DocPoint’s National and International Competitions

Finland’s premiere documentary film festival DocPoint launched two annual competitions at the 2021 festival.

10-12 feature-length films from DocPoint’s International Selection are nominated each year for the DocPoint Award for Best International Documentary Film. DocPoint’s National Competition consists of new Finnish titles over 40 minutes in length. Titles in the International Selection must have their Finnish premieres at DocPoint.

Two juries consisting of international and Finnish experts select the winners in both competitions. The winners are announced at the end of the festival.

National Competition: winners 

  • 11 Underground (dir. Chico Pereira), 2025
  • Neurotypes (dir. Maija Hirvonen), 2024
  • Monica in the South Seas (dir. Mika Taanila & Sami van Ingen), 2023
  • Ruthless Times – Songs of Care (dir. Susanna Helke), 2022
  • Donner – Private (dir. John Webster), 2021

National Competition: special mentions

  • Seafarers – A Tale of a Young Sailor (dir. Milja Viita), 2025
  • The Gamer (ohj. Petri Luukkainen & Jesse Jokinen), 2024
  • Golden Land (dir. Inka Achté), 2022
  • School of Hope (dir. Mohamed El Aboudi), 2021

International Competition: winners

  • A Want in Her (dir. Myrid Carten), 2025
  • Three Promises (dir. Yousef Srouji), 2024
  • While We Watched (dir. Vinay Shukla), 2023
  • Where Are We Headed (dir. Ruslan Fedotov), 2022
  • Makongo (dir. Elvis Sabin Ngaïbino), 2021

International Competition: special mentions

  • I’m Not Everything I Want to Be (dir. Klára Tasovská), 2025
  • All of Our Heartbeats Are Connected Through Exploding Stars (dir. Jennifer Rainsford), 2023
  • Faya Dayi (dir. Jessica Beshir), 2022
  • Purple Sea (dir. Amel Alzakout and Khaled Abdulwahed), 2021

National Shorts Competition: winners 

  • Rooms (dir. Antti Lempiäinen), 2025

National Shorts Competition: special mentions

  • Underdog (dir. Marjo Levlin), 2025

The Aho & Soldan Award

The Aho & Soldan Lifetime Achievement Award was first given out at the first DocPoint festival in 2002. The winner is selected based on the following criteria: significant efforts in creatively developing Finnish documentary filmmaking, as well as a long and outstanding career as a documentary filmmaker.

Aho & Soldan Award winners:

  • 2024: Anu Kuivalainen
  • 2023: John Webster
  • 2021: Tuuli Kuittinen
  • 2018: Mika Kaurismäki
  • 2014: Kanerva Cederström
  • 2011: Pekka Lehto
  • 2010: Kiti Luostarinen
  • 2005: Peter von Bagh
  • 2004: Pirjo Honkasalo
  • 2003: Lasse Naukkarinen
  • 2002: Markku Lehmuskallio

The Apollo Award

The Apollo Award is granted to a person or organization whose work has significantly advanced the Finnish documentary film industry. The award has been granted since 2006.

Apollo Award winners:

  • 2025: Virpi Suutari
  • 2022: Erkki Astala
  • 2020: Juha Samola
  • 2019: Marita Hällfors
  • 2017: Eila Ranta (Werning)
  • 2016: Illume Oy
  • 2015: Reijo Nikkilä
  • 2013: Tuula Mehtonen
  • 2012: Iikka Vehkalahti
  • 2009: Epidem Oy
  • 2008: Jörn Donner
  • 2007: Ilkka Kippola
  • 2006: Jarmo Jääskeläinen