CPH:FORUM 2025 reveals its project selection, first batch of confirmed financiers and new awards

The 2025 edition of CPH:DOX’s flagship financing and co-production event CPH:FORUM will bring together 75 directors and producers representing 26 countries who will take the stage to present 30 new documentary projects spanning early to late development and production. The line-up features a curation of highly creative films that offer important new perspectives on our collective world. The subject matters range from the deeply personal and existential to societal and global issues told through a wide range of documentary styles and diverse artistic approaches.

“In a polarized world fueled by a 24h news cycle and misinformation, it is more important than ever to bring to audiences nuanced stories, different perspectives and new voices. The 2025 CPH:FORUM selection is a snapshot of a place in time and we couldn’t be more honoured that this group of filmmakers has trusted us to present their projects to the world. We hope for this edition to be a space for community and dialogue – that demonstrates the power of documentary,” says Mara Gourd-Mercado, Head of Industry & Training at CPH:DOX.

The selected projects will compete for a number of long-standing as well as brand-new awards at CPH:FORUM, running from March 24-27, 2025 in Copenhagen, with CPH:ROUGHCUT and CHANGE presentations taking place on Monday, March 24.

A new CPH:ROUGHCUT section for projects close to completion
As a brand new part of CPH:FORUM we are presenting CPH:ROUGHCUT which will showcase a selection of five timely and compelling projects at rough cut stage aiming to premiere in 2025 and looking for distribution, sales, buyers, festival premieres and other forms of exhibition. The five selected teams will present selected scenes from their soon-to-be-finished films on Monday, March 24, 2025. This activity replaces the previous work-in-progress platform CPH:WIP.

Eastern European perspectives from the CHANGE projects
For the fourth year in a row, CPH:DOX, IMS (International Media Support) and EAVE (European Audiovisual Entrepreneurs) are bringing together the development co-production training program CHANGE, highlighting projects from the Eastern European Partnership countries – Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. Following two residential workshops in Moldova, the 6-month long training program will culminate in a final workshop in Copenhagen, in partnership with the National Film School of Denmark, and a presentation of the eight participating projects at the CHANGE pitch session on Monday, March 24, 2025.

Awards at CPH:FORUM 2025
For the very first time, CPH:FORUM is introducing The Sandbox Films Science Pitch Prize, highlighting an outstanding science documentary project presented at CPH:FORUM 2025 for its innovation in the genre, artistic merit, and a commitment to inclusivity. The winners will receive a $25,000 cash award along with support from Sandbox Films to bring their vision to life. It is a pleasure for CPH:FORUM to partner with Al Jazeera Documentary Channel to introduce the Al Jazeera Documentary Channel Co-Production Award with a €10,000 prize for a FORUM project highlighting urgent matters of our times. This partnership brings depth to the co-production side of the CPH:FORUM.

For the second year, CPH:FORUM is proud to present the Eurimages Innovation Award and the Outreach Award, promoting and celebrating innovative and experimental projects at different stages of production by non-conventional filmmakers and visual artists. The Innovation Award of €20,000 will go to an innovative project in development with an intention for international cooperation. The Outreach Award of €30,000 will go to an independent production company or director for an innovative project at the end of production or in post-production, striving to engage audiences internationally and promote public awareness of experimental projects. Projects from CPH:FORUM, CPH:ROUGHCUT and CPH:LAB are eligible. In addition, the Rise And Shine Award of €3,000 will be awarded to the best pitch project with international potential and no sales agent attached as well as the Unifrance/Titrafilm Doc Award totaling at nearly €5,500 in benefits for the best French production or co-production presented.

The awards will be handed out at the CPH:INDUSTRY Happy Hour & Award show taking place on Thursday, March 27, at the Social Cinema at Kunsthal Charlottenborg.

