Thirty years after iconic film directors Lars von Trier, Thomas Vinterberg, Søren Kragh-Jacobsen and Kristian Levring joined forces in a revolt against the established film industry to form the original DOGMA movement, the time has come for a new generation to take a stand.

DOGMA 25 was officially announced at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival on May 17, with notable directors May el-Toukhy, Milad Alami, Annika Berg, Isabella Eklöf, and Jesper Just forming the new collective.

With their shared manifesto and vow of chastity, the five filmmakers aim to redefine the terms for filmmaking at a time where productions and crews are growing, processes are rushed, and technological makeup takes precedence, paradoxically leading to less value for money. The purpose of the manifesto is to assert the artistic value of film and create works based on the principles of cinematic art.

The project will come to life through a collaboration between Zentropa, DR and Nordisk Film Distribution, who will provide the base funding that will make it possible to create the films under the conditions set up by DOGMA 25.

DOGMA 25 is a collective of filmmakers founded in Copenhagen in the spring of 2025. Our stated purpose is to preserve the originality of cinema and the opportunity to create film on its own terms.

The role of the director has increasingly been reduced to that of project manager, the film to a commodity, and the audience to consumers. Experimental practice is stifled by fear of risk-taking, which suffocates artistic exploration and silences unique voices. When films are merely executed and not allowed to evolve organically, it puts the art form in danger of becoming functional, obedient and thereby irrelevant.

In a world where formulaic films based on algorithms and artificial visual expression are gaining traction, it’s our mission to stand up for the flawed, distinct, and human imprint. We champion the uncompromising and unpredictable and we fight the forces working to reduce cinematic art to an ultra-processed consumer good.

By scaling down production, we ensure that everyone on the team has an intimate relationship with the film and its message. This will enhance mutual trust and a sense of collective responsibility for the film and for each other. It also allows us to safeguard the flexibility that is vital in making a creative process dynamic and intuitive, rather than purely executive.

We celebrate DOGMA 95, all the filmmakers who came before us, and those who will come after. We stand together to defend artistic freedom as a shield against pointlessness and powerlessness. DOGMA 25 is a rescue mission and a cultural uprising.

To protect and preserve what we hold dear, we hereby submit to the unflinching and unbreakable set of rules called: THE VOW OF CHASTITY.

1. The script must be original and handwritten by the director.

We compel ourselves to write the script by hand in order to nurture the kind of intuition that flows most freely from the dream, channelled through the hand onto the paper.

2. At least half the film must be without dialogue.

We insist on a cinematic approach to filmmaking, because we believe in visual storytelling and have faith in the audience.

3. The internet is off limits in all creative processes.

We commit to produce the films relying on real people within our physical reality – rather than in a digital one infused with algorithms.

4. We’ll only accept funding with no content altering conditions attached.

We assume responsibility for keeping budgets down so the team retains final say in all artistic decisions.

5. No more than 10 people behind the camera.

We commit to working in close collaborations to build trust and strengthen our shared vision.

6. The film must be shot where the narrative takes place.

Film as an art form becomes artificial and generic when we portray a location in a false light.

7. We’re not allowed to use make-up or manipulate faces and bodies unless it’s part of the narrative.

Just as we strive to maintain the authenticity of the location, we also want to portray the human body without a filter. We celebrate it – warts and all.

8. Everything relating to the film’s production must be rented, borrowed, found, or used.

We commit to making films using objects that already exist and renounce the ahistorical and self-destructive culture of consumerism.

9. The film must be made in no more than one year.

We abstain from any lengthy processes that stand in the way of creative flow.

10. Create the film as if it were your last.

May el-Toukhy (b. 1977) Director and screenwriter. Graduate of the National Film School of Denmark (2009). Debuted with the feature film LONG STORY SHORT (2015) and had her breakthrough with the award-winning film QUEEN OF HEARTS (2019), which world premiered at Sundance International Film Festival and received numerous awards at festivals all over the world, e.g. the Audience Award at Sundance, the Nordic Council Film Prize as well as 3 awards at Gothenburg International Film Festival. May el-Toukhy has moreover directed multiple episodes of the award-winning Netflix hit series THE CROWN.

Milad Alami (b. 1982) Director and screenwriter. Graduate of the National Film School of Denmark (2011). Made his debut with the critically acclaimed feature film THE CHARMER (2017), which had its international premiere at San Sebastian International Film Festival, while his second feature OPPONENT (2023) world premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival, and became the Swedish contender for the Academy Award, and was nominated for The Nordic Council Film Prize. Besides his work on feature films, he co-created and directed the TV series BULLSHIT which won several Robert Awards and was praised for its nerve and ambition.

Annika Berg (b. 1987) Filmmaker and visual artist. Graduate of the National Film School of Denmark (2015). Won a Robert Award for her graduation film SIA. Debuted with TEAM HURRICANE (2017) which won one of the four main awards, Verona Film Club Award, at the world premiere of the Venice International Film Critics' Week, a parallel section of the Venice International Film Festival.

Isabella Eklöf (b. 1978) Screenwriter and director. Had her directorial debut with the feature film HOLIDAY (2018) which had its world premiere at Sundance Film Festival and has since, among other projects, directed the feature film KALAK (2023) based on Kim Leine’s acclaimed novel, which was selected for and received the Special Prize of the Jury at San Sebastian Film Festival in 2023. As a screenwriter Eklöf has also and co-written the feature film BORDER (2018) with Ali Abbasi.

Jesper Just (b. 1974) Video artist and filmmaker. Graduate of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts (2003). He represented Denmark at the 55th Venice Biennale and has been the subject of numerous solo exhibitions including Palais de Tokyo (Paris), Guggenheim (NYC) and Eye Filmmuseum (Amsterdam). His work is included in several permanent public collections such as MoMA, The Met, Tate Modern and many others. Combines film and installation in artworks that explore gender, space, and perception.