Copenhagen documentary film festival CPH:DOX, whose 21st edition runs from March 13-24, has unveiled the films nominated across all six award categories. The selection features 66 films in competition, among which 47 are world premieres, 17 international premieres and two European premieres. All the films in the main competition will be world premieres.
Niklas Engstrøm, CPH:DOX’s artistic director, commented: “What unites these films is their ambition to engage with the world in a meaningful way. This year’s competition sharpens its focus on the most urgent issues of our time, from the wars in Ukraine and Gaza to gang violence in Sweden, exploring themes of identity politics, colonialism, and the foundational struggles for democracy and the fight against climate change. These films offer fresh perspectives, challenge aesthetic boundaries, and delve deeper into issues we thought we understood.”
CPH:DOX and the Institute for Human Rights have introduced the new Human:Rights Award to this year’s festival, marking the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This award “underscores the ongoing relevance of human rights in challenging times.”
Mads K. Mikkelsen, CPH:DOX’s head of program, stated: “In an era that demands solidarity with courageous filmmakers who champion equality and justice worldwide, we’ve established the Human:Rights Award. This year, we nominate 10 exceptional films that highlight pressing global issues, reflecting our commitment to fostering a deeper understanding of human rights.”
The DOX:AWARD, offering €10,000, features world premieres. The NEW:VISION Award, with a €5,000 prize, delves into art films and boundary-pushing experiments, while the NEXT:WAVE Award, also valued at €5,000, spotlights emerging filmmakers. The NORDIC:DOX Award, another €5,000 prize, highlights exceptional films from the Nordic region, whereas the F:ACT Award, also with a €5,000 prize, celebrates the field between documentary and in-depth journalism. The HUMAN:RIGHTS Award, valued at €5,000, emphasizes films addressing human rights issues. The Audience Award, with a prize of €5,000, allows festival-goers to vote for their favorite film.
DOX:AWARD:
“Balomania” (Sissel Morell Dargis, Denmark/Spain, World Premiere)
“The Black Garden” (Alexis Pazoumian, France/Belgium, World Premiere)
“E.1027 – Eileen Gray and the House by the Sea” (Beatrice Minger, co-dir. Christoph Schaub, Switzerland, World Premiere)
“The Flats” (Alessandra Celesia, France/U.K./Ireland/Belgium, World Premiere)
“Immortals” (Maja Tschumi, Switzerland/Iraq, World Premiere)
“Life and Other Problems” (Max Kestner, Denmark/Sweden/U.K., World Premiere)
“Motherboard” (Victoria Mapplebeck, U.K., World Premiere)
“Night of Nights” (Truman, U.S., World Premiere)
“once Upon a Time in a Forest” (Virpi Suutari, Finland, World Premiere)
“Phantoms of the Sierra Madre” (Håvard Bustnes, Norway/Finland/U.S./Mexico, World Premiere)
“Two Strangers Trying Not to Kill Each Other” (Manon Ouimet and Jacob Perlmutter, U.K., World Premiere)
“Wilfred Buck” (Lisa Jackson, Canada, World Premiere)
NEW:VISION AWARD
“Preemptive Listening” (Aura Satz, U.K./Finland, European Premiere)
“Ottu” (Sandra Ignagni, Canada/France/Italy, World Premiere)
“My Want of You Partakes of Me” (Beny Wagner & Sasha Litvintseva, U.K./Netherlands, World Premiere)
“Familiar Phantoms” (Larissa Sansour, Søren Lind, U.K./Palestine, World Premiere)
“And Still, It Remains” (Arwa Aburawa, Turab Shah, Algeria/U.K., World Premiere)
“Look on the Bright Side” (Yuyan Wang, France/Italy, International Premiere)
“Dieseline Dreams” (Max Göran, Sweden, World Premiere)
“Trash the Musical” (Loretta Fahrenholz, Germany, World Premiere)
“Two Suns” (SUPERFLEX, Denmark, World Premiere)
