dialogue. With the EUROPEAN DOCUMENTARY FILM AWARD, we honor filmmakers whose work promotes precisely this open, unifying perspective and continually reimagines Europe.” For the inaugural award ceremony, the Haus des Dokumentarfilms and the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW have jointly nominated twenty directors from various European countries; an independent jury will make its decision behind closed doors at the end of May.

In the future, the EUROPEAN DOCUMENTARY FILM AWARD will be presented annually, alternating between Cologne and Stuttgart. With this initiative, the two organizers also aim to send a clear message: to ensure that documentary film retains the space it deserves in today’s media landscape. “Documentary films are always vehicles for counter-narratives,” says Eric Friedler, Executive Director of the Haus des Dokumentarfilms. “The power of the documentary film—namely, to tell stories using images of reality—stems from precise and unvarnished observation. Documentary filmmakers have always been concerned with providing educational value that goes beyond what is depicted. Their works not only sharpen our awareness of political and historical processes but also consistently invite us to question boundaries—whether self-imposed or imposed by others.”

An independent jury chaired by Wim Wenders will decide at the end of May on the recipient whose life’s work will be honored on June 18 in Stuttgart. The jury members are: Nathalie Wappler (media manager), Bettina Reitz (film and media manager), Ulrike Becker (journalist), Hella Wenders (director), Walid Nakschbandi (executive director of the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW), and Eric Friedler (executive director of the Haus des Dokumentarfilms). The award’s administrative office is located at the Haus des Dokumentarfilms.