The GlobeDocs Film Festival returns this fall! Mark your calendars for the 12th annual festival (October 21 - November 1) at The Brattle, The Coolidge, Alamo Drafthouse Boston, and virtually On Demand.
On Demand Film: $12
Stream one standout, virtual on demand documentary from this year's festival lineup, available October 21 through November 1.
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On Demand All Access: $60
Stream the full GlobeDocs virtual on demand lineup from October 21 to November 1 – every virtual documentary in this year's festival, on your own schedule.
In Cinemas Film: $17
Experience one film the way it was meant to be seen: in theaters, October 21–25.
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In Cinemas All Access: $175
The full theatrical festival experience, designed for those who want to see multiple films on the big screen with premium seating and access.
What's included:
•All Access to every film screening in cinemas
•Opening night reception with hors d'oeuvres, beer, and wine
• All Access attendee goodie bag
• Reserved seating at the front of the cinema
Double your access with the ultimate GlobeDocs experience – every film, both in cinemas and on demand, for unmatched flexibility and reach.
What's included:
• All Access to every in cinemas and on demand film
• Opening night reception with hors d'oeuvres, beer, and wine
• All Access attendee goodie bag
• Reserved seating at the front of the cinema
Enjoy complimentary beer, wine, and light bites before the film and mingle with festival filmmakers. Your ticket to the opening night party includes a seat in Moviehouse 1 for the screening, along with exclusive access to the filmmakers and VIPs in attendance.
Learn more HERE
Wednesday, October 21st
5:30pm - 7:00pm
The Coolidge Theatre Rooftop
290 Harvard St, Brookline, MA 02446
Following the final screening, join us for the announcement of the Audience Award winners for Best Feature and Best Local Short. Enjoy complimentary beer, wine, and light bites, hear from the festival programmers, and celebrate the conclusion of another GlobeDocs Film Festival.
Learn more HERE
Sunday, October 25th
9:00pm - 11:00pm
Lou's
13 Brattle St, Cambridge, MA 02138
How long do I have to watch the on demand screenings, and will they be offered during the same time as the in-person film festival?
The on demand film festival will take place from October 21st - November 1st. More info to come. See the 2026 on demand screenings here.
For sponsorship inquiries, contact Julia Karam at julia.karam@globe.com.
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2025, US, 89 minutes
Directed by Tasha van Zandt
Produced by Tasha Van Zandt, Sebastian Zeck, Jessica Harrop, Kathryn Everett
A visual feast of underwater wonders that demands big-screen viewing, A LIFE ILLUMINATED follows trailblazing marine biologist Dr. Edie Widder—raised in greater Boston and one of the first women in her field—as she descends 3,300 feet into the ocean’s darkest depths. From capturing the first-ever footage of the elusive giant squid to unveiling the glowing mysteries of deep-sea bioluminescence, Widder embarks on her most daring quest yet: to document a bioluminescent phenomenon that could forever change how we understand life on Earth. Blending stunning cinematic vérité footage from her journeys into the deep with never-before-seen archives from her lifetime of expeditions across the Atlantic Ocean and beyond, A LIFE ILLUMINATED captures Edie’s crusade to reveal the profound beauty of bioluminescence while emphasizing the urgent need to protect the fragile ecosystems of the deep sea.
2025, US, 88 minutes
Directed by Tony Benna
Produced by André Ricchiardi, Tory Tunnell, Joshua Altman, Stelio Kitrilakis, Ben Cotner
Unexpected, irreverent, and absurdly funny, ANDRÉ IS AN IDIOT is a wildly life-affirming film that follows one man’s response to a fatal diagnosis—brimming with happiness, heart, and hilarity. Affectionately characterized by friends and loved ones as a brilliant idiot, André learns he’s dying from a disease he could have detected with a routine colonoscopy, and enlists director Tony Benna to document his final journey. Soon, a life defined by humor, curiosity, and defying convention approaches mortality with the same ridiculous bent—as André’s endearing stories and musings are brought to life with imaginative stop-motion animation and matter-of-fact frankness, capturing his unique approach to life’s challenges and joys. Coming from film distributor A24 and featuring music by Dan Deacon, the film won two awards at the Sundance Film Festival.
