Davide Abbatescianni

At this year’s CPH:DOX Rough Cut presentations, Czech filmmaker Barbora Chalupová and producer Pavla Klimešová unveiled their latest documentary, Virtual Girlfriends, a compelling exploration of online intimacy and the monetisation of virtual relationships. The project delves into the world of OnlyFans, offering “a deep dive” into the world of virtual relationships. “Barbora is a deeply sensitive director, and our aim is to present a nuanced, observational exploration of this world,” said Klimešová.

Boris Despodov’s feature The Sinner, presented at this year’s CPH:DOX Rough Cut sessions, offers a deeply polarising, character-driven portrait of Petar Nizamov, a former Bulgarian boxer turned ultra-conservative vigilante. “It’s a character-driven film, but also a creative documentary…and it shows how political events can shape not just a person, but society as a whole,” the director told the Copenhagen gathering.

During the CPH:DOX Rough Cut session, directors Jacob Tschernia and Tomer Slutzky took to the stage to present The Alarmist, a gripping political documentary six years in the making. The Danish-US co-production traces the extraordinary political journey of Stav Shaffir, the youngest woman ever elected to the Israeli Parliament, against the backdrop of Israel’s democratic unravelling and the dramatic collapse of its political left. Screen Scotland’s Head of Unscripted Dani Carlaw moderated the presentation.

At Thessaloniki Documentary Festival 2025, Business Doc Europe caught up with AJB DOC FF Executive Producer Nejra Kozarić, and Djani Hasečić, member of both the AJB DOC festival board and programming committee. “It’s one of the key stops in our festival circuit,” Hasečić reflected on their presence at the leading Greek docfest, “providing us with direct access to compelling stories and talented filmmakers who align with our editorial vision.”

Ventura Durall’s latest documentary Supernatural, premiering in the International Competition of the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival, delves into the complex relationship between science and magic through the lens of a father-son dynamic. A co-production between Spain, France, and Belgium, Supernatural is being sold by Taskovski Films.

Nora Philippe spent over a decade working on Girls for Tomorrow, which had its world premiere at this year’s festival. The film follows four young women studying at New York’s Barnard College as they navigate questions of feminism, patriarchy and capitalism. Philippe reflects on her own journey making the documentary, the challenges she faced, and her approach to storytelling. “For them, this space was also therapeutic to some extent, and that was the same for me. I was looking for answers—about motherhood, freedom, feminism—answers I couldn’t find in any other way,” she tells BDE.

Over the past fifty years, the Greek island of Mykonos has undergone radical transformation. Once an affordable, off-the-beaten-track paradise, it has become an exclusive, high-end destination. What was once a beacon of inclusivity is now a symbol of luxury tourism. How did this small Aegean getaway become a melting pot for such divergent experiences? Was it a paradise? Is it still? Director Steve Krikris discusses his feature doc, world-premiering in Thessaloniki, with BDE.

At Thessaloniki Docs in Progress, director Tanya Vikhreva and producer Maria Gavrilova took the stage to present Tower, Sun and the Seven of Wands, a creative political documentary which centres on three women living in annexed Crimea. Produced by the Georgian outfit Marx Film, the project, now in the editing stage, is being crafted in collaboration with writer Aleksander Rodionov.

At Thessaloniki Docs in Progress 2025, the basketball-themed Home Court was presented by producer Yuri Averof of the Athens-based firm Anemon, alongside directors Elpida Nikou and Rodrigo Hernandez. Co-production support comes from Maaike Neve and Esther van Driesum of Dutch outfit Bind Film, Victor Ede of France’s Cinephage, and Boris Despodov of Bulgaria’s Arthouse Blockbusters.

At Thessaloniki Docs in Progress 2025, Business Doc Europe took a closer look at Six Letters for a River, helmed by writer-director Markos Holevas and produced by Leonidas Liambeys. The 95-minute creative documentary delves into the themes of migration, borderlands, and human resilience. Shot in Evros, northern Greece, the film is billed as “a documentary that weaves together six decades of stories from the river Evros, where lives are shaped by its waters and the borders they mark.”