2025 Recap
Highlights of the past year at Lightdox
As 2025 draws to a close, we look back with gratitude and excitement at everything this year brought to Lightdox. From new collaborations to powerful films that found their way to audiences worldwide, it was a year of growth, discovery, and connection.
Here is a look at the highlights that made 2025 a year to remember.
Films
In 2025, we added six remarkable titles to our catalog, four of which are feature documentary debuts.
In February, we welcomed onboard Fiume o morte! by Igor Bezinović, ahead of its world premiere in the Tiger Competition at the International Film Festival Rotterdam. A wildly inventive and sharply critical exploration of Gabriele D’Annunzio’s surreal 1919 occupation of Fiume, the film blends collective reenactment, archival material, and punk energy to examine propaganda, performance, and the myths that shape nationalist histories. Fiume o morte! went on to win both the Tiger Award and the FIPRESCI Prize.
In March, two striking feature debuts joined the Lightdox lineup with their premieres at CPH:DOX. Agatha’s Almanac by Amalie Atkins offers a tender, sensory portrait of 90-year-old Agatha Bock and her disappearing world of handmade rituals and rural resilience, filmed over six years on 16mm by an all-female crew. Flophouse America by Monica Strømdahl follows 12-year-old Mikal as he grows up in a U.S. flophouse hotel – an intimate and emotionally rich coming-of-age story shaped by instability, love, and the hope for something better. The film received a Special Mention in the DOX:AWARD Competition.
In May, we proudly renewed our collaboration with Robin Hunzinger with the world premiere of Ice Grave at DOK.fest München. Reconstructing the ill-fated 1897 Arctic balloon expedition through recovered journals and salvaged photographs, Hunzinger creates a haunting meditation on exploration, obsession, and the fragments of history left preserved in ice.
In June, Welded Together by Anastasiya Miroshnichenko, another powerful feature debut, premiered in the International Competition at Sheffield DocFest, where it won the Grand Jury Award. Through the story of Katya, a young welder seeking to reconnect with her fractured family, the film offers a moving exploration of love, resilience, and the emotional weight carried by children in difficult circumstances.
Finally, in September, Do You Love Me by Lana Daher had its world premiere at Giornate degli Autori in Venice. Composed entirely of archival footage spanning 70 years of Lebanese audiovisual history, the film is a playful, poetic, and deeply personal love letter to Beirut – celebrating artistic expression as resistance, reinvention, and a mode of preserving collective memory in a country without a national archive.
Awards
2025 has been a standout year for Lightdox, with our films collecting over 80 awards, nominations, and special mentions around the world. This incredible wave of recognition celebrates the bold filmmaking, distinct voices, and powerful stories that defined our slate this year.
Fiume o morte! by Igor Bezinović had a phenomenal festival journey following its dual win at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, where it received both the Tiger Award and the FIPRESCI Prize. The film continued its sweep throughout the year, earning Best Documentary at the Innsbruck International Film Festival, the Maslačak Award at UnderhillFest, and the Vedran Šamanović Award for innovation in Croatian cinema. At Pula Film Festival, it dominated with multiple Golden Arena awards, including Best Director, Best Production, Best Casting, Best Make-up, Best Production Design, and Best Costume Design. Internationally, it secured the Golden Apricot at Yerevan IFF, the Young Onion Award at MakeDox, and Best Documentary honors at Vukovar, Dokudoc, and Ortigia. Further highlights include audience awards at Dokuart, CinEast, Budapest IFF, and Days of Croatian Cinema, where it also won jury prizes for Best Director, Best Composer, and Best Film. The film closed the year with major wins at the Adriatic Film Awards, multiple Vesna Awards at FSF Portorož, and key distinctions such as the Youth Perspective Award at Euro Balkan FF, a nomination for the 2026 European Film Awards, and being selected as Croatia’s nomination for the 40th Goya Awards.
In addition to its festival triumphs, Fiume o morte! reached two major milestones this awards season: it was selected as Croatia’s official submission for the Best International Feature Film category at the 98th Academy Awards, and it advanced from the shortlist to secure two nominations at the 2026 European Film Awards — for Best European Film and Best European Documentary. Together, these distinctions place the film among the most acclaimed European titles of the year.
Agatha’s Almanac by Amalie Atkins enjoyed a celebrated festival run, beginning with the Best Canadian Feature Documentary Award at Hot Docs. It went on to win Best Feature Documentary at Devour! The Food Film Fest and the World Documentary Award at Whistler Film Festival, affirming Atkins’ debut as a major new voice in nonfiction cinema.
Flophouse America by Monica Strømdahl also garnered substantial recognition, starting with a Special Mention in the DOX:AWARD Competition at CPH:DOX. It was nominated for the Doc Alliance Award, and continued its trajectory with the Wild Dreamer Award at Subversive Festival, the Hera “Nuovi Talenti” Award at Biografilm, and a shortlist placement for the 2026 European Film Awards. The film earned the Best Norwegian Documentary award at BIFF, the Best Documentary Award at Cork IFF, a Cinema Eye Honors Spotlight Award nomination, and the Best Cinematography Award at the Rome International Documentary Festival.
Welded Together by Anastasiya Miroshnichenko continued to impress following its Grand Jury Award at Sheffield DocFest, receiving the Grand Prix of the Mediterranean Film Festival, the MDR Film Prize at DOK Leipzig, and the Grand Prix at the Traces de Vies Documentary Film Festival.
Do You Love Me by Lana Daher was recognized early in its festival life with the Political Film Award of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung at Hamburg Film Festival, followed by an Honorable Mention at Doclisboa and a Special Mention at Cinemed.