From executive director Gary Sinise comes the incredible story of Hal Croft: war hero, revered teacher, and record-breaking coach, who led his Reading Memorial High School track and field teams to an astonishing 29-year undefeated streak of 252 victories without a single loss, a national record. Croft’s character and philosophy had a profound impact, motivating countless students and athletes who went on to become successes of their own. Now retired, he faces his fiercest opponent yet: the lingering trauma of Vietnam and the solitude of a life once defined by worldly success. CROFT tells the unforgettable true story of a man who inspired thousands, but must now fight to save himself.
2025, US/UK, 96 minutes
Directed by Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin
Produced by Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin, Shannon Dill, Anna Barnes
Connecticut native, Pulitzer Prize-winning Lynsey Addario has risked her life to capture the stark realities of war—from Ukraine and the Middle East to Afghanistan and Pakistan. From the Academy Award®-winning filmmakers of Free Solo, LOVE+WAR chronicles Addario’s ascent in the male-dominated world of conflict photography. But her work comes at a steep personal cost—each assignment requiring that she step into danger and leave behind her husband and two young sons. Behind the camera, Addario is torn between her unwavering commitment to the essential work of journalism and the powerful, competing demands of motherhood, grappling with the stakes when following your passion means threatening everything you love.
In English and Ukrainian with English subtitles.
2025, US, 92 minutes
Directed by Kim A. Snyder
Produced by Kim A. Snyder, Janique Robillard, Maria Cuomo Cole, Jana Edelbaum
As an unprecedented wave of book banning combs across Texas, Florida, and beyond, librarians under siege join forces as unlikely defenders of intellectual freedom on the front lines of democracy. Filmmaker Kim A. Snyder (Newtown, Us Kids) enters the eye of an ideological cyclone, where librarians emerge as first responders in the fight to uphold First Amendment Rights. In Texas, the Krause List targeted 850 books—many focused on race and LGBTQIA+ stories—which triggered sweeping book bans across the U.S. at an unprecedented rate. Despite facing harassment, threats, and laws aimed at criminalizing their work, the librarians’ rallying cry for the freedom to read is a chilling—and necessary—cautionary tale.
2025, US, 80 minutes
Directed by Oren Jacoby
Produced by Sam Jinishian, Janet Klein, Betsy West, Alex Lowther, Monika McClure
Can the smallest of voices topple the largest of giants? When their communities are threatened by a perilous pipeline plan, three fearless grassroots leaders and a group of rebellious Rockefeller heirs step forward to confront Big Oil’s greatest deception and battle environmental racism in a fight for a renewable future. THIS IS NOT A DRILL follows along as the coalition uncovers Big Oil’s “Big Con" exposing an industry doubling down on fossil fuels while disguising disastrous truths about the climate crisis. With gripping access, Academy Award® nominee Oren Jacoby presents a story of courage, betrayal, and grassroots victories, showing that everyday people, armed with only grit and determination, can stand up to power and change the course of history.
2025, US, 117 minutes
Directed by Laura Poitras, Mark Obenhaus
Produced by Yoni Golijov, Laura Poitras, Mark Obenhaus, Olivia Steisand
From Academy Award® winning director Laura Poitras (All the Beauty and The Bloodshed, Citizenfour) and Emmy Award-winning director Mark Obenhaus, COVER-UP is a political thriller that traces the explosive career of Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter Seymour Hersh, whose work has at once been widely celebrated, hotly debated, and also criticized throughout his 65+ year career. Urgent and deeply reported, the film is both a portrait of a relentless journalist and an indictment of institutional violence—revealing a cycle of impunity within the U.S. military and intelligence agencies and covering Hersh’s reporting from the My Lai massacre to Abu Ghraib. Drawing on exclusive access to Hersh’s notes, and interweaving primary documents and archival footage, COVER-UP captures the incredible power and process of investigative journalism.
When a former photo editor in Saigon reveals a secret that has plagued him for 52 years, it sets in motion a gripping two-year investigation into the truth behind “The Terror of War” (informally dubbed “Napalm Girl”)—one of the most iconic images captured during the Vietnam War, whose creation is now up for debate. American Vietnamese director Bao Nguyen (The Greatest Night in Pop, Be Water) takes audiences on a thrilling hunt for the truth, involving forensic experts, a small team of journalists, and acclaimed war photographer Gary Knight in a relentless search to locate the Associated Press freelancer at the center of a headline-grabbing mystery. Grappling with questions of authorship, racial injustice, and journalistic ethics, THE STRINGER shines a light on the vital yet often unrecognized contributions of freelance photojournalists in shaping the media landscape and how history is visualized.
