I ❤️ FIPADOC

  • Vitaly MANSKY - Director | Latvia
    Putin's witnesses - Grand Prix for International Documentary 2019

"I've been to hundreds of film festivals around the world with my films, from major festivals like Cannes, Berlinale, TIFF, and Telluride to smaller festivals. So, I can confidently say that Biarritz's ambition to become a "documentary Cannes" is not without merit. In any case, this festival is in my personal top 10!
 And of course, I'm pleased to keep the Grand Prix from the first Biarritz festival at home..."*

 

"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."

 

"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."

 

"Fipadoc holds a special place in my heart—and in my career—as it was the first documentary festival I ever attended. At just 15 years old, I was invited to serve on the Youth Jury, an experience that profoundly shaped me. The films I discovered there changed the way I saw the world and inspired me to dedicate my career to producing documentaries. Returning to Fipadoc years later as a filmmaker, to present several films—including Soundtrack to a Coup d'État, which received an award there in 2025—felt like coming full circle. It was especially meaningful to share the film with Fipadoc's large, engaged, and passionate audience. "

 

  • Shiori ITO - Director | Japan
    Black Box Diaries - Grand Prix for International Documentary 2025

"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."

 

"I used to think of Biarritz primarily as a surfers’ paradise. It turned out, however, to be home to the truly unique and one-of-a-kind Fipadoc festival, dedicated to the art of documentary filmmaking. In January 2021, I presented my film The Balcony Movie there and encountered a sophisticated audience eager to watch films in packed cinemas and engage in meaningful discussions after the screenings. The film was awarded the Grand Prix, and I later had the pleasure of returning to Fipadoc as a jury member. I have seen how the festival grows stronger every year, and it sometimes feels as though there are twice as many documentary film lovers as there are local residents and surfers combined !"

 

"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!"

 

"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."

 

"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 - Director | United-Kingdom
    Cycle of Love (2026)

"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."

 

"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."

 

  • Philippe BÉZIAT - Director | France
    The Orchestra - Grand Prix for Musical Documentary 2026

"With its unmissable and eclectic selection, its flawless organization, and—above all—its large, engaged, curious, and enthusiastic audience, Fipadoc restores our optimism! We documentary filmmakers are here to help people see the world clearly, understand it fully, and hear it properly. Perhaps that’s why more and more people are coming to Fiapdoc: they understand the role we play, and they feel a personal need for it."

 

  • Corina SCHWINGRUBER ILIC - Director | Switzerland
    All inclusive (2019) | Dida (2022)
    Member of the Short-film jury 2020

"It was a real privilege for me to see the festival grow from the very start. First, you showed my short film All Inclusive in 2019 and later Dida and I was happy to be in the jury for the first short film competition in 2020. For me, Fipadoc is special not only because the organization is perfect and the filmselection is great, but because we felt welcome like a family. Back then, as a „fresh" mother, it was very important for me that the festival is friendly to families. This kind of support helps parents to stay visible and working in the film business. It is wonderful to see how films are celebrated in France, and the full cinemas create a unique feeling. For me, Fiapdoc is more than a festival. It is an important meeting place and a second home for our film family."

 

"’ve had the good fortune and pleasure of experiencing Fipadoc in two different ways: once with a film in the selection and once as a jury member. This allowed me to appreciate the exceptional work accomplished by the festival’s fantastic team. It’s truly magical to bring the city of Biarritz to life for 10 days with the rhythm of documentary film and to present exciting, diverse films to consistently packed theaters. Congratulations and thank you. I ❤️ Fipadoc."

 

"Whether it’s to see a selected film, as a jury member, or simply as a member of the audience, each of my visits to Fipadoc remains a powerful and meaningful memory for me. These are precious (and all too rare) moments of connection with the audience, but also—thanks to the diversity and quality of the films screened, their styles, and their stories—moments that nourish our imagination and broaden our horizons. I remember one particular year when I arrived in Biarritz full of doubts, even feeling discouraged. These are vulnerable times that many of us filmmakers go through, during which we question our films—their writing, their reception, their funding—and the future of documentary filmmaking. And, like any citizen, we arrive weighed down by current social and political events. A few days and screenings later, I had seen films that I knew would leave a lasting impression on me, met enthusiastic and curious audience members, and connected with passionate colleagues. There was a shared intelligence and fighting spirit in those theaters, so much so that I left more convinced than ever of the power of the documentary, its necessity, and its vitality—and of the importance of Fipadoc."

