CPH:DOX 2025
The 22nd Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival, also known as CPH:DOX 2025 took place from 19 to 30 March 2025 in Copenhagen, Denmark. The festival is held annually to highlight non-fiction filmmaking from countries all over the world.
The festival opened with Tommy Gulliksen's Facing War, which follows the final years of Jens Stoltenberg as secretary general of NATO and the organization's role in the Russo-Ukrainian War. The main competition award went to Always by Deming Chen. A co-production between China, United States and France, it follows an eight-year old boy from Hunan, who discovers poetry as a way to make sense of the world.
Juries
The jury members were as follows:DOX:AWARD
- Rikke Tambo Andersen, film producer
- Max Kestner, Danish documentary filmmaker
- Nicolas Rapold, American critic and editor
- Adele Tulli, Italian film director and researcher
- Raul Niño Zambrano, Dutch programmer and creative director of Sheffield DocFest
NEXT:WAVE
- Sissel Dargis Morell, Danish filmmaker
- Sona Karapoghosyan, Armenian film critic and program curator for the Yerevan International Film Festival
- Maria Palacios Cruz, British writer, educator and director of the Open City Documentary Festival
NEW:VISION
- Mason Leaver-Yap, British artist and curator
- Jeppe Lange, Denmark artist
- Marina Kožul, Croatian producer and programmer
F:ACT
- Alexis Bloom, South African-German film director and producer
- Mikala Krogh, Danish film director and editor-in-chief of DR Documentary
- Steffi Niederzoll, German filmmaker, artist and author
HUMAN:RIGHTS
- Mohamed Saïd Ouma, Comorian film director and executive director of Documentary Africa
- Tomáš Poštulka, Czech festival programmer and head of the One World Festival
- Birgitte Stærmose, Danish film director and screenwriter
NORDIC:DOX
- Butheina Kazim, Emirati festival programmer and founder or Cinema Akil
- Dario Oliveira, Portuguese artistic director and founder of Curtas Metragens Vila do Conde Film Festival
- Roja Pakari, Iranian film director
Competitions
The films selected for each section are as follows:Sections
The films selected for each section are as follows:Special Premieres
The following section consists of exclusive premieres screening out of competition.Highlights
The following section consists of films already screened at festivals and other acclaimed films.Artists & Auteurs
The following section consists of new films from "some of the world's most original artists and filmmakers".PARA:FICTIONS
The following section consists of films in the field between documentary and fiction.Sound & Vision
The following section consists of films related to music.Urgent Matters
The following section consists of films with topical, political and relevant themes.Backstory
The following section consists of films that trace back through history.Science
The following section consists of films exploring the encounter between cinema, science and society.DANISH:DOX
The following section consists of new Danish documentaries from both established and upcoming filmmakers.Awards
The following awards were presented:- DOX:AWARD: Always by Deming Chen
- * Special Mention: Flophouse America by Monica Strømdahl
- F:ACT AWARD: 2000 Meters to Andriivka by Mstyslav Chernov
- * Special Mention: The Perfect Neighbor by Geeta Gandbhir
- HUMAN:RIGHTS AWARD: 9-Month Contract by Ketevan Vashagashvili
- * Special Mention: The Encampments by Michael T. Workman & Kei Pritsker
- NORDIC:DOX AWARD: Walls - Akinni Inuk by Nina Paninnguaq Skydsbjerg & Sofie Rørdam
- * Special Mention: The Nicest Men on Earth by Josefine Exner & Sebastian Gerdes
- NEXT:WAVE AWARD: Abode of Dawn by Kristina Shtubert
- * Special Mention: Who Witnessed the Temples Fall by Lucia Selva
- NEW:VISION: Ramallah, Palestine, December 2018 by Juliette Le Monnyer
- * Special Mention: Scrap by Noémie Lobry
- INTER:ACTIVE AWARD: Constantinopoliad by Sister Sylvester & Nadah El Shazly
- * Special Mention: The Garden Says... by Uri Kranot, Michelle Kranot, Sara Topsøe Jensen, Sarah John, Marieke Breyne