In English and Vietnamese with English subtitles.
Spirited participants aged 65 to 85 comprise the POMtastics, a senior pom-dancing troupe that rehearses and performs across Massachusetts. Vibrant and heartfelt, THE POMTASTICS celebrates how movement, teamwork, and performance can create joy, connection, and a sense of youthfulness—regardless of age.
2025, US, 87 minutes
Created by Don Wright & Dan Algrant, Directed by Dan Algrant
Produced by Roland Barrow
Decades after making a Super-8 film together about kids living in a housing project in Boston’s South End, filmmaker Dan Algrant (Naked in New York, Greetings From Tim Buckley) embarks on a personal journey to reconnect with his co-director, uncovering challenging questions about race, class, and disparities of power that complicate and compliment the film’s own narrative. After falling out of touch for 50 years, his quest becomes a powerful exploration of the bonds that tie us together, the experiences that shape our identities, and the possibilities that form when different paths momentarily converge. Through the lens of a creative collaboration, CATHEDRALS illuminates the struggles and triumphs that define life in a close-knit community, ultimately reaffirming the importance of human connection and the power of collective memory.
With six Oscar-winning producers/executive producers including Frances McDormand and Joel Coen, renowned documentarian Robb Moss completes the cinematic portrait of a group of close friends he’s filmed for over forty years. Starting with Riverdogs (1978), Moss chronicled their outdoor, clothing-optional life during a summer-long rafting trip through the Grand Canyon. In The Same River Twice (2003), he contemplated their maturation from young, naked, and independent to fully clothed, middle-aged, and facing roles beyond themselves. Now, in THE BEND IN THE RIVER, Moss finds his friends in their late 60s/early 70s, grappling with the choices they’ve made as individuals and as a generation. Weaving together footage from all three periods, Moss creates a cinematic world, gently ricocheting viewers back and forth through time, asking the most fundamental of questions: how does who we’ve been inform who we are, and more—who we might become?
Pulsating and stylish on the surface while unflinchingly introspective at its core, ASK E. JEAN is the thrilling story of E. Jean Carroll’s life, from her early days as Miss Cheerleader USA to her rise as a trailblazing journalist, author, and beloved advice columnist, collecting a legion of fans, her own talk show, and two Emmy nods along the way. Carroll broke barriers as the first female editor at Esquire, Playboy, and Outside, helping to redefine women’s roles in media with her sharp wit and fearless voice. In recent years, she reignited public discourse by standing up to power, becoming the only woman to beat Donald Trump twice in court, and sparking a national conversation about truth, accountability, and resilience. Director Ivy Meeropol (Heir to an Execution, After the Bite) has crafted a striking portrait of an indomitable woman that shows it’s never too late to reclaim your voice, own your story, and change the world.
2025, US, 92 minutes
Directed by Julie Forrest Wyman
Produced by Julie Forrest Wyman, Lyndsey Dryden,
Shaleece Haas, Jonna McKone
THE TALLEST DWARF charts filmmaker Julie Forrest Wyman’s personal quest to find her place within the little people community at the very moment when dwarf identity is poised to change radically. As Julie unpacks the rumors of “partial dwarfism” in her family, she finds that hers is the last of a body type she has inherited. Wyman joins forces with a group of dwarf artists to confront the legacy of being fetishized and put on display. Through its personal and expanding perspective on questions of bias, body image, and spectatorship, this evocative film invites audiences to consider a new way of seeing people for who they are.
Presented with English open captions.
Betty Clark is an 80-year-old, African American chaplain at a trauma center in Oakland, CA. Jessica Zitter is a white, Jewish physician who has been Betty’s colleague on the Palliative Care service for over a decade. These two women are an unlikely team: chaplains and doctors do not usually pair up within the hierarchical and siloed halls of the hospital. With time, the two women’s shared values and history overcome the forces that keep them apart, and they go on to do their best work together. THE CHAPLAIN & THE DOCTOR models a new kind of care—one that honors both spirit and body, the diverse backgrounds of patients, and the most human needs we all share.
