The full program of the 23rd edition of the Millennium Docs Against Gravity festival has just appeared on the mdag.pl website, which means over 170 films from around the world. Exactly one week from now, on April 23, the screening schedule, the list of accompanying events will be published, and ticket sales for individual screenings will begin. Meanwhile, you can already start creating your list of must-see titles. Passes and accreditations for the Warsaw edition are also still available on the book.mdag.pl website.
The 23rd MDAG will take place from May 8 to 17, 2026 in cinemas in seven cities (Warsaw, Wrocław, Gdynia, Poznań, Katowice, Łódź and Bydgoszcz) and from May 19 to June 1 online at mdag.pl! It is the largest Polish film festival and the second largest documentary film festival in Europe, which gathered over 181 thousand viewers in 2025.
How to navigate the program of the 23rd MDAG?
Help in getting a handle on this film abundance comes from dividing the program into sections and competitions. They allow for a better understanding of the thematic scope of the films gathered within them. As every year, new sections also debut in the program, showing what has been important in documentary cinema in recent months. In the Name of the Father and Son section takes a closer look at one of the most important and most complicated relationships in the lives of many of us. All Eyes on Palestine sheds light on the political and social context of the tragic situation of Palestinians. Masters section is a review of new films by the most outstanding figures of documentary cinema, and New York, I Love You, But… explores the complicated relationship of artists with the city that never sleeps.
Additionally, on MDAG’s social media, suggestions of which screening to choose depending on your interests are constantly appearing. On the occasion of publishing the program, the festival team also decided to gather their recommendations. The result is a surprising and diverse set in which everyone can find something for themselves.
Sara Wołczyńska, head of PR: “A Fox Under a Pink Moon”, dir. Mehrdad Oskouei, Soraya Akhalaghi
“A Fox Under a Pink Moon” is a story about Afghan Soraya Akhalagi – the protagonist of the film, its co-director and the author of phone-shot footage created in collaboration with Mehrdad Oskouei. Escaping the violence and restrictions she experiences while living in Iran, Soraya tries to regain freedom and the right to decide about her own life – first through art, and ultimately by attempting to escape to Europe.
[A woman lies on the ground, covered with a transparent blue-colored material]
Barbara Wrona, coordinator for education and accompanying events: “WTO/99”, dir. Alex Megaro, Ian Bell
WTO/99 is a time capsule that transports viewers right into the middle of the four-day demonstrations against the World Trade Organization that erupted in Seattle in 1999. Over 40,000 people took to the streets then to protest the negative impact of globalization on workers’ rights, the environment and national sovereignty. Edited entirely from archival footage, the film shows both the scale of this unimaginable event and the stories of the individuals that make it up. Such a focused look at this historical moment seems particularly valuable a quarter of a century later.
[A shot from an old recording; two uniformed individuals carry a tied-up man]
Agata Dawid, festival guest relations coordinator, translator: “All About the Money”, dir. Sinéad O'Shea
A twist-filled story about the eccentric heir to one of the largest fortunes in the USA. As a declared anti-system rebel, Fergie Chambers, instead of a life like in “Succession”, gives up involvement in the family business, taking with him 250 million dollars, which he allocates to establishing a commune and other social causes. Does the power that comes from capital leave room for true altruism? And is a different order even possible? Even knowing the answers to these questions, this film will not let you get bored for a single moment.
[A man in a baseball cap sits at a table with a laptop, turned toward someone; another room in the background]
Anna Szczypińska, head of Industry: “Love-22-Love”, dir. Jeroen Kooijmans
“Love-22-Love” is a subversive film about closeness: artist Jeroen Kooijmans, in his diary-film, uses 30 years of video archives to tell about his relationship with his wife and daughters, about art, love and the struggle with recurring demons of mental illness. I was charmed by how from this raw material emerges a tender love letter and a moving story about how art and family can become salvation in the most difficult moments.
[The face of a man and a woman, green leaves on the sides]
Magdalena Dudek, head of guests: “The Oldest Person in the World”, dir. Sam Green
Sam Green is one of our favorite festival guests. His film follows changing Guinness record holders in being the oldest person in the world, intertwining the stories of his protagonists with his own experiences and life events, such as the birth of his son, illness, or the story of his mother, who met the love of her life at over 90 years old. The film is a warm, subtle and humorous look at what it means to be alive, while being an insightful documentary about the human experience.
[An elderly woman sits on a couch; old photographs hang behind her on the walls and stand on furniture]
Karolina Konwalik, head of the festival office, coordinator of the festival center: “Time and Water”, dir. Sara Dosa
A reflective documentary about an Icelandic writer who confronts the loss of loved ones, as well as the melting of glaciers in his country. Combining personal archives and family memories, he tries to preserve what is passing – memory, time and the relationship between humans and nature. It is a poetic story about the fragility of the world that leaves the viewer in quiet reflection and with emotions that do not fade long after the end credits.
