DOCPOINT TURNS 25: FULL PROGRAMME ANNOUNCED – TICKET SALES OPEN ON 13 JANUARY

DocPoint – Helsinki Documentary Film Festival celebrates its 25th anniversary from 3–8 February 2026. The anniversary programme brings the most topical themes in contemporary documentary cinema to the big screen: stories about the power of music, the fault lines of democracy, the contradictions of science and technology, and the layers of the past that shape the present. The full programme has now been announced, and screening-specific ticket sales will begin on Tuesday, 13 January 2026.

Pre-festival event on 27 January at Kino Regina – advance screenings and a discussion on history

The festival mood will be in full swing even before the opening ceremony, when DocPoint organises a pre-festival event at Kino Regina on Tuesday, January 27, in collaboration with Oodi. The day will feature three advance screenings from the festival programme: King Matt the First, Confessions of a Swedish Man and Amos A – en tolkning av en framgångssaga. The programme also includes a bilingual (Finnish–Swedish) discussion event, Entangled in History – Amos A., which delves into the challenges and ambiguities of telling history. The discussion is organised in collaboration with Finlandssvensk filmcentrum and the Amos Anderson Foundation.

Programme sections

Feel the beat: music, fandom and the search for one’s own voice

Music is heard and seen throughout DocPoint. The Feel the Beat section brings together films about performance, subcultures and identity – and about how music carries people through difficult times. The selection includes Di’Anno – Iron Maiden’s Lost Singer, Move Ya Body: The Birth of House, Queer as Punk and Rock Out. Among Finnish highlights is Petri Luukkainen’s When the Saxophone Burns, in which saxophonist Timo Lassy returns to the roots of his playing as he searches for his own sound. DocPoint and Yle Teema will also host a free sing-along special screening of the Kaurismäki brothers’ documentary The Saimaa Gesture.

Focal Point: democracy, freedom of expression and influence

The Focal Point section looks directly at the tensions of our time: the mechanisms of power and resistance, the commercialisation of online hate, and questions of who gets to speak – and where. The programme includes Hacking Hate and Antidote, as well as The Dialogue Police and Coexistence My Ass!.

Creative Ground: documentary as an art form

In the Creative Ground section, documentary cinema appears primarily as artistic expression and filmmaker-driven work. The programme includes Agatha’s Almanac, Amateurs’ Paradise, I Lost Sight of the Landscape and ILOVERUSS. The section also features Writing Life: Annie Ernaux Through the Eyes of High School Students, accompanied by a discussion event organised with Piiri cultural media on festival Saturday, 7 February.

Reflections: history and memory in the present

The Reflections section examines the impact of the past and asks how history is told – and for whom. The programme includes Under the Flags, the Sun (the legacy of Paraguay’s dictatorship) and Child of Dust (the shadow of the Vietnam War and its long-lasting echo).

Backed by Science:the crossroads of science, technology and ethics

In Backed by Science, science meets politics, ethics and everyday life – from pandemic threats and medical choices to biodiversity protection and the development of artificial intelligence. The programme includes Blame, GEN_ and Werner Herzog’s latest documentary Ghost Elephants. In addition, Marc Isaacs’ Synthetic Sincerity explores the relationship between humans and AI.

Far From Here: communities amid upheaval

The Far From Here section takes audiences beyond Europe to communities where everyday life is shaped by major change. The programme includes Abode of Dawn (an isolated religious community in Siberia), Cutting Through Rocks (an Iranian woman’s struggle against local power structures) and Dear Tomorrow, filmed in Japan (loneliness and the search for connection).

Anniversary events and public discussions

The anniversary will also be celebrated through a rich events programme. On 4 February at Bio Rex Lasipalatsi, there will be a sing-along screening, followed by Finnish rock karaoke at Semifinal. On 5 February at Kino Regina, a cine-concert will feature Kiri Ra! accompanying the silent film classic South: Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Glorious Epic of the Antarctic. On 6 February at Savoy Theatre, DocPoint and Savoy present a combined film-and-concert evening: In Hell with Ivo will have its Finnish premiere, followed by a live performance by Ivo Dimchev with his band. The anniversary week culminates in DocPoint’s 25th birthday party at H2O2.

The festival will also host public discussions that extend the films’ themes into current societal questions: on 4 February, DocFokus Science Under Threat (in collaboration with the Union of Journalists in Finland); on 5 February, a discussion with Amnesty Finland on protests and freedom of expression; and on 7 February, an Annie Ernaux-themed discussion hosted by DocPoint and Piiri.

DocPoint Industry (4–6 February) brings together professionals and students

DocPoint Industry will take place from 4–6 February 2026. On Wednesday, the Documentary Guild will celebrate its 30th anniversary with seminars at Kiasma Theatre. On Thursday and Friday, the Industry programme continues in English, bringing together international guests for panels and practical sessions.

Briefly

DocPoint 25: 3–8 February 2026, Helsinki
Ticket sales open: Tue 13 January 2026
Pre-festival event: Tue 27 January 2026, Kino Regina
DocPoint Industry: 4–6 February 2026
Media accreditation: now open until 23 January

Further information / interviews / screener requests / images:
Eleonora Weyner (Publicist)
+358 50 349 1438
eleonora@docpoint.fi