ZagrebDox - International Documentary Film Festival

Overview

ZagrebDox is Croatia's leading documentary film festival, organized by Factum and held annually at the Kaptol Boutique Cinema in central Zagreb. The 22nd edition ran April 19 to 26, 2026, screening 112 films across 16 programme sections. Twenty films competed in the International Competition and 18 in the Regional Competition for the festival's Big Stamp awards. The artistic director is Nenad Puhovski and the executive director is Hrvoje Puksec.

The 2026 Big Stamp for International Competition went to A Fox Under a Pink Moon by Mehrdad Oskouei and Soraya Akhlaghi (Iran/France/UK/USA/Denmark), with a Special Mention to Silver by Natalia Koniarz (Poland/Norway/Finland). The Big Stamp for Regional Competition went to The Mountain Won't Move by Petra Seliskar (Slovenia/France/North Macedonia), with a Special Mention to Serene Valley by Sebastijan Borovcak (Croatia). The FIPRESCI Award went to Slet 1988 by Marta Popivoda (Germany/France/Serbia).

Submissions for the 23rd edition (2027) are open until December 15, 2026, via FilmFreeway. The festival accepts feature-length and short documentaries produced after January 1, 2026. All competition films must be Croatian premieres. Films submitted in previous years are not eligible.

Submission Details

Submissions are handled exclusively through FilmFreeway.

The processing fee is charged once per film. Films in post-production may submit by the deadline but must be finished no later than January 2027. Only selected films receive an official acceptance letter with program section indication.

Ticket Prices

Tickets are available at the Kaptol Boutique Cinema box office, via the CineStar app, and online at cinestarcinemas.hr. Online transactions are subject to a processing fee. Ticket reservations are not possible. Free tickets for morning screenings must be picked up on the screening day, with a maximum of two per person.

Competition Sections and Awards

Official Awards:

Special Awards:

Official awards consist of a statue, a diploma, and a cash prize subject to available budget. The International Jury (three experts) awards the Big Stamp for International Competition. The Regional Jury (three experts) awards the Big Stamp for Regional Competition. The Young Jury awards the Little Stamp for filmmakers under 35. The Short Dox Jury awards the Little Stamp for best short film (up to 40 minutes).

Programme Sections

The 22nd edition organized 112 films across 16 sections:

• International Competition - 20 films competing for the Big Stamp
• Regional Competition - 18 films from ex-Yugoslav and Balkan countries
• Festival Hits - award-winning documentaries from major festivals
• State of Affairs - socially and politically engaged documentaries
• Happy Dox - uplifting and optimistic documentaries
• Biography Dox - portrait films and biographical documentaries
• Music Globe - music documentaries
• Teen Dox - documentaries about youth issues, judged by secondary-school students
• Short Dox - short documentary competition (up to 40 minutes)
• Retrospective - curated programs of established filmmakers (2026: Christian Frei)

The 2026 edition also made 15 selected titles available on the Loly.tv streaming platform through May 3, extending the festival's reach beyond the physical screenings.

ZagrebDox Pro (Industry Section)

ZagrebDox Pro is the festival's industry section, returning in the format established in 2025. The Slow Pitch event serves as its centerpiece, providing a platform for documentary filmmakers to present projects to potential co-producers, broadcasters, and funders. The industry program is smaller than major market events like CPH:FORUM or the EFM, but it is the primary documentary industry gathering in southeastern Europe.

Festival History

ZagrebDox was founded in 2005 by Nenad Puhovski and is organized by Factum, a Croatian production company. The festival was created to provide audiences and professionals insight into recent documentary production, stimulate national documentary filmmaking, and boost international and regional co-production cooperation.

Over 22 editions, ZagrebDox has grown into the leading documentary festival in southeastern Europe. The festival has maintained its focus exclusively on documentary cinema, distinguishing it from general film festivals in the region. The Regional Competition has become a key platform for documentary filmmakers from the Balkans, creating cross-border connections in a region where film industries are small and underfunded.

The 2026 Honorary Big Stamp for lifetime achievement was awarded to Swiss filmmaker Christian Frei, whose five films were shown in a retrospective program. The festival has historically honored filmmakers whose work has been central to documentary cinema for decades.

What Filmmakers Should Know

For Croatian documentary filmmakers, ZagrebDox is the most important domestic platform. The Regional Competition creates connections across the Balkan documentary community that are difficult to build elsewhere, as the region's film industries operate with limited budgets and minimal international visibility.

International filmmakers should note that the festival requires a Croatian premiere for all competition films. The submission fee is modest compared to major A-list festivals, and the FilmFreeway process is straightforward. However, the festival does not provide individual feedback on rejected films.

The festival's audience is engaged and substantial for a documentary-only event. The Kaptol Boutique Cinema is a single-venue festival site, which creates an intimate atmosphere where filmmakers have direct access to audiences and industry attendees. The free morning screenings (Monday to Friday before 3pm) expand audience access beyond paying attendees.

For filmmakers working in human rights documentary, the Movies That Matter Award provides additional visibility. The FIPRESCI Award, given by the International Federation of Film Critics, is a meaningful critical recognition for regional filmmakers.

The festival does not operate a film market. Filmmakers seeking distribution or sales opportunities should not expect deal-making at ZagrebDox. The industry value lies in co-production connections through ZagrebDox Pro and the Slow Pitch event, particularly for filmmakers working in southeastern Europe.

See Also

Calculate your total festival submission costs and projected return using the Festival ROI Calculator. For documentary filmmaking guidance, see Documentary Filmmaking Guide. For festival circuit strategy, see Film Festival Strategy. For the Zagreb Animation Festival, see Animafest Zagreb. Submit through the ZagrebDox FilmFreeway page.