DOC NYC Announces the Lineup for its 2025 Edition

It’s almost DOC NYC season again! The largest documentary film festival is returning to New York City this fall for its 16th edition. Taking place in person November 12-20, it will feature more than 115 feature-length documentaries, 30 world premieres, 34 U.S. premieres, numerous shorts programs, and in-person appearances from multiple filmmakers, subjects, and figures.

For its 2025 edition, the festival will open with Christopher Nelius’ competition feature Whistle, which premiered at this year’s TIFF Docs. Its Centerpiece films are Carl Deal and Tia Lessin’s Steal This Story, Please!, which follows independent journalist Amy Goodman and her decades-long show Democracy Now!; and Celia Aniskovich’s The Merchants of Joy, which explores New York City’s Christmas tree trade. Closing the festival is Ivy Meerpol’s Ask E. Jean, which chronicles the life of journalist and Trump adversary E. Jean Carroll.

Other highlights of this year’s festival include Déni Oumar Pitsaev’s Cannes-winning Imago; Eugene Jarecki’s Julian Assange documentary The Six Billion Dollar Man; Elvira Lind’s King Hamlet, which follows her husband, actor Oscar Isaac; Ben Proudfoot’s The Eyes of Ghana, which profiles the filmmaker Chris Hesse and is backed by executive producers Barack and Michelle Obama; and many more.

“In this period of rapid change, DOC NYC is proud to present a collection of films that speak to urgent global, national, and personal matters,” DOC NYC artistic director Jaie Laplante said in a statement. “What binds the filmmakers of this year’s official selection are their illuminations of shared humanity.”

DOC NYC will take place in-person at NYC’s IFC Center, SVA Theater, and Village East by Angelika from November 12-20, with online screenings continuing through November 30. Ticket packs and individual film tickets for in-person and online screenings are now available.

See the Main Slate lineup below and take a closer look at each film HERE:

OPENING NIGHT FILM

WHISTLE (US Premiere)

Director: Christopher Nelius

Producers: Camilla Mazzaferro, Louise Smith, Luke Mazzaferro, Al Hicks, Casey Ventura

Top-rate whistlers gather in Hollywood at the annual Masters of Musical Whistling competition, hoping not just to win but to connect.

CLOSING NIGHT FILM

ASK E. JEAN (NYC Premiere)

Director: Ivy Meeropol

Producers: Laura Bickford, Annabelle Dunne, Ivy Meeropol

Writer E. Jean Carroll’s lawsuits against Donald Trump reveal the societal hurdles women face in confronting predatory men and their lies.

CENTERPIECE FILMS

THE MERCHANTS OF JOY (World Premiere)

Director: Celia Aniskovich

Producers: Celia Aniskovich, Zoe Vock, Arthur Spector, Joshua Davis, Joshuah Bearman

A joyful look at the five families who dominate NYC’s Christmas tree trade and whose efforts begin months before the first fir trees hit the busy sidewalks of the five boroughs.

STEAL THIS STORY, PLEASE! (NYC Premiere)

Directors: Carl Deal, Tia Lessin

Producers: Carl Deal, Tia Lessin, Karen Ranucci, Diana Cohn, Caren Spruch

Amy Goodman of Democracy Now! pursues the news with integrity and dauntlessness, seeing independent journalism as a major force for good.

SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS

BENITA (World Premiere)
Director: Alan Berliner
Producer: Alan Berliner
An unplanned collaboration between two filmmakers that transcends mortality, exploring whimsical and existential questions as well as the intersection of mental health and creativity.

BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL: THE KWAME BRATHWAITE STORY (North American Premiere)

Director: Yemi Bamiro

Producers: Joanna Boateng, Lizzie Gillett, Ian Bonhôte, Andrew Calof
In photos of celebrities and everyday people, Kwame Brathwaite captured the joy and beauty of Black America and popularized the phrase that defined a movement: Black is Beautiful.

MAD HOT BALLROOM (20th Anniversary)

Director: Marilyn Agrelo

Producers: Amy Sewell, Marilyn Agrelo

A 20th-anniversary screening of the classic 2005 documentary about NYC public school fifth-graders competing in the extracurricular world of ballroom dancing.

THE TRIAL OF ALEC BALDWIN (World Premiere)

Director: Rory Kennedy

Producers: Rory Kennedy, Mark Bailey, Julia Marchesi

A provocative examination of celebrity spectacle and public vitriol surrounding the prosecution of Alec Baldwin over the tragic accidental death of Halyna Hutchins.

WE MET AT GROSSINGER’S (World Premiere)

Director: Paula Eiselt

Producers: Robert Friedman, Paula Eiselt, Bennett Elliott

A nostalgic, immersive journey through the Jewish Catskills, known as the Borscht Belt, told through the rise and fall of its beloved Grossinger’s Resort and Hotel.

U.S. COMPETITION co-presented by IndieWire

MATA HARI (North American Premiere)

Directors: Joe Beshenkovsky, James A. Smith

Producers: James A. Smith, Joe Beshenkovsky

Star of 1970s Hollywood, David Carradine cast his teenage daughter Calista in Mata Hari, an ambitious epic shot over two decades, straining their already frayed relationship.

SANTACON (World Premiere)

Director: Seth Porges

Producers: Seth Porges, Michael Garber, Jake DeNicola

Born from the same minds as Burning Man, the NYC tradition of Santacon spreads holiday cheer in the most raucous way imaginable.

SONS OF DETROIT (World Premiere)

Director: Jeremy Xido

Producer: Amanda Burr

Filmmaker Jeremy Xido returns to Detroit and reunites with a long-lost “cousin” in an exploration of race and chosen family.