2025, US, 83 minutes
Directed by Ben Hethcoat, Keita Ideno
Produced by Ben Hethcoat, Billy Ray Brewton, John Henry Hinkel, Tommy Andres, Jaret Belliveau
From Marilyn Monroe and Robert Kennedy to Sharon Tate and Natalie Wood, the outspoken expertise of former Los Angeles County Chief Medical Examiner-Coroner Dr. Thomas Noguchi (who oversaw their autopsies) pushed forensic science into the spotlight—even as Hollywood elites and political adversaries sought to silence him. Now at age 98, Noguchi is again seizing the limelight, having recently been portrayed in the Tony-nominated Broadway musical “Dead Outlaw,” and here narrating his own filmed biography. Winner of the Audience Award for Best Documentary at Slamdance, CORONER TO THE STARS chronicles the extraordinary journey of a Japanese immigrant who unexpectedly rose to fame in a city fueled by celebrity—and his groundbreaking, often controversial rulings that helped shape American culture.
2025, US, 82 minutes
Directed by Benjamin Flaherty
Produced by Carra Greenberg, Harris Fishman, Scott Paskoff
Winner of the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary at SXSW, SHUFFLE is an empathetic chronicle of three individuals pursuing addiction treatment solutions amidst an insurance-fueled, for-profit system rife with fraud and false promises, where relapse—not recovery—offers the highest rate of return. With filmmaker Benjamin Flaherty narrating (informed in part by his own experiences undergoing drug addiction treatment) and shot over the course of three years, the film leverages first-person perspectives to offer an informative, human-centered investigation into the labyrinthine addiction rehabilitation industry—unraveling a profit-centered web of public policy and private interest preying on a desperate population.
SIMPLE MACHINE reframes assistive technologies in the adapted wood shop of a Cambridge architect, considering the history of post-war prosthetics, industrial manufacturing, and the beauty and challenges of classical mechanics within the ingenious tools of our everyday lives.
Presented with English open captions.
Chronicling tragically misunderstood Minnie Adams—one of the estimated one million people who died in American mental institutions—WILD GIRL respectfully examines her life and illness through expert interviews and reclaims her story through speculative animation, imagining an alternative history for a woman who family and society failed.
In Martha’s Vineyard’s in the 1700s, one in four residents was deaf, and many hearing residents communicated using a precursor to ASL. Paralleling contemporary discussions on inclusivity and diversity, SIGNS FROM THE MAINLAND explores the lasting legacy of one deaf community and its implications for society. Presented with English open captions.
2026, Ireland/Denmark, 95 minutes
Directed by Sinéad O’Shea
Produced by Katie Holly, Claire McCabe, Sigrid Dyekjær, Harry Vaughn
ALL ABOUT THE MONEY is an extraordinary investigative journey into the power and peril of extreme wealth—and what happens when one man decides to turn his privilege into a revolution. Born into one of America’s richest families, Fergie Chambers cut ties with his family trust and suddenly controls hundreds of millions of dollars. In the quiet town of Alford, Massachusetts, Fergie builds an intentional community he calls a “revolutionary training ground.” But as idealism meets ego, and theory collides with reality, tensions rise—both within the group and the surrounding town. Drawing from nearly three years of unprecedented access, filmmaker Sinéad O’Shea (PRAY FOR OUR SINNERS, GlobeDocs ’22) captures a story of conviction, control, and contradiction—a cautionary tale about money, ideology, and the messy human desire to change the world without losing yourself in the process.
At 92, Provincetown, Massachusetts artist Anne Packard prepares for a final visit to the gallery that cemented her legacy. Following a journey of hardship (abandoned by her husband and left to support five children alone at the age of 41) and having a dismissive 1960s art world, Anne started by defiantly selling small paintings for a few dollars a piece, off her front fence. Her talent and persistence went on to ignite a phenomenon, drawing collectors and art dealers alike and eventually resulting in a gallery of her own where Anne’s works would command thousands. Though she now bids farewell to that physical space, Anne’s resolute spirit and creative drive remain undiminished. Local artist and filmmaker Arthur Egeli interviews Anne in her home studio as she recounts her story in her own words, revealing decades of wisdom shaped by her colorful life.
