# 17th Makedox Documentary Film Festival concludes > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/makedox-documentary-film-festival > Updated: 2026-08-27T08:25:58.000Z. Sources: 18. Developments: 5. The 17th edition of the Makedox Festival of Creative Documentary Film, themed ‘Only a dream is reality’, concluded on August 27 after running through various venues in Skopje and Kuršumlija. Executive Director Darko Nabokov reported the event's success, noting that seven of the eight festival nights saw sold-out screenings. As the featured country, Spain was highlighted through works such as Xavier Marades’ short ‘Swarm of Birds’ and Miguel Eek’s feature ‘Amilcar’. Eek’s documentary, which took nearly 12 years to complete, utilized a balance of 50 percent archival material and 50 percent testimonies and visualizations to explore the life of revolutionary Amilcar Cabral. Both Marades and Eek held masterclasses at Laboratorij discussing the ethical, political, and emotional forces in filmmaking. The festival’s top prize, the ‘Kromid’ award for best feature-length documentary, was given to ‘Tristan Forever’ by directors Tobias Nolte and Laurent Bonnard. The jury commended the film for its emotional depth, intimate visual language, and its portrayal of psychological isolation and belonging. Other major awards included the ‘Young Kromid’ for new authors, won by David Bim for ‘To the West, in the West’, and the ‘Sjekani Kromid’ for best short documentary, awarded to Xavier Marades for ‘Bird Scattering’. Alongside the screenings, the eighth edition of the MakedokoproDocs forum focused on regional cooperation and project development for Balkan film professionals. Additionally, a panel discussion titled ‘Cultural Infrastructure Before the European Capital of Culture 2028’ addressed the decline of cinema in Skopje. Participants highlighted that the city, which possessed 16 cinemas prior to the 1990s, now relies on a single multiplex, prompting discussions on revitalizing local film culture. ## Timeline ### 2026-08-27: Makedox Festival awards top documentary ‘Tristan Forever’ The 17th Makedox Documentary Film Festival in Skopje concluded with ‘Tristan Forever’ winning the top ‘Kromid’ award amid high audience turnout and discussions on declining cinema infrastructure. 10 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/makedox-film-festival-concludes-with-awards-and-discussions-on-cinema-infrastructure ### 2026-08-26: Makedox Festival highlights contemporary Spanish documentaries The 17th Makedox Festival featured Spanish documentaries and masterclasses by filmmakers Miguel Eek and Xavier Marades, focusing on the creative and ethical processes of documentary filmmaking. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/makedox-festival-highlights-contemporary-spanish-documentaries ### 2026-08-21: Makedox festival opens 17th edition in Kuršumli An The 17th Makedox creative documentary film festival opened in Kuršumli An, running from August 20–27 under the theme ‘Only a dream is reality’. 9 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/makedox-festival-opens-17th-edition-in-kurumli-an ### 2026-08-12: Makedox Festival to feature 71 documentaries in 17th edition The 17th Makedox Festival in North Macedonia will run from August 20–27, featuring 71 documentaries and honoring film critic Ilindenka Petruševa. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/makedox-festival-to-feature-71-documentaries-in-17th-edition ### 2026-07-23: MakeDocs traveling cinema brings documentary films to six Macedonian villages The 17th MakeDocs traveling cinema toured six North Macedonian villages from July 10‑17, showing outdoor documentary films and fostering dialogue; the main Makedocs festival runs Aug 20‑27 in Skopje. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/makedocs-traveling-cinema-brings-documentary-films-to-six-macedonian-villages --- Cite as: 17th Makedox Documentary Film Festival concludes. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/makedox-documentary-film-festival