THOUGHTS & PRAYERS (World Premiere)

Directors: Zackary Canepari, Jessica Dimmock

Producers: Zackary Canepari, Jessica Dimmock, Claire Read, Gary Kout

With mass shootings now a part of everyday life, America’s response isn’t prevention — it’s preparation, fueling a multi-billion dollar “safety and security” industry.

TRACES OF HOME (World Premiere)

Director: Colette Ghunim

Producers: Sara Maamouri, Dan Rybicky, Capella Fahoome

An American filmmaker, daughter of a Mexican mother and Palestinian father, explores the meaning of home amid a rising tide of anti-immigrant rhetoric.

THE VOYAGE OUT (World Premiere)

Directors: Barlow Jacobs

Producers: Keetin Mayakara, Barlow Jacobs

Three hunters trek into the breathtaking wild, seeking game and answers to some of life’s biggest questions, including grappling with mortality and a deeper understanding of self.

WAYUMI (World Premiere)

Director: Andrew Balcof

Producers: Andrew Balcof, David Good, Elius Kim

A heartfelt story of love, distance, and reconciliation as a son attempts to reunite with his Indigenous mother living in the Amazon.

Y VÃN: THE LOST SOUNDS OF SAIGON (World Premiere)

Directors: Khoa Ha, Victor Velle

Producer: Douglas Emerson

In uncovering the musical genius of her famous grandfather, a filmmaker discovers an under-examined side of Vietnamese history.

INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION co-presented by IndieWire

9-MONTH CONTRACT (US Premiere)

Director: Ketevan Vashagashvili

Producers: Anna Khazaradze, Nino Chichua

In a raw, tender portrait of love and sacrifice under exploitative systems, a Georgian mother turns to surrogacy to financially support her daughter.

AURORA (North American Premiere)

Director: João Vieira Torres

Producer: Marina Meliande

Vivid dreams and ghostly visits from his grandmother compel a filmmaker to explore the lives and tragic deaths of the women in his family.

EL CANTO DE LAS MANOS (US Premiere)

Director: María Valverde

Producers: Cristina Oliva, María Valverde, Martí Font Isern, Gustavo Dudamel

Partnering with Coro de Manos Blancas, a choir of Deaf Venezuelan performers, renowned conductor Gustavo Dudamel stages Beethoven’s Fidelio.

I, POPPY (US Premiere)

Director: Vivek Chaudhary

Producers: Vivek Chaudhary, Xavier Rocher

In eastern Rajasthan’s poppy fields, an activist son and a farmer mother work to free themselves from oppressive circumstances.

IMAGO (US Premiere)

Director: Déni Oumar Pitsaev

Producers: Alexandra Mélot, Anne-Laure Guégan, Géraldine Sprimont

A Chechen filmmaker visits his former community, now forming a new settlement in exile, and ponders the pull of roots versus his personal aspirations.

THE LAMA’S SON (North American Premiere)

Director: Kesang Tseten

Producer: Loel Guinness

As the younger generation moves out and development creeps into Nepal’s Mustang District, an old way of life is in danger of dying out.

LOSS ADJUSTMENT (US Premiere)

Director: Miguel Calderón

Producer: Andrea Paasch

In a biting examination of exploitation and survival, a Mexican insurance adjuster haunted by corruption finds refuge in the art world only to discover its own deceptions.

ZELENSKY (US Premiere)

Directors: Yves Jeuland, Lisa Vapné

Producer: Guilaine Chenu

Meet the Volodymyr Zelensky you don’t know, through those who knew him before he became President and led Ukraine’s defense against Russian aggression.

METROPOLIS COMPETITION

NEW YORK STORIES

ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE (World Premiere)

Director: Katie Jacobs

Producer: Henry Hayes

The inspiring story of three female artists who defied norms by purchasing a house together in 1950s NYC, prioritizing their art over traditional, gender-coded roles.

KING HAMLET (NYC Premiere)

Director: Elvira Lind

Producers: Sara Stockmann, Sofia Sondervan

During a pivotal year, actor Oscar Isaac experiences the emotional impact of familial generational transitions, all while preparing for an intense production of Hamlet. 

MUSEUM OF THE NIGHT (North American Premiere)

Directors: Fermín Eloy Acosta

Producers: Ramiro Pavón, Pablo Ingercher, Fermín Eloy Acosta

Theater of the Ridiculous was a no-safety-net avant-garde theater company in early 1970s NYC, and Argentine photographer Leonardo Katz was there to capture it all.

MY SUNNYSIDE (North American Premiere)

Director: Matylda Kawka

Producers: Alicja Gancarz, Anna Wereda

A trans man and a trans woman in NYC make plans to get married while pursuing busy careers, raising children, and navigating their ongoing gender transitions.

THE NUTCRACKER AT WETHERSFIELD (World Premiere)

Director: Anne Sundberg

Producers: Anne Sundberg, Julie Seureau

Driven by the hope of persevering through dark times, ballet dancers find an innovative way to stage a holiday classic during COVID-19 shutdowns.

STREET SMART: LESSONS FROM A TV ICON (NYC Premiere)

Director: Ernie Bustamante

Producers: Maor Azran, Ernie Bustamante, Steven Canals

Sonia Manzano, aka “Maria” on Sesame Street, shares her journey from childhood in the Bronx to becoming a trailblazing Latina role model who changed children’s television.

