About the Film Festival
DOXA is Western Canada's largest documentary film festival, presented by The Documentary Media Society, a non-profit, charitable society devoted to presenting independent and innovative documentaries to Vancouver audiences.
The society exists to educate the public about documentary film as an art form through DOXA Documentary Film Festival, a curated and juried festival comprised of public screenings, panel discussions, industry forums and educational programs. The 26th annual DOXA Documentary Film Festival will take place April 29 thru May 9, 2027.
Our Mission:
To support a better understanding of the complexity of our times through engaging the public in documentary media as an art form.
We’re Committed To:
*Cultivating curiosity and critical thought.
*Promoting the intersection of actuality and artistic expression.
*Fostering a local and international community interested in non-fiction media.
DOXA aims to pay all independent filmmakers selected through the submission process a screening fee and/or assist with travel/accommodations to attend the festival.
DOXA takes place in beautiful British Columbia, Canada on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations.
The DOXA award winners are selected on the basis of three major criteria: success and innovation in the realization of the project’s concept; originality and relevance of subject matter and approach; and overall artistic and technical proficiency.
DOXA Feature Documentary Award
DOXA Short Documentary Award
Colin Low Award for Best Canadian Documentary
Nigel Moore Award for Youth Programming
Vancouver Film Studio Award
Total prize value to be determined.
Subject ：
Video Format ：AVI HDV MPEG4 DCP MOV MPEG
*Films completed after January 1, 2026 are prioritized.
*Projects that have not been screened (theatrical, online or broadcast) to audiences in Vancouver B.C. audiences before the festival will be prioritized.
*You may submit with an online screener. Please do not send a DVD or Blu-Ray.
*Rough cuts are eligible ONLY IF final cuts will be available by March 13, 2027.
*Work produced in languages other than English must be subtitled in English.
*Please enclose a brief synopsis and screening history.
*Please include any relevant documentation that will provide our Programming Collective with helpful context for evaluating your film (e.g., letter of intent, press kit, etc.).
*More weight is given to projects which do not take a conventional journalistic or commercial approach.
*Fee waivers are available for Indigenous filmmakers. Please email submissions [at] doxafestival.ca for more information.
*All entrants will be notified by April 8, 2027.
DOXA Documentary Film Festival is hereby granted the right to utilize any film stills or excerpt from any film submitted and accepted for exhibition at the Festival for promotional purposes.
The individual or corporation submitting the film hereby warrants that it is authorized to commit the film for screening, and understands and accepts these requirements and regulations.
The undersigned shall indemnify and hold harmless The Documentary Media Society ("DOXA Documentary Film Festival"), its Board of Directors, Employees, and Agents, from and against any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including but not limited to attorney's fees, and costs of the court) which may be incurred by reason of any claim involving copyright, trademark, credits, publicity, screening, and loss of or damage to the screening videos entered.
Categories and fees
International Feature Documentaries
Video length ：53 - 180
The duration should be over 53 minutes.
Films completed after January 1, 2026 are prioritized.
International Mid-Length Documentaries
Video length ：30 - 52
Between 30-52 minutes.
Films completed after January 1, 2026 are prioritized.
International Short Films
Video length ：5 - 30
Under 30 minutes.
Films completed after January 1, 2026 are prioritized.
