The documentary festival DOC NYC has unveiled the full lineup for its 14th edition. It will be a total of 114 features and 129 short films. The festival runs in-person November 8-16 at IFC Center, SVA Theatre and Village East by Angelika and continues online through November 26 with films available to viewers across the U.S.
The Short Lists sections showcase a selection of nonfiction features and shorts that the festival’s programming team considers to be among the year’s strongest contenders for Oscars and other awards. The Winner’s Circle are films already feted at major international film events while Come As You Are section highlights films about people striving to find their place in the world, or in their communities.
Short List: Features
20 DAYS IN MARIUPOLDirector: Mstyslav ChernovProducers: Mstyslav Chernov, Michelle Mizner, Raney Aronson Rath, Derl McCruddenAn AP team of Ukrainian journalists trapped in the besieged city of Mariupol struggle to continue its work documenting atrocities of the Russian invasion. (PBS Distribution/Frontline)
AMERICAN SYMPHONY (NYC Premiere)Director: Matthew HeinemanProducers: Matthew Heineman, Lauren Domino, Joedan OkunWhile undertaking his most ambitious project to date, musician Jon Batiste and his life partner Suleika Jaouad cope with the discovery that her cancer has returned after a decade in remission. (Netflix)
BOBI WINE: THE PEOPLE’S PRESIDENTDirectors: Moses Bwayo, Christopher SharpProducers: Christopher Sharp, John BattsekBobi Wine, a popular Afrobeats musician, directs his charisma to politics as he runs for office as Uganda’s presidential opposition candidate, challenging longtime leader Yoweri Museveni. (National Geographic Documentary Films)
THE DISAPPEARANCE OF SHERE HITE (NYC Premiere)Director: Nicole NewnhamProducers: R.J. Cutler, Kimberley Ferdinando, Nicole Newnham, Molly O’Brien, Elise Pearlstein, Trevor SmithFeminist sexologist Shere Hite, who helped change public perception toward female sexuality in the 1970s and ‘80s, mysteriously fell from prominence over time. This film explores why we don’t know more about her groundbreaking work. (IFC Films)
THE ETERNAL MEMORYDirector: Maite AlberdiProducers: Maite Alberdi, Juan de Dios Larraín, Pablo Larraín, Rocío JadueA wise and compassionate look at an elderly couple’s challenges, revealing their profoundly moving love and their commitment to individual and collective remembrance, via the cultural vocations of their youth, in the face of life’s tempests. (MTV Documentary Films)
EVERY BODYDirector: Julie CohenProducers: Molly O’Brien, Tommy NguyenCapturing a new generation of intersex people who are living loudly and proudly, this film covers the history, science, and politics of a movement advocating against medically unnecessary surgeries on intersex children. (Focus Features)
FOUR DAUGHTERSDirector: Kaouther Ben HaniaProducer: Nadim CheikhrouhaFilmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania takes a novel approach to telling the story of the Tunisian mother Olfa Hamrouni, who spoke out about her grief when two of her four daughters ran away to join the Islamic State in Libya. (Kino Lorber)
GOING TO MARS: THE NIKKI GIOVANNI STORYDirectors: Joe Brewster, Michèle StephensonProducers: Joe Brewster, Michèle Stephenson, Tommy OliverNikki Giovanni is a trailblazing poet who rose to be a key figure in the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s and remains just as vibrant today. (HBO Documentary Films)
LAKOTA NATION VS. UNITED STATESDirectors: Jesse Shortbull, Laura TomaselliProducers: Benjamin Hedin, Phil PintoThe Lakota Indigenous tribe’s new generations continue to stand against the U.S. government’s historic failures to honor past treaties and the Lakota’s traditional sacred land. (IFC Films)
LITTLE RICHARD: I AM EVERYTHINGDirector: Lisa CortésProducers: Robert Friedman, Lisa Cortés, Liz Yale Marsh, Caryn CapotostoThe Black queer origins of rock ‘n’ roll are revealed as the whitewashed canon of American pop music is exploded to reveal the innovator – the originator – Little Richard. (Magnolia Pictures)
THE MOTHER OF ALL LIES (U.S. Premiere)Director / Producer: Asme El MoudirOn a handmade set recreating her Casablanca neighborhood, Moroccan filmmaker Asmae El Moudir enlists family and friends to help solve the troubling mysteries of her childhood.Figurines and miniatures of the filmmaker’s Moroccan family and neighborhood – built by her father – inspire moments of catharsis and unearth previously unspoken secrets and traumas.
