The wait is over – Get your tickets for this years CPH:DOX

Running from March 19-30, CPH:DOX 2025 brings a new thematic section focusing on human rights and the rules-based international order – Right Here, Right Now. World premieres include films about Israel and Palestine, the Russian invasion in Ukraine, the rise of the far-right across Europe, identity politics, art and activism and much more. Key figures coming to Copenhagen include artist and activist Ai Weiwei, Ukrainian feminist activist Inna Shevchenko, investigative journalist and whistleblower Christo Grozev, musician Warren Ellis, HBO comedian Jerrod Carmichael, Republican Trump critic Adam Kinzinger and the iconic model and actress Twiggy amongst others.

The festival will present a total of 94 world premieres of which 68 are feature-length films – this is the highest number of feature-length world premieres in the festival’s history. This year’s film programme features six competition categories, judged by an international jury: DOX:AWARD, F:ACT AWARD, NORDIC:DOX AWARD, NEXT:WAVE AWARD, NEW:VISION AWARD and HUMAN:RIGHTS AWARD.

The 2025 DOX:AWARD main competition lineup features strongly anticipated world premieres such as Alisa Kovalenko’s ‘My Dear Theo’; Thomas Balmés’ ‘À demain sur la Lune’, Artur Franck’s ‘The Helsinki Effect’, and this year’s opening film ‘Facing War’ by Tommy Gulliksen among many other important titles.

World premieres out of competition include the brand new film by Ai Weiwei ‘Animality’, Ian Cheney’s ‘Observer’; ‘Lost for Words’ by Hannah Papacek Harper; ‘Everest Dark’ by Jereme Watt; ‘Azza’ by Stefanie Brockhaus, and ‘Climate in Therapy’ by Nathan Grossman to name a few.

The 22nd edition of CPH:DOX will also be the launchpad for hot Sundance titles like ‘Mr Nobody against Putin’, ‘The Dating Game’, ‘2000 Meters to Andriivka’, ‘Coexistence, My Ass!’ and ‘Zodiac Killer Project’.

The film programme can be experienced from March 19-30 in cinemas in Copenhagen and in 54 municipalities around Denmark as the festival is continuing its growth towards nationwide film distribution. From March 28 – April 13, a selection of films from the programme will be screened online on the festival’s streaming platform PARA:DOX.

CPH:DOX 2025 – Right Here, Right Now

The 22nd edition of CPH:DOX comes at a moment of irreversible global change, where rising geopolitical tensions make the transformative lens of documentary more urgent than ever. Against this backdrop, CPH:DOX 2025 offers an exploration of the most urgent issues – from Ukraine and Gaza to Syria and Sudan, and with the theme ‘Right Here, Right Now,’ the festival dives deep into questions of human, civil and state rights in a world undergoing major changes. Expanding on the recently added Human:Rights Award, this film and event programme also turns attention to the urgent challenges facing international and even animal rights today.

“A festival theme always exists in dialogue with reality – both responding to and challenged by unfolding global events. This year, reality and curation intersect in striking ways. As we witness the erosion of the rules-based world order by major global powers, this year’s programme focuses on the foundational role of human and state rights upon which that order was built. CPH:DOX 2025 features a compelling selection of films, debates, and live talks that examine pressing global questions: What happens to basic human rights when raw power becomes the norm? What does diplomacy look like in an era of shifting alliances? And how do artists, activists, and filmmakers navigate an increasingly fractured world? Amid these pressing questions, the art of documentary provides a refreshing, transformative lens, showing us that reality is far richer and more complex than the endless news headlines and social media chatter lead us to believe,” says Artistic Director Niklas Engstrøm.

The curated programme ‘Right Here, Right Now’ includes films, debates and live talks with visionary figures such as the renowned artist and activist Ai Weiwei, Ukrainian feminist activist Inna Shevchenko, internationally recognised Israeli architect and researcher Eyal Weizman, Bulgarian investigative journalist and whistleblower Christo Grozev and Republican Trump critic Adam Kinzinger amongst many others.

Presenting Sound & Vision

CPH:DOX 2025 is turning up the volume from March 19 – 30, blending the worlds of music and film for an unforgettable festival experience. This year’s SOUND & VISION section is packed with exciting documentaries that dive deep into the lives of music icons like Madonna, Jeff Buckley, John Lennon & Yoko Ono, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, and Pavement, offering fresh perspectives on these legendary figures. Special events include Warren Ellis bringing the film ‘Ellis Park’ by Justin Kurzel to life with a mini-concert, and Den Sorte Skole premiering their stunning Ghosts & Robots audiovisual project. The festival also features a one-of-a-kind Pavement tribute night, a punk set by CHÆK, and a Syrian music performance by OUD AND VOICE. With music, films, and live experiences blending seamlessly, the SOUND&VISION programme is a celebration not to be missed.

Special festival exhibitions

Kunsthal Charlottenborg will serve as the central festival hub for CPH:DOX 2025 where screenings, debates, industry events, happy hours and parties will take place. Additionally, visitors will be able to experience a solo exhibition by Turkish visual artist Banu Cennetoğlu. One of the exhibition’s standout works, right? (2022 – ), features massive bouquets of gold letter-shaped balloons, each representing selected articles from the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Alongside Banu Cennetoğlu’s exhibition, Kunsthal Charlottenborg will also present the Disobedience Archive, last shown at the 2024 Venice Biennale. This exhibition features video works addressing human rights, as well as the relationship between artistic practice and political action.

Kunsthal Charlottenborg will also be the home for the 2025 edition of CPH:DOX’ INTER:ACTIVE Exhibition, curated under the headline of Untamed: Humanity Rewilded. This immersive showcase invites audiences to rethink humanity’s relationship with nature, urging ecological and cultural transformation. Curated by Mark Atkin, the exhibition features twelve innovative works across virtual reality, AI installations, interactive video games, and augmented reality, encouraging dynamic, multi-sensory engagement. INTER:ACTIVE 2025 promotes new ideas of resilience and coexistence with the environment, challenging traditional views of human progress. Tickets can be reserved here.

All exhibitions will be open starting March 19, the opening day of CPH:DOX 2025.

About CPH:DOX

CPH:DOX – Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival, is a world leading documentary film festival supporting independent and innovative filmmaking and presenting the best and brightest in contemporary non-fiction film. The festival is known and widely respected for radically changing the documentary landscape with a focus on challenging the genre with crossover to other art forms, and for advancing art as an active voice in civil society. Annually presenting more than 200 films, the yearly festival’s audience has grown to more than 125,000, and our industry platform, championing high-end cinematic and hybrid filmmaking welcomes 2,000+ industry professionals annually from a wide variety of sectors across creative documentary, hybrid non-fiction, visual arts, journalism and science.

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