[The outline of a figure emerging from a cave; rain in the background, blue and yellow glows]
Magdalena Zentak, coordinator of the festival office and volunteers: “Nuisance Bear”, dir. Gabriela Osio Vanden, Jack Weisman
If you feel like moving to a subarctic region, I recommend going on this trip with “Nuisance Bear”. I realize that most of us may already be tired of winter, but watching it from the comfort of a cinema seat is a slightly different matter. We have a wonderful northern atmosphere here, beautiful cinematography and excellent sound. At the same time, we can reflect on the answers to the questions – who is on whose territory here and who is really causing trouble for whom?
[A white bear emerges from the water]
Ewelina Tomczak, director of development and education of the festival: “Candidates of Death”, dir. Maciej Cuske
A journey full of tenderness through friendships, but also family relationships. About children growing up, but also about a parent. About changes that occur within us; about closeness that sometimes generates the most tension. About words that are damn hard to say and about the relief they bring when they finally resonate. And in the background horror films and a bit of space. You will fall in love with this film. You will cry with emotion and with laughter. I promise!
[Silhouettes of several people seen from behind bars; blue sky with clouds in the background]
Urszula Jurgiel, film distribution and jury coordinator: “The End of the Internet”, dir. Dylan Reibling
We all know how much influence the Internet has on our daily lives and on the world we function in. On a daily basis, however, we do not think about what it looks like “physically”, how the infrastructure that enables its use in the form we know today was created. What does its presence mean for different societies and how does it affect the surrounding nature? It is worth stopping for a moment and getting to know this topic from a completely different perspective.
[An older man in a green jacket with a backpack stands in the middle of a forest]
Maks Piłasiewicz, MDAG Industry coordinator: “Whispers in the Woods”, dir. Vincent Munier
Munier once again managed to capture on screen not only the beauty and tranquility of nature and wild animals, but also the feeling of being in their presence. It is a beautiful film with incredible wildlife cinematography, after which you will feel as if you have returned from a long walk in the forest. An ideal way to slow down, escape the overload of information, stimuli and chasing responsibilities and simply commune with the beauty of nature. The respect with which the director treats nature is evidenced by the end credits of the film, in which he first listed all the animals shown in the film.
[A shot from the film “Mentor”; four boys sit on a carpet beater, one leans against it. Plants around them]
Our recommendations could not miss short documentary cinema. Mateusz Góra, director of the Short Film Competition, recommends Polish films:
“Mentor", “Twin Days", “Heads in the Clouds” (Bujając w obłokach) and “I’m Painting a Self-portrait, but All I See Is My Sister’s Face" (Maluję swój autoportret, a wychodzi mi moja siostra) are four Polish films that have been included in the Short Film Competition. They show the wonderful imagination and great sense of cinema of the young generation of Polish filmmakers. As many as two (“Twin Days" and “I’m Painting a Self-portrait, but All I See Is My Sister’s Face") tell about the extraordinary bond of twin sisters, who in both cases are also artists. The remaining two (“Mentor" and “Heads in the Clouds") also share something – they bring us closer to the lives of children who came to Poland from other countries and are looking for their place here, while at the same time remembering the culture in which they were born. This set includes animation, a road movie, an observational film and an experiment combining voice-over narration with contrasting images. They show the possibilities of documentary cinema and its extraordinary flexibility – they are interesting and engaging, while talking about universal and important things.
The sale of passes and accreditations for the 23rd MDAG is ongoing
Passes and media and industry accreditations for the 23rd edition of MDAG in Warsaw can be purchased at book.mdag.pl. Sales will continue until May 1 or until the pool is exhausted.
[Horizontal graphic: at the top, a woman’s face emerges from the water; the background is dark green; the 23rd MDAG logo, text informing about the place and time of the film festival]
Passes can be purchased at the price of 350 PLN at: https://book.mdag.pl/pl/karnety. All useful information about how they work can be found here: https://book.mdag.pl/pl/strona/jak-dziala-twoj-karnet. The pass is a gateway to a film feast, which this year consists of over 170 top-quality documentary productions from around the world.
All people working in the media and in the film industry are encouraged to purchase a media or industry accreditation. In order to obtain it, please fill in the form at: https://book.mdag.pl/pl/akredytacje. The cost of accreditation is 270 PLN. Within a few days of submitting the application, we will inform you about granting the accreditation. All useful information can be found on the website: https://book.mdag.pl/pl/strona/jak-dziala-twoja-akredytacja.
