DOC NYC 2026 Reveals Documentary Shortlists, Winner’s Circle and Selects Encore Lineups

The festival’s latest announcement includes 45 features and shorts, with films about Ava DuVernay’s examination of the 14th Amendment, Elon Musk, Elizabeth Holmes, Billie Jean King and the fight for labor justice.

DOC NYC has completed its 2026 lineup with the announcement of four awards-focused sections: Short List: Features, Short List: Shorts, Winner’s Circle and Selects Encore. Together, the programs feature 45 films, ranging from intimate family portraits and investigations of state violence to examinations of American democracy, cultural history and mortality.

The festival’s 17th edition runs November 11–19 at IFC Center, SVA Theatre and Village East by Angelika, with select titles continuing online through November 29 for viewers across the United States. The full lineup comprises 118 features, including 26 world premieres and 27 U.S. premieres, plus 89 shorts. Every film will receive an in-person screening, often with its director attending.

The Short Lists identify films the programming team considers leading contenders for Oscars and other awards. Winner’s Circle highlights documentaries already honored at major festivals, while Selects Encore revisits films from DOC NYC’s year-round screening series that remain part of the awards conversation.

DOC NYC 2026 Short List: Features

The feature Short List includes 15 documentaries. Among its New York City premieres are “To Hold a Mountain,” winner of Sundance’s World Cinema Grand Jury Prize for documentary and Montenegro’s submission for Best International Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards, and “A Fox Under a Pink Moon.”

Launched in 2012, the feature Short List is overseen by artistic director Jaie Laplante and director of special projects Thom Powers. According to the festival, DOC NYC has screened 64 of the past 75 Oscar-nominated documentary features and the eventual documentary feature winner in 14 of the past 15 years.

“14th”

Director: Ava DuVernay; Producers: Ava DuVernay, Spencer Averick, Tammy Garnes and Paul Garnes

DuVernay examines the legacy of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution through a film essay.

“American Doctor”

Director: Poh Si Teng; Producers: Poh Si Teng, Kirstine Barfod and Reem Haddad

Three U.S. physicians provide care at a Gaza hospital treating victims of mass-casualty events during Israel’s military campaign.

“The Bend in the River”

Director: Robb Moss; Producers: Lisa Remington and Kristin Feeley

Veteran filmmaker Moss considers time, permanence and the inevitable in a meditation on the eternal and the temporal.

“Everybody to Kenmure Street”

Director: Felipe Bustos Sierra; Producer: Ciara Barry

An account of collective resistance centers on a 2021 immigration raid on Glasgow’s Kenmure Street.

“A Fox Under a Pink Moon” — NYC Premiere

Directors: Mehrdad Oskouei and Soraya Akhlaghi; Producer: Mehrdad Oskouei

A young Afghan woman living under patriarchal restrictions in Iran channels her emotions into art. David Borenstein, co-director of the Oscar-winning “Mr. Nobody Against Putin,” is an executive producer.

“The Great Experiment”

Directors: Stephen Maing and Eric Daniel Metzgar; Producers: Stephen Maing, Eric Daniel Metzgar and Farihah Zaman

Observational filmmaking across the United States from 2016 to 2020 takes the temperature of American democracy. Maing will also receive the Robert and Anne Drew Award for Documentary Excellence at DOC NYC’s Visionaries Tribute.

“Musk”

Director: Alex Gibney; Producers: Alex Gibney, Jessie Deeter, Erin Edeiken, Zhang Xin, Joey Marra, Nick Shumaker, Jessica Grimshaw and Dana O’Keefe

Gibney profiles Elon Musk in an expansive documentary. The director will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award at the festival’s Visionaries Tribute.

“NAZA”

Directors: Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor; Producers: Harry Davies, Lindsay Poulton and James Wilson

Anonymous members of the Israel Defense Force discuss their attitudes toward civilian casualties, referred to as NAZA, and grapple with the meaning of genocide.

“Once Upon a Time in Harlem”

Director: David Greaves; Producers: Liani Greaves and Anne de Mare

Luminaries who participated in the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s gather to recount their memories, preserving a vital chapter of American cultural history.

“One in a Million”

Directors: Itab Azzam and Jack MacInnes; Producers: Will Anderson, James Bluemel, Andrew Palmer and Raney Aronson-Rath

A decade-long chronicle follows a Syrian daughter fleeing war and seeking refuge in Germany, where new pressures and opportunities reshape her life.

