doxs! documentaries for children and youth
doxs! is the oldest German film festival exclusively presenting documentaries for children and adolescents. The international film programme is part of the well known documentary festival "Duisburger Filmwoche". Each screening is accompanied by a moderated Q&A. The entry to all screenings is free for accredited festival guests and pupils.
doxs! works in various fields of media education and constantly develops new pilot-projects which set pace and break new ground:
- doxs! kino wants to reach the lifeblood of its young audience. With topics that are close to their lives and the society they live in and with innovative types of storytelling that are different to what we know from television. Documentaries are a valuable guidepost through the world and its media substantiveness.
- doxs! schule is doing intensive year round film education and media competence work in schools with documentaries from the festival programme.
- doxs! on tour is on the move with a tour programme visiting festivals in Germany and its bordering countries.
- doxs! produced together with the Goethe-Institut a unique European Documentary film package "Young Heroes" in 2006.
- doxs! and the documentary initiative of the Filmbüro NW initiated dok you - a competition for documentaries for children.
doxs! kino
16 years of documentaries for children and youth
The 16th edition of doxs! kino will present creative European documentaries for children and adolescents from November 6-12, 2017. Apart from the films in competition (GROSSE KLAPPE, ECFA Documentary Award), the festival also includes programmes for preschoolers, special screenings and experimental documentaries (PARADOX).
The festival is dedicated to school audiences. The kids do not only attend the screenings but also discuss the films they have just seen with directors and film experts. The international films are subtitled and dubbed if necessary.
Festival Submissions
We cordially invite you to submit short and feature documentaries that are suitable for children from four years and for young people aged 14 - 18 for this year's festival selection. Classic observations are welcome as well as experimental hybrids and crossover works. In foreign contributions we ask for an English or German subtitled version.
For regulations and film entry, please click here.
Download press release doxs! festivalprogramme 2016.
Filmprize – GROSSE KLAPPE
The award acknowledges documentary works for children and adolescents: On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of doxs! in 2011 the Federal Agency for Civic Education endowed for the first time the Prize for Political Documentary for Children and Youth. "GROSSE KLAPPE" awards European films promoting an aesthetical approach to documentary culture and the political consciousness of children and adolescents. A youth jury selects the winner of the competition.
The next award to the amount of 5.000 Euro will be handed over at doxs! kino #16 during the 41th edition of the Duisburger Filmwoche in 2017 (November 6-12, 2017).
ECFA Documentary Award
The in 2016 newly established "ECFA Documentary Award" promotes aesthetically and formally extraordinary documentaries that are aimed at the age group of 6 to 12 year olds. Given by the European Children's Film Association, which is Europe's biggest network for children and youth films, the prize will be handed over during the festival's award ceremony in Duisburg. An expert jury consisting of international members of the ECFA decides on the competition's winner.
The Film Prize GROSSE KLAPPE 2016 goes to Christian Cerami
On the occasion of the 15th anniversary of doxs! during the 40th edition of the Duisburger Filmwoche in 2016 (November 7-13, 2016) the "GROSSE KLAPPE" award was handed over to british director Christian Cerami for his short documentary "Black Sheep" (GB 2015). Not an "easy film", according to the jury. But a clear statement against xenophobia and racism. British director Cerami convinced the youth jury with a portrait of a young man who is close to the right-wing-extremist "English Defense League". Ten films were nominated for the GROSSE KLAPPE 2016.
Furthermore, the German festival submission "Ein Aus Weg" (GER 2016) by Simon Steinhorst and Hannah Lotte Stragholz was awarded with a special mention by the jury. The film convinces with its "unique documental narration through animated drawings" and it "criticises the lack of help for people with problems, like drug addiction on different filmic levels".
Please find further information on the youth jury, the jury's reasoning and printable pictures of the award ceremony and the awardee available for download here.
The ECFA Documentary Award 2016 goes to Erlend E. Mo
The first ECFA Documentary Award was awarded to the film "Dans for livet / Dancing for you" by the Norwegian director Erlend E. Mo. It tells the story of a twelve-year-old girl who is one of the best in a traditional masculine dance and who is confronted with the imminent death of her sick grandfather. The jury states: "We decided to give the prize to an uplifting film about a child gaining the self confidence to stand up for her aspirations by breaking with gender stereotypes. What touched us the most is that through a sincere respect for the environment and nature's elements, the film becomes a celebration of life and the valuable time spent with the people you love." The jury included Marta Nieto Postigo (Barcelona), Viola Gabrielli (Erfurt) and Gert Hermans (Brüssel).
Please find the complete jury's reasoning and printable pictures of the award ceremony and the awardee available for download here.
The Film Prize GROSSE KLAPPE 2015 goes to Åse Svenheim Drivenes
A documentary about the consequences of modern working migration on personal relationships wins the GROSSE KLAPPE at the 14th edition of the doxs! festival. With the portrait "I am Kuba" the Norwegian director Åse Svenheim Drivenes could convince the youth jury. She receives the film prize for political children and youth documentaries, which is funded by the Federal Centre for political education (Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung/bpb). "I am Kuba" is about two boys, who stay behind at home in Poland while their parents make a living in Scotland and Austria.