THE PIGEON TUNNELDirector: Errol MorrisProducers: Errol Morris, Dominic Crossley-Holland, Steven Hathaway, Simon Cornwell, Stephen CornwellOscar-winning filmmaker Errol Morris interviews David Cornwell aka John Le Carré, keeping the visuals as lively as the conversation, creating his own cinematic imaginings of Cornwell’s history along with clips from famous film and TV adaptations of Le Carré’s thrillers. (Apple TV+)
SILVER DOLLAR ROADDirector: Raoul PeckProducers: Raoul Peck, Rémi Grellety, Blair Foster, Hébert PeckOscar-nominated filmmaker Raoul Peck focuses on the case of the Reels family in North Carolina to chronicle the way real estate developers work in blatant and subtle ways to divest Black families from inherited property. (Amazon Studios)
STAMPED FROM THE BEGINNINGDirector: Roger Ross WilliamsProducers: Alisa Payne, Roger Ross Williams, David TeagueOscar-winning filmmaker Roger Ross Williams takes inspiration from author Dr. Ibram X. Kendi’s work exploring the history of anti-Black racist ideas and their impact on the United States, examining those themes with an array of powerful film techniques. (Netflix)
WHILE WE WATCHEDDirector: Vinay ShuklaProducers: Vinay Shukla, Khushboo Ranka, Luke MoodyFilmmaker Vinay Shukla gives shape to the melancholy and fear the daily news brings into our screens and lives, in India and all over the world. (BritDocs/POV)
SHORT LIST: SHORTS
The Short List: Shorts showcase of 15 titles is now in its sixth year at DOC NYC. The selection process is overseen by Artistic Director Jaie Laplante, Director of Special Projects Thom Powers, and Senior Programmer, Shorts, Samah Ali. Last year the showcase included the World Premiere of The Elephant Whisperers, which went on to win the Oscar. For the fifth year, a DOC NYC jury will select one of the films in the section for a Directing Award. Last year’s winner was As Far as They Can Run.
This year’s selections for Short List: Shorts are:
AMERICAN SANTADirector: Avi Zev WeiderProducers: Avi Zev Weider, Alexandra BergerThis haunting documentary zooms in on Black Santas and the gravity of their work during the holiday season. (The New Yorker)
AYENDADirector: Marie MargoliusProducer: Marie Margolius, Connor SchellWitness the true story of an Afghani girls’ soccer team who relocate from their home country all in the name of the sport. (MSNBC Films)
THE BARBER OF LITTLE ROCKDirector: John Hoffman, Christine TurnerProducers: Christina Avalos, John Hoffman, Christine TurnerThe barbershop is the heart of the Black community, and in Little Rock, Arkansas, now the starting place of a new community lending program.
BETWEEN EARTH & SKYDirector: Andrew NadkarniProducers: Andrew Nadkarni, Swetha Regunathan, Katie SchillerThe story of one professor’s career researching the rainforest canopy, where she was hurt, and where she also healed. (POV Shorts)
BLACK GIRLS PLAY: THE STORY OF HAND GAMESDirectors: Joe Brewster, Michéle StephensonProducers: Joe Brewster, Michéle StephensonLearn about the impactful and joyful hand games played by Black girls from generation to generation. (ESPN Films)
CAMP COURAGEDirector: Max LoweProducers: Marilyn Ness, Katy ChevignyA profile of a young girl, her grandmother, and the camp that builds confidence for children going through big changes. (Netflix)
CARPENTERDirector / Producer: Xelîl SehragerdThis meditative documentary zooms in on a Kurdish carpenter as he serves his community in an unexpected way.
