Sixteen-year-old DOC NYC, America’s largest documentary competition, has revealed its influential 15-film Quick Checklist. The competition will run its important lineup of 116 options, 30 world premieres, 34 U.S. premieres, and 113 quick movies in-person November 12-20 in New York Metropolis’s IFC Middle, SVA Theatre, and Village East by Angelika and proceed on-line till November 30 with movies out there to viewers throughout the U.S. All of the movies can have theatrical screenings on the competition, usually with the administrators in individual.
Traditionally, many of the DOC NYC shortlist titles overlap with the Academy’s official 15-film Oscar shortlist. With the notable exception of Netflix’s Oscar-winning “My Octopus Trainer,” for 13 of the final 14 years, the competition has screened the documentary that went on to win the Academy Award, together with “No Different Land,” “20 Days in Mariupol,” “Navalny,” “Summer time of Soul,” “American Manufacturing facility,” “Free Solo,” “Icarus,” “O.J.: Made in America,” “Amy,” “Citizenfour,” “20 Toes from Stardom,” “Looking for Sugar Man,” and “Undefeated.”
And the competition has screened 59 of the final 70 Oscar-nominated documentary options. DOC NYC’s Quick Checklist: Options choice committee is overseen by Inventive Director Jaie Laplante and Director of Particular Tasks Thom Powers.
The Quick Lists sections showcase a number of nonfiction options and shorts that the competition’s programming group considers to be among the many yr’s strongest contenders for Oscars and different prizes, whereas Winner’s Circle is a celebration of movies already awarded at main worldwide movie occasions which are worthy of extra consideration. Selects Encore showcases important titles from DOC NYC’s year-round Selects screening collection — movies that proceed to be a part of our awards season conversations.
DOC NYC’s 2025 Quick Checklist screenings will embody two New York Metropolis premieres: Sara Khaki and Mohammadreza Eyni’s “Chopping By means of Rocks,” winner of the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Documentary at this yr’s Sundance Movie Competition, and David Borenstein’s “Mr. No person Towards Putin,” a Sundance award winner just lately chosen to symbolize Denmark within the Greatest Worldwide Movie class on the 98th Academy Awards.
Films that overlap each the Critics Selection Affiliation (CCA) Characteristic Documentary nominees and DOC NY Quick Checklist are notably sturdy future awards contenders. The CCA nominees for its tenth annual Critics Selection Documentary Awards had been introduced Tuesday and embody DOC NYC listed “Orwell: 2+2=5” (Neon) with seven nominations, and “The Good Neighbor” (Netflix) with six, adopted by “2000 Meters to Andriivka” (Frontline Options / The Related Press), “Apocalypse within the Tropics” (Netflix), “Cowl-Up” (Netflix), and “The Story of Silyan” (Nationwide Geographic).
See beneath for the entire slates for every part.
This yr’s alternatives for Quick Checklist: Options are:
“2000 Meters to Andriivka”
Director: Mstyslav Chernov
Producers: Mstyslav Chernov, Michelle Mizner, Raney Aronson-Rath
After taking us by the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in his Oscar-winning 20 Days in Mariupol, Mstyslav Chernov and his artistic group give us a perspective of the warfare greater than a yr on.
“Apocalypse within the Tropics”
Director: Petra Costa
Producers: Petra Costa, Alessandra Orofino
Christian fundamentalism has seized political discourse in Brazil, and this clear-eyed, deeply troubling, and internationally resonant distillation examines the implications.
“Co-Existence, My Ass!”
Director: Amber Fares
Producers: Rachel Leah Jones, Amber Fares
Disillusioned with politics, Noam Shuster Eliassi pivots to the world of stand-up comedy as a method of speaking her “radical” message that Palestinians and Israelis deserve equal human rights.
“Come See Me within the Good Gentle”
Director: Ryan White
Producers: Ryan White, Jessica Hargrave, Tig Notaro, Stef Willen
A poignant and unexpectedly humorous love story about poets Andrea Gibson and Megan Falley going through an incurable most cancers analysis with pleasure, wit, and an unshakable partnership.
“Cowl-Up”
Administrators: Laura Poitras, Mark Obenhaus
Producers: Yoni Golijov, Laura Poitras, Mark Obenhaus, Olivia Streisand
A chronicle of Seymour Hersh’s groundbreaking investigative journalism, exposing systemic deception inside US army and intelligence businesses, mixing private narrative with an examination of institutional accountability.
“Chopping By means of the Rocks” * (NYC Premiere)
Administrators/Producers: Sara Khaki, Mohammadreza Eyni
In rural Iran, a trailblazing councilwoman empowers ladies by bikes and activism—however when her motives are questioned, her battle in opposition to patriarchy turns into a deeply private reckoning.
“Heightened Scrutiny”
Director: Sam Feder
Producers: Amy Scholder, Sam Feder, Paola Mendoza
As a transphobic firestorm sweeps American tradition and legislatures, ACLU lawyer Chase Strangio turns into the primary trans man to argue a case earlier than the Supreme Court docket.
