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Doc NYC, the country\u2019s largest documentary film festival \u2014 and one of the top Oscar bellwethers \u2014 has revealed its 2025 Short List: Features, Short List: Shorts, Winner\u2019s Circle, and newly launched Selects Encore sections \u2014 rounding out the full lineup for its 16th edition. The festival will take place Nov. 12\u201320 at IFC Center, SVA Theatre, and Village East by Angelika, with select titles available online through Nov. 30.<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s festival will present 116 feature films (including 30 world premieres and 34 U.S. premieres) and 113 shorts, continuing Doc NYC\u2019s tradition of spotlighting the year\u2019s most acclaimed nonfiction storytelling and strongest Oscar contenders.<\/p>\n
More from Gold Derby<\/strong><\/p>\n Several titles from this year\u2019s lineup were also recognized by the Critics Choice Documentary Awards<\/a>, including Best Feature nominees 2000 Meters to Andriivka<\/em>, Apocalypse in the Tropics<\/em>, Cover-Up<\/em>, Orwell: 2+2=5<\/em>, The Perfect Neighbor<\/em>, and The Tale of Silyan<\/em> \u2014 further cementing their status as leading Oscar contenders.<\/p>\n Since its launch in 2012, Doc NYC\u2019s Short List: Features has become a key predictor of major awards success \u2014 screening 59 of the last 70 Oscar-nominated documentary features and 13 of the last 14 Academy Award winners.<\/p>\n The 2025 lineup includes:<\/p>\n 2000 Meters to Andriivka<\/em> \u2014 Dir. Mstyslav Chernov<\/strong> Apocalypse in the Tropics<\/em> \u2014 Dir. Petra Costa<\/strong> Co-Existence, My Ass!<\/em> \u2014 Dir. Amber Fares<\/strong> Come See Me in the Good Light<\/em> \u2014 Dir. Ryan White<\/strong> Cover-Up<\/em> \u2014 Dirs. Laura Poitras, Mark Obenhaus<\/strong> Cutting Through Rocks<\/em> \u2014 Dirs. Sara Khaki, Mohammadreza Eyni<\/strong> Heightened Scrutiny<\/em> \u2014 Dir. Sam Feder<\/strong> Mistress Dispeller<\/em> \u2014 Dir. Elizabeth Lo<\/strong> Mr. Nobody Against Putin<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 Dirs. David Borenstein, Pasha Talankin<\/strong> My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 Dir. Mariska Hargitay<\/strong> Orwell: 2+2=5<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 Dir. Raoul Peck<\/strong> The Perfect Neighbor<\/em> \u2014 Dir. Geeta Gandbhir<\/strong> Predators<\/em> \u2014 Dir. David Osit<\/strong> Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk<\/em> \u2014 Dir. Sepideh Farsi<\/strong> The Tale of Silyan<\/em> \u2014 Dir. Tamara Kotevska<\/strong> Now in its eighth year, the Short List: Shorts features 15 titles selected by Artistic Director Jaie Laplante, Director of Special Projects Thom Powers, and consultant Samah Ali. The 2024 lineup included “The Only Girl in the Orchestra,” which went on to win the Oscar.<\/p>\n This year\u2019s selections are:<\/p>\n \u201cAll the Empty Rooms\u201d \u2014 Dir. Joshua Seftel<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n \u201cAll the Walls Came Down\u201d \u2014 Dir. Ondi Timoner<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n \u201cAm I the Skinniest Person You\u2019ve Ever Seen?\u201d \u2014 Dir. Eisha Marjara<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n \u201cArmed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud\u201d \u2014 Dirs. Brent Renaud, Craig Renaud<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n \u201cChildren No More: Were and Are Gone\u201d \u2014 Dir. Hilla Medalia<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n \u201cThe Devil Is Busy\u201d \u2014 Dirs. Christalyn Hampton, Geeta Gandbhir<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n \u201cLast Days on Lake Trinity\u201d \u2014 Dir. Charlotte Cooley<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n \u201cMaybe It\u2019s Just the Rain\u201d \u2014 Dir. Reina Bonta<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n \u201cOh Yeah!\u201d \u2014 Dir. Nick Canfield<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n \u201cQotzu\u00f1i: People of the Lake\u201d \u2014 Dirs. Gast\u00f3n Zilberman, Michael Salama<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n \u201cThe Reality of Hope\u201d \u2014 Dir. Joe Hunting<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n \u201cSongs of Black Folk\u201d \u2014 Dirs. Justin Emeka, Haley Watson<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n \u201cTessitura\u201d \u2014 Dirs. Lydia Cornett, Brit Fryer<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n \u201cTiger\u201d \u2014 Dir. Loren Waters<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n \u201cWe Were the Scenery\u201d \u2014 Dir. Christopher Radcliff<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Established in 2019, Winner\u2019s Circle honors acclaimed documentaries that have already triumphed at major international festivals.