DOCVILLE is a generalist international documentary film festival with a strong focus on new domestic and international productions. Central to the festival are the national and international competitions -where both juries and the audience select their favorites- alongside an annual thematic focus.

The DOCVILLE program consists largely of auteur cinema, with an emphasis on films that engage both the mind and the heart: films focusing on compelling, relevant content, personal vision, and form and cinematography.

An important, annually recurring side section is ScienceVille, which focuses on scientific documentary films. DOCVILLE has been an Academy Award Qualifying festival since 2016.

DOCVILLE's mission is to screen documentary films in optimal conditions, to inspire as broad and new an audience as possible for documentary cinema, and to launch, promote, and elevate the visibility of new films and filmmakers among a wide audience of film lovers.

DOCVILLE does not merely present films; it actively encourages encounters between creators, fostering (international) collaboration, creativity, and pathways into the broader film industry (cinemas, festivals, broadcasters, streaming platforms, distributors, sales agents, etc.).

In addition to bridging the gap to both the general public and the professional film sector, DOCVILLE places a strong emphasis on in-depth exploration, context, and framework discussions led by filmmakers and domain experts. In doing so, DOCVILLE highlights the crucial role documentary film plays in societal debate.