Seventeen-year-old DOC NYC, America’s largest documentary festival, has revealed its influential 15-film Short List. The festival will run its main lineup of 118 features, 26 world premieres, 27 U.S. premieres, and 89 short films in-person November 11 – 19 in New York City’s IFC Center, SVA Theatre, and Village East by Angelika and continues online through November 29 with films available to viewers across the U.S. All the films will have theatrical screenings at the festival, often with the directors in person.
Historically, most of the DOC NYC shortlist titles overlap with the Academy’s official 15-film Oscar shortlist. With the notable exception of Netflix’s Oscar-winning “My Octopus Teacher,” for 14 of the last 15 years, the festival has screened the documentary that went on to win the Academy Award, including “Mr Nobody Against Putin,” “No Other Land,” “20 Days in Mariupol,” “Navalny,” “Summer of Soul,” “American Factory,” “Free Solo,” “Icarus,” “O.J.: Made in America,” “Amy,” “Citizenfour,” “20 Feet from Stardom,” “Searching for Sugar Man,” and “Undefeated.”
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And the festival has screened 64 of the last 75 Oscar-nominated documentary features. DOC NYC’s Short List: Features selection committee is overseen by Artistic Director Jaie Laplante and Director of Special Projects Thom Powers. Last year, DOC NYC had over 100 submissions for the short list. In the end four of the five Documentary Feature Oscar nominees came from the list, and overall 11 of the shortlisted titles came from the list. The year before was their best, as they predicted 14 out of 15.
“We haven’t hit 15 out of 15 yet,” said Laplante on Zoom. “But we got really close. This is the ring that we’re chasing every year. We’re aware that this is one of the first lists to start to define the doc race. The power of the list is that it suggests the 15 films that the doc branch absolutely needs to watch before they decide to vote.”
While 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 prizes, the Winner’s Circle is a celebration of films already awarded at major international film events that they deem worthy of additional consideration. Selects Encore showcases significant titles from DOC NYC’s year-round Selects screening series.
DOC NYC’s 2025 Short List screenings will include two New York City premieres: Biljana Tutorov and Petar Glomazic’s “To Hold a Mountain,” winner of the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Documentary at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and recently chosen to represent Montenegro in the Best International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards, and Mehrdad Oskouei and Soraya Akhlaghi’s “A Fox Under a Pink Moon,” executive produced by David Borenstein (co-director of the Oscar-winning DOC NYC 2025 alumnus “Mr Nobody Against Putin”).
The Winner’s Circle screenings include the NYC premiere of Pegah Ahangarani’s “Rehearsals for a Revolution,” winner of the L’Œeil d’Or for Best Documentary at Cannes and recently selected as the UK submission for Best International Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards.
Movies that overlap both the ten Critics Choice Association (CCA) Feature Documentary nominees and DOC NY Short List of 15 are particularly strong future awards contenders. The CCA nominees for the Critics Choice Documentary Awards were announced Tuesday and include DOC NYC-listed “14th” (NYFF, Netflix), David Greaves’ archival “Once Upon a Time in Harlem” (Sundance, Neon), Alex Gibney’s four-hour biodoc “Musk” (Venice, Bleecker/HBO), the self-distributed Israeli exposé “Naza” (Venice), and Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim’s “You Can See Everything” (Telluride, A24).
Ava DuVernay’s “14th” is a follow-up of sorts to Oscar-nominated documentary “13th,” laying out the ways the United States government is currently flouting the post-Civil War Constitutional amendment. “It’s certainly as powerful and as hard-hitting and of the moment,” said Laplante. “Ava is a force in nature now, in terms of her personality. I’m expecting this will get a lot of attention.”
Laplante was impressed with the “incredible research” that went into “Musk,” he said, “incredibly comprehensive. A lot of that, of course, we know from the news. But when you see it all together, and you see the way that Alex Gibney lays it out, it takes on a force of its own, and it’s an undeniable film.”
The programmer saw “Once Upon a Time in Harlem” at Sundance. “I didn’t want to leave that party,” he said. “It felt so fresh and so contemporary, like it was happening in front of you. That’s a really strong contender.”
As for Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim’s controversial “You Can See Everything,” “It’s absolutely a wild film,” said Laplante. “Lance has a cinematic eye. He tethers the movie into cinema. The fusion of Nathan’s absurdist artistic viewpoints creates something new and cinematic. It’s an exciting collaboration between these two artists. A lot of new doc branch members are excited by this type of new energy that they’re bringing to this film. Reenactments are not an uncommon thing in documentary. It’s perfectly legit.”
