The 22nd Docudays UA International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival has announced its winners.

MAIN PRIZE OF DOCU/WORLD COMPETITION 2025

2000 Meters to Andriivka, 2025, 106'
USA, Ukraine
dir. Mstyslav Chernov

Our winner is a powerful film, an extraordinary tribute to the human spirit. It offers an eye-level perspective of Ukrainian soldiers who are prepared to sacrifice their lives for their country, alongside the director and his cameraman. The film delivers a raw, almost physical experience that captures heroism, but without any romanticization, laying bare the brutal realities of war.

With a simple yet highly effective narrative structure and a personal voiceover, it creates suspense rarely seen in documentary filmmaking, but it never loses its solidarity with the individual soldiers. Through intimate scenes, it portrays the young men’s motivations, fears, and dreams for the future. There was no doubt on the jury that the leading award should go to 2000 Meters to Andriivka by Mstyslav Chernov.

SPECIAL MENTION OF DOCU/WORLD COMPETITION 2025

On Sacred and Profane, 2025, 80'
Lithuania
dir. Giedrė Beinoriūtė


It is a simple yet multilayered film told in strong visual language. It explores an old ritual with care and sensitivity, revealing the essence of a small village and its people. It captures the gathering of children, youth, and elders as they gather to prepare and perform this significant event. It's a film about cultural identity that elegantly has the Russian war as a backdrop. The film shows how collective memory can be bridged and come alive in the present. Special mention goes to On Sacred and Profane by Giedrė Beinoriūtė.

MAIN PRIZE OF DOCU/UKRAINE COMPETITION 2025

Songs of Slow Burning Earth, 2024, 95'
Ukraine, Denmark, Sweden, France
dir. Olha Zhurba

For the accurate and profound depiction of the collective experience of war and the multilayered nature of trauma, for the ability to observe without haste how the situation unfolds and for the fidelity to what is seen, the jury selected Songs of Slow Burning Earth by Olha Zhurba as the main winner of the festival in the Docu/Ukraine category.

SPECIAL MENTION OF DOCU/UKRAINE COMPETITION 2025

My Dear Théo, 2025, 98'
Poland, Ukraine, Czech Republic
dir. Alisa Kovalenko

For the outstanding individual courage, generosity in sharing intimate experience, and ability to turn the film's characters into friends of the viewer, the jury's special award goes to the film My Dear Théo by Alisa Kovalenko.

MAIN PRIZE OF DOCU/SHORT COMPETITION 2025

Dust is a Whale, is Sunlight, 2023, 21'
Belgium
dir. Maria Casas Castillo

For its poetic depiction of the time perspective of life on the planet, for its subtle reminder of the fragility of human existence and its embodiment of the dignity of human finitude, the jury selected the film Dust is a Whale, is Sunlight as the primary winner of the festival in the Docu/Shorts category.

The full winners list here.