Open City Documentary Festival 2027: Experimental Nonfiction, Audio and XR Entries by November 27
Open City Documentary Festival in London is accepting entries for its 2027 program, which engages with contemporary nonfiction moving-image practice, creative documentary, experimental cinema and certain expanded-media forms. The official entries information identifies November 27, 2026 as the final submission deadline. For artists working in hybrid film, sound and immersive storytelling, category choice is essential.
Experimental documentary, film and related media
Projects may include creative documentary shorts and features, essay films, artists' moving image and nontraditional approaches to nonfiction. Separate pathways may exist for audio or XR submissions. A narrative fiction project is not automatically eligible merely because it looks documentary-like, and work containing commissioned footage, archives or music needs the appropriate permissions.
Costs and screening fees
Submission fees vary with duration, category and entry stage. Published examples for the final stage include around £20 for some short-film entries, £30 for features and £14 for particular XR or audio routes, with possible student concessions. Entrants should consult the application portal for the exact figure before payment. Potential screening fees for selected films are distinct from entry fees and are not guaranteed prizes for every submission.
Materials to review
Verify preview link and screener format, subtitles, captions, premiere and production-date eligibility, music clearance, image and participant releases, and the difference between online and in-person exhibition rights. Especially for immersive installations, a festival technical specification is just as important as the creative synopsis.
About the festival
Open City Documentary Festival is a London-based independent event known for curating creative nonfiction cinema, filmmaker exchanges and conversations about moving-image culture. Its official entry page provides the current submission portals and rules, reducing uncertainty from secondary festival directories.
Deadline and official application
November 27, 2026. Apply through the specific competition or category form linked by the organizer; verify that the right entry stage and fee are selected.
Official source and application
Information checked October 24, 2026. Always consult the organizer for final rules and updated deadlines.