This year’s selections for Short List: Features are:
“14th” (Netflix)
Director: Ava DuVernay
Producers: Ava DuVernay, Spencer Averick, Tammy Garnes, Paul Garnes
A powerful film essay exploring the legacy of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
“American Doctor” (Watermelon)
Director: Poh Si Teng
Producers: Poh Si Teng, Kirstine Barfod, Reem Haddad
A visceral, unflinching film following three notable U.S. physicians as they provide in-person support at a Gaza hospital treating victims of mass-casualty events from the Israeli war campaign.
“The Bend in the River” (sales title)
Director: Robb Moss
Producers: Lisa Remington, Kristin Feeley
A masterful meditation on the eternal, the temporal and the inevitable, from veteran filmmaker Robb Moss.
“Everybody to Kenmure Street” (Icarus)
Director: Felipe Bustos Sierra
Producer: Ciara Barry
An uplifting portrayal of resistance focuses on an incident in 2021 when immigration officers conducted a raid on Glasgow’s Kenmure Street.
“A Fox Under a Pink Moon (NYC Premiere)”
Directors: Mehrdad Oskouei, Soraya Akhlaghi
Producer: Mehrdad Oskouei
A young, talented Afghan woman living under the thumb of the patriarchy in Iran channels her emotions into unforgettable expressions of art.
“The Great Experiment” (DOC NYC Selects)
Directors: Stephen Maing, Eric Daniel Metzgar
Producers: Stephen Maing, Eric Daniel Metzgar, Farihah Zaman
Traversing the U.S. from 2016 to 2020, patient observational filmmaking becomes a temperature check on American democracy—what George Washington described as the last great experiment in promoting human happiness in civil society. Co-director Stephen Maing will receive the Robert and Anne Drew Award for Documentary Excellence at this year’s DOC NYC Visionaries Tribute.
“Musk” (Bleecker, HBO Documentary Films)
Director: Alex Gibney
Producers: Alex Gibney, Jessie Deeter, Erin Edeiken, Zhang Xin, Joey Marra, Nick Shumaker, Jessica Grimshaw, Dana O’Keefe
An epic work profiling the world’s first trillionaire, Elon Musk. Director Alex Gibney will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s DOC NYC Visionaries Tribute.
“Naza”
Directors: Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor
Producers: Harry Davies, Lindsay Poulton, James Wilson
Anonymous members of the Israel Defense Force candidly reflect on their attitudes toward civilian casualties, known as NAZA, and how they process the meaning of genocide.
“Once Upon a Time in Harlem” (Neon)
Director: David Greaves
Producers: Liani Greaves, Anne de Mare
A glorious night, capturing a vital period of American culture, when luminaries who had been active in the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s recount their memories.
“One in a Million” (Frontline/PBS)
Directors: Itab Azzam, Jack MacInnes
Producers: Will Anderson, James Bluemel, Andrew Palmer, Raney Aronson-Rath
A chronicle of one Syrian daughter’s journey in fleeing war and seeking refuge in Germany, and how over ten years, new pressures and opportunities present themselves.
“Soul Patrol” (Kino Lorber)
Director: J.M. Harper
Producers: Sam Bisbee, Danielle Massie, J.M. Harper, Nasir Jones, Peter Bittenbender
A hidden chapter of American military history—the Vietnam War’s first Black special ops team, an elite unit operating deep behind enemy lines.
“Time and Water” (NatGeo)
Director: Sara Dosa
Producers: Shane Boris, Elijah Stevens, Jameka Autry, Sara Dosa\
A letter to the next generation by an Icelandic poet, reflecting on the melting glaciers that are a harbinger of climate change.
“To Hold a Mountain” (NYC Premiere, Sales Title)
Directors: Biljana Tutorov, Petar Glomazić
Producers: Biljana Tutorov, Petar Glomazić, Quentin Laurent, Rok Biček
In the remote highlands of Montenegro, the spirit of motherhood, the violence of men, and the sacredness of the mountain collide and reconcile.
“Wild Inside” (Sandbox, HBO Documentary Films)
Director: Penny Lane
Producers: Gabriel Sedgwick, Nickolas Hasse
In 2023, Flaco the Eurasian Eagle Owl became an international folk hero and a mythological figure for a world in which so many find themselves living in circumstances far away from their roots.
“You Can See Everything” (A24)
Directors: Nathan Fielder, Lance Oppenheim
Producers: Nathan Fielder, Lance Oppenheim, Tatiana Bears, Maggie Ambrose, Jack Davis
As she prepares to begin serving her federal prison sentence, disgraced Silicon Valley tycoon Elizabeth Holmes continues to claim she has never lied, as America’s premiere absurdist documentarians record her every word.
SHORT LIST: SHORTS
The Short List: Shorts showcase of 15 titles is now in its ninth year at DOC NYC. The selection process is overseen by Artistic Director Jaie Laplante, Director of Special Projects Thom Powers, and consultant Samah Ali. In 2025, the showcase included “All The Empty Rooms,” which went on to win the Oscar.
