CPH:DOX lifts the veil on its 2025 programme

CPH:DOX has announced its full programme for the 2025 edition, boasting over 200 new films that capture diverse stories from across the globe. This year’s festival, running from 19-30 March, features a record-breaking 94 world premieres, alongside 23 international premieres and 8 European premieres.

The competition slate is divided into six categories, all judged by an international jury: DOX:Award, F:ACT Award, NORDIC:DOX Award, NEXT:WAVE Award, NEW:VISION Award, and HUMAN:RIGHTS Award.

A strong contingent of titles with Nordic involvement will take part in the gathering led by Tommy Gulliksen’s opener Facing War, a Norwegian-Belgian co-pro zooming in on Jens Stoltenberg's last year as Secretary General of NATO.

Three more Nordic titles are showcased in the DOX:Award competition. Monica Strømdahl’s Flophouse America (Norway/Netherlands/USA) follows a 12-year-old boy who defies his parents' alcohol abuse and finds glimmers of hope in an unexpected tragedy, showing the desperate flip side of America.

Christian Sønderby Jepsen’s The Father, the Sons and the Holy Spirit (Faderen, Sønnerne og Helligånden, Denmark) sees two brothers reunite after a multi-million inheritance dispute in a film about “blood, bonds and breakups”, whilst Arthur Franck’s The Helsinki Effect (Finland) features hundreds of hours of archive footage from a historic Cold War summit, “rolled out with ironic wit and a sharp political eye for the human drama on the grand, diplomatic stage”.

Next, the NORDIC:DOX Award section will screen 11 new titles from the five Nordics and Greenland. Quirky tales such as Nils Toftenow, Mathias Rosberg, and Olle Toftenow’s Zlatan’s Nose (Zlatans näsa, Sweden), Viktor Johansson’s The Sequel to Summer Rain (Uppföljaren till Sommarregn, Sweden), and Josefine Exner and Sebastian Gerdes’s The Nicest Men on Earth (Verdens sødeste mænd, Denmark), and deeply personal stories like Nina Paninnguaq Skydsbjergand Sofie Rørdam’s Walls – akinni inuk (Greenland), Yrsa Roca Fannberg’s The Ground Beneath Our Feet (Jörðin undir fótum okkar, Poland/Iceland), and Gunnar Hall Jensen’s Portrait of a Confused Father (Portrett av en forvirret far, Norway) seem to dominate this year’s line-up.

Other Nordic titles under the radar across the different sidebars include Tova Mozard’s “raw and intimate” film about two artistic souls ILOVERUSS (Sweden), Sally Jacobson and Tuva Bjork’s philosophical films narrated by Isabella Rossellini Unanimal (Sweden/France), Sille Storihle’s witty satire on Oslo’s 400th anniversary Open Call (Norway), Nicoline Skotte’s doc about a family trauma Fantastic Family (En fantastisk familie, Denmark), David Borenstein’s Sundance-bound Mr. Nobody Against Putin (Denmark/Czech Republic), Susanna Edwards’ investigation on freedom of speech The Dialogue Police (Dialogpolisen, Sweden), Robin Petré’s new environmental doc Only on Earth (Denmark/Spain), Haavard Bustnes’ investigative piece The Gardener, The Buddhist & The Spy (Gartneren, buddhisten og spionen, Norway), and Viktor Nordenskiöld’s doc on young minister Olha Stefanishyna The Eukrainian (Sweden/France/Ukraine/Belgium).

Moreover, a key highlight of this edition is the introduction of a new thematic section, “Right Here, Right Now”, focusing on human rights and the rules-based international order. The new strand will tackle today’s most pressing global issues, focusing on conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, Syria, and Sudan, as well as broader discussions on human rights and state sovereignty. “As we witness the erosion of the rules-based world order, this year’s programme explores the fundamental principles of human and state rights upon which it was built,” said Artistic Director Niklas Engstrøm. The section features thought-provoking films, debates, and live discussions with guests including Ai Weiwei, Inna Shevchenko, Eyal Weizman, Christo Grozev, and Adam Kinzinger.

Among the non-Nordic buzziest titles are DOX:award entries Alisa Kovalenko’s My Dear Theo (Poland/Czech Republic/Ukraine) and Thomas Balmès’ À demain sur la lune (France). Outside the competition, audiences will look forward to the latest efforts helmed by some of the most compelling contemporary filmmakers, including Ai Weiwei’s Animality (Germany), Ian Cheney’s Observer (USA), Hannah Papacek Harper’s Lost for Words (France), Jereme Watt’s Everest Dark (Canada), and Stefanie Brockhaus’ Azza (Germany).

Additionally, CPH:DOX will serve as a launchpad for some of Sundance’s most talked-about titles, such as The Dating Game (USA/UK), 2000 Meters to Andriivka (USA/Ukraine), Coexistence, My Ass! (USA/France), and Zodiac Killer Project (USA/UK).

Meanwhile, the gathering will continue to expand its reach, with screenings taking place in theatres across Copenhagen as well as in 54 municipalities nationwide. Additionally, from 28 March to 13 April, select films from the programme will be available for streaming on the festival’s digital platform, PARA:DOX.

From 19-30 March, Sound & Vision will bridge music and documentary filmmaking. Highlights include films on Madonna, Jeff Buckley, John Lennon, and Yoko Ono, plus live events like Warren Ellis’ mini-concert, Den Sorte Skole’s audiovisual premiere, and performances by CHÆK and OUD AND VOICE.

In parallel, CPH:FORUM (24-27 March), the festival’s industry sidebar, will present 30 new projects from 75 directors and producers across 26 countries, including works by Marc Cousins, Tamara Kotevska, and Jennie Livingston. For the first time, CPH:FORUM will also host CPH:ROUGHCUT, a section for near-complete films seeking distribution, and CHANGE, showcasing Eastern European projects.

New awards include the Sandbox Films Science Pitch Prize (worth $25,000) and the Al Jazeera Documentary Channel Co-Production Award (€10,000), alongside established prizes like the Eurimages Innovation Award (€20,000) and Outreach Award (€30,000). Over 200 financiers have confirmed attendance, including Netflix, Hulu, ARTE, BBC, and Sundance Institute.

CPH:FORUM‘s offering will be enriched by the CPH:CONFERENCE programme (24-28 March), set to bring together filmmakers and industry leaders. Curated by Mandy Chang, the conference will feature discussions, panels, and “Dialogues” on topics like investigative journalism and filmmaking ethics. It will conclude with the “Climate Story Lab Nordic”, focusing on the role of documentaries in driving climate action and shaping future storytelling.

Furthermore, the inaugural CPH:DOX Summit will launch, focusing on the future of documentary filmmaking in a volatile global political climate. The 24 March event will bring together politicians, thought leaders, and industry professionals to discuss issues such as media accessibility, diversity in storytelling, and the impact of AI on content. Distinguished speakers include Christo Grozev, Rasmus Kleis Nielsen, and Baroness Helena Kennedy.

Once again, Kunsthal Charlottenborg will be the festival’s central hub, featuring screenings, debates, and special exhibitions. Highlights include Banu Cennetoğlu’s solo exhibition, the Disobedience Archive from the 2024 Venice Biennale, and the INTER:ACTIVE Exhibition, exploring humanity’s relationship with nature through VR, AI, and interactive installations. All exhibitions open on 19 March.

To discover this year’s full programme: CLICK HERE.