 

"For me, Fipadoc is the first major event of the year in the world of documentary film: a rigorous international selection that’s never elitist, meaningful encounters, and passionate Q&As. The ocean provides the festival with its unique setting, but it’s really in the packed theaters that the heart of the festival comes alive: the passion for documentary film."

 

  • Radu CIORNICIUC - Director| Romania
    Tata - Human Rights in Motion Award 2025
    Acasa, my home (2021)

"Having had both my films, Acasă, My Home and Tata, screened at Fipadoc, I can genuinely say that it is one of the best festivals at which my films have ever been presented. The award received by Tata was a tremendous honour, but what stayed with me most was the film’s impact during the festival. Following the screenings, I received dozens of deeply personal messages from audience members who wanted to share their own experiences and tell me how the film had affected them. It felt like a true platform for human connection, the very essence of what a documentary festival should be.
As filmmakers, we depend on festivals such as Fipadoc. We are on the front line of trying to cut through the overwhelming noise of information and misinformation to bring truly important stories, themes, and realities to audiences. Festivals have never been more necessary: they have the power to interrupt that noise, silence everything surrounding the audience for a moment, and create the space and focus that meaningful documentaries deserve. Fiapdoc's selections, year after year, reflect the remarkable care, curiosity, and dedication of its selection committee to presenting ambitious, trustworthy, and high-quality work."

 

"What do we expect from a film festival? Encounters, discoveries, reunions, joy, emotions, enthusiasm, applause… Fipadoc has it all. The pleasure of watching documentaries together, theaters that are always packed, fascinating discussions, and excellent films. A window onto the world, in all its diversity, without dogma or blinders. Add to that high-quality screenings in unique venues, a beautiful city, big waves, and the ocean breeze, and you have Fipadoc.
How do you measure the quality of a festival? By the immense disappointment of not seeing your film on the program. And when you’re invited—as a director or jury member—by the fierce desire to return the following year! As I write this, I’m secretly hoping that Fipadoc will take my praise to heart and invite me back in 2027 with my new film!"

 

  • Juliette CAZANAVE - Director & producer| France
    Siblings (2025)

"I’ve been attending Fipadoc for almost 10 years—as a producer, as a director, and, of course, as a member of the audience. I’ve had the great pleasure of both pitching projects there and screening films I’ve produced or directed, and I must say that in all these capacities, I’ve had the opportunity to appreciate the warm welcome, the team, the professionalism, and the quality of the programming. Its international scope and the presence of industry professionals—directors, producers, and distributors—combined with a program that is at once broad and selective, eclectic and of the highest caliber, have made it THE must-attend event for the industry and a sort of springboard, both for films in development and for completed films having their world premieres there.
I experienced this firsthand with the film *Smoke Sauna Sisterhood*, which I co-produced with Estonia and Iceland, and which won the Grand Prize for International Documentary at Fipadoc 2024, following the European Film Award (EFA) for Best European Documentary and ahead of the start of the Oscar race, in which we received two nominations—one for the Estonian entry and one for Best International Feature Film.
All of this makes Fipadoc an event I wouldn’t want to miss under any circumstances!"

 

  • Fredrik GERTTEN - Réalisateur | Suède
    Breaking Social (2024)
    Member of the Impact Documentary jury 2026

"I’ve been returning to FIPA Docs many times; presenting my films, participating in panels, pitching new projects and also as a member of the jury. This is one of the best documentary festivals to visit right now. Every screening is sold out, the audience is active and curious. The industry section is friendly, you can meet all the people you need in a relaxing environment.
If you need a break you can step out and listen to waves rolling in.
I will come back."

Newsletter

Subscribe to follow our news:

YOUR ARE NOW REGISTRED !

you lost your Internet connection