This year, too, the festival is staged with the increasing involvement of the ministries in the choice of films and programme organisation. For example, the "Joris Ivens Prize“ is abolished due to the "anti-Soviet attitude" of its eponym, with the award renamed the "Fighting camera" prize. Ivens, formerly a darling of the party representatives, revealed his support for China, which is frowned upon by the regime. Students at the Potsdam-Babelsberg Film School are assigned their own programme.
In general, the films earmarked for screening conform to one regulation: those "whose content is based upon the struggle of mankind against imperialism, for the preservation of world peace, the safeguarding and defence of human dignity, the striving of peoples for freedom, independence and happiness, the creative energy, scientific, technical and social progress of human society, and that are crafted in an artistically convincing manner.'" [in: Regelment der XIV. Internationalen Leipziger Dokumentar- und Kurzfilmwoche für Kino und Fernsehen]
Leipzig experiences celebrity and glamour in the form of Dean Reed: With "Song in the class struggle" he presents the theme for this year's discussion.
Golden Doves
EL SUELDO DE CHILE (DER PREIS, DEN CHILE ZAHLEN MUSSTE, Chile, Fernando Balmaceda and Team)
PINTANDO CON EL PUEBLO (MIT DEM VOLK MALEN, Chile, Leonardo Cespedes)
NO ES HORA DE LLORAR (ES IST NICHT DIE STUNDE, ZU WEINEN, Chile, Pedro Chaskel and Luis Alberto Sena)
SONG INTERNATIONAL (GDR, Jürgen Böttcher)
WER, WENN NICHT WIR (GDR, Kurt Tetzlaff)
LANG NHO BEN SONG TRA (EIN KLEINES DORF AM TRA-FLUSS, Southern Vietnam, Nghiem Phu My)
KRESTJANE (BAUERN, USSR, Ivan Galin)
I VYROSLI SYNOVJA (UND DIE SÖHNE SIND HERANGEWACHSEN, USSR, Eva Vermiševa)
Dumajut Li Šiwotnye (KÖNNEN TIERE DENKEN?, USSR, F. Soboljev)
LE PREMIERS JOURS DES LA VIE (DIE ERSTEN TAGE DES LEBENS, France, Claude Edelmann)
DER KLEINE HELD VON PHU DONG (Animated Film, Vietnam, Animationstudio Hanoi)
VELKY KONCERT (DAS GROSSE KONZERT, CSSR, Jan Zelenka)
WALTER FELSENSTEIN (GDR, Gitta Nickel)
DANN SAG ICH´S MIT DEN HÄNDEN (GDR, Ellis Lander and Axel Kaspar)
END OF THE DIALOGUE (ENDE DES DIALOGS, GB, Members of the south african National congres)
CHAS IRLANDII (DIE STUNDE IRLANDS, USSR, Vladimir Dunajev)
Silver Doves
LA ESTAMPIDA (KOPFLOSE FLUCHT, Cuba, Santiago Alvarez)
LE TRAIN EN MARCHE (DER ZUG AUF FAHRT, France, Group "Slon" featuring Chris Marker)
PENTAGON PAPERS (PENTAGON-PAPIERE, USA, Jerzy Stoll and Castro David)
SPORZENIE NA WRZESIEN (BLICK AUF DEN SEPTEMBER, Poland, Maciej Sienski)
DER EUPHRATPLAN (Syrian Arabian Republic, Omar Amiralay)
KOMMUNAR XX VEKA (EIN KOMMUNARDE DES XX. Jahrhunderts, USSR, E. Andrikanis)
WOCHENSCHAU "ROTE FAHNE" NR. 99–100 (Japan, Akahata-Wochenschau)
SCHARNHORST (GDR, Army Filmstudio of the NVA)
SPOTKANIE Z NATURA (BEGEGNUNGEN MIT DER NATUR, Animated Film, Poland, Maria-Ama Farat)
VATERS GROSSE LIEBE (Animated Film, GDR, Klaus Georgi)