“Soul Patrol”

Director: J.M. Harper; Producers: Sam Bisbee, Danielle Massie, J.M. Harper, Nasir Jones and Peter Bittenbender

The film uncovers the history of the Vietnam War’s first Black special operations team, an elite unit working deep behind enemy lines.

“Time and Water”

Director: Sara Dosa; Producers: Shane Boris, Elijah Stevens, Jameka Autry and Sara Dosa

An Icelandic poet addresses the next generation, reflecting on melting glaciers as harbingers of climate change.

“To Hold a Mountain” — NYC Premiere

Directors: Biljana Tutorov and Petar Glomazić; Producers: Biljana Tutorov, Petar Glomazić, Quentin Laurent and Rok Biček

In Montenegro’s remote highlands, motherhood, male violence and the sacredness of the mountain collide. The film won Sundance’s 2026 World Cinema Grand Jury Prize for documentary and was selected as Montenegro’s Oscar submission for Best International Feature Film.

“Wild Inside”

Director: Penny Lane; Producers: Gabriel Sedgwick and Nickolas Hasse

Lane explores the fascination with Flaco, the Eurasian eagle-owl who became an international folk hero in 2023, and what his story means to people living far from their roots.

“You Can See Everything”

Directors: Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim; Producers: Nathan Fielder, Lance Oppenheim, Tatiana Bears, Maggie Ambrose and Jack Davis

As Elizabeth Holmes prepares to begin her federal prison sentence, she continues to insist she has never lied. Fielder and Oppenheim record her words through their absurdist documentary lens.

DOC NYC 2026 Short List: Shorts

The ninth edition of Short List: Shorts includes 15 films, selected under the oversight of Laplante, Powers, and consultant Samah Ali. Last year’s showcase included “All the Empty Rooms,” which went on to win the Oscar.

“The Baddest Speechwriter of All”

Directors: Ben Proudfoot and Stephen Curry; Producers: Stephen Curry, Erick Peyton and Ben Proudfoot

At 93, Martin Luther King Jr.’s lawyer and speechwriter reflects on history and the continuing urgency of breaking silence.

“The Boys and the Bees”

Director: Arielle Knight; Producer: Sean Weiner

On a rural Georgia farm, beekeeping parents share lessons about life, love and nature with their young sons while restoring their homestead.

“Buckskin”

Director and producer: Mars Verrone

A pioneering African American and Indigenous forester reflects on conservation, ancestral knowledge and his life’s work as he approaches his final years.

“A Derailment”

Director: Nathan Truesdell; Producers: Kat Nguyen and Will Lennon

A 2023 freight train derailment in rural Ohio exposes corporate wrongdoing.

“The Grandfather Puzzle”

Director: Ora DeKornfeld; Producers: Zsofia Paczolay, Noémi Veronika Szakonyi and Máté Artur Vincze

DeKornfeld travels to Hungary to better understand her aging grandfather and his defenses, discovering how the world he left behind shapes his appreciation of life now.

“La Tierra del Valor (The Home of the Brave)”

Director: Cristina Costantini; Producers: Cristina Costantini and Alfie Koetter

Latina pop star NEZZA’s decision to sing the national anthem in Spanish at Dodger Stadium prompts outrage, support and debate over free speech and who gets to define “American.”

“Listen”

Director: Taliesin Black-Brown; Producers: Taliesin Black-Brown, Sam Davis and Greg Moga

An Alaskan sound specialist confronts two forms of disappearance: wildlife songs threatened by climate change and his mother’s memories as she develops dementia.

“The Oath”

Directors: Liane Aviram and Louis Hollis; Producer: Liane Aviram

Dr. Lina Qasem-Hassan, a Palestinian physician living and working in Israel, teaches medical ethics while navigating activism, professional obligations and the trauma of her people.

“One Last Order”

Directors: Lauren Defilippo and Sam Soko; Producers: Lauren Defilippo, Sam Soko and Amanda Pollak

After 37 years at Mac’s Drive-Thru in Gainesville, Florida, beloved employee Sighle is retiring. Customers travel to say goodbye in a portrait of the community one worker helped create.

