CPH:DOХ was founded in 2003. It is managed by Copenhagen Film Festivals, a specially created organization that also manages the annual international film festival CPH PIX and the BUSTER Copenhagen International Film Festival for Children and Youth. The festival aims to support independent and innovative film and to introduce Danish audiences to the best of contemporary non-fiction and experimental film.
CPH:DOX hosts several international competitions and gives out a number of awards. DOX:AWARD is given to the best film in the selection of the finest international documentaries. NEW:VISION is the competition for experimental films which push the boundaries between film and contemporary art. NORDIC:DOX Award is given to the best Nordic documentary. F:ACT Award is given to the best film that merges together elements of documentary filmmaking and investigative journalism.
The festival also has two sponsored awards. Politiken’s Audience Award is awarded based on the results of an audience vote held in the theaters after screening. Its sponsor is the Danish daily newspaper Politiken. The DR Talent Award is sponsored by the Danish public broadcasting corporation. It focuses on the development of young directing talents, giving young filmmakers an opportunity to pitch their ideas.
Alongside competitive screenings, the festival presents parallel curated sections. Besides, CPH:DOX screens three films selected from the nominees for the current year’s Doc Alliance Award. This prize is awarded by the alliance of seven European documentary film festivals: Denmark’s CPH:DOX, Portugal’s DocLisboa, Germany’s DOK Leipzig, France’s FID Marseille, Czech Republic’s Jihlava International Documentary Film Festival, Poland’s Planete Doc Film Festival, and Switzerland’s Visions du Réel.
The CPH:DOX film festival pays much attention to finding and supporting new talents. That’s why its program isn’t limited by film screenings and entertainment for viewers such as art exhibitions and concerts. The festival features five days of professional seminars, workshops and debates for both up-and-coming filmmakers and seasoned professionals.
CPH:DOX also hosts a number of initiatives parallel to the festival itself. They include the curated film market CPH:MARKET, the international development and film production workshop CPH:LAB, and the international financing and co-production event CPH:FORUM.
In 2020, the event was held online due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Photo: Peter Rasmussen