This year’s selections for Short List: Shorts are:
“The Baddest Speechwriter of All”
Directors: Ben Proudfoot, Stephen Curry
Producers: Stephen Curry, Erick Peyton, Ben Proudfoot
At 93, Martin Luther King Jr. ‘s lawyer and speechwriter offers a living testament to history, and reminds us that silence is still our most urgent problem.
“The Boys and the Bees”
Director: Arielle Knight
Producer: Sean Weiner
On an idyllic farm in rural Georgia, beekeeping parents tenderly share their knowledge of life, love, and nature with their young sons while restoring their homestead.
“Buckskin”
Director/Producer: Mars Verrone
A ground-breaking African American and indigenous forester reflects on his life’s work of conservation and ancestral knowledge, while he approaches the twilight of his days.
“A Derailment”
Director: Nathan Truesdell
Producers: Kat Nguyen, Will Lennon
A 2023 freight train derailment in rural Ohio gives rise to a shocking new low in corporate malfeasance.
“The Grandfather Puzzle”
Director: Ora DeKornfeld
Producers: Zsofia Paczolay, Noémi Veronika Szakonyi, Máté Artur Vincze
Ora wants to better understand her aging grandfather before it’s too late. When she travels to Hungary to see if she can unlock the mysteries of his defense mechanisms, she finds a world left behind that illuminates a deep appreciation for life as it is now.
“La Tierra Del Valor (The Home of the Brave)”
Director: Cristina Costantini
Producers: Cristina Costantini, Alfie Koetter
In the face of growing antipathy toward immigrants, Latina pop star NEZZA makes the bold choice to perform the National Anthem at Dodger Stadium in Spanish, sparking an outpouring of outrage, support, and discussion about freedom of speech and who decides what ‘American’ means.
“Listen”
Director: Taliesin Black-Brown
Producers: Taliesin Black-Brown, Sam Davis, Greg Moga
An Alaskan sound specialist works for preservation within two levels of loss – the fading songs of wildlife disappearing from the wilderness, as climate change threatens natural populations; and his mother’s disappearing memory, as she slowly succumbs to dementia.
“The Oath”
Directors: Liane Aviram, Louis Hollis
Producer: Liane Aviram
Dr Lina Qasem-Hassan, a Palestinian living and working in Israel, teaches medical ethics as well as practicing as a physician – walking a tightrope of activism and professionalism while working through the trauma of her people.
“One Last Order”
Directors: Lauren Defilippo, Sam Soko
Producers: Lauren Defilippo, Sam Soko, Amanda Pollak
After 37 years at Mac’s Drive-Thru in Gainesville, Florida, sunny and beloved Sighle is retiring. As customers travel from near and far to say goodbye, this heartwarming portrait celebrates an everyday worker who always went above and beyond, and the joy and community one person can inspire.
“An Open Field”
Director: Teboho Edkins
Producers: Don Edkins, Carine Chichkowsky
One hundred and fifty seven people died when a new Boeing 737 MAX crashed in Ethiopia in 2019. While Boeing callously deflects blame for their negligence, a family of one victim finds strength in gathering collective mourning.
“Outposts – Nothing Here Is Yours”
Director: Hilla Medalia
Producers: Hilla Medalia, Sheila Nevins, Yael Melamed
In the West Bank, Palestinian shepherd communities face escalating settler violence and displacement, while a group of Israeli activists stand in solidarity with shepherd communities as they struggle to remain on their land.
“The Revolution Against Death”
Director: Joshua Oppenheimer
Producer: Signe Byrge Sørensen
A sharp, provocative look at the anti-aging industry and our increasingly elaborate efforts to resist mortality.
“They’re Here”
Directors: Laura Poitras, Rachel Lauren Mueller
Producers: Rachel Lauren Mueller, Laura Poitras, Yoni Golijov
A view of the evils of ICE through an organized resistance group of citizens in Minneapolis during the 2025-26 winter, using a unique cinematic language.
“The Tuners”
Director: Pawel Piotr Chorzepa
Producer: Joanna Chorzepa
Behind the scenes of Warsaw’s Chopin Festival, a group of expert tuners vie to achieve the perfect pitch so that the champion pianist will win on their instrument.
“Water Cooler”
Director/Producer: Emma V.F.
In the halls of NYC’s immigration court, the casual chitchat of ICE agents waiting to arrest their unsuspecting targets stands in stark contrast to the horrors these detainees are likely to face.
