SEE THE SOUND · Call for entries:

Best Music Documentary Award

SEE THE SOUND (July 15–19, 2026), the film festival of SoundTrack_Cologne, invites filmmakers, producers and distributors to submit films with a focus on music and sound.

Dedicated to all forms of motion pictures that visualise music, SEE THE SOUND welcomes a wide range of formats and genres. Eligible submissions include music documentaries, feature films with a musical focus, such as biopics about musicians or bands, concert documentaries, portraits of composers and bands, as well as music videos.

Since its inception, SoundTrack_Cologne has grown into Europe’s leading festival and conference platform for music and sound in film, games, TV and multimedia. With SEE THE SOUND, STC offers a curated stage for outstanding films about music to be experienced on the big screen in Cologne.

In addition, SEE THE SOUND presents the Best Music Documentary Award!

The prize for the Best Music Documentary will be awarded at SEE THE SOUND for the thirteenth time. The winner will receive 2,500 euros.

Submission criteria

• Films and music videos whose production was completed in 2025 or 2026 or premiered after January 1, 2025, are eligible for submission.
• Short films and music videos must last a maximum of 30 minutes. Long films must last more than 60 minutes.
• Screening prints should be in DCP format (preferred), BluRay, DVD, or a high-quality digital file (e.g., ProRes).
• Online screeners as preview copies are preferred. DVD submissions are also accepted.

Submission Deadlines:

Early bird submissions: March 23th, 2026, 10:00 CEST.
Late submissions: April 14th, 2026, 10:00 CEST.