More than 200 CPH:FORUM financiers and industry representatives confirmed so far
The selected projects will be presented to established film financiers and representatives of streaming platforms such as Netflix, Hulu and HBO Europe; broadcasters ARTE, ZDF, VPRO, BBC, National Geographic, POV, Al Jazeera, and DR; film studios such as TIME Studios, Sky Studios, Concordia Studio, Fremantle and Sandbox Films; distributors Fifth Season and IMAX; art institutions such as Tate Modern and the Museum of Moving Image, funds and foundations such as Field of Vision, Impact Partners, Ford Foundation, Sundance Institute, Doc Society, Chicken and Egg Pictures, Catapult, The Whickers – with more to come!

Read more about attending financiers here.
Read more about CPH:FORUM and the selection of projects here.
Find film stills for CPH:FORUM, CPH:ROUGHCUT and CHANGE here.

The selected CPH:FORUM projects in alphabetic order

Anatomy of a Genocide (NO, HR)
Directed by Torstein Grude; produced by Torstein Grude, Siniša Juričić

Being Human: Perspectives on Peace and Conflict (SE, DK, FR)
Directed by Maximilien Van Aertryck, Axel Danielson; produced by Maximilien Van Aertryck, Axel Danielson

Confidential (DE)
Directed by Andreas Pichler; produced by Christian Beetz, Anne von Petersdorff

Earth Camp One (US)
Directed by Jennie Livingston; produced by Jennie Livingston, Mary Recine, Jamie Wolf, Eric Besner, Geralyn White Dreyfous, Donald Newhouse, Susan Newhouse, Caroleen Feeney

Hopefully, Not Today (DK, NO, IS)
Directed by Tereza Šimíková, Eivind H. Natvig; produced by Peter Engel

House No. 7 (SY)
Directed by Rama Abdi; produced by Hazar Yazji

In The Black Fantastic (UK)
Directed by Julian Knox; produced by Debo Amon, Ekow Eshun, Jenny Berglund, Patrick Bedeau, Arianna Nourse, Claude Grunitzky, Julian Knox

Landfall (UK)
Directed by Peter Middleton; produced by Hugh Davies, Clive Patterson

Metropolis (IN, US)
Directed by Anirban Dutta, Anupama Srinivasan; produced by Anirban Dutta

My Friend the Bear (US)
Directed by Drew Xanthopoulos; produced by Bennett Elliott

One Day in the Future (CN)
Directed by Hang Ji, Xuan-nian Jiang, produced by Hui-Chen Huang and Vincent Du

Pantheras (NO, PT)
Directed by Salome Lamas; produced by Anita Norfolk, Pedro Duarte

Rescue (DK, IT)
Directed by Sine Plambech, Janus Metz; produced by Andreas Møl Dalsgaard, Sofie Husum Johannesen

Spaceman in Kongo (CD, UK, DE, US)
Directed by Maisha Maene; produced by Leo Nelki, Josune Hahnheiser, Dale Dobson, Maisha Maene

Story of Documentary Film (UK)
Directed by Mark Cousins; produced by John Archer

The Amnesiac (SE, US, FR)
Directed by Marcus Lindeen; produced by Jesper Kurlandsky, Julie Goldman, Philippe Martin

The Coil Case (DK)
Directed by Camilla Nielsson, Ullannaq Ingemann, Kimmernaq Kjeldsen; produced by Dorte Høeg Brask

The Freedom Theatre (DK, NO)
Directed by Nagieb Khaja; produced by Mette Heide

The Journey to Santa Rosa de Amanadona (AT, VE, UK, FR)
Directed by Anabel Rodríguez; produced by Karin Berghammer, Sepp R. Brudermann, Anabel Rodríguez, Margarita Cadenas

The Last Witnesses (DK, JO)
Directed by Omar Shargawi, produced by Katrin Pors, Aseel Abu Ayyash, Rula Nasser

The Mammoths that Escaped the Kingdom of Erlik Khan (DK, MK, UK, PT, US)
Directed by Tamara Kotevska, produced by Sigrid Dyekjær, Harry Vaughn, Jean Dakar, Anna Hashmi, Enrico Saraiva, Tamara Kotevska