“Mistress Dispeller”
Director: Elizabeth Lo
Producers: Emma D. Miller, Elizabeth Lo, Maggie Li
Determined to save lots of her marriage, a girl in China hires knowledgeable to go undercover and break up her husband’s affair.
“Mr. No person Towards Putin” (NYC Premiere)
Administrators: David Borenstein, Pasha Talankin
Producer: Helle Faber
Amid Russia’s wartime propaganda, a trainer secretly movies the militarization of training, risking every thing to reveal the state’s manipulation of youth—and the quiet braveness of those that defy it.
“My Mother Jayne: A Movie by Mariska Hargitay”
Director: Mariska Hargitay
Producers: Mariska Hargitay, Trish Adlesic
Mariska Hargitay embarks on a deeply private journey to uncover the true Jayne Mansfield—her iconic mom—by uncommon footage, intimate interviews, and a seek for misplaced reminiscences.
“Orwell: 2=2=5”
Director: Raoul Peck
Producers: Alex Gibney, Raoul Peck, George Chignell, Nick Shumaker
A stirring depiction of the hazards of energy and the fragility of so-called civilized society, advised by the imaginative and prescient of George Orwell (1984), who simply would possibly maintain the important thing to the world’s future.
“The Good Neighbor”
Director: Geeta Gandbhir
Producers: Alisa Payne, Geeta Gandbhir, Nikon Kwantu, Sam Bisbee
Uncooked police bodycam footage supplies a stunning, clear-eyed chronicle of a neighborhood dispute’s tragic escalation in Florida, inspecting the lethal penalties of “stand your floor” legal guidelines and systemic racial tensions.
“Predators”
Director: David Osit
Producers: Jamie Gonçalves, Kellen Quinn, David Osit
Practically 20 years after the NBC Dateline present “To Catch a Predator” went off the air in scandal, filmmaker David Osit contemplates the complicity of each host and viewer in our “society of the spectacle.”
“Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Stroll”
Director: Sepideh Farsi
Producers: Javad Djavahery, Annie Ohayon-Dekel
A strong act of witness and remembrance, this pressing, deeply private documentary unfolds by video calls between filmmaker Sepideh Farsi and 25-year-old Palestinian photojournalist and poet Fatma Hassona.
“The Story of Silyan”
Director: Tamara Kotevska
Producers: Tamara Kotevska, Jean Dakar, Anna Hashmi, Jordanco Petkovski
A magical Macedonian folktale involves life when an unlikely savior rescues a wounded white stork, remodeling each of their lives for the higher.
SHORT LIST: SHORTS
The Quick Checklist: Shorts showcase of 15 titles is now in its eighth yr at DOC NYC. The choice course of is overseen by Inventive Director Jaie Laplante, Director of Particular Tasks Thom Powers, and advisor Samah Ali. In 2024, the showcase included The Solely Lady within the Orchestra, which went on to win the Oscar.
This yr’s alternatives for Quick Checklist: Shorts are:
“All of the Empty Rooms”
Director: Joshua Seftel
Producers: Joshua Seftel, Conall Jones, James Costa, Trevor Burgess
A longtime TV journalist groups up with a photographer to doc empty bedrooms of kids misplaced to gun violence, revealing areas the place grief speaks louder than statistics and reminiscence refuses to fade.
“All of the Partitions Got here Down”
Director: Ondi Timoner
Producers: Ondi Timoner, Eli O. Timoner, Maggie Contreras
After dropping her dwelling within the 2025 Eaton Hearth, Ondi Timoner turns the digital camera on herself and her neighbors, revealing profound racial and financial inequities uncovered by catastrophe descending on Altadena, California.
“Am I the Skinniest Particular person You’ve Ever Seen?”
Director: Eisha Marjara
Producers: Joe Balass, Ariel Nasr
Two sisters’ pact to go on a weight loss plan collectively lit the spark for one sibling’s consuming dysfunction.
“Armed Solely with a Digicam: The Life and Demise of Brent Renaud”
Administrators: Brent Renaud, Craig Renaud
Producers: Juan Arredondo, Christof Putzel
After journalist Brent Renaud is killed in Ukraine, his brother completes his closing report—shaping a haunting tribute to frontline storytellers who danger every thing to light up the human value of warfare.
“Kids No Extra: Had been and Gone”
Director: Hilla Medalia
Producers: Sheila Nevins, Yael Melamede, Hilla Medalia
In Tel Aviv, silent vigils mourn Gaza’s youngsters—absent, but achingly current in large-scale images. Defying public scorn to confront a warfare’s toll, the activists’ quiet protests echo louder than phrases.
“The Satan is Busy”
Administrators: Christalyn Hampton, Geeta Gandbhir
Producers: Rose Arce, Christalyn Hampton, Amber Fares
At an Atlanta abortion clinic besieged by protesters, the director of operations, Tracy, takes on dangers to safeguard employees and sufferers.
“Final Days on Lake Trinity”
Director/Producer: Charlotte Cooley
Confronted with their beloved South Florida trailer park’s imminent closure, three single, older girls band collectively to battle their eviction and save their group whereas confronting the specter of homelessness.
