Selected International Film Festivals

Sections Anthem, Cinema’s Legacy, Galas, Portrait, Shorts, Special Screenings, Spectrum, Truth and Justice, Forum

Terms of Entry Films eligible for AFI DOCS 2020 must have been completed on or after February 28, 2019. To be eligible for the Sterling Award, feature docs should have not played in more than two other US film festivals prior to the screening at AFI Docs. Documentaries must not have been broadcast on TV or screened theatricallyin the US. The documentary must not have screened in the Washington D.C area prior to the festival. Filmmakers may submit more than one documentary (for each doc entry form and fee!)

Genre Documentary Films

Subtitles English subtitles necessary

Format DCP

Registration Deadline Early: November 29 Shorts $40 / Features $50
Regular: January 24 Shorts $50 / Features $70
Late: March 6 Shorts $60 / Features $90

Attendance Figures 13,000

Participants of the Film Industry over 450 professionals

Prizes/Awards Audience Choice Award

Number of Films Shown 90 films out of 30 countries

Media Coverage AFI Docs is widely covered in the entertainment industry and general press. National coverage incl. The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, NPR and USA Today. Trade coverage incl. DOX, Hollywood Reporter, International Documentary, Variety and Screen International. Online publications Forbes.com and ABC News' The Note.

Evaluation Founded in 2003 by the American Film Institute and Discovery Channel, the festival has already gained the status of being the US version of Hot Docs while still keeping its familiar atmosphere. The three-day International Documentary Conference, held concurrently with the festival, was launched in 2005. It offers workshops, seminars and networking events.

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