Beyond our newest titles, several films from our existing slate continued to shine. Valentina and the Muosters by Francesca Scalisi received the Environment and Society Award and the Gaetano Capizzi Special Recognition at Cinemambiente Torino, as well as the Île d’Or Prize at the Groix Island Film Festival. At the Door of the House Who Will Come Knocking by Maja Novaković earned Best Documentary Film and Best Cinematography at SEEfest, along with awards from ZagrebDox, Alpin Film Festival, Ulju Mountain Film Festival, DokuBaku, and Nuovi Mondi. Marching in the Dark by Kinshuk Surjan received the Best Sound Award at the SIMA Awards, the Best Connecting Cultures Film at Ghent Viewpoint, dual prizes at the Festival Jean Rouch, and major documentary awards at Sole Luna, Chicago South Asian FF, and the Sharjah Film Platform.
Among other notable achievements, Intercepted by Oksana Karpovych won Best Feature Film at Antenna Documentary Film Festival, while As the Tide Comes In by Juan Palacios and Sofie Husum Johannesen received the Directors’ Choice Award for Best Environmental Documentary at the Sedona International Film Festival. Bye Bye Tiberias by Lina Soualem continued its acclaimed trajectory with a César Award nomination, the Alice Guy Award for Soualem, and a Special Mention at UnderhillFest.
Releases
2025 saw several Lightdox titles reaching audiences around the world, bringing bold and compelling stories to cinemas and strengthening our partnerships with distributors and exhibition platforms across Europe and beyond.
In February, Intercepted by Oksana Karpovych returned to London for a limited theatrical run at Bertha DocHouse, continuing the film’s strong presence in the UK.
In March, Bye Bye Tiberias by Lina Soualem screened in cinemas across Spain as part of Docs del Mes, the monthly documentary programme of DocsBarcelona. That same month, Intercepted launched a nationwide theatrical run across Poland, presented as part of the WATCH DOCS Traveling Film Festival.
In May, Marching in the Dark by Kinshuk Surjan enjoyed a limited theatrical release at Bertha DocHouse, introducing London audiences to its deeply resonant storytelling. Later in the year, Intercepted expanded its UK presence with a theatrical run across the UK and Ireland, in collaboration with INDOX.
In November, Fiume o morte! had a special theatrical screening at the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) in London, marking the film’s first major UK cinema appearance following its extensive festival triumphs.
Alongside theatrical releases, we celebrated significant distribution partnerships throughout the year. Agatha’s Almanac secured distribution in the Benelux region with Bantam Film, in Taiwan with Joint Entertainment, in Japan with Doma Inc., and in Canada with Kinosmith Inc. Both Fiume o morte! and Agatha’s Almanac were also acquired for US distribution by Icarus Films, expanding their North American reach. As the Tide Comes In by Juan Palacios and Sofie Husum Johannesen found a new home in Spain and Andorra with Reverso Films, while Fiume o morte! continued its European expansion with distribution in Hungary through Cinefil.
Industry
Throughout 2025, we were delighted to connect with industry professionals, present our newest titles, and support emerging documentary voices at some of the most significant nonfiction markets and festivals worldwide.
In February, at the European Film Market during the Berlinale, we co-hosted a special joint showcase alongside fellow sales agencies Autlook and Mediawan. Together, we presented a curated selection of teasers and excerpts from our latest lineups – a collaborative initiative that highlighted standout films across our catalogs and strengthened ties within the documentary sales community.
In March, we took part in CPH:INDUSTRY during CPH:DOX, celebrating the world premieres of Agatha’s Almanac and Flophouse America and the Scandinavian premiere of Fiume o morte!. It was a vibrant week of screenings, meetings, and connecting with programmers, producers, and partners from across the globe.
In April, we proudly continued our partnership with Visions du Réel by presenting the annual Lightdox Award – a €3,000 cash prize granted to the project with the highest international potential at the VdR–Work in Progress showcase. This year, the award went to Jaripeo by Efraín Mojica and Rebecca Zweig, produced by Jaripeo Documentary LLC (United States), Misfits Entertainment (United States), Survivance (France), and Tierra Roja (Mexico).
In May, we returned to Cannes as an Exhibitor at the Marché du Film, where we co-hosted the Documentary Sales Agents Cut’s Showcase — a dynamic presentation featuring top sales agents including Autlook, CAT&Docs, Cinephil, MetFilm, Mediawan, and NEON. The showcase offered an exclusive first look at standout festival titles and exciting upcoming releases, reinforcing our shared commitment to elevating nonfiction cinema on the global stage.
In October, we continued our valued partnership with the Balkan Documentary Center, participating in its Balkan Documentary Market during the sixth edition of Sofia Documental. The Lightdox Award, offering €1,000 worth of consultancy and tailored support, was presented to Life on Pause, directed by Antoniy Hristov and produced by Svetla Turnin.
In November, we were thrilled to return to Amsterdam and IDFA, where Agatha’s Almanac, Do You Love Me, and Welded Together celebrated their Dutch Premieres in the Best of Fests section. We were also pleased to extend our long-standing partnership by co-sponsoring the Docs for Sale Happy Hour, continuing our commitment to fostering exchange and collaboration within the documentary marketplace.
Reflecting on all that 2025 brought, we are energised by the connections we forged and the stories we had the privilege to represent. With deep gratitude to the filmmakers, partners, and audiences who continue to inspire and support our work, we look ahead to 2026 with renewed purpose and anticipation.
Thank you for being part of the Lightdox journey.