“An Open Field”

Director: Teboho Edkins; Producers: Don Edkins and Carine Chichkowsky

After a Boeing 737 MAX crash killed 157 people in Ethiopia in 2019, a victim’s family finds strength in collective mourning as the film examines Boeing’s response and accountability.

“Outposts — Nothing Here Is Yours”

Director: Hilla Medalia; Producers: Hilla Medalia, Sheila Nevins and Yael Melamed

Palestinian shepherd communities in the West Bank face escalating settler violence and displacement, while Israeli activists stand alongside them in their struggle to remain on their land.

“The Revolution Against Death”

Director: Joshua Oppenheimer; Producer: Signe Byrge Sørensen

Oppenheimer examines the anti-aging industry and increasingly elaborate efforts to resist mortality.

“They’re Here”

Directors: Laura Poitras and Rachel Lauren Mueller; Producers: Rachel Lauren Mueller, Laura Poitras and Yoni Golijov

The film follows organized citizen resistance to ICE in Minneapolis during the winter of 2025–26, using a distinctive cinematic approach to examine immigration enforcement.

“The Tuners”

Director: Pawel Piotr Chorzepa; Producer: Joanna Chorzepa

Behind the scenes of Warsaw’s Chopin Festival, expert piano tuners compete to perfect their instruments, hoping the winning pianist will play theirs.

“Water Cooler”

Director and producer: Emma V.F.

Inside New York City’s immigration court, ICE agents’ casual conversations while waiting to make arrests contrast with the dangers facing the people they intend to detain.

DOC NYC 2026 Winner’s Circle

Winner’s Circle features eight documentaries arriving with major festival awards. The section, introduced in 2019, includes the New York City premiere of “Rehearsals for a Revolution,” winner of Cannes’ L’Œil d’Or documentary award and the United Kingdom’s submission for Best International Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards.

“American Pachuco: The Legend of Luis Valdez”

Director: David Alvarado; Producers: David Alvarado, Lauren DeFilippo, Everett Katigbak and Amanda Pollak

The film follows Valdez’s efforts to advance Chicano storytelling despite political resistance and industry skepticism, creating works that challenge and expand America’s story.

Awards: Audience Award: U.S. Documentary and Festival Favorite Award, 2026 Sundance Film Festival.

“Bucks Harbor”

Director: Pete Muller; Producers: Pete Muller, Nathan Golon and Noel Paul

An observational vérité documentary explores men’s lives in eastern Maine, their inherited traditions and their complex interior worlds.

Award: Golden Eye Award for Best Documentary Film, 2026 Zurich Film Festival.

“Closure”

Director: Michał Marczak;Producers: Monika Braid, Remi Grellety, Michał Marczak, Katarzyna Szczerba and Karolina Marczak

A portrait of parental love examines what it means to seek closure.

Award: Golden Alexander International Competition Award, 2026 Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival.

“An Eye for an Eye”

Directors: Tanaz Eshaghian and Farzad Jafari; Producers: Christoph Jorg, Katayoon Arsanjani, Gelareh Kiazand and Joey Marra

An examination of Iran’s justice system follows a family torn apart by abuse and the killing of a husband, unfolding with the weight of a Shakespearean tragedy.

Award: Grand Prize Impact Documentary, 2026 Fipadoc.

“Give Me the Ball!”

Directors: Liz Garbus and Elizabeth Wolff; Producers: Liz Garbus, Elizabeth Wolff, Chris James, Dan Cogan, Dominic Crossley-Holland and Gentry Kirby

Billie Jean King offers new perspectives on her legacy, the transformation of women’s athletics and the state of the sports world.

Award: Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature, 2026 Provincetown International Film Festival.

“Nuisance Bear”

Directors: Gabriela Osio Vanden and Jack Weisman; Producers: Will N. Miller, Michael Code, Teddy Leifer, Jack Weisman and Gabriela Osio Vanden

The conflict between humans and polar bears takes on another meaning through an Inuit elder’s perspective on his people’s ancient beliefs and customs.

Award: U.S. Documentary Grand Jury Prize, 2026 Sundance Film Festival.

“Rehearsals for a Revolution” — NYC Premiere

Director: Pegah Ahangarani; Producers: Parnian Farnam, Pegah Ahangarani and Arash Ashtiani

Iranian actor and filmmaker Ahangarani combines home movies and news broadcasts to construct a portrait of Iran’s modern history across four decades following the revolution.

