CPH:DOX has announced its contenders across six award categories. The Danish festival will present 71 films in competition, including 56 world, 12 international and three European premieres. Scheduled from 19-30 March, the 22nd edition of CPH:DOX continues its mission to showcase the finest global documentary filmmaking while fostering discussions on contemporary issues through talks and events. With the programming team finalising a curated selection of over 200 titles, the complete festival programme will be announced on 26 February.

Mads K Mikkelsen, head of programme at CPH:DOX, comments, “It is very exciting to share a competition line-up that truly represents documentary as an art form made for the cinema. CPH:DOX is about celebrating documentaries and the people who make them, and programming this year’s festival has been a journey rich in discoveries. We are deeply grateful to the filmmakers and look forward to seeing their films light up the screens soon.”

Niklas Engstrøm, artistic director of CPH:DOX, states, “The times we live in are increasingly marked by conflict, chaos and cynicism, leaving little room for the visionary or the poetic. Against that backdrop, we are proud to present a competition programme that not only reflects the world, but also refracts its light like a prism. Whether set in Ukraine, Mozambique, America or China, the films competing in this year’s programme stand as a form of defence standing up for the role of poetry and art in the world.”

CPH:DOX features six competition categories, each evaluated by international juries, spotlighting films recognised for their artistic innovation, societal relevance and unique storytelling. The DOX:AWARD, sponsored by Politiken and offering €10,000, remains the festival’s most prestigious prize, exclusively showcasing world premieres. The full list of participants includes 12 titles, all of which are world premieres: Facing War by Tommy Gulliksen (Norway/Belgium), Balane 3 by Ico Costa (Portugal/France), À demain sur la lune by Thomas Balmès (France/USA), Flophouse America by Monica Strømdahl (Norway/Netherlands/USA), My Dear Theo by Alisa Kovalenko (Poland/Czech Republic/Ukraine), Sanatorium by Gar O’Rourke (Ireland/Ukraine/France), The Castle by Danny Biancardi, Virginia Nardelli and Stefano Giuseppe La Rosa (France/Italy), The Father, The Sons and The Holy Spirit by Christian Sønderby Jepsen (Denmark), The Helsinki Effect by Arthur Franck (Finland), Always by Deming Chen (USA/France/China) and Agatha's Almanac by Amalie Atkins (Canada).

NEXT:WAVE, honouring emerging filmmakers, comprises 14 titles, exemplified by Latina, Latina by Adrian Duncan (Ireland), 50 Meters by Yomna Khattab (Egypt/Denmark) and Copan by Carine Wallauer (Brazil/France), while NORDIC:DOX showcases 12 Nordic works, including Lowland Kids by Sandra Winther (Denmark/USA), If I Die Today by Camilla Arlien (Denmark), Portrait of a Confused Father by Gunnar Hall Jensen (Norway), and Zlatan's Nose by Nils Toftenow, Mathias Rosberg and Olle Toftenow (Sweden).

F:ACT, the festival’s investigative-journalism strand, takes in ten titles, including The Eukrainian by Viktor Nordenskiöld (Sweden/France/Ukraine/Belgium), The Gardener, the Buddhist & the Spy by Håvard Bustnes (Norway/Germany/UK) and 2000 Meters to Andriivka [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] by Mstyslav Chernov (Ukraine). Another award category is NEW:VISION, celebrating experimental and artistic documentaries such as Melted into the Sun by Saodat Ismailova (Italy/Uzbekistan), International Satan's Day by Raed Yassin (Lebanon) and Perishable Idol by Majid Al-Remaihi (France/Kuwait/Qatar). Finally, HUMAN:RIGHTS, now in its second year, sponsored by the Danish Institute for Human Rights, aptly focuses on films dealing with human rights issues.

Each competition prize, aside from the DOX:AWARD, is valued at €5,000 and serves to reward emerging filmmakers, artistic experimentation, and documentaries addressing pressing social and political issues. Additionally, the Audience Award, worth €10,000, will allow festival-goers to vote for their favourite title, reinforcing CPH:DOX’s commitment to audience engagement and the diverse world of documentary storytelling.

The complete competition line-up is available to peruse here.