FIPADOC 2027

About FIPADOC

FIPADOC is an international documentary festival held in Biarritz, France. Its programme brings feature and short documentaries, documentary series and immersive work together with public screenings, while FIPADOC Pro creates a parallel professional space for filmmakers, producers, broadcasters, sales companies, distributors and funders.

The 9th edition will take place from 22 to 30 January 2027. Alongside the film programme, the festival also runs Industry Days and International Pitches for documentary projects in development or production.

Which FIPADOC 2027 Calls Are Still Open?

As of 17 September 2026, submissions for unreleased films remain open until 25 September 2026. This group includes International Documentary, French Documentary, Musical Documentary and Impact Documentary, together with current competitive routes such as Short Film, European Stories and Documentary Series.

The 8 September deadline has already passed for Francophone Documentary Panorama, New Voices, SMART and non-competitive selections. For a filmmaker submitting now, the useful question is therefore whether the project fits one of the routes still open through 25 September.

Main FIPADOC Competitions for Feature Documentaries

International Documentary, French Documentary, Musical Documentary and Impact Documentary are among FIPADOC’s principal feature-length competition routes.

International Documentary is open to French and international films that remain unreleased in France. Musical Documentary is for work in which music is central to the film, while Impact Documentary focuses on documentaries engaging with subjects such as social justice, human rights and environmental protection.

For these main unreleased-film competitions, the 2027 rules use a minimum runtime of 50 minutes and a production window running from October 2025 to October 2026. Release history in France therefore matters alongside runtime and production date when choosing the right category.

Short Documentary and Documentary Series

The Short Film competition accepts French and international documentaries produced in 2025 or 2026 with a maximum runtime of 20 minutes. This route remains open until 25 September 2026.

Documentary Series is assessed as a complete series with a maximum total running time of 240 minutes. European Stories provides another route for documentaries connected to the history or construction of Europe or to the lives of European citizens.

Black Sea Focus and Türkiye

The 2027 edition also includes a Black Sea focus for productions and co-productions from Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, Türkiye, Ukraine and Georgia. That non-competitive route closed on 8 September, but it remains useful context for filmmakers from Türkiye looking at how the festival is shaping its 2027 programme.

Screener and Subtitle Preparation

Film submissions require a final-cut digital viewing link. Films not in French must be submitted with English and/or French subtitles, and the viewing link must remain active through 31 January 2027.

If a film is selected, the later delivery stage can include a DCP, subtitle files, a trailer and print-ready publicity materials. It is therefore useful to treat the submission screener and the selected-film delivery package as two separate preparation stages.

FIPADOC International Pitches 2027

Separate from completed-film submissions, FIPADOC Pro is running its International Pitches call for documentary projects in development or production. Production companies can apply until 2 October 2026.

Twenty-four selected project teams will pitch in Biarritz on 27 and 28 January 2027 to an international group of broadcasters, distributors, sales agents, festivals and film funds. The programme also includes individual meetings organised around the pitching sessions.

Finding the Right FIPADOC Route

At FIPADOC, two documentaries with similar subjects can fall into different sections because of runtime or release history in France. AD1 FILM can review those factors with the production period and project stage, then prepare the screener, subtitle package and festival materials for the route that best matches the film.