- Benjamin REE (The painter and the thief)
"Fipadoc has since 2019 proven to be one of Europe’s leading documentary film festivals. I had the French premiere of The Painter and The Thief there in 2021 which was a great. Their curation is always solid, in addition to discovering some new hidden gems. As an Academy member I’m always looking for the films they curate to find new documentaries to discover."
- Shiori ITO (Black Box Diaries)
"Fipadoc was one of the most welcoming and engaging festivals I've attended. The thoughtful audiences and the meaningful conversations with fellow filmmakers made it feel less like a festival and more like a community."
- Ben NILES (The Five Browns Digging through the darkness)
"Fipadoc is easily one of the best festivals I have ever had the pleasure of taking part in. I love this festival! Fantastic staff, full theaters with thoughtful audiences and that location! Submit your film to Fipadoc. This is a fantastic festival!"
- Daniela KON LIEBENBERG (jury member)
"Fipadoc does what the best festivals do, it makes the world’s documentary cinema visible and puts it in front of people who care. Full theaters, extraordinary curation, films from across the globe. Fipadoc is one of Europe’s defining platforms for international nonfiction cinema."
- Vanessa HOPE (Invisible Nation)
"Fipadoc was a joy from start to finish: a beautiful, walkable setting in Biarritz with great cinemas, packed and deeply engaged audiences, and seamless hospitality from hotel to transport. I loved the thoughtful panel discussions, felt truly honored to take part in one, and left inspired by the festival director’s vision—and by how much fun it was to use my French all week."
- Orlando VON EINSIEDEL (Cycle of Love)
"Fipadoc is a phenomenon. Alongside the stormy and churning Atlantic, The team curates an incredible week of films with rapt audiences, packed theatres and provocative events. I was blown away."
- Catherine Bernstein (Congo Océan, un chemin de fer et de sang | Série Auschwitz, des survivants racontent)
"At Fipadoc, the screening rooms are packed as early as 9 a.m.! It’s wonderful to be able to share our films with such a diverse audience. Everything seems driven by a shared passion: the desire to discover others through our films,. The entire city of Biarritz seems to be teeming with people fueled by this same energy. The diversity of the films screened, as well as the encounters with younger generations—whether professionals or not—are excellent sources of creative inspiration. If I had to sum up in one word the feeling that overwhelms me every time during Fipadoc, it would be: elation."
- Dror MOREH (The Human factor & The Corridors of Power)
"My relationship with Fipadoc spans several films over the years, including The Gatekeepers, The Human Factor—which was honored with the festival's top award—and The Corridors of Power.
Through each visit, I have witnessed the festival's remarkable growth and its unwavering commitment to documentary cinema. What makes Fipadoc truly exceptional is the rare combination of outstanding programming, deeply engaged audiences, and a genuine respect for filmmakers.
The screenings I attended were consistently full, and the conversations that followed demonstrated a level of curiosity, intelligence, and engagement that every documentary director hopes to encounter. The audience comes not merely to watch films, but to grapple with the ideas, moral questions, and human stories they present.
Equally impressive is the festival's ability to create an atmosphere that is both international in scope and intimate in spirit. Despite being located in a relatively small city, Fipadoc has established itself as one of the most important meeting places for documentary filmmakers, industry professionals, and audiences from around the world. The professionalism of its staff, and the warmth of its hospitality make it a model for what a documentary festival should be. As someone whose films have been welcomed by Fipadoc audiences over the years, I can say without hesitation that The reception my films received at Fipadoc remains among the most meaningful experiences of my career as a documentary filmmaker."
