REGISTRATION FOR DOCPOINT’S NATIONAL COMPETITION 2027

Registration QUICK RULES:

  1. Registration open from September 16 to October 16, 2026
  2. National films must be completed by October 1, 2025, or later.
  3. DocPoint may prioritize films making their Finnish premiere at the festival, but premiere status is no longer required. Films selected for television or theatrical distribution must not have been released before the festival.
  4. Films will be screened at the festival 2-3 times.
  5. For films longer than 60 minutes that are shown outside the competition, a screening fee of €250 (+ VAT) will be paid, excluding films produced by YLE and student films.
  6. Register your film HERE.

SELECTIONS FOR THE NATIONAL COMPETITION AND NATIONAL FILM PROGRAM:

DocPoint – Helsinki Documentary Film Festival will select the most significant and interesting Finnish documentary films for its national competition. There are no restrictions on the length of films submitted to the competition. For the 2027 festival, there will be, for the second time, a separate competition for national short films.

Films of 60 minutes or longer will compete for the Best National Feature Documentary Award, while films under 60 minutes will compete for the Best National Short Documentary Award. The awards will be presented at the festival’s closing gala on February 13, 2027. The winner will be chosen by a jury composed of Finnish and international experts.

SELECTIONS FOR THE “UUSIN SILMIN – NEW FINNISH VISIONS” STUDENT FILM PROGRAM:

The films in the national “Uusin silmin – New Finnish Visions” student program will be selected from student films produced by Finnish educational institutions, as well as films directed by Finnish students at international schools. Films will be selected by a jury appointed by DocPoint’s board. The student program is non-competitive.

ELIGIBILITY:

  • The festival only accepts documentary films. Emphasis will be placed on creative and cinematic execution.-
  • DocPoint does not require Finnish premiere status for national films, but in cases of equal standing, films making their Finnish premiere at the festival may be given priority.
  • Films selected for television or theatrical distribution must not have been released before the festival.
  • The country of origin for the film’s production company must be Finland. Other co-production countries are allowed.
  • Documentary films produced by YLE cannot participate in the competition, but they may be screened outside of the competition at the festival.
  • Student films offered for the student program must be produced by Finnish educational institutions or directed by Finnish students at international schools.
  • National films must be completed by October 1, 2025, or later. Films previously submitted to the festival cannot be resubmitted.
  • There are no length restrictions for films.
  • When registering, a link to the completed film must be provided (any work-in-progress submissions should be arranged separately with the program director).
  • It is the sender’s responsibility to ensure that the files sent for pre-selection are functional.
  • There is no registration fee for the festival. The festival does not pay a screening fee for films selected for the national competition. Films screened outside the competition that are over 60 minutes will receive a screening fee of €250 (+ VAT). No screening fees will be paid for student films or internal television productions.
  • Selected films must be submitted with English subtitles (if the language is Finnish or another language than English). If the film is not in Finnish, we request that a Finnish-subtitled version be provided if possible.
  • Films in the national program will be screened 2-3 times at the festival.
  • The screening format for selected films is DCP. The sender is responsible for delivering the DCP copy to the festival.
  • The festival is not obligated to process films that are sent late.
  • The festival reserves the right to determine the number of screenings, programming placements, and other event-related details within the framework of the rules outlined above.

REGISTRATION FOR THE FESTIVAL:

Registration for the 2027 DocPoint festival is open from September 16 to October 16, 2026. Only the person who holds the right to grant DocPoint permission to screen the film at the festival may register the film. This right must include the right to 2-3 screenings at the festival’s selected venues and theaters.
Any additional screenings must be negotiated separately with the rights holder.
Register your film HERE.

SELECTED FILMS:

Films selected for the festival will be notified by December 7, 2026, at the latest.
Screening copies of films selected for the program must be delivered to the festival by January 4, 2027.

COMPETITIONS AND AWARDS:

The long films in DocPoint’s national competition will be selected from films 60 minutes or longer that are registered for the festival. Short films will be selected from films under 60 minutes. A jury of both national and international experts will award prizes for Best National Feature Documentary, Best National Short Documentary, Best International Feature Documentary, and Best International Short Documentary.