“Perhaps It’s Simply the Rain”
Director: Reina Bonta
Producers: Mel Mah, Frankie Rubio
By means of dwelling movies and voicemails, a younger Filipino-American soccer participant relives her group’s historic World Cup win—culminating in a return to her roots and a journey that’s each private and profound.
“Oh Yeah!”
Director/Producer: Nick Canfield
From Swiss avant-garde roots to American popular culture, two artists crafted a track that grew to become a cultural touchstone. Exploring its legacy by archival footage and interviews reveals its enduring affect.
“Qotzuni: Folks of the Lake”
Administrators/Producers: Gastón Zilberman, Michael Salama
Bolivia’s Lake Poopó has evaporated, and as Qotzuñis, Folks of the Lake, the Uru-Murato group faces the cultural and financial penalties.
“The Actuality of Hope”
Director: Joe Looking
Producers: Joe Looking, Max Willson
From digital dreamscapes to real-world sacrifice, a VR friendship turns into a lifeline when a New Yorker journeys to Sweden to donate a kidney—revealing tenderness inside a vibrant on-line world.
“Songs of Black Folks”
Administrators: Justin Emeka, Haley Watson
Producer: Haley Watson
Underneath Ramón Bryant Braxton’s route, Black artists of all ages unite in a robust Juneteenth celebration, bridging generations by music that honors historical past, resilience, and the enduring spirit of group.
“Tessitura”
Administrators/Producers: Lydia Cornett, Brit Fryer
Transgender opera singers navigate and reshape the inflexible boundaries of their artwork, intertwining private tales with historical past to problem custom and reveal the evolutionary fluidity of voice and gender.
“Tiger”
Director: Loren Waters
Producers: Loren Waters, Dana Tiger
Haunted by the lack of her brother and father, a Muscogee Creek artist battles grief and illness to rebuild her household’s iconic T-shirt enterprise and reclaim a creative heritage.
“We Had been the Surroundings”
Director: Christopher Radcliff
Producers: Cathy Linh Che, Jess X. Snow
As warfare survivors relive trauma onscreen, their dwelling films quietly reclaim a misplaced South Vietnam—difficult a mythology that made them extras in their very own historical past.
“Winner’s Circle”
The DOC NYC Winner’s Circle for documentary options, launched in 2019, highlights movies that arrive at DOC NYC with important awards pedigrees already in place. Previous movies proven in Winner’s Circle that each one went on to additional acclaim embody Writing with Hearth, The Mole Agent, A Home Fabricated from Splinters, Hollywoodgate, Within the Rearview, Unhealthy Axe, Midnight Household, and Advocate. To qualify for inclusion on this class, movies will need to have received a significant award at a major worldwide or US movie competition.
This yr’s alternatives for Winner’s Circle are:
“Under the Clouds”
Director: Gianfranco Rosi
Producers: Donatella Palermo, Gianfranco Rosi, Paolo Del Brocco
Underneath Naples’ skies and Vesuvius’ shadow, voices rise in a black‑and‑white tableau – on a regular basis lives and historical past unearthed, reminiscence and damage fuse right into a haunting meditation on what stays unseen. Winner, Particular Jury Prize, Venice Worldwide Movie Competition
“Holding Liat”
Director: Brandon Kramer
Producers: Darren Aronofsky, Lance Kramer, Yoni Brook, Ari Handel, Justin A. Gonçalves
An intimate following of a household’s battle for his or her kidnapped cherished one in Israel, revealing the delicate threads of hope and grief amid the devastation of geopolitical violence. Winner, Berlinale Documentary Award, Berlin Worldwide Movie Competition
“The Librarians”
Director: Kim A. Snyder
Producer: Kim A. Snyder, Janique L. Robillard, Maria Cuomo Cole, Jana Edelbaum
In our politically polarized period, librarians throughout America have discovered their occupation below siege as an unprecedented wave of ebook banning hits Texas, Florida, and past. Winner, Greatest Documentary Characteristic, Dallas Worldwide Movie Competition
“Life After”
Director: Reid Davenport
Producer: Colleen Cassingham
A gripping investigative documentary exposing the tangled internet of ethical dilemmas, ableism, and revenue motives surrounding assisted dying. Winner, U.S. Documentary Particular Jury Award, Sundance Movie Competition
“Secret Mall Condominium”
Director: Jeremy Workman
Producers: Jeremy Workman, Matthew Spain
In 2003, eight younger Rhode Island artists created a secret residence in a hidden house inside a mall. Their act of defiance in opposition to gentrification turns into a daring expression of ingenious creativity. Winner, Grand Jury Prize: Documentary, Impartial Movie Competition Boston
“Seeds”
Director: Brittany Shyne
Producers: Danielle Varga, Sabrina Gordon
Following Black generational farmers within the American South, Seeds weaves intimate moments right into a poetic tribute to legacy, land, and the enduring ties that bind household and group. Winner, U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Documentary, Sundance Movie Competition
