Festivals provide a platform for filmmakers, enthusiasts, and industry professionals to engage, collaborate, and showcase thought-provoking documentaries.
We’ve prepared a list of some notable documentary film festivals starting with those in the continent and some notable and popular mentions from across the globe.
| Festival | Dates | Country | City |
| Out of Africa International Film Festival (OOAIFF) | 19 – 22 January | Kenya | Nyeri |
| iRepresent International Documentary Film Festival (iREP) | 31-Jan | Nigeria | Lagos |
| Inside Nollywood International Film Festival & Awards (INIFFAA) | 15 – 17 February | Nigeria | Abuja |
| Eko International Film Festival (EKOIFF) | 3 – 8 March | Nigeria | Lagos |
| Ikon Awards Film and Television | 23 March | Uganda | Kampala |
| Royal Cocoa International Film Festivals (RCIFF) | 29 – 31 March | Nigeria | Osogbo |
| International Alexandria Short Film Festival | 25 – 30 April | Egypt | Alexandria |
| Abidjan Animation Film Festival (FFAA) | 29 April – 5 May | Côte d’Ivoire | Abidjan |
| Morocco Shorts International Film Festival | 7 – 10 May | Morocco | Rabat |
| Festival international du film documentaire de Khouribga (AFIFDOK) | 11 – 18 May | Morocco | Khouribga |
| Encounters Documentary Film Festival | 20 – 30 June | South Africa | Cape Town |
| International Tourism Film Festival Africa (ITFFA) | 28 May – 1 June | South Africa | Victoria West |
| Grand International Film and Theatre festival (GIFT) | 26 July – 2 August | Kenya | Nairobi |
| Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) | 18 – 28 July | South Africa | Durban |
| Accra Indie Filmfest (AiF) | 29 July – 3 August | Ghana | Accra |
| Cape Town International Film Market & Festival | 30 – 31 August | South Africa | Cape Town |
| Rabat International Author Film Festival (FICAR) | 18 – 25 November | Morocco | Rabat |
| Sandton Film Festival | 28 November | South Africa | Sandton |
| Marrakech International Film Festival | 29th November – 7 December | Morocco | Marrakech |
| Zanzibar International Film Festival | TBA | Tanzania | Zanzibar |
| The Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO) | TBA (Every 2years, next 2025) | Burkina Faso | Ouagadougou |
| Festival national du film de Tanger | TBA | Morocco | Tanger |
| Festival du cinéma africain de Khouribga (FCAK) | TBA | Morocco | Khouribga |
| Festival International de Documentaire (FIDADOC) | TBA | Morocco | Agadir |
| Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) | TBA | Nigeria | Lagos |
| Journées Cinématographiques de Carthage (JCC) | TBA | Tunisia | Carthage |
| Festival | Dates | Country | City |
| Nox Film Fest | 10 – 14 January | Uruguay | Salto |
| Tromsø International Film Festival (TIFF) | 15 – 21 January | Norway | Tromsø |
| Sundance Film Festival | 18 – 28 January | Utah | Park City & Salt Lake City |
| FIPADOC International Documentary Film Festival | 19 – 27 January | France | Biarritz |
| Trieste Film Festival | 19 – 27 January | Italy | Trieste |
| International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) | 25 January – 4 February | The Netherlands | Rotterdam |
| Göteborg Film Festival (GFF) | 26 January – 4 February | Sweden | Gothenburg |
| DocPoint Helsinki | 30 January – 4 February | Finland | Helsinki |
| Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival | 2-10 February | France | Clermont-Ferrand |
| Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) | 8 – 17 February | USA | Santa Barbara, CA |
| Berlin International Film Festival | 15 – 25 February | Germany | Berlin |
| Pan African Film & Arts Festival | 7 – 19 February | USA | Los Angeles, California |
| Glasgow International Film Festival (GIFF) | 28 February – 10 March | UK | Glasgow |
| True/False Film Fest | 29 February – 3 March | USA | Columbia, Missouri |
| Tempo Dokumentar Film Festival | 4 – 10 March | Sweden | Stockholm |
| Tampere Film Festival | 6 – 10 March | Finland | Tampere |
| Thessaloniki Documentary Film Festival | 7 – 17 March | Greece | Thessaloniki |
| SXSW | 8 – 16 March | USA | Austin, Texas |
| BUFF Malmö Film Festival | 9 – 16 March | Sweden | Malmö |
| CPH:DOX | 13 – 24 March | Denmark | Copenhagen |
| Sofia International Film Festival | 13 – 24 March | Bulgaria | Sofia |
| Manchester Film Festival | 15 – 24 March | UK | Manchester |
| Cinéma du Réel International Film Festival | 22 – 31 March | France | Paris |
| Ann Arbor Film Festival | 26 – 31 March | USA | Ann Arbor, Michigan |
| Annapolis Film Festival | 4 – 7 April | USA | Annapolis, Maryland |
| Milwaukee Film Festival (MFF) | 11 – 25 April | USA | Milwaukee |
| Visions du Réel International Film Festival | 12 – 21 April | Switzerland | Nyon |
| Nottingham International Film Festival | 19 – 21 April | UK | Nottingham |
| Atlanta Film Festival | 25 April – 5 May | Georgia | Atlanta |
| Hotdocs | 25 April – 5 May | Canada | Toronto |
| DOK.fest München | 1 – 12 May | Germany | Munich |
| DOXA Documentary Film Festival | 2 – 24 May | Canada | Vancouver, British Columbia |
| Festival de Cannes | 14 – 25 May | France | Cannes |
| Docaviv | 23 May – 1 June | Israel | Tel Aviv |
| IndieLisboa International Film Festival | 23 May – 2 June | Portugal | Lisboa |
| Bolton International Film Festival | 2 – 6 October | UK | Bolton |
| International Documentary Film Festival (IDFA) | 13 – 24 November | Netherlands | Amsterdam |