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,” “Hollywoodgate,” “In the Rearview,” “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:
“American Pachuco: the Legend of Luis Valdez”
Director: David Alvarado
Producers: David Alvarado, Lauren DeFilippo, Everett Katigbak, Amanda Pollak
Against political resistance and industry skepticism, Luis Valdez pushes Chicano storytelling forward, creating iconic works that challenge, celebrate, and expand America’s story. Winner, Audience Award: U.S. Documentary and Festival Favorite Award, 2026 Sundance Film Festival
“Bucks Harbor”
Director: Pete Muller
Producers: Pete Muller, Nathan Golon, Noel Paul
Striking cinematography marks this observant, verite film about men in East Maine, the traditions of their elders, and their complex inner lives. Winner, Golden Eye Award for Best Documentary Film, 2026 Zurich Film Festival
“Closure”
Director: Michał Marczak
Producers: Monika Braid, Remi Grellety, Michał Marczak, Katarzyna Szczerba, Karolina Marczak
A haunting portrait of what it means to seek closure that’s a testament to parental love. Winner, Golden Alexander International Competition Award, 2026 Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival
“An Eye for an Eye”
Directors: Tanaz Eshaghian, Farzad Jafari
Producers: Christoph Jorg, Katayoon Arsanjani, Gelareh Kiazand, Joey Marra
A tense examination of Iran’s justice system and one family torn asunder by a legacy of abuse and mariticide, unfolding like a Shakespearean tragedy. Winner, Grand Prize Impact Documentary, 2026 Fipadoc
“Give Me the Ball!”
Directors: Liz Garbus, Elizabeth Wolff
Producers: Liz Garbus, Elizabeth Wolff, Chris James, Dan Cogan, Dominic Crossley-Holland, Gentry Kirby
Billie Jean King, the iconic athlete who changed both the worlds of tennis and of women’s athletics, offers new perspectives on her legacy and the state of the sports world. Winner, Audience Award / Best Documentary Feature, 2026 Provincetown International Film Festival
“Nuisance Bear”
Directors: Gabriela Osio Vanden, Jack Weisman
Producers: Will N. Miller, Michael Code, Teddy Leifer, Jack Weisman, Gabriela Osio Vanden\
The modern clash between human beings and polar bears takes on an ironic meaning when an Inuit elder shares his perspectives on the ancient belief and customs of his people. Winner, U.S. Documentary: Grand Jury Prize, 2026 Sundance Film Festival
“Rehearsals for a Revolution (NYC Premiere)”
Director: Pegah Ahangarani
Producers: Parnian Farnam, Pegah Ahangarani, Arash Ashtiani
Celebrated Iranian actor Pegah Ahangarani creates an essayistic documentary, weaving together home movies and news broadcasts to construct a vivid portrait of Iran’s modern history in the four decades since the revolution. Winner, L’Œil d’or Documentary Award, 2026 Cannes Film Festival
“Steal This Story, Please!”
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. Winner, Greg Gund Memorial Standing Up Competition, Cleveland International Film Festival
SELECTS ENCORE
Selects Encore showcases a selection of films that screened at DOC NYC Selects, the festival’s ongoing screening series extension that runs annually from late winter through summer. The films chosen for Selects Encore represent works that continue to be present in the season’s awards conversations.
This year’s selections for Selects Encore are:
“Daylight”
Director: Jon Kasbe
Producers: Jon Kasbe, Zoe Rogovin
Serving a life sentence for murder, Joe Garcia finds unexpected refuge in Taylor Swift’s lyrics. When an essay he writes about love and music goes viral, it cracks open the past and rekindles a connection, opening the door to a life and love he thought were lost forever.
“A Life Illuminated”
Director: Tasha Van Zandt
Producers: Tasha Van Zandt, Sebastian Zeck, Jessica Harrop, Kathryn Everett
A daring quest to document a bioluminescent phenomenon that could forever change how we understand life on Earth.
“Manhood”
Director: Daniel Lombroso
Producers: Kerry Mack, Rebecca Shaid
Manhood explores shame, sex, and the fragile myths of American masculinity, with dark humor and unexpected empathy.
“Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World”
Director/Producer: Sasha Waters
If poetry had a pop icon, Mary Oliver would be it, and Sasha Waters’ beguiling portrait is as poetic as its protagonist.
“Scenes From the Divide”
Director: Alison Klayman
Producers: Alison Klayman, Courtney Powell
A fierce battle among American Jews over identity, history, and responsibility is revealed in the homes of New Yorkers on both sides of Zohran Mamdani’s 2025 mayoral campaign.
“Theydream”
Director: William D. Caballero
Producers: William D. Caballero, Brad Jones, Erin Ploss-Campoamor, Elaine Del Valle
A deeply personal documentary that examines the transformative nature of grief for a close-knit Puerto Rican family.
“Who Moves America”
Director: Yael Bridge
Producers: Yael Bridge, Jeremy Flood, Yoni Golijov, Mars Verrone\
Examines the tense 2023 contract negotiations between UPS and its 340,000 unionized workers, as a microcosm for the larger struggles of labor justice in the U.S.A.