The 22nd ZagrebDox Film Festival Has Decided On Its Winners

On Saturday, April 26, the winners of the 22nd ZagrebDox International Documentary Film Festival were announced at the festival’s awards ceremony. Ever since the festival opened at the Kaptol Boutique Cinema last Sunday, audiences have had the opportunity to see a total of 112 documentary films across sixteen programs. Twenty titles competed for the festival’s official Big Stamp award in the International Competition, and eighteen in the Regional Competition. The International Jury — comprised of David Borenstein, Christian Frei, and Oliver Sertić — presented the Big Stamp to Mehrdad Oskouei and Soraya Akhlaghi's hybrid masterpiece A Fox Under the Pink Moon. The Jury has described it as “a powerful and poetic film based on a fascinating collaboration.” They added that “all the formal elements of the film have a distinct purpose in framing an urgent global issue through the raw and intimate perspective of an unforgettable character. Soraya's honest portrayal of her struggle will stay with us for a long time.” They awarded the International Competition's Special Mention to Silver by Natalie Koniarz, stating that they were “impressed by its almost tactile imagery in expressing survival in the face of brutal labor conditions.”

In the Regional Competition, the Jury consisting of Dalija Dozet and Clara Trischler awarded the Big Stamp to Petra Seliškar's The Mountain Won’t Move. They explained that “while slowly unfolding disappearing tradition in today’s society,” Seliškar “atmospherically captures both the rugged mountain landscape and the tender bonds between the main characters, brothers who refer to one another as director, hero, cowboy, and their apprentices. In humorous, overly mature, and sometimes angry interactions, their intimacy becomes palpable. They had to grow up far too quickly, spending months up there, learning to swear, smoke, and be cowboys. With no reception, no roads, no school, and minimal human connections, they seem to be the last ones standing and are forced to navigate their place in the world. The film's mesmerizing visual language and soundscape transported us into a meditative state, while profoundly questioning ways of life caught between the tension of freedom and purpose.” The Regional Competiton's Special Mention was awarded to Sebastijan Borovčak's Serene Valley, “a film dedicated to the many seemingly invisible people among us who tried to leave no trace: they moved through minefields, deep forests, and icy winters, leaving their loved ones behind. This dramatically eloquent film follows a protagonist driven to uncover the echoes of the disappeared, offering us a gentle and poetic perspective while raising important questions about the people the European migration system chooses to forget.”

The Little Stamp for Best Short Film in competition — as decided by Jamillah van der Hulst, Jozo Schmuch, and Oleksii Yeroshenko — went to Martin Herr's intimate Omama. They praised Herr's “excellent use of the combined media technique to paint a touching and honest portrait of a family member contemplating life, death and solitude.” The same jury awarded a Special Mention to Mariam Bakacho Khatchvani's film The Men's Land, quoting its “poignant portrayal of bravery in the face of systemic oppression and cultural beliefs.” They added that “through intimate vérité observations, the film grants a rare look at internal conflict from within the community, allowing the characters to be completely themselves.” In the same composition, Jamillah van der Hulst, Jozo Schmuch, and Oleksii Yeroshenko served as the Young Jury, awarding the Little Stamp for Best Film by a Director Under 35 to Silver by Natalia Koniarz. In their explanation, they asserted that “it felt as if the crew was really immersed in the village. Because of this, the microcosmos of the town was portrayed well, and different aspects of life were shown in a realistic way. Sound was another important aspect that turned the mine into a character of its own.”

The Movies That Matter Award — bestowed upon the film that most effectively promotes human rights — was decided by Ondrej Kamenicky, Maja Prettner, and Lidija Zelović, who awarded it to Mohammadreza Eyni and Sara Khaki's Cutting Through Rocks. “We decided to give our award to a film that reveals everyday struggles for dignity, equality and freedom through the intimate observation of an unconventional main character. A strong woman who initially empowers her immediate surroundings, and whose influence and courage then begins to spread. She gives hope, not only to those in the film but to the viewers as well. With sensitivity, the film captures the clash between an individual voice and a repressive system, creating a work that is both personal and universal—a testimony to the strength of resistance, but also to its cost. It's a portrait of an extraordinarily determined woman on a motorcycle in a remote Iranian village. With unwavering energy, she bravely confrons challenges deeply rooted in traditional society. The award goes to a film that does not only tell you the story of one woman. It is also an urgent reflection on a world where fundamental women’s rights are not a given.”

The FIPRESCI Award by members of the International Federation of Film Critics — Petra Belc, Isabel Jacobs, and Ana Stanić—went to Marta Popivoda's Slet 1988. The jurors stated that “Marta Popivoda brings multiple layers into dialogue by spanning an arc between the past and the present, mediated by a dancer’s body. In its condensed form between an experimental film and a documentary, Slet 1988 shows how powerful cinema can be in rearticulating complex, unresolved political issues. It sparked an intense discussion among us, which shows the full explosive potential of the medium when used with a strong artistic vision.” The Teen Dox Award for a film from the eponymous program was decided by students of the Ivan Supek X. Gymnasium in Zagreb and awarded to Mehraneh Salimian and Amin Pakparvar's Memories of a Window. “Altough the film rests upon a contemporary reality characterized by social unrest and personal struggles, it is exceptional in how it brings that reality closer to the viewer. The film artistically portrays both social turmoil and personal battles, immersing the audience in another world with a powerful emotional impact.” The Teen Jury's Special Mention went to Things That Keep Me Up At Night by Niklas Gyberg Ivarsson. They described it as “an intimate and powerful documentary that relies not on plot but on honest confessions about fears, insecurities, and everyday struggles. The perspectives of characters from diverse countries foster identification and awareness of our own anxieties.”

The Honorary Big Stamp — awarded by the festival's Artistic Director Nenad Puhovski to filmmakers whose body of work has shaped contemporary documentary cinema —was presented to Swiss director and producer Christian Frei, one of today's most prominent documentarians. According to Puhovski, “Frei's bold and truth-driven films offer penetrating, intimate portraits of people in extreme situations and address a wide range of issues shaping humanity’s fate, including war, technology, and sweeping social change.” As part of Frei's retrospective at this year's ZagrebDox, audiences had the opportunity to see five of his films: War Photographer, Blame, Sleepless in New York, Space Tourists, and Genesis 2.0.

The International Documentary Film Festival ZagrebDox runs at Kaptol Boutique Cinemas through April 26, 2026. ZagrebDox is held with the support of the City of Zagreb, the Croatian Audiovisual Centre, the Croatian Film Directors’ Guild, and the Zagreb Tourist Board. For the latest updates and information, visit our official website and follow the festival on social media.