2025 Program Announced
(Vancouver, BC - April 3, 2025) DOXA Documentary Film Festival, Western Canada’s largest documentary film festival, returns to present the 24th edition from May 1-11, 2025. DOXA will screen a roster of timely and thought-provoking documentaries in theatrical venues across the city, bringing filmmakers and audiences together for an engaging cinema experience.
The 2025 line-up showcases 39 features, 30 short and mid-length films, and Industry events. Screenings will take place at The Vancouver Playhouse (Opening Gala), The Cinematheque, VIFF Centre and SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts, with industry events held at SFU’s World Art Centre and The Post at 750.
The festival offers an experience that audiences can’t get at home. “Many of our films will have the directors in attendance and will be followed by Q&A’s and panel discussions. This creates a chance for audiences to ask questions and hear insights that they wouldn’t normally get,” says Marianne Thodas, Programming and Industry Manager.
Last week, DOXA announced Elizabeth Vibert and Chen Wang’s Aisha's Story (2025) as our Opening Gala film, and Patrick Shannon’s Saints and Warriors (2024) as our Closing Gala film presentations—both directed by BC filmmakers. “We’re committed to supporting our local filmmaking community,” says Arnaud Menindes, Managing Director.
“Saints and Warriors introduces a lesser-known aspect of Haida history, showing how basketball has evolved from a sport into a powerful tool for cultural continuity and community cohesion. For us as a BC-based festival, it was crucial to highlight Indigenous voices,” says Thodas.
We’re proud to announce that our Mid-Week Film presentation is the BC Premiere of David Borenstein’s Mr. Nobody Against Putin (2025) at 8:00pm on May 7, at SFU - Djavad Mowafaghian Cinema. Winner of the World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, Mr. Nobody Against Putin offers an eye-opening exploration of the human cost of resistance in a country under the grip of an authoritarian regime. When Russia’s invasion of Ukraine begins, smalltown teacher Pasha decides to document the transformation of his school into a recruitment centre for the war, secretly capturing footage of the militarization and indoctrination of young minds.
“I think people can sometimes feel overwhelmed by larger political discourses, and there’s often a concern that documentaries will only add to that sense of heaviness. But what’s powerful about documentary is its ability to ground these big, daunting issues in the experiences of real people. Many of the films we’ve selected this year emphasize the power of personal narratives,” says Thodas. “These films confront harsh realities, but they don’t dwell on despair. Instead, they reveal the courage, hope, and resilience of those who refuse to be erased.”
At DOXA 2025, audiences can experience a taste of international festivals in Vancouver, with award-winning films such as Coexistence, My Ass! (Sundance, 2025), Mistress Dispeller (TIFF, 2024), Direct Action (Berlinale, 2024), and Bogancloch (Locarno Film Festival, 2024). The Brink of Dreams (Cannes, 2024) follows Majda, Haidi, and Monika as they tackle issues like child marriage and sexual harassment through their experimental theatre, capturing the perseverance of those determined to pursue their dreams.
DOXA launches the inaugural paraDOXA program this year, highlighting experimental films that push the boundaries of documentary form. The program includes the Canadian Premiere of To Use a Mountain (2025), directed by Casey Carter. The film uses real and imagined spaces, personal stories, data visualization, and archival materials to explore the clash between government power and grassroots environmental activism when the U.S. government proposes burying almost 70,000 tonnes of radioactive waste beneath six rural American communities.
“DOXA has always had a long-standing history of programming documentaries that are a bit more artistic and push the boundaries of what we typically think of as documentary. I often hesitate to use the word ‘experimental’ because of the connotations it can carry—people think of flashing, abstract imagery with no narrative. But experimental at its core simply means exploring new forms and pushing the limits of storytelling. That’s exactly what paraDOXA is about,” says Thodas.
DOXA’s 2025 line-up features the World Premieres of films by BC filmmakers. Directed by Lyana Patrick, Nechako - It Will Be A Big River Again (2025) documents Indigenous efforts to protect land, water, and cultural heritage in northern BC. Have You Heard Judi Singh? (2025), directed by Vancouver filmmaker Baljit Sangra, revives a forgotten musician’s legacy, ensuring her music and story endure despite decades of erasure. King Arthur's Night (2024), from director John Bolton, offers a bold reimagining of the King Arthur legend, bringing together artists with and without Down Syndrome in a dazzling mix of theatre, documentary, and cinematic magic.
This year’s festival also offers the World Premiere of Canadian film They Are Sacred (2025) by Kim O'Bomsawin. They Are Sacred reframes autism through an Indigenous lens, embracing Cree traditions that honour neurodiversity as a sacred gift.
DOXA is pleased to announce several North American Premieres at this year’s festival as well, including Bedrock (2025) by Kinga Michalska, Silent Observers (2024) directed by Eliza Petkova, HUAQUERO (2024) by Juan Carlos Donoso Gómez, and The Cats of Gokogu Shrine (2024) directed by Kazuhiro Soda. Canadian film Bedrock explores Poland's complex relationship with the Holocaust through the lives of those living on Holocaust sites today. Shot on 10 of these locations, the film confronts the continuing legacies of past atrocities and how violence repeats in the spaces we inhabit.
All tickets and festival passes are on sale now at doxafestival.ca. Festival passes include access to all film screenings as well as our Opening and Closing Galas, and Mid-Week Film.
Press screeners and interviews available upon request. Contact Marnie Wilson at mwilson[at]theartsbiz.com.