FIPADOC - International Documentary Festival

FIPADOC: Documentary in All Its Forms

FIPADOC (International Documentary Film Festival) is a major event for documentary cinema held annually in Biarritz in January. Heir to the prestigious FIPA (International Festival of Audiovisual Programmes), founded in 1987 by Michel Mitrani in Cannes, the festival settled in Biarritz in 1996 and took the name FIPADOC in 2019 to affirm its specialization in documentary.

An International Reference Festival

FIPADOC has established itself as one of the largest festivals dedicated to documentary in Europe:

• Nearly 180 documentaries screened each year, selected from hundreds of international submissions.
• Over 44,000 spectators during the 2025 edition.
• Over 2,600 accredited professionals from around the world.
• Six to ten days of screenings, debates, meetings, and professional events.

Programming and Sections

FIPADOC offers a program structured into several sections:

• International Competition: The best documentaries of the year competing for festival awards.
• Panorama: An expanded selection of exceptional documentaries from around the world.
• Territorial Focus: Each edition highlights the documentary production of a country or region. In 2026, the focus is dedicated to Spain and Portugal.
• Documentary Series: A section dedicated to documentary series, a booming format.
• Virtual Reality and Immersive Creation: Exploration of new forms of documentary storytelling.
• Podcasts and Sound Creation: Audio documentary works are also programmed.

The Industry Days

FIPADOC is also a leading professional market with the Industry Days, which bring together international producers, broadcasters, and financiers:

• FIPADOC International Pitches: 24 selected documentary projects are presented to over 60 international financiers.
• Co-production Forum: A meeting space for project holders and potential partners.
• Professional Conferences: Round tables on the challenges of contemporary documentary.

A Festival Rooted in Biarritz

FIPADOC takes place in several venues in Biarritz and surrounding towns. Screenings are held in the city's cinemas and venues, creating a festive and friendly atmosphere that characterizes the festival. Biarritz offers a unique setting for this winter gathering of documentary, between the ocean and the mountains.

From FIPA to FIPADOC: A Prestigious History

The festival boasts a rich history, since its creation in 1987 by filmmaker Michel Mitrani. First based in Cannes, then in Nice in 1995, FIPA settled in Biarritz in 1996. In 2019, the festival underwent a major transformation, becoming FIPADOC, refocusing on documentary in all its forms and for all screens: cinema, television, series, virtual reality, podcasts, and music creation.