Doc’s Kingdom, Portugal’s international seminar devoted to documentary film, is scheduled to return to Odemira in the Alentejo region from November 13 to 18, 2026. The edition, titled Undercurrents, counterspells, combines screenings, debates and related activities in an intensive program running from morning to night.
The organizer says the seminar opens on the evening of Friday, November 13, and ends shortly before lunch on Wednesday, November 18. Most events will be held at central Odemira venues within walking distance, with one program day in the neighboring village of São Luís and shuttle transport supplied for that excursion.
What Doc’s Kingdom 2026 will explore
The 2026 program asks a central political and aesthetic question: “What can cinema still do when the ubiquitous image has lost its capacity to disturb?” Its framing examines how images are made, circulated and received; how collective forms and memory shape documentary practice; and what political possibilities may remain in images that resist immediate legibility.
The announced context reaches across several histories of struggle and disillusionment, including Mesoamerican resistance to colonial violence, the Palestinian liberation movement, and the aftermath of utopian experiments in ex-Yugoslavia, postwar Lebanon and rural Portugal. The seminar is designed as a cumulative conversation: participants are encouraged to attend the full schedule so later discussions can build on earlier films and sessions.
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Announced filmmakers and program contributors
The organizer’s 2026 announcement names Annalisa D. Quagliata Blanco, Camilo Restrepo, Marta Popivoda, Mohamed Soueid, Oraib Toukan and Sílvia das Fadas, alongside work by José Álvaro Morais. The programming committee is Victor Guimarães, Jowe Harfouche, Catarina Boieiro and Stefanie Baumann. This is the announced lineup and may change before the seminar.
English is the seminar’s main working language. Anyone planning to participate should expect sustained discussion as well as film screenings, rather than a conventional festival schedule built around individual drop-in shows.
Dates, location and daily format
- Dates: Friday evening, November 13, through shortly before lunch on Wednesday, November 18, 2026.
- Base: Central Odemira, in Portugal’s Alentejo region.
- Excursion: One day in São Luís, with seminar-provided transport.
- Format: Films, debates and related activities scheduled from morning to night.
- Main language: English.
Doc’s Kingdom began in Serpa in 2000 and has been held in Odemira since 2023. The archive identifies Undercurrents, counterspells as the 2026 edition; Ways of Listening belongs to the 2024 edition.
Registration fees and what they cover
Registration is limited and allocated in the order applications are received. The organizer lists these tiers:
Rank #3
| Category | Announced fee |
|---|---|
| Portugal residents and participants from the Global South | €250 |
| International participants | €350 |
| Odemira residents, Portugal-based students, and Apordoc or MUTIM members | €220 |
| Institutionally funded participants or people choosing a higher contribution | €380 or more |
Every registration tier includes access to screenings, activities and debates, plus meals other than breakfast. Accommodation and travel to and from Odemira are excluded. Fees, remaining places and eligibility categories can change, so prospective attendees should confirm the current terms with Doc’s Kingdom before paying.
Accommodation: arrange it before registering
Local accommodation is limited. The organizer recommends securing a hotel, guesthouse or other place to stay before completing registration and suggests contacting properties directly. This is especially important for anyone intending to attend the complete six-day schedule, since late alternatives may be outside Odemira and could complicate early-morning and evening attendance.
How to travel to Odemira
The organizer’s travel guidance points to bus services serving Odemira and train journeys to Funcheira followed by onward transport. Routes, departure times and fares vary, so check current information with the transport provider before booking. The seminar supplies transport for its São Luís excursion; that shuttle does not replace the attendee’s own journey to Odemira.
- Choose the appropriate registration category and verify that places remain.
- Book accommodation in or near Odemira before finalizing registration.
- Compare a direct bus with a train to Funcheira plus onward connection.
- Allow enough time to arrive before the opening session on November 13.
- Keep the full November 13–18 period available if you want to follow the seminar’s cumulative discussions.
Why the dates need checking
A Portugal Film Commission event listing currently shows November 19–23 and uses the title Ways of Listening. Those details conflict with Doc’s Kingdom’s September 2026 announcement, its archive and the 2026 RAW regulations, all of which identify November 13–18 and Undercurrents, counterspells. For planning purposes, the seminar organizer’s current announcement is the controlling information; verify dates directly before making non-refundable travel arrangements.
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Doc’s Kingdom’s place in Portugal’s documentary culture
Unlike a general public film festival, Doc’s Kingdom is structured as an international seminar. Its value lies in the relationship between films and sustained collective discussion, with a program that connects formal questions about image opacity and circulation to concrete political histories. The Odemira setting also keeps the event geographically concentrated: most venues are walkable, while the São Luís day extends the program without requiring participants to arrange separate transport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Doc’s Kingdom registration include accommodation?
No. Registration includes screenings, activities, debates and meals other than breakfast, but not lodging or travel to and from Odemira.
Is “Ways of Listening” the 2026 theme?
No. The 2026 edition is titled “Undercurrents, counterspells.” “Ways of Listening” is identified in the archive as the 2024 edition.
Can I attend only one day?
The organizer encourages participants to attend all activities so discussions can develop across the program. Anyone considering a shorter visit should confirm whether partial attendance is accepted and available.
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