21. ZagrebDox on the horizon

The twenty-first edition of ZagrebDox, which since 2022 has been part of a exclusive global festival circle whose winner directly competes for the annual award of the European Film Academy, traditionally awaits us in five halls of the Kaptol Boutique cinema as the most beautiful introduction to the Croatian film festival season. About a hundred films that were selected from as many as 1500 applicants were carefully selected according to the same key – to show the best of the best from recent world documentary production. During the seven days of the festival, world, international and Croatian premieres of original and creative documentary films made and produced in the last year will be screened, with an emphasis on everything that is new and bold.

The films that the audience will have the opportunity to see come from all over the world and have been screened and/or awarded at festivals in Amsterdam, Berlin, Cannes, Lisbon, Leipzig, Prizren, Rotterdam, Jihlava, Karlovy Vary, Krakow, Locarno, San Sebastián, Sao Paulo, Sarajevo, Shanghai, Sheffield, Venice... as well as at Visions du Réel, Tribeca, Sundance, Hot Docs, Cinéma du Réel... Almost immediately after returning from Los Angeles, Nebojša Slijepčević will premiere her new short film Red Slide at this year's ZagrebDox. It is a film about the protests of the citizens of New Zagreb neighborhoods against the usurpation of part of the parks there. 

Turning twenty-one is a symbolic moment of transition to adulthood. Change comes with new responsibilities, but also freedom in decision-making, and even a way of thinking... Of course, festivals are not people, no matter how much they would like to be, but they still ask themselves important questions. For example: what is the meaning of what has been done up to that point and what will be done? ZagrebDox Pro, a workshop for authors and producers, which takes place during ZagrebDox in response to some of the key questions, thus brings a new, so-called Slow Pitch concept of presenting future projects, without the stress of "winning", in a collegial, calm and secure atmosphere. Lecturers, experts and guests of the ZagrebDox Pro programme are some of the most important European authors, producers and screeners. The best project, by the decision of the jury, will be provided with a one-year online mentorship, while two projects, also by the decision of the jury, will be given the opportunity to participate in the residency module of ZagrebDox Pro, in cooperation with the Rab Film Festival in August 2025. The response of the authors is more than significant; almost 80 projects have been submitted for only six of them who will participate in the five-day workshop.

A special segment of the ZagrebDox Pro program is dedicated to artificial intelligence, the opportunities it provides and the significant ethical aspects that the use of these tools in the production of documentary content opens up. In discussions and workshops open to the public, questions relevant to the creators of this content, but also to those who watch it, will be considered. 

The twenty-first ZagrebDox also brings a new program segment: Audio Dox. It will present some of the most important radio reports from all over Europe, nominated and awarded at last year's Prix Europa, the largest European festival that annually awards the best European television, radio and internet production.

At the end of last year's edition of ZagrebDox, Nenad Puhovski concluded that the greatest achievement of the jubilee, twentieth ZagrebDox was business as usual, i.e. the fact that they continued on the path set out in 2005, without major "rebrandings" and "makeovers", following his belief that the festival is primarily a meeting place – viewers with films, viewers with authors, viewers with viewers, authors with authors.

Bearing in mind the words of the founder and artistic director of the largest regional documentary film festival, if there is one thing that defines ZagrebDox, it is the constant, small, sometimes barely noticeable changes and – above all – the best world, regional and Croatian documentaries.

Free up the schedule between March 30 and April 6 – see you at the Kaptol Boutique cinema!

ZagrebDox is held with the support of the City of Zagreb, the Croatian Audiovisual Centre, the Kultura nova Foundation, the Croatian Film Directors' Guild and the Zagreb Tourist Board.