The twentieth edition of Doclisboa offers a retrospective of radical cinema in the 1930s, when during the Great Depression in America filmmakers joined forces to give birth to the Social Documentary Film, a new genre to reclaim justice in New Deal America. Produced by revolutionary filmmakers committed to activism, but also by the US government, these documentaries proposed film as an agent of change. 

Another highlight is the first complete retrospective dedicated to Anastasia Lapsui and Markku Lehmuskallio, partners in life who devoted their work to the indigenous cultures of northern Europe, documenting the lives of the Nenets, and the Sami.

The 2023 edition of Doclisboa offers a wide-ranging look at the world, and different perspectives on history and the future. Festival sections include new visions, from the earth to the moon, heart beat, green years, and cinema of urgency, along with the international and national competitions, the industry-oriented project and networking space nebulae, and the educational project.