film

DocsBarcelona returns as one of the city’s most interesting film festivals, built around documentaries that look past headlines and into the messier realities underneath. Now in its 29th edition, the festival has long been one of Europe’s key non-fiction events, but what keeps it appealing is that it is as much for curious cinemagoers as it is for documentary lovers.

This year’s programme runs on two strong thematic lines: “Beyond the headline” and “Anatomy of reality”. It also features sections like Docs&City, Docs&Cat, Docs&Teens. The 2026 edition will open with the Iranian documentary A Fox Under a Pink Moon, while highlights around the festival also include John Wilson returning with his feature debut The History of Concrete and a retrospective dedicated to Mark Cousins, this year’s honorary award recipient.

For anyone who likes interesting cinema, this event remains one of the most rewarding dates on the city’s cultural calendar.