Sofia DocuMental 2025 begins on September 25
Sofia DocuMental, the International Documentary Film Festival with a focus on human rights, will hold its sixth edition from September 25 to October 5, 2025, both in Sofia and online across Bulgaria. This year’s motto, “Natural Intelligence Strikes Back,” frames a program of nearly 30 Bulgarian premieres, including award-winning titles from the world’s most prestigious festivals.
For the sixth year in a row, Sofia DocuMental remains committed to its vision that documentary cinema is a way of playing fair in a world where the rules often change without warning. The festival stands as a platform for resistance, connection, understanding, and forward movement.
“Today, when artificial intelligence can imitate realities, the documentary perspective remains our uniquely human move – vivid, authentic, and irreplaceable. The 2025 program carries the signature of natural intelligence – intuition, empathy, and the moral compass that only humans can exercise,” says festival director Martichka Bozhilova.
This year’s selection explores the fragility of democracy with clarity and courage, gives voice to women breaking beyond prescribed roles, and traces personal revolutions sparked by unexpected circumstances. These are stories that revisit the past to shed light on the present, portraits that defy convention, and perspectives that bridge nature, technology, and everything in between.
The 2025 festival’s visual identity draws inspiration from analog games such as bingo, memory, puzzles, and crosswords. A set of icons highlights key themes – personal and social identity, freedom of expression, the impact of new technologies, and humanity’s fragile relationship with nature. The campaign conveys a sense of play and discovery, sparking curiosity and reflection – all in tune with this year’s motto, “Natural Intelligence Strikes Back.”
Screenings and events will take place at landmark venues across Sofia, including Largo Sofia’s “Cinema Under the Dome,” the House of Cinema, Odeon Cinema, the Czech Center, Goethe-Institut, French Institute, Polish Institute, the Central Market Hall stage, and DOM Club, as well as online nationwide through a partnership with Neterra TV+.
Sofia DocuMental 2025 is part of the Cultural Calendar of Sofia Municipality and is organized with the support of the National Film Center, the National Culture Fund, and numerous cultural centers and embassies.