KALEIDOSCOPE COMPETITION

NEW DOCUMENTARY VISIONS

THE FOUL-MOUTHED GRANNY (World Premiere)

Director: Seung-pyo Hong

Producer: Seung-pyo Hong

A son tenderly recalls caring for his sharp-tongued mother, blending memory, ritual, and art into a poetic meditation on love, grief, and enduring ties between generations.

LOST FOR WORDS (US Premiere)

Director: Hannah Papacek Harper

Producers: Hannah Papacek Harper, John Archer

Animated by the disappearance of nature words from a dictionary, a filmmaker’s reflection on language, imagination, and conservation considers our transcendental connections.

OMEGA WANTS TO DANCE (North American Premiere)

Director/Producer: Ramon Tort

Fusing speculative fiction with a vibrant documentary archive, a future AI system considers consciousness through dance, weaving history, philosophy, and ecstatic movement into a celebration of human expression.

SHIFTING BASELINES (NYC Premiere)

Director: Julien Elie

Producer: Andreas Mendritzki

In the Texan town of Boca Chica, Elon Musk’s Space X annexes the land and skies, upending ecosystems and community, in a dystopian look at what happens when greed and ego have no visible boundaries.

UNANIMAL (North American Premiere)

Director: Tuva Bjork, Sally Jacobson

Producers: Victor Ede, Melissa Lindgren, Tobias Janson

A thought-provoking interrogation of the entangled, often contradictory relationship between humans and animals, revealing a world where animals are simultaneously revered, instrumentalized, and domesticated.

AMERICAN STORIES

STATES OF BEING IN THE UNION

THE A LIST: 15 STORIES FROM ASIAN AND PACIFIC DIASPORAS (World Premiere)

Director: Eugene Yi

Producers: Eugene Yi, Jada Yuan, Chad Thompson, Timothy Greenfield-Sanders

Trailblazers from Sandra Oh to Kumail Nanjiani, Connie Chung and more, reflect with joy, humor and sorrow on how they navigate their prismatic identities and find community in the face of rising racism.

ARREST THE MIDWIFE (NYC Premiere)

Director: Elaine Epstein

Producers: Elaine Epstein, Robin Hessman

In the battle for women’s bodily autonomy and reproductive rights, Amish and Mennonite communities of upstate New York emerge as unexpected fighters.

BEYOND (World Premiere)

Directors: Asia Johnson, Michael Kleiman

Producers: Asia Johnson, Michael Kleiman

Incarcerated men at Sing Sing Correctional Facility explore their interests, ideas, and dreams during a one-of-a-kind speaking symposium.

THE BIG CHEESE (World Premiere)

Director: Sara Joe Wolansky

Producers: Sara Joe Wolansky, James A. Smith

In a witty and wry artisanal classic, an American team aims to claim the top prize at the Mondial du Fromage cheesemongering competition in France.

CREEDE U.S.A. (NYC Premiere)

Director: Kahane Corn Cooperman

Producers: Innbo Shim, Kahane Corn Cooperman

A small mining town in Colorado becomes a microcosm for the country as conflicts grow ever larger between liberal and conservative neighbors.

LOVE, JOY & POWER: TOOLS FOR LIBERATION (NYC Premiere)

Director: Daresha Kyi

Producer: Trevite Willis, Daresha Kyi

Climb aboard the “Blackest bus in America” with the members of Black Voters Matter, a grassroots organization battling voter suppression through mobilization ahead of the 2020 election.

SAVING ETTING STREET (World Premiere)

Directors: Dena Fisher, Amy Scott

Producers: Dena Fisher, Amy Scott

Teaching construction skills and financial literacy, a no-nonsense carpenter empowers women to transform their lives and revitalize their Baltimore neighborhoods, one house at a time.

THIRD ACT (NYC Premiere)

Directors: Tadashi Nakamura

Producers: Tadashi Nakamura, Eurie Chung

A personally grounded yet historically resonant documentary by Tadashi Nakamura explores the pioneering legacy of his father, pioneering filmmaker Robert A. Nakamura.

WHAT WE INHERIT (World Premiere)

Director: Kacim Steets Azouz

Producer: Frederic Bohbot

After discovering enslavers in his lineage, a filmmaker confronts a complicated legacy and meets the descendants of those his ancestors held captive.

BIG BLUE

FILMS ABOUT THE NATURAL WORLD

THE GARDEN OF MARIA (World Premiere)

Director: Jade Rainho

Producers: Julia Bock, Simone Elias

In a spiritual and political act, a charismatic Indigenous woman transforms an abandoned Brazilian sewer into a thriving forest, reclaiming ancestral land and wisdom.

THE KEEPER (NYC Premiere)

Director: Jon Bowermaster

Producers: Jon Bowermaster, Carolyn Marks Blackwood

Magnetic river steward John Lipscomb reflects on 25 years and 80,000 miles patrolling the Hudson, fighting pollution with grit and poetry.

OUR LAND (International Premiere)

Director: Orban Wallace

Producers: Becca Wolff, Charlie Phillips, Leo Smith

As activists, landowners, and walkers clash over access to nature, the growing movement for the right to roam exposes deep-rooted, global questions of class, colonialism, and stewardship.

PLAN C FOR CIVILIZATION (World Premiere)

Director: Ben Kalina

Producers: Ben Kalina, Jamila Paksima

The work of solar geoengineering proponent David Keith exists in a high-stakes terrain where cutting-edge research, environmental activism, public ethics, and global politics collide.

COME AS YOU ARE

STRIVING TO FIND YOUR PLACE

ALWAYS (NYC Premiere)

Director: Deming Chen

Producer: Hansen Lin

In a stunning, unsentimental portrait of a young poet’s rural childhood, familial hardship and resilience are juxtaposed against the artistic awakening of a growing mind.

