CPH:FORUM Unveils Projects

CPH:FORUM, the financing and co-production arm of documentary festival CPH:DOX, has unveiled its lineup of projects, including those by director Tamara Kotevska, Oscar nominated for “Honeyland,” and producers Monica Hellström, Oscar nominated for “Flee,” and Sigrid Dyekjær, Oscar nominated for “The Cave” and an Emmy winner with “The Territory.”

Other projects include those by directors such as Anirban Dutta and Anupama Srinivasan (“Nocturnes”), Jennie Livingston (“Paris Is Burning”), Peter Middleton (“Notes on Blindness”), Maximilien Van Aertryck and Axel Danielson (“And the King Said, What a Fantastic Machine”), Margreth Olin (“Songs of Earth”), Anabel Rodriguez (“Once Upon a Time in Venezuela”), Mark Cousins (“The Story of Film: An Odyssey”), Robin Petré (“Only on Earth”), and Agnieszka Zwiefka (“Silent Trees”), along with producers such as James Paul Dallas (“Invisible Beauty”) and John Archer (“Bogancloch”).

The event, which runs March 24-27 in Copenhagen, Denmark, will bring together 75 directors and producers representing 26 countries who will take the stage to present 30 new documentary projects spanning early to late development and production. More than 200 financiers and industry representatives have confirmed their attendance so far.

“The subject matters range from the deeply personal and existential to societal and global issues told through a wide range of documentary styles and diverse artistic approaches,” the festival said.

“In a polarized world fueled by a 24-hour news cycle and misinformation, it is more important than ever to bring to audiences nuanced stories, different perspectives and new voices,” Mara Gourd-Mercado, head of industry and training, said.

“The 2025 CPH:FORUM selection is a snapshot of a place in time and we couldn’t be more honored that this group of filmmakers has trusted us to present their projects to the world. We hope for this edition to be a space for community and dialogue – that demonstrates the power of documentary.”

CPH:FORUM has introduced a new section, CPH:ROUGHCUT, which will showcase a selection of five projects at rough cut stage aiming to premiere in 2025 and looking for distribution, sales, buyers, festival premieres and other forms of exhibition. The five selected teams will present selected scenes from their soon-to-be-finished films on March 24. This replaces the previous work-in-progress platform CPH:WIP.

For the fourth year in a row, CPH:DOX, IMS (International Media Support) and EAVE (European Audiovisual Entrepreneurs) are bringing together the development co-production training program CHANGE, highlighting projects from Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. Following two residential workshops in Moldova, the six-month long training program will culminate in a final workshop in Copenhagen, in partnership with the National Film School of Denmark, and a presentation of the eight participating projects at the CHANGE pitch session on March 24.

For the first time, CPH:FORUM is introducing the Sandbox Films Science Pitch Prize, highlighting an outstanding science documentary project presented at CPH:FORUM for its innovation in the genre, artistic merit, and a commitment to inclusivity. The winners will receive a $25,000 cash award along with support from Sandbox Films to complete the film.

CPH:FORUM is partnering with Al Jazeera Documentary Channel to introduce the Al Jazeera Documentary Channel Co-Production Award with a €10,000 prize for a FORUM project highlighting urgent matters of our times.

For the second year, CPH:FORUM will present the Eurimages Innovation Award and the Outreach Award, promoting and celebrating innovative and experimental projects at different stages of production by non-conventional filmmakers and visual artists. The Innovation Award of €20,000 will go to an innovative project in development with an intention for international cooperation. The Outreach Award of €30,000 will go to an independent production company or director for an innovative project at the end of production or in post-production, striving to engage audiences internationally and promote public awareness of experimental projects. Projects from CPH:FORUM, CPH:ROUGHCUT and CPH:LAB are eligible.

In addition, the Rise and Shine Award of €3,000 will be awarded to the best pitch project with international potential and no sales agent attached as well as the Unifrance/Titrafilm Doc Award totaling nearly €5,500 in benefits for the best French production or co-production presented.

The awards will be handed out at the CPH:INDUSTRY Happy Hour & Award show taking place on March 27 at the Social Cinema at Kunsthal Charlottenborg.

The selected projects will be presented to established film financiers and representatives of streaming platforms, such as Netflix, Hulu and HBO Europe; broadcasters ARTE, ZDF, VPRO, BBC, National Geographic, POV, Al Jazeera, and DR; film studios such as TIME Studios, Sky Studios, Concordia Studio, Fremantle and Sandbox Films; distributors Fifth Season and IMAX; art institutions such as Tate Modern and the Museum of Moving Image, funds and foundations such as Field of Vision, Impact Partners, Ford Foundation, Sundance Institute, Doc Society, Chicken and Egg Pictures, Catapult and The Whickers.

CPH:FORUM PROJECTS
“Anatomy of a Genocide” (NO, HR)
Directed by Torstein Grude; produced by Torstein Grude, Siniša Juričić

“Being Human: Perspectives on Peace and Conflict” (SE, DK, FR)
Directed by Maximilien Van Aertryck, Axel Danielson; produced by Maximilien Van Aertryck, Axel Danielson

“Confidential” (DE)
Directed by Andreas Pichler; produced by Christian Beetz, Anne von Petersdorff

“Earth Camp One” (U.S.)
Directed by Jennie Livingston; produced by Jennie Livingston, Mary Recine, Jamie Wolf, Eric Besner, Geralyn White Dreyfous, Donald Newhouse, Susan Newhouse, Caroleen Feeney

“Hopefully, Not Today” (DK, NO, IS)
Directed by Tereza Šimíková, Eivind H. Natvig; produced by Peter Engel

