DokuFest is an international documentary and short film festival held in the Kosovo city of Prizren, held annually during early August. It was founded in 2002 by a group of friends. It has since grown into a cultural event that attracts international and regional artists and audiences. Films are screened throughout the eight-day festival and accompanied by programs, activities, and workshops.
In 2022, DokuFest became a nominating film festival for the European Film Awards in two categories, short film and documentary film.
Background
DokuFest was established as a volunteer-based organization in 2002 with almost no funding at the beginning and continues to draw support from the community and agencies within Kosovo. However, its path has often been associated with major difficulties due to the unique context that organization operated in (such as the post-war situation, lack of similar referent events, lack of trust from institutions and potential donors etc.).
It was run by volunteers until the introduction of full-time and part-time contracts came into place in 2008 and led to the employment of a small number of staff. The need for an organizational structure arose when the organization became involved in implementation of yearly-based projects, in addition to organizing the festival. This led to the establishment of a core team that took over the design, planning and implementation of many initiatives resulting in successful implementation of several projects.
As well as organizing large-scale cultural events, DokuFest also concerns culture, education and activism for sound cultural policies and alternative education system in Kosovo.
Per a 2015 GAP Institute report, roughly 14,000-15,000 visitors from across the world went to Prizren during DokuFest (increasing from 2011's estimate of 10,000 visitors), bringing the festival's economic impact up to over 4.7 million euros.
Today, DokuFest is also a non-governmental organization which works to help foster media literacy through film across Kosovo, in addition to its duties as a festival.
Program structure
The festival that includes the screening of films in seven improvised cinemas in the city of Prizren, the photographic exhibition "DokuPhoto", Workshops, master classes and debates, amongst others.
Film training initiative called "Human Rights Film Factory - Stories from Kosovo’s Margins" that includes series of workshops for filmmakers, production of six documentaries on Human Rights coupled with series of human rights debates throughout Kosovo. Promotion of Human Rights and Democratic Values through Film that includes usage of human rights documentary films as educational tools and establishment of Kino Clubs in Highs Schools as well as Documentary film school guiding high school students from Kosovo throughout the process of transforming their film ideas into a finished documentary. Travelling Cinema “Cinema at Your Door” aiming at documentary film screenings in rural areas of Prizren region coupled with discussions focusing on the difficulties that rural communities experience in their everyday life and the lack of the cultural activities in their surroundings. Part of larger NGO network working actively on environmental related issues and promotion of renewables in Kosovo. Active participation and contribution on national and regional networks, aimed at development of sound cultural policies and organization of debates with relevant stakeholders, both in Kosovo and the region. The festival's creative director is one of its founding members, Veton Nurkollari.
Cinema experience
The festival's roots lie at Prizren's oldest cinema Lumbardhi Cinema, where its first edition was held. DokuFest continues to hold a strong relationship with the cinema's parent NGO Lumbardhi Foundation as the host of its two primary venues, Lumbardhi Indoor (used during the day) and Lumbardhi Outdoor (used during the night, known as "Lumbardhi Bahçe"), the two venues as of 2026 have been closed for restoration.
DokuFest also uses its native cinema DokuKino (located at the Europa Complex, next to the festival headquarters) with an indoor and outdoor silver screen known as Kino Plato.
Multiple spots of cultural and historical significance across Prizren are used as makeshift venues. These include: River Cinema (Kino Lumi) built on a platform directly over the Lumbardhi river; Sonar Cinema built on a platform just outside the Prizren Fortress and Lunar Cinema built inside the Fortress, often also the venue for musical acts (in 2026 the Fortress was closed for restoration); and Kino Klubi, a film club/pub near the Remzi Ademaj High School, often the venue for talks. Festival sections
DokuNights DokuFest brings top international and local music acts to perform at DokuNights every year. DokuNights has become Kosovo's premiere music event featuring international and local singers, bands and DJs past performances have including acts such as PJ Harvey. It is regularly held at the Andrra Stage in the Marash Park.
DokuTech Runs simultaneous to DokuFest and concentrates on technical innovation and creativity.
DokuFest Productions DokuFest was awarded the British Academy Film Award for Home in 2017.
DokuKids A program of films and workshops designed especially for young guests.
