Frequently Asked Questions

To create a user account on our site: To the left of the menu button with three lines in the top right corner you will find the button to Register & Sign In. Open the registration form, fill in your email address, a password, your name and date of birth and click “Register”.

You will receive a verification email. After confirming your email address, you are automatically registered.

To sign in to our streaming platform, just use the email address you used to register and your password.

In the top right, after clicking on the Sign In button (to the left of the menu button with three lines), you will find the option to Register & Sign In.

For every new Login, just use the email address you used to register and your password and click on “Sign in” to access your account.

Simply click "Forgot password" on the Sign In page, enter the email address you used to register your account and you will immediately receive a link to reset your password.

If you can’t find the email to recover your password, remember to check your spam folder!

To buy a ticket, you need to have an account on our platform. For more information about how to register an account, see point 1 ("How do I register?").

Select your desired ticket from our ticket offers. We offer an online season ticket for €25 or a combined season ticket (for the festival on-site AND online) for €85 (reduced €75).

These subscriptions are NOT renewed automatically.

Additionally, single tickets for each feature film and for each short film compilation are available at a price of €5.

Click on the ticket to choose which one you would like to buy. After this, our payment form will open. You can choose between paying with PayPal, credit card, or with your debit card.

Please note: You will be redirected to the PayPal page first. All Payments are processed through PayPal, but you can select the other payment options we offer on the PayPal payment processing page. You do not need a PayPal account to make the payment.

Upon successful completion of the transaction, you will receive a confirmation email.

The following purchase options are available:

Online single ticket (for a feature-length film or short film compilation) €5

Online season ticket (for the online film program only) €25

Combined season ticket (for the festival on-site AND online) €85

Reduced combined season ticket (for the festival on-site AND online) €75

You can pay by debit card, credit card or PayPal.

Please note: All Payments are processed through PayPal, but you can select the other payment options we offer on the PayPal payment processing page. You do not need a PayPal account to make the payment.

Yes, we also offer payment by direct debit!

Don't worry if you are redirected to the PayPal page – there you can select your preferred payment option!

The season ticket provides discounted access to the festival program. A season ticket does not guarantee access to an individual film or an individual compilation. There is no reservation option for online films with a season ticket. Access is entirely dependent on the demand.

The accreditation is our discounted industry access option to the entire festival program. An accreditation does not guarantee access to an individual film or an individual compilation. There is no reservation option. Access is entirely dependent on demand.

Please use the function "Redeem code" in the menu on the right or click this link: https://kasselerdokfest.cinemalovers.de/en/coupon.

If you have trouble redeeming your code please check for spelling or typing errors thoroughly. If you keep having problems, please reach out to our support team.

When you bought your season ticket at the counter or at the Filmladen, you were given a coupon code.

After registering or signing in on this platform, you can redeem this coupon by clicking "Redeem coupon" in the menu on the right.

If the code does not work, please check for typing errors thoroughly. If you keep having problems redeeming your code, please reach out to our support team at support@kasselerdokfest.de or call +49 (0)151.65004513 und +49 (0)176.65123570. Please check the availability hours of the support team in the tab "Support" in our FAQ.

Each season ticket is only valid for personal use and should not be shared. The ticket is valid for the complete online program.

Simply bring the payment receipt for your combined season ticket (KombiDauerkarte) to the Filmladen box office or to the FestivalCounter. There, you will be issued a personalized, physical season ticket.

There are several ways to find films on the streaming platform:

1. Navigate through the sections

2. Browse the timetable 

3. Search function at the top right of the page:

→ Enter the name of your favorite film

→ Search for the compilation it is in

→ Search for the section

1. First, please check if the film is currently available. Each film is only available for a certain period of time.

2. Please refresh your browser and try again, the film should start now.

3. Please clear your browser cache.

4. Please use another browser (Safari, Firefox, Chrome)

5. Please check if the problem persists on another device.

If you continue to have difficulties buying tickets or starting playback on a film after trying all these steps, please contact our support team: support@kasselerdokfest.de.

Please make sure to include a screenshot of the error and a detailed description of the issue. We will get back to you as soon as possible.

If you have purchased a season ticket, you can watch any film for the entire period of its availability during the festival (November 12–24). Films from the section JungesDokfest will be available until the 20th of December for teaching purposes.

If you have purchased a single ticket, a film is available to you for up to 48 hours from the first viewing.

