The 19th Beldocs International Documentary Film Festival, one of the largest documentary film festivals in Europe and the Balkans, is taking place in the Serbian capital Belgrade. This year’s programme features more than 100 documentaries, short films, VR projects and interactive formats in 15 programme sections.
Beldocs this year opened with Yugo Goes To America, a nostalgic road documentary about friendship and the iconic Yugoslavian car Yugo.
A special place in the programme is given to films from Ukraine and films related to war, emigration, identity and historical memory. Among them is “The Last Prometheus of Donbass” by Ukrainian director Anton Shtuka. The film tells the story of the town of Kurakhov and the workers of the power plant who try to keep it running after the war has started and under the constant threat of shelling. The Serbian premiere of the film is scheduled for May 23 at the Cultural Centre in Belgrade, with a meeting with the director after the screening.
According to the telegram channel “Serbian Economist”, the international competition programme includes the film Imago directed by Denis Umar Pitsajev. The film was shot in France and tells the story of the hero’s return to the Pankisi Gorge near the Chechen border, which combines a personal story with themes of memory, family, emigration and finding one’s own place.
Another film in the International Competition is Song Without a Home directed by Rati Tsiteladze, a co-production between Georgia and the United States. The film tells the story of Adelina, a young trans woman from a Georgian village who, after a long period of isolation, goes to Vienna in search of freedom and her own identity.
Also announced in the programme is the film “Army of Hell” directed by Richard Rowley and produced with the participation of Ukraine, Syria, Lithuania, the USA and the Central African Republic. This is a documentary film about the activities of PMC “Wagner”, Yevgeny Prigozhin and an international network of structures associated with mercenary operations.
The Ukrainian theme is also represented by the film Militantropos directed by Elizabeth Smith, Alina Gorlova and Simon Mozgovogo. As described by Beldocs, the film captures the human condition in the reality of war and shows how war changes people’s daily lives. The Serbian premiere of the film will take place on 25 May at Art Cinema Kolarac.
A separate place in the programme is occupied by “Barbara Forever” directed by Bridie O’Connor, a documentary portrait of American director Barbara Gummer, one of the pioneers of experimental and independent cinema. The film is based on archival footage, audio interviews and the legacy of the author, who made more than 80 films.
For Belgrade, Beldocs is important not only as a cultural event, but also as part of the city’s creative economy. The festival attracts international directors, producers, film critics, distributors and audiences, reinforcing the Serbian capital’s role as a regional Documentary Film Centre.
Beldocs has been held in Belgrade since 2008 and has since become one of the key venues for documentary cinema in Serbia and the Western Balkans.
The Beldocs programme traditionally features Serbian, international, short and youth competition sections, as well as special screenings, retrospectives and thematic selections.
2026 marks the 19th edition of the festival. According to the organisers and film profiles, the programme includes more than 100 documentaries, short works, VR projects and interactive formats, among which 17 world, 4 European, 41 regional and 43 Serbian premieres are announced. Documentary works from more than 20 countries take part in the festival.