THE DATING GAME (NYC Premiere)

Director: Violet Du Feng

Producers: Violet Du Feng, Joanna Natasegara, James Costa, Mette Cheng Munthe-Kaas

In China, with more than 30 million fewer women, men must constantly outdo one another in their bid to find a wife. Are dating coaches the answer?

THE GAS STATION ATTENDANT (NYC Premiere)

Director: Karla Murthy

Producers: Karla Murthy, Rajal Pitroda

A daughter films a portrait of her father, simultaneously an embodiment of every immigrant and a unique, complicated man fueled by the power of his dreams.

PAUL (US Premiere)

Director: Denis Côté

Producers: Hany Ouichou, Karine Bélanger, Denis Côté

In an examination of stigma, resilience, and the search for self-worth, Paul channels his mental health struggles into domestic service for mistresses and online rituals of cleaning.

SIREN: THE VOICES OF SHELLEY BEATTIE (World Premiere)

Director: Irene Taylor

Producers: Irene Taylor, Lauren Mueller, Marlee Matlin
A portrait of Deaf bodybuilder Shelley “Siren” Beattie whose stunning physique was protective armor against trauma and alienation.

A THOUSAND COLORS (World Premiere)

Director: Nadia Louis-Desmarchais

Producer: Paola Arriagada-Nunez

A filmmaker attempts to untangle the complex knot of race and identity that lies at the center of her life.

FIGHT THE POWER

STORIES OF ACTIVISM

THE AGE OF WATER (NYC Premiere)

Directors: Alfredo Alcántara, Isabel Alcántara Atalaya

Producers: Michèle Stephenson, Joe Brewster, Lindsay Perna

In Mexico, after three girls die of leukemia, local women uncover radioactive materials in their water supply and call for justice against government denial.

FREE LEONARD PELTIER (NYC Premiere)

Directors: Jesse Short Bull, David France

Producers: David France, Jhane Myers, Paul Mcguire, Bird Runningwater

After serving decades in prison for a disputed conviction, American Indian Movement activist Leonard Peltier and a community of supporters endure a quest for his release.

MISAN HARRIMAN: SHOOT THE PEOPLE(North American Premiere)

Director: Andy Mundy-Castle

Producer: Wyn Baptiste

An acclaimed photographer of street protests ponders the effectiveness of his work, even as his images provoke palpable international reactions.

NO MERCY (North American Premiere)

Director: Isa Willinger

Producers: Alex Tondowski, Ira Tondowski, Sabine Gruber, Peter Drössler

A cinematic manifesto in which radical women filmmakers question the female gaze, dismantle cinematic violence, and reclaim film history, reshaping the art form with fierce originality.

THE SIX BILLION DOLLAR MAN (NYC Premiere)

Director: Eugene Jarecki

Producers: Kathleen Fournier, Eugene Jarecki

A chronicling of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s years-long fight for journalistic freedom, from the organization’s origins to Assange’s arduous confinement and eventual release.

TRUE NORTH (NYC Premiere)

Director: Michèle Stephenson

Producer: Leslie Norville

Uncovering the often-overlooked history of anti-Black racism in Canada, True North powerfully explores a pivotal student uprising at a Montreal university.

WTO/99 (NYC Premiere)

Director: Ian Bell

Producers: Laura Tatham, Ian Bell, Alex Megaro

A foreboding look back at the 1999 clash between the recently established World Trade Organization and 40,000 protestors demonstrating against continued globalization.

GAME FACE CINEMA

THE EMOTION OF SPORT 

3000 KM BY BIKE (North American Premiere)

Director: Ivan Vescovo

Producer: Martin Loewenthal

Pursuing a romantic reconciliation, BMX champion Iñaki Mazza finds a deeper understanding of self on an arduous journey from Buenos Aires to Tierra del Fuego.

THE BALLOONISTS (NYC Premiere)

Director: John Dower

Producers: Teddy Leifer, Guy Horlock

In 1999, Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones defy gravity as they set out to be the first to circumnavigate the globe in a hot air balloon.

KINGS OF VENICE (World Premiere)

Directors: Sveinn Ingimundarson, S.D. Saltarelli

Producers: Sveinn Ingimundarson, S.D. Saltarelli

On Venice Beach, an eccentric cast of paddle tennis players go to bat to defend their turf from a pickleball uprising.

REGGAE GIRLZ (World Premiere)

Directors: Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Trish Dalton

Producers: Philipp Manderla, Laura Smith

On the countdown to the Women’s World Cup, the Reggae Girlz, Jamaica’s soccer team, face battles on and off the pitch for recognition, respect, and resources.

INVESTIGATIONS co-presented by Variety’s Truthseekers 

EXPOSING THE TRUTH 

EVERYONE IS LYING TO YOU FOR MONEY (NYC Premiere)

Director: Ben McKenzie

Producers: Giorgio Angelini, Ben McKenzie

At the chaotic financial frontier of our time, actor-turned-author and director Ben McKenzie sets out to expose the loosely regulated world of cryptocurrency.

I DREAMED HIS NAME (NYC Premiere)

Director: Ángela Carabalí

Producers: Sandra Tabares-Duque, Ángela Carabalí

After her long-disappeared father speaks to her in a dream, filmmaker Ángela Carabalí weaves memory, ritual, and history into a poetic meditation on violence, mourning, and healing.

