Founded in 1955 as "Leipziger Kultur- und Dokumentarfilmwoche" (Leipzig Week for Cultural and Documentary Film), the festival is headed by Christoph Terhechte since the beginning of 2020. An Ecumenical Jury existed since 1990. It was transformed into an Interreligious Jury in 2016.
The Prize of the Interreligious Jury is endowed with € 2.000, donated by the VCH-Hotel Michaelis in Leipzig as well as the Interreligious Round Table and the Oratorium Leipzig.