THE DADSDirector / Producer: Luchina FisherThis touching short captures fathers sharing the love of their children over the course of an afternoon of fishing and dining. (Netflix)
DECIDING VOTEDirectors: Jeremy Workman, Robert LyonsProducers: Jeremy Workman, Robert Lyons, Melissa JacobsonThe decision to legalize abortion in the state of New York came down to one person. This is his story. (The New Yorker)
HOLY COWBOYSDirector: Varun ChopraProducers: Anna Hashmi, Varun ChopraA dedicated group of young Hindu men are encouraged to protect cows at any cost.
THE LAST REPAIR SHOPDirectors: Nasir Bailey, Jackson KroopfProducers: Ben Proudfoot, Kris Bowers, Jeremy Lambert, Josh RosenbergOne warehouse in the Los Angeles area devotes its time and energy to repairing 80,000 instruments for city schoolchildren.
NINA & IRENADirector: Daniel LombrosoProducer: Devon BlackwellA grandmother shares her heart wrenching story after losing her sister in the Holocaust. (The New Yorker)
PUFFLINGDirector: Jessica BishoppProducers: Alice Hughes, Gannesh Rajah, Ada Benjamínsdóttir, Jessica BishoppYoung women in a remote island of Iceland help disoriented baby puffins, who easily lose their bearings.
THE TAKEOVERDirector: Anders HammerProducers: Anders Hammer, Charlotte CookWitness the transition inside Afghanistan during the Taliban’s government takeover. (Field of Vision)
A TATTOO ON MY BRAINDirectors / Producers: Kate Davis, David HeilbronerA neurologist commits himself to researching and writing about his own Alzheimer’s symptoms. (MTV Documentary Films)
WINNER’S CIRCLE
The DOC NYC Winner’s Circle for documentary features, introduced in 2019, highlights films that arrive at DOC NYC with significant awards pedigrees already in place. Past films shown in Winner’s Circle that all went on to further acclaim include Writing with Fire, The Mole Agent, A House Made of Splinters, Bad Axe, Midnight Family, and Advocate. To qualify for inclusion in this category, films must have won a major award at a significant international or US film festival.
This year’s selections for Winner’s Circle are:
ANGEL APPLICANT (NYC Premiere)Director: Ken August MeyerProducers: Ken August Meyer, Jason RoarkAn art director afflicted with a rare life-threatening disease turns to the life and work of a famed artist who lived nearly 100 years ago, to find solace, hope and meaning. Winner, SXSW Grand Jury Prize, Documentary Feature Competition
APOLONIA, APOLONIADirector: Lea GlobProducer: Sidsel Lønvig SierstedOver 13 years, a Danish film student and a Parisian painter weave a complex portrait of a current generation’s loves, lives, and losses. Best Feature-Length Documentary, IDFA
BAD PRESS (NYC Premiere)Directors: Rebecca Landsberry-Baker, Joe PeelerProducers: Conrad Beilharz, Garrett F. Baker, Tyler GraimWhen the Muscogee Nation suddenly begins censoring their free press, a rogue reporter fights to expose her government’s corruption in a historic battle that will have ramifications for all Native American sovereign nations. Special Jury Award: Freedom of Expression, U.S. Documentary, Sundance Film Festival
BEYOND UTOPIADirector: Madeleine GavinProducers: Jana Edelbaum, Rachel Cohen, Sue Mi Terry, Daewon Choi, Janna DevinskyThe reality of life in one of the most repressive totalitarian countries on Earth is revealed through two intertwining suspenseful, nail-biting stories of dangerous escape attempts from North Korea. Audience Award, U.S. Documentary, 2023 Sundance Film Festival(Roadside Attractions)
IN THE REARVIEW (New York Premiere)Director: Maciek HamelaProducers: Maciek Hamela, Piotr GrawenderWhen Russia escalated its war against Ukraine in 2022, Polish director Maciek Hamela bought a van and volunteered to drive Ukrainian refugees on their quest to escape, making a quietly eloquent case to keep our eyes on the road ahead. Grand Jury Award, International Competition, Sheffield DocFest
