CPH:DOX Film Festival 2023 in Copenhagen
March 15-26 March 2023
Celebrating its 20th anniversary year, CPH:DOX is a short film festival centred on the theme of documentary, with categories for themed films that explore different moments of our lives and compete for best film in each category. The festival takes place over 10 days in March and there will be plenty of cinematic screenings for the duration as well as workshops and talks.
The festival is held over three stages, the Science Stage at the National Museum of Denmark 17-19th March, the Community Stage at the Pressen building in the town square 21st-23rd March, and the Art Stage at the National Gallery (SMK) from 24th to 26th March. Expect screenings, talks, audiovisual treats, workshops, critiques, and group discussions.
The festival is held in Kunsthal Charlottenborg and open from 10am every day for the festival, with cinemas and social areas to screen films, hold events, and meet fellow film fanatics. See the full programme of events here.
All photos from CPH:DOX Press
This year's theme is "Predicting the past, rewriting the future" which enables filmmakers to connect and explore how the past and future interplay to create our present. It connects two film programmes and creates a rewriting of what we experience in the present. With a programme of six films chosen for their illumination and focus on our history, they all play a role in how we identify with the present world around us. "Rewriting the Future" looks at the images of our time now and how they will define our future, provoking conversations on the negative and positive impacts of our present actions.
The live talk events include Hollywod filmmaker Oliver Stone at the Danish premier of his controversial film "Nuclear Now" and a conversation on the US nuclear power situation, director Wilm Wenders, of "Buena Vista Social Club" fame in conversation, musician Jose Gonzalez in concert and Q&A on his film "A Tiger in Paradise", Nathan Fielder in conversation on "The Rehearsal", "Breaking Social" screening and live talk from Rutger Bregman, Reggae star Bobi Wine discuss his screening of the ruling regime in Uganda, the Queer Now Lab in conversation on LGTBQ+ story telling, and British artist Jeremy Deller hosting an evening to celebrate music films and subcultures - with a party after at Kunsthal Charlottenborg.
Categories for Nominations
The festival sees 13 Danish and international films this year that have been selected to compete for the festival's top prize, the DOX:AWARD.
The F:ACT AWARD is dedicated to films in the field of journalism and documentary, with hard hitting films including
The NORDIC:DOX AWARD showcases films from the Nordic region and 11 of the best entries have been selected to compete for best new film, see the nominations here.
The POLITIKEN:DOX AWARD has 10 nominations from Danish film entries for the Politiken Critic's Prize.
NEXT:WAVE AWARD is the category to see the festival's new and upcoming filmmakers compete for the prize.
NEW:VISION award is for art films and experimental documentaries. 
Programme of Events
Check out the programme for this year here.
Beyond the competition and premier screenings there will also be out-of-competition films premiering, new films by artists and filmmakers, podcasts, change makers, documentaries from new filmmakers and established names, musical films, live events, concerts, parties, exhibitions, and of course interactive events.
High-profile premier screenings include "The Man Who Stole the Scream" on the paintings theft by the thief, "Plastic Fantastic" on the global eco crisis, "Feminism WTF" - a guide for beginners!, "The Last Rider" on the cyclist Greg LeMond who was shot in the stomach, "The Arc of Oblivion" from the filmmaker who built his own, and "AUM: The Cult at The End of the World" on the yoga cult turned Buddhist death cult that bombed the Tokyo subway.
The streaming platform for the festival, PARA:DOX offers a selection of films from the festival but is only accessible online from Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands.
Audience tickets cost DKK100, or for students DKK70, and can be bought online or at the cinema for certain venues, or on the door if an event is not sold out. Tickets for online streaming are available for individual films at doxonline.dk
A festival pass gives unlimted access for DKK 495.
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