US PREMIERE Folk singer-songwriter turned activist and philanthropist, Buffy Sainte-Marie’s 60-year career includes winning the first Academy Award for an Indigenous person, the first internet album, and an FBI file. Fearless and ahead of her time, a vibrant 80-year-old Buffy —aided by her fellow folk-singing icon Joni Mitchell—tells her own story as an abuse survivor, […]
WORLD PREMIERE Never heard of American singer-songwriter Judee Sill? Discovered by David Geffen in the early 1970s, Sill combined the electricity (and self-destructiveness) of Janis Joplin, soulful poetry of Leonard Cohen, and a complete lack of public recognition for her innovative, brilliant work before her premature death at the age of 35. LOST ANGEL thrillingly […]
DOC NYC Alumni and 2021 Best Short Winner captures the tender story of Nasir as he opens up to his family about his transition. – Samah Ali Courtesy of L.A. Times Studios This film contains the following accessibility options for viewers:Closed Captioning for in-person screenings at IFC Center and Cinepolis ChelseaDescriptive Audio for in-person screenings […]
WORLD PREMIERE When a spiritual crisis spurs him to leave the constraints of the conservatory, pianist and filmmaker James Carson embarks on a journey of evolution, discovering new connections between music and the natural world. His travels culminate in a cabin he builds in the Canadian wild where his experiences meld into a new form. […]
A glimpse into the artistic process behind brilliant creators across the disciplines. (Total Running Time: 88 MIN) Are You Down? | Director: Juan Matos, Dennis SchollFriends and colleagues comment on the work of New York artist Michael Richards, who lost his life working in his World Trade Center studio. (USA, 12 MIN) Made of Light […]
NYC PREMIERE Go behind the scenes of two-time Grammy nominated jazz singer René Marie’s life that gave her tone and tenor. – Samah Ali This screening will be followed by a Q&A with Director Rachel Kessler. All in-person screening venues provide hearing impaired listening devices upon request with venue management. All guests & staff will […]
Accompanying Topaz Jones’s album, Don’t Go Tellin’ Your Momma is a visual marvel documenting the Black ABCs and growing up in New Jersey. The November 17th screening will be followed by a Q&A with Directors rubberband. and Topaz Jones This short is part of the program SHORTLIST BLOCK #3: UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL Courtesy of […]
Short-form documentaries have been booming in recent years thanks to major players such as Netflix, TIME Studios, Field of Vision, POV, MTV, The New Yorker, and The New York Times. DOC NYC’s Short List for Shorts, organized by Shorts Programmer Samah Ali, highlights 12 doc shorts that impress us as the year’s leading awards contenders. […]
Acclaimed musician Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson makes his directorial debut shaping a treasure trove of footage from the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival. The film features a Who’s Who of Black performers representing the music of Motown, Latin America, Africa, gospel, blues, and more. As a master DJ, Questlove knows exactly how to mix classic performances with […]
Filmmaker Todd Haynes has previously portrayed fictionalized musicians in Velvet Goldmine and I’m Not There. Now he turns to documentary to explore The Velvet Underground and the 1960s New York scene of experimental art, music, and film. He conducts new interviews with surviving band members and eyewitnesses, including Jonathan Richman who brings vivid memories of […]