<\/p>\n The 2025 selections are:<\/p>\n Below the Clouds<\/em> \u2014 Dir. Gianfranco Rosi (Venice Special Jury Prize)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n Holding Liat<\/em> \u2014 Dir. Brandon Kramer (Berlinale Documentary Award)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n The Librarians<\/em> \u2014 Dir. Kim A. Snyder (Dallas International Film Festival)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n Life After<\/em> \u2014 Dir. Reid Davenport (U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award, Sundance)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n Secret Mall Apartment<\/em> \u2014 Dir. Jeremy Workman (Grand Jury Prize: Documentary, IFF Boston)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n Seeds<\/em> \u2014 Dir. Brittany Shyne (U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Documentary, Sundance)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n The new Selects Encore section features standout films from Doc NYC\u2019s year-round Selects screening series that have continued to resonate through awards season.<\/p>\n This year\u2019s lineup includes:<\/p>\n It\u2019s Never Over, Jeff Buckley<\/em> \u2014 Dir. Amy Berg<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n Monk in Pieces<\/em> \u2014 Dirs. Billy Shebar, David C. Roberts<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n One to One: John & Yoko<\/em> \u2014 Dirs. Kevin Macdonald, Sam Rice-Edwards<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n Suburban Fury<\/em> \u2014 Dir. Robinson Devor<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Cutting Through Rocks<\/em>, \u201cAm I the Skinniest Person You\u2019ve Ever Seen?\u201d and \u201cWe Were the Scenery\u201d are also featured in Doc NYC\u2019s Voices of Canada showcase, co-presented by the Consulate General of Canada in New York.<\/p>\n All films will screen in person at Doc NYC\u2019s three main venues, with online access available across the U.S. through Nov. 30. Ticket prices range from $10 to $30 for individual screenings, with passes for in-person, online, and PRO events also available.<\/p>\n For the full schedule, passes, and additional information, visit docnyc.net<\/a>.<\/p>\n Best of Gold Derby<\/strong><\/p>\n Sign up for Gold Derby’s Newsletter<\/a>. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook<\/a>, Twitter<\/a>, and Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\nShort List: Features<\/h3>\n
After taking us through the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in his Oscar-winning 20 Days in Mariupol,<\/em> Mstyslav Chernov and his creative team give us a perspective of the war more than a year on.<\/p>\n
Christian fundamentalism has seized political discourse in Brazil, and this clear-eyed, deeply troubling, and internationally resonant distillation examines the implications.<\/p>\n
Disillusioned with politics, Noam Shuster Eliassi pivots to the world of stand-up comedy as a means of communicating her \u201cradical\u201d message that Palestinians and Israelis deserve equal human rights.<\/p>\n
A poignant and unexpectedly funny love story about poets Andrea Gibson and Megan Falley facing an incurable cancer diagnosis with joy, wit, and an unshakable partnership.<\/p>\n
A chronicle of Seymour Hersh’s groundbreaking investigative journalism, exposing systemic deception within US military and intelligence agencies, blending personal narrative with an examination of institutional accountability.<\/p>\n
In rural Iran, a trailblazing councilwoman empowers girls through motorcycles and activism\u2014but when her motives are questioned, her fight against patriarchy becomes a deeply personal reckoning.<\/p>\n
As a transphobic firestorm sweeps American culture and legislatures, ACLU lawyer Chase Strangio becomes the first trans man to argue a case before the Supreme Court.<\/p>\n
Desperate to save her marriage, a woman in China hires a professional to go undercover and break up her husband\u2019s affair.<\/p>\n
Amid Russia’s wartime propaganda, a teacher secretly films the militarization of education, risking everything to expose the state’s manipulation of youth\u2014and the quiet courage of those who defy it.<\/p>\n
Mariska Hargitay embarks on a deeply personal journey to uncover the real Jayne Mansfield\u2014her iconic mother\u2014through rare footage, intimate interviews, and a search for lost memories.<\/p>\n
A stirring depiction of the dangers of power and the fragility of so-called civilized society, told through the vision of George Orwell (1984<\/em>), who just might hold the key to the world’s future.<\/p>\n
Raw police bodycam footage provides a shocking, clear-eyed chronicle of a neighborhood dispute\u2019s tragic escalation in Florida, examining the deadly consequences of \u201cstand your ground\u201d laws and systemic racial tensions.<\/p>\n
Nearly 20 years after the NBC Dateline show “To Catcha Predator” went off the air in scandal, filmmaker David Osit contemplates the complicity of both host and viewer in our “society of the spectacle.\u201d<\/p>\n
A powerful act of witness and remembrance, this urgent, deeply personal documentary unfolds through video calls between filmmaker Sepideh Farsi and 25-year-old Palestinian photojournalist and poet Fatma Hassona.<\/p>\n
A magical Macedonian folktale comes to life when an unlikely savior rescues a wounded white stork, transforming both of their lives for the better.<\/p>\nShort List: Shorts<\/h3>\n
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Winner\u2019s Circle<\/h3>\n
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Selects Encore<\/h3>\n
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Canadian Showcase<\/h3>\n
Festival details<\/h3>\n