“House No. 7” (SY)
Directed by Rama Abdi; produced by Hazar Yazji

“In the Black Fantastic” (U.K.)
Directed by Julian Knox; produced by Debo Amon, Ekow Eshun, Jenny Berglund, Patrick Bedeau, Arianna Nourse, Claude Grunitzky, Julian Knox

“Landfall” (U.K.)
Directed by Peter Middleton; produced by Hugh Davies, Clive Patterson

“Metropolis” (IN)
Directed by Anirban Dutta, Anupama Srinivasan; produced by Anirban Dutta

“My Friend the Bear” (U.S.)
Directed by Drew Xanthopoulos; produced by Bennett Elliott

“One Day in the Future” (CN)
Directed by Hang Ji, Xuan-nian Jiang, produced by Hui-Chen Huang and Vincent Du

“Pantheras” (NO, PT)
Directed by Salome Lamas; produced by Anita Norfolk, Pedro Duarte

“Rescue” (DK, IT)
Directed by Sine Plambech, Janus Metz; produced by Andreas Møl Dalsgaard, Sofie Husum Johannesen

“Spaceman in Kongo” (CD, U.K., DE, U.S.)
Directed by Maisha Maene; produced by Leo Nelki, Josune Hahnheiser, Dale Dobson, Maisha Maene

“Story of Documentary Film” (U.K.)
Directed by Mark Cousins; produced by John Archer

“The Amnesiac” (SE)
Directed by Marcus Lindeen; produced by Jesper Kurlandsky

“The Coil Case” (DK)
Directed by Camilla Nielsson, Ullannaq Ingemann, Kimmernaq Kjeldsen; produced by Dorte Høeg Brask

“The Freedom Theatre” (DK, NO)
Directed by Nagieb Khaja; produced by Mette Heide

“The Journey to Santa Rosa de Amanadona” (AT, VE, UK, FR)
Directed by Anabel Rodríguez; produced by Karin Berghammer, Sepp R. Brudermann, Anabel Rodríguez, Margarita Cadenas

“The Last Witnesses” (DK, JO)
Directed by Omar Shargawi, produced by Katrin Pors, Aseel Abu Ayyash, Rula Nasser

“The Mammoths That Escaped the Kingdom of Erlik Khan” (DK, MK, UK, PT, U.S.)
Directed by Tamara Kotevska, produced by Sigrid Dyekjær, Harry Vaughn, Jean Dakar, Anna Hashmi, Enrico Saraiva, Tamara Kotevska

“The Salt of the South” (TN, FR)
Directed by Rami Jarboui; produced by Ramzi Laâmouri, Julien Coquet

“The Truth” (La Verdad) (DK, CL)
Directed by Marianne Hougen-Moraga, Estephan Wagner; produced by Signe Byrge Sørensen, Alberte Lyngbo

“Thermocene” (IT)
Directed by Giorgio Ferrero; produced by Giovanni Pompilli

“Uncomfortable Truths” (CA)
Directed by Guylaine Maroist, Eric Ruel; produced by Genevieve Pigeon, Guylaine Maroist, Eric Ruel

Untitled Edward Said Documentary (U.S.)
Directed by Maiken Baird; produced by Alex Gibney, Paul Dallas, Sarah Mowaswes

Untitled Horse Project (NO)
Directed and produced by Margreth Olin

Untitled Science Project (BR, BE, U.S.)
Directed by Emilia Mello; produced by Elijah Stevens, Julia Alves, Hanne Phlypo

“Wolf Moon” (DK)
Directed by Robin Petré; produced by Monica Hellström

“Words We Never Say” (PL)
Directed by Agnieszka Zwiefka; produced by Izabela Igel, Agnieszka Zwiefka

CPH:ROUGHCUT PROJECTS
“Four Brothers” [WT] (BE, SE, NL, DE)
Directed by Pieter-Jan De Pue; produced by Emilie Blezat, Pieter-Jan De Pue, Bart Van Langendonck, Christian Beetz, Femke Wolting, Vincent Metzinger, David Dusa

“The Alarmist” (DK, U.S.)
Directed by Jacob Tschernia, Tomer Slutzky; produced by Kirstine Barfod

“The Last Nomads” (RS, MN, FR, SI, BE)
Directed by Biljana Tutorov, Peter Glomazić; produced by Biljana Tutorov, Peter Glomazic, Quentin Laurent, Rok Biček

“The Sinner” (BG, DE, RS)
Directed by Boris Despodov; produced by Boris Despodov, Nana Frese, Miloš Ljubomirović, Dragan von Petrović

“Virtual Girlfriends” (CZ, SK, BG)
Directed by Barbora Chalupová; produced by Pavla Kimešová

CHANGE PROJECTS
“Entr’actes” (UA, BE)
Directed by Yuriy Shylov; produced by Olha Tuharinova, Maarten Bernaerts

“Eyes Wide Open” (GE)
Directed by Sopho Apriamashvili; produced by Nino Orjonikidze

“Import/Export MD” (ML)
Directed by Max T. Ciorbă; produced by Sergiu Scobioala

“Kura” (AZ)
Directed by Murad Allahverdi; produced by Afag Yusifli

“Leave Easy Come Back Safe” (BY, DE)
Directed by Sasha Kulak, Masha Maroz; produced by Sasha Kulak, Julia Shaginurova

“Missing In Action” (UA)
Directed by Kateryna Holovko, Marharyta Melnychuk; produced by Aliona Kachkan, Eugene Rachkovsky

“My Name Is Enough” (AR)
Directed by Marina Arzumanova, Ani Grigoryan; produced by Ani Ordyan

“Whispers of Womanhood” (GE)
Directed by Rati Tsiteladze; produced by Olga Slusareva