2026, US, 102 minutes
Directed by Edward Drake, Scott Veltri and Francis Cronin
Produced by Edward Drake, Scott Veltri
Winner of the Audience Award at SXSW 2026, THE ASCENT tells the extraordinary true story of climber Mandy Horvath, a bilateral amputee attempting to crawl on her hands to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro, and an investigation into the night she tragically lost her legs. Following a night out with friends and an escalation at a local bar, Mandy woke up in an ambulance surrounded by paramedics—her body permanently altered and her trust in the world shattered. Named one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People in Sports in 2026, the film follows Mandy’s ascent up the tallest mountain in Africa—pushing her body to its limits while discovering that her success will depend on reconciling unanswered questions from that life-changing night.
2026, US, 70 minutes
Directed by Sandra Jaffe
Produced by Sandra Jaffe, Eric Juhola, David Ninh, Rachel Clark
David’s story is beautifully layered from the start: An adopted, Chinese-American, transgender teen, raised in a Jewish home in Boston with a filmmaker for a mom, with a camera always close by. As David journeys from high school to college to adulthood, Sandy Jaffe’s camera documents her family’s evolving relationship as each participant has a turn steering the narrative. Blending vérité footage, home videos, and candid conversations, the film begins as an effort to understand David’s gender transition and expands into a deeper exploration of identity, agency, authorship, power, and the complicated yet loving bond between a mother and her son. An intimate, fly-on-the-wall documentary, CUT TO DAVID considers the possibilities—and perils—of living visibly and openly, exploring how ethnicity, gender, religion, and parenting shape who we become.
In the heart of North Carolina, an architect and his wife follow their dream of providing the best possible life for rescued farm animals, by rethinking the concept of “home.” At their refuge, they replace conventional barns with customized homes for animals that society has a tendency to overlook. The resident goats flourish in a vertical home with bunkbeds, and the chicken house opens with the sun. With humane understanding and boundless imagination, they apply architectural design to the world of animal care—providing a blueprint for a compassionate, sustainable future. FOREVER HOME is an uplifting story about creating an intentional space to live and witness forgotten farm animals thrive.
2026, US, 88 minutes
Directed by Vivian Sorenson and Jonathan Nastasi
Produced by Stacy Lorts, Beth Schiff, Emma Wheylin, Lisa Holmes
Imbued with the spirit (and presence) of the late poet/environmentalist Wendell Berry and featuring Emmy-winning actor/bestselling writer (and executive producer) Nick Offerman, FORK IN THE ROAD explores the profound connections between people, the land, and the future of our food system. From kelp harvesters in Alaska to dairy farmers in the midwest, a tapestry of compelling stories from small-scale farmers across the U.S. helps paint a picture of the scale and scope of agricultural industrialization, and what that could mean for the road ahead. With insights from visionary chefs, mission-minded culinary experts, and hopeful innovators working to advance a healthier food future for the country and the planet, the film delves far beyond the farm to reveal the authentic, lived realities and unprecedented challenges of those combatting the tide of escalating consolidation—establishing food sustainability as a shared responsibility that extends into our bodies, kitchens, and communities.
2026, US, 102 minutes
Directed by Liz Garbus and Elizabeth Wolff
Produced by Liz Garbus, Elizabeth Wolff, Dominic Crossley-Holland, Dan Cogan, Gentry Kirby, Chris James
A global icon whose impact on equality resonates far beyond the tennis court, the personal sacrifices behind Billie Jean King’s rise have often remained hidden. GIVE ME THE BALL! shines a light on the immense cost of King’s game-changing fight to professionalize her sport and secure equal treatment for women. From an unhappy marriage and keeping her sexual orientation hidden to eating disorders and relentless misogyny, Billie Jean’s path was long and often lonely, but this rousing documentary expands beyond the historic 1973 “Battle of the Sexes” match to depict King as the tireless fighter she was committed to being. Incorporating rare archival footage and honest interviews, filmmakers Liz Garbus (a two-time Academy Award nominee) and Elizabeth Wolff present a powerful portrait of resilience and triumph, deepening our understanding of a revered American athlete.
