FIPRESCI Documentary Grand Prix 2025: Nominees Announced

In January, the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) and the Millennium Docs Against Gravity festival announced the launch of the Documentary Grand Prix. This new award will be given to the best documentary film of the year. Members of FIPRESCI from around the world will vote, making this award one of the most important distinctions in global documentary cinema. Now, FIPRESCI and MDAG are pleased to share the list of nominees for the new award. The first ever winner will be announced at the Opening Ceremony of the 23rd MDAG in May 2026.

FIPRESCI Documentary Grand Prix nominees

”2000 Meters to Andriivka” by Mstyslav Chernov

An unflinching film from the frontline in Ukraine, where a small group of soldiers fight their way two kilometers through a harsh landscape to liberate a village in ruins.

”Fiume o morte!” by Igor Bezinović

A century after Gabriele D’Annunzio’s bizarre 1919 occupation of Fiume, Rijeka-born director Igor Bezinović and 300 citizens stage a subversive, punk-infused reenactment that dismantles nationalist mythmaking and exposes the enduring spectacle of political performance.

”Mr. Nobody Against Putin” by Pavel Talankin and David Borenstein

A documentary about propaganda and everyday life in Russia follows Pasha, a small-town teacher on the Urals who films his students as schools become militarized after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine—capturing loyalty pledges, fear, and the quiet resistance of teenagers.

”Orwell: 2+2=5” by Raoul Peck

Interweaving archive footage from adaptations of “1984” with a tapestry of 21st century images, Raoul Peck dissects Orwell’s genius and his vital lessons for our times.

”The Perfect Neighbour” by Geeta Gandbhir

Police bodycam recordings capture the moment a protracted conflict between neighbors escalates into a deadly encounter in this documentary exploring fear, bias, and Stand Your Ground legislation.

The winner will be announced during the Opening Ceremony of the Millennium Docs Against Gravity Film Festival in Warsaw, Poland, on May 7, 2026. The 23rd MDAG will take place from 8 to 17 May 2026 in cinemas in Warsaw, Wrocław, Gdynia, Poznań, Katowice, Bydgoszcz, and Łódź, and online from May 19 to June 1 at mdag.pl.

©FIPRESCI 2026