Filmmaker Sierra Pettengill begins with footage filmed by the US military in the 1960s of dress rehearsals for show-of-force responses to the domestic unrest that was unnerving America at the time. The material’s horrifying implications quickly settle in, however, as Pentengill digs deep into other archival material to answer the question of how these large-scale […]
WORLD PREMIERE More than the namesake of one of the most iconic sneakers, Stan Smith has lived a champion’s life on and off the tennis court. Chronicling his rise from collegiate superstar to World No.1 and beyond, Smith blazed new paths for athletes, both as a fashion icon and a humanitarian. Complete with intimate first-person […]
NYC PREMIERE In love with the ocean, a father and son reflect on what it means to represent South Africa as a professional surfer on the world stage. – Samah Ali All in-person screening venues provide hearing impaired listening devices upon request with venue management. All guests & staff will be required to comply with our […]
NYC PREMIERE David Siev, one of DOC NYC’s 40 Under 40 this year, turns his camera on his own small-town Michigan family’s fight for their American Dream during a transitional moment that mirrors a time of great flux in America. Siev’s father is from Cambodia and mother from Mexico, and the restaurant the family runs […]
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, […]
INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE: After her 2009 victory at the World Championships, South African runner Caster Semenya’s win came under invasive public scrutiny. When the International Amateur Athletics Federation (now World Athletics) ruled that targeted women with naturally high androgen levels must medically alter their bodies in order to compete, a generation of athletes have their lives […]
WORLD PREMIERE With the devastating economic impact of the pandemic and city redevelopment, Chinatowns in New York, Montreal and Vancouver search for innovative ways and resistance to keep their communities thriving. With lush verité footage of bustling Lunar New Year celebrations and warm social gatherings, filmmaker Karen Cho celebrates the vibrance of Chinatown communities. – […]
WORLD PREMIERE Driven by a mutual determination not to be “the generation that allows progress to slip,” national social justice leaders Marc Morial of National Urban League and Janet Murguía of UnidosUS join forces to fight structural racism amid a troubling resurgence of white supremacy in the Trump era. Two-time Academy Award-winning filmmaker Barbara Kopple […]
Dawn Porter’s uplifting short takes us behind the scenes of Amy Sherald’s Breonna Taylor portrait, bringing grace and dignity to the tragic loss of her life. This short is part of the program SHORTLIST BLOCK #1: UNJUST SYSTEMS The November 11th screening will be followed by a Q&A with Director Dawn Porter. The November 18th […]
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. […]