Christoph Terhechte, artistic director of the DOK Leipzig festival, is to leave his role at the German documentary festival two years early for personal reasons.
Terhechte’s contractwas due to expire on January 31, 2028, but he will now step down on January 31 2026 before taking early retirement. This year’s edition, taking place from October 27- November 2, will be his final one in charge.
“I deeply regret Christoph Terhechte’s decision,” said Skadi Jennicke, chairwoman of the festival’s advisory board. ”With him at the helm, we were able to put the DOK-Filmwochen GmbH back on a solid economic footing. After the difficult years that the coronavirus pandemic caused for the festival industry, Mr Terhechte and his team have done an excellent job in stabilising the festival and recently achieved a record number of visitors in 2024.”
A selection committee comprising members of the festival’s supervisory board, including Jennicke, plus external consultants from the film and documentary film industry, will begin the search for Terhechte’s successor. A replacement is expected to be found by the third quarter of 2025.
Terhechte took over as artistic director of DOK Leipzig and managing director of the Leipziger DOK-Filmwochen in 2020. He was previously artistic director of the Marrakech International Film Festival, and was head of the international forum of new cinema at the Berlinale from 2001-2018.
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