The film program comprises 84 titles, including 10 world, 51 regional, and 22 Serbian premieres. In the capital, audiences will be able to attend film screenings and related events at the following venues: Dom omladine Beograda (Belgrade Youth Center), Yugoslav Film Archive, Kinoteka in Kosovska Street, Takvud Cinema, Cineplexx Ušće, Art Cinema Kolarac, Vlada Divljan Cultural Center, Student Cultural Center, Palace of Science, and the European House. After the conclusion of the 18th Beldocs, the local audience will also be able to watch some of the most important documentaries from the past and current year online.

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The festival will open with the film "Restitution, or, the Dream and Reality of the Old Guard" by director Želimir Žilnik. This documentary follows elderly musician Stevan Arsin, who returns to Serbia after six decades in Germany to finalize the restitution process of his family's property—fertile land and an old villa—facing family, friends, and numerous legal challenges.
Želimir Žilnik Restitution, or, the Dream and Reality of the Old Guard

“This year, we celebrate Beldocs’ coming of age—eighteen years of being a unique space for creative documentary film that continuously shapes the cultural landscape and social dynamics of Belgrade and Serbia. We offer our audience a wealth of opportunities for personal, collective, and professional growth. As always, we’ve prepared a fantastic program and invite everyone to join us and seek inspiration in films and discussions with Želimir Žilnik, Goran Olsson, Pavle Levi, Ben Rivers, Olha Zhurba, Galeb Nikačević, Agnieszka Zwiefka, Radu Jude, Warren Ellis, Darko Bajić, Đorđe Kadijević, Zvonko Bogdan, Maja Uzelac, Goran Dević, Igor Bezinović, Jasmina Vojcik, Vajolet du Feng, and many other fascinating guests,” said festival director Mara Prohaska Marković.

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As every year,** Beldocs** places special emphasis on the Serbian competition program, which includes 12 films by younger and mid-career directors, offering a variety of stories, authorial styles, and contemporary themes. This year’s selection includes:

"Biang Biang Express" (Nikola Stojanović)

"I Was an Artist" (Ema Teokarević)

"Black Ljubivoje" (Predrag Velinović)

"Epilogue" (Svetislav Dragomirović)

"Iron Gates" (Barbara Knežević)

"Grand Prize" (Anja Koprivšek)

"Inventory" (Ivan Marković)

"Behind the Smile" (Marko Đorđević)

"When the Phone Rang" (Iva Radivojević)

"Who Will Knock on My Door" (Maja Novaković)

"Wings and Ground (Everyone Seeks What They Lack)" (Stefan Malešević)

"Hidden in the Leaves" (Milan Milosavljević)
Ema Teokarević I Was an Artist

“It seems this year’s selection is stronger than ever, including a mix of returning filmmakers, past winners, and first-timers at Beldocs. What defines this year’s lineup is its thematic diversity, innovative approaches, and the strong artistic signature of authors who reflect on the contemporary moment through their work. This selection affirms that Serbian documentary film has energy, depth, and artistic courage that inspires. We believe their passion and dedication will resonate with every viewer,” said Artistic Director Marko Grba Singh.

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In the International Competition, audiences will see eight carefully selected films:

"Fakir" (Roman Ďuriš)

"Frida TV" (Léa Lanoë)

"Collective Monologue" (Jessica Sarah Rinland)

"Landscape and Fury" (Nicole Vögele)

"Object of Study" (Raúl Alaejos)

"Savannah and the Mountain" (Paulo Carneiro)

"Simon and Mariana" (Pier-Luc Latulippe, Martin Fournier)

"Silent Observers" (Eliza Petkova)
Roman Ďuriš Fakir

“This year’s international competition is once again composed of outstanding and diverse films, continuing our tradition of discovering bold and distinctive voices in contemporary documentary. These eight films from around the world—about people, animals, and nature—showcase creators unafraid to face the most beautiful and the darkest realities and carve from them magnificent artistic works. Watching them on the big screen in the presence of their creators will be both a grand and intimate experience,” said selector Igor Stanojević.

The program will also feature screenings in tribute to two film greats: "The State" by Thomas Heise and Guy Girard’s "David Lynch: Don’t Look at Me", offering an intimate insight into the filmmaker’s creative process.
Guy Girard David Lynch: Don’t Look at Me

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Beldocs has established itself as a key gathering place for film professionals in this part of Europe, thanks to long-standing collaborations with leading global and European festivals and numerous players in the international audiovisual industry. The Beldocs Industry Days program will feature workshops, masterclasses, pitching sessions, and other events aimed at developing new projects and networking filmmakers.

From May 22 to 27, selected films will also screen at the Yugoslav Film Archive, followed by Q&A sessions with visiting filmmakers.

One notable date—May 25 at 6 PM—is reserved for the 30th anniversary screening of Želimir Žilnik’s "Marble Ass" (1995), followed by a conversation with the director. In the film, based on his script, transvestite Merlinka (Vjeran Miladinović) engages in sex work in an attempt to “pacify” the Balkan men of the turbulent 1990s and encounters Johnny (Nenad Racković), recently returned from war but still resolving conflicts with bullets or knives. Želimir Žilnik Marble Ass

The prize sponsors include the Film Center of Serbia (for the Serbian competition), DOX TV (for the International competition), and the EU Delegation to Serbia (for the EU Audience Award for Best European Documentary). Al Jazeera Balkans and the Film Center of Montenegro support the best projects in the Beldocs Pitching Forum.

Beldocs is supported by the European Union’s Creative Europe MEDIA program, Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Serbia, EU Delegation to Serbia, Film Centers of Serbia and Montenegro, MEDIA Desk Serbia, Portuguese Embassy and Camões Institute, Australian Embassy, Adam Mickiewicz Institute and Polish Institute in Belgrade, Goethe-Institut, French Institute, Czech Centre Belgrade, Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO), and Al Jazeera Balkans and DOX TV.

About Beldocs

Beldocs is one of the leading international documentary film festivals in the region, held every May in Belgrade. Founded in 2008, the festival offers a rich film and accompanying program, presenting over 80 documentaries with numerous premieres. Over the course of seven days, audiences can see films organized into more than ten program sections across various venues in Belgrade. Each year, Beldocs presents awards in several competitive categories and hosts many Industry events supporting the development of new documentary projects. More information can be found on the official website: www.beldocs.rs and the festival’s social media.