Theme and slogan
Every year the festival is programmed and created around a theme that forges a unique annual identity. Year Theme Slogan Artist/Designer201110 (X)DokuFest 2012 Punk Protest Punk Protest Prizren Bardhi Haliti 2013 Borders You Brake Mine, I'll Brake Yours Daniel Mulloy 2014 Change Don't Hide Daniel Mulloy 2015 Migration But We Do Not Have Wings To Fly Free Daniel Mulloy 2016 Corruption Daniel Mulloy 2017 Future Is Not Dead DokuFest 2018 Reflection I'll Be Your Mirror / Come As You Are DokuFest 2019 Truth Truth Lies Here DokuFest 2020 Transmission Transmission, Transmission, Transformation DokuFest 2021 Twenty Years Re:set Re:mix Re:act DokuFest 2022 Survival How To Survive...? DokuFest2023I Am AI Am II Contain Human StoriesDokuFest 2024 New Order Rrethi 2025 Endless Greed Mental Void DokuFest 2026 Twenty-Five for Twenty-Five Show Up or It Doesn't Count! DokuFest
Awards
DokuFest presents awards across a number of competition sections, whose names and scope have changed somewhat over the festival's history.
Best National Competition Best International Feature Documentary Best International Short Documentary Best International Shorts Best Balkan Dox Best Human Rights Best Green Audience Award Best Procredit EKO Video
Winners
Best National Competition Year Film Director 2012 Portreti i Humbur Lulzim Zeqiri 2013 Guri në Breg (The Stone on the Shore) Jonada Jashari 2014 Heshtje (Silence) Bekim Guri 2015 Të Pafajshmit Amir Vitija 2017 Sans le Kosovo (Pa Kosovë) Dea Gjinovci 2018 Waiting Laura Kajtazi-Testa 2019 Zgjedhe Një Emër (Pick a Name) Dritëro Mehmetaj 2020 She Asked Me Where I Was From Aulona Fetahaj 2021 A Child Bekim Gurri 2022 Ka Me Kalu Flonja Kodheli 2023 Prishtinë, 2002 Trëndelina Halili 2024 Like a Sick Yellow Norika Sefa 2025 SOS Anita Morina 2026 Searching for Poetry Lorin Terezi
Best Balkan Dox Year Film Director 2012 Letter to Dad Srđan Keča 2013 When I Was a Boy I Was a Girl Ivana Todorović 2014 Evaporating Borders Iva Radivojević 2015 Flotel Europa Vladimir Tomić 2018 Distant Constellation Shevaun Mizrahi 2019 Timebox Nora Agapi 2020 Once Upon a Youth Ivan Ramljak 2021 Reconciliation Marija Zidar 2022 Factory to the Workers Srđan Kovačević 2023 Drifting Somnur Vardar 2024 Another Day Eneos Çarka 2025 A Strange Colour of Dream Yasemin Akıncı 2026 As the Spring Arrives, Water Recalls the Nomads Merve Dilşad Aladağ
Best Balkan Short Dox Introduced in 2025. Year Film Director 2025 Merging Bodies Adrian Paci 2026 Towards Where to Breathe Stefan Pavlović
Best Balkan Newcomer Awarded from 2017 to 2021. Year Film Director 2017 My Life Without Air Bojana Burnać 2018 Momsy Josip Lukić 2019 Centar Ivan Marković 2020 not held (online edition) 2021 Rampart Marko Grba Singh
Best International Feature Dox Year Film Director 2012 People I Could Have Been and Maybe Am Boris Gerrets 2013 Belleville Baby Mia Engberg 2014 Domino Effect Elwira Niewiera & Piotr Rosołowski 2015 Machine Gun or Typewriter? Travis Wilkerson 2018 Meteors Gürcan Keltek 2019 Present.Perfect. Shengze Zhu 2020 The Metamorphosis of Birds Catarina Vasconcelos 2021 We Alice Diop 2022 Dry Ground Burning Adirley Queirós & Joana Pimenta 2023 Hypermoon Mia Engberg 2024 A Fidai Film Kamal Aljafari 2025 Action Item Paula Ďurinová 2026 From Dawn to Dawn Xisi Sofia Ye Chen