The Salt of the South (TN, FR)
Directed by Rami Jarboui; produced by Ramzi Laâmouri, Julien Coquet

The Truth (La Verdad) (DK, CL)
Directed by Marianne Hougen-Moraga, Estephan Wagner; produced by Signe Byrge Sørensen, Alberte Lyngbo

Thermocene (IT)
Directed by Giorgio Ferrero; produced by Giovanni Pompilli

Uncomfortable Truths (CA)
Directed by Guylaine Maroist, Eric Ruel; produced by Eric Ruel, Guylaine Maroist, Genevieve Pigeon

Untitled Edward Said Documentary (US)
Directed by Maiken Baird; produced by Alex Gibney, Paul Dallas, Sarah Mowaswes

Untitled Horse Project (NO)
Directed and produced by Margreth Olin

Untitled Science Project (BR, BE, US)
Directed by Emilia Mello; produced by Elijah Stevens, Julia Alves, Hanne Phlypo

Wolf Moon (DK)
Directed by Robin Petré; produced by Monica Hellström

Words We Never Say (PL)
Directed by Agnieszka Zwiefka; produced by Izabela Igel, Agnieszka Zwiefka

The selected CPH:ROUGHCUT projects in alphabetic order

Four Brothers [WT] (BE, SE, NL, DE)
Directed by Pieter-Jan De Pue; produced by Emilie Blezat, Pieter-Jan De Pue, Bart Van Langendonck, Christian Beetz, Femke Wolting, Vincent Metzinger, David Dusa

The Alarmist (DK, US)
Directed by Jacob Tschernia, Tomer Slutzky; produced by Kirstine Barfod

The Last Nomads (RS, MN, FR, SI, BE)
Directed by Biljana Tutorov, Peter Glomazić; produced by Biljana Tutorov, Peter Glomazic, Quentin Laurent, Rok Biček

The Sinner (BG, DE, RS)
Directed by Boris Despodov; produced by Boris Despodov, Nana Frese, Miloš Ljubomirović, Dragan von Petrović

Virtual Girlfriends (CZ, SK, BG)
Directed by Barbora Chalupová; produced by Pavla Kimešová

The selected CHANGE projects in alphabetic order

Entr’actes (UA, BE)
Directed by Yuriy Shylov; produced by Olha Tuharinova, Maarten Bernaerts

Eyes Wide Open (GE)
Directed by Sopho Apriamashvili; produced by Nino Orjonikidze

Import/Export MD (MD)
Directed by Max T. Ciorbă; produced by Sergiu Scobioala

Kura (AZ)
Directed by Murad Allahverdi; produced by Afag Yusifli

Leave Easy Come Back Safe (BY, DE)
Directed by Sasha Kulak, Masha Maroz; produced by Sasha Kulak, Julia Shaginurova

Missing In Action (UA)
Directed by Kateryna Holovko, Marharyta Melnychuk; produced by Aliona Kachkan, Eugene Rachkovsky

My Name Is Enough (AM)
Directed by Marina Arzumanova, Ani Grigoryan; produced by Ani Ordyan

Whispers of Womanhood (GE)
Directed by Rati Tsiteladze; produced by Olga Slusareva

About CPH:INDUSTRY 2025

CPH:INDUSTRY activities for 2025 include CPH:FORUM, our international financing and co-production platform taking place from March 25-27, 2025; CPH:ROUGHCUT, showcasing documentaries at roughcut stage on March 24, 2025; CHANGE, highlighting projects from Eastern European Partnership countries on March 24, 2025; CPH:CONFERENCE, a series of talks and sessions running from March 23-28, 2025, presented in partnership with Documentary Campus; CPH:LAB, a talent development program for immersive media running from March 24-26, 2025; and INTRO:DOX, introductory programme for emerging filmmakers on March 23-24, 2025. Find out more about the events and how to attend here.

For further information, contact

Nicolai Oreskov Westh, Head of Communication, nicolai@cphfilmfestivals.dk, +45 29897093
Radina Vladimirova, International Press Manager, radina@cphdox.dk, +45 50374076