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Whispers successful May, Dongnan Chen’s movie exploring nan rite of transition of a 14-year-old woman successful agrarian China, won nan apical grant astatine CPH:DOX successful Copenhagen Friday night, automatically qualifying nan documentary for Oscar consideration.
“Telling mythical stories astir hidden worlds is simply a gift. Giving breadth and extent to quotidian moments is simply a talent,” nan DOX:AWARD assemblage wrote. “Weaving cinematic forms while allowing reality to resonate is captivating. Ultimately, we were charmed by a young girl’s journey. Walking complete nan separator of nan past days of childhood, this head has succeeded successful sharing a modern-day fairytale that heeds monsters and factories, alike.”
Chen was connected manus to judge nan award. “Thank you for seeing nan girls,” she said. “And convey you for seeing us.”
The DOX:AWARD is nan festival’s “flagship competition, celebrating creator excellence,” CPH:DOX notes, and comes pinch a €10,000 prize, sponsored by Politiken Fonden.
The five-member assemblage besides awarded a Special Mention to The Cord, directed by Nolwenn Hervé, noting it marked her directorial debut. “This emerging sound captivated america pinch its humanity, tenacity and empathy,” jurors wrote.
Scroll for nan afloat database of CPH:DOX winners.
The FIPRESCI Award, created this twelvemonth by nan International Federation of Film Critics, went to Amazomania, directed by Swedish filmmaker Nathan Grossman. His documentary plunges viewers into a 1996 expedition successful Brazil to interaction nan isolate Indigenous Koruba group successful nan Amazon rainforest. Numerous journalists joined nan expedition, including Swedish filmmaker Erling Söderström, who licensed his 1996 footage to Grossman to make nan documentary. Amazomania examines fascination pinch distant tribes for illustration nan Koruba, and questions of agency and consent erstwhile it comes to filming groups who for taste and humanities reasons do not person notions of authorship, communicative rights, and “copyright law.”
In nan festival’s F:ACT AWARD competition, nan victor was Just Look Up, directed by Emma Wall and Betsy Hershey. The movie executive produced by Adam McKay looks astatine young activists who are utilizing disruptive strategies to request urgent action connected ambiance change.
A Special Mention successful that title went to The Great Experiment, directed by Stephen Maing and Eric Daniel Metzgar. The film, changeable crossed nan U.S. from 2017-2020, explores aggravated ideological differences that are threatening to tear isolated nan cloth of nan American republic.
Irene Bartolomé’s Dream of Another Summer won nan NEXT:WAVE Award, a class for documentaries that return a much daring imaginative approach. Bartolomé invites viewers into nan scenery of Beirut shattered by nan 2020 chemic detonation that killed complete 200 group and caused billions of dollars successful damage, her attack notable for its evocative cinematography and usage of quasi-fictional elements.
This Is Not a French Film, directed by Tom Adjibi, earned a Special Mention successful that category.
The Phantom Pain of Rojava, directed by Maryam Ebrahimi, won nan HUMAN:RIGHTS AWARD. In that category, Poh Si Teng’s American Doctor earned a Special Mention.
The world title lineups included a full of 74 films, “hand-picked from thousands of submissions from astir nan world,” nan show observes, featuring 53 world premieres, 17 world premieres, and 4 European premieres.
The winners of nan world competitions of CPH:DOX 2026 are:
DOX:AWARD
Winner: ‘WHISPERS IN MAY’ by Dongnan Chen / Hong Kong, Netherlands, South Korea & Sweden / 2026 / World Premiere
Special Mention: ‘THE CORD’ by Nolwenn Hervé / France / 2026 / World Premiere
Sponsored by Politiken Fonden pinch a prize of €10,000, nan DOX:AWARD is nan festival’s flagship competition, celebrating creator excellence.
FIPRESCI AWARD
Winner: ‘AMAZOMANIA’ by Nathan Grossman / Sweden, Denmark & France / 2026 / World Premiere
Introduced successful 2026, nan FIPRESCI Award is presented by nan International Federation of Film Critics. The 12 films successful nan DOX:AWARD Competition were nominated for this caller people of distinction.
F:ACT AWARD
Winner: ‘JUST LOOK UP’ by Emma Wall & Betsy Hershey / United States & Denmark / 2026 / World Premiere
Special Mention: ‘THE GREAT EXPERIMENT’ by Stephen Maing & Eric Daniel Metzgar / United States & Mexico / 2026 / International Premiere
Supported by International Media Support (IMS) and nan Danish Union of Journalists pinch a prize of €5,000, nan F:ACT Competition bridges filmmaking and investigative journalism.
NEXT:WAVE AWARD
Winner: ‘DREAM OF ANOTHER SUMMER’ by Irene Bartholomé / Spain & Lebanon / 2026 / World Premiere
Special Mention: ‘THIS IS NOT A FRENCH FILM’ by Tom Adjibi / Belgium & France / 2026 / World Premiere
The NEXT:WAVE Award spotlights emerging filmmakers and caller cinematic currents, offering a prize of €5,000.
NORDIC:DOX AWARD
Winner: ‘THE SECRET READING CLUB OF KABUL’ by Shakiba Adil & Elina Hirvonen / Finland & Norway / 2026 / World Premiere
Special Mention: ‘HOMESICK’ by Taekyung Tanja In Wol Sørensen / Denmark, South Korea & Finland / 2026 / World Premiere
The NORDIC:DOX Award honors standout documentaries from nan Nordic region and includes a €5,000 prize.
HUMAN:RIGHTS AWARD
Winner: ‘THE PHANTOM PAIN OF ROJAVA’ by Maryam Ebrahimi / Sweden & Norway / 2026 / World Premiere
Special Mention: ‘AMERICAN DOCTOR’ by Poh Si Teng / United States, Palestine, Malaysia & Denmark / 2026 / International Premiere
Sponsored by nan Danish Institute for Human Rights pinch a prize of €5,000, nan HUMAN:RIGHTS Competition highlights stories successful defence of quality rights.
NEW:VISION AWARD
Winner: ‘COMPACT DISC’ by Rico Wong / Hong Kong & United Kingdom / 2026 / World Premiere
Special Mention: ‘LOCAL SENSATIONS’ by Tulapop Saenjaroen / Thailand / 2026 / European Premiere
The NEW:VISION Award celebrates artists’ films and boundary-pushing cinematic experiments pinch a €5,000 prize.
INTER:ACTIVE EXHIBITION AWARD
Winner: ‘INSIDE: THE CHILDHOOD OF AN ARTIST’ by Sacha Wares / United Kingdom / 2026 / Multisensory VR Experience / International Premiere
Special Mention: ‘DARK ROOMS’ by Mads Damsbo & Laurits Flensted-Jensen / Denmark, Germany & Taiwan / 2026 / Immersive VR Experience / Danish Premiere
CPH:DOX awards a 10,000 DKK rate prize to nan top-selected INTER:ACTIVE work.
CPH:DOX will besides manus retired a prize of €10,000 Audience Award, sponsored by nan Danish nationalist work broadcaster, DR. The victor will beryllium announced connected March 26.