Award: L’Œil d’Or Documentary Award, 2026 Cannes Film Festival. The film is also the United Kingdom’s Oscar submission for Best International Feature Film.

“Steal This Story, Please!”

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

A portrait of “Democracy Now!” journalist Amy Goodman examines her commitment to independent reporting and journalism as a force for public good.

Award: Greg Gund Memorial Standing Up Competition, Cleveland International Film Festival.

DOC NYC 2026 Selects Encore

These seven films return from DOC NYC Selects, the festival’s screening series that runs from late winter through summer.

“Daylight”

Director: Jon Kasbe; Producers: Jon Kasbe and Zoe Rogovin

Serving a life sentence for murder, Joe Garcia finds refuge in Taylor Swift’s lyrics. When his essay about music and love goes viral, it rekindles a connection and opens possibilities he thought were lost.

“A Life Illuminated”

Director: Tasha Van Zandt; Producers: Tasha Van Zandt, Sebastian Zeck, Jessica Harrop and Kathryn Everett

A quest to document a bioluminescent phenomenon could change how we understand life on Earth.

“Manhood”

Director: Daniel Lombroso; Producers: Kerry Mack and Rebecca Shaid

Lombroso examines shame, sex, and the fragile myths of American masculinity through dark humor and unexpected empathy.

“Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World”

Director and producer: Sasha Waters

Waters creates a poetic portrait of Mary Oliver, whose popularity gives her something of a pop icon’s standing in the poetry world.

“Scenes From the Divide”

Director: Alison Klayman; Producers: Alison Klayman and Courtney Powell

Inside the homes of New Yorkers on opposing sides of Zohran Mamdani’s 2025 mayoral campaign, a conflict among American Jews reveals divisions over identity, history and responsibility.

“Theydream”

Director: William D. Caballero; Producers: William D. Caballero, Brad Jones, Erin Ploss-Campoamor and Elaine Del Valle

A personal documentary explores the transformative power of grief within a close-knit Puerto Rican family.

“Who Moves America”

Director: Yael Bridge; Producers: Yael Bridge, Jeremy Flood, Yoni Golijov and Mars Verrone

The tense 2023 contract negotiations between UPS and its 340,000 unionized workers become a lens on broader struggles for labor justice in the United States.

DOC NYC 2026 Tickets, Passes and Screening Dates

The festival runs in person November 11–19, with select films available online across the United States through November 29. Tickets and passes can be purchased at 

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Individual Tickets

Short List: Features, Short List: Shorts, Winner’s Circle and Selects Encore screenings: $15 general admission; $12 for IFC Center members.

Other regular festival screenings: $20 general admission; $18 for seniors and children; $16 for IFC Center members, unless otherwise noted.

Monday–Friday screenings starting before 5:46 p.m.: $15 general admission; $12 for IFC Center members.

Opening night, “The Hummingbird Paints Fragrant Songs”; closing night, “Totality”; and centerpiece, “Union Town”: $30 general admission; $25 for IFC Center members.

Online screenings: $13 general admission; $9 for IFC Center members.

Film Passes and Ticket Packages

All Film Pass: $995, with an early-bird price of $699 through October 17. Includes access to all in-person film screenings November 11–19 and films on the virtual platform November 11–29, plus complimentary Festival Lounge access, including daily breakfasts and happy hours, as space permits.

Online Film Pass: $250, with an early-bird price of $199 through October 18. Covers all films on the virtual platform November 11–29.

Online Shorts Pass: $49. Covers all shorts on the virtual platform November 11–29.

Ten-Ticket Package: $170 for 10 regular in-person festival screenings.

DOC NYC PRO and The Solutions Lab

DOC NYC PRO Day Pass: $125 for one day-long programming track, plus that day’s Festival Lounge breakfast and happy hour, as space permits.

DOC NYC PRO Four-Day Pack: $450 for four programming tracks.

DOC NYC PRO Seven-Day Pack: $749 for all seven conference days, November 12–13 and 15–19. Both multi-day packages include Festival Lounge access on selected days, as space permits.

The Solutions Lab Pass: $125 for the November 14 program and that day’s Festival Lounge happy hour.

DOC NYC is produced and presented by IFC Center, a division of AMC Global Media.

DOC NYC 2026 complete slate: every title across Features, Shorts, Winner's Circle, and Selects Encore compiled into a sortable guide