In a bold move that echoes the revolutionary spirit of its predecessor, Dogma 25 has emerged as a new cinematic movement, officially unveiled at the Cannes Film Festival. Founded in the spring of 2025 by a group of documakers, Spring Collective is based in Copenhagen. They are passionate about maintaining the authenticity of film and making movies on their own accord. As both a rescue mission and a cultural uprising, Dogma 25 takes the journey ahead. By doing these things, they hope to subvert all that modern film-making is supposed to do.
Yet, his movement’s manifesto is a slippery slope, putting forth ten new dogmas. It’s received strong backing from established art-house heavyweights, including filmmakers Thomas Vinterberg and Lars von Trier. Both directors found international fame during the original Dogma 95 movement. Now, they have endorsed Dogma 25, which really adds some street cred to it. Vinterberg remarked on the historical importance of the original movement, stating that “30 years ago, DOGMA 95 turned the eyes of the world toward Denmark and left a radical imprint on our national self-image as a filmmaking nation.”
Dogma 25 aims to address the shifting landscape of cinema, influenced by technological advancements and the rise of algorithm-driven content creation. The creators of Dogma 25 have adopted a “new vow of chastity.” They commit themselves to non-partisan, non-interventionist guidelines that put the artistic mission above all else. These rules require that filmmakers be able to complete their films in under a year. They expressly prohibit use of the internet in any phase of the creative process.
The new manifesto has only one rule that was included in the original Dogma 95, marking its most radical and distinct approach. The guiding principles of Dogma 25 revolve around three central themes: a return to physical reality, aesthetic restraint, and economic and geographic accountability. More and more, these filmmakers are putting authenticity first. They view it as a much-needed counterbalance to the digital effects overload and algorithmically produced content.
“In ’95, we made films in the certainty of peace. And created a revolt against conformity. In ’25, new dogmas are created, now in a world of war and uncertainty. We wish you the best of luck on your march toward reconquering Danish film.” – Thomas Vinterberg and Lars von Trier
Its recent unveiling of Dogma 25 has set fires of excitement among industry leaders. Tine Fischer, the Director of The Danish Film Institute, was enthusiastic about the incision-making initiative. She urged that all of the systems do some soul-searching. “Any system, even one that runs impeccably, needs examining. Needs challenging. Needs to cast a courageous look on itself,” Fischer stated.
Dogma 25 is eager and able to continue advancing the legacy of its dogmatic forebear. That previous movement blessed us with 35 of the world’s most impactful films, like Vinterberg’s Festen and The Idiots. Dogma 95 came to an official conclusion in 2002 with an announcement from Vinterberg. Its impact on Danish cinema is perhaps even more strongly felt today. It is this innovation and radicalism that the new creatives/new economy movement aims to recapture.
The artists behind Dogma 25 are determined to stand together against faceless global capitalism’s drive to homogenize moving image art. They assert that “in a world where film is based on algorithms and artificial visual expressions are gaining traction, it’s our mission to stand up for the flawed, distinct and human imprint.” Their commitment to artistic autonomy is encapsulated in their declaration: “We champion the uncompromising and unpredictable, and we fight against the forces working to reduce cinematic art to an ultra-processed consumer product.”
Fischer opened with the remarkable success of Danish cinema on the international stage in recent decades, receiving many Academy and Cannes nominations. She asserted that “as a film institute, we are facing a time where our cultural contributions are tasked with ensuring state-of-the-art Danish films – now and in the future.” This level of care is a big part of why the objectives of Dogma 25 hit home so hard.
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