Who We Are

Documentary storytelling is flourishing like never before. DOC NYC is at the center of celebrating and supporting this cultural movement.

Mission Statement

Curate

Guide audiences, industry, and press toward inspiring work.

Cross Fertilize

Gather practitioners of many fields – filmmakers, podcasters, writers, photographers and other storytellers to inspire each other.

Cross Generations

Use the festival’s partnership with School of Visual Arts and our DOC NYC U affiliates as a means for younger and older voices to communicate.

Cultivate New Audiences

Attract local and international newcomers with the excitement of a festival atmosphere.

Create Social Space

Bring audiences and filmmakers together to engage with documentary – online and eventually back in person.

Connect to NYC

Foster fresh connections between residents and expose visitors to the opportunities that happen “only in New York.”

“This cinematic bonanza covers everything new and noteworthy in the world of documentary filmmaking.”

– The Huffington Post

Previous Festival Highlights

Highlights

Between 2014 – 2018, 15 DOC NYC titles were included on the Oscar Short List, including all the Oscar winners and more than half of the actual nominees.

DOC NYC is also an Academy-qualifying festival for short films.  DOC NYC’s winning short will qualify for consideration in the Documentary Short Subject category of the Annual Academy Awards® without the standard theatrical run, provided the film otherwise complies with the Academy rules.

This year, DOC NYC celebrates its 11th edition. Overseen by Executive Director Raphaela Neihausen and Artistic Director Thom Powers, the festival includes 300+ films, episodic content, and events spanning ten days at the IFC Center, SVA Theater and Cinépolis Chelsea, with hundreds of special guests in person.  Past guests include Hillary Clinton, Eric Clapton, Emma Watson, Jim Carrey, Rev. Al Sharpton, Thandie Newton, Susan Sarandon, Martin Scorsese, Itzhak Perlman, Big Bird, Sarah Polley, Jared Leto, Olympia Dukakis, Chris Rock, Seth Myers, Alia Shawkat, Lucas Hedges, Kevin Kline, Heather Graham, Jean Claude Christo, Wim Wenders, Rashida Jones, Darrel Hammond, Ricki Lake, Michael Moore, Michel Gondry, Omar Epps, Errol Morris, Oliver Stone, Jonathan Franzen, Kathleen Hanna, Spandau Ballet, Greil Marcus, Grace Lee Boggs, Bela Fleck, Nat Hentoff, Chuck Workman, and The Mekons. Audience attendees have included Harry Belafonte, Rosario Dawson, Fred Armisen, Jim Jarmusch, Michael Stipe, Martha Stewart, Katie Couric, Russell Simmons, Darren Aronofsky, Cornel West, Naomi Watts, among others.