2026, US, 90 minutes
Directed by Quinn Whitney Wilson and Viridiana Lieberman
Produced by Jordan Wynn, Andrew Fried, Harlin Lawal, Lana Barkin, Dane Lillegard, Ileen Sheppard Gallagher, Will Cohen, Quinn Whitney Wilson, David Laven
Nearly four decades after his untimely death at age 27, Jean-Michel Basquiat is now one of history’s most celebrated artists. His visionary work has been exhibited in every major art museum; it appears on everything from murals across the world, to streetwear, housewares, and personal tattoos. But while his legacy as an artist has been cemented, other parts of his life have been distilled into archetypes, details distorted or omitted, leaving a story predominantly framed by the fine art marketplace. In JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT, the game-changing artists' sisters, Lisane and Jeanine, lead an intimate and comprehensive portrait of their brother, focusing on the young man, sibling, son, and friend he was to many. Drawing on personal archives, never-before-seen works, and many voices of those who knew him best, this documentary illuminates the truth directly from the Basquiat family—allowing the human being, Jean-Michel, to finally guide his own story.
Exploring the human realities of immigration through the intertwined stories of three nurses from Ghana, India, and the Philippines who build new lives as healthcare workers in the U.S., A LONG WAY TO GO reveals the emotional, economic, and cultural complexities of living between worlds while maintaining deep transnational ties. By situating their personal experiences within the broader dynamics of the global healthcare system—where high-income countries rely on internationally educated professionals to combat shortages—the film examines the opportunities and ethical tensions inherent in this migration. Amidst current immigration policy debates and strained healthcare systems, filmmaker (and two-time GlobeDocs alum) Carolyn Jones prioritizes human experience over policy rhetoric, offering an urgent perspective on borders, belonging, and global interdependence.
Supercentenarians seize the spotlight in Academy Award-nominated documentarian Sam Green’s decade-long global odyssey to chronicle the ever-changing title holders of “oldest person alive.” As the distinction inevitably cedes from one titleholder to the next, Green keeps pace with each pass of the torch, while his personal fascination in the topic entangles with significant milestones and challenging life events of his own. What starts as a portrait of longevity unfolds into a poignant meditation on the passage of time, the happenstance of fate, and the joy and profundity of being human—and experiencing life.
“Charming and often moving,” declared The New York Times. “It’s the kind of essay film that Green is especially skilled at.”
In English, Italian, Japanese, French, and Catalan with English subtitles
When Massachusetts-bred filmmaker Nick Capezzera discovers a single address buried in his adoption records, a years-long pursuit for answers becomes an international investigation stretching from New England to Seoul. At the same time, his older sister Anna—also adopted from Korea but from a different family—sets out to learn her medical history and finds her birth mother and three sisters in the process. Their parallel searches reveal the vastly different outcomes adoptees can encounter in the quest for identity and belonging. As Anna prepares for a reunion in Seoul, Nick returns to the last-known address of his biological parents, as translators, journalists, and community advocates help him piece together the events surrounding his birth. Along the way, both siblings arrive at a deeper understanding of the forces that bind a family together. Moving, heartfelt, and delicately crafted, THE OTHER SIDE OF MEMORY is a moving, personal story that contemplates what it means to truly belong.
2026, US, 92 minutes
Directed by Josh Greenbaum
Produced by Rafael Marmor, Christopher Leggett, Josh Greenbaum, Peter Funt, Mark Itkin
Hail to the comedians in chief! With a laugh-inducing lineup that includes Will Ferrell, Dana Carvey, Maya Rudolph, Kate McKinnon, Keegan-Michael Key, Jimmy Kimmel, and Seth Meyers, PLAYING POTUS dives headfirst into the hilarious and high-stakes world of presidential satire. Based on Peter Funt’s book, this entertaining film probes into the ways master impressionists and political humorists shape public perception, challenge executive power, and reflect the state of our democracy. From legendary late-night TV sketches to modern digital commentary, satire has been wielded as a weapon of truth since the heyday of Mark Twain. Sharp, insightful, and deeply funny, filmmaker Josh Greenbaum offers a clever, apt snapshot of the inseparable union of politics and punchlines.
