FIPRESCI Introduces the Documentary Grand Prix, to be Presented Annually at MDAG

The International Federation of Film Critics, FIPRESCI, which brings together film journalists from around the world, is pleased to announce the launch of The Documentary Grand Prix. This new award will be given to the best documentary film of the year. The winner will be selected through a vote by all members of this prestigious federation, representing over 50 national sections and 30 more countries with individual members. The award will be presented annually starting in 2026 at Millennium Docs Against Gravity (MDAG). The first winner will be announced at the Opening Ceremony of the 23rd MDAG in May 2026.

FIPRESCI Documentary Grand Prix

Founded in 1925, FIPRESCI is the largest and most renowned organization representing film critics worldwide. The Documentary Grand Prix is a new award, created in response to the growing need to recognize non-fiction filmmaking. Until now, FIPRESCI has had juries at numerous film festivals around the world—including A-listed Cannes, Venice, and Toronto—with its pinnacle Grand Prix award presented annually in San Sebastián. Starting from 2026, MDAG will become home for the Documentary Grand Prix.

Members of FIPRESCI from around the world will vote for the best documentary film of the past year, making this award one of the most important distinctions in global documentary cinema. It is a great honor for MDAG and for the Polish film industry that, among all festivals worldwide, Millennium Docs Against Gravity has been chosen as the place where this exceptional award will be presented.

Karol Piekarczyk, Artistic Director of MDAG, expresses his deep gratitude to FIPRESCI for their trust: “I think that the new Documentary Grand Prix, which will be given by FIPRESCI for the very first time in history, is an extremely significant sign for the documentary film industry. The award will be decided by hundreds of film critics from over 80 countries in the world – showcasing how important the medium is and will be in the future. The fact that FIPRESCI chose Millennium Docs Against Gravity to be the place where this award will be presented each year is such an amazing recognition for us, that we are beyond words. It is a testament to the work of all of our team, of the hundreds of volunteers at each edition and to the whole documentary industry which became part of the MDAG family. This privilege for me personally is a signpost, which will remind us, whilst preparing for every new edition of the festival, why we are here, what our mission is and how lucky we are that we can work with such incredible films and filmmakers.”

FIPRESCI Director Ahmed Shawky highlights the importance of the new award for documentary cinema: “FIPRESCI’s commitment to promoting outstanding cinema and defending freedom of expression continues with this new initiative in partnership with MDAG. For more than 25 years, the Grand Prix has been the highest annual award FIPRESCI bestows on a film. Now, it is the right time to extend equivalent recognition to documentary cinema, together with a partner festival that shares our values. The FIPRESCI Documentary Grand Prix will become the critics’ flagship annual award, and we are happy that MDAG will be its home”.

Following an initial vote by FIPRESCI members, a shortlist of five nominated films will be announced. The winner will be revealed on Thursday, May 7, during the Opening Gala of the 23rd MDAG. The festival will also host a screening of the winning film, followed by a talk with the director, moderated by a FIPRESCI representative.

The FIPRESCI Jury at MDAG

In addition to the Documentary Grand Prix, starting 2026, MDAG will host a three-member FIPRESCI Jury, which will award its prize to the best film in the Main Competition. Each year, at the world’s biggest film events, FIPRESCI juries present their awards. MDAG, which is not only the largest film festival in Poland but also the second-largest documentary film festival in Europe, now joins this prestigious group.

The 23rd Millennium Docs Against Gravity will take place from 8 to 17 May 2026 in cinemas in Warsaw, Wrocław, Gdynia, Poznań, Katowice, Bydgoszcz, and Łódź, and online from May 19 to June 1 at mdag.pl. The title sponsor of the event is Bank Millennium.

©FIPRESCI 2026