The 9th Macao International Documentary Film Festival explores memory and resilience

After examining questions of artificial intelligence and truth under last year’s theme “Illusion”, the 9th Macao International Documentary Film Festival (MOIDF) returns from 24 October to 8 November with a new theme: “Record / Remember”.

Presented by Comuna de Han-Ian and curated by Macao filmmaker Penny Lam, this year’s festival brings 22 films to local audiences, all screening in Macao for the first time. Spread across five sections, the programme looks at how documentary cinema records individual experiences, preserves overlooked histories and examines historical memory, conflict, labour and social change.

[See more: ‘There is so much AI content nowadays.’ Meet Penny Lam of the Macao International Documentary Film Festival]

The festival will be held at Bona International Cineplex Macau inside YOHO Treasure Island Integrated Resort.

Screenings to Watch

Opening Night: A Simple Soldier

The festival opens with A Simple Soldier, a documentary by Ukrainian photographer Artem Ryzhykov. After joining the military during the Russia-Ukraine war, Ryzhykov began documenting his own experience as both participant and observer.

Rather than focusing solely on the battlefield, the film reflects on everyday life within wartime conditions and the challenges of documenting events while living through them.

Closing Feature: Factory with director Zhou Hao

Set inside a large electronics manufacturing plant in Wuhan during the COVID-19 pandemic, the documentary follows workers and management as they adapt to public health restrictions while attempting to maintain production. By examining life inside the factory during an extraordinary period, the film offers a ground-level portrait of labour, industry and resilience.

Zhou Hao will attend the closing screening on 8 November and participate in a post-screening Q&A with audiences.

[See more: Macao produced film The Violin Case holds local premiere]

Programme Pathways

Classic-Doc: A special tribute celebrating the legacies of two documentary masters lost in 2026 – American observational giant Frederick Wiseman (Titicut Follies, Hospital) and Chilean poet-filmmaker Patricio Guzmán (Nostalgia for the Light).

New Release and New Voices competition: International titles such as Birds of War and A Fox Under a Pink Moon feature alongside eight competition entries exploring themes of migration, heritage and family relationships.

In Between and Taste of Portuguese: Showcasing inventive hybrid formats and rich non-fiction stories from across the lusophone world and beyond.

Planning Your Visit to the MOIDF

Dates: 24 October 24 to 8 November, 2026

Venue: Bona International Cineplex Macau, 1/F, YOHO Treasure Island Integrated Resort

Ticket Prices: 70 patacas (box office), 80 patacas (online), available via the Bona Cineplex Portal 

Website: https://moidf.com/