CPH:DOX (Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival)
One of Europe's leading documentary festivals, held annually in March in Copenhagen, known for formal innovation, political engagement, and a strong industry market.
Overview
CPH:DOX is one of the most important documentary film festivals in Europe, held annually in March in Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded in 2003, the festival has grown rapidly into a major event that screens approximately 200 documentaries and attracts over 90,000 admissions during its 10-day run.
CPH:DOX has distinguished itself through its commitment to formally adventurous and politically engaged documentary work. The festival programs documentaries that challenge conventional nonfiction forms, and its competitive sections include categories for experimental and hybrid documentary work alongside more traditional categories.
The festival's CPH:FORUM industry market is one of the most active documentary pitching and co-production platforms in Europe, attracting commissioning editors, distributors, and funders from Nordic broadcasters, European public television, and streaming platforms.
Key Sections
- International Competition -- feature documentaries competing for jury prizes
- Nordic:DOX Competition -- Scandinavian documentaries
- New:VISION -- experimentally innovative documentary work
- F:ACT Award -- politically and socially engaged documentaries
- CPH:FORUM -- the industry pitching and co-production market
- CPH:CONFERENCE -- a conference for documentary professionals
What Filmmakers Should Know
CPH:DOX accepts open submissions through its portal. The festival is particularly receptive to formally innovative work that pushes the boundaries of documentary form. The New:VISION section is one of the few major competition categories dedicated to experimental documentary, making CPH:DOX uniquely valuable for filmmakers working between documentary and art cinema.
CPH:FORUM provides structured pitching sessions before Nordic and international commissioning editors. The Nordic broadcasting environment, with its strong tradition of documentary investment through public broadcasters in Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland, makes Copenhagen an important base for documentary financing.
Major Awards
- DOX:AWARD -- Best International Feature Documentary
- Nordic:DOX Award -- Best Scandinavian Film
- New:VISION Award -- for experimental documentary
- F:ACT Award -- for politically engaged documentary
- The Art of Documentary Award
- Audience Award
Festival History
CPH:DOX was founded in 2003 and has grown steadily into one of Europe's top documentary events. The festival's location in Copenhagen, one of Scandinavia's most culturally dynamic cities, has given it access to the robust Nordic documentary ecosystem and the broader European documentary landscape.
See Also
For documentary filmmaking guidance, see Documentary Filmmaking Guide. For festival strategy, see Film Festival Strategy.