“You, My, Omma, Mama” (Laure Prouvost, Belgium/ France/Austria, World Premiere)
“Lichens Are the Way” (Ondřej Vavrečka, Czech Republic/Slovakia, World Premiere)
“Single File” (Simon Liu, Italy/U.S./U.K./Hong Kong, World Premiere)
“Silent Night” (Philipp Schaeffer, Jonathan Schaller, Germany/Palestine/Israel, World Premiere)
“Efforts of Nature” (Morgan Quaintance, U.K., International Premiere)
“No Exorcism Film” (Komtouch Napattaloong, Thailand, World Premiere)
F:ACT AWARD
“The Battle for Laikipia” (Daphne Matziaraki, Peter Murimi, Kenya/U.S., International Premiere)
“Black Snow” (Alina Simone, U.S., World Premiere)
“Can’t Feel Nothing” (David Borenstein, Denmark/China/Russia/North Macedonia/U.S., World Premiere)
“Daughter of Genghis” (Kristoffer Juel Poulsen, Christian Als, Denmark, World Premiere)
“Democracy Noir” (Connie Field, U.S./Germany/Denmark, World Premiere)
“Lie to Me” (Baar Tyrmi, Norway, International Premiere)
“Limits of Europe” (Apolena Rychlíková, Czech Republic/Slovakia/France, World Premiere)
“Night of the Coyotes” (Clara Trischler, Germany/Austria, World Premiere)
“Stray Bodies” (Elina Psykou, Greece/Switzerland/Italy/Bulgaria, International Premiere)
“Union” (Stephen Maing, Brett Story, U.S., International Premiere)
NEXT:WAVE AWARD
“Appearances” (Nicolás Onischuk, Argentina, International Premiere)
“The base” (Vadim Dumesh, France, International Premiere)
“Blueberry Dreams” (Elena Mikaberidze, Georgia/France/Belgium, World Premiere)
“Death of a Saint” (Patricia Bbaale Bandak, Denmark, World Premiere)
“Eros” (Rachel Daisy Ellis, Brazil, International Premiere)
“G – 21 Scenes From Gottsunda” (Loran Batti, Denmark/Sweden, World Premiere)
“Grand Me” (Atiye Zare Arandi, Belgium/Iran, World Premiere)
“Invisible People” (Alisa Berger, France/Germany, World Premiere)
“KIX” (Bálint Révész, Dávid Mikulán, France/Croatia/Hungary, World Premiere)
“My First Film” (Zia Anger, U.S., World Premiere)
“The Nights Still Smell of Gunpowder” (Inadelso Cossa, France/Netherlands/Mozambique/Norway/Portugal/Germany, International Premiere)
“Realm of Satan” (Scott Cummings, U.S., International Premiere)
“Sting Like a Bee” (Leone Balduzzi, Italy, International Premiere)
“To Be an Extra” (Henrike Meyer, Germany, World Premiere)
NORDIC:DOX AWARD
“G – 21 Scenes From Gottsunda” (Loran Batti, Denmark/Sweden, World Premiere)
“Hard to Break” (Anna-Maija Heinonen, Krista Moisio, Finland, International Premiere)
“The Labour of Pain and Joy” (Karoliina Gröndahl, Finland, World Premiere)
“Life and Other Problems” (Max Kestner, Denmark/Sweden/U.K., World Premiere)
“Mina and the Radio Bandits” (Kari Anne Moe, Norway, World Premiere)
“once Upon a Time in a Forest” (Virpi Suutari, Finland, World Premiere)
“Our Father Wears a Sun” (Jasper Spanning, Rosalinde Mynster, Denmark, World Premiere)
“Phantoms of the Sierra Madre” (Håvard Bustnes, Norway/Finland/U.S./Mexico, World Premiere)
“A Place in the Sun” (Mette Carla Albrechtsen, Denmark, World Premiere)
“The Son and the Moon” (Roja Pakari, Denmark/Iran, World Premiere)
HUMAN:RIGHTS AWARD
“Black Box Diaries” (Shiori Ito, Japan/U.K./U.S., European Premiere)
“I Shall Not Hate” (Tal Barda, Canada/France, World Premiere)
“Limits of Europe” (Apolena Rychlíková, Czech Republic/Slovakia/France, World Premiere)
“Marching in the Dark” (Kinshuk Surjan, Belgium/Netherlands/India, World Premiere)
“Mediha” (Hasan Oswald, U.S., International Premiere)
“A Poem for Little People” (Ivan Sautkin, Lithuania/U.K./Ukraine, International Premiere)
“Power” (Yance Ford, U.S., International Premiere)
“The Recovery Channel” (Ellen Ugelstad, Norway, International Premiere)
“Silent Trees” (Agnieszka Zwiefka, Denmark/Poland/Germany, World Premiere)
“The Sky Above Zenica” (Zlatko Pranjic, Nanna Frank Møller, Bosnia and Herzegovina/Denmark, World Premiere)