2025, US, 87 minutes
Directed by Paige Bethmann
Produced by Jessica Epstein, Paige Bethmann, Judd Erlich
Native American teen Kutoven (Ku) Stevens dreams of becoming a collegiate athlete at the University of Oregon while training alone—no team, no coach—as a high school runner in Nevada’s rural Yerington Paiute Reservation. As Ku trains, unreconciled emotions unearth the memory of his great-grandfather, Frank Quinn. Channeling the spirit and memory of Frank—who, as an eight-year-old boy, ran 50 miles across the desert to escape an Indian boarding school—Ku manifests a “remembrance run” to commemorate his ancestral roots and honor his family’s resilience. A coming-of-age story of self-discovery that took home the Audience Award and a Special Jury Award at SXSW 2025, REMAINING NATIVE channels absorbing and impactful experiences from the past to impart motivational and inspiring lessons for the future.
2026, UK/South Africa, 102 minutes
Directed by Sam Pollard
Produced by Beya Kabelu, Ellie Phillips, Johnny Webb
Far more than an Archbishop, Desmond Tutu was a moral compass, a fearless champion of justice, and a global beacon of hope. From Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Sam Pollard and executive producer Trevor Noah, TUTU is a galvanizing homage that celebrates the Nobel Peace Prize-winning leader, apartheid-battling activist, and loving husband—and captures the laughter, playfulness, and refusal to surrender to bitterness that became his most radical tools. Never-before-seen archival footage and firsthand accounts from those who walked beside him help tell a story of the transformative power of forgiveness, forming a deeply intimate tribute that allows Desmond Tutu to speak in his own words. Declared “an invaluable cinematic portrait” (Hollywood Reporter), and winner of the Peace Film Award at the Berlin Film Festival, TUTU traces the cleric’s rise as an unwavering voice of the oppressed while examining his faith, flaws, contradictions, and enduring flame.
2026, US, 106 minutes
Directed by Barbara Kopple
Produced by Hannes Hosp, Barbara Kopple, Peter Palandjian
Completing the landmark labor rights trilogy that includes the Academy Award-winning cinéma vérité documentaries Harlan County USA and American Dream, Barbara Kopple’s UNION TOWN chronicles essential workers in NYC’s last-mile delivery industry amid an explosive resurgence of organized labor. Interweaving struggles within UPS, Amazon, and the mostly immigrant app-based bike delivery workforce, the urgent and hopeful new film weaves together human stories from some of the modern faces of labor and organizing. Filmed over three years with incredible access, UNION TOWN asks what solidarity means in a world divided between those who have power and those left fighting for it.
A retro-fashioned look into how the enigmatic 1977 Japanese classic horror-comedy evolved from seldom-seen cinema curio to cult film favorite, as told by the video clerks, musicians, distributors and film buffs who rediscovered it. A special presentation just in time for Halloween, the short film and filmmaker Q&A will be followed by a 35mm screening of Nobuhiko Obayashi’s HOUSE (in Japanese with English subtitles).
2025, US, 29 minutes
Directed by Liza Donnelly and Kathleen Hughes
Produced by Liza Donnelly, Judith Mizrachy, Nathalie Seaver
New Yorker cartoonist Liza Donnelly explores women’s humor and cartooning through conversations, laughter, and drawing with her peers in what is a typically male-dominated arena. WOMEN LAUGHING traces the history and evolution of single-panel comics while celebrating the challenges, contributions, and creative processes of women who work in this field.
Never Use Alone is an anonymous hotline that people can call while using illicit drugs, to help prevent tragic overdoses. This heartwrenching film depicts the dedicated volunteers who will stay on the line and gather crucial information that can save lives and bring hope amidst the ongoing U.S. opioid crisis.
2026, Bhutan, 18 minutes
Directed by Pawo Choyning Dorji
Produced by Geralyn Dreyfous, Regina K. Scully, David Fialkow, Nina Fialkow, Melony Lewis, Adam Lewis, Vijay Vaidyanathan
Filmed on location amongst the stunning Himalayan glaciers, A SONG FOR THE SNOW LION weaves Yo-Yo Ma’s journey to Bhutan with an ancient folktale. Bhutanese folk singer, Kelden Lhamo, joins the legendary cellist in a sacred song honouring the bond between humanity and the earth, paying tribute to the idea that all life is bound together.