Starting with the day of its presentation in festival cinemas, each film is available online for 7 days. After you have started the film for the first time, you will be able to access it for 48 hours. You can stop and restart the film at any time during this 48-hour period. 

Starting with the day of its presentation in festival cinemas, each film is available online for 7 days. You are free to decide when you would like to watch a film within its availability period.

Example: A film available from November 12 will be available until November 18.

The most common cause for problems with streaming the films is an unstable internet connection.

If playback of the film lags or stops repeatedly, it's best to reload the page. You can pause the film, reload the page, and then start playing the film again. You can then scroll to where you left off. You can also try playback in a different browser.

We suggest a broadband internet connection with at least 2 MBit/s data transmission rate for films in SD quality and 6 MBit/s data transmission rate for films in HD-quality. Generally, streams also work with a low speed of Internet.

Our player automatically takes an adaption of the film quality, if the Internet speed isn’t enough.

Please keep in mind that your actual Internet speed is usually slower than stated in the tariff.

There are many free options on the Internet that can test your actual Internet speed, e.g. at www.wieistmeineip.de/speedtest. 

PC and Mac? Yes!

DokfestOnline is a browser based Internet portal. That means that you only need an Internet browser to be able to navigate on our system and then watch films in the browser, it doesn’t matter what kind of Computer (PC or Mac) you use.

It’s suggested to keep your Computer operating system and used browser up to date.

Windows (from Windows 10 and later):

Microsoft Edge from version 88

Firefox from version 89 (with the plugin "Widevine Content Decryption Module" from version 4.10.1440.18)

Google Chrome as of version 88

Safari as of version 15

macOS (from macOS 11 and later):

Safari from version 15

Firefox as of version 89 (within the plugin "Widevine Content Decryption Module" from versoin 4.10.1440.18)

Google Chrome as of version 88

Linux:

Firefox from version 89

Google Chrome from version 88

Chromium

Tablets and smartphones?

You can use DokfestOnline on a tablet or smartphone as well. The mobile browser streaming is possible on Android devices (from version 11, with Chrome) and iOS devices (from version 15, with Safari).

More Information at "Help and Devices".

Connect your PC to the TV using an HDMI cable. It's even easier for owners of an Apple TV or AirPlay compatible TV. Using the Airplay feature (not screen sync), you can stream the screen content on your iPad or iPhone wirelessly to your TV through Apple TV. 

With a Chromecast Stick or with a Chromecast compatible TV, you can transfer your movies to the TV for Android and Apple devices and navigate from your mobile phone/tablet. Simply plug the stick into your TV and open our platform on your mobile phone. 

Select the desired film here and press the transfer icon to the TV in the player.

Please note: Screen synchronization in the control center of iOS as well as screen mirroring from smartphones is not supported for copy protection reasons.

More Information at "Help and devices".

If available, you can switch language and subtitles in the player. Start the film first. At the bottom right you will find a small cogwheel. Click on it, a selection menu appears. Under "Audio Track" select the desired language and under "Subtitles" the subtitles.

If there are subtitles, you can set the size, color and font directly in the player:

– First, start the film

– At the bottom right you will find a cogwheel. Click on it, and a selection menu will appear

– Next to the menu item "Subtitle" there is another cogwheel. Click on it and change the desired settings

There are individual films in which the subtitles are "burned" directly into the picture. It is not possible to change the settings in these cases. 

The watermark cannot be hidden.

Since the films on DokfestOnline are protected and are only shown within a limited time frame, we use a watermark so that any unlawful distribution or illegal copies become traceable.

Our film program is geo-blocked and can only be watched in Germany.

Only professional accreditations are exempt from geo-blocking.

The licenses for films in different countries are given by different copyright owners.

We do try to show the films worldwide, but that’s, due to a complicated rights situation, sometimes not possible.

Normally, the films are at least available in Germany.

On our platform, we offer films that have received different age ratings from the Freiwillige Selbstkontrolle der Filmwirtschaft (FSK). To ensure compliance with the requirements of the Interstate Treaty on the Protection of Minors in the Media (JMStV), registration on our platform is only possible by stating the date of birth. If the age falls below the age rating of the FSK for a film, the film cannot be played by the user.

You can also enter a PIN in your customer account. Films from FSK 18 and above can then only be played by entering the PIN.