KOKOMO CITYDirector: D. SmithProducers: D. Smith, Harris Doran, Bill ButlerProfiling four Black transgender sex workers, these women are raw and hilarious as they celebrate their self-realization in the face of discrimination and violence. Next Innovator Award, Sundance Film Festival 2023 (Magnolia Pictures)
NAME ME LAWANDDirector: Edward LovelaceProducers: Fleur Nieddu, Sam Arnold, Beyan Taher, Neil Andres, Marisa Clifford, Edward LovelaceThe family of a five-year-old deaf boy from Iraq go to extraordinary lengths to unlock his educational potential at Royal School for the Deaf Derby in England. Special Jury Prize, International Feature Documentary, Hot Docs
ROJEK (US Premiere)Director: Zaynê AkyolProducers: Audrey-Ann Dupuis-Pierre, Sylvain Corbeil, Zaynê AkyolAn attempt to understand the Muslim fundamentalist beliefs of members of the Islamic State (ISIS), as some recount the rise and fall of ISIS through their personal stories. Special Jury Prize, Canadian Feature Documentary, Hot Docs (Icarus Films)
Rojek is featured in DOC NYC’s VOICES OF CANADA, a showcase of the Canadian titles that are represented throughout the festival’s sections, co-presented by the Consulate General of Canada in New York.
SMOKE SAUNA SISTERHOOD (NYC Premiere)Director: Anna HintsProducers: Marianne OstratAmidst wood, wire, smoke, and sweat, a group of Estonian women find each other and themselves. Jury Award, Directing (World Cinema Documentary), Sundance Film Festival 2023 (Greenwich Entertainment)
SONGS OF EARTH (NYC Premiere)Director: Margreth OlinProducers: Margreth Olin, Lena Faye-Lund SandvikA stunning cinematic experience, as a lone elderly Norwegian man shares his life journey via traditional music amid spectacular vistas of glaciers, waterfalls, and fjords. Krakow Film Festival 2023, Recommendation to European Film Awards, Documentary
COME AS YOU ARE
The Come As You Are section highlights films about people striving to find their place in the world, or in their communities.
The selections for Come As You Are:
AT THE BORDER (World Premiere)Directors: Braulio Jatar, Anaïs MichelProducers: Braulio Jatar, Anaïs Michel, Julia ChengA gritty and uncompromising perspective on what has been termed a “migrant crisis.”
HEAVEN RAIN FLOWS SWEETLY (World Premiere)Director: Shasha LiProducers: Shasha Li, Xin Li, Julie MallozziAfter wildfires force her to leave her home in Oregon, a young filmmaker reconnects with the rituals and the landscapes of her maternal tribe in Himalayan China.
THE KIND STRANGER (International Premiere)Directors: Sini Hormio, Anu SilfverbergProducer: Ari MatikainenUnveiling the mysterious world of ASMR influencers and the hours of dedication and discipline that go into producing the content their followers crave.
THE THREE OF US (International Premiere)Director: Henya BrodbekerProducer: Avigail SperberA young ultra-Orthodox couple is torn between a community that doesn’t accept their autistic son and their desire to integrate him into society.
WHO’S BEHIND BLACK ART (World Premiere)Director: John CampbellProducers: John Campbell, Phillip Michael Collins, Chandler Wild, Thomas E. Moore IIIIn this candid exploration of creative expression, five emerging African American artists reveal their inspirations, challenges, and the complexities of succeeding in the art world.
WITNESS (International Premiere)Directors: Yasmine Mathurin, Carol Nguyen, Amar WalaProducers: Amar Wala, Soko NegashA story examining the personal, political, and cultural ramifications of going viral.
Witness is featured in DOC NYC’s VOICES OF CANADA, a showcase of the Canadian titles that are represented throughout the festival’s sections, co-presented by the Consulate General of Canada in New York.