The first International Documentary Film Festival "Unknown Russia" continues accepting applications

Applications for participation in the first International Documentary Film Festival "Unknown Russia" are being accepted in Moscow. This season, the festival is developing the role of documentaries as a tool of public dialogue, updating the business program, expanding international cooperation and inviting foreign participants for the first time.

Documentaries are becoming an increasingly important tool for solving important tasks for the country. The Unknown Russia Festival has become a unique platform that unites directors, producers, TV channels, platforms and viewers. Its mission is to bring audiences and documentaries closer together, form a lively dialogue between the professional community and society, help authors share experiences and create films that are understandable and interesting to modern audiences.

"The festival is a point of attraction for documentaries, TV channels and viewers not only in Russia, but also abroad," said Alexey Zemsky, General Director of NTV. - "We see that interest in Russian documentaries is growing all over the world. Therefore, this season the festival is open to international participants — this is a logical development step that will help intercultural exchange and networking in the new world order."

In the new season, "Unknown Russia" has gained international status. More than 300 applications have already been submitted for participation in the festival, including from Belarus, Venezuela, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia and Germany.

This year, the business program of the festival has become more strategically oriented. It includes round tables with representatives of key institutions responsible for the development of documentary films, panel discussions on the production and distribution of films in the new geopolitical conditions both in Russia and in other countries. Practical workshops on finding financing and working with platforms from authors and producers whose projects have already received recognition on federal TV channels and international markets are planned.

"Documentaries are becoming the language of trust between people and countries today. This year we have updated the business program, expanded the format of pitchings and discussions, and added platforms for direct communication between authors and TV channels, platforms, and producers. This creates real opportunities for films to find their way to the audience," said Vyacheslav Goldfeld, President of the festival.

In 2026, the Unknown Russia festival has two co—chairs, Sergey Shumakov and Saida Medvedeva, which underlines the unification of the professional media community and the expert jury.

Strengthening cooperation with federal TV channels remains one of the key areas of the festival's development. Last year, for the first time, the Kultura TV channel included the films of the "Unknown Russia" laureates on its air, and this format aroused a great audience response. In the new season, the partnership continues and reaches a new level: the screening schedule is expanding, and special broadcast premieres dedicated to documentary films as a tool of cultural dialogue are planned.

This year, the competition program has been updated and supplemented with a new nomination – "The Soul of Russia", reflecting human stories about creation, mutual assistance and the inner strength of the country.

The decision to expand the nominations was made based on the experience of previous years: the "Characters" category, which traditionally attracted the most applications, now focuses exclusively on films about prominent personalities. The new nomination allows us to highlight the stories of collective achievements and inspiring projects.

In the new season, the festival includes key categories: "History", "Ethnoculture", "Popular Science cinema", "Industrial and technological cinema" and "Rediscovering Russia".

It is planned to broadcast live key events of the festival, create a separate online section with participating films and communicate with the authors online, which will significantly expand the audience and strengthen the media presence of the festival.

The Unknown Russia Festival is increasingly perceived not just as a competitive project, but as a public platform where documentaries become a tool for shaping national identity. The organizers note that modern films help not only to tell stories, but also to unite society around common values and meanings.

Special attention in the new season is paid to the audience. The organizers emphasize that the audience's interest in documentary content is growing, and cinemas are already registering a steady demand for this genre.

The Unknown Russia Festival remains the only one in Russia whose winners receive airplay on federal TV channels and screenings in leading cinemas.

Applications are accepted until February 15, 2026, and the award ceremony will take place on March 26 at the Moscow Khudozhestvenny Cinema.