The 28th edition of Docaviv will take place from May 28 – June 6, 2026 with screenings at the Tel Aviv Cinematheque and select locations throughout the city, including the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Suzanne Dellal, Migdalor, ZOA House, Mitzpor, Teder, and Gan HaPisga. The festival presents a rich program of international and Israeli films that engage with our complex reality. Documentary films invite us to meet the world with curiosity, to discover other lives and worlds, and look more closely at our own surroundings and situation, reflecting on it all from an artistic perspective. The full program is available on the Docaviv website.
Special events at Docaviv 2026:
The Director’s Version – Documentary filmmaker and journalist Ben Shani will interview Doron Tsabari, a leading and influential voice in Israeli documentary film, on the 30th anniversary of Beit Shean: Seret Milhama (aka Underdogs: A War Movie). Tsabari’s films have become an integral part of Israeli culture, from Underdogs, to Revolution 101, The Silver Platter, and A Chance to Be Saved: A Journey into the Light and Darkness of Eviatar Banai. He has directed 11 documentary films and series and has won 6 Best Director awards from the Israeli Academy of Film and Television (Ophir Awards). The conversation will cover Tsabari’s extensive repertoire, the changes in his work over the years, the choices he’s made, the doubts, the crucial moments, and his enduring faith in the power of a true story. Friday, June 5th at 14:00, with a screening of Underdogs at 16:00. Tel Aviv Cinematheque.
Master Class with Simon Chinn – with a screening of Man on Wire (2008). Award-winning British producer Chinn has been responsible for some of the significant films of our times, including Searching for Sugarman (2018), The Green Prince (2014), and Kevin Macdonald’s Whitney (2012). Chinn will take the audience behind the scene’s of the producer’s task: how to identify a unique story, how do you transform an idea into a film with universal resonance, and how to create long-term international collaborations. In addition to his personal experience, Chinn will also discuss the changes that streaming has introduced to the documentary film market, and how that has influenced the ways films are made and distributed. Wednesday, June 3rd at 13:30, with a screening of Man on a Wire at 15:30, Tel Aviv Cinematheque.
Special Panel with Fakereporter – a discussion of social networks and the algorithms behind them, the invisible hand that determines what we will know and feel, creating a reality based on hidden motives that shapes our culture. The conversation will examine modes of distribution and filtering, as well as how apparently neutral technological choices translate into strong influence over opinions, feelings, and behavior. The panel discussion will be accompanied by Marc Silver’s film Molly vs the Machines (2026). Sunday, May 31st at 17:45, Tel Aviv Cinematheque.
Outdoor screening of Donn, the Dancer of the XXth Century (2026) at Suzanne Dellal – a portrait of Argentine dancer Jorge Donn (1947 – 1992), best known for his work with Maurice Béjart’s dance company. Tuesday, June 2nd at 20:30.
Football (soccer) Fair – football is the theme for outdoor fun at the Tel Aviv Cinematheque with music, drinks bar, and an evening screening of an episode from the Kan 11 series “Malkat HaSchuna” a docu-reality series that follows the Bnei Yehuda football club during a critical season, as they attempt to return to the premier league. Monday, June 1st, Tel Aviv Cinematheque
Screenings at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art – A selection of Docaviv films focussed on art and culture. Saturday, May 30th from 10:00 onwards.
Screenings at ZOA House – Screenings of the best films of Docaviv 2026. Saturday, June 6th from 14:00 onwards.
Outdoor screening of I Follow Rivers at the Migdalor – an adrenalin infused portrait of Mariann Sæther (42), one of the best whitewater kayakers in the world. Can she both be an extreme sports athlete and have a family? But is the life on the river really worth the risk? The film is told in observational style and through sequences of archive material. Tuesday, June 2nd at 20:30, Migdalor
Screening of Super Paradise: The Story of Mykonos at Mitzpor. The documentary looks at the island of Mykonos when it was a hippie haven of freedom, and its gradual transformation to a luxury locale. Tuesday, June 2nd at 20:30, Mitzpor
Outdoor screening at Gan HaPisga – the winner of the Israeli Film Competition will be screened (the film will be announced at the ceremony taking place the night before). Thursday, June 4th at 20:30, Gan HaPisga
A special program, curated by Ohad Landesman, based on his book Brief Encounters: Documentary Visits to an Imagined Israel, will include four films made by filmmakers Chris Marker, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Jules Dassin, Susan Sontag, and Claude Lanzmann who visited Israel, between the 1960s and 1970s. The program will be launched with a panel discussion, followed by a screening of Pier Paolo Pasolini’s 1965 documentary Sopralluoghi in Palestina per il vangelo secondo Matteo (Location Hunting in Palestine). Lauch event – Friday, May 29th at 14:00, Tel Aviv Cinematheque
Docaviv Closing Party at TEDER – Doors open at 20:00, at 21:00 there will be a screening of two episodes from the series Black Gold: The Story of Israeli Hip Hop, at 23:00 there will be a party at Rafi. Saturday, June 6th, TEDER