Furthermore the jury highlights the Austrian production "Gleichgewicht" (2015), directed by Bernhard Wenger with a special mention. The festival documentary "tells a young woman’s difficult life story in presenting a remarkable visual imagery without emotionally manipulating the audience".
Please find further information on the youth jury, the jury’s reasoning and printable pictures of the award ceremony and the awardee available for download here
Film Prize GROSSE KLAPPE 2014 goes to Emilie Blichfeldt
Award time at doxs!: Young filmmaker Emilie Blichfeldt’s festival contribution "How do you like my hair?" is awarded this year’s prize for political documentaries for children and youth.
Gender roles and ideals of beauty not only are issues in everyday life, they are also reoccurring subjects in the festival programme of doxs!. In 2014, the jury has picked a film, which handles these topics in a way both humorous and sensitive. "How do you like my hair?" is about the author’s struggle to start appreciating her own body. Telling a story of a romantic encounter with a musician whose extraordinarily big nose catches her attraction, she manages to argue for a form of beauty unrecognized by the public and often contrary to the standards of society.
In addition, the jury gave honorable mention to the festival contribution "Nieuw" (NL 2014) by Eefje Blankevoort. The documentary tells the story of 8-year-old Tanans, who arrives in the Netherlands after having fled from his home in Uganda.
Please find further information in the press release awardee GROSSE KLAPPE 2014, the jury’s reasoning and printable pictures of the award ceremony and the awardee available for download here.
Britta Wandaogo wins filmprize GROSSE KLAPPE 2013
For the third time the GROSSE KLAPPE, endowed with 3,500€ by the Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung/bpb, awarded a documentary that is highly engaged in aesthetical and political issues. German director Britta Wandaogo wins the GROSSE KLAPPE for the short documentary Crocodiles Without Saddles (GER 2012), a portrait of her daughter. By reflecting upon herself and her bicultural identity as a child of African and German decent, fifteen-yearold Kaddi was able to convince the jury.
Furthermore, the jury decided to give a honourable mention to Janetta Ubbels’ film "Delete" (NL 2012) for the new perspective on Alzheimer’s disease and outstanding camera work.
Please find further information on the youth jury, the jury’s reasoning and printable pictures of the award ceremony and the awardee available for download here.
Shaheen Dill-Riaz wins filmprize GROSSE KLAPPE 2012
Film director Shaheen Dill-Riaz wins the film prize GROSSE KLAPPE in Duisburg, a documentary award for socio-political documentaries for children and adolescents. The youth jury decided to hand out the film award GROSSE KLAPPE to Shaheen Dill Riaz’ festival contribution "Der Vorführer/Number One Rakib Khan" (D 2012). The director tells the story of the 10-year-old Rakib in Bangladesh, whose passion for cinema allows him to cope with everyday life and difficult social circumstances. The Federal Agency for Civic Education endows the prize and awards the winner with 3.500 Euro at the ceremony on November 9th, 2012.
Please find further information on the youth jury, the jury’s reasoning and printable pictures of the award ceremony and the awardee available for download here.
Fabio Caramaschi wins filmprize GROSSE KLAPPE 2011
The Italian film director Fabio Caramaschi wins the GROSSE KLAPPE film prize for socio-political documentaries for children and adolescents in Duisburg. The doxs! youth jury decided to hand out the film prize GROSSE KLAPPE to Fabio Caramaschi’s festival contribution "Solo andata, il viaggo di un Tuareg / One Way, a Tuareg Journey" (I 2010).
The director tells the story of a Tuareg-family who migrated to Italy leaving their traditional roots of Niger to start a new life in North-Italy. The Federal Agency for Civic Education endows the prize and awards the winner with 3.500 Euro at the ceremony on 10 November 2011.
Please find further information on the youth jury, the jury’s reasoning and printable pictures of the award ceremony and the awardee available for download here.
doxs! 2011 – tenth anniversary!
10 years of documentaries for children and adolescents –
doxs! celebrated its anniversary with a remarkable programme
The landscape of documentaries for children and adolescents is constantly changing.
In 2011 the doxs! kino programme underlined these changes and presented a programme focusing on films which deal with highly significant political and social issues: family conflicts, youth crime, problems of migration and disability. Looking at the film selection one can moreover make out a tendency towards fictionalisation and staging elements within the documentary narration. The boundaries between the two genres are blurring even in children’s films. Documentaries and fiction merge to form an imposing collaboration of picture and narrative. The Usage of animated comics to underline the film’s narrative and it’s stories is – on the same level – an experimental development which not only works in big cinema productions but also has its significance for documentaries for children.
The festival doxs! kino 2011 presented 20 contemporary European documentaries, among them were 3 world premieres and 3 German premieres.
press information
press release doxs! kino (September 2015) Download
press release doxs! kino (September 2014) Download
press release awardee GROSSE KLAPPE 2013 (November 2013) Download
press release doxs! kino (September 2013) Download
press release KID DOK Jakarta (August 2013) Download
press release awardee GROSSE KLAPPE 2012 (November 2012) Download
press release doxs! kino (September 2012) Download
project kid dok Jakarta (May 2012) Download
press release awardee GROSSE KLAPPE 2011 (November 2011) Download
jury reasoning (November 2011) Download