Central Scotland Documentary Festival
Central Scotland Documentary Festival 2025 - Festival Retrospective
The 2025 Central Scotland Documentary Festival (CSDF) brought together audiences, filmmakers, and storytellers from around the world for five unforgettable days of film, conversation, and community.
This year’s festival screened 41 documentaries from across the globe - including 1 World Premiere, 5 European Premieres, 6 UK Premieres, and 9 Scottish Premieres - making it our most ambitious and international line-up yet.
Celebrating Film and Community
From the World Premiere of The Marbles by David Nicholas Wilkinson, to a special celebration of Jeanie Finlay and her Great Hip Hop Hoax during our Stirling 900 Award for Achievement in Documentary event, the festival was filled with memorable moments.
We were also proud to launch our first-ever Sessions and Events Programme, curated by Oliver Guy-Watkins, creating new spaces for filmmakers and audiences to connect, collaborate, and exchange ideas.
2025 Award Winners
This year’s awards celebrated powerful storytelling and fresh perspectives:
- Jury Award — Cuba and Alaska
- Audience Award — A Dairy Story
- Short Film Award — Pink Moon
Congratulations to all the filmmakers whose work inspired and moved audiences throughout the weekend.
Thank You
A huge thank you to our volunteers for their energy and dedication, the CSDF Working Group for their creativity behind the scenes, and our main funders - Creative Scotland and the University of Stirling - for their continued support.
And to our filmmakers: thank you for trusting us with your stories and for reminding us why documentary film matters.
See You Next Year!
Central Scotland Documentary Festival will return from Thursday 5 – Monday 9 November 2026 - we can’t wait to welcome you back for another celebration of real stories and radical voices.