Best International Short Dox Year Film Director 2012 Out of Reach Jakub Stożek 2013 Belleville Baby Mia Engberg 2014 Emergency Calls Hannes Vartiainen & Pekka Veikkolainen 2015 Things Ben Rivers 2018 Aliens Luis López Carrasco 2019 Wild Berries Hedda Bednarszky & Marianna Vas 2020 Tender 2021 The Rifleman Sierra Pettengill 2022 Haulout Evgenia Arbugaeva & Maxim Arbugaev 2023 Pacific Club Valentin Noujaïm 2024 History Is Written at Night Alejandro Alonso Estrella 2025 We Were the Scenery Christopher Radcliff 2026 Normal Planet Ekiem Barbier, Guilhem Causse & Quentin L'helgoualc'h
Best International Shorts Year Film Director 2012 Gardfrend Cüneyt Karaahmetoğlu 2013 A Society Jens Assur 2014 Subtotal Gunhild Enger 2015 Listen Hamy Ramezan & Rungano Nyoni 2018 Fence Lendita Zeqiraj 2019 Brotherhood Meryam Joobeur 2020 Sun Dog Dorian Jespers 2021 The Criminals Serhat Karaaslan 2022 Will My Parents Come to See Me Mo Harawe 2023 Neighbour Abdi Douwe Dijkstra 2024 The Death of a Hero Karin Franz Körlöf 2025 Blue Heart Samuel Suffren 2026 Kleptomania Jingkai Qu
Best Human Rights Dox Year Film Director 2012 You Don't Like the Truth: 4 Days Inside Guantánamo Luc Côté & Patricio Henríquez 2013 Dance of Outlaws Mohamed El Aboudi 2014 Judgment in Hungary Eszter Hajdú 2015 Democrats Camilla Nielsson 2018 A Woman Captured Bernadett Tuza-Ritter 2019 Tiny Souls Dina Naser 2020 The Earth Is Blue as an Orange Iryna Tsilyk 2021 Our Memory Belongs to Us Rami Farah & Signe Byrge Sørensen 2022 Myanmar Diaries The Myanmar Film Collective 2023 A Golden Life Boubacar Sangaré 2024 Silence of Reason Kumjana Novakova 2025 My Dear Theo Alisa Kovalenko 2026 The Clearing Sabine Groenewegen
Best Green Dox Year Film Director 2012 Kingdom of Coal Antoneta Kastrati 2013 Future My Love Maja Borg 2014 Metamorphosen Sebastian Mez 2015 Virunga Orlando von Einsiedel 2018 Wild Relatives Jumana Manna 2019 Earth Nikolaus Geyrhalter 2020 Smog Town Meng Han 2021 White on White Viera Čákanyová 2022 Foragers Jumana Manna 2023 Last Things Deborah Stratman 2024 Apple Cider Vinegar Sofie Benoot 2025 Shifting Baselines Julien Elie 2026 Krakatoa Carlos Casas
Best Truth Dox Introduced in 2020. Year Film Director 2020 Collective Alexander Nanau 2021 Writing with Fire Rintu Thomas & Sushmit Ghosh 2022 The Killing of a Journalist Matt Sarnecki 2023 Total Trust Jialing Zhang 2024 23 Mile Mitch McCabe
Audience Award Year Film Director 2012 The Black Power Mixtape 1967–1975 Göran Hugo Olsson 2013 Kolona Ujkan Hysaj 2014 Përqafimi (The Hug) Lulzim Guhelli 2015 Remake, Remix, Rip-Off Cem Kaya 2019 The Reformist – A Female Imam Marie Skovgaard 2021 The Driver Valter Lucaj 2022 Love, Deutschmarks & Death Cem Kaya 2023 Snajka: Diary of Expectations Tea Vidović Dalipi 2024 Afterwar Birgitte Stærmose 2025 Palace of Youth Maddie Gwin 2026 The Beauty of the Donkey Dea Gjinovci
Distribution Award Awarded to a film from the National Competition. Year Film Director 2017 Routine Bekim Guri 2018 Evidence Lum Radoniqi 2021 The Driver Valter Lucaj 2022 Shpija Flaka Kokolli 2023 Hana e Re Jehona Berisha 2024 reMemBer2.human Durim Klaiqi 2025 Ndera Endrit Qarolli 2026 Dance Hana Bucalija
Talent Doc Award Given by the Kosovo Cinematography Center (QKK).