A retrospective of the DOC.Coimbra Festival 2025

The DOC.Coimbra Festival closed its 2025 edition on a very positive note, reinforcing its role as an international space for meeting, debate, and celebration of documentary cinema.

We received 359 films from 54 countries, of which 38 films from 19 countries were selected and screened over 6 days of the event,bringing together more than 500 viewers in Coimbra.

Filmmakers from all over the world attended the festival,  presented their films and participated in conversations and debates with the audience, sharing moments of reflection on the art and practice of documentary filmmaking.

Highlights of the 2025 edition include a retrospective and masterclass by director Marcia Paraiso, which provided an immersion in her work and cinematic vision, as well as the launch of DOC.LAB Coimbra, an international laboratory dedicated to the development of documentary projects. This innovative space also featured a pitch session, where new projects could be presented to professionals in the field.

In total, 10 awards were granted, recognizing different talents and perspectives, in an atmosphere marked by closeness. None of this would have been possible without the dedication of a great team, which made this edition of the festival a reality, placing Coimbra as a meeting point for international documentary film.

DOC.Coimbra - International Documentary Festival returns to Coimbra in 2026, from March 17 to 22, with sessions at TAGV - Teatro Académico Gil Vicente and the IPDJ Auditorium, promising new discoveries, encounters, and celebrations of documentary cinema.

photos by: Nuno Sampaio