NUNS VS. THE VATICAN (US Premiere)

Director: Lorena Luciano

Producer: Filippo Piscopo

A powerful investigation uncovers systemic abuse of nuns and women within the Catholic church, centered on survivors whose courage exposes a history of violence, silence, and institutional betrayal.

THE PINK PILL: SEX, DRUGS & WHO HAS CONTROL (US Premiere)

Director: Aisling Chin-Yee

Producer: Julie Bristow

An advocate fights to bring a proven female sexual desire pill to market, exposing systemic neglect and double standards in a male-centered medical establishment.

THE SECRETS WE BURY (NYC Premiere)

Director: Patricia E. Gillespie

Producer: Jessica Horowitz

A masterclass in artful true-crime storytelling and a gripping exploration of how buried secrets corrode from within.

THE STRINGER (NYC Premiere)

Directors: Bao Nguyen

Producers: Fiona Turner, Terri Lichstein

A half-century after the harrowing photograph “Napalm Girl” turned the tide on public perceptions of the Vietnam War, questions arise about who was actually behind the camera.

PORTRAITS

PROFILES OF SINGULAR INDIVIDUALS 

BULL’S HEART (North American Premiere)
Director: Eva Stefani

Producer: Vassilis Panagiotakopoulos

A mesmerizing portrait of avant-garde director Dimitris Papaioannou, capturing the dreamlike creation of a surreal stage production and his singular artistic process.

CAST OF SHADOWS (US Premiere)

Director/Producer: Sami van Ingen

A reconsideration of Robert Flaherty’s cinematic legacy, spotlighting Frances Flaherty’s authorship while exposing hidden histories and myths behind Nanook of the North and early documentary.

THE EYES OF GHANA (NYC Premiere)

Director: Ben Proudfoot

Producers: Nana Adwoa Frimpong, Ben Proudfoot, Moses Bwayo, Anita Afonu, Brandon Somerhalder, Ethan Lewis, Vinnie Malhotra

Ghanaian filmmaker Chris Hesse hopes to restore a precious archive of footage from his time as the personal cinematographer of Kwame Nkrumah, the country’s first president.

FARRUQUITO, A FLAMENCO DYNASTY (North American Premiere)

Directors: Santi Aguado, Reuben Atlas

Producers: Ami Minars, José Velasco, Sara Fernández-Velasco, Santi Aguado, Reuben Atlas

Inspired by love, tragedy, and blood ties, Farruquito and his family spend decades elevating the art of flamenco with staggering operatic passion.

PARA VIVIR, THE IMPLACABLE TIME OF PABLO MILANÉS (North American Premiere)

Director: Fabien Pisani

Producer: Carlos Sosa, Laura Imperiale, Fabien Pisani

A portrait of Afro-Cuban musician and activist Pablo Milanés, laced with his extraordinary music, charting his life and career against the backdrop of political and cultural changes.

PRETTY DIRTY (NYC Premiere)

Directors: Jennifer Ash Rudick, Amanda M. Benchley

Producers: Jennifer Ash Rudick, Amanda M. Benchely, Debi Wisch

Blending biography, studio practice, and cultural history, a dazzling portrait of artist Marilyn Minter, whose glamorous, provocative work and fearless feminism shaped NYC’s art world.

TCB: THE TONI CADE BAMBARA SCHOOL OF ORGANIZING (NYC Premiere)

Directors: Louis Massiah, Monica Henriquez

Producer: Louis Massiah

A vibrant portrait of author, editor, and filmmaker Toni Cade Bambara, whose wisdom and fierce commitment to community organizing offer still-resonant lessons for activists.

RESILIENCE

STANDING STRONG IN THE FACE OF TRAUMA

FLOPHOUSE AMERICA (North American Premiere)

Director: Monica Strømdahl

Producers: Beathe Hofseth, Siri Natvik

An unflinching look at a boy’s family life in a low-rent motel reveals how poverty and alcoholism shape generations, exposing the reality of the broken American dream.

THE LAST AMBASSADOR (US Premiere)

Director: Natalie Halla

Producers: Peter Drössler, Arash T. Riahi, Sabine Gruber, Natalie Halla

A stirring and emotionally charged story about Afghanistan’s ambassador to Austria who refuses to represent the Taliban.

THE LIONS BY THE RIVER TIGRIS (North American Premiere)

Director: Zaradasht Ahmed

Producer: Thorvald Nilsen

After ISIS leaves Mosul in ruins, a family salvages their ancestral home’s remnants, confronting loss, memory, and impossible choices while searching for dignity, cultural continuity, and hope.

LOWLAND KIDS (US Premiere)

Director: Sandra Winther

Producers: William Crouse, Lauren Avinoam, Sigrid Dykjaer, Lizzie Gillett, Brendan Naylor
In a powerful, human portrait of climate displacement, two teens and their uncle face government-forced resettlement from Louisiana’s disappearing Isle de Jean Charles.

MATABELELAND (North American Premiere)

Director: Nyasha Kadandara

Producer: Sam Soko

Haunted by his father’s murder amid regime-led massacres, a Zimbabwean man confronts generational trauma and historical violence in a story of healing, love, and spiritual reconciliation.

PALESTINE COMEDY CLUB (International Premiere)

Director: Alaa Aliabdallah

Producer: Charlotte Knowles

Six Palestinian comedians build a stand-up scene under occupation, but as violence escalates towards genocide, their humor represents an increasingly urgent insistence on their humanity.

A PLACE OF ABSENCE (World Premiere)

Director/Producer: Marialuisa Ernst
A bus caravan of Central American mothers courageously search for their missing children, while a filmmaker and her family grapple with the lingering pain surrounding their beloved uncle’s disappearance.

SONIC CINEMA

MOVIES ABOUT MUSIC 

A FREE DAUGHTER OF FREE KYRGYZSTAN (World Premiere)

Director/Producer: Leigh Iacobucci

In a conservative society where women are systemically silenced, a young singer demands respect through her music videos, defying death threats to provoke a better future.

FUGS FILM! (World Premiere)

Director/Producer: Chuck Smith

A politically pointed look at the 1960s spirit of counterculture as manifested in NYC band The Fugs’ volatile energy of protest and creation.

HALF MOON (US Premiere)

Director: Frank Scheffer

Producers: Niek Koppen, Jan de Ruiter

Acclaimed Syrian clarinetist Kinan Azmeh travels the globe sharing beautiful music, exploring art’s role amid upheaval and displacement in his homeland.

HAPPY AND YOU KNOW IT (World Premiere)

Director: Penny Lane

Producers: Gabriel Sedgwick, Julia Lewis

A quirky look at the art and business of children’s music from The Wiggles to “Baby Shark.”

IF THESE WALLS COULD ROCK (World Premiere)

Directors: Tyler Measom, Craig A. Williams

Producers: Robert Friedman, Tyler Measom, Craig A. Williams, Mike Powers

A visit to The Sunset Marquis, a legendary Los Angeles spot for rock ’n’ roll royalty, especially in the sex, drugs, and bad behavior heyday of the ’70s and ‘80s.

VOICES OF CANADA

A showcase of the Canadian titles and directors that are represented throughout the festival’s sections. Co-presented by the Consulate General of Canada in New York and the Department of Canadian Heritage’s Creative Export Strategy (CES).

Feature Films:

THE EYES OF GHANA

MATABELELAND

PAUL

THE PINK PILL: SEX, DRUGS & WHO HAS CONTROL

SHIFTING BASELINES

TCB: THE TONI CADE BARBARA SCHOOL OF ORGANIZING

A THOUSAND COLORS

TRUE NORTH

WHAT WE INHERIT

Short Films:

Burcu’s Angels

The Man in the Rectangle

That Which is Heard

Two Kinds of People

A View from Home

SHORTS PROGRAMS

There are 87 shorts participating in the juried Shorts Competition, and one episodic (indicated by *), in the following 20 programs:

SHORTS: ARTSCAPES

Six cinematic journeys into the lives and minds of artists, each offering a distinct lens on their unique creative process.

All the Queens Houses (Dir/Prod: Sean Mowry/Prod: John Vallacchi)

A Color I Named Blue (Dir/Prod: Sybilla Patrizia/Prod: Mai Hosomura)

George V (Dir/Prods: Dennis Scholl, Dia Kontaxis/Prod: Ed Talavera)

Making Love to a Ghost (Dir/Prod: Rosie Litterick/Dir: Raj Chaudhuri)

PANORAMIC VIEW: Portrait of the Artist Francine Tint (Dir/Prod: Pola Rapaport/Prod: Wolfgang Held)

SHORTS: BECOMING

Bearing witness to growing up and into one’s true self.

Big Bass (Dir: Drew Dickler/Prods: Nikki F. Heyman, Jennie Kamin, David Sherwin)

Classroom 4 (Dir/Prod: Eden Wurmfeld/Prod: Yael Bridge)

The Fault Line (Dir/Prod: Brydie O’Connor/Prod: Sean Weiner)

SHORTS: BODY & SOUL

Stories of resilience and strength where possibilities lie beyond the confines of the human form.

Bloodlines, Mississippi (Dir: Crystal Kayiza/Prods: Harri Grace, Paul King)

Boobs (Dir: Nicola Leddy/Prods: Anna Rodgers, Zlata Filipovic)

Embracing Instability (Dir/Prod: Nathan Willis/Prod: Chase Haislip)

Murmurations (Dir/Prod: Xavier Marrades/Prods: Jerome Thelia, Mark Stafford)

One Handed Fighter (Dir: Matthew Meredith/Prod: Leah de Leon)

SHORTS: CREATORS

Visionaries using their creativity to provoke, educate, and entertain.

Embodying Pasolini – Law of Attraction (Dir/Prod: Jack “Chia-Cheng” Hsu)

La Orquesta (Dir/Prods: Monica Villavicencio, Stephanie Liu)

Rolling Film, Rocking History, Al Maysles Captures the Beatles (Dir/Prod: Bart Weiss/Prod: Andy Streitfeld)

Women Laughing (Dir/Prod: Liza Donnelly/Dir: Kathleen Hughes/Prods: Judith Mizrachy, Nathalie Seaver)

SHORTS: CROSS COUNTRY

Portraits of challenge and triumph from communities across America, revealing diverse threads of everyday life.

Appalheads (Dir: Scott Faris/Prods: Anna Richardson White, Meg Griffiths)

Arepas En Bici (Dir/Prods: Jonah Moshammer, Brennan McGee/Prod: Connor Haines)

Blood Friends (Dir/Prods: Hayley Ulmer, Sam McCoy)

Teaching America (Dir/Prod: Anurima Bhargava/Prod: Alisa Payne)

Trapped (Dir: Mads Engel, Joe Purtell/Prod: Nina Riggio)

SHORTS: DIFFERENT DRUMMERS

Celebrating mavericks and makers boldly pursuing their unique paths.

Burcu’s Angels (Dir/Prod: Özgün Gündüz)

Casa Amadeo (Dir/Prod: Ariana Marie Luque)

The Chimney Sweeper (Dir/Prod: Jack Raese)

From Rodeo to Polo: The First HBCU Polo Team (Dir/Prod: Kendi King)

Voices From the Abyss (Dir: Irving Serrano, Victor Rejón/Prod: Ramon Llaven)

SHORTS: GENERATIONS

Histories, rituals, and links that bind families and communities together across the ages.

The Boys and the Bees (Dir/Prod: Arielle Knight)

Death Education (Dir/Prod: Yuxuan Ethan Wu)

Listen (Dir: Malakye Zaayin Tsosie/Prod: Kaitlyn Sanchez)

The Time My Grandmother Was Held Hostage by Bank Robbers (Dir/Prod: Rosella Tursi/Prod: Christine Champagne)

What Does the Mud Whisper? (Dir: Dea Tcholokava/Prod: Irina Gelashvili)

SHORTS: GET UP, STAND UP

Fighting the power, one good story at a time.

Also Resisters (Dir/Prod: Christina D. Bartson)

Survival With Rent (Dirs: Katie Heiserman, Elana Meyers/Prod: Zazie Ray-Trapido)

The Good Fight: Armen vs Guilani (Dir/Prod: Amelia Hanibelsz/Prod: Ilana Diamant)

The Long Walk: The Story of the Bharat Jodo Yatra (Dir/Prod: Shruti Ganguly/Prods: Sumir Ganguly, Prashant Chari, Savio Joseph)

SHORTS: GOTHAM

New York City shorts that exemplify the grit, grace and groove of our great city.

Always Tracy (Dir/Prod: Meron Tebeje)

The New Yorker Theater: A Talbot Legacy (Dir/Prod: Sergio Maza/Prods: Maria Politano, Cara Yeates)

The Petal Pusher (Dir/Prod: David Abel/Prod: Mark Chesak)

Underground Sounds: The New Thousand Story (Dir/Prod: Emma Keatley/Prod: Owen Kepshire)

SHORTS: HEARTBEATS

Celebrating affairs of the heart and love in all of its wondrous forms.

Hold Me Close (Dir/Prods: Aurora Brachman, LaTajh Simmons-Weaver)

I Wanted to Hear Your Voice (Dir: James Pellerito/Prod: David Barba)

Murewa (Dir: Ché Scott-Heron Newton/Prod: Matt Houghton)

Sunset and the Mockingbird (Dir/Prod: Jyllian Gunther/Prod: Kali Holloway)

Two Kinds of People (Dir: Evan Luchkow)

SHORTS: HIDDEN HISTORIES

Explore the untold histories of people and communities whose unknown stories exemplify resilience, self-determination, and courage.

Being Seen Makes Us Happy (Dir/Prod: Charlotte Levin/Dir: Ava Newman)

Free Joan Little (Dir: Yoruba Richen/Prod: Christalyn Hampton)

A Picture of My Father (Dir/Prods: Jon Miller, Zach Russo)

Sakhee – A Portrait of the Kinner Community in Hinterland India (Dir/Prod: Udit Nijhawan)

SHORTS: LET’S PLAY

There’s more to these sports and hobbies than just fun and games.

Alice (Dir: Gabriel Novis/Prods: Mayra Faour Auad, Gabrielle Auad)

Barra Brava (Dir/Prods: RJ Sanchez/Dirs: Eduardo Giralt Brun, Pedro Valtierra Anza/Prods: Doug Riggs, Stuart McIntyre, Alli Maxwell, David Kohan)

Destined to be Queen (Dir/Prod: Olivia Zimmerman/Prods: Alex Laviola, Jonathas Nazareth)

It’s Our Ball (Dir: David Morrison/Prods: Judy T. Marcelline, Penny Edmiston)

We Beg to Differ (Dir/Prod: Ruairi Bradley/Prods: Thomas Purdy)

SHORTS: LOOK UP

Look up to the horizon…or just above your head. What do you see in your future?

The Fanciers (Dir/Prod: Theo McInnes/Prod: Harry Zundel)

Flying Like a Bird (Dir/Prod: Hanyun Zhang/Prod: Yi “Chris” Yuan)

Grit (Dir/Prod: Johannes Kroemer/Dir: Vanina Feldsztein)

Lift Lady (Dir: Marcin Modzelewski/Prods: Jerzy Kapuściński, Ewa Jastrzębska, Magdalena Tomanek)

Seventeen (Dir/Prod: Ajuán Isaac-George)

SHORTS: ON THE OTHER SIDE

Perseverance in the face of uncertain futures, and what awaits on the other side.

Island Willing (Dir/Prod: Cece King/Prods: Elsa Hana Chung, Camilla Marchese González)

Other Life (Dirs: Tom Tennant, Theo Tennant/Prod: Alice Hughes)

The Spiritual Advisor (Dir: Joel Fendelman/Prod: James Chase Sanchez)

That Which is Heard (Dir: Ken Pham/Prod: Kirthiga Rajanayagam)

SHORTS: A PLACE LIKE THIS

Exploring the places we live in, and which live in us.

Farfour: A War Diary from Gaza (Dir/Prod: Ahmed Deeb/Dir: Moaz Hosni)

In Seascale (Dir: Bofei Wan/Prod: Siyun Wang)

Inhabitants (Dirs: Charline Lefrançois, Florian Geisseler/Prod: Michael Karrer)

The Memories of Others (Dir/Prods: Pauline Vermare, Marc Lesser)

Save Flat Top (Dir: Bia Jurema/Prod: Sydney Wolstein)

Sunset Over America (Dir: Matías Rojas Valencia/Prods: Françoise Nieto-Fong, Tomas Gerlach Mora)

SHORTS: SHE STORIES

Stories of intimacy, strength, and self-determination, made by and about women.

Chilapa Girl (Dir/Prod: Juana Lotero López/Prod: Daniel Sánchez)

The First Times (Dirs: Giulia Cosentino, Perla Sardella/Prods: Margot Mecca, Matteo Tortone)

Swim Sistas (Dir: Catherine Joy White/Prods: Anais Ferrato, Oriane Pick)

That Night (Dir/Prod: Hoda Sobhani/Prod: Elle Toussi)

This Side of Salina (Dir/Prod: Lynne Sachs)

SHORTS: TRUTH TO POWER

Women of a certain age fearlessly confront corporate polluters poisoning our land and water with toxins.

Sallie’s Ashes (Dir/Prod: Brennan Robideaux/Prods: Daniel Junge, Allison Bohl DeHart)

Vs. Goliath: Cancer Alley* (Dir/Prod: Nate Birnbaum/Dir: Sam Eilertsen/Prods: Pulkit Datta, Maggie Lemere)

SHORTS: VANTAGE POINT

Uncommon stories from unique perspectives.

Divers (Dir/Prod: Geordie Wood)

A View from Home (Dir/Prod: Mingzhe Zhou/Prod: Yiqian Zhang)

Wainitai: Finding Yourself (Dir: Pablo García Vizcarra/Prod: Ariana Galvez Sanchez)

Where Do Birds Go When It Rains (Dir/Prod: Juan Sebastian Sisa)

Who Was Here? (Dir/Prod: Evi Stamou)

SHORTS: WE BELONG TOGETHER

Finding strength in community and friendship.

The Confidantes (Dir/Prod: Robin Chen)

Exodus (Dir/Prod: Nimco Sheikhaden/Prod: Sara Chishti)

La Liga (Dirs: MacPherson Christopher, Paul Rosenfeld/Prod: Tik Root)

SHORTS: WHAT’S NEXT?

Uncertain futures and shifting horizons, asking: what now and what’s next?

Down North (Dirs: David Dominguez, Paul Overstrom/Prod: Amanda McDonnell)

Images From Tuvalu (Dir: Dylan Werkman/Prods: Janneke Doolaard, Harmen Jalvingh)

The Man in the Rectangle (Dir: Ali Heraize/Prod: Hannah Yang)

The Return (Dir/Prod: Jeremy S. Levine/Prods: Andrew Phillips, Poh Si Teng, Trudy Mercadal, Carson Stiles, Kely Maloney)

PARTNER EVENTS

HIGH HORSE: THE BLACK COWBOY (co-presented by NBCUniversal, Peacock, and Monkeypaw Productions)

NBCUniversal, Universal Television Alternative Studio, and Monkeypaw Productions co-present the World Premiere screening of Peacock’s new three-part documentary High Horse: The Black Cowboy. Ride into the world of the Black Cowboy legacy — a cultural reckoning showcasing their image, their culture, and their deep ties to the land.

IN THE MAKING (co-presented by Firelight Media)

Season 4 of American Masters and Firelight Media’s In The Making series follows artists on their way to becoming masters of their disciplines. This season will include:

Aliah Irvine & Kēhau Kapua’a: Kūkulu (Dir/Prod: Aukai Ligairi/Prods: Robinder Uppal, Terra Debold)

Alsarah: The Sonic Historian (Dir/Prod: Roopa Gogineni/Dir: Wael Gzoly)

Ani Liu: Eye Heart Womb (Dir/Prod: Miao Wang/Prod: Damon Smith)

Cindy Tran: From Here to Here (Dir/Prod: Xinyan Yu)

Hannah Mayree: Songs of Reclamation (Dir/Prod: Ebony Marie Bailey/Prod: Alyssa Mopia)

Lani B. Supreme: Legacy (Dir/Prod: Sabaah Folayan/Prod: Chloe Campion)

Stankface Standing Soldier: The Rise of Mato Wayuhi (Dir: Josiah W. Jones/Prods: Blake Brown, Jeremy Charles)

Warren King: King of Cardboard (Dir/Prod: Curtis Chin/Prod: Adam Wolman)

NOT ANOTHER FILM ABOUT THE HOLOCAUST!?!? (co-presented by The Lost Shtetl Museum)

DOC NYC and The Lost Shtetl Museum present the NY Premiere of Extinguished Lives, a hybrid documentary short examining a little-known story of the Holocaust by bullets—the murder of Lithuanian Jews by Nazis and their local collaborators in the forests surrounding hundreds of shtetls. Based on survivor testimony, the film follows a young woman who must choose between staying with her family or saving herself. Following the film, a panel moderated by DOC NYC Executive Director Raphaela Neihausen will discuss the need (or not) for Holocaust films in 2025.  Panelists include Extinguished Lives director Roberta Grossman, The Lost Shtetl Museum Director of Education Dr. Jolanta Mickute, filmmaker Denis Dobrovna (The Consequences of Truth), and Exhibit Designer Büke Kumyol (RAA).

WHERE THE LIGHT ENTERS YOU (co-presented by South Asian House)

In the wake of personal loss, an unexpected sisterhood unites an ambitious New York healthcare worker with a spirited girl from a nomadic tribe in India. Filmed over seven years, this documentary short is a deeply personal East-meets-West story of mutual healing. Where the Light Enters You reveals how the sufferings and joys of the human experience blur borders and boundaries, countries and caste. This special presentation will feature a Q&A with directors Matt Alesevich and Hemal Trivedi, moderated by